Show: Star Trek; Deep Space Nine
Episode
Particulars: S6EP26, “Tears of the Prophets”
Standalone
Thoughts: This is an episode where the events at the end of the episode are
probably the most worth talking about, which means that this will have to be
another one of my spoiler reviews. If you’re interested in watching for
yourself, skip over pretty much everything except the fashion roundup.
*Now exiting the spoiler free zone*
One does kind of wonder what the rest of the show would
have been like if Terry Farrell hadn’t left DS9
(see the After the Fact Update below). I suspect most of this episode would
have been the same, but killing Dax off wound up generating a few plots and
changing the dynamics of the station. How many episodes would have been changed
or replaced if she was still around? I suppose that’s a side-project for my Season
Seven writeups, though.
Focusing on this episode,
I’d say it’s simultaneously a good and bad end to the season. It’s good because
it gives us an exciting battle scene and lots of plot threads that make us want
to come back and see what happens, but it’s bad because it kind of peters out
after the battle is done. Sure, the final shot (Sisko sitting alone behind his
father’s restaurant on Earth) is clearly supposed to be symbolic and sad, but
it just didn’t feel like the image you should close out the season on. I guess “anticlimactic”
is the proper word here.
Adding on to that, the episode consists of a lot of
talking and not much doing. You’ve got Sisko and Martok trying to convince the
Romulans to go along with their plans, Damar and Weyoun discussing their battle strategy, Dax and Worf
talking about trying for a child, and so on. Sitting and talking can obviously
be compelling, but there’s not as much tension to these discussions as you’d
expect, and you’d expect a little more oomph from a season closer. So while
there’s obviously some good to be found, perhaps the preparations for the
battle should have had its own episode (I wouldn’t object if it replaced “The
Sound of Her Voice”), allowing a buildup of tension that could be released in
this episode. And then more time could be dedicated to things like giving Dax a
good sendoff or various other interpersonal relationships.
One thing I do kind of like about the episode, though, is
that it features a lot of the supporting cast, thus at least somewhat giving
the impression that a lot of threads from previous seasons are tying together.
Dukat reenters the picture in a major way, Nog is being given more
responsibility, Martok’s on hand as both a warrior and a strategist, and the
like. And while Kai Winn herself isn’t present, the Bajor/religious angle
certainly comes into play at the very end, so that plot thread is involved as
well. It’s still not the greatest execution, but it’s a taste of things to
come, so I can appreciate it on that level, at least.
How it Relates to
the Whole: A lot happens in this
episode that needs to be resolved in the next season. The
Federation/Klingons/Romulans are going on the offensive in the war, Dukat’s
allied himself with the Pah-Wraiths, the wormhole has vanished, and Dax is
dead. At least one of these might not sound like it needs to be resolved, but
the show has a way of surprising you…
Other: *We get
a few more callbacks today, one to the Gratitude Festival from “Fascination”
and several to Quark and Bashir’s unrequited feelings for Dax. Plus, there’s a
brief cameo by Vic Fontaine, which was probably unexpected at the time. He
still hasn’t quite grown into his own (he mostly sings one on-the-nose song and
dispenses some predictable advice), but it’s not a bad scene.
*Sisko is awarded the Christopher Pike medal at the start
of the episode, which is attended by Worf, Dax, O’Brien, and Jake. Naturally, I
noticed that Bashir wasn’t present, which is actually kind of odd. I can maybe
see why Kira and Odo aren’t present, because they aren’t Starfleet, but why
wouldn’t Bashir be there? He’s senior staff and higher ranking than O’Brien, so
unless this was by invitation only (in which case, why was O’Brien invited?), I
can’t explain his absence in-universe.
*Since he’s one of the big supporting characters, Garak appears
in this episode, which of course I’m fine with. That being said, his reason for
appearing isn’t as clear as the others. He just shows up on the Defiant’s bridge, with no prior warning
that he’s going to be there. I assume it’s because he’s Cardassian and
therefore might have knowledge of the area or Cardassian battle tactics, but a
scene establishing that would have been nice (and given us more Garak
screentime).
*I said several times in the early going of the show that
DS9 was surprisingly good at sendoffs
for characters. Even though the characters weren’t gone for good, the dialogue
and grief felt real. Now, however, when a character actually gets killed off, we don’t get much. We get her goodbye
scene with Worf and Sisko talks to her coffin a few minutes before the funeral officially
starts, but that’s about it. Where’s Quark using sarcasm to try to hide his
pain? Where’s Kira reflexively praying to the Prophets to give Dax peace, despite
what’s happened to the wormhole? Where’s Bashir falling apart because he couldn’t
save her? Perhaps we’ll get some of that in Season Seven, but right now, it’s a
lackluster showing.
*Speaking of Dax’s death, it’s not exactly the best way
to go out. Instead of dying heroically or in the line of duty, she’s blindsided
by Dukat while she’s in the Bajoran temple and basically gets zapped to death
with Pah-Wraith energy. Star Trek has
a history of bad character deaths, and unfortunately, it seemed DS9 couldn’t get away from it either.
Which is why, if she had to be killed
off, having her die during “Change of Heart” would probably have been for the
best. It would have surprised the audience, been a better death (even if it’s
basically her bleeding out on an alien planet, it could more clearly be seen as
“casualties of war”), and maybe shown everyone in and out of universe how
serious the situation was. It might even have provided more of a throughline to
have a scene or two every episode where some of the characters are grappling
with her loss. Imagine Dax’s death driving Sisko to his actions in “In the Pale
Moonlight”; that might have made things even more intense. But if the writers weren’t aware that Terry Farrell
was leaving at the time, there’s not much anyone could have done about it.
*Season Six Opinions: This is definitely one of the
strongest seasons of the show. It may even be the best of them so far. The
episodes are generally entertaining to watch, even if they don’t hold up to
much scrutiny afterwards. They generally managed not to lose sight of the fact
that there’s a war on, but kept things from getting too grim with fun episodes like
“The Magnificent Ferengi” or “Who Mourns for Morn?” The characters (main and
supporting) were generally good, and the show unquestionably has a direction.
All that remains to be seen now is how Season Seven can top it.
Best Line/Exchange:
I had a hard time choosing today, since there were a few decent lines but
nothing that directly stood out. So I wound up choosing;
(Kira has informed
Dax that she prayed to the Prophets to help Worf and Dax have a baby)
Dax: Did you
hear that? We have the Prophets on our side.
Worf: According
to Doctor Bashir, we need all the help we can get.
Dax: Just
remember, when you get back we have a lot
of work to do.
Worf (smirks
slightly): I don’t consider that work.
Worf’s last line works on multiple levels. He could mean
it in a way that encompasses all the cut turns this into a (classy) sex
reference. Also note that Worf used a contraction in there, which may have just
been an acting mistake but could also be taken as Worf being relaxed enough to
let it happen. Overall, though, it’s the sort of banter that I like between
couples; teasing and flirty while also knowing when to be serious. Even if I
have my problems with Dax on her own, her relationship with Worf actually works
most of the time. And this is probably the best possible time to acknowledge
that.
After the Fact
Update: According to the DS9
Companion, Terry Farrell leaving the show threw a wrench into their plans
for the end of the season, although they managed to at least keep their basic
idea (cut Sisko off from the Prophets). Also, the original plan to kill Dax
involved her stopping Dukat but dying in the attempt, but it was changed
because it was felt she needed to have a goodbye scene. The writers think it
turned out pretty well, but obviously, I think a little differently.
One other fact worth noting; the story I’d always heard
was that Terry Farrell wanted to move on and do something new, which was why she
left. The DS9 Companion suggests that
she felt like she wasn’t getting enough to do in the show as well. However, an interview surfaced on the internet recently that suggests an entirely different
reason; she wanted a reduced role and the studios weren’t willing to give it to
her, so they just killed her off. Enough time has passed that it’s probably
going to be hard to ever get the full story, so all we can really do is read
what’s available and draw our own conclusions.
End of Season
Fashion Roundup: Once more unto the breach…
(Rocks and Shoals)
I hate to admit this, but…Garak looks good here.
Apparently opening the jacket and having a solid colored shirt underneath makes
all the difference. That’s an outfit that wouldn’t look out of place here in
the modern day. Maybe he saw an old catalogue and got inspired to make a more
retro look…?
(You are Cordially Invited)
I mean, they aren’t outfits I’d wear every day, but if it
was for a Renaissance festival or some other form of medieval cosplay, I’d
consider it. So in that sense, I’d say the costumers did a pretty good job.
(Statistical Probabilities)
Let’s see, we’ve got two counts of shapeless
outfits/footie pajamas, one dress that’s actually not that bad, and some
combination of hipster/beatnik wear. Conclusion; only one in four genetically
engineered people have any sense of taste. And given Bashir’s out of uniform
outfits, I think we can agree he’s not one of them.
(Who Mourns for Morn?)
This outfit isn’t as bad as some of the ones we’ve seen…but
I wouldn’t have expected tie-dye 60’s beachwear to still be popular in the 24th
century. Well, at least if you’re not living on an actual beach planet.
(Honor Among Thieves)
I kind of like the fabric (and although you can’t see
them in this shot, the matching silver heels are gorgeous), but the cut,
especially around the boobs and hem, leave quite a lot to be desired. I mean,
it’s successful advertising, but even so…
(Wrongs Darker Than Death or Night)
I couldn’t get a clear shot of Kira’s pajamas here, but I
wanted to contrast this with the nightgown she wore in “The Collaborator” (see
the Season Two fashion roundup in “The Jem’Hadar”), because despite being more
practical, it also actually looks better on her. Plus, Kira probably would prefer pants to gowns, because
then it would be easier for her to move around if there was an emergency in the
middle of the night. So it works on a character level as well.
(Wrongs Darker Than Death or Night)
While the draping on Maru’s dress is just off-center
enough to be annoying, I like pretty much all of the dresses here. I’m no fan
of spaghetti straps, but otherwise, they all look classy and elegant. I know
it’s kind of horrible for me to say, given the reason they’re wearing those
outfits, but I guess that just means the dresses are doing their job.
(Wrongs Darker Than Death or Night)
I can do without the cuts near the shoulders, but the
color and pattern is actually pretty nice. I’m not sure if all the fancy
outfits in this episode are Cardassian or Bajoran dresses, but whoever designed
them has pretty good taste. Which doesn’t necessarily say very good things
about Garak if they are Cardassian…
(Inquisition)
If these outfits weren’t inspired by the Nazis, I will be
stunned. Their style has become synonymous with bad things, after all. Edit after reading the DS9 Companion: And I would be correct on that score. The
costuming department pretty much said the same things that I did.
(In the Pale Moonlight)
I’m kind of surprised we got another Garak costume this
late in the game, but it’s not necessarily unwelcome, especially since it’s
actually not that bad. A bit shiny, perhaps, but about what you’d expect to see
in a science-fiction world without going too overboard. Though it does suggest
that Garak focuses more on making his clothes look good than making the clothes
of others look good.
(In the Pale Moonlight)
For those of you who may be questioning my theory that
Garak makes ugly clothes on purpose, please allow me to draw your attention to
the two patterned dress behind him and the blue striped…shirt?…on the mannequin
behind Sisko. Given what we see Garak being capable of in this episode, him
convincing people that outfits like these are the height of fashion for
sinister purposes doesn’t seem out of the realm of possibility.
(In the Pale Moonlight)
I’m not really one for men’s jackets with a pattern (just
give me one solid color and I’m happy), but this one isn’t too bad. Maybe not
something I’d want to stare at for hours, but it works in small doses. I’m also
fascinated by the almost Asian flower pattern on his shirt; depending on how it
looks once the jacket’s off, I might actually wear one of those myself.
(Profit and Lace)
I like most of this outfit (and the decorations around
her eyes), but there are two things that bother me. One is the slit that pretty
much goes up to her waist, but given her job as a Dabo girl, I can understand
it. The other is the fact that only one shoulder has a ruffled sleeve. I guess it
fits in with the 24th century theme of asymmetry, but it just looks wrong to my eyes.
(Profit and Lace)
When we last saw these surgery outfits in “Life Support”,
I said that they looked ridiculous, especially with the head covering. I still
don’t think they look like the greatest surgery wear (up close, they look like
they’re made out of wool or an equivalent, which is probably not what you
should be wearing when you’re working with blood), but lose the head covering
and suddenly it’s way less weird looking. Then again, it could all be a matter
of who’s wearing it…
(Profit and Lace)
While I think I’d prefer the dress a little longer (I’m a
knee to floor length sort of girl), Leeta’s dress here is surprisingly…normal.
I wouldn’t blink if I saw someone wearing that here in the 21st
century. So…well done, I guess?
Conclusion: Season Six actually does pretty well in the fashion
department. One more reason why it was a strong season, I guess.
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