Star Trek: Darkling

Episode: "Darkling"

Series: Star Trek: Voyager

Season 3, Episode 18

Original Air Date: February 19, 1997

via Memory Alpha

In an effort to improve his bedside manner, the Doctor selects famously compassionate historical figures - Byron, Ghandi, Socrates, T'Pau - to incorporate into his programming.  Meanwhile, Kes is falling in love with a trader, Zahir, who offers to take her on grand adventures - away from Voyager.  Unfortunately, the good doctor fails to account for the fact that he would take on his heroes' flaws along with their strengths.  Two separate, competing personalities emerge in a Jekyll and Hyde tale.  The evil one eventually puts both Torres and Kes in grave peril.

Robert Picardo really acts the snot out of this one.  As with Brent Spiner (Data), there is danger in letting Picardo out of the box.  We see a lot of "look at me, I'm meeeeeean" from ol' Bob here.  And I have to admit, I really wanted to watch B'Elanna kick his ass for pawing her.  Perhaps another time...

Kes will be leaving the show soon.  I'll leave discussion of the particulars until the moment arrives but "Darkling" makes me wonder how far ahead of time the creative staff was at least aware of the possibility.  The writers painted themselves into a corner from the beginning with Kes's expected life span and in this episode, she suggests to Janeway for the first time that she may not want to spend the rest of her short life on Voyager.  And just as importantly, Janeway responds quite reasonably.  After all, Kes isn't Starfleet or Maquis.  She's along for the journey by choice and she's certainly earning her keep as the doctor's assistant.  There's no reason she shouldn't be free to go whenever she pleases.

Fortunately, not just yet.  At this point, I would say Tuvok has overtaken both the Doctor and Kes as the most interesting character but Kes is still comfortably Top 3.

Acting Notes

via Memory Alpha

David Lee Smith (Zahir) was born in Birmingham, Alabama, September 8, 1963.  Films include The Man from Earth, Mysterious Skin and A Walk to Remember.  Television work includes Savannah, The Naked Truth and CSI: Miami.  

Squid Perks: Raktajino

Raktajino is Klingon coffee, particularly popular on Star Trek's Deep Space Nine, both the station and the series.  The canon doesn't provide much guidance as to flavor beyond that it's Klingon-strong but, of course, there are numerous recipes online.  I adapted the one at AF's Amazing Food Blog, which incorporates cinnamon, cardamom and allspice.  For the "extra strong coffee," I used espresso and I mixed in the ground spices pre-brewing.  I did not use AF's recommended sugar as we don't really put sugar in coffee at home.

The result was quite pleasant.  The spices add dimension.  It doesn't have the wow flavor kick I was hoping for and I'm not sure what would bring that.  The optional black pepper in the recipe would certainly supply heat but honestly, I'm not a black pepper fan.  Some recipes add alcohol - AF suggests rum, cognac or coffee liqueur.  I doubt that would add much flavor.  I'd just want to go back to bed.

The most important question is whether we prefer raktajino to Captain Picard's beloved Earl Gray tea.  We're planning a Star Trek-themed brunch for Father's Day.  The Purple Penguin and I both prefer the rak.  My wife doesn't care.  So raktajino, it is.  Maybe we'll have a clever idea for making it stronger by Sunday...

Star Trek: By Inferno's Light

Episode: "By Inferno's Light"

Series: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Season 5, Episode 15

Original Air Date: February 17, 1997

via Memory Alpha

Garak episode!

The basics: picking up where the last episode left off, Worf, Garak, Bashir and Martok all manage to escape from the Dominion Internment Camp while the gang back at the station fend off a Dominion invasion with some help from both the Klingons and the Romulans.  There's so much more going on in this extraordinary episode.  Where do you even start?

• The Cardassians, under Gul Dukat's leadership, have cut a deal to become part of the Dominion.
• The prison escape is probably the best narrative in the episode and it is two-pronged.  Garak must contend with his own claustrophobia in rigging the camp's shields to allow the prisoners to transfer back to the runabout, which the Jem'Hadar rather carelessly left in orbit nearby.  Evidently, Andrew Robinson is genuinely a bit phobic and was also sick with the flu so much of his on-screen anxiety was real.  Even so, his is a Patrick Stewart-level man-on-the-edge-of-madness performance.
• Worf is "forced" into fighting each of the guards in turn, satisfying his own lust for battle as well as creating a distraction so Garak can do his thing.  He defeats them all, of course - well, nearly all of them.
• Finally, Worf takes on Ikat'Ika, the First at the camp.  By this point, Worf has earned deep respect from the guards and we also get a glimpse of the guards' disdain for their Vorta superiors.  This ultimate match ends with a memorable line from Ikat'Ika.  He is clearly in the superior position, though Worf refuses to concede: "I yield!  I cannot defeat this Klingon.  All I can do is kill him and that no longer holds my interest."  Wow.
• Garak's story is based on the 1963 film, The Great Escape.
• Meanwhile, back at the station, the impostor Bashir is discovered but almost too late.  He gets away in a runabout and nearly detonates a bomb in the Bajoran sun.  But he is destroyed first.
• Evidently, the rest of the Dominion invasion wasn't real.
• Upon returning to the station, Garak gets a girlfriend!

Seriously, there's a lot going on here.  I'm always amazed by Seinfeld's ability to cram so much material into a 22-minute episode.  Granted, DS9 had twice the time to work with here but even so, it's impressive.

Acting Notes

via Memory Alpha

Ray Buktenica played the role of Deyos, the Vorta Commander of the Internment Camp.  Buktenica was born in New York City, August 6, 1943.  Most of his work has been on television, including a recurring role on Rhoda, one of three spin-offs of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, the most neglected contender in the GOAT sitcom debates.  He also had a principal role on House Calls and a recurring role on Life Goes On.  The big screen resume is relatively modest in length but he's been in some high-profile films, including My Girl, Heat and Shopgirl.

Squid Mixes: Cosmonaut

A Cosmonaut, invented by Sasha Petraske, combines gin, lemon juice and raspberry preserves.  I got my recipe from 3-Ingredient Cocktails by Robert Simonson.  It was intended as a spoof on the Cosmopolitan.  As you can see, it's deeply pink so maybe also a nod to the Soviet communists?  Or is it a pun?  Cosmo-not?  Both?

The first flavor hit for me was jelly doughnut, undoubtedly from the raspberry jam.  Once my taste buds adjusted, though, the sweetness was less potent.  The lemon brings out the natural tartness of the berries.  

Star Trek: Unity

Episode: "Unity"

Series: Star Trek: Voyager

Season 3, Episode 17

Original Air Date: February 12, 1997

via Memory Alpha

During a shuttle mission, Chakotay and his pilot, Ensign Kaplan, respond to a distress call - and doesn't that always lead to trouble?  When they land on the planet of the signal's origin, they are almost immediately attacked.  Chakotay is knocked unconscious.  When he comes to, the woman attending him is human, and a former Starfleet officer at that.  Soon, it becomes apparent that she and the rest of her community are dis-assimilated Borg drones.  They help Chakotay - indeed, they save his life.  But they also need help from him, and the particular assistance required is a tough sell for Captain Janeway.

"Unity" provides an early glimpse of Voyager's most important story - I mean, apart from the obviously overarching long journey home.  With the Hugh arc, NextGen raised important questions regarding the Borg: is it possible to separate a drone from the collective and what would be the consequences of doing so?  Apart from the series premier, DS9 has mostly ignored the Borg in favor of other fruitful narrative paths.  But soon, Voyager will explore these questions in depth via the character Seven of Nine.

It's difficult for me to look past my own eager anticipation of stories to come and judge "Unity" on its own merits.  That said, I think the episode is genuinely important for revealing to Chakotay the power and the seductiveness of the collective.  As part of his healing, he is joined with them and the experience of total connection is overwhelming.  And beautiful.  Yes, they manipulate him for selfish gain.  But then they leave him alone and it's obvious he regrets that a little.

I also think it relates thematically with Captain Sisko's experience in "Rapture."  The stories are separate, of course, and quite different from each other.  But the power of connection is common to both.  I think of where we are as a society nearly 30 years later.  Many have theorized that Trumpism is a result of too many young men, in particular, feeling disconnected from... everything.  Feeling a part of something larger than oneself: is it a universal human need?  Generations of psychologists and sociologists have asserted that it is.  Both "Unity" and "Rapture" support the thinking.

Acting Notes

via Wikipedia

Lori Hallier played the role of Dr. Riley Frazier, the former Starfleet officer turned Borg drone turned separated drone.  Hallier was born in Victoria, British Columbia, July 8, 1959.  She studied theatre at the University of Victoria, ultimately graduating from the National Theatre School in Montreal.

Hallier's films include My Bloody Valentine, Warning Sign and My Name Is Tanino.  On television, she had recurring roles on Days of Our Lives and Santa Barbara and guest roles on The Dukes of Hazzard, Jake and the Fatman and Matlock.  

Squid Flicks: History Is Made at Night

Title: History Is Made at Night

Director: Frank Borzage

Original Release Date: March 27, 1937

My Overall Rating: 3 stars out of 5

via Wikipedia

Irene Vail (Jean Arthur) is desperate to leave her jealous and manipulative husband, the millionaire Bruce Vail (Colin Clive).  Bruce concocts a sordid scheme to frame his, to this point, faithful wife as an adulterer in order to prevent her from divorcing him.  All goes wrong when Paul Dumond (Charles Boyer), head waiter at the Chateau Bleu, rescues Irene and, naturally, the two of them fall in love.  It's quite a convoluted setup for a story that leads across the Atlantic and back again, reaching its climax when the ocean liner Irene and Paul are on hits an iceberg.  The ship is the Princess Irene, owned by Bruce Vail and named for his wife.

You take a step back and it's an absolutely ridiculous story.  Best not to think about it too hard.  Just enjoy the romp.

And it is fun.  Arthur and Boyer are both charming and Clive is great as the slimy villain.  Leo Carillo is delightful as Paul's sidekick, the chef Cesare.

From a filmmaking perspective, the most interesting part is the ship crashing into the iceberg.  I imagine the collision itself was accomplished with miniatures.  The most realistic element was the huge blocks of ice falling onto the deck - impressive by 1937 standards.

The basic romance - a terrible man usurped by a handsome charmer - is not entirely unlike the one in 1997's Titanic.  I have found no reference to a direct link between the two ship-meets-iceberg films but the similarity is intriguing, nonetheless.

Star Trek: In Purgatory's Shadow

Episode: "In Purgatory's Shadow"

Series: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Season 5, Episode 14

Original Air Date: February 10, 1997

via Memory Alpha

Garak episode!

Garak receives an encoded message from Enabran Tain, his old spymaster - surprising since Tain was presumed dead.  Garak and Worf head off in a runabout to the Gamma Quadrant to investigate.  They are captured and placed in a seemingly inescapable interment camp, conveniently the same one as Tain.  And the real General Martok.  And - what's this? - Julian Bashir.

There are many important reveals in this episode, the first of a two-part story.  Most importantly, we learn that the being on Deep Space 9 we had all believed to be Dr. Julian Bashir is, in fact, a Changeling imposter.  Nearly as shocking, if not quite as impactful on the broader narrative, we learn that Tain is not just Garak's mentor.  He's his father.

This week's story ends with a massive Dominion fleet passing through the wormhole.  It would seem the long-anticipated war is about to become a reality.

No one told Alexander Siddig that his character had been taken over by a shapeshifter until the beginning of filming for "In Purgatory's Shadow."  It was a sensible creative decision in order to preserve the deception.  Those who put more thought into these things than I do theorize that the Changeling must have replaced Bashir sometime before "Rapture," four episodes ago.

Ziyal is back.  Before Garak leaves on his crazy adventure, Ziyal confesses deep affection for him, much to her father's horror.  Dukat tries to get her to leave the station, partly to avoid the war and partly to get her away from Garak.  She refuses, standing up to his overbearing attempt at control.  Go, Ziyal!

Acting Notes

via WikiSein

Melanie Smith was the third and final actor to play the part of Ziyal.  "In Purgatory's Shadow" is her first of six appearances.  Smith was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, December 16, 1962.  Before DS9, she'd had a principal role as Emily Stewart on five seasons of As the World Turns and had played Jerry's girlfriend Rachel Goldstein for three episodes of Seinfeld.  Films include Trancers III, Molly & Gina and Night Hunters.