Star Trek: Playing God

Episode: "Playing God"

Series: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Season 2, Episode 17

Original Air Date: February 27, 1994

via Memory Alpha

Jadzia Dax hosts her first Trill initiate, Arjin, a young man aspiring to become host to a symbiont.  She takes him on a mission through the wormhole.  After an accident forces them to return to the station, a strange mass is discovered attached to the runabout.  In time, the mass is found to be a proto-universe.  Meanwhile, there's a Cardassian vole infestation on Deep Space Nine.

"Playing God" is a good Dax story.  We learn a great deal about the initiate process generally as well as Jadzia's relationship with Curzon Dax.  She first met Curzon as an initiate herself and the encounter didn't go well.  Now joined, we see that while Jadzia honors the previous hosts of her own symbiont, she also works to maintain her own character apart from them, particularly her immediate predecessor.  We see a more sensuous side to Jadzia in this episode, too.  Arjin arrives at Jadzia's quarters the first morning and is greeted by her masseur - and sexual partner?  The narrative neither confirms nor denies but I would say it's strongly implied.  And why not?  Curzon has already been established as a playboy.  Why shouldn't Jadzia have her own fun?  Arjin is clearly intimidated by both the burly masseur and the confident Jadzia.  Ha!

The B and C narratives are fine, though mostly forgettable.  Deciding what to do about the tiny universe while its growth threatens our own presents interesting dilemmas.

Acting Notes

via Critters Wiki

Geoffrey Blake (Arjin) was born August 20, 1982 in Baltimore, Maryland, though he grew up in California.  He graduated from the University of Southern California.  His film resume is impressive, including several Tom Hanks-led features: Forrest Gump, Apollo 13, and Cast Away.  Blake and Terry Farrell (Dax) also appeared together in the short-lived TV series Paper Dolls.  Blake's character was Farrell's character's boyfriend.