The Good: Plot, Acting, Effects
The Bad: The solution is a bit simple
The Basics: A must for Star Trek Deep Space Nine fans as well as history buffs and political science people, "Dramatis Personae" is very entertaining for all!
Nearing the end of the first season of Star Trek Deep Space Nine, the show manages to pull itself out of its uncertainty with three very good episodes. This is the first of the three and it was a refreshing change from the insular episodes that preceded it. This is an episode that has more universal appeal to it than many of the episodes that came right before it.
"Dramatis Personae" (or "Cast of Characters") is a nifty little bottle episode that begins with a Klingon ship returning from the Gamma Quadrant and promptly exploding. As the crew begins to investigate the oddity, they begin to act strangely; xenophobic, cunning, manipulative, and Odo's head splits in two. It's not long before an all-out war is being raged on Deep Space Nine and Odo is the only one who can figure it all out. The characters splinter into two groups, with Sisko fighting Kira and others following one or the other.
The answer is pretty cool because, of course, the Klingons brought something back with them. What they bring back is a remarkably unique idea and it works out very well. The only flaw is in how quickly Odo is able to neutralize it. Indeed, "Dramatis Personae" involves one of the best "alien encounter of the week" ideas and it is strengthened by repeated viewings. On the first viewing, the watcher is impressed by the originality of the idea, the second they see clues of it, by the third time, the viewer is actually considering the mindset of the alien device and it is on that and subsequent viewings that the novelty becomes . . . simply impressed.
This episode is like a field day for the actors: the friendly Bashir (Siddig El Fadil) becomes a gossipy, political rogue, Sisko (Avery Brooks) becomes listless, spending his time making a clock, O'Brien (Colm Meany) develops into his muscle (which is a surprisingly diverse performance - he manages to not simple replicate his "character" from Next Generation's "The Power Play"), Dax (Terry Farrell in remarkable acting) becomes a complete dingbat, and Kira turns from abrasive to outright mean.
They must have had a field day, they certainly appear to be having fun in the episode! The amazing thing is that they convey enjoyment to the trained eye that wishes to see them outside their roles without actually stepping outside the roles themselves. That is to say, the actors here remain in character and it is only when a viewer wishes to remove their disbelief and consider the making of the episode that such matters as the enjoyment the actors must have had comes into play.
While the special effects are nice, especially when Odo's head splits in half and the Klingon ship explodes. It's disappointing, though, how quickly the idea of the plot is neutralized. That is, there's a reason everyone is behaving strangely and when Odo figures it out, his ability to stop it is rather abrupt. The execution of his action cuts the momentum of the episode, but not in a way that seriously kills the episode.
The plot is pretty solid, the acting is wonderful, the only minor flaw is that the characters aren't advanced truly. While not part of the essential Deep Space Nine, there's a lot for fans and non-fans to enjoy. There is action for the casual observer and all of the political intrigue of the altered characters is intrinsic to the episode, making it accessible to non-fans of the series. And for the fans of the series, well, it's fun and the clock in Sisko's office appears in most future episodes!
[Knowing that VHS is essentially a dead medium, it's worth looking into Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Complete First Season on DVD, which is also a better economical choice than buying the VHS. Read my review of the first season by clicking here!
Thanks!]
8/10
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© 2011, 2007, 2003 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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