Day 170: DS9, Tacking Into the Wind

Show: Star Trek; Deep Space Nine

Episode Particulars: S7EP22, “Tacking Into the Wind”

 Summary: This episode dedicates itself almost entirely to the alien races. On Deep Space Nine, Sisko and Worf are very aware that Gowron is making poor tactical decisions solely to humiliate Martok, who Gowron sees as an enemy to his popularity. Martok refuses to challenge Gowron when they have a more important enemy to fight, which means Worf has to find another way to solve the problem. Meanwhile, Damar seems to have accepted having Kira on hand to help with the resistance, but his second in command, Rusot (John Vickery) butts heads with her constantly, which does not escape either her or Garak’s notice. They try to put their differences aside when they head out on a particularly important mission, but between that and the fact that Odo is rapidly deteriorating thanks to the changeling disease, there’s a lot of potential for things to go wrong.

Standalone Thoughts: I was honestly starting to get a little worried that the finale wasn’t going to live up to my expectations, given that the episodes ranged from mediocre to fine, but never quite hit good. Then, much like “The Die is Cast”, this episode comes along and gives me a jolt of confidence. Sometimes, it’s just as simple as a combination of good writing and good acting.

Of course, the fact that the episode isn’t jumping between numerous plots and is only focusing on two (with hints of a third) helps a lot as well. By dedicating time to the Klingon and Cardassian plots, we get the inter-episode resolutions we lacked in “When it Rains…”, and it allows the characters time to state their positions and intents in ways that feel believable rather than arbitrary. Even though the Klingon plot is basically a power struggle between Gowron and Martok and barely has anything to do with the war, it feels important because we understand the stakes, and the war is related to those stakes. Plus, all the actors are bringing their A-game and it ends with a fight scene, so spending time with this plot is a pleasure rather than a chore.

Meanwhile, the Cardassian plot is great in entirely different ways. There’s a little action, a lot of tension, and some marvelous character work on all sides. I particularly like how Garak and Kira interact with each other this episode; Garak supports Kira in practically everything, and while Kira does get a bit sarcastic with him once, she’s mostly just treating him like an ally. The fact that she can work so smoothly with a Cardassian shows you just how far she’s come. Of course, it helps that Andrew Robinson’s letting a little bit of darkness creep back into Garak, so he’s fun to watch in his own right. Yes, I say that about him almost every time he shows up, but he’s one of the definite standouts this time around.

I’d say this is the best episode in the finale push so far, and one of the best of the season as well. I’m still not sure how the remaining three episodes will hold up, but this one is satisfying, and that’s enough to make me believe the rest will be similar. Don’t let me down now, guys.

How it Relates to the Whole: The Klingon plot is resolved in an unexpected way, the Cardassian crew pull off an operation that may even the odds, and Bashir and O’Brien are setting up something that will pay off in tomorrow’s episode. Excellent work for forty-five minutes.

Other: *There wasn’t a good opportunity to mention this in “Standalone Thoughts”, but it’s worth bringing up. Ezri has one appearance in this episode, but it’s an amazing one, where she shows that she’s finally coming into her own and forming opinions that don’t necessarily jibe with those of her former lives. I think that was the moment when I knew this was a truly good episode. The fact that the scene is probably about five minutes long makes that feat all the more impressive.

*At one point, Garak is asked if he’d kill a Cardassian for the sake of a Bajoran. Garak responds in typical Garak fashion, but all I can think is that he already proved that he would, back in “Second Skin”. I don’t know if that was in the writer’s minds when they wrote this scene, but I’ll happily take the callback, intentional or not.

Best Line/Exchange: After several days of struggling to find something, today the best exchange was pretty much dropped right in my lap;

(Although Odo swore Garak to secrecy about his condition, Garak has pulled Kira aside when she says she wants to use Odo on an upcoming mission. The whole conversation takes place in whispered tones)

Kira: What’s on your mind?

Garak: It’s about taking Odo on this mission. (pauses) I’m afraid there’s no easy way of putting it. He’s been hiding the true extent of his illness from you for some time now. His condition has severely deteriorated, and the more he changes form, the worse he gets.

Kira: I know.

Garak: You do?
Kira: I love him, Garak; you think I really wouldn’t notice?
Garak: Why the pretense?
Kira: Because I also know that he doesn’t want me to find out about it. If he wants to put up a brave front and protect me from the truth, well fine. If that’s what makes this easier for him, if it gives him one last shred of dignity to hold on to, then I’ll go on ignoring what’s happening to him until the very end. (a pause as she purses her lips. When she speaks again, her voice wobbles slightly) Anything else?

Garak (looking slightly stunned): No.

Kira (voice returning to normal tone and volume to address the others in the room): All right, we will need a Cardassian shuttle with the latest security protocols, and the schematics of the… (music drowns out the dialogue as we cut to commercial)

This is fantastic on so many levels. Garak ignoring Odo’s wishes in a way that feels like genuine concern and not just for the sake of the mission, Kira subverting expectations by having figured out Odo’s condition and being willing to go along with it for in-character reasons, Nana Visitor’s acting…it’s a well-written, well-acted, very touching scene that gave me a good feeling about the rest of the episode, and as you can tell, it didn’t disappoint. I raise my glass to you, Ronald D. Moore.