The Good: Great character moments, Wonderful acting, Special effects, Decent plot
The Bad: Sisko arc is less inspired than the rest of the episode?
The Basics: When the Female Shapeshifter arrives on Terok Nor, she tempts Odo, causing disaster for the new Resistance in “Behind The Lines!”
I have a very special relationship with the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode “Behind The Lines.” Well before it aired, I was pitching to the producers and writing staff of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. I was on my third and final pitch session and I was pitching a story over the phone to one of the producers and the producer had me stop. He said, “I need you to stop talking and move on. We have an episode coming up that sounds a lot like what you’re talking about and if you keep talking, we might have to pay you.” It was transcendent for me; I was so in the heads of the writers and producers of my favorite series that I was coming close to their own ideas well before they were even leaked! It also shot my confidence and the other ideas I pitched that day tanked completely. I’ve never been as close to a paid writing gig for television since.
That moment was nothing compared to what happened when the episode “Behind The Lines” aired. It was still comparatively the new days of the Internet, so it was still a big deal that details like the Female Shapeshifter’s presence in the episode were leaked in advance of the first preview on television. So, I knew, going into the episode that this was the episode that had elements close to what I pitched. The amazing thing was – and I was so happy that I had a friend watching the episode with me at the time – I called three lines in advance of their delivery! And not just generalized. At one point in the episode, during a moment of silence, I spoke a line of dialogue from the Female Shapeshifter, then made Odo’s response, then the Shapeshifter’s reply. Word for word, I got the exchange correct. My friend, absolutely incredulous, looked at me, eyes wide and said, “How did you know that?!” And I said, “It’s what I would have written for the moment.” Word for word. It was incredible. Damn! That was awesome.
I don’t have a mundane introduction to this review, so now, abruptly . . . ?
Life aboard Terok Nor gets shaken up when the New Resistance actually does something. In this case, Rom managed to lift a classified PADD from Damar that details his secret proposal to kill all the Jem’Hadar soldiers before their Ketracel White runs out. When this is exposed, a bar fight breaks out and Kira declares it an unqualified success, much to the annoyance of Odo, who had insisted the group not push the Dominion in that fashion. As Kira, Jake and Rom figure out their next move, Odo is distracted by the return of the Female Changeling who declares that all is forgiven. She begins trying to woo Odo to forget about all his friends and return to the Great Link.
Elsewhere in the galaxy, Sisko is recalled to Admiral Ross’s Starbase for reassignment. Ross admires Sisko’s tactical mind and requests help in larger strategy issues. With that in mind, the Defiant is turned over to Dax and Sisko begins his new position as a tactical administrator. As Sisko sets his eyes on retaking Deep Space Nine, Damar decides how to get back in Dukat’s good graces. As he plans to take down the minefield, the new Resistance determines how to stop the Dominion from succeeding, a plan which might hinge on the suddenly unreliable Odo!
“Behind The Lines” is a pretty incredible Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode and it foreshadows the series premiere surprisingly well. The Dominion War is dark and so far in this season of the show, viewers have seen a person kill themselves in protest and with “Behind The Lines,” they see that not everything goes according to plan. The arrival of the Female Shapeshifter complicates things immensely and it brings out some of the best performances of the series.
Nana Visitor gives one of her most intense performances of the series at the climax of the episode and I have to remember the next time I see her at a convention to ask her if she hurt her hand; she really commits to smacking a door sensor and it looks so real! Visitor has an amazing physical presence and director LeVar Burton captures it with a great stride shot that channels a great sense of power for the actress. Visitor and Max Grodenchik (Rom) play off one another very well in “Behind The Lines” as well.
Much of the episode, though, plays off the onscreen chemistry between Rene Auberjonois and Salome Jens. Auberjonois is able to play Odo in a way he never has before, absolutely flabbergasted! Jens returns with a subtle sense of menace and embodies the Female Changeling with a perfect sense of poise and restrained physical control. Jens and Auberjonois work off one another nicely and even interact seamlessly with the intense special effects needed to make their character arc in the episode work.
On the other half of the plot, Avery Brooks and Terry Farrell have decent performances as they transition to their new roles in the war. And I get what writer Rene Echevarria (whom I pitched to my second time, as it turns out!) is doing with the phaser power cell ritual whereby Dax starts repeating the mantra Sisko speaks at the outset of the episode, but it just does not work as well in the execution as it does on paper.
Still, it is not enough to not enthusiastically recommend the episode. “Behind The Lines” is a tense, thrilling episode that keeps ratcheting up to its conclusion. Anyone who loves great television will enjoy this episode!
[Knowing that VHS is essentially a dead medium, it's worth looking into Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Complete Sixth Season on DVD, which is also a better economical choice than buying the VHS. Read my review of the penultimate season by clicking here!
Thanks!]
9/10
For other Star Trek reviews, please visit my Star Trek Review Index Page for a complete, organized, listing of all I have reviewed!
© 2012 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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