The Stifling Averageness Of “Vis A Vis” Is All That Sinks The Star Trek: Voyager Episode.

The Good: Acting, Character
The Bad: Plot
The Basics: More bland than bad, “Vis A Vis” relies upon one too many bodyswaps to be truly original or character-enhancing as it may initially appear.


Some might say that the worst thing a television episode can be is unmemorable. After all, if something is truly horrible, one might still find themselves discussing it and people sometimes tune in to programming for the “fascination with the abomination” factor. Star Trek: Voyager has a number of episodes that are not horrible, but are hampered by the fact that they feel typical or in every way average. “Vis A Vis” is one such episode.

“Vis A Vis” begins feeling problematically familiar. The character of Tom Paris was given an arc in the second season of Star Trek: Voyager that had him slacking off as part of an undercover plot. So, when “Vis A Vis” opens with the Doctor confronting Tom Paris on how he has not been keeping up his obligations to learn Sickbay procedures, the viewer is more likely to feel like they have seen the episode before than feel excited about what comes next. Unfortunately for the episode, the plot is similarly typical and unimpressive.

“Vis A Vis” is yet another Star Trek: Voyager rework of “Turnabout Intruder” (reviewed here!) or “The Passenger” (reviewed here!). With a bodyswapping alien plot, the viewer must settle in for forty-three minutes of “been there, done that.” Even so, “Vis A Vis” is saved by decent performances and just enough emphasis on Tom Paris as a character (as something of a retrospective for how much the character has grown over the years) to save the episode from the ratings doldrums.

After Tom Paris is reamed out by the Doctor for not showing up for his Sickbay training, he is called to the bridge. There, he takes the helm while the ship encounters a shuttle-sized vessel that is using an (until now) theoretical coaxial warp drive system. With the alien ship out of control, Tom and Tuvok successfully collapse the ship’s warp field and bring it into normal space. Their first contact encounter is with an alien, Steth.

Steth and Tom Paris rebuild the coaxial warp engines on Steth’s ship and at the same time, Steth pumps Paris for information on his life on Voyager. Paris expresses his frustration to Steth both with his daily duties and his relationship with B’Elanna Torres. Steth obliges by incapacitating Paris, stealing his appearance (and giving Paris his physical appearance) and sending the Lieutenant back to the system his ship was from. As Steth as Paris works to take that new life, Paris finds himself a under suspicion by the alien Steth stole his current body from! As Paris and Daelen work to get back to Voyager and their own bodies, Steth tries to keep the crew from becoming suspicious of his new behaviors.

The big thrill for me in watching “Vis A Vis” was hearing Dan Butler’s voice and realizing that Steth was being played by the Frasier actor. Butler is stuck in an alien make-up and his posture, bearing and character are utterly different from his role on Frasier. But his voice is so distinctive and he makes Steth interesting enough to captivate the viewer’s attention. As Butler plays both Steth and Tom Paris, he is given a decent range to perform with. As Steth, he has to play a sense of desperation and professional confusion as his genome threatens to reassert itself and as he deals with Paris pitching antiquated automotive technology to fix his coaxial warp drive. He is convincing. He maintains that ability and range as he plays Paris trapped in Steth’s appearance. There are moments he gets Paris’s speech patterns down pat.

“Vis A Vis” is really an acting exercise for Robert Duncan McNeill and he easily rises to the challenge. As Steth, McNeill has a sense of menace to him and a presentation to the character that – under the surface – is desperate. This might actually be the episode that explores the most of Robert Duncan McNeill’s range.

Jesus Salvador Trevino directs the episode in a way that almost makes it feel fresh. The special effect sequences are well-created and he is able to make clear the physical relationship between Steth and Daelen without insulting the viewer’s intelligence. Trevino even makes the (seemingly) obligatory use of Seven Of Nine feel fresh. In fact, there is really only one bad shot in the episode. After Steth swaps bodies with Paris, Trevino uses a lower camera angle to indicate that the viewer is seeing Steth through Paris’s eyes, but the angle is not quite low enough to sell it based on where Paris is seen. So, when Steth shoots Paris, which indicates inarguably it is supposed to be through Paris’s eyes, it is not rendered quite right.

“Vis A Vis” uses two actors very well, but by the time the ultimate body swap comes, the viewer (at least the seasoned Star Trek or science fiction viewer) sees it coming a mile away. The final body swap does not give that last performer the chance to do anything interesting or extraordinary.

That said, Robert Duncan McNeill and Dan Butler do a great job selling the otherwise mundane episode.

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

For other works with Dan Butler, be sure to visit my reviews of:
Crazy. Stupid. Love.
Frasier
“Die Hand Die Verletzt” - The X-Files
The Silence Of The Lambs

5/10

For other Star Trek episode and movie reviews, please visit my Star Trek Review Index Page!

© 2012 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.

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“Retrospect” Refocuses On Seven Of Nine With A Psychological Exploration Of Assimilation Trauma

The Good: Acting, Moments of character, Themes
The Bad: Murky character moments that make the
The Basics: When Seven Of Nine recalls being assaulted by an alien arms merchant, she and the Doctor must figure out what is real from her memories and what is not in “Retrospect.”


One of the good aspects of the Star Trek franchise is how the series explores important issues both social and psychological. Even Star Trek: Voyager managed to do that from time to time. “Retrospect,” one of the neglected episodes of the series explores recovered memories and how tricky they can be.

Unfortunately, like so many episodes of Star Trek Voyager that muddy up a psychological or social issue with a stellar phenomenon, “Retrospect” takes a complicated psychological issue and makes it into a problematic Doctor episode. Instead of telling the story of Seven Of Nine and her difficulties with getting in touch with her repressed memories, “Retrospect” quickly becomes about how the Doctor encourages Seven Of Nine to become angry at the guilt he assumes applies to an alien.

Janeway purchases a cannon capable of punching through Hirogen armor from an alien, Kovin, and requests Seven Of Nine assist Kovin in integrating the isokinetic cannon. Seven Of Nine and Kovin have a physical altercation, which leaves Kovin shocked and Seven Of Nine asserting that Kovin was responsible for violating her. As an investigation begins, the Doctor becomes convinced that Seven Of Nine is transferring her memories of the trauma of being assimilated to Kovin.

As the Doctor applies his new psychological subroutine, he and Seven Of Nine explore her feelings. She has a memory of Kovin restraining her and performing surgery on her. As the investigation deepens, the Doctor and Janeway have to question the veracity of the uncovered memories.

Jeri Ryan’s performance in “Retrospect” is one of the first that actually allows her to showcase some real talent. Long before it is made explicit through flashbacks and an actual diagnosis, Jeri Ryan’s performance indicates a severe discomfort. Seven Of Nine has an adverse reaction to being scanned by the Doctor. Ryan twitches slightly as the Doctor scans Seven Of Nine and the progression of her uncomfortable expressions is very genuine.

“Retrospect” has some odd character moments, especially for an episode that addresses false memory syndrome. Tuvok appears only at the midpoint of the episode, as the Doctor rallies around Seven Of Nine’s claims. That Tuvok is not the character testing the weapons on the surface of the planet instantly stands out. Furthermore, the fact that Tuvok does not offer to mind meld with either Kovin or Seven Of Nine to try to determine the truth seems odd.

That the Doctor so adamantly fights on behalf of Seven Of Nine’s recovered memories is also odd. Given problems like what the Doctor experienced in “Darkling” (reviewed here!), that neither Janeway nor Torres leaps to the idea that the Doctor’s new programming might be malfunctioning is absolutely ludicrous. The change in focus from Seven Of Nine – who barely appears in the latter half of the episode – to the Doctor takes the focus away from the problems of exploring repressed memories and makes it yet another episode that is essentially a gimmick. This is less a psychological episode, ultimately, and another “problem with the Doctor” story.

In addition to Jeri Ryan’s performance, “Retrospect” succeeds on screen (if not in script) by the performance of Michael Horton. Horton plays Kovin and he makes the arms merchant seem realistic, especially when he plays the character in a completely frustrated way. Horton makes a potentially monolithic character one who is easy to empathize with. Given how the alien race in “Retrospect” is seen only this once, it is much of Horton’s performance that defines the complexities of that culture and they fit the themes of the episode perfectly.

Still, “Retrospect” is more problematic than it is worthwhile; writers Bryan Fuller and Lisa Link should have picked the story they wanted to tell and stuck to it. Even the resolution further muddies up the story and diminishes the use of the episode outside the narrow confines of this series. In other words, “Retrospect” guts itself of telling a useful psychological story because it does not commit to either of the attempted stories it tries to tell.

For other works with Michael Horton, visit my reviews of:
Star Trek: Insurrection
Star Trek: First Contact
Dances With Wolves

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

4.5/10

For other Star Trek episode and movie reviews, please visit my Star Trek Review Index Page!

© 2012 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Mostly Unmemorable Star Trek: Voyager, “Concerning Flight” Crashes!

The Good: Performances, General concept
The Bad: No real character development, Largely inconsequential, Focuses far too much on the guest character without building the primary characters
The Basics: “Concerning Flight” is a forgettable episode of Star Trek: Voyager that returns the holographic Leonardo Da Vinci while further gutting the long view of the Star Trek franchise.


Arguably one of the biggest issues I have with Star Trek: Voyager is how it lacks serious, real continuity within the series and within the Star Trek franchise. Star Trek, for all its faults, was imaginative and when the holographic version of Leonardo Da Vinci appeared in “Scorpion” (reviewed here!), diehard fans complained that he looked nothing like Flint from “Requiem For Methuselah” (reviewed here!). It seems reasonable that almost a hundred years after Star Trek, most of the Enterprise’s missions would be declassified. So the identity of Flint should be common knowledge by the time of Star Trek: Voyager.

As it is, the only episode to follow up on the holographic Leonardo Da Vinci, “Concerning Flight,” neglects to show respect for the entire franchise. “Requiem For Methuselah” is relegated to a one-line footnote that more or less dismisses that compelling episode.

Janeway is on the Holodeck with Leonardo Da Vinci, who has attempted a flying machine with disastrous results, yet again, when Voyager is attacked. The attackers are raiders who beam off key pieces of technology and flee when Tuvok manages to destroy one of the three ships. Given that the raiders managed to get the computer core and the Doctor’s portable holo-emitter, Voyager diverts its course to recover whatever they are able.

This leads them to an alien planet which is a hub of interstellar commerce. There, Janeway and Tuvok and Paris and Neelix attempt to recover the stolen technology. There Janeway and Tuvok discover that the holographic Leonardo Da Vinci has been abducted and exists independent of the holodeck using the holo-emitter. Working together, Janeway, Leonardo Da Vinci and (to a lesser extent, Tuvok), hunt the computer core stolen by Tau. When he discovers Janeway’s duplicity, Tau turns on her and she has only Da Vinci to rely upon!

“Concerning Flight” humors the concept far more than it serves the characters. Janeway ridiculously prioritizes playing with her holographic Leonardo Da Vinci as opposed to ensuring her ship’s crew has the best chance of survival. The moment Janeway and Tuvok encounter the holographic Leonardo Da Vinci, she should have deactivated the holo-emitter and beamed it back to Voyager so the Doctor could be mobile; the sheer number of times she has needed the Doctor to be able to leave Sickbay since he received the holo-emitter would make the return of the holo-emitter a priority about as high as the computer core (an argument the Doctor makes).

Instead, Janeway attempts ridiculously to maintain the illusions of Da Vinci’s world for him – referring to Tau as the Prince and Voyager as the “Portuguese ship.” The whole episode humors Da Vinci and while it is wonderful to see John Rhys-Davies in a role like Leonardo Da Vinci, but he is not a character who warrants an entire episode. Yet, “Concerning Flight” is largely just that.

The greatest character moment in “Concerning Flight” actually focuses on the Doctor. Cut off in a way that he has not been since getting his mobile emitter, the Emergency Medical Hologram gets irritable and works to keep abreast of current events on the ship. The scene between him and Seven Of Nine adds a layer of realism that many, similar, episodes fail to include.

The superlative aspect of “Concerning Flight” is the acting. While Star Trek: Voyager might be accused of losing its way when it makes an episode focusing on the holographic Leonardo Da Vinci, the performance by John Rhys-Davies cannot be faulted. Rhys-Davies creates another impressive role as he makes Da Vinci seem well-rounded, intelligent, and socially conscious. However, the fact that he never makes the leap between the limitations of his own time and the 24th Century makes him seem far less aware. Moreover, for a hologram who has been on his own for ten days, it seems unlikely that he was never separated from his mobile emitter.

Kate Mulgrew plays off John Rhys-Davies well.

But the performances are not enough to sell “Concerning Flight.” The episode is dull and a distraction from what momentum the fourth season might have had before it. In every way, the episode is unremarkable, making “Concerning Flight” one of the least memorable, if not one of the worst, episodes of Star Trek: Voyager!

For other works with John Vargas, check out my reviews of:
Zoolander
Primary Colors
Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan

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

3.5/10

For other Star Trek episode and movie reviews, please visit my Star Trek Review Index Page!

© 2012 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Losing The Innuendo For The Direct Approach, "Day Of Honor" Kicks Off The Paris/Torres Relationship For Real!

The Good: Decent character work, Generally good acting, Decent enough plot
The Bad: Not the most plot-intensive episode, Continuity issues
The Basics: Paris and Torres begin their relationship in earnest when the two are trapped in space.


While much of Star Trek: Voyager is episodic, the introduction of Seven Of Nine to the series did force some serialized elements (which, as far as I am concerned, is a positive change). Following "The Gift" (reviewed here!) and the departure of Kes, Voyager is outside of Borg space, which makes some sense. And that also means that B'Elanna Torres is no longer the resident sex symbol for Star Trek: Voyager; that duty now falls to Seven Of Nine. But, unburdened by trying to simply be overtly sexy, B'Elanna Torres's character now has the potential to grow and develop a relationship with Tom Paris, which has been brewing since the middle of the third season of Star Trek: Voyager.

The episode that truly makes the change for Torres is "Day Of Honor" and it is mostly focused on Torres and Paris. Left in a life or death situation, Torres finally admits she has feelings for Paris, though it takes pretty much the entire episode for her to do so.

After finding herself lonely, Seven Of Nine asks Chakotay to assign her a duty. Despite Torres having a righteously bad day - most of which is, arguably, her attempt to avoid a Klingon traditional day - Chakotay assigns Seven Of Nine to Engineering. When Voyager encounters an alien race who are survivors of the Borg assimilation of their homeworld, Torres finds it more difficult to deal with Seven Of Nine. After a talk with Neelix, she decides to go through with the introspective Day Of Honor.

After an attempt to open a Borg transwarp conduit, Voyager is damaged. After Torres is forced to eject the warp core, she and Paris head after it. Tethered together after the refugee aliens steal the warp core, Paris and Torres await rescue while floating in space, in the process confronting their feelings for one another.

"Day of Honor" is an intensely character-centered episode of Star Trek: Voyager, which is a reassuring change for the plot-centered series. While most of the episode focuses on B'Elanna Torres, the episode spends a decent amount of time on Seven Of Nine as well. Ironically, Seven Of Nine is more emotionally stunted, like one might expect a Borg to be, than she was in prior episodes. Also ironic is the fact that Torres seems to have difficulty dealing with her in that context. Most notably, when Torres asks Seven Of Nine if she feels guilt for assimilating people and races and receives a "No," Torres wants more. Given every other Klingon in the Star Trek franchise, that reaction is pretty uncharacteristic.

Paris is given a decent amount of character in "Day Of Honor." This is the episode that truly cements the idea that Paris and Torres will have a romantic relationship and that makes it part of the essential Star Trek: Voyager.

Unfortunately, outside the character and acting elements, "Day Of Honor" is a surprising dud of an episode. Fans of the Star Trek franchise are more likely than ever to catch serious technical problems with the episode. For example, Borg transwarp conduits were first introduced in "Descent, Part I" (reviewed here!) on Star Trek: The Next Generation. They were, however, introduced as a tool of the ships used by Lore's freed Borg, a ship that logic dictates was stolen by the villainous android. By the same logic, the transwarp conduits used in that episode should be some other alien race's, not Borg. After all, if the Borg had transwarp conduits, they could easily send their entire fleet, surround a planet instantaneously, assimilate everyone there in the matter of minutes (if not seconds by the sheer overwhelming numbers), then repeat the process. In other words, the entire galaxy would fall in a matter of days. Clearly the writers did not consider this when they "created" the transwarp conduits.

Equally important and problematical (and surprisingly not nitpicky) are the inconsistencies with the transwarp conduits. Torres tells Seven Of Nine and Paris that they know nothing of transwarp. Paris, of course, knows more than anyone about transwarp as he broke the transwarp barrier in the second season episode "Threshold" (reviewed here!)! And, as for the transwarp conduits, they should know quite a bit about the conduits given that the Enterprise used them in "Descent" as well!

Outside the niggling plot and technical issues, "Day Of Honor" only suffers (if it does) because of some seriously campy dialogue. As Paris hits on Torres, some of his lines are super cheesetastic. While I initially consider this a problem, it actually works for Paris's character. And Robert Duncan McNeill delivers those lines very well. McNeill actually has great facial acting in the latter half of the episode and his deliveries as Paris goes through oxygen deprivation are excellent. In fact, he is so good that he accents how stiff Alan Altshuld's performance is as the alien Lumas.

Roxann Dawson gives a fearless performance as Torres. At this point, Dawson was pregnant and while some of her stunts were clearly done by a stuntwoman, some were as clearly performed by Dawson herself. That's pretty ballsy for a pregnant woman. But she truly earns her pay as Torres emotes in the scenes with Paris where the two are simply talking. Dawson and McNeill have great on-screen chemistry and "Day Of Honor" plays that up very well.

While "Day Of Honor" may be far from flawless, the main purpose of the episode is to push forward the Torres and Paris relationship and it does that in a remarkably satisfying way that will please fans. Even with the Seven Of Nine subplot, the a-plot is so riveting that it makes the episode feel much better than it, objectively, is.

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

6.5/10

For other Star Trek episode and movie reviews, please visit my Star Trek Review Index Page!

© 2012 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.

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Neelix Is Written Out Of Star Trek: Voyager As A Character Of Use In "Fair Trade."

The Good: General idea, Moments of character
The Bad: Acting is terrible, Plot is pretty dismal, Purpose in the larger series is ultimately lost.
The Basics: When Voyager enters a region of space at the limits of Neelix's knowledge, the ship's guide gets into trouble trying to find a map.


As Star Trek: Voyager ambled toward the middle of the third season, it almost seemed like it wanted to maybe have a point. Occasionally, the writers and producers would insert a line reminding the viewers through one of the characters that the ship was on a trip home. For sure, they do not seem to be in any real hurry and without a doubt, they get in the way of more trouble than they manage to avoid, but we are told that they are on their way home and the viewer is expected to believe it. Indeed, the only characters not on their way home are Kes and Neelix, the guides through the Delta Quadrant. And with "Fair Trade," Neelix, who had previously served as local guide through the areas of space Voyager found itself in, becomes utterly worthless to the ship and crew.

The U.S.S. Voyager reaches the Nekrit Expanse, a region of space at the limits of Neelix's knowledge. Facing obsolescence, Neelix encourages Voyager to dock at an alien trading post near the Expanse, where he finds himself in the company of another Talaxian, Wixiban. Wixiban and Neelix have a history and Neelix is eager to get a map from the other Talaxian, who is more concerned with local drug trade. As Wixiban draws Neelix into the local crime syndicate, Neelix finds himself caught between doing what it right and doing what is expedient.

This is easily one of the most tired moral dilemmas of all time and it's far more appropriate to a show featuring teens attempting to moralize between what is right and wrong than on Star Trek: Voyager. This is not a Star Trek caliber dilemma, this is not asking the question of "Is it right to kill a hundred people to save ten thousand?" No, this is basic, "We're in over our head, should we tell the truth and risk looking guilty or try to get away with it" tripe. And it comes across as silly and juvenile.

Sadly, this becomes the epitaph for Neelix. Lacking in real knowledge of what lays beyond the Nekrit expanse makes him pretty much useless to the crew of Voyager outside his role as ship's cook. And the truth is, that niche could be filled by any ensign on the ship. No, from this point forth, Neelix ought to be considered a liability and the problem with the series from this point on is that the ship will continue to risk itself for Neelix.

Now, I'm not saying there is nothing to camaraderie. Yea camaraderie! But Neelix is not a member of StarFleet or the Maquis. He wasn't particularly helpful within the space he did know (how is it he didn't know about the Trabe and their animosity toward the Kazon?!), he complained a lot, and he has no set goal or impetus to continue with Voyager, making him the most likely to be bought off or manipulated toward turning against the crew. So, why is Janeway keeping him around? What is motivating him to stay? (The desire for fresh water that initially characterized Neelix in "Caretaker" - reviewed here! - seems to have been a local phenomenon as water was never as scarce after moving away from the early sectors of the series.)

And the problem with "Fair Trade" is that the writers seem to be as lost as the viewers as to a reason to care about Neelix. One wonders why the problems with Wixiban didn't simply resolve themselves by the loss of Neelix . . . Were it not for the brilliant fourth season episode "Mortal Coil," I'd argue that it would have been the best thing for Neelix. But as it is, Neelix slouches through this episode and it will be some time before the writers and producers of Star Trek: Voyager have any clue as to what to do with him.

This unfortunate sendoff for Neelix is a terrible waste of the viewer's time as much of the episode belabors the simplistic moral dilemma. Neelix illustrates a loyalty to Wixiban for their past together, but illustrates a complete lack of faith or judgment as far as Janeway is concerned when Wixiban kills in self-defense.

For all of my gripes about Neelix as a character and his impending uselessness, it is worth noting that this is not a reflection on actor Ethan Phillips. Phillips, who plays Neelix, is quite good. Unfortunately, in "Fair Trade," Phillips is not given a script to work with that gives him any room to perform anything remotely meaningful. As a result, Phillips is relegated to bleating out some of the most canned platitudes about telling the truth in the history of television.

Sadly, none of the rest of the cast is given anything interesting to say or do either and Kate Mulgrew's closing lecture is delivered with a sense of boredom which is likely to go unnoticed by the exceptionally bored audience that is still tuned in.

The only thing that saves "Fair Trade" from the farthest regions of the trash heap - other than Phillips doing as best he can with the terrible script - is the make-up. Michael Westmore's aliens on the Nekrit Expanse supply depot look cool. And sadly, that's the best I can say about this episode that otherwise underperforms on its own or within the context of the show. Even fans of Star Trek and Star Trek: Voyager are unlikely to find this one worthwhile. Fans of general science fiction will find nothing to enjoy here.

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

3.5/10

For other Star Trek reviews, please visit my Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2012, 2007 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.

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"Sons And Daughters" Causes All Sorts Of Problems For Worf And Kira!

The Good: Ties up some loose ends (with Alexander), Decent character work, Fair acting
The Bad: Odd character direction for Alexander, Some truly lame lines, Does not fit as well in context.
The Basics: A starkly average episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine interrupts the otherwise tight Dominion War arc when Alexander joins the crew of the Rotarrn.


One of the things I appreciated a lot about the heavily-serialized nature of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine was that when the show started doing longer story arcs, the producers stopped doing recaps of the prior episodes. At some point, they seemed to say that you were either watching or you weren’t and if you weren’t, well, too bad! You should be! I like that. So, when “Sons And Daughters” begins with the command crew of the Defiant aboard the Klingon ship the Rotarrn, without any recap of the prior two episodes of the season, viewers are either up to speed or they need to go back and get up to speed by watching those earlier episodes! It also helps that “Sons And Daughters” is the least congruent story in the Dominion War arc. This stands alone much more than the others in the arc and as such, a recap is far less necessary for the main (“Sons”) plot than the b-plot (“Daughters”).

“Sons And Daughters” is notable because it marks the return of two important characters in the Star Trek pantheon. Alexander, Worf’s son who was essentially written out of Star Trek: The Next Generation in the episode “Firstborn” (reviewed here!). Of course, that episode was conceived, shot and aired long before anyone had an inkling that Worf would be joining the crew of Deep Space Nine. So, with Worf’s story continued, it made some sense to continue the story of Alexander. In a similar fashion, the story of Ziyal continues and it is a little problematic in that the main function it seems to serve is to reinforce a lesson Kira learned in the prior episode.

After dropping the Defiant survivors off at a Starbase, the crew of the Klingon ship Rotarrn takes on a few replacement officers. Among them is Alexander Rozhenko, Worf’s son. General Martok is surprised to learn Worf has a son and he is concerned when there appears to be friction between Worf and Alexander. When Worf tries to deal with the conflict head-on, he learns that Alexander enlisted in the Klingon military and wants nothing to do with Worf. As the Rotarrn goes into battle against the Jem’Hadar following training exercises, Worf is left uncomfortable with Alexander’s abilities . . . or lack thereof.

Meanwhile, on Terok Nor, Kira is slumping through her daily routine trying to figure out how to organize a new Resistance when Ziyal returns to the station. Kira’s desire to spend time with Ziyal comes into conflict with her loathing of Dukat. As Dukat and Kira gush over Ziyal’s artwork, Ziyal begins to think she has a real family. This leads Dukat to once again make an advance on Kira, which leads Kira to another crossroads.

“Sons And Daughters” is, in many ways, a “necessary evil” episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Ziyal has to come back (especially to make subsequent episodes work) and Alexander is a bigger dangling loose end in Worf’s story than Toral was (and he came back in “The Sword Of Kahless” in season four!). So, the intent behind Bradley Thompson and David Weddle’s episode is a good one. And while the episode is all right, the execution is not all that it ought to be.

I can live with Alexander coming back as something of a goofball. Alexander being clumsy is fine. The fact that he seems a little dim and Marc Worden (yes, like Toral, Alexander was recast for his Deep Space Nine incarnation) plays him a little melodramatically is easier for me to swallow than the fact that Kira seems to regress between the prior episode and this one. Kira was committed and determined and when “Sons And Daughters” begins, she is at a place where she might actually consider attending a social event with Gul Dukat?! Ack!

Moreover, “Sons And Daughters” has some painfully obvious moments and lines. I recall when I first saw a preview for the episode and cringing when Martok said “When a father and a son do not speak, there is trouble . . .” It’s no better in context, either! J.G. Hertzler, professional that he is delivers the line very well, but it’s a pretty crappy line.

On the acting front, Casey Biggs has his swagger down as Damar and this is one of the episodes where it ought to be clear to viewers that Damar is going to be a real force in the show. Damar bullies around Kira and Biggs plays Damar as if he has monster balls. Seriously, Biggs has the swagger and he makes Damar cocksure in a way that is very different from the more overtly arrogant Dukat (played with the usual magnificence by Marc Alaimo). And for all my problems with Kira’s character arc in the episode, Nana Visitor is wonderful as her. In fact, Visitor has great on-screen chemistry with both Melanie Smith and Marc Alaimo in this episode, which is a real treat to watch.

On the Klingon side, “Sons And Daughters” has a lot of plot similarities to “Soldiers Of The Empire” (reviewed here!). None of the crew of the Rotarrn from that episode are recognizable in this one, which implies that there has been heavy turnover aboard the Klingon ship so far in the war. Unlike “Soldiers Of The Empire” where Martok had to get his groove back, “Sons And Daughters” reestablishes a relationship between Worf and Alexander.

As a filler episode, “Sons And Daughters” is all right, but it is not the epitome of Star Trek and is hardly the most thrilling episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine or the Dominion War arc.

[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!]

5/10

Check out how this episode stacks up against other episodes and movies in the Star Trek franchise by visiting my Star Trek Review Index Page where the reviews are organized by my rating of them!

© 2012 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Everything Changes For The O'Briens' Baby In “The Begotten!”

The Good: Great character work, Nice acting, Plot
The Bad: Some special effects, Attempts at humor
The Basics: When a baby Changeling is discovered, Odo is left with a dilemma and a deadline while Kira gives birth to the O'Briens' baby!


At some point, fans of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine had to figure that the O'Brien's baby needs to be born. After all, Major Kira cannot carry it indefinitely. In "The Begotten" Kira finally gives birth and Odo's imprisonment within his body changes as well.

While Kira goes into labor, she feels anxiety because Shakaar has not arrived to be with her during the process. Elsewhere on the station, Quark delivers a gift to Odo; a baby Changeling he unwittingly purchased. Odo releases the Changeling and attempts to get it to perform, to learn the way to change shape and realize that it is alive. Odo meets with limited results until Dr. Mora Pol visits the station to help him. Dr. Mora was the scientist who inspired Odo into consciousness. Odo, still scarred in some ways from Mora's process, objects to his presence. But when StarFleet begins to pressure the Security Chief, Odo relents and allows Mora to help him. And Kira gives birth to a healthy baby boy.

"The Begotten" is an essential character episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and it is executed fairly well. The only real problems with this piece are in the details. The humor that is played between O'Brien and Shakaar falls flat. Their conflict seems forced and the strange humor that is written for their characters does not come off well; it seems out of character for O'Brien and actor Duncan Regehr, who plays Shakaar, seems utterly unable to pull off humor.

The other fault of "The Begotten" is in the special effects. The Changeling that Odo is dealing with varies throughout the episode. Only some of the times is it made via computer graphics. The rest of the time it is gelatin and other materials. When it is one of any material, it is fine, the problem exists when the gelatin will be put on the test dish and then it must react, so all of a sudden, it will shift into a computer generated blob that looks nothing like the thing we saw moments prior.

But outside that, this is a truly great episode. Kira has a wonderful bit of character growth and she explores the depth of her affections for the baby as it is being born and her ability to give it up to the O'Briens. It's a complicated situation and for the first time, she shows real complications toward the baby. It makes a lot of sense and it is dealt with in a mature, sensible fashion.

But much of the episode is centered on Odo and his attempts to reach the young Changeling. His hatred for Dr. Mora, alluded to in the second season's "The Alternate" (reviewed here!) comes fully to light here and it's a welcome thing to see. Odo's anger is intense and realistic. What Mora justifies as scientific experimentation, Odo recalls as cruel and the differences in perspective are certainly compelling enough to keep the viewer's interest. As Odo must reluctantly go from fighting Mora to accepting his methods, we see some intelligent and clever character development.

Part of what makes the episode so compelling is the return of James Sloyan as Dr. Mora Pol. Sloyan has a great ability to create memorable guest starring characters and Dr. Mora is certainly one of them. His awkwardness with Odo is presented and highlighted by Sloyan's great facial control. His expressions go a long way to give character to Dr. Mora.

And while Nana Visitor does an excellent job acting at giving birth in the episode, it is Rene Auberjonois who dominates "The Begotten." Auberjonois plays Odo with outright love and a sense of sad desperation that he has never infused in the character before and here it works perfectly. This is a peak of Auberjonois' portrayal of Odo and it's easy to watch and recognize the quality of his performance with his amazing range of vocal tones throughout the piece.

"The Begotten" is a great family drama in a science fiction setting. While it is part of the essential Star Trek: Deep Space Nine for the key character and plot events, it may be appreciated by anyone who wants to see a drama about the way resentful sons interact with their father's as adults. It's a clever story and the resolution to it is both sad and wonderful.

[Knowing that VHS is essentially a dead medium, it's worth looking into Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Complete Fifth Season on DVD, which is also a better economical choice than buying the VHS. Read my review of the perfect season by clicking here!
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8.5/10

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© 2012, 2007, 2003 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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