“Extreme Measures” Finds Bashir Taking On The Federation’s Most Insidious Adversary!

The Good: Decent character work, Great acting, Engaging plot
The Bad: Somewhat predictable plot elements.
The Basics: To cure Odo, Bashir takes “Extreme Measures” by taking on Section 31 with O’Brien!


Sometimes, the writers and producers of a work get the wrong impression of their own work based on their originally-conceived notions. With Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’s final arc, the best example of this happening is the episode “Extreme Measures.” “Extreme Measures” is, apparently, viewed as something of a disappointment by the show’s writers, who abruptly changed the episode from an Odo and Kira episode to a Bashir and O’Brien episode. The thing is, that change makes “Extreme Measures” work surprisingly well. As so many other characters and arcs were being put to rest, “Extreme Measures” becomes the swan song for the friendship between O’Brien and Bashir and it caps off Star Trek’s best-portrayed friendship magnificently well.

In fact, the only real problem with “Extreme Measures” is that it insults the intelligence of the viewers. The plot, which has reality-bending aspects, is extended one scene too far and as a result, viewers are led to believe an obvious falsehood. The problem is, savvy viewers are not going to fall for it because it is one of the oldest tricks in the science fiction writer’s books. If the writers have anything to feel ashamed about “Extreme Measures” for, it is that.

With a Breen energy dampening weapon in his possession, O’Brien begins to work on engineering a defense against the weapon that has brought the Federation and Romulans to their knees. After Kira and Garak leave to rejoin Damar’s resistance within Dominion territory, O’Brien admits to Sisko that the search for a cure to Odo’s degenerative illness has led him and Bashir to Section 31. Knowing that Section 31 will not give up its secrets easily, Sisko tacitly condones Bashir’s plan to capture a member of Section 31 and use illegal Romulan mind probes to get the information they need. Bashir is unsurprised, then, when Deputy Director Sloan appears to try to stop Bashir.

Bashir’s attempt to get the information from Sloan leads the Section 31 operative to activate a suicide implant. With Sloan on the verge of death, Bashir and O’Brien feel compelled to enter the wounded intelligence officer’s mind to extract the information they want . . . at any cost!

“Extreme Measures” is an appropriately surreal adventure episode that plays around with some of the conventions of a reality-bending adventure. More often, though, “Extreme Measures” conforms to the established sense of reversals and parameters one expects from a story involving conscious people running around inside someone’s subconscious. And “Extreme Measures” does it on a television show budget. For what this sort of thing could look like, be sure to visit my review of The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus (here!).

As it is, though, “Extreme Measures” does what it sets out to do in a very entertaining way. With Odo rapidly dying and having even more difficulty retaining his form, there is a sense of urgency to the episode. And the “ticking clock” aspect of “Extreme Measures” only gets deeper when Sloan prepares himself for death. As Sloan’s brain functions shut down, the environment for Bashir and O’Brien becomes more and more dangerous. That is a nice touch.

“Extreme Measures” quickly becomes about Sloane, Bashir and O’Brien and they take on qualities that are very much like the traditional models of the Ego (O’Brien), Super Ego (Sloan) and Id (Bashir). As Sloan – in his own mind – fights to resist Bashir’s assaults based on his demand for information, O’Brien works to interpret the environment and keep Julian focused. Sloan’s resistance is, of course, a delaying tactic. He has a highly disciplined mind and he is dead-set on preventing his secrets from falling into the hands of Bashir. Bashir, for his part, is appropriately focused on his own wants – in this case his unceasing desire to get the information he feels Sloan must have in order to save the life of Odo.

The triangle issues in “Extreme Measures” work very well because the actors playing the roles are each superb performers, acting at the top of their game. William Sadler is given far more range in “Extreme Measures” than he was in the prior episodes he was in. Here, he plays the familiar cold and calculating Sloan, as well as a loving, humanistic Sloan with a dizzying sense of reinvention moment by moment. Never once, though, does his performance seem erratic or in any way sloppy. He pulls off the complex aspects of Sloan’s personality with precision and efficiency.

Sadler’s performance is played off of by both Colm Meany and Alexander Siddig. Meany and Siddig bring back the whole feeling of a buddy adventure throughout “Extreme Measures” and in this episode, fans are finally rewarded with the reticent O’Brien finally admitting the depth of his feelings for Bashir. That scene, which could have been campy, at the very least, comes across in “Extreme Measures” as a refreshing revelation. Fans have figured it, but just as Bashir seems grateful to hear the words, the fans are likely to enjoy O’Brien speaking them to Bashir as well.

Ultimately, “Extreme Measures” puts Bashir and O’Brien in a bad situation that their friendship helps them get out of, making it a decent ending for the on-screen friendship between the characters. It fits the final arc well and it moves Odo toward his character’s end. And none of that would have been possible had the writers gone with their original plan!

[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!]

For other works with William Sadler, be sure to visit my reviews of:
Wonderfalls
“Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges”
“Inquisition”

8.5/10

For other Star Trek episode, DVD or season reviews, be sure to visit my Star Trek Review Index Page!

© 2012 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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The Final Arc Begins With “Penumbra,” Rocketing Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Toward Its End!

The Good: Decent character work, Good acting, An engaging beginning
The Bad: A little light on plot.
The Basics: When Ezri goes searching for Worf and Sisko proposes to Kassidy Yates, a chain of events begins that will change the fate of the Alpha Quadrant!


I recall the sense of delight and dread with which I approached the final arc of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine when it first aired. I was so excited, because the Dominion War story was so engaging and I was eager to see what would happen to all of my favorite characters. At the same time, I felt like I was losing a constant in my life and I was strangely distraught, a feeling that comes up as I begin the final arc again as I watched “Penumbra” for review.

“Penumbra” is, unabashedly, a first chapter in a nine-part story and, thus, is not intended to stand completely on its own. Even so, the episode has everything it needs to get the viewer engaged and it truly is a reward to the fans who have been watching the series for the prior six and a half years. As a result, those who have not seen the prior episodes in the series are likely to be somewhat lost as there are aspects that can only be truly appreciated by those who know the characters involved. That said, it was with a sense of delight that I sat down to watch (and now review) “Penumbra.”

After Benjamin Sisko buys land on Bajor, he informs Kassidy that he plans to retire to Bajor when he retires and he tells her that he wants her to be with him there, which pushes their relationship forward pretty abruptly. Elsewhere, Kira announces that the ship Worf was commanding has been lost near the Badlands and when the Defiant goes to search for it, Ezri is not invited along. The Dominion forces that initially scare off the Defiant are rerouted by Weyoun and the Vorta orders Damar to get a secure subspace console installed for the Female Shapeshifter, who is suffering now from the Changeling disease. Feeling guilty about Worf being abandoned, Ezri takes off on her own for the Badlands.

Ezri’s instincts at the Badlands are good and she actually finds Worf alive. En route back to the station, where Sisko has proposed to Kassidy, Ezri and Worf are attacked and while they manage to escape to an otherwise empty planet, neither brought an emergency communications terminal and the two realize they are stranded. As the Vorta desperately search for a cure for the Founders and Sisko plans his wedding, Dukat arrives on Cardassia to ask a favor of Damar, setting into motion a series of events that will change the face of the Quadrant!

“Penumbra” puts several important pieces on the storyboard and in some places, it does little more than establish the characters as participants in the final arc. Dukat’s arrival on Cardassia, for example, does little more than put the character in play and have him surgically altered to appear Bajoran. The significance of his action or of his continued influence over Damar does not become apparent until later in the arc.

One of the things that makes “Penumbra” so good is how it takes potentially canned ideas and makes them seem fresh. Ezri, most notably, does not seem like she is stuck in a rut or acting simply as a placeholder for Jadzia in “Penumbra.” When she stands looking at the quarters Jadzia and Worf shared and the voices go through her head, it is a surprisingly powerful scene for motivating the character and it works nicely for exactly that purpose. When Ezri defies Sisko, even in the ridiculous way she does it, it feels like Ezri is coming into her own and trying very hard to live up to her own internal desires and pressures. This makes Worf’s coldness to her when she rescues him all the more hurtful. This, however, works well both within the episode and in the longer arc.

The illness within the Great Link is presented in “Penumbra” as a clear and present danger to the Founders. No longer an abstract or a suspicion, the viewer sees the Female Shapeshifter actually suffering and the seeing her with even a hint of desperation is deeply unnerving. The usually commanding Female Shapeshifter orders the death of a whole generation of Vorta scientists simply to motivate the next generation and that type of wholesale slaughter is uncommon for the usually measured character.

At the same time as all the darkness is descending upon the Star Trek Deep Space Nine universe, there is a ray of light, making “Penumbra” enjoyable. As Sisko and Kassidy move to formalizing their relationship, the viewer is given the hint that the series is coming full circle (Sisko was still a pretty fresh widower when the series began) with Sisko moving toward marriage again. More than most of the episodes that have paired Benjamin and Kassidy, “Penumbra” actually gives Avery Brooks and Penny Johnson the latitude to illustrate some chemistry for their characters and it breathes life into the episode in a way that, for example, the chemistry between Nicole de Boer and Michael Dorn, does not.

“Penumbra,” appropriately, ends with a series of bangs and the rest of the final arc is impossible to discuss without revealing where this episode ends. As a result, if you are a fan of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine who has managed to get this far without the end of the series getting spoiled for you, I highly recommend stopping here. Pick up “Penumbra” and the other eight episodes that complete the series. Don’t read the analysis ahead of time, simply enjoy the experience of immersing yourself in watching this final arc for the first time; you only get to do that once!

[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!]

8/10

For other Star Trek episodes, please 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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The Last Temptation Of Odo Comes From A “Chimera!”

The Good: Excellent character work, Great acting, Decent special effects
The Bad: Very light on plot/predictable
The Basics: When the Changeling Laas encounters Odo, he tempts Odo with the idea that the two can find the other Changelings sent out by the Founders.


As Star Trek: Deep Space Nine wound down, the show did a surprisingly good job of continuing to make the series feel like it was part of a greater continuum, as opposed to simply rushing toward its inevitable end. As a result, the series both revisited old ideas and set up threads that feel like they could have been continued in an eighth season of the show. “Chimera” is an excellent example of an episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine that feels like a bottle episode, but uses a lot of the series’ serialized elements.

Odo, long abandoned by his people as an explorer expected to gather information for the Founders, was revealed early in the third season to be one of one hundred Changeling children sent out into the galaxy. In “The Begotten” (reviewed here!), Odo encounters another one of the Hundred Changelings and in “Chimera,” he encounters another one. What keeps “Chimera” feeling fresh and different is that while “The Begotten” introduced another “baby” Changeling, “Chimera” presents a Changeling who is far more advanced than Odo.

O’Brien and Odo are on their way home from a conference when they encounter a giant, fish-like creature flying through space. They are bewildered when it disappears from their sensors and moments later, a humanoid appears. The creature is a Changeling, Laas, and Odo quickly determines that Laas is not a Founder. Laas is confused by Odo, but after they link Laas understands that Odo is both much older than he is and that Odo is staying on Deep Space Nine exclusively because of his love of Kira.

As one of the Hundred who were sent out to gain information for the Founders, Laas slowly pressures Odo to leave Deep Space Nine. Kira, quickly seeing just how torn Odo is, releases Odo to join him and Odo must choose where his heart and loyalties lie. Odo’s choice is made more complicated by his friends, who are wary of Laas and an encounter with visiting Klingons who attack Laas and threaten to incarcerate the Changeling.

“Chimera” is a disturbingly dark episode, but one that is dark on a psychological level, as opposed to on the plot front. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is often edgier than other Star Trek series’ and the duration of “Chimera” is one that is psychologically corrosive. As the episode goes on, especially as Laas resigns himself to his own death for killing a Klingon in self-defense, the show presents an increasingly disturbing view of humanity.

Laas argues that humanoids are inherently limited and dangerous. He tries to illustrate to Odo that, given the opportunity, virtually all humanoids will react with hostility and paranoia. Despite Kira’s willingness to provide Odo with another perspective, most of the interactions Odo has in “Chimera” only prove Laas right. Sisko, especially, works to support Martok in the Klingon desire to extradite Laas. While Odo’s friends mock Laas’s observations and suspicions, Kira sees quite clearly that Laas is serious about how he feels about humanoids.

While “Chimera” is largely an Odo episode, it ends up as a surprisingly strong Kira episode as well. Kira, in “Chimera,” is at her most loving and this is one of the episodes where she is most openly affectionate. Kira has decent chemistry with Odo and in “Chimera,” she expresses her love through sacrifice and that is compelling for a character who has experienced so much loss in her life. Kira becomes much more interesting in the way she is both protective of Odo and giving of herself in “Chimera.”

The use of Kira in “Chimera” gives Nana Visitor a chance to make Kira seem less monolithic than she sometimes does and Visitor uses the opportunity well. Presenting Kira with a softer side is something that she is seldom given the opportunity to do, but in “Chimera,” Visitor rises to the challenge. While virtually the entire cast is given a chance to get in a line each – Nicole de Boer’s moment to give Ezri Dax a chance to be memorable in “Chimera” falls unfortunately flat – it is Visitor who shines most of the episode.

J.G. Hertzler, as Garman Hertzler, appears as Laas and he adds another distinctive performance to his repertoire. Hertzler is characteristically inventive in the role of Laas. Shifting from Martok’s deep tones, Hertzler presents Laas with a higher pitched voice and it works to establish the character as someone very different from his roles as Martok, the Vulcan captain of the Saratoga and even his brief appearance on Star Trek: Voyager as a Hirogen.

Beyond the guest starring role and Visitor’s performance, it is Rene Auberjonois who truly carries “Chimera.” “Chimera” allows Auberjonois to be both emotive and kind. Auberjonois presents Odo as loving and he and Visitor use their chemistry to make their characters’ actions seem entirely viable. Rene Auberjonois also plays off Hertzler well to make a relationship between Odo and Laas compelling.

“Chimera” reminds viewers that the Changelings are in trouble and that Odo is conflicted between his loyalties to Deep Space Nine and his people. With Laas, Odo has a compelling conflict that continues to alienate his character and move him toward a sense of resolution as the series winds down.

[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!]

8/10

Check out how this episode compares with others in the franchise by visiting my Star Trek Review Index Page where the reviews are organized from best episode to worst!

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

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Didn’t We Do This Already? “Treachery, Faith, And The Great River” Repeats And Improves!

The Good: Excellent b-story, Good character development, Decent acting, Wonderful special effects
The Bad: A-plot essentially repeats a prior episode, In order for the b-plot to work, O’Brien is treated as something of a dimwit.
The Basics: “Treachery, Faith, And The Great River” might not be the best episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ever, but it does present a vital portion of the ongoing Star Trek: Deep Space Nine storyline!


One of the nice aspects of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is that it seldom repeated itself; the characters developed and moved on. Thus, it is always surprising to me when I am rewatching the series and I come to “Treachery, Faith, And The Great River.” “Treachery, Faith, And The Great River” is a seventh-season episode that essentially recasts “Progress” (reviewed here!) from the first season. With an a-plot modeled after that episode’s b-plot, “Treachery, Faith, And The Great River” seems like it might be a tough sell and, initially, it is.

Rather smartly, “Treachery, Faith, And The Great River” features a b-plot that actually makes it part of the essential Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. This seemingly innocuous episode cements the distrust between Damar and Weyoun and introduces the key elements that will lead to the conclusion of the Dominion War and the ultimate resolution of Odo’s character arc. Snuck in in an unsubtle way that is far more obvious in-context, “Treachery, Faith, And The Great River” takes a simple plot and makes it work by redirecting slipping in essential character and plot information.

When Odo is called off-station by a Cardassian informant he believed was killed by the Dominion, he is surprised to find himself in a clandestine meeting instead with Weyoun, the Vorta leader of the Dominion’s war effort in the Alpha Quadrant. Weyoun insists that he has never actually met Odo and that he wants to defect from the Dominion. When their location is compromised, Odo flees with Weyoun. With Jem’Hadar ships on their tails, Odo works to keep Weyoun alive in a frozen asteroid field while Weyoun provides him with details that might help Odo turn the tide of the war.

As Odo tries to stay alive, aboard Deep Space Nine, Chief O’Brien is finding it virtually impossible to keep up with the requests of various ship captains, most notably Martok, for repairs. In desperate need of supplies, he turns to Nog, who tries to illustrate how O’Brien can get all they want through bartering. Through a series of trades, Nog illustrates the Ferengi belief in the great material continuum, while robbing Sisko of his desk, Martok of his blood wine and O’Brien of pretty much all his patience!

The a-plot involving Nog and O’Brien in “Treachery, Faith, And The Great River” is essentially the same as the b-plot from “Progress” wherein Nog and Jake bartered their way from yamak sauce to land ownership. In “Treachery, Faith, And The Great River,” Jake is replaced by O’Brien and Nog illustrates how using charisma and meeting the wants of those who have the things one needs, they are able to get things that are not otherwise available. The “Great River” portion of “Treachery, Faith, And The Great River” has been done before and while it enhances Nog’s character, it makes O’Brien seem surprisingly dimwitted. For such a creative engineer, O’Brien is portrayed as surprisingly uncreative in “Treachery, Faith, And The Great River.”

That said, the b-plot of “Treachery, Faith, And The Great River” easily redeems whatever stale elements the a-plot possesses. When Odo and Weyoun are paired together, truths begin coming out that help frame the rest of the series. It is in “Treachery, Faith, And The Great River” that both Weyoun and the other Weyoun and Damar reveal that the Female Shapeshifter appears to have taken ill. Confused as to what may have caused this, Weyoun (the one with Damar) puts on a brave face, even as the Female Shapeshifter is seen illustrating some difficulty with maintaining her form. The Weyoun who is with Odo fears that with the godlike Female Shapeshifter ill, perhaps the Vorta have been serving the wrong god and he pledges his allegiance to Odo.

Weyoun illustrates his allegiance in delightfully pragmatic ways. In “Treachery, Faith, And The Great River,” a Runabout destroys a Jem’Hadar attack ship and that is pretty badass. With intelligence from Weyoun, Odo gets the technical information needed to really change the war effort.

But “Treachery, Faith, And The Great River” also smartly utilizes the characters of the characters. Odo is characteristically resistant to Weyoun’s subservience, but the moment Weyoun mentions the Founder illness, Odo seems genuinely concerned about his people. This affords Rene Auberjonois an opportunity to really shake up his performance. In reacting to Jeffrey Combs’ Weyoun, Auberjonois is able to portray sadness and a begrudging respect that makes his character appear less monolithic than he could otherwise come off as.

“Treachery, Faith, And The Great River” also affords greater opportunities for Casey Biggs and Jeffrey Combs to play off one another. In some of the most subtle and arch scenes in “Treachery, Faith, And The Great River,” Damar and Weyoun insinuate that Damar might have known the prior Weyoun was going to be assassinated. Biggs expertly plays off the usually more comical Combs. Biggs is able to keep Damar interesting by delivering many of his lines with a very subtle sense of irony that makes it clear his character is tired of being pushed around.

Evem so, much of “Treachery, Faith, And The Great River” is less inspired than the rest of the season and the episode is more useful as it lays the groundwork for what follows than being a great episode on its own.

[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!]

8/10

For other Star Trek episode reviews, please be sure to visit my Star Trek Review Index Page where the reviews are organized by quality of the episode/movie!

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