Captain Sisko Becomes A Complete Asshole When “Take Me Out To The Holosuite” Makes Him Into A Baseball Coach.

The Good: I’m struggling here . . . moments of character, Not entirely predictable, That the actors make it through it while appearing to take it seriously.
The Bad: Plot, Character, Guest performances, Utter lack of purpose.
The Basics: “Take Me Out To The Holosuite” might well be, objectively, the worst episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.


At the outset of this review, I must confess: the rating at the bottom is actually wrong. I know, I make the ratings, I should just have the right rating there. I’ve rated “Take Me Out To The Holosuite” a 2.5/10 when it ought to be a 1/10. Why is it 1.5 points higher in this review than I honestly believe it ought to be? Some strange block in me exists that will not allow me to accept any episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine at the worst episode of the series except “Destiny” (reviewed here!). “Destiny” is predictable, but it actually ends up having consequences that resonate through the rest of the series after that. That said, I don’t like it, I think it’s cheap Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and I’ve considered it the worst episode for so long that when I eventually make my Worst Ten Episode list for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, it will top (or bottom) it.

But, objectively and honestly, “Take Me Out To The Holosuite” is worse. In fact, “Take Me Out To The Holosuite” has no real redeeming qualities, which makes it irksome for me to write about. I love Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, but “Take Me Out To The Holosuite” is a pointless episode that distracts from the narrative flow of the seventh season and is almost enough to make me reconsider the “perfect” rating I gave the final season of the series. Rumor is that “Take Me Out To The Holosuite” stemmed from Michael Piller’s love of baseball and while that might work as a character aspect of Captain Sisko, it works terribly as an episode in the series.

Captain Benjamin Sisko, as it turns out, has a rival. His name is Captain Solok and he is a Vulcan. He has achieved pretty much everything Sisko has either faster or more times than Sisko, making him exceptionally jealous. When Solok comes to Deep Space Nine, he challenges Sisko and his crew to a baseball game. Sisko, a huge baseball fan, is unable to resist the allure of taking on his rival in his favorite game, so he spends a week with Jake and Kassidy trying to get his crew, Rom, Quark and Leeta into shape to beat the Vulcans. This, however, brings out all of Sisko’s worst qualities and in the days leading up to the game, he makes life utterly unpleasant for all of his crew and friends, making them not particularly want to play the game.

Wow, “Take Me Out To The Holosuite” is bad. It is so bad that for the best part of it, there is merchandise. Yes, you can get Deep Space Nine baseball uniforms and hats and they make sense because they were featured in an episode. But beyond that, there is little good in the episode save that it is not entirely predictable (the motley crew of Deep Space Nine does not get into a position where Rom will come up to bat and help them win the game) and Odo throws Sisko out for touching the umpire. And Sisko seems to ultimately learn a very valuable lesson which five year-olds learn these days, so . . .

Sisko’s rival, Solok is one of the least Vulcan Vulcans to ever grace the Star Trek franchise. So, when the circumstances arise which allow Odo to eject him from the game, it seems ridiculous to most Star Trek fans. Indeed, from the moment Solok appears on the station, he appears to be exhibiting a very un-Vulcan sense of pride and ego.

The rest of the episode is a pretty unfortunate wash; Sisko is a jerk throughout and most of the crew only goes along with the baseball game because Sisko has essentially ordered them to (implicitly). In order to make the utter lack of a plot work, the characters are dumbed down – for a former terrorist, Colonel Kira’s sudden lack of coordination is unforgiveable and the fact that Worf is not creaming the balls out of the park when he is at bat is unfathomable as well.

So, “Take Me Out To The Holosuite” ends up being a sport’s game filled with silly acrobatics and other nonsense that does absolutely nothing to advance the plot or characters of the series. This is, truly, the bottom of the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine barrel . . . if only I could get by my block to rate it as such!

[Knowing that the season is a much better investment, it's worth looking into Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Complete Seventh Season on DVD, which provides the full story for the conclusion to the series. Read my review of the final season by clicking here!
Thanks!]

2.5/10

For other Star Trek episode, movie, and DVD boxed set reviews, be sure to visit my Star Trek Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2012 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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When Worf Falls Down, Everything Goes Boom In "Ethics"

The Good: Great character development, Nice acting, Interesting dilemma.
The Bad: Somewhat silly, manipulative ending to the episode
The Basics: When Worf is seriously wounded, the crew reacts with a dilemma that will test their convictions, tolerances and professional "Ethics."


One of the more refreshing aspects of Star Trek The Next Generation was the way it took the rather flat villains from Star Trek and developed them to be sensible: creating cultures, designing rituals and histories, and introducing reasonable (and reasonably intelligent) characters to represent these races. No race benefited more from the second Trek series than the Klingons. The presence of Worf aboard the Enterprise gave the writers and producers the perfect excuse to repeatedly delve into Klingon culture and custom.

"Ethics" opens with Worf being crippled in a fairly ridiculous accident wherein a barrel falls upon him, crushing his spinal column. Paralyzed without hope of recovery, Worf accepts that his days as a warrior are over and asks Riker to aid him in killing himself. Riker refuses Worf's suicide request after much deliberation and Worf is left in the hands of a doctor whose methods are questionable. Dr. Toby Russell offers a miracle cure to Worf; a genetically engineered spine. But as Dr. Crusher witnesses, Russell cannot be trusted to have the patient in mind and the last ditch effort seems more and more hopeless.

"Ethics" is one the most deceptive episodes of Star Trek The Next Generation. First, it begins with one of the most tacky accidents to grace the screen, but then it becomes one of the most intriguing moralistic debates of the series. And then, what seems to be a pretty obvious Worf episode develops into an intriguing ensemble piece that explores Worf, Troi, Riker, Dr. Crusher and Alexander. It becomes one of the most compelling pieces that takes into account as many viewpoints as possible.

And that's part of the strength of this episode and makes the episode compelling. Seeing Alexander, who is barely Klingon, saddled with the responsibility of killing his father is jaw-dropping. The viewer wrestles with Riker over the decision as he makes his argument to Picard against killing Worf. In some ways, the viewer manages to understand Worf's perspective as well, which is no easy task considering how strongly most people feel against suicide. Dr. Crusher, as well is interesting here as she combats Dr. Russell. Every character here we manage to get inside the head of.

The acting here is part of what makes this episode worthwhile and the characters believable. While Sirtis easily illustrates she can cry on demand, the more impressive acting comes from Brian Bonsall. Bonsall does an amazing job for a child actor making realistic facial expressions when looking at his character's wounded father. He sells us completely on the pain of being a child with an impossible decision.

And while Caroline Kava gives a rather flat performance as Dr. Toby Russell, Gates McFadden rises to the occasion of infusing Dr. Crusher with a passionate sense of professional ethics. McFadden is usually relegated to playing the "straightman" and here she is allowed to be fully emotive. Jonathan Frakes, similarly, gives one of his better performances as the conflicted Riker. Usually so in charge, this is a great chance for Frakes to explore Riker's uncertainty, which adds a wonderful sense of realism to his character.

The real thrust of acting greatness comes from Michael Dorn. Dorn here is deprived of movement and as a result, he's forced to rely solely on his voice and facial expressions and he does not disappoint. This is an impressive feat in any circumstance, even more of an accomplishment considering the headpiece Dorn wears!

This is a great episode for anyone who likes a decent medical drama or a compelling ethical debate, even if you are not a fan of science fiction. This is more a sociological debate on euthanasia and treatise on medical ethics more than a science fiction piece. It's enjoyable and easily keeps the attention of the viewer the whole time.

[Knowing that VHS is essentially a dead medium, it's worth looking into Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Complete Fifth Season on DVD, which is also a better economical choice than buying the VHS. Read my review of the fifth season by clicking here!
Thanks!]

7.5/10

For other Star Trek episode or DVD reviews, please check out my index page by clicking here!

© 2011, 2007, 2003 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.


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Prelude To Star Trek Deep Space Nine - Part 1 - "The Wounded"

The Good: Great acting, Wonderful character development of O'Brien, Great new villain
The Bad: Stewart's headcold, Final resolution, Timeline sensibilities
The Basics: When O'Brien's former captain goes off on a killing spree, O'Brien is forced to balance his past loyalties and hatreds against doing the right thing in "The Wounded."


At this point in Star Trek The Next Generation, the series had already surpassed the number of episodes created of Star Trek and there seemed no end to the possibilities for continuing the franchise. At this point, it must have occurred to someone on the staff that there was a whole universe out there of Star Trek and it might be advantageous to tap into that. Whether that was intentional or not, here we have two components that would be integral in the third - and best - series in the Trek universe, Star Trek Deep Space Nine: the introduction of the villainous Cardassians and the utilization of O'Brien as an interesting, viable character with a backstory.

When Captain Benjamin Maxwell takes the U.S.S. Phoenix into Cardassian space on a killing spree, the Enterprise is dispatched to find out what is going on and apprehend Maxwell. Apparently, only recently hostilities between the heretofore unmentioned Cardassians and the Federation ceased and the uneasy peace is kept tense by memories of Cardassian brutality. Miles O'Brien, still honeymooning it seems, was the only Enterprise crewperson to serve with Maxwell in the past. Unfortunately, O'Brien still suffers from bad memories about the massacre on Setlik 3. Indeed, the title "The Wounded" may be debated to be about O'Brien as well as Maxwell. So, the Enterprise takes about three Cardassian observers and heads deep into Sector 21505 on a hunt for a man who has gone paranoid and dangerous. And when they find him . . . things get even more difficult.

The only true strike against "The Wounded" is in the sensibilities of the episode as part of the Star Trek timeline: it makes little sense that the most powerful ship in the fleet would have spent the last few years exploring as opposed to helping bring about a swift resolution to a conflict with such a ruthless enemy. And it's not a nitpicky thing: at least one other Galaxy Class starship was sent out exploring (the U.S.S. Yamato from the episode "Contagion," reviewed here!). Given how quickly the Enterprise disabled the powerful Galor Class Cardassian warship, it makes little sense that the Enterprise wasn't out stopping Cardassians all along, especially with the increased threats of the Romulans and the Borg. The Federation would want to have as few conflicts as possible going on; that's just basic military strategy.

And yes, the Federation is supposed to be a peaceful group of explorers, but here the given element is a sustained conflict that has just ended. It doesn't fit the sensibilities of anyone . . . well, with sensibilities.

Beyond that, there are no real problems, save the grandstanding Picard does at the very end of the episode. That's somewhat bothersome in that it closes the episode with a strange sense of Federation superiority in an episode that does not deserve it.

But these are minor problems compared to how great the rest of the episode is. First, using O'Brien - or rather the O'BrienS - is genius. Here we have an underused character exploring a compelling problem: what do we become when we go to war? O'Brien, being classically a simple background character here grows to the point that we want to see even more of him.

O'Brien and Keiko are wonderful characters and here we get to see them both. Keiko gets more airtime here than in her wedding episode and as a result, we see her as an interesting person and a great spouse. It's easy to see why Miles fell in love with Keiko. She is understanding and caring here. O'Brien here is both strong and hurt and we learn critical details about his past. His relaying of his wartime experiences are sad and horrible to hear.

But the character that matters as much as O'Brien is Ben Maxwell. Maxwell comes across as paranoid and intelligent, making for a dangerous combination that is at times difficult to watch. The great thing about Maxwell and his vengeful quest into Cardassian space is that he seems to have a reasonable approach: the Cardassians, he claims, are rearming for a new conflict. In one of the best scenes that openly takes on warmongers, Picard confronts Maxwell, cutting down his paranoid arguments. It's truly a gem to see someone rational use logic against ALL of the heavy arguments for going to war.

War is not a rational approach to solving any problem.

Holding the episode together is the acting. Rosalind Chao is a great foil for Colm Meany and here she's given the chance to actually act. Even more than Chao, Colm Meany rises to the occasion. After a few years of being stuck behind the transporter console, O'Brien gets a chance to shine. This attempt would not be possible if it were not for the caliber of actor Meany is. He breathes life into what could be a fairly stale shellshock episode. Instead, he plays O'Brien as subtly hostile to the Cardassians, confused to his wife and then ultimately vulnerable in a way that is complete magic.

Quite significant, "The Wounded" introduces the Cardassians and as a result is very accessible to those who are non-fans of the series. In some ways, this is the first time we are truly introduced to O'Brien as well. What anyone who watches will get is a tense, humanistic episode focusing on two men dealing with the consequences of a war that scarred them both. A worthwhile endeavor for anyone who doesn't like war, but who does like a good war thriller.

[Knowing that VHS is essentially a dead medium, it's worth looking into Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Complete Fourth Season on DVD, which is also a better economical choice than buying the VHS. Read my review of the fourth season by clicking here!
Thanks!]

8.5/10

For other Star Trek episode or film reviews, please visit my index page by clicking here!

© 2011, 2007, 2002 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.




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Marina Sirtis Replaces Troi And Boredom Results: "The Loss"

The Good: Acting, Basic idea of the "Alien of the Week."
The Bad: Character development, Plot
The Basics: Altering the only significant thing about Troi - her empathic powers - makes for a dull episode that even the good acting cannot save.


Star Trek The Next Generation makes only a few permutations on the characters throughout the years. Picard is fundamentally altered for an episode as he becomes Borg ("The Best of Both Worlds, Part II"), Riker gives up his pursuit of command (which is permanent), and Data gets more and more human. But most of the permutations end by the end of the episode in question. With Deanna Troi, there's not much one may do. Well, you can remove her empathic abilities and in "The Loss" that is exactly what happens.

When the Enterprise encounters a strange field, Troi loses her empathic abilities and is forced to rely on her actual counseling skills as opposed to her minor telepathic abilities. Counseling a widow, she becomes more and more frustrated and more and more angry with her crewmates. Troi becomes increasingly distraught until Riker cuts her down to size and she resigns her commission. Meanwhile, the rest of the bridge crew concludes that the field is a two dimensional lifeform and its heading toward a deadly cosmic string fragment that will destroy the ship if it is dragged along.

"The Loss" has one thing going for it: the acting. Marina Sirtis and Whoopi Goldberg give great performances as Deanna Troi and Guinan, respectively. Sirtis is angry and upset as Troi, maintaining a consistent thread of frustration throughout that makes Troi seem very real in her inner conflict. That works wonderfully. Goldberg has a brief scene that she plays with great calm and inner peace, an excellent foil to Sirtis' maniacal dilemmas.

On the other side, the idea of the two dimensional creature is an initially clever idea. It makes sense, an idea that has length and width, but no height. Quite clever.

Unfortunately, the execution of the idea is disappointing and insulting to our intelligence. To believe there is only one main sensor array on the Enterprise and the two dimensional beings are on that exact plane is ridiculous. The secondary arrays pick up the creature and it seems silly that they take so long to do that.

Even more disappointing is the character development. Troi becomes both angry and distraught with little cause. Deanna seems to have little cause for the amount of anger she pervades following the accident. It doesn't makes sense that a trained psychologist would go as berserk as Troi does for the loss of a power that does not even get utilized that often. In fact, one might think an empath would enjoy the vacation from reading others' emotions. "Tin Man" (reviewed here!) from the third season would seem to support that.

Outside Troi getting angry and whiny for forty minutes, there's not much to this episode. The plot outside Troi is thin and poorly executed or conceived.

More than that, there's nothing here for the non-fan of the series. Troi's anger is incomprehensible to those who do not know the character well. Add that to a thin plot and you have an episode that is difficult for anyone to watch. But, Troi needed her permutation episode and they went with what they had. Sigh.

[Knowing that VHS is essentially a dead medium, it's worth looking into Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Complete Fourth Season on DVD, which is also a better economical choice than buying the VHS. Read my review of the fourth season by clicking here!
Thanks!]

3/10

For other Star Trek episode or movie reviews, please visit my index page by clicking here!

© 2011, 2007, 2002 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.



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Take A Vacation, Clothing Optional, In The 24th Century With "Captain's Holiday!"

The Good: Funny, Costumes, Acting, Characters
The Bad: Often simplified plot
The Basics: In a fun episode, Picard takes a holiday, meets a risk-taking woman and has an adventure in archeology.


Every now and then, a series attempts to step outside its normal routine and do something completely different. Like the live episode of Roc back when it was on or the improvisation episodes of The Drew Carey Show. They're ideas that attempt to make something new out of a show that is in danger of getting stale. Some shows do that long before that point. Star Trek The Next Generation does that in its third season at a time when the ensemble cast was especially strong, foregoing it for a lone Picard story.

After a long string of negotiations (off-camera, in case you were curious), Captain Picard is harassed by his officers into taking some vacation time. He ends up on Risa, a pleasure planet, where he finds sun, scantily-clad women and little chance to read the book he brought with him. Instead of relaxing by the pool, Picard soon encounters Vash, a mysterious woman who is on the run from a very angry Ferengi. The Ferengi claims Vash has stolen information from him and Picard becomes intrigued when Vash declares that she is looking for the Tox Uhtat, a mythical device she believes to be on Risa. Never one to give up on a good archeological adventure, Picard and Vash go on an Indiana Jones style adventure, hounded by the Ferengi and two Vorgons, who claim to be security from the future sent to recover to Uhtat.

"Captain's Holiday" works for several reasons, the most simple of which being that this is essentially a comedy adventure. Indeed, the Indiana Jones comparison is not inappropriate; Picard and Vash work much like Indiana and, say, Marianne (from Raiders Of The Lost Ark). There's no bullwhip, though. There is, however, a nice balance of humor and adventure as Vash and Picard interact and they interact with Solok, the Ferengi.

Different from most other episodes of the series, "Captain's Holiday" makes no bones about being a Picard episode. It quickly gets the captain off the Enterprise and in the process forces the viewer to accept him as an unlikely action hero. It works, though, because Picard still responds with dignity and within the bounds of a character his age. We're not asked to believe that he can jump far, dodge fast or run quickly. In fact, when the time comes, he and Vash set out at a reasonable pace to conserve energy, rather than running off.

And it works on that level. Picard (and those who cleverly wrote the episode) still reacts with intellect as opposed to brawn for the majority of the episode. And this is one of the sexier episodes, thanks to the costumes. The Risian outfits are revealing, without being pornographic. There's a lot of eye candy here for men and women alike.

A lot of the credit must go to Patrick Stewart and Jennifer Hetrick, who play Picard and Vash. They have great chemistry on screen and their passion works well for their character arcs. There's an energy to Picard (or Stewart, it's unclear which) that Vash (or Hetrick, again it's hard to tell) brings out. It works quite well. Max Grodenchik plays Sovak, the Ferengi and it is clear to see why he would later go on to play Rom on Star Trek Deep Space Nine, so convincing is his performance here.

In short, "Captain's Holiday" is a good little mid-pace adventure that is accessible to anyone. Being that it focuses on one character and all of the guests are adequately filled in in the episode, there's nothing outside the episode needed to understand what's going on. It has humor and adventure in a nice balance that will be enjoyable to anyone who does not usually like science fiction.

[Knowing that VHS is essentially a dead medium, it's worth looking into Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Complete Third Season on DVD, which is also a better economical choice than buying the VHS. Read my review of the third season by clicking here!
Thanks!]

6.5/10

For other Star Trek episode and film reviews, please be sure to visit my index page!

© 2011, 2008, 2002 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.



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