Show: Star Trek; Deep Space Nine
Episode
Particulars: S1EP5, “Captive Pursuit”
Summary: Deep
Space Nine gets its first visitor from the Gamma Quadrant, a lizard-like alien
who refers to himself as Tosk (Scott MacDonald). O’Brien, who’s sent to help
repair his ship, becomes Tosk’s tour guide, and grows to like the guy despite
the fact that he’s obviously keeping secrets. Shortly after Tosk gets arrested
for trying to break into the station weapons locker, others from Tosk’s planet
show up, which is when everybody learns that Tosk is “the most dangerous game”,
and that hunting him and others of his kind is a major pastime of his
homeworld. No one on DS9 is entirely sure what to do about this, especially O’Brien,
who just wants Tosk to be treated fairly. The solution to achieve this turns
out to be rather…unorthodox.
Standalone
Thoughts: This is a good, solid episode, not quite as strong as “Emissary”
or “Past Prologue” but still a fun watch. This is O’Brien’s episode, and Colm Meaney
plays it beautifully. He’s funny and friendly for the majority of the episode,
making the audience warm to him the same way Tosk does. Then, when things get
serious in the second act, we can feel O’Brien’s anger and bewilderment, and we
sympathize with him even as he does some questionable things. Tosk, too, is a
good mix of bizarre and sympathetic, and so the developing friendship between
the two men is believable and makes the first act enjoyable to watch.
Then we get to the second act, and while things take a
turn for the serious, it’s still really nicely handled. It’s not just a
black-and-white, “we’re right and they’re wrong” kind of thing; in fact, it
kind of turns things upside down. In another show, Sisko would hate what was
happening to Tosk, but would have his hands tied by the Prime Directive, and
Tosk would also hate the situation, which would lead to conflict and possibly a
rescue. The episode goes right up to the edge with that idea…and then has Tosk
accept his fate without any hesitation. No one really tries to change his mind,
it’s just accepted, and the entire third act is the result of that decision. It’s
an interesting moral dilemma, and the solution at the end winds up feeling like
the right thing to do, even though it feels like it goes against the grain of a
lot of stories with similar themes. It takes a lot of skill to pull that off,
but then again, the writers for DS9
are nothing if not skilled. Hell, they set up a Chekov’s gun that I completely
forgot about until it went off; that alone is worth a salute.
That being said, I do have questions about one thing.
Based on what little we know about the world Tosk came from, I’m pretty sure
the weapons used in the climax were intended to cause serious injury or death.
And if that’s the case…O’Brien probably shouldn’t have gotten away with just a
tongue lashing and a reprimand. Even if the other side doesn’t press charges, I
don’t think the Federation would be too happy with him. Nor do I think Sisko is
morally grey enough (yet) to just gloss over that element in his report. I’m
guessing that we’re supposed to assume everyone involved was just stunned or
mildly injured, but because that’s not spelled out, it leads to some
unfortunate implications. It’s only a big deal if you think about it for too
long, though, and doesn’t detract from the whole that much. After the one-two
punch of “A Man Alone” and “Babel”, this was a welcome relief for me.
How it Relates to
the Whole: There’s not a lot that has obvious long-term ramifications here.
We do get a glimpse of Sisko’s command style; willing to bend the rules to do
what’s right or necessary, but calling people on the carpet when it’s justified.
Other than that, most of the things I spotted are fairly small and might not
have been intentional. We get the first of many subtle references to Oo-mox, a
Ferengi sex act that becomes a running gag of sorts (and while I can’t put my
finger on it, the fact that the woman complaining about it is so bureaucratic
about the matter strikes me as bizarre. I mean, it makes sense, but there’s
something off about it). Odo mentions he never uses phasers, which seems like a
perfect setup for a fall from grace, for lack of a better word. The whole “security
scan for weapons” detail is something I’m going to need to look for in future
episodes; that looks like something that could very much come in handy later
down the line. And finally, there’s something that could be considered just a
hint of foreshadowing. When O’Brien happily tells Tosk that the Federation
hopes to meet more denizens of the Gamma Quadrant, Tosk gives him a brief
disbelieving look. He could just be baffled at the enthusiasm, since it’s not
something he’s used to, but there’s also the possibility that he’s aware of
some of the other inhabitants of the Gamma Quadrant, and doesn’t think it’s a
species the Federation will particularly enjoy meeting. I’m probably reading
way more into it than was intended, but it’s fun to think about.
Other: *While
there’s no guarantee that they’ve fully nailed it down, Odo’s makeup looks
pretty much like it will for most of the series. It looks like people are
starting to find their rhythms.
*Hey, Kira?
That is more
what I would describe as a “comfortable” bed. Were none of these available when
Tahna was on board?
*The picture below doesn’t really capture it, but the guy
in the left corner is visibly glowing as he walks past the door. Since he looks
like a Bajoran monk, I’m not entirely sure what was going on there.
*“I have no use for fantasy adventure. I live the
greatest adventure one could ever desire.” That is some bumper sticker wisdom
right there. I’m not sure if I should consider it in the running for best line
or shake my head at its cheesy profundity. Well, it’s worth noting, at any
rate.
*I’m not sure if it was a deliberate intent or just a
matter of a limited budget, but I can’t help but feel like these;
…would be right at home in the original Star Trek. They’re just the right mix of
pulpy and cheesy.
*Since I didn’t particularly remember this episode, the
exchange between O’Brien and Quark after they learn more about Tosk’s situation
seemed to be heading in a very different direction then the one that actually
played out. I thought Quark would use his bag of tricks to help O’Brien help
Tosk, and was shaking my head at the fact that O’Brien didn’t see the
opportunity staring him in the face. I was all set to write up something about
the Federation ideals blinding O’Brien to the less legal ways of doing things,
and then O’Brien came up with his own plan and raced out of there. Said plan
wound up completely undercutting my original point. Not that I’m complaining;
it’s a good glimpse of how the characters are going to operate as the show
continues.
*As Tosk leaves the station, the opening credits theme is
very obviously being played in the background. I’m pretty sure the Trek shows did use their opening themes
as recurring motifs in a lot of their episode music, but this feels a lot like
a slowed down copy-paste job. I think the composer was feeling lazy that day.
Best Line/Exchange:
Kind of a thin crop today, and the “Adventure” line I mentioned above is just calculated enough that I can’t
justify making it my favorite. So let’s go with a character beat instead;
(O’Brien has been
bantering with Tosk, who is taking everything seriously.)
O’Brien: I was
joking, Tosk.
Tosk: I cannot
tell, O Brien.
O’Brien: (Sighs) Sorry, it’s in my nature. And
you’re the most natural straight man I’ve had in ages.
It’s just such a relaxed, friendly line that says a lot
about O’Brien’s personality. If the goal was to make him feel like the
everyman, then the writers succeeded admirably.
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