Final Post: Reflections

As my final post, I want reflect a bit on the process of writing this blog. My first post was one looking forward with anticipation to a new writing project. I think it’s a worthwhile bookend the project with a post looking backwards. I’m very satisfied with this project. I began it just as I was beginning a new chapter in my life, and in many ways it was a reflection on a major formative experience for me in a past chapter. I am very grateful for the Buffy blogger and my friend who found that blog for inspiring me to write this. I wrote each post where most of the content was my own reflections. I tried not to look too much at other sources, but rather I wanted to give my perspective. After each post, I read the MemoryAlpha webpage for the episode. There’s a lot that website about DS9 I didn’t know, so I would encourage anyone interested in the behind-the-scenes look at DS9 to look at each episode there. A lot is there too on the scripting process and how episodes were developed. But ultimately, I tried to make these posts my own view. Mostly, writing this was for my own purposes. By being reflective about each of the episodes, I learned a whole lot about myself. The thematic content of DS9 is such fertile ground. For someone philosophically minded like myself, this process of writing inspired so much in me. Old thoughts I still agreed with were solidified. I was opened to new interpretations of the art. I was challenged in some of my old thinking that had changed. Being reflective is immensely powerful to me. The vehicle of writing a blog, the process itself, was as valuable to me as getting my thoughts down in a medium somewhere.

That leads me to possibly my most important meta-realization about this project. I really learned the value and importance of producing something. Our culture places immense emphasis on consuming. And what I mean here is slightly different than in the materialistic sense. I mean consuming the art that our world generates. We consume good food, good TV, good movies, good lectures, good books. There is joy and virtue in consuming high quality art. For those of us privileged to not have to worry about basic survival, art truly is the most important component of life, in my opinion. I think there’s equal value in producing as in consuming. Even if no one ever sees it or appreciates it, there is intrinsic value to producing. It is for the sake of itself and my own self-esteem that I produced a corpus of reflections on DS9. I don’t need any other soul to see this to know I made something I’m proud of. That process builds me up in unique ways. So I would encourage everyone to take up producing something. Some of us are lucky enough to do it for a living. But even if we don’t do it for a living (or perhaps especially if we don’t do it for a living), I would hope all of us can find time to produce. Painting, woodwork, writing, coding a game, building a skateboard, etc. Create something that didn’t exist before. You’ll be better for it because you’ll find something in yourself based on what you create. I think it’s one of the healthy balances in life to do a bit of creating balanced against a bit of consuming. Both are needed for us to discover the best versions of ourselves.

The thing that surprised me the most was how incredibly long this took. July 2012 through November 2020! I never dreamed it would take 8 years, even after getting back from a 3 year hiatus. I’ll admit, I was being overly optimistic to think I could write 3 of episodes a week. Ha! I foolishly said that right before I got engaged. Thankfully, I finished before a decade had passed, and that’s a small victory. Not counting my hiatus, I created this blog in less time than it took the show to be produced. During those 8 years I defended a PhD thesis, got married, left academia, became a father, bought two houses (sequentially), and changed careers. I’m in a very different phase of life than I was when I started. I was quite worried as I watched myself slow down going through Seasons 6 and 7. I think I held together the spirit of the project through to the end. That was really important to me. My writing itself certainly got better over time. Some of those early posts were rough.

I absolutely love Star Trek and DS9 in particular. Getting to write these posts about such a setting was an extreme joy. Skimming back over 8 years of posts, I’m reminded how much life flows without our control. Another important meta-realization is that life flows on no matter what we do. We might be able to steer the boat a bit, but it’s the Great Material Continuum that sends us along our path. In Trek as in life, may we always boldly go.

After Season 7: Notions Learned

When one looks at all the core elements of what makes up DS9, the centralizing element, at least for me, is how it critiques the Roddenberry paradise. As I alluded to in those initial posts so many years ago, the profoundly unique thing about Star Trek is how it implies our future is a utopia. This is not what Sci-Fi normally does. Utopia? Come on, this is 2020. None of us actually think utopia is really possible. DS9 latched onto that same sentiment, even 30 years ago (because there’s nothing new under the sun…). Don’t get me wrong, I truly think that hope for the future is something humans need. But is it a convenient fiction? A lie we whisper to ourselves because we are afraid to believe improving our lives might be a fiction? DS9 challenged the fiction. It questioned the paradise. It forced me to look into myself, evaluate reality, and ask myself, “Could paradise be real?” By questioning paradise, DS9 showed us that yes, it can be. This is it’s final literary achievement, in my opinion. After looking at the show with a critical lens, I am more convinced than ever that DS9 is a show in three acts, all with the same undercurrent of critiquing the paradise. These roughly corresponded to the seasons, but there was crossover. More importantly, I think it’s the tone of each episode that identified the acts, even if they crossed seasonal boundaries. Each act challenged paradise differently.

Act 1 comprised of stories from the frontier, mostly in Seasons 1 and 2. The frontier was wild. Life wasn’t very “Federation-like”. Solving problems “the Federation way” usually lead to the worst outcomes. Take Progress (Ep. 1.15) where Kira had to blow up an oven to save a man’s life. Or in The Maquis (Ep. 2.20 and 2.21), the Federation was forced to either abandon peace or side with Cardassians over their own citizens. Time and again, Act 1 stories took the Federation ideals and challenged them with elegant scenarios in the galaxy. Often, it was a no-win scenario where the crew would have no solution that was good. These stories exposed weaknesses in the principles of the Federation. They made us viewers think about why a principle matters. Paradise does not come from following a set of regulations or profound principles. Paradise comes by getting into the muck with people, recognizing the messiness of any given situation, and working through all the hard solutions to find the best. The frontier stories embodied this messiness and this tenacity to find the best solution, I think.

Act 2 comprised stories of the cold war, mostly in Seasons 3, 4, and 5. Diplomacy didn’t always work, and the Dominion didn’t play by the rules. The Federation way of life was threatened, and that made people afraid. The crew commanded a warship, not an exploration vessel. The Federation has warships? Fear ruled, like in Homefront (Ep. 4.11), where the question was how far do we go to protect it. Sisko commits a war crime in For The Uniform (Ep. 5.13) to stop a single man from undermining the Federation! How far do we go? When do our actions betray the principles we fight to protect? The notion that our actions outstrip our principles challenge paradise. And most sinisterly, Act 2 challenges paradise from the inside. These are not outside forces that threaten the Federation. Though the Maquis and the Dominion are instigators, it is Federation people who are crossing ethical boundaries. This is why some of the best episodes and my favorite seasons are in Act 2, because we viewers are forced to evaluate what we stand for. The cold war stories embodied the tension between principles and action, and navigating how to act that best embodied the principles.

Act 3 comprised stories of open warfare, mostly in Seasons 6 and 7. The fight was for the crew to not lose themselves. War is anathema to the Federation. It is the exact opposite of what it wants to achieve. Yet here it is, neck deep in a long, bloody war. Sisko once again is committing war crimes and justifying them in In the Pale Moonlight (Ep. 6.19). Nog and others fought desperately to keep their souls in Siege of AR-558 (Ep. 7.8). Even Far Beyond the Stars (Ep. 6.13) has a fight to retain the soul of a man. At our worst or in the worst situation, are we who we want to be? Do we live in a paper paradise, easily destroyed? Or do we have what it takes to survive the worst and still be able to look ourselves in the mirror? Act 3 challenges paradise by forcing the viewer to question whether it’s worth fighting for. What should we sacrifice? What do we need to give? The open war stories embodied this notion of sacrifice for the greater good, and whether the sacrifice negated the notion of paradise in the first place.

So what was at the end of it? How does DS9 actually end up supporting the Roddenberry paradise? At the end of the show, I saw hope that paradise can be achieved. But it must be fought for. Paradise doesn’t simply fall at our feet. We have to stop forces outside of ourselves and confront the demons within, but we can achieve the paradise Roddenberry envisioned. The contribution of DS9 was this: paradise isn’t simply a given. We have to make it and protect it, even from ourselves. We have to die to ourselves and die to our pride in expecting the things we’ve done in the past are perfect for every future situation. That initial notion from the frontier episodes that we have to get into the messiness of reality really stuck with me. I can only help people, help them find their paradise, by getting into their lives and living with them. This is hard work. But it is the only work that can better society. By exposing the hard work needed to maintain paradise, DS9 showed us that we can achieve for humanity what Roddenberry hoped.

Another dominant theme that stands somewhat outside these three acts are the religious or mystical storylines. These spoke to me, very intently. They delved into the nature of being alive and the importance of faith. In an increasingly secular culture, I very much drawn to how they took it seriously, and that they didn’t treat faith as a joke. As just one example, DS9 portrayed well the inner conflicts between sects of the same faith In The Hands of the Prophets (Ep. 1.20). Or the absurdity (and goodness) of trust in deity in The Reckoning (EP. 6.21). And to embed those faith-centric stories within a highly technological setting had a big impact on me and the way I interpret science, religion, and the interplay between them. They are deeply compatible, and dare I say, they are mutually reliant. My walk of faith is rich and meaningful, and I attribute a portion of that to DS9’s ability to address real and interesting questions regarding faith. Far from being a joke, every single person wrestles with faith questions, whether they know it or not. DS9 wrestled with me in those questions.

Finally, DS9 was rich with excellent stories outside these elements. There were so many themes, I could not address them all. But this does lead me to the final thought I want to give about the show. I want to end with what I think makes this the greatest piece of entertainment media ever produced by the human race (that audacious claim I started my blog with). Certainly the themes were a key part, because the show was a vehicle for deeper contemplation. There were fun episodes, contemplative episodes, action episodes. It wasn’t all one extremely intense, massive storyline. The characters were very deep, and there was a huge cast of secondary characters with similar depth. Heck, there were entire shows that focused on secondary characters! The writers didn’t shy away from hard topics like war, mental illness, and poverty. The show progressed, which is very important to me.  The Gamma Quadrant was only seen once in the final 2 seasons, and then only briefly in the finale when Odo returns to his people. I think that’s deeply telling that the show started with the wormhole as the central focus, but ended with it as barely an afterthought. There was change in the characters, the setting, the conflicts. The writers executed a planned ending for the show, which gave it closure. The stories were simply well done. Each episode was a story told unto itself. Excellent, beautiful, fantastic entertainment.

Season 7 Summary

Season 7 was what it needed to be, but it was not my favorite season. That’s because it deviated from the formula that made me love DS9. That formula, in my mind, is a show focused on a single philosophic theme or cultural commentary. In Season 7, there was less philosophy and cultural commentary. I can see why they had to do this though. Endings are hard, and they had storylines that needed to be wrapped up. But the storytelling in most of the Final Chapter felt sporadic and disjointed. The episodes had so many storylines going at once, no one story got full attention. Deep themes couldn’t be drawn out. Also, the Dominion War was so dominant throughout the season. It seemed to push out the opportunity for other themes. In some ways, the Final Chapter felt very mechanical in the sense that different narrative threads needed to be addressed. It was a necessary mechanism, but for me personally, I felt like the show drifted from the core storytelling modes it had used throughout the seasons prior. The rapid switching between narratives within a show was really jarring for me. I get that reaction to that is rooted in my personality and way of thinking, but it was foremost in my mind while watching this time. So even though the show had the full maturity of the all the seasons behind it, I felt Season 7 ranked lower than most other seasons. In some ways, that felt inevitable, because the show had to bring every narrative thread to an end.

There were some shows I just loved though. The Siege of AR-558 (Ep. 7.8) is among many fan favorites. I really enjoyed Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges (Ep. 7.16). Both of these had some excellent thematic elements and inspired self-reflection. These were dark themes about the tragedies of war and moral compromise. Take Me Out to the Holosuite (Ep. 7.4) and Badda-Bing Badda-Bang (Ep. 7.15) were some very fun episodes to watch. Within the Final Chapter, I think my favorite was Tacking into the Wind (Ep. 7.22). The Klingon culture was given some very good screen time in DS9, and I loved how they ended that narrative by bringing it back to what being an honorable Klingon actually should mean. And the end of the Dominion War was done very well. After 3 seasons of a cold war, and 2 seasons of open war, they had to spend a lot of time on it.

The weakness of the season reinforces that it was time to end the show. I think endings are important. Despite my criticisms (I really tried to rewrite this post without leading with criticisms, but it didn’t feel right), I think this is still a strong season with a strong ending. Stories have to end, otherwise we never get the time to reflect properly. That’s an indispensable element to any great piece of entertainment media. Failed endings taint an entire show; I’m looking at you, Game of Thrones. Bad endings distort all that came before. This ending did not distort DS9. It was true to the narratives and offered closure. If there’s any theme from Season 7 to ponder, I think it’s that endings are required, in TV and in life. Moving on is cathartic and healthy. So it is with DS9. May we realize that what we left behind is woven into the fabric of our own lives, and that we are forever changed for having walked this path.

Random Thoughts: 1) Favorite episode: Siege of AR-558 (Ep. 7.8). Honorable mention: Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges (Ep. 7.16). 2) Introducing Ezri felt both good and jarring to me. I know they needed to introduce someone new after Farrell left, but one season was not enough time to let her character grow. There was so much untapped potential in her character, and I mourn the episodes not created. But the good was I liked her more than Jadzia, and her inner struggle for identity was a mature theme.

Episode 7.25: What You Leave Behind

The finale sets out to accomplish three things, in my opinion, and it does two of them well. I think it’s really hard to end a story that’s gone on for 7 seasons. That’s why the writers decided to ending the series across the entire Final Chapter. Throughout, major themes, character arcs, and narratives all ended. The finale ended the two biggest storylines and closed the character arcs of the main cast. Like much of the Final Chapter, scenes were quick, and they switched across a multitude of different settings. There was plenty of action to enjoy, and all the characters had some notable screen time. I definitely liked the space battle. As a finale, I think it was good, and I have enjoyed watching it every time. I definitely felt very sad when I watched it the first time, knowing there would be no more. The show meant a lot to me back then, and I was saying goodbye to a friend. I was at one of the lowest points in my life (ending a horrible, painful high school experience). But despite that, I appreciated the finality to it. It was DS9’s ending, and the writers didn’t hold back on that. They never implied that more was to come. They had a story to tell, and this was the end of that story. I think that’s the final important part of any good piece of entertainment literature. It has to purposefully end.

The first accomplishment was ending the Dominion War arc. The Dominion was the exact antithesis of the Federation. And to defeat this antithesis, the Federation had to become something that it wasn’t. I think this was the biggest, most central theme to the entire series. The ideals of the Federation come at a cost when dealing with a real world. Ending the war was a messy, bloody business. The Federation was on the brink of genocide just to end it. Had they done that, would it have still been the Federation? I think they nailed the brutality of the war (at least in what they could do for a family-oriented show). The viewer is left with a self-reflective tone. Sisko and Ross refused to drink to the downfall of the Dominion. Who were they now after this? What does this mean for the ideals of the Federation? Final questions intended to be pondered by the viewer, I think. I think for us, it’s important to realize that anything of value in society comes at a cost. We have to work to maintain our good society.

The second was ending the Emissary storyline, and I think this was done fairly badly, if I’m honest with myself. I’m somewhat disappointed, as I think the spiritual episodes were some of the best throughout the series. But the end felt rushed and incomplete. They didn’t connect this at all to anything from Emissary (Ep. 1.1). Themes such as the meaning of existence and the nature of time were absent. Instead, it felt very primal and simple. Dukat, who was this strategic lawful evil villain, ended up screaming for power over a pit of fire, and Sisko bull rushes him to defeat him. There was no contemplation on the nuances of good vs evil or the essence of time or any other salient theme. It just felt flat. Also, the mechanics of it were jarring. Dukat and Winn entered the fire caves when the invasion started. And where there through the treaty? Through the party at Vic’s? That must have been weeks.  The timing was just bad. The best part was Winn’s final acts. She sheds her Kai robes, implying she’s shed the Prophets. But in the end, she trusts the Emissary, showing her tortured history does side with the Prophets.

The third accomplishment was this finale ended the story arcs of the main cast and several side characters. Everyone has both a closure and a beginning. I like the hopeful feel that every character gets. This show has some very dark moments. Ending all the characters with a positive feel leaves us with hope that the Roddenberry paradise can still be achieved, even after such a brutal war. They do a great job of giving all the characters enough time for the viewers to see where they are each going. If I was to criticize this a bit though, the episode felt a lot like an ending to the Dominion War, and not enough to end the show DS9. I wished they had spent more on the other key themes seen throughout the show. They didn’t do enough in this theme of ending the arcs of characters and non-war themes. I get it’s impossible to do everything, but for a show so deeply invested in philosophical themes, I wished to see more. The best philosophical moment was between Bashir and Garak discussing the tension between Cardassia’s crimes and their hope for the future. It was an awesome small moment in a big episode.

I love how they kept the side characters in central roles throughout the finale. Winn, Dukat, Garak, and Damar all had central roles. Some bigger than the main cast. For example, I think Damar absolutely had a stronger role in this finale than Kira did. The entire narrative around the rebel Cardassians was mostly carried by Damar and Garak, and it was a central theme in the Final Chapter! I think it’s a testament to the show that such an important narrative was given to side characters. Nog is no longer a child, piloting a warship into battle. Garak had an excellent ending as well, where he realizes all he knew before is destroyed. I like how the show leaves his future to the viewer to ponder. As a spy who wanted to escape his old life, this viscerally allows him to start completely fresh in a new Cardassian society.

Starting fresh is the closing theme of the show, I think. They leave behind new beginnings. Sisko with the Prophets. Kira in command. Odo with his people. O’Brien off to Earth. Bashir and Ezri in a relationship. Jake is fully a man, apart from his father. Worf a diplomat. Quark carries on as a noble bartender. The sentiment I take away is a sense of life carrying on. More adventures for the crew await. It’s a very hopeful ending. Love it.

Random Thoughts: 1) I have a lot of criticisms of the episode, but don’t get me wrong. I liked it. How could I not? But endings are hard, both on writers and viewers. They can’t do everything. If they did, stories would never end. So I think my criticisms is healthy. It’s a sign I’m wrestling with the deep themes of the show. 2) The title comes from Pericles, of this quote: “What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.” I will say, that for me and my journey as a teenager, this hits home and means a lot. 3) I like how Damar’s revolution was critical to the invasion success. They made it so that it had a demonstrable difference on the invasion. Makes his revolution that much more meaningful. 4) The effect of the Dominion’s brutality is clear. Brutality breaks control, not solidifies it. 5) The space battle had very tactical scenes. Very satisfying and enjoyable. They did reuse some footage from previous episodes. 6) Garak has the honor of killing the final Weyoun clone. 7) One final matte painting of a devastated Cardassia. Very nice. 7) I’m very glad that Martok reveled in drinking to the downfall of the Dominion, even as Sisko and Ross reject it. Gotta let Klingons be Klingons. 8) Ross’s quote of “Today the guns are silent…” comes from Douglas MacArthur after World War II. 9) In Vic’s lounge, the extras were the show’s behind-the-scenes crew. 10) The montage was originally going to include scenes from Jadzia, but apparently Terry Farrell didn’t grant permission to use her old scenes. 11) Another small moment, but the final encounter between Odo and Quark is great. Odo adopts the classic constable stance with his characteristic harrumph. It’s a love/hate relationship. “That man loves me,” says Quark. 12) For a show so intensely invested in the Gamma Quadrant, the only bit we see is the diseased Founder homeworld, and only for a few minutes. Seems to reinforce to me the lack of focus on anything other than the War. 13) Sisko’s baseball is on the desk. He will return. 14) Morn gets a scene too! 15) The final scene is about returning to normal. Quark setting up betting pools. Bashir going to holosuites. Kira and Jake looking at the wormhole. They are oriented toward the future. 16) Apparently the writers considered ending the show with Benny Russell from Far Beyond the Stars (Ep. 6.13) sitting outside a studio with a script for Deep Space Nine. I would have rioted over that. It would destroyed the show. I’m very glad they didn’t. It would have undone all the hope and anticipation that Star Trek engenders in us who look to the future. 17) The receding shot is that of the station. Again, a perfect ending with the station at the center of the end.

Episode 7.24: The Dogs of War

This episode either ends storylines or sets them up to end. As the penultimate episode, I’m not surprised at this. I honestly didn’t sense a coherent theme here, which was a little disappointing. It felt more like a collection of storylines that needed to be advanced. Like many of the episodes in the Final Chapter, this felt like a series of micro-bursts of story. Many of the threads weave together in the final episode, What You Leave Behind (Ep. 7.25), and that is elegant. That makes it hard to take some episodes individually. Even looking at other reviews of the series, they seem to often take the Final Chapter as a single unit. One notable, though minor, component of this episode is the introduction of the new Defiant. This feels like a necessary plot device, nothing more. The crew needs a way to get to Cardassia, and building a new set for a single scene or two seems impractical.

Julian and Ezri’s courtship culminates. Mostly, this felt like a completion of a major thread for Julian. In the previous episode, the story of his friendship with Miles ends. Here, the story of his search for companionship ends. Personally, I didn’t find the “ending up with Ezri” the satisfying part. For me, it was much more enjoyable watching Julian grow into himself while he searched for a partner throughout the series. It’s an important lesson to realize that Julian’s growth isn’t about finding his mate. It’s about finding himself. Julian is truly comfortable with himself. Confident, self-assured. He has grown, and that’s the beauty of the story. Sadly, and in line with how I’ve seen Ezri treated as a character this season, she is more a foil to Julian’s character arc than having her own arc intersect his. That’s ok for me, since Julian is my favorite, but I think Ezri is shorted.

Another quick moment, but when Odo finds out Section 31 infected him so he might infect the Founders, he blames the Federation. ulian and Sisko react the way most of us would, by denying “the Federation” is at fault. But Odo doesn’t buy it. He sees it all as the Federation. Especially since the Federation Council won’t rectify the moral injustice Section 31 perpetrated. Convenient, isn’t it? It lets the Federation keep the moral high ground while still getting what they need to survive. This is precisely what Section 31 seeks to accomplish. In a very real, practical sense, Section 31 got exactly the outcome they wanted. But Odo is right; there is no line between the Federation and Section 31. I think we too easily draw lines between ourselves. For example, as a Christian of a particular worldview, I often look at other Christian denominations and see them acting in detrimental, even hateful, manners. I could simply declare, “Not my tribe” and leave it at that. But I don’t think that does justice to the higher moral needs. I think it’s important to name the moral failings that my tradition’s history created and seek to rectify them. In a very real sense, we are of the same ancestry. Drawing more lines and declaring it’s not my problem does nothing to help correct moral failures. That said, I think the situation in this episode is very hard (as life usually is). The Dominion is committing atrocities and must be stopped. But the Federation, I think, found the only solution possible. Help the Founders, but only after they have been neutralized.

The Ferengi storyline also finds an end in this episode. Throughout, the Ferengi were a metaphor for modern humans. They are greedy, flawed, and not really even seeking the paradise the Federation has obtained. The Ferengi have hope in Rom (of all Ferengi) to bring about the social change they should enact. It’s a metaphor for the modern human to say that we have hope as well. The writers were thoughtful about how they went about it. Rom has some very well grounded, market-based counterarguments to Quark on why the changes are healthy for the Ferengi economy. He might be an idiot to the average Ferengi, but he’s no fool in where the Ferengi are going as a culture. As a close to the storyline, this is all about demonstrating to the modern human that hope does exist and that we can be on a path to the betterment of our society.

Giving so much screen time to a side character astonishes me, in the good way. The arc of Damar and the change on Cardassia is the end of the arc that began on Bajor. The final war-focused seasons sorta left Bajor behind. I don’t begrudge that, though I certainly loved those episodes and enjoyed seeing Bajor grow in the few episodes that featured Bajor’s sovereignty. It’s poetic to see how the domineering Cardassian Union is destroyed so that it might be reborn. It suffers all the same pains it inflicted upon Bajor. So connecting the two arcs into a single arc seems natural. Freedom of the people (whether Bajoran or Cardassian) is essential to the long-term health of a society. I would go so far as to say this is an essential good in society and non-negotiable. For Damar, a key step to ensuring freedom is to break the cycle of disinformation (propaganda) and empower his people. This is still important today! Disinformation attacks the very foundation of democratic freedom. When one or a few control what we learn about the world, then we do not have freedom from those who control that information. This stance, in my opinion, is universal and nonpartisan.

Random Thoughts: 1) I really don’t like Kasidy getting pregnant. It seems unnecessary. I know it’s a crucial component to Sisko’s suffering, but it feels so counter to the entire tone and feeling of DS9. Family on this level is not a major theme of DS9. 2) The episode title is from Shakespeare, Julius Caesar. “Cry ‘Havoc!’, and let slip the dogs of war!” 3) This is the one and only time Jeffery Combs is billed as both Weyoun and Brunt. I’m so glad they found an episode to fit that in. My teenaged self didn’t realize they were the same person, and that billing blew my mind. 4) Rule of Acquisition #33! Though Brunt gives a slight variant to this rule by saying it’s never too early to suck up to the boss. 5) Quark’s “the line must be drawn here…” is a parody of the same line by Picard in the movie First Contact. 6) The invasion of Cardassia seems similar to the planned invasion of Japan in World War II. Ross talks of Cardassia as a very messy, very bloody job. 7) Nice turnabout to say it was the man who forgot to take the birth control. The reversal of responsibility is an excellent normalizing of gender roles.

Episode 7.23: Extreme Measures

Section 31 is the perfect flaw for the Federation. It implies that the Federation is a façade and that her utopia is an illusion to her citizens. The flaw at her core is this: the only way the Federation exists is through an agency that goes against everything the Federation stands for. Treachery. Racism. Genocide. Section 31 is a nihilism that says true goodness, the Federation’s Utopia, can never be achieved. It can only be achieved for a select few at the expense of others. For the Federation to survive, it must destroy the right to life of other races. I think that’s the heart of the tragic thinking of Section 31. After all that strife to create the Federation, it’s just another glorified in-group that oppresses an out-group to stay in power. It’s the same theme as the Maquis storylines. I think the theme is a haunting reminder that to achieve the best in this world, it does not come easily and there will always be those who seek to destroy it. We cannot be complacent. Even now, in the dumpster fire that is 2020, basic rights of citizens are being undermined by those in political power in the US. All done completely within the law, but completely against basic foundational principles like human dignity, right to suffrage, or compassion for the underprivileged. The theme of this episode, of finding the true moral path, is imminently important and a lesson we cannot forget. Both men, Sloan and Bashir, believe they are defending the Federation. Which is actually doing it? In my opinion, Bashir is the one defending the Federation, because he is the one who sees, understands, and acts upon the deeper truths that the Federation stands for. Sloan’s dedication to the Federation is only skin deep.

The beauty of this episode is how Bashir is put into a dilemma, and he must walk a tough line to bring about the greatest good. It seems the only way to stop Sloan is to become like Sloan. Should Bashir play by the rules? If he does, Sloan does what he wants and commits genocide. If he stops Sloan, he has to compromise his morality by abducting Sloan, shooting him, subjecting him to untested medical procedures, and invading his mind. Does liberty only come at the price of such compromise? I think the nuance here is extremely important. Bashir has to make a choice, and I think he must choose to either act superficially moral or to act in a deeper, more true sense of moral. He can be superficially moral and “follow the rules.” This would absolve him of any moral decision making, and would lead to Sloan committing genocide. The deeper, truer sense of moral is to act in a way that brings about the higher, truer good. This is a fine line to walk, but I think it’s a reality. It’s what makes certain protests, rebellions, and self-defense good acts. Life doesn’t give us easy, clearly defined choices. We are forced to find the best, most good solutions among imperfect circumstances. Pursuing this kind of deeper morality requires a judgement that is beyond any single human, I think. There is a deeper morality we can pursue that is objective and universal. I daresay, it is spiritual. Personally, I find faith to be a path to understanding that morality. Faith is that messy process of trying to discern the deeper truths of reality. So this leads me back to the earlier questions. Does liberty only come through compromise and being forced to do what may seem as wrong superficially? I think liberty can require that, at times. But it takes deep wisdom and discernment to know when and how to act to keep us on the side of that deeper morality.

I talk a lot about Bashir because he’s been Sloan’s foil across multiple Section 31 episodes, but I don’t want to downplay the importance of O’Brien here. This episode is a testament to their friendship. Within the narrative of the episode, the only way to penetrate Sloan’s mind is through a melding of Bashir’s medical expertise and O’Brien’s technical expertise. They are stronger than the sum of either part, which is a hallmark of a powerful friendship. I like how they set an entire episode here at the end of the show to highlight how far these two came. O’Brien essentially hated Bashir in Season 1. It is the perfect bromance conversation where they talk about how they like each other just a little bit more than their romantic partners. Further, both are essential to success. In the final moment in Sloan’s mind, Bashir’s idealism would have killed him. He wanted to bring down all of Section 31. But O’Brien knows his friend. He knows that Bashir’s commitment to his patient, to his medical profession, is stronger. Above all, Bashir is a doctor. Their toast to friendship is possibly one of the best moments of the show. It sealed a very long, very satisfying character development arc.

One of the biggest plot holes in DS9 is how Odo has the virus. If he was first given the virus, why is he the last to show symptoms? I think the solution was retconned hard. The “solution” is that Odo is given the virus in Homefront (Ep. 4.11), which he then gives to the Founders in Broken Link (Ep. 4.26). Because Odo is made a solid, this means the virus is expunged from his system. Odo is then returned to changeling form in The Begotten (Ep. 5.12). Then while the Dominion occupies the station (first 6 episodes of Season 6), Odo regularly links with the Female Changeling. That re-infects Odo, but at an earlier stage of the disease than the Founders. Therefore, his actual infection comes after the Founders, and this is why he’s showing symptoms later. I appreciate the flow of it, and in one sense it works. I’m not one to try to find every hole, so this works for me. It just has a strong smell of retcon.

Random Thoughts: 1) If Section 31 is the perfect flaw for the Federation, the Dominion is its perfect enemy. The Dominion is everything the Federation is not. 2) This episode is highly focused on a single storyline. Unusual for the Final Chapter. 3) The reference to Bareil dying is for Life Support (Ep. 3.13). 3) The reference to the Tale of Two Cities mirrors the light and dark sides within the Federation. To further the analogy, Sloan himself has a light and dark side within him. And his dark side kills his light side. 4) Bashir and O’Brien’s banter throughout is highly enjoyable. Julian passionately loves Ezri…but he likes Miles just a little bit more. 5) The carpet in Sloan’s mind is crooked and broken…a reflection of the man in real life. 6) I also really liked how the setting for much of O’Brien and Bashir interacting was in Quark’s. For me, it emphasizes the importance of their friendship to this episode. What carries them through the hard tasks is their deep bond as friends. Quark’s is where much of that friendship is experienced.

Episode 7.22: Tacking into the Wind

This is possibly the best episode of the Final Chapter (excluding the finale). As the title implies, the crew is making small advances against strong headwinds. None of the storylines directly hinders the Dominion or other threats to the Federation. But they all shape the coming surrender and downfall of the Dominion. Gowron would have destroyed the Alpha Quadrant. Without the Klingons holding the line, nothing would have held the Dominion back. Equally, without the Breen energy weapon, “fabled” Starfleet engineers would never have figured out how to defeat it before the Klingons broke. And had Julian and Miles not decided to lure Section 31 to the station, the Federation would be responsible for genocide and likely the Female Changeling would not have surrendered. The crew faces challenging odds, but they are slowly overcoming them. The dominant theme in this episode though is the Klingon storyline, and Gowron’s corrupt actions as a leader. I think DS9 truly did the Klingons fantastic justice by ending in such a way. This end centers firmly on honor and integrity as the beating, 8-chambered heart of Klingon culture. The beautiful irony is that Gowron creates the enemy he fears. Martok had no desire for power and no intention of usurping Gowron. Gowron tries to humiliate and embarrass Martok. He wants to remove a political rival. But Martok had no desires for such power and is no rival! It is only by trying to humiliate and embarrass Martok that Gowron creates his rival! Gowron then is his own worst enemy. He is deeply corrupt, and it is his thinking that Martok is equally corrupt that causes Gowron’s downfall.

All of the societal constructs we have are simply the combination of a group of people. We make the order we live in.  Martok does not wish to upset the societal order of the Empire. He sees the societal constructs they have, like the leadership structure, and wishes to honor it. I think this is generally a good thing. We have to live communally, honoring the society we’ve built, else we’ll fall into chaos. But at the end of the day, our society is really just a collection of ourselves. We form our governments, our churches, or businesses. And we are the ultimate authority on whether our society is working for the ideals we hold dear. The exchange between Ezri and Worf is one of the best of the series, in my opinion. If someone like Worf is willing to accept corruption at the highest level of the Empire, then what hope is there? He is a paragon of honor and integrity, ideals the Empire seeks to embody. But the Empire is nothing without people like Worf willing to stand up for those principles. This is a critically important lesson for us. As with many themes from these episodes, it’s as relevant today as it was 30 years ago. If our society is to embody the ideals we desire (justice, honesty, dialogue), then we must embody those ideals. And be willing to reject societal rules to uphold those ideals. Look at the civil rights actions in the 50s and 60s. They regularly broke unjust laws to bring about more just laws. The society must follow from the ideals. If it doesn’t, then those societal structures become tools for corrupt individuals to use against us. This is exactly what Gowron did to Martok. He used the honor code of the Klingons dishonorably. Gowron dared called Martok a coward! Gowron tries to use a badge of “True Klingon” to force loyalty rather than earn loyalty. And Martok would have let him get away with it, if not for Worf’s willingness to act honorably outside the strict honor code. It is paradoxical, but it’s critically important to understand. For example, the black lives matter movement and associated police brutality are as important as it gets. Society’s rules have created a situation where Americans die and no one is held accountable. The tools of society have become tools opposed to justice and freedom, pillars the nation was built on. We can hide behind our rules and allow injustice to grow.  This is just one of many issues today that have similar overtones.

Damar’s transformation has similar qualities. Cardassia must change. It is painful to hear as his family is killed by a totalitarian government, but that is what makes him receptive to Kira’s plea. There’s something about pain that gives us impetus to change. Our hearts are opened to reality in unique ways. Kira can easily and emotionally connect her past pain directly to Damar’s present pain. That creates a connection between them and fosters Damar’s openness. His old Cardassia was a totalitarian government. If he is to truly free his own people, he must free them from being oppressors. They cannot return to being oppressors after a time as the oppressed. The society that Cardassia is to become has to flow from just ideals, and therefore they cannot achieve a just society from within the system they once had. The Cardassian system itself is inherently opposed to justice. So something new must be built that flows out of justice. Damar killing Rusot is Damar’s turning point. Damar will inspire that change, even if he has to die for it.

Random Thoughts: 1) I think Odo is able to confide in Garak about the disease because they are both outcasts. Odo knows that Garak would understand the loneliness on a deep level. 2) I love the balance of Bashir and O’Brien here. Bashir is aggressively idealistic: “Every disease has a cure!” O’Brien grounds him, and helps find the most efficient way to that cure. 3) The Female Changeling has no more pretenses. She is openly subjugating the Cardassian people now. 4) I thought the facility where Kira steals the energy weapon looked fantastic. Very futuristic and alien. 5) Bashir and O’Brien have the best bromance. When Julian tries to apologize, Miles just brushes it off. Miles needed to hear Julian was willing to apologize…he didn’t actually need to hear the apology. 6) Worf gets some very succinct and powerful lines: “You rule without wisdom and without honor.” Cuts right to the point. Another: “Great men do not seek power. They have power thrust upon them.” 7) Worf killing Gowron in honorable combat is also an excellent culmination of the Worf character. A culmination that spanned two Star Trek series. 8) For all his corruption, Gowron was a Klingon, one deserving of a death knell.

Episode 7.21: When It Rains…

This episode felt sorta like a mid-story transition episode.  It felt like the main storylines all progressed just one step.  Kira started training Cardassians.  Dukat is stricken blind.  Bashir discovers the source of the Founder sickness.  Martok is removed from leadership.  Some major developments occur, specifically with Bashir and Martok.  The Founder sickness is a Section 31 invention.  This is antithesis to the ideals of the Federation.  Here, at the end of the show, the Roddenberry Paradise is challenged one last time and in a big way.  Is it right to commit genocide when it would lead to saving trillions of lives?  Is the Federation’s only way to survive by betraying its ideals?  In this episode they tease these themes, but Extreme Measures (Ep. 7.23) delves more completely into this.  Martok is removed from tactical leadership, which sets up his challenge to Gowron for leadership of the Klingon Empire.  This final Klingon storyline is exceptional, I think.  And here again, this storyline is a teaser for the bigger story in Tacking Into the Wind (Ep. 7.22).  So the storyies in this episode felt a bit incomplete.  There are four key storylines progressing in a show that normally has 1 or 2 storylines.  I get it though.  The writers have to concurrently show multiple stories in order to get set up for the finale.  I see this episode sorta as a deep inhale in the middle of the Final Chapter before the final exhale of the show.  Like an intermission.

When it comes to salient themes, 3 the storylines show a bit the consequences of pride, but none of them really delve deeply into a topic.  Dukat becoming blinded felt like a rabbit trail.  I appreciate him being humbled, and it lets Winn rise up in her superiority (so she might fall even further).  They are in a battle of prideful arrogance to see who will be on top by the time they die.  The Cardassians are struggling through redemption.  They lash out at Kira because they know how far they’ve fallen.  They are facing their own pride, and Damar is showing them how to humbly listen.  Gowron removes Martok because he sees a threat from someone who is earing more honor.  In his pride, Gowron would rather see himself lead badly than let someone else lead well.  He’s reckless because he wants the glory.  It’s an excellent Klingon tension here, because Gowron wants glory, but by reaching for it, he will not have victory.  The next episode, Tacking Into the Wind (Ep. 7.22), is excellent in bringing the Gowron and Martok story to a satisfying conclusion.  So little things going on, but mostly an episode to set up the next couple episodes.

Random Thoughts:  1) Kira getting a Starfleet commission felt like a fan service.  It didn’t really do anything for me.  For some, it’s good to see her with Commander pips, but for me, one of her defining characteristics is that she isn’t Starfleet.  It sorta pulls out a key characteristic here at the end.  2) Bashir and Ezri take a tiny step toward getting together by starting to talk again.  Bashir takes his perceived rejection from Ezri in stride and moves on.  While he might be blind to her interest in him, it does show he’s very comfortable with himself and where he is in life.  3) I love how easily Bashir and O’Brien talk with each other.  They’ve come so far as friends compared to the beginning of the show.  For me, their friendship is a hallmark of what I love about DS9.  4) Quark bringing coffee is a nice touch and a reminder of his friendship with Odo.  Quark has a very low profile in the Final Chapter.  I like Quark, but it makes sense he’s not around a lot.  His role in the show is not related to the war.  Since the end of the show is all about the war, Quark will not feature often.

Episode 7.20: The Changing Face of Evil

The conflicts the crew face are fundamentally changing in this episode.  The one I find most profound is Damar.  He’s the face of Cardassia.  In the beginning of the series, the Cardassians were the great threat to the station. At the height of their power, they seemed to threaten Bajor and the crew at every turn.  They had a highly structured society, built on the rule of law (seen in Tribunal, Ep. 2.25).  Now, Cardassians are the rebels.  Damar realizes that he and his people are the oppressed rather than the oppressor, and he finally rises up.  His rebellion begins by destroying the cloning facility, effectively meaning Weyoun 8 would (and will be) the final Weyoun.  Damar’s rebellion is a lynchpin to why the Alpha Quadrant Alliance wins the war.  Damar himself is a brilliant character.  I certainly enjoyed him up to this point, but the last two episodes, this one and Strange Bedfellows (Ep. 7.20), transform him into a character of significance.  He represents the redemption of the Cardassians as a people.  Another changing face is the Breen as a threat to the Alpha Quadrant.   The war has turned back to the Dominion’s favor.  I actually see this retaking of the Chin’toka system as similar to the Battle of the Bulge in World War II.  The enemy is making a strong, final push to regain territory.  If the allies can hold out, they will ultimately win the day.  The Dominion is nearly spent.

Winn has become a different kind of villain as well.  She’s no longer trying to manipulate people around her politically.  She’s hardly wearing a pretense that she even still believes in the Prophets.  Now, she’s moving to directly release powerful creatures (gods) to wreck havoc on her world.  She isn’t getting what she wants (more power), so she’s becoming someone else.  She is starting to embody evil.  She’s studying it, letting it study her.  Killing Solbor might have been an accident, but she barely registered his death.  Winn reaches a new level of evil here.  Nothing is holding her back now.  Before, I think the pretenses of being Kai kept her in check.  The structures of Bajoran society (like her needing to get support from the Vedek Assembly) prevented her from going too far.  She felt being Kai was the only way for her to get power, so she worked within that system.  Until this episode, that system held her back.  To me, this is an important reminder that our systems society are crucially important to keep a check on the dark side of humanity.

At one point, Dukat has to convince Winn to stay on the path of the Pah Wraiths.  To do that, he emphatically tells her that the Pah Wraiths are not evil.  On the surface, this might seem naïve, but I think this points to a deeper truth.  Evil rarely thinks it’s evil.  Evil redefines what “evil” means so that it’s someone else who’s evil.  This is the subtle and insidious nature of evil.  I think we rarely realize we are doing it.  Because, surely, I could never be evil, right?  If someone called me that, I would instantly reject it.  Surely not me.  But enough of my life has shown me that I am not aware of what I do and how it affects people.  I am at my worst when I’ve convinced myself that everything I do is good, and I have no care or awareness of how my actions hurt others.  Dukat was deluded before, but he’s taken it to a new level.  Alongside his megalomania, he is now ignorance made manifest.  I think he truly believes his own Kool-Aid.

One final paragraph on the destruction of the Defiant.  In my mind, it absolutely needed to happen.  This show is not about a ship.  The moment of destruction was appropriately epic and emotional, and she went out in a blaze of glory.  They drew out the explosion to several seconds.  But to bring the show full circle is important.  Like the Cardassians coming full circle to being the oppressed, destroying the Defiant feels like a connection to the beginning of the show where there was no ship.  The heart of the show is on the station.  Destroying the Defiant only enhances the connection to the station for the viewer.  I sorta wish they would have ended the show without a ship being assigned to Sisko.  I see perhaps there might have been some production reasons to give the crew a “new Defiant” n Dogs of War (Ep. 7.24); perhaps it was easier to reuse sets or something.  Regardless, I think destroying the actual Defiant is a firm way to remind the viewer that this show revolves around the station.

Random Thoughts:  1) There were so many plots in this episode.  The writers are definitely weaving a tapestry of storylines for this ending.  2) I love how the Breen actually attacked Earth.  Roddenberry’s paradise is a facade in DS9, and Earth can’t be spared.  I liked the scene of destruction in San Fransisco.  3) I’m amused at Worf criticing Julian and Miles’s “childishness”, but we all know he wants to be down there with them.  I certainly would.  4) The cinematography of the battle on the Defiant felt different to me.  I can’t really place how, but it seemed to indicate, even before the Defiant was hit, that something would be different about this battle.  5) I like how it was O’Brien who came back for Sisko to abandon ship.  6) The Female Changeling orders the survivers to be allowed to live.  That included Sisko and the crew.  I think this decision cost her the war.

Episode 7.19: Strange Bedfellows

I find this episode to be the most profound of the final 10-hour arc.  The depth of what Winn experiences moves me, and her refusal to acknowledge the trappings of power is profound.  And yet her subplot is only one of *four* in this episode.  This episode title refers to four pairings.  Once again, I think the obvious one is Worf and Ezri.  They are literally bedfellows, and they are strange.  Strange enough that they don’t (and shouldn’t) work out as a couple.  Here, they finally come to terms with their dead romantic relationship (one that died with Jadzia), and they awkwardly transition to being friends.  Sisko and Kasidy are a second pair of bedfellows, but they aren’t really that strange.  The third is Winn and Dukat, also a literal pair of bedfellows.  They consummate their pact as a strange pairing of villains.  Finally, the Dominion and the Breen are a metaphorical pair of bedfellows.  The Breen are a strange race, and one rarely mentioned in Star Trek.  They are discussed a few times in TNG, and appear first in DS9 in Indiscretion (Ep. 4.5).  The Breen are now the preferred partner to the Dominion, and push out the Cardassians as major members of the Dominion.  This is the last straw for Damar.

Winn’s experience here is beautifully portrayed.  In the beginning, she truly believes she’s following the Prophets.  In her mind, she’s been doing this for years.  When the Pah Wraiths reveal themselves, she resolutely rejects them.  I feel her pain.  She finally thinks that her gods are speaking to her, only to find out it is the most hated evil ones who choose to speak to her.  This would cause rage and depression in anyone.  She seeks the Prophets; she rejects Dukat.  She does not want the Pah Wraiths’ blessing.  Finally, she seeks out Kira, and Kira speaks deep wisdom to Winn.  Winn must surrender her position, because that position is the source of the barrier between her and the Prophets.  Winn must deny herself, lay down the life she wants, in order to be saved from the Pah Wraiths.  And, sadly in this most profound moment in her life, Winn rejects Kira’s wisdom.  Ultimately, Winn’s “faith” is a transactional faith.  Winn needs to get something from her gods.  This is why her faith fails, and she turns from the Prophets.  Her faith has been fake for a long time.  She’s faked connection with the Prophets, as she’s faked her jubilation at seeing the wormhole.  Once Kira tells her that she has to give up what she thinks she earned, or is owed….Winn abandons the Prophets in favor of the Pah Wraiths, who offer her what she always wanted: power.  Her rejection of the Prophets isn’t just in this episode.  She rejected them many times, in small and large ways, leading up to this moment.  Yet even then, she still had a chance to turn away from evil.  Everyone has a chance at redemption.  Sadly, Winn missed her final opportunity.  She’s now on an path that will lead to her inevitable death.  Of all of Winn’s moments, this moment when she tells Kira that she will not step down is her best.  It is her truest self.

I love how Damar’s story has been slowly revealed over many episodes leading up to this point.  He’s slowly become more and more disgusted with the man he sees in the mirror.  The compromiser.  The appeaser.  The useless one.  His people have become the cannon fodder for the Dominion.  This finally breaks Damar, and he resolves to resist the Dominion.  The literary circle the show has gone in is fantastic.  In the beginning, the Cardassians were the oppressors of the Bajorans and at the height of power.  Now at the end, they must organize a resistance to throw off the chains of oppression from the Dominion.  Damar’s moment comes when he chooses to not drink the kanar; instead he tosses his drink on the man he rejects.  After this, there’s a fire in Damar’s eyes.  He finally has purpose again, and he is working to save his people.  This moment redeems all of who he was before.  He needed to be someone who had lost everything so that he could become someone who gives all he has to Cardassia’s freedom.  Where Winn rejects her redemtion, Damar embraces his.

Random Thoughts:  1) I’m really not sure what they were trying to do with Sisko and Kasidy.  Trying to show the struggles of marriage (and how this is akin to war) seems very out of place in these final episodes.  2) Killing Weyouns should be a national pastime.  It’s also hilarious.  3) Missing Ezri gives Julian his moment of realization about how he feels about Ezri.  4) The scene between Kira and Winn is one of the best of the series, in my opinion.  5) This is another show where the heart of it, the best theme and the best acting, are carried by the side characters.