Star Trek: The Darkness and the Light

Episode: "The Darkness and the Light"

Series: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Season 5, Episode 11

Original Air Date: January 6, 1997

via Memory Alpha

An unknown assassin is hunting Kira's former Bajoran Resistance comrades and taunting her with each successive kill.  Kira is a pregnant woman and therefore should let Bajoran and Starfleet authorities (one of the attacks happened on DS9), pursue the killer rather than taking matters into her own hands.  Right?  We know better, don't we?

There's been a lot of meaningful Kira development recently, particularly in regards to her history with the Resistance.  In "Things Past," knowledge of Odo's unfortunate role in a Terok Nor assassination investigation soured Kira's relationship with the Constable.  In last week's "Rapture," she had a memorable exchange with Kai Winn, a conversation I didn't even cover in my reflection.  The Kai, generally cast as the antagonist in DS9, shames our dear major, sharing her own heretofore undisclosed suffering under the Cardassian Occupation.  In this week's story, Kira is confronted by one of the civilian victims of her own cell's attacks.

The clear message: war is ugly and it's not easy sorting out the good guys.  Kira never asks forgiveness for her role in the struggle.  From her perspective, she was doing a job that needed doing.  But stories like this reveal that her moral standing is not as cut-and-dry as would normally be the case for a Star Trek principal.

Acting Notes

via Memory Alpha

Randy Oglesby played the role of the assassin, Silarin Prin.  Oglesby has played seven different Trek characters over four different series, the role of Degra on Enterprise probably the highlight of his career.  Oglesby was born in Memphis, Tennessee, August 31, 1948.  Other television guest appearances include The X-Files, General Hospital and Mad Men.  Films include Independence Day, Pearl Harbor and Argo.  

Squid Mixes: Yellow Submarine

Ever since I first tasted chartreuse, I've thought of the remarkable liqueur as psychedelia in liquid form.  So when considering a cocktail devoted to my favorite band, it seemed sensible to use it as one of the building blocks.  While there are a lot of yellow submarine cocktail recipes to be found online, there is no universal agreement as to ingredients.  So, I figured I could do as I pleased with my own interpretation.

The Yellow Submarine 

1 oz. white tequila

.75 oz. yellow chartreuse

.75 oz. honey amaretto

.25 oz. lime juice

I deliberately chose four ingredients to go with the Fab Four but until the kid (age 21+) asked, I hadn't given any thought to which corresponded to which band member.  I think I've got it now.

The chartreuse is Paul McCartney, the dazzler.

The amaretto is George Harrison, the mellow soul.

The lime juice is Ringo Starr who always adds a kick, especially when paired with an almond flavor.

The tequila is John Lennon.  In my first attempt, I used vodka.  My wife suggested a salty note so I swapped in the tequila.  Salty note: definitely John.

The end result is very tasty and very yellow.

Star Trek: Rapture

Episode: "Rapture"

Series: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Season 5, Episode 10

Original Air Date: December 30, 1996

via Memory Alpha

On the eve of Bajor's acceptance into the Federation, Captain Sisko has a vision.  The vision leads him to the lost city of B'hala, a site which had eluded archaeologists for thousands of years.  He has more visions - rapturous visions (thus the episode title).  The Prophets are clearly trying to communicate through him as their Emissary.  His own life is at risk, yet he doesn't want to break the connection.  His earthly son Jake is left with a difficult decision.

This episode is vitally important.  Sisko's journey from denial to acceptance of his role as Emissary has been central to his character arc from the beginning.  In "Rapture," for the first time, Sisko fully embraces the reality.  He is the Emissary.  There's no question about it any more.  The implications for his relationships with his family, with Starfleet, with his friends and, of course, with the Bajorans are profound.  

And even with over 2.5 seasons left to go, this shift is another marker of the beginning of the end for this extraordinary Deep Space Nine series.  Being separated from the visioning elicits regret comparable to what Odo felt being separated from The Great Link (see here).  Once again, it is the sort of deep regret that implies a return is inevitable.  For two principals now, we can see points of finality on the horizon - points beyond which we as the viewers are unlikely to be allowed to follow.

I am reasonably certain "Rapture" won't make my Top 10 at series end.  So far, it's only #3 for Season 5 and I know there are still several memorable stories yet to come.  It's another reflection of DS9's remarkable quality.   Not many TOS or TNG episodes are this meaningful.  And it's not just Star Trek.  Very few mainstream television shows have had the courage to go so far down this road.  Like it or not, the Emissary arc is part of what makes DS9 special.

Acting Notes

via Memory Alpha

Ernest Perry, Jr. played the role of Admiral Charlie Watley, on hand for Bajor's admission ceremony.  Perry was born in Evanston, Illinois, May 30, 1947.  His films include Liar, Liar, The Color of Money and Dunston Checks In.  Other television appearances include Chicago, P.D., The Chi and Turks.  

Perry passed away in 2023.

Squid Cooks: Taco Kit

When my wife said she was thinking of a taco kit for dinner one night, I got surprisingly excited.  I grew up with taco kits, indeed one of the first dishes I learned to make myself back in my latchkey kid days.  My wife asked me if I wanted to be the one to cook it.  We both know she's the better cook so I rarely get that suggestion.  I jumped at it.

First, let me make clear, I'm actually pretty confident about making real tacos.  I've even posted about taco rice bowls before which are similar.  The only significant differences with a kit are the ready-made shells and seasoning.  And as you can see below, I don't actually believe in hard shells so I crumbled mine over the top.  Left entirely to my own choices, I'd pick soft flour tortillas.  I added onion, avocado and tomatoes for toppings.

And the end result was just fine - the taste of adolescence.  Certainly easy, too.  I'd do it again.

Star Trek: Macrocosm

Episode: "Macrocosm"

Series: Star Trek: Voyager

Season 3, Episode 12

Original Air Date: December 11, 1996

via Memory Alpha

Captain Janeway and Neelix return from an away mission to find the entire crew suffering from a debilitating virus.  The Doctor accidentally brought it back from his own away mission.  What had been microorganisms have grown and they're reproducing quickly.  Neelix quickly succumbs as well so it's left to the Captain and the Doctor to save the day.

How handy that Star Trek so often has one non-organic life form who is less vulnerable than everyone else, not unlike the Scarecrow and Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz.  

"Macrocosm" is a fairly obvious Aliens send up, though the writers have always denied it, likely for copyright infringement reasons.  The Trek creatives were no doubt still stinging from the brush back from the James Bond lawyers regarding "Our Man Bashir."   But Janeway wandering the halls in a tank top with a big, rifle-like weapon while weird creatures are emerging from people's bodies?  Sure looks like Aliens to me.

This episode goes on the long list of episodes other people seem to like but I don't.  The reason is not complicated.  I'm not a fan of horror films.  Indeed, I've never actually watched any of the Aliens movies myself.  So the tropes tend to induce anxiety rather than thrill.  Honestly, I found "Macrocosm" difficult to watch.  But I won't say it's a bad episode - just not my jam.

Acting Notes

via Dexter Wiki

Albie Selznick plays the Tak Tak Consul, representative of a culture who incorporates intricate body movements as part of their language.  Neelix masters the language quickly.  Janeway, not so much.  Selznick Selznick was born in Los Angeles County, January 1, 1959.  "Macrocosm" is his second of three Trek appearances.

Selznick performed as a magician with a group called The Mums for 25 years.  The Mums appeared together in Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo.  Most of Selznick's high-profile work has been on television, including appearances on Suddenly Susan, The Young and the Restless and NYPD Blue.

Squid Eats: Place Bell

The kid and I made a trip up to Montreal to watch the Montreal Victoire take on the Seattle Torrent in a Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) game.  It's a good thing I double-checked location before leaving the house because I totally thought the game was at the Bell Centre, home stadium to the NHL's Canadiens.  In fact, it was at the similarly named Place Bell in Laval, a large suburb to the north of the city.  After weathering the horrors of Montreal rush hour traffic and sorting out parking, we finally settled into our seats after missing most of the first period.  Fortunately, we didn't miss any goals.

If you love hockey and you don't know about the PWHL, you're missing out.  If you live in or near a city with a team - Montreal, Boston, New York, Ottawa, Toronto, St. Paul, Vancouver or Seattle - you should definitely go to a game.  Here in the States (or basically anywhere other than Canada), you can watch for free on YouTube.  Game tickets are a fraction of the cost of the NHL equivalent.  

The hockey's great and the energy is electric.  The arena was packed, even on a random Thursday.  The crowd was young, overwhelmingly female and noticeably queer-friendly.  Loads of girls' youth hockey teams came in jerseys.  They sing along with the piped in music, even after it stops.  And since women and girls are encouraged to sing in a way that men and boys are not, the singing sounds a lot better than it does at, for instance, Liverpool soccer games.  Professional DJs entertain during intermissions.  

If a new hockey league is going to succeed anywhere, it's going to thrive in Montreal, to be sure.  All of the cities in the league are undeniably hockey-crazy.  No Phoenix.  No Florida or Texas.  All northern cities with genuine passion.  Keep it that way.  I think keeping at least half of the teams in Canada would be a solid plan moving forward.

Food is standard stadium fare.  We got two hot dogs each.  I got beer - an American IPA - in a can.  It's Canada so the the servers were very friendly indeed.

Right, the game.  Montreal handled this one easily, 4-1.  The first star of the game was Laura Stacey with an assist and two goals, including an empty-netter to seal the win.  Stacey is a three-time Olympic medal winner with the Canadian national team.

Star Trek: The Q and the Grey

Episode: "The Q and the Grey"

Series: Star Trek: Voyager

Season 3, Episode 11

Original Air Date: November 27, 1996

via Memory Alpha

Q appears uninvited in Captain Janeway's quarters, intent on seducing her.  In time, we learn not all is right in the Q Continuum and our old friend sees having a child with our dear captain as the solution to all of the problems.  But wait, there's more.  Evidently, our Q (John de Lancie) already has a Q mate (Suzie Plakson) and she's none too happy about this plan.  Of course, neither is our captain.  To make the Continuum Civil War understandable for "Kathy." as he calls her, Q creates an American Civil War-scape illusion, thus the episode's title, a play on The Blue and the Gray, a 1981 Civil War mini-series.

As previously discussed, I don't share the same reflexive affection for Q as many fans do and his Lothario impression here does little to improve my opinion.  That said, "The Q and the Gray" is fun in its way.  And Kate Mulgrew looks in her element in period dress.

My favorite part of the episode is near the end when the Qs finally mate with each other and Janeway... doesn't exactly avert her glance, though the "show" is certainly underwhelming.  Our dear Kathy has a bit of voyeur in her - or at least a healthy curiosity about how Qs get it on.  Perhaps a bit of both?  Either way, it's funny.

Acting Notes

via Wikipedia

Harve Presnell played the role of Colonel Q, commander of the opposing forces in the Continuum Civil War.  Presnell was born in Modesto, California, September 14, 1933.  He was a child prodigy musician, scoring his first professional opera role at age 16.  He got a bachelor's in vocal performance at USC.

After a few years working as a professional baritone, he was discovered by Meredith Wilson while the latter was working on a new musical, The Unsinkable Molly Brown.  Wilson created the role of Leadville Johnny with Presnell in mind.  Presnell played the part on both stage and screen, where he won a Golden Globe.  Other films include Paint Your Wagon, Saving Private Ryan and Fargo.  On television, he had a principal role on Andy Barker, P.I.  Guest appearances include The Pretender, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman and Dawson's Creek.

Presnell passed away in 2009 from pancreatic cancer.