Day 149: DS9, Image in the Sand

Show: Star Trek; Deep Space Nine

Episode Particulars: S7EP1, “Image in the Sand”

 Summary: It’s been three months since the Pah-Wraiths somehow managed to close up the wormhole, and things are all kind of jumbled. Kira, recently promoted to Colonel, has taken charge of DS9 while Sisko’s on Earth trying to figure out how to fix the wormhole problem. Which means she’s the one who has to contend with a Romulan delegation on the station, led by the surprisingly personable Kimara Cretak (Megan Cole). Meanwhile, Worf seems angry and on edge, which Bashir and O’Brien eventually realize has to do with Dax’s death, something they resolve to help him out with. And back on Earth, Sisko has an odd vision where he sees himself digging in the sand, eventually uncovering the face of a woman. As he tries to recreate her image, Jake recognizes her from a picture he saw in the storeroom of Joseph Sisko’s restaurant. While Joseph is reluctant to talk about it, he eventually reveals that she was his first wife…and it quickly turns out that she may be related to the wormhole problem. Not exactly something that Sisko expected, but he’s more than willing to see where that leads him.

Standalone Thoughts: Although this episode has multiple plots going on at once, all of them wind up being interesting in one way or another. Worf not coping well with Dax’s death is believable, and while it’s still not quite a great sendoff, at least it’s being addressed, while also showing us how much the crew of DS9 cares about each other. Sisko searching for answers does start to trend towards the direction of soap opera, but the writers/director/actors try to keep the melodrama to a minimum, preferring to focus on the mystery of what that woman had to do with the Prophets. While I have a slight problem with Kira’s interactions with Cretak (see below), I do like the fact that Kira seems to like her, because it’s a subversion of expectations and could lead to some interesting dynamics. Even the few scenes with the villains are worthwhile for more than just exposition, although that becomes more obvious in hindsight. So for the most part, I’d say this episode is a success.

That doesn’t mean that it’s without issues, of course. Some people may find the revelations about Sisko’s past to be completely eyeroll-worthy, especially when this episode is all they’ve got to go on. While I don’t mind that so much, I do kind of mind the way the episode frames Cretak and the Romulans. Thanks to an early scene (and, if you’re a Star Trek fan, memories of prior dealings with the Romulans), we’re all set up to see Cretak as untrustworthy. That was probably intentional, but it casts a pall over Kira and Cretak’s interactions, instead of just letting us watch what happens and form our own opinions. But I think the biggest issue, even if it doesn’t feel like it initially, is that the episode doesn’t have any payoff. For an episode to be truly satisfying, we need a resolution of some sort, however small. Sisko’s group blows up the Ketracel White factory in “A Time to Stand”. Kira’s shaken out of her complacency in “Rocks and Shoals”. Garak agrees to rejoin the Obsidian Order in “Improbable Cause”; he may reverse his decision in the next episode, but it’s something concrete in the here and now. Even back in “The Homecoming”, Kira and O’Brien successfully rescue Li Nalas. This episode, meanwhile, has three major threads that all seem very interesting, but none of them even have a temporary resolution. So while it may encourage us to watch more, it can wind up feeling a little rushed or overstuffed after the fact.

Even with that, though, it’s a promising start. And with the inclusion of as many supporting characters as possible, it also suggests that the writers are trying to take all the disparate elements they’ve crafted over the years and weaving them into a coherent whole. Happily, it seems to be working.

How it Relates to the Whole: As I intimated in the Standalone Thoughts section, we’re getting a lot of buildup here but will have to wait to see how it plays out. I know the Worf plot will be resolved soon enough and Sisko’s plot will have some major repercussions, but I’m more uncertain about the Romulan material. And at the very end of the episode, we’re introduced to a new recurring character, but I’ll go into more detail with that tomorrow…

Other: *Another summer break, another hairstyle change. This time, Kira has a new hairstyle to go with her new rank (and I have to confess that “Colonel Kira” just doesn’t flow off the tongue as well as “Major Kira”, even though the former is more alliterative). Honestly, I don’t like it very much. It almost works, but it’s kind of asymmetrical (which we know I hate from the fashion roundups), and it has these two little braids that are completely pointless and spoil the look. I know she’s been softening up over the years, but I honestly don’t think that she’s changed so much that she’d go for a hairstyle that would require careful braiding every day. This is why I just leave my hair long and down; I don’t need to overthink it.

*While the opening credits remain basically the same, they have changed slightly to reflect Kira’s promotion and the new recurring character, which might spoil people who are paying attention (and in this case, make you wonder when they’re going to show up in this episode, as I did). All the more reason to skip over them, I suppose.

*We get another mention of TNG today, although it’s more affectionate than mocking for once. O’Brien brings up Lieutenant Barclay, who was an occasional recurring character on TNG and would go on to be a semi-supporting character in Voyager. It doesn’t really serve any purpose, but it’s a fun little callback anyway.

Best Line/Exchange: It was another hard choice today, in the sense that there wasn’t much that appealed to me. Eventually, though, I went for the one scene that really stood out;

(Worf is training with his bat’leth in the holosuite. Martok enters)

Martok: Defend yourself, Worf!

(He and Worf clash for a few seconds, then break apart)

Martok: So, how do you like convoy duty?

Worf: I don’t.

(They clash again)

Martok: Good. I was afraid you might be getting soft. (He parries Worf’s blow and they separate again) I need a first officer for a dangerous mission.

Worf (lifting his bat’leth): How dangerous?
Martok: Dangerous enough to assure Jadzia a place in Sto-Vo-Kor.

(Worf pauses for a second, then comes at Martok with renewed force, knocking the bat’leth out of his hands and eventually punching him so he falls to the ground.)

Worf: In that case, you have found your first officer.

Martok: Excellent. (Worf helps him up) It will be a great victory.

Worf: I will make sure of it.

This is probably a scene that plays better when watched, but I picked this because I kind of like the trope where two people discuss something while sparring, especially if the dialogue corresponds to whether or not the characters are on the offense or the defense. It’s especially appropriate for Klingons, where you can imagine this sort of thing happening on a regular basis. I also especially like the implication that Worf knocked Martok down to punish him for prying into Worf’s business, but is actually grateful for the offer, hence agreeing to be the first officer and helping Martok back up. I always appreciate a good piece of character development by action instead of by words.

After the Fact Update: The DS9 Companion admits that this episode is all setup and no payoff, but doesn’t really dig into it. I’m just glad that they acknowledged it at all.