Deep Space Nine 2.04, 2.05
It took me over a week to figure out how to write up “Invasive Procedures”. I just couldn’t think of anything meaningful to say about it. This weekend that finally clicked into place: this episode is about the guest characters almost entirely. Even more than the wonderful Kira vs a foe first season episodes. Those were still about Kira. But this one wasn’t even really about Dax.
That’s not to say it wasn’t enjoyable! It was. And it’s a venerable trick to get the audience to be interested in the one-off not main characters. Doctor Who is especially good at bringing the supporting cast to life, even when they’re only there for just the one episode. I liked first thinking that Mareel was a Lady MacBeth type, pushing Verad into action that was clearly out of character for the milquetoast we first meet. And then we learn a bit about her hooker background and get to see the dawning horror as she comes to realize that Verad Dax really, truly, is NOT the man she fell in love with. The cold way he doesn’t reciprocate her hug. The calculating way he plays upon her emotions to try to get her to go along with the plan he has no intention of following anymore. And along with that we get to see some masterful manipulation from Benjamin Sisko. Oh boy do I love how easily he slips into palling around with his old friend Dax, only to reminisce about discovering the wormhole. The venom with which he says, “Don’t call me Benjamin” is chilling and brilliant.
And we get to see Tuvok as a Klingon!! There were some amazing fight sequences. Sisko very nearly took out a Klingon by himself. And Mareel defeated Kira! That’s badass.
My feelings while watching “Cardassians” were mixed up with real life. Last week my very close friends were halfway through their journey to China to adopt their son. So I kept thinking about them and their experience being parents of a child that doesn’t look like them, as I watched the story of the Bajoran man and his Cardassian son.
This is an interesting story for Garak to make his return appearance. There is the duplicitous angle of trying to get Dukat in trouble. We don’t know yet of their terribly entangled history but that back story certainly helps to explain why he cares enough to point out to Bashir that Dukat should have accounted for the war orphans during the withdrawal. Considering how he’s always playing the long game, is it possible he’s already this early planning for a reveal of Ziyal?
As a parent I can’t even imagine what it would be like to have my child left behind while I moved away. But even more so, I can’t begin to imagine the heartache of Rugal’s Bajoran parents, when the son they raised for the majority of his life is taken away. I appreciate that nothing is ever clarified about how they were treating him. We get the vague rumors of abuse but no physical evidence. Rugal’s behavior indicates that he was raised to hate Cardassians but he clearly loves his parents. There are no easy answers. Everything sucks for everyone.
That’s not to say it wasn’t enjoyable! It was. And it’s a venerable trick to get the audience to be interested in the one-off not main characters. Doctor Who is especially good at bringing the supporting cast to life, even when they’re only there for just the one episode. I liked first thinking that Mareel was a Lady MacBeth type, pushing Verad into action that was clearly out of character for the milquetoast we first meet. And then we learn a bit about her hooker background and get to see the dawning horror as she comes to realize that Verad Dax really, truly, is NOT the man she fell in love with. The cold way he doesn’t reciprocate her hug. The calculating way he plays upon her emotions to try to get her to go along with the plan he has no intention of following anymore. And along with that we get to see some masterful manipulation from Benjamin Sisko. Oh boy do I love how easily he slips into palling around with his old friend Dax, only to reminisce about discovering the wormhole. The venom with which he says, “Don’t call me Benjamin” is chilling and brilliant.
And we get to see Tuvok as a Klingon!! There were some amazing fight sequences. Sisko very nearly took out a Klingon by himself. And Mareel defeated Kira! That’s badass.
My feelings while watching “Cardassians” were mixed up with real life. Last week my very close friends were halfway through their journey to China to adopt their son. So I kept thinking about them and their experience being parents of a child that doesn’t look like them, as I watched the story of the Bajoran man and his Cardassian son.
This is an interesting story for Garak to make his return appearance. There is the duplicitous angle of trying to get Dukat in trouble. We don’t know yet of their terribly entangled history but that back story certainly helps to explain why he cares enough to point out to Bashir that Dukat should have accounted for the war orphans during the withdrawal. Considering how he’s always playing the long game, is it possible he’s already this early planning for a reveal of Ziyal?
As a parent I can’t even imagine what it would be like to have my child left behind while I moved away. But even more so, I can’t begin to imagine the heartache of Rugal’s Bajoran parents, when the son they raised for the majority of his life is taken away. I appreciate that nothing is ever clarified about how they were treating him. We get the vague rumors of abuse but no physical evidence. Rugal’s behavior indicates that he was raised to hate Cardassians but he clearly loves his parents. There are no easy answers. Everything sucks for everyone.