Star Trek DS9 Reviews: Dax

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Courtroom drama isn’t exactly what comes to mind when you think of Star Trek, although the judicial system of the future has played a prominent role in some episodes. We don’t have a full-on court case in Dax, but rather an extradition hearing for Jadzia Dax, in place of the Dax symbiont’s former host, Curzon Dax.

Jadzia Dax

Dax is stoic under pressure

The episode is named “Dax” as it’s the first episode that really explores Jadzia Dax’s past lives, and the symbiotic relationships that Trills have with their hosts. While we learn a great deal about Trills in this episode, particularly about Dax, many further questions are raised, as the A.V. Club review has noted. This isn’t a bad thing though. These are valuable story hooks, allowing for further character development and plot hooks for later episodes. Always leave your audience looking for more.
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Doctor Who: A Postscript from Rory

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Warning: This post contains spoilers for the Doctor Who Series 7 episode The Angels Take Manhattan.

River Song always has spoilers

Spoilers, sweetie!

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Star Trek: DS9 Reviews: Q-Less

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It seems too much to ask for two stellar episodes back to back this early in the season. While Q-Less is nowhere near the disaster of Babel, its also nowhere as great as Captive Pursuit. Q-Less is kind of middling. I think it’s partly because the series had yet to find its legs, and the writers tried to use Q to differentiate the show from TNG, rather than truly explore how it’s different.

Q

Q just doesn’t seem himself in this episode.

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Star Trek: DS9 Reviews: Captive Pursuit

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As boring as I found Babel, it was quickly followed by one of the best early episodes of the series, Captive Pursuit. While in the last several episodes, DS9 has seen increased traffic due to the wormhole, this is the first episode in which we encounter life from the other side. First contact, the essence of diplomatic relations.

So what do we learn about life on the other side of the wormhole? The first creature from the other side is an alien who calls himself Tosk. He has some pretty advanced survival techniques, such as the ability to camouflage himself by turning invisible, only requiring 17 minutes of rest per cycle, and has nutrient sacs embedded around his body for sustenance. Tosk is extremely skittish, reacting quickly to unknown noises. He really seems like a fugitive from justice, a cornered rat, with a built-in flight or fight reflex.

Tosk on his ship

Tosk on his ship, shortly after passing through the wormhole.

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Trudeau and the need for leadership

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With news of Justin Trudeau’s candidacy for leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, some polls are suggesting that Trudeaumania is about to descend on the country, enabling the Liberals to regain control of the government, draining support from the NDP.

Justin Trudeau in 2010

Photo copyright Adam Scotti http://flic.kr/p/7z9YZt
Licensed under Creative Commons

How likely is a Liberal government now? Do they really stand a chance of winning back the support of voters who chose orange instead of red? The NDP had a strong showing in the last election, in no small part due to the efforts of the late Jack Layton. While Layton was clearly the catalyst for the so-called Orange Crush, I suspect the move towards the NDP was also due to a long-term frustration with the lack of credible Liberal policies. I’m not convinced that Trudeau can swing support back from orange to red.

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Star Trek: DS9 Reviews: Babel

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Right after a powerful, thematic episode like A Man Alone, Babel is the first episode that really feels like a one-off episode. While it’s not completely without its redeeming factors, it doesn’t really have any big themes, nor does it really focus on any one character.

The episode begins with an overworked O’Brien working desperately to maintain DS9′s computer systems. Everything is breaking down, and everything is a priority. It’s a workload that isn’t shared with the rest of the command crew. After all, they have time to complain about how the replicators aren’t working, and are creating a horrible cup of coffee. The slackers.

O'Brien fixing the replicators

Poor O’Brien never gets a break

Really, in this episode, O’Brien doesn’t get any respect. In fact, once he repairs the replicator, triggering the release of an aphasia virus, he is soon written out of the episode, being unable to communicate. This is actually the first of the “poor O’Brien” episodes, although his role in this episode is short.

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Star Trek: DS9 Reviews: A Man Alone

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While Past Prologue had one main theme, loyalty, There are two primary themes in A Man Alone: relationships, and racism. The writers manage to weave together these threads while fleshing out more of the more reclusive member of the DS9 crew, Constable Odo.

A Man Alone Bashir

Bashir and Dax

The episode opens with Doctor Bashir shamelessly flirting with Jadzia Dax, a scene which essentially repeats itself through the episode. Her response is friendly, but evasive. She explains that relationships for Trills are a little difficult, and that joined Trills attempt to “rise up” above their desires. Instead of being discouraged, Bashir, ever the optimist, decides that this means that he still has hope.

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