Day 86: DS9, Bar Association

Show: Star Trek; Deep Space Nine

Episode Particulars: S4EP15, “Bar Association”

 Summary: During a slow business period in Quark’s, Quark is indifferent to the fact that his brother is seriously ill, only concerned about his profits. Fed up, Rom (once he’s been treated, of course) decides to start a union of the bar workers (even though that’s frowned upon by the FCA) and go on strike. Quark is initially amused, then horrified when it looks like the strike is working. This leads to complications on both sides (especially when Brunt makes a return appearance), but neither side is willing to back down. Meanwhile, Worf is still trying to get accustomed to the way DS9 does things, and is repeatedly baffled by it all. Somehow, the strike winds up impacting his life as well, though ultimately, it just may be for the better.

Standalone Thoughts: The more I think about this episode, the more I like it. It’s got a lot of humorous moments, yes, but that’s only part of it. What really makes this episode work is the fact that it’s got a lot of great character work. Worf’s still trying to find his place on DS9, but it’s done with a light touch, rather than the angst from previous episodes (including yesterday’s). O’Brien turns on the everyman charm while also acting as a voice of reason. Bashir manages to walk the line between serious and playful and makes it look easy. And Sisko’s been on a roll lately, handling situations effectively and making an impact even if he’s only in a scene or two.

Above all, though, this episode belongs to Rom, and it’s really satisfying to watch. He stands up for himself, is willing to accept the consequences, and proves that he’s really capable when given a chance. He’s come a long way from the man who didn’t want to send Nog to a Federation school, and you can’t help but feel proud of him. It’s also another example of how amazing DS9 is when it comes to supporting characters, treating them with as much respect as the main cast. It started with Garak and Nog, they’ve been working on Dukat and Rom this season, and we’re going to get even more as we go on. Episodes like these remind me why DS9 is my favorite of all the Star Treks, and give me hope that we’re almost in the golden age. Here’s hoping I’m not proven wrong tomorrow.

How it Relates to the Whole: For a comedy episode revolving around the Ferengi, this episode has a lot of long-reaching consequences. Worf finds a compromise that will allow him to adjust to the station a little better, the seeds are being sown for two relationships, we get another O’Brien/Bashir holosuite program that foreshadows the big one they’ll get into later, and Rom really blossoms as a character here. I’m actually kind of impressed.

Other: *Depending on how you want to look at it, it’s Bashir who kickstarts the plot by suggesting that Rom form a union. Rom’s the one who takes the initiative and O’Brien really fans the flames, but it started with Bashir, and given my fondness for him, I am totally ok with that.

*The illness Rom has that gets the whole thing started is a nearly fatal ear infection that is heavily implied to have come about because Rom was performing too much Oomox on himself. In other words, Rom almost died because of excessive masturbation. That seems like something evolution would have discouraged, but I’m a reviewer, not a scientist.

*Speaking of the union…when Bashir first mentions it to Rom, it seems like Rom’s never heard the term before. When he then proposes forming one to the rest of the staff, the Ferengi all clutch their pearls in shock, talking about how much unions go against Ferengi principles. It’s kind of hard to square that circle, unless Rom was playing dumb, given how taboo it is to even say the word “union”. Either way, it seems like a slight continuity error.

*There are a lot of nice little touches in this episode. O’Brien saying how much he loves working on DS9 because he always has problems to solve, Bashir and O’Brien “betting” on who will or won’t enter the bar during the strike, a reminder that the Federation doesn’t really believe in money but worked into the DS9 universe in a believable way, a gag involving some tough aliens throwing darts into each other…it adds some flavor to the episode and makes it even more fun to watch. Kudos to whoever came up with these little bits of business.

*While I understand the purpose of the offscreen fight between Worf, O’Brien, and Bashir (it connects the two plots and ultimately leads to both of them getting resolved), I do have some questions. First, why was Worf even going into the bar in the first place, since O’Brien says he didn’t like it much before the strike? We never get an answer to that. Secondly, why on earth was Bashir arrested? From what we hear, he was trying to break up the fight, and got shoved over a table for his trouble. Sounds like he’s the least guilty in all this, and he gets locked up anyway? I know I’m biased in this area, but even so…

Best Line/Exchange: Remember when I mentioned in “Way of the Warrior” that there was a dig at TNG that would probably win Best Exchange? Well, today is that day;

(After Worf has caught a thief who stole from Worf’s quarters)

Odo: I’ll need a statement.

Worf: And you will have one! But what I want to know is how such a security breach was allowed to occur in the first place!
Odo: Unfortunately, these things happen.

Worf: They did not happen on the Enterprise!

Odo (gets a grin on his face): Really… (picks up a padd and starts scrolling through it) Well, let me see…“Stardate 46235.7. Ferengi privateers, led by DaiMon Lurin, boarded and seized control of the Enterprise using two salvaged Klingon birds of prey. Stardate 45349.1. Berlinghoff Rasmussen, a petty criminal impersonating a scientist, committed numerous acts of theft against the crew of the Enterprise.” Shall I continue?

Worf: That will not be necessary.

Odo: I know these incidents are the exception rather than the rule, but if security breaches like these could happen on the flagship of the Federation, imagine the difficulty of maintaining security at an open port such as DS9.

This is hilarious to me, because you just don’t expect writers on a Star Trek show to actively call out their predecessors clichés (one that’s so prevalent it even has a TV Trope named after it). But the DS9 writers went for it, and managed to mix continuity, character development, and a reminder that DS9 is a decidedly different Star Trek show all at once. No wonder the joke landed so well.