Quark gives Odo a little tough love of his own and puts him back on the right path.
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Best in Odo Losing It---Crossfire
In "Crossfire," Odo gets distracted from finding the one responsible for an assassination attempt on Shakaar by his love for Major Kira. Upset about his poor job performance and his passion for someone he knows he will never have, he flies into a jealous rage and tears up his quarters after seeing Kira and Shakaar together.
Quark gives Odo a little tough love of his own and puts him back on the right path.
Quark gives Odo a little tough love of his own and puts him back on the right path.
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Best of Star Trek: Deep Space 9---Homefront & Paradise Lost
"Homefront" was written by Ira Steven Behr and Robert Hewitt Wolfe. It's the 11th episode of the 4th season.
It begins when Captain Sisko and Odo get summoned to Earth to help find a Changeling that is believed to be involved in the bombing of a Federation conference in which several people were killed. On Earth, they meet up with Admiral Leyton and Federation President Jaresh-Inyo to discuss detection techniques, with Odo's help, and new security measures including blood screenings.
Everyone is suspicious, including Sisko's own father who refuses to take the blood test. He becomes enraged that his son would suspect him and he suffers a minor stroke.
Meantime, Jake has accompanied his dad on the trip and they meet up with Nog, who is now a cadet at the Academy. He tells Jake about an elite group called The Red Squad and he begs the Captain to help him get a shot at being a part of the squad.
Earth's power stations are sabotaged and inoperable and it's believed the Changelings are responsible. Sisko, the Admiral, and Odo convince the President to declare a state of emergency until the matter is resolved. Starfleet security is stationed on every street corner.
"Paradise Lost" was written by Ira Steven Behr and Hans Beimler and is the conclusion of "Homefront."
Captain Sisko is trying to figure out how the Dominion were successful in this sabotage. The more he looks into it, the more questions arise. Seems the Red Squad were demobilized and sent back to Starfleet Academy shortly after the power went off line. Sisko contacts Starfleet Academy for an explanation and he is told to erase the information he found because it's classified but that the squad performed their assignment perfectly. Which leaves Sisko with even more questions.
He enlists the help of Nog, or rather, commands him to give him some names of Red Squad members in order to find out what they did. He learns that Admiral Leyton ordered them to tamper with the grids in order to create an atmosphere of panic in order to speed up the process of enacting martial law and even taking over the federation presidency.
When Leyton learns of Sisko's inquiries, he has Sisko arrested. He escapes with the help of Odo and confronts Leyton with knowledge of his plan.
Fortunately too, one of Leyton's top loyal deputies disobey's an order to fire upon the Defiant, which is en route to Earth. Odo exposes Leyton's plans to Jaresh-Inyo and Leyton resigns in front of Sisko, leaving behind his rank bars.
What I liked about this episode was touching upon the idea of giving up freedom in exchange for security--a topic brought up five years before the attack on New York that brought down the World Trade Center towers and six years before the Iraqi invasion.
One highlight was when Sisko is met by Miles O'Brien in an unexpected visit. Sisko is surprised to learn that the Defiant is already in orbit. "I didn't come here on the Defiant" O'Brien says. It's then Sisko realizes he's not talking to Miles O'Brien, but a Changeling. The Changeling tells Sisko that he's amused at the panic only four shapeshifters that have come to Earth can cause. It won't be the Changelings that will ultimately destroy Earth society, but Earthlings themselves.
It begins when Captain Sisko and Odo get summoned to Earth to help find a Changeling that is believed to be involved in the bombing of a Federation conference in which several people were killed. On Earth, they meet up with Admiral Leyton and Federation President Jaresh-Inyo to discuss detection techniques, with Odo's help, and new security measures including blood screenings.
Everyone is suspicious, including Sisko's own father who refuses to take the blood test. He becomes enraged that his son would suspect him and he suffers a minor stroke.
Meantime, Jake has accompanied his dad on the trip and they meet up with Nog, who is now a cadet at the Academy. He tells Jake about an elite group called The Red Squad and he begs the Captain to help him get a shot at being a part of the squad.
Earth's power stations are sabotaged and inoperable and it's believed the Changelings are responsible. Sisko, the Admiral, and Odo convince the President to declare a state of emergency until the matter is resolved. Starfleet security is stationed on every street corner.
"Paradise Lost" was written by Ira Steven Behr and Hans Beimler and is the conclusion of "Homefront."
Captain Sisko is trying to figure out how the Dominion were successful in this sabotage. The more he looks into it, the more questions arise. Seems the Red Squad were demobilized and sent back to Starfleet Academy shortly after the power went off line. Sisko contacts Starfleet Academy for an explanation and he is told to erase the information he found because it's classified but that the squad performed their assignment perfectly. Which leaves Sisko with even more questions.
He enlists the help of Nog, or rather, commands him to give him some names of Red Squad members in order to find out what they did. He learns that Admiral Leyton ordered them to tamper with the grids in order to create an atmosphere of panic in order to speed up the process of enacting martial law and even taking over the federation presidency.
When Leyton learns of Sisko's inquiries, he has Sisko arrested. He escapes with the help of Odo and confronts Leyton with knowledge of his plan.
Fortunately too, one of Leyton's top loyal deputies disobey's an order to fire upon the Defiant, which is en route to Earth. Odo exposes Leyton's plans to Jaresh-Inyo and Leyton resigns in front of Sisko, leaving behind his rank bars.
What I liked about this episode was touching upon the idea of giving up freedom in exchange for security--a topic brought up five years before the attack on New York that brought down the World Trade Center towers and six years before the Iraqi invasion.
One highlight was when Sisko is met by Miles O'Brien in an unexpected visit. Sisko is surprised to learn that the Defiant is already in orbit. "I didn't come here on the Defiant" O'Brien says. It's then Sisko realizes he's not talking to Miles O'Brien, but a Changeling. The Changeling tells Sisko that he's amused at the panic only four shapeshifters that have come to Earth can cause. It won't be the Changelings that will ultimately destroy Earth society, but Earthlings themselves.
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Best of Star Trek DS9---Our Man Bashir
"Our Man Bashir" is the tenth episode of the 4th season and was written by Ronald D. Moore.
The episode begins with Dr. Bashir indulging his fantasies on the holosuit. His fun is interrupted by a pesty Garak, who wants to see how his friend spends his free time. Reluctantly, Julian invites him along and the two play spies.
In the meantime, the rest of the senior crew is on a runabout that's been sabotaged by a faction who are angry about the Federation's involvement with the Cardassian/Bajoran peace agreement. As Eddington beams them aboard the station at the moment of the warp core breach, the crew's patterns are lost somewhere in the computer. To locate them, the Eddington orders the stations computers shut down except for the patterns of the missing crew. The are located---on the holosuite!
Now, Bashir must remain on the holosuite and play out his program in order to keep the crew isolated while the remaining senior crew work to retrieve their neuro patterns. Because their bodies only were energized in the holosuit, they take on the personas of Bashir's characters in his program.
A mad scientist, in the body of Sisko, is about to destroy the world using electric underground lasers to simulate earthquakes. Sisko, AKA Dr. Noah, is about to kill Bashir (the safety protocols aren't working) when the missing crew's neuro patters are found and beamed aboard the Defiant, to which they are merged with their physical patterns and beamed aboard the station.
This episode was fun and offered the actors a chance to expand their talents playing different characters in a cheesy spy escapade.
What makes it even more interesting is the interaction between Bashir and Garak. When there were times when Garak believed they were going to die, at one time being tied in a pit awaiting hot molten lava, he kept insisting on contacting Eddington to open the doors to allow them to escape. This would have been risky if one of the embodied crew members decided to exit.
Bashir even warned Garak that if he attemtped to exit the doors, he would shoot him---and he did! Garak headed for the exit and blam! Bashir grazed him on the neck as a warning and Garak was impressed.
Avery Brooks was especially amusing as the mad scientist. It was a performance likened to a cheap B-Sci-Fi movie worthy of a mocking on "Mystery Science Theater 3000."
The episode begins with Dr. Bashir indulging his fantasies on the holosuit. His fun is interrupted by a pesty Garak, who wants to see how his friend spends his free time. Reluctantly, Julian invites him along and the two play spies.
In the meantime, the rest of the senior crew is on a runabout that's been sabotaged by a faction who are angry about the Federation's involvement with the Cardassian/Bajoran peace agreement. As Eddington beams them aboard the station at the moment of the warp core breach, the crew's patterns are lost somewhere in the computer. To locate them, the Eddington orders the stations computers shut down except for the patterns of the missing crew. The are located---on the holosuite!
Now, Bashir must remain on the holosuite and play out his program in order to keep the crew isolated while the remaining senior crew work to retrieve their neuro patterns. Because their bodies only were energized in the holosuit, they take on the personas of Bashir's characters in his program.
A mad scientist, in the body of Sisko, is about to destroy the world using electric underground lasers to simulate earthquakes. Sisko, AKA Dr. Noah, is about to kill Bashir (the safety protocols aren't working) when the missing crew's neuro patters are found and beamed aboard the Defiant, to which they are merged with their physical patterns and beamed aboard the station.
This episode was fun and offered the actors a chance to expand their talents playing different characters in a cheesy spy escapade.
What makes it even more interesting is the interaction between Bashir and Garak. When there were times when Garak believed they were going to die, at one time being tied in a pit awaiting hot molten lava, he kept insisting on contacting Eddington to open the doors to allow them to escape. This would have been risky if one of the embodied crew members decided to exit.
Bashir even warned Garak that if he attemtped to exit the doors, he would shoot him---and he did! Garak headed for the exit and blam! Bashir grazed him on the neck as a warning and Garak was impressed.
Avery Brooks was especially amusing as the mad scientist. It was a performance likened to a cheap B-Sci-Fi movie worthy of a mocking on "Mystery Science Theater 3000."
Monday, March 3, 2014
Best of Star Trek DS9---Little Green Men
"Little Green Men" is the 8th episode of the 4th season and was written by Ira Steven Behr and Robert Hewitt Wolfe.
Quark gets a spaceship from his cousin in exchange for payment of a debt. So Quark, his brother Rom, and nephew Nog head toward Earth to deliver Nog to Starfleet Academy. Quark has ulterior plans---sell a banned substance to a planet on route.
The ship goes into warp and can't get out, indicating to them that the ship has been sabotaged by Quark's unscrupulous cousin. Rom figures out a way to use the smuggled cargo in the warp engines to slow the ship down. It crash lands on Earth (in New Mexico in 1947) and the three ferengi's are held up on a military base.
At first their universal translators, which are implanted in their lobes, are malfunctioning, making for a hilarious moment when the hapless humans are trying to figure out what their "Martian" friends are trying to convey.
Later, when they get their universal translators working, Quark tells them he has a business proposition for them, he can sell weapons to them in exchange for precious gold (because humans don't deal in latinum). He plans on staying on Earth and building an Empire. But unbeknownst to him, he had a stowaway on his ship--Odo, who was spying on Quark to find out what he planned on doing with the smuggled cargo.
Odo is having none of Quark's shit and tells him under no uncertain terms they are not staying and that their top priority is getting back to the ship, which is being held in a hanger nearby. Fortunately for them, two military brass, an army nurse and her scientist boyfriend, aid them in their escape.
Rom heads the ship toward an atomic bomb testing site and uses the energy from that, along with the kemocite that Quark smuggled, to recreate the warp accident and send them back to present day star date.
This episode was a welcomed addition to the rather serious nature the series has taken since the encounter with the Dominion. It was funny and also showed us how primitive we are and/or have been with the scientific discoveries our species has made. In one highlight, Quark is alarmed to learn from Nog that we humans have used atomic energy as weapons.
It was also clever how the writers fit in the famous Roswell UFO crash landing incident in this story, making our Ferengi heroes the mystery behind the mystery.
Quark gets a spaceship from his cousin in exchange for payment of a debt. So Quark, his brother Rom, and nephew Nog head toward Earth to deliver Nog to Starfleet Academy. Quark has ulterior plans---sell a banned substance to a planet on route.
The ship goes into warp and can't get out, indicating to them that the ship has been sabotaged by Quark's unscrupulous cousin. Rom figures out a way to use the smuggled cargo in the warp engines to slow the ship down. It crash lands on Earth (in New Mexico in 1947) and the three ferengi's are held up on a military base.
At first their universal translators, which are implanted in their lobes, are malfunctioning, making for a hilarious moment when the hapless humans are trying to figure out what their "Martian" friends are trying to convey.
Odo is having none of Quark's shit and tells him under no uncertain terms they are not staying and that their top priority is getting back to the ship, which is being held in a hanger nearby. Fortunately for them, two military brass, an army nurse and her scientist boyfriend, aid them in their escape.
Rom heads the ship toward an atomic bomb testing site and uses the energy from that, along with the kemocite that Quark smuggled, to recreate the warp accident and send them back to present day star date.
This episode was a welcomed addition to the rather serious nature the series has taken since the encounter with the Dominion. It was funny and also showed us how primitive we are and/or have been with the scientific discoveries our species has made. In one highlight, Quark is alarmed to learn from Nog that we humans have used atomic energy as weapons.
It was also clever how the writers fit in the famous Roswell UFO crash landing incident in this story, making our Ferengi heroes the mystery behind the mystery.
Sunday, March 2, 2014
Gul Dukat Learns the True Meaning of "Pain in the Butt"---Indiscretion
In "Indiscretion," Gul Dukat literally experiences a pain in the ass while searching for survivors of a crashed Cardassian ship carrying Bajoran prisoners and provides entertainment for Major Kira.
Best of Star Trek: Deep Space 9---The Way of the Warrior
"The Way of the Warrior" is the first episode of season 4 and brings many changes to the series. 1) The Obsidian Order has been overthrown by civilians who now run the Cardassian government. 2) Lt. Commander Worf is brought aboard to handle a group of Klingons who reside on the station to help the Federation fight the Dominion (or so it seems at the beginning). 3) The Klingon Empire withdraws from the Khitomer Treaty. 4) The Federation must now join forces with the Cardassians to fight the Klingons who have invaded the Cardassian homeworld.
In season 3, the Defiant is sent on a wild goose chase to the Tzenkhethi border by an admiral who claims the inhabitants are plotting an attack on the Federation. Turns out it was just a ploy to start a war and put the Federation right in the middle of it in order to weaken them and make them more vulnerable to a takeover by the Dominion. The admiral himself was actually a Changeling who tells Odo before he is destroyed that it's already too late---they are everywhere.
Now Gowron, leader of the Klingon high council, is suspicious that the Federation is being taken over by Changelings and that the Dominion is the cause of the civil unrest taking place on Cardassia. Worf learns from a confidential source the the Empire's true intent is to invade Cardassia and take over the government and destroy it's civilian leaders who Gowron believes are actually Changelings.
Benjamin Sisko was promoted to the rank of Captain in the last episode and takes his crew on the Defiant to stop the Klingons from invading Cardassia. This puts him in a situation of possibly violating the peace treaty between the Empire and the Federation. Warning the Cardassians would only escalate the situation.
In one highlight of the episode, Garak is brought into the ready room to take measurements of Sisko for a new suit as the crew discusses the Klingon plans for the invasion. Sisko tells Garak to not forget the waist measurements. "I think I have everything I need" says Garak who in turn messages Gul Dukat about the warships heading his way.
Later, the Defiant is successful in entering Cardassian space and beaming aboard the Cardassian civilian council members and warps back to DS9 with Klingon battle cruisers in pursuit. The Cardassians are blood tested to find out if any of them are Changelings. They all test negative.
The Klingon ships attack the space station and there are casualties on both sides. Many Klingons manage to invade the station when DS9's shield defenses are breached but they are outnumbered and killed or captured.
It ends with Gowron telling Sisko that they will not forget, or forgive, what the Federation has done this day. The Klingons are forced to temporarily withdraw. The Federation has sent reinforcements and the damaged Klingon ships are no match. Worf also reminds Gowron that destroying an empire to win a battle is no victory.
The space station crew later learns the Klingons are refusing to give up the districts conquered by them on Cardassia.
This was a two hour episode written by Ira Steven Behr and Robert Hewitt Wolfe. It sent the series into a tail spin of fighting a formidable force that had been an ally for many years. It may have also offered an even greater tactical advantage to the Dominion, having the Klingon Empire as an ally---but we shall see.
The episode also brings on board an old familiar face--that of The Enterprise Chief of Security Lt. Commander Worf. Sisko remarks to Worf that he was sorry to hear about what happened to the Enterprise. I assume he's talking about the incident from "Generations." Since the ship was no longer in service and Sisko needed an experience officer who best understands the Klingons, what better way to introduce Worf to DS9.
There's also the side story of Worf being conflicted between loyalty to his people and loyalty to Starfleet. Odo understands this dilemma all too well and tells Worf he had better make up his mind soon about telling Sisko what he knows regarding the Klingon's true reason for being on the station before it's too late.
In season 3, the Defiant is sent on a wild goose chase to the Tzenkhethi border by an admiral who claims the inhabitants are plotting an attack on the Federation. Turns out it was just a ploy to start a war and put the Federation right in the middle of it in order to weaken them and make them more vulnerable to a takeover by the Dominion. The admiral himself was actually a Changeling who tells Odo before he is destroyed that it's already too late---they are everywhere.
Now Gowron, leader of the Klingon high council, is suspicious that the Federation is being taken over by Changelings and that the Dominion is the cause of the civil unrest taking place on Cardassia. Worf learns from a confidential source the the Empire's true intent is to invade Cardassia and take over the government and destroy it's civilian leaders who Gowron believes are actually Changelings.
Benjamin Sisko was promoted to the rank of Captain in the last episode and takes his crew on the Defiant to stop the Klingons from invading Cardassia. This puts him in a situation of possibly violating the peace treaty between the Empire and the Federation. Warning the Cardassians would only escalate the situation.
In one highlight of the episode, Garak is brought into the ready room to take measurements of Sisko for a new suit as the crew discusses the Klingon plans for the invasion. Sisko tells Garak to not forget the waist measurements. "I think I have everything I need" says Garak who in turn messages Gul Dukat about the warships heading his way.
Later, the Defiant is successful in entering Cardassian space and beaming aboard the Cardassian civilian council members and warps back to DS9 with Klingon battle cruisers in pursuit. The Cardassians are blood tested to find out if any of them are Changelings. They all test negative.
The Klingon ships attack the space station and there are casualties on both sides. Many Klingons manage to invade the station when DS9's shield defenses are breached but they are outnumbered and killed or captured.
It ends with Gowron telling Sisko that they will not forget, or forgive, what the Federation has done this day. The Klingons are forced to temporarily withdraw. The Federation has sent reinforcements and the damaged Klingon ships are no match. Worf also reminds Gowron that destroying an empire to win a battle is no victory.
The space station crew later learns the Klingons are refusing to give up the districts conquered by them on Cardassia.
This was a two hour episode written by Ira Steven Behr and Robert Hewitt Wolfe. It sent the series into a tail spin of fighting a formidable force that had been an ally for many years. It may have also offered an even greater tactical advantage to the Dominion, having the Klingon Empire as an ally---but we shall see.
The episode also brings on board an old familiar face--that of The Enterprise Chief of Security Lt. Commander Worf. Sisko remarks to Worf that he was sorry to hear about what happened to the Enterprise. I assume he's talking about the incident from "Generations." Since the ship was no longer in service and Sisko needed an experience officer who best understands the Klingons, what better way to introduce Worf to DS9.
There's also the side story of Worf being conflicted between loyalty to his people and loyalty to Starfleet. Odo understands this dilemma all too well and tells Worf he had better make up his mind soon about telling Sisko what he knows regarding the Klingon's true reason for being on the station before it's too late.
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