Star Trek: For the Uniform

Episode: "For the Uniform"

Series: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Season 5, Episode 13

Original Air Date: February 3, 1997

via Memory Alpha

Sisko hunts Eddington, the DS9 security officer who betrayed Starfleet and Sisko specifically by joining the Maquis.  Whenever Sisko gets close, Eddington always manages to sidestep.  Eddington says he wants to be left alone but he also can't help bating our dear captain.  It's quite a game they play.

The Eddington story overall is a good one.  Betrayal is always a meaningful way to kick off a narrative and a manhunt is inherently engaging.  That said, this particular installment is a mixed bag for me.  The quality of storytelling is solid.  But there are elements I find troubling.

First the good.  "For the Uniform" introduces Captain Sanders, commanding officer of the USS Malinche, for his only canon appearance.  Starfleet sends Sanders to take over the Eddington mission from Sisko, seeing the latter as both ineffective and emotionally compromised.  It's a tricky role.  Sanders first approaches Sisko with regret but also with a tinge of a scolding tone.  In the end, he must admit his own failure to catch Eddington and concede the mission is rightfully Sisko's.  His "save me a seat at his court martial line" is a nice face-saving moment, restoring trust between himself and Sisko.  An understated yet effective performance by guest star, Eric Pierpoint.

Now the trouble.  To get his man, Sisko deploys a biological weapon on a Maquis-settlement planet.  That's a war crime, folks, and it sure as hell isn't good Star Trek.  Even his own Defiant crew reacts with disbelief, though they do follow his order.  And this, my friends, is part of the problem with the Sisko as Emissary arc.  If you tell a man he's essentially a god, eventually he'll start to believe you.  Then he'll believe everything he wants is justified as a matter of divine right.

Sound familiar?

"For the Uniform" includes homages to several classic films, including Run Silent, Run Deep, The Adventures of Robin Hood and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.  

Acting Notes

via Wikipedia

For Eric Pierpoint, "For the Uniform" is the second of seven Trek appearances as five different characters on four different series.  Pierpoint was born in Redlands, California, November 18, 1950, though he spent his adolescence in Bethesda, Maryland, not far from where I grew up myself.  He even graduated from Walt Whitman High School, our arch-rival.  For undergrad, he attended the University of the Redlands where he was also captain of the soccer team.  Then he got an MFA from Catholic University.

Pierpoint's best-known role is George Francisco in the Alien Nation series.  Other television work includes Hot Pursuit, Fame and Parks and Recreation.  Films include Windy City, Liar, Liar and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.

Squid Mixes: Bacardi Cocktail

Several years ago, I posted about a cocktail called the Bacardi Special which combined rum, gin, lime juice and grenadine.  At the time, I wondered what the drink would be like without the gin.  Well, of course, there is already a name for such a concoction, the slightly different Bacardi Cocktail.  I got my recipe from The Joy of Mixology by Gary Regan.

Regan's version is intensely sweet, maybe too much so.  Rum generally pairs well with sweet flavors as it is itself sugar-derived.  Gin might help to cut into the sweetness but then so would adjusting the proportions.  Less grenadine next time, I think.  I would still be interested to try the two side-by-side.  My post on the Special praised its balance.  I liked the Cocktail but I would say it's out of balance.

And now, since he obligingly posed for the photo, I should properly introduce the newest cat in our family.  He's been with us for six months now.  Everyone needs an alias here at The Squid.  His shall be Pretty Boy.  It's what I call him half the time anyway.

Star Trek: Coda

Episode: "Coda"

Series: Star Trek: Voyager

Season 3, Episode 15

Original Air Date: January 29, 1997

via Memory Alpha

On the way back to the ship from an away mission, Janeway and Chakotay get caught in a time loop.  Or is Janeway dying?  Or both?  Eventually, an ethereal entity disguised as her own deceased father strives to lure our captain into the afterlife and away from her Voyager crew.

Honestly, the story for "Coda" is kind of all over the place.  The time loop idea is ultimately meaningless, part of a near-death hallucination.  In fact, did any of what Janeway experienced "really happen"?

And yet there is something meaningful weaved in through it all.  Star Trek has never been shy about exploring death, and not simply the obvious loss aspect either.  Is there an afterlife?  The franchise has, in fact, offered several different answers to that question.  "Coda" suggests the involvement of a higher intelligence.  What is "god" if not a higher intelligence?  Again, this is all well-tread territory for Trek and it won't be the last time for such questions.

"Coda" manages to offer an interesting angle: how does the person dying cope with the fact that she will no longer be a part of other people's lives?  In effect, how does she mourn herself?  For nearly three seasons worth of television, Janeway's primary drive has been getting her crew back to the Alpha Quadrant.  If she dies, she can't help them any more.  She can watch in a ghost state but she can't impact.  She will play no role in their successes or their failures.  Ever-growing loneliness is inevitable.  The only alternative is acceptance and she's not ready for that.

As is so often the case with Voyager, the basic premise is good while elements of the execution fall flat.  First, an obvious narrative oversight: Janeway never catches on to the fact that the one time Kes was able to sense her presence was when Kes physically passed through the Janeway ghost.  Why didn't the captain think to try that again?  The movie Ghost had come out in 1990.  In Ghost, that trick worked - with Whoopi Goldberg's character, no less!  A narrative question has a narrative answer: that wasn't the point of this story.  Whatever.  The inconsistency distracted me.  

Then the funeral speeches from the crew - so moving and so... staged.  It's sweet.  None of it feels organic.  It feels like a school play.  "Okay, it's your turn to emote now..."  DS9 is always effortless.  Voyager rarely is.  I know I just need to move past the differences but it's hard when the gap is evident.  Better actors + better writing = superior narrative flow.  Every time.

But the death stuff is interesting.

Acting Notes

The guest star cannot be blamed for "weak acting."  They brought in a heavyweight for "Coda."

via Blue Bloods Wiki

Len Cariou ("ghost" of Vice Admiral Janeway) was born in Saint Boniface, Manitoba, September 30, 1939.  He started both acting and directing while he was still in high school.  He graduated from St. Paul's College in Winnipeg.  

After several years at the Guthrie in Minneapolis, Cariou made his Broadway debut in 1968.  He received Tony nominations for his lead performances in Applause opposite Lauren Bacall and A Little Night Music opposite Elizabeth Taylor.  The Tony win finally came in 1979 when he debuted the title role in Sweeney Todd, opposite Angela Lansbury.  Films include The Four Seasons, Prisoners and the Best Picture Oscar winner Spotlight.  He's done well on television, too.  He was in the principal cast of Blue Bloods for 14 seasons.  He has had recurring roles in Murder, She Wrote, Brotherhood and Damages.  

On the Road: The Botanic Garden of Smith College

Star Trek: The Begotten

Episode: "The Begotten"

Series: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Season 5, Episode 12

Original Air Date: January 27, 1997

via Wikipedia

Quark sells a young changeling - little more than a jar of goo at this stage - to Odo, effectively making our dear constable a parent.  Odo sets about trying to teach his young charge to shapeshift, a bit tricky given that he can't do it himself anymore.  At Captain Sisko's urging, Odo enlists the help of his own Bajoran mentor/father, Dr. Mora.  Meanwhile, Kira gives birth to the O'Briens' baby.

"Begotten" can be challenging to watch at times as it treads on tricky territory. As previously explored in "The Alternate," Odo is highly resentful of Mora.  Before realizing Odo was a sentient life form, the scientist poked and prodded, generally making Odo miserable.  From Odo's perspective, it was an abusive relationship and his anger is understandable.  Mora, on the other hand, is fully convinced that he was doing what he thought was best.  There was no handbook for raising a Changeling so he had to make it up as he went along.  From the Odo-Mora viewpoint, "Begotten" is a story of forgiveness.

But the more interesting and gratifying tale is the relationship between Odo and his child.  Odo takes a gentler approach than Mora had and with gratifying results.  The young Changeling rising up to form Odo's face in a clear sign of affection is one of DS9's most moving moments.  

The episode ends bittersweetly on multiple fronts.  Saddest, the young Changeling dies.  However, in so doing, it dissolves into Odo, restoring the latter's shapeshifting abilities.  Odo's parting with Mora is surprisingly emotional.  They even hug.  Finally, Kira expresses regret over no longer being with the new baby - probably a very real emotional rollercoaster for many surrogate mothers.

Acting Notes

via Memory Alpha

Peggy Roeder played the role of Y'Pora, Kira's Bajoran midwife.  "Begotten" is Roeder's only Trek appearance.  Other television guest roles include Wings, ER and Law & Order.  Her most memorable movie role may be the piano teacher in Groundhog Day.  Other films include Eagle Eye, Road to Perdition and The Lake House.

On the Road: Noho in Two Photos

A moose head over the bar - standard New England choice

An alligator head just a few feet away - decidedly less so

Both can be found at Packard's in Northampton, Massachusetts.

Star Trek: Alter Ego

Episode: "Alter Ego"

Series: Star Trek: Voyager

Season 3, Episode 14

Original Air Date: January 15, 1997

via Memory Alpha

Ensign Harry Kim is in love with Marayna, a holodeck character in Neelix's luau program.  He's got it bad.  It's interfering with his work.  He goes to Tuvok for guidance on emotional control.  The Lieutenant goes to the holodeck to check out Marayna.  She ends up falling for Tuvok instead.  Perhaps there is more to Marayna than originally suspected.

"Alter Ego" is a great Tuvok episode.  I'm finding there are a lot of those.  Tuvok provides more in-depth exploration of Vulcan culture and philosophy than Spock ever did.  Kim's questions and especially Marayna's challenges reveal much of Tuvok's own thinking, even bringing new and unexpected self-awareness.   "Alter Ego" also introduces kal-toh, a complicated and beautiful Vulcan strategy game.  

via Memory Alpha

Solution via Memory Alpha

The story is a meaningful continuation of a couple TNG holodeck threads.  Falling in love with a holodeck character hearkens back to "11001001," NextGen's best Season 1 offering.  Such a character taking over the ship is an expansion of Moriarty's efforts in "Ship in a Bottle."

Acting Notes

via Memory Alpha

Sandra Nelson (Maryana) was born in Madison, Wisconsin, December 29, 1964.  "Alter Ego" is her first of two Trek appearances.  She played Phyllis Summers for two years on The Young and the Restless.  Films include Life as a House, De-Lovely and The Wolf of Wall Street.  Other television guest roles include ER, Monk and NCIS.