Show: Star Trek; Deep Space Nine
Episode
Particulars: S1EP2, “Past Prologue”.
Summary: A
Bajoran rebel, Tahna Los (Jeffery Nordling) flees to Deep Space Nine while
being pursued by Cardassians and requests asylum. Tahna is part of the Kohn-Ma
terrorist cell, which has continued to attack Cardassians after the end of the
occupation, which is going to cause an issue with Sisko. Tahna insists that he’s
leaving the Kohn-Ma, but evidence very quickly mounts up that that isn’t true.
Meanwhile, the station’s doctor, Julian Bashir (Alexander Siddig, though in
Season One he was going by his partial birth name Siddig el Fadil) is
approached by the only Cardassian left on the station, Garak (Andrew
Robinson). There are rumors that Garak is a spy for the Cardassians, a rumor
that he simultaneously seems to deny and encourage. The arrival of the Klingon Duras
sisters (Gwynyth Walsh and Barbara March) tie the two threads together, as they
try to make deals with both Tahna and Garak. During all of this, Kira needs to
decide where her loyalties lie—does she support the Federation’s temporary
involvement, or does she follow Tahna’s dream of a totally independent Bajor? When
it turns out he’s been working on constructing a bomb to blow up the wormhole,
she makes her choice, although it’s far from an easy one.
Standalone
Thoughts: The show continues to do an excellent job at showing nuance. I
like the fact that we can still see Sisko and Kira feeling each other out, or
rather, learning where and how to set or push boundaries. They haven’t
immediately learned to work together yet, but they respect each other even if
they disagree a lot. It makes the show both realistic and engaging. It’s also
good to see that Kira isn’t a one-note character; despite her abrasiveness and
passion about the subject of Bajor’s independence, she’s definitely thought
this through, and knows that this independence can’t happen all at once, unlike
Tahna. You can really sympathize with her moral dilemma as the episode goes on.
In fact, the entire episode constantly brings up both sides of a situation, and
there are moments where it’s hard to say which is the correct solution. Nice
going.
There’s also the nice touch of the semi-parallel between
Kira’s situation with Tahna and Bashir’s situation with Garak. While there’s
more of a personal investment for Kira, both of them are dealing with people
who might not be what they claim, and trying to figure out how much to trust
them. It drives the point home and allows for character growth for two of the
main cast—great strategy all around, I’d say.
How it Relates to
the Whole: Oh, Garak. Bashir has always been my DS9 crush, but Garak is probably the character who left the biggest
impact on me. His sly intelligence and speaking cadences have started creeping
into a few of my own characters; if I can hear Andrew Robinson’s voice in my
head saying the lines, I know I’m doing it right.
My own personal love for the character aside, his entry
into the show is a great introduction, even if it wasn’t meant to be. I’ve
heard that he was only supposed to be a one-off character, but he was so
popular (though whether it was among the audience or among the film crew) that
they kept bringing him back. And it’s easy to see why; he brings a subtle humor
to proceedings, while also providing some ambiguity, as it’s very difficult to
tell whose side he’s on. There are times, in the opening scene in particular,
where he comes off as more than a little creepy, which is probably intentional
but can be a bit jarring when you’re looking back at it. Sure, he seems to have
the Federation’s best interests at heart by letting Bashir in on his
conversation with the Duras sisters, but given that a Cardassian warship does
indeed show up in the climax, it’s hard to tell if Garak was playing all the
angles or not. I’m very much looking forward to watching this continue in
subsequent episodes.
Garak’s the biggest long-term thing here, but there are
two other things worth noting. One, DS9’s
still living under Next Gen’s shadow,
given the return of the Duras sisters, long-running enemies from that series. That
being said, they’re kind of off doing their own thing here, which allows the DS9 staff a little more freedom. And
Klingons will wind up having a large involvement in subsequent seasons, though
I can’t remember how much the Duras sisters get involved (though given what
happens in later Next Gen movies, I’m
going to venture a guess that it’s not a lot). One more thing to look for,
regardless.
Secondly, without spoiling anything, I think this episode
pretty much proves that one of Bashir’s later character developments wasn’t
originally planned for. His baffled reactions in this episode come across as
far too genuine. Still, that’s only an annoyance on a rewatch; the first time
around, his genuine naïvety plays against Garak’s faux innocence quite well.
Other: *I am
legitimately stunned that Garak made his debut in the second episode of the
show. I’d gotten it into my head that he appeared later in the first season,
after things had been a bit more established. Not that I’m complaining in the
least, mind you.
*I’m kind of sad that Kira’s hair went from the bob from
the pilot to the more severe military cut seen in this episode (and, I believe,
subsequent episodes). The military cut suits her character more, but I like the
bob better.
* “How long since you’ve slept in a comfortable bed?”
Comfortable, Kira?
That bed does not look
comfortable. It looks like it’s one step removed from a coffin.
* “I would say that those two outfits are worth studying
closely.” I know Garak’s just trying to draw Bashir’s attention to the Duras
sisters, but given the fact that the most prominent aspect of their outfits are
the fact that it exposes quite a bit of breast, I can’t help but wonder if the
writers were slipping in a subtle boob joke.
*Just before the Duras’ confrontation with Tahna, we see
a rat run across the screen. My first thought was that, while it was a nice
touch to remind us that the station still needed maintenance, having an
ordinary Earth rat hanging out on a former Cardassian station near Bajor was
out of place. Then it turned out to be Odo in disguise, and while I applaud the
bit of foreshadowing, I continue to maintain that it shouldn’t have been a rat.
Why not a Cardassian Vole? (and yes, I know it was probably for budget reasons.
It still breaks the immersion).
*Garak, I know you’re trying to keep up appearances, and
you do mention several times that you’ve never really explored Klingon fashion,
but surely you know better than to offer the Duras sisters pastel lingerie?
Come on, man, you’re better than this. At least offer it in black or battleship
grey, for goodness sakes.
*As Kira has a conversation with Odo about whose side she
should be on, she muses sadly that she’s going to have to betray someone. Odo’s
response is “The only important thing is not to betray yourself.” I get what he’s
going for and mostly agree with him, but given that there are times (like here)
where following your principles could lead to your death or disgrace (which in
turn could wind up making things even worse for the cause you stand for), it doesn’t
come across as meaningful as it could have. That being said, the rest of the
conversation is beautifully handled, with points being made in spite of, or
perhaps because of, things left unsaid.
*I’m not entirely sure what happened with the bomb at the
end. Did Tahna press the button by accident? It certainly sounded like he still
intended to blow up the wormhole. But at least the scene still managed to get
the majority of the point across.
Best
Line/Exchange: I think it’s pretty obvious who’s going to take this one…
Garak (Speaking
to the Duras Sisters): Ladies, ladies, please! Everything is negotiable. I am
no more than what I seem to be; a merchant trying to make the best transaction.
So, let us…(does what appears to be jazz
hands) haggle.
Admittedly, I mostly chose this because a) I feel like I
had to give Garak the best line in the episode where he makes his first
appearance, and b) because it ties in very well with some of my own personal
thoughts about Cardassian shopkeepers. Still, if you’re looking for deviousness,
this will more than suffice.
After the Fact
Update: According to the DS9
Companion, the crew did want Garak to stick around, but they weren’t sure
they’d be able to pull it off because they needed to justify a Cardassian being
on board. The entry is also notable because Andrew Robinson highly praises the
show’s writing. You and me both, sir.
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