Squiddies 2026

The Armchair Squid turns seventeen years old today.  It's time to hand out some hardware.  The Squiddy goes to...

Biggest Surprise: Our Kid, the Sports Fan

It was the winter of 2006, twenty years ago.  I had Olympic hockey on TV, our child's first exposure to the game.  They ran to their room and grabbed the nearest hockey stick-like object - probably a wrapping paper tube - and returned to the living room yelling "My turn! My turn!"  I was sure we had a future player on our hands. 

That didn't exactly pan out.  They grew into a performing arts kid instead.  I can't complain.  I was one, too.  

Just in the past few years, they've found an unexpected interest in spectator sports.  It started with professional wrestling, of all things.  The two of us went to see Pro Wrestling GRIND in late February which would have been plenty enough of a surprise for me in itself even though it was technically my suggestion.

The real magic came with this year's Olympics when they fell in love with women's hockey.  Wouldn't you know it, there's a relatively new professional league with a team in nearby Montreal!  We went to a game during their spring break, then followed the rest of the season together on YouTube.  When a new women's baseball league launched this summer, they were the ones who pushed for watching the inaugural game together.

This development has already had a major impact on my own sports-viewing habits and I expect it will continue to do so for a while.

Biggest Disappointment: The Little Squirt's Passing

Our cat - my all-time favorite cat - got cancer.  We tried some of the lower cost treatment options but eventually made the tough choice and had her put down.  I know it was the merciful, responsible decision.  She was in pain.  Still, I miss her.  I expect I may always miss her.

RIP, little one.  I love you.

Best Read: Human Diastrophism by Gilbert Hernandez

via Amazon

Over the past year-plus, I've gone on a deep dive with the Hernandez brothers' Love and Rockets comics.  Human Diastrophism was the second collection of Palomar stories I read.  Palomar is a fictional Central American town where we get to know the residents over several generations.  Cute little kids grow up to be young adults with complicated sex lives with the turn of a page.  Terrible things happen to the community in this volume: a serial killer's rampage, an earthquake.  Because of the intimacy of the narrative, I as the reader ache for my dear friends.  Hernandez's masterful storytelling is best exhibited in a story about Pipo, a young woman who has moved from Palomar to Los Angeles.  The tales told in the images and the text are entirely independent of one another.

Best Comics Find: Human Diastrophism by Gilbert Hernandez

See above.

Athlete of the Year: Laura Stacey

via Wikipedia

Right wing Laura Stacey was the first star of the Montreal Victoire game we went to with two goals and an assist.  Over the rest of the season, she became my favorite, the sort of player who, in addition to scoring plenty, is seemingly always diving across the ice after a loose puck.  She plays with joy and competitive fire.  Seriously, what more can you ask of a professional athlete?

The Victoire went on to win the Walter Cup, the Professional Women's Hockey League championship trophy.  Stacey isn't even the team's best player.  That would be her wife, Marie-Philip Poulin, considered by many to be women's hockey's GOAT.  Poulin is captain of both the Victoire and the Canadian national team.  Together, Stacey and Poulin form two thirds of Montreal's "Wife Line" along with left wing Abby Roque.  They are almost certainly the best first line in the league and even with expansion, they're all coming back next season.

And, of course, Canada won silver in women's hockey at the Olympics: Stacey's third medal for her career (including one gold) and Poulin's fifth (three golds).

Up for some highlights?  Here's every goal Stacey scored in the league this year: 7 in the regular season, 3 in the playoffs.

Best Family Adventure: Northampton, Massachusetts

Northampton has played a marvelous role in our lives over the past four years.  Home to Smith College, it is also one of the great hippie enclaves of New England, by census data the gayest city in the United States and more female-forward than just about any place I've ever been.  Smith, a women's college since its founding in 1871, is a big part of that, of course.  But the female energy runs a lot deeper.  No joke, I fell in love with the place and I already miss having an excuse to visit regularly.  The kid's future plans are still forming and it is absolutely possible they could end up living in that part of the world again.  But for now, I'll settle for wonderfully pleasant memories.

Star Trek: Real Life

Episode: "Real Life"

Series: Star Trek: Voyager

Season 3, Episode 22

Original Air Date: April 23, 1997

via Memory Alpha

In his ongoing effort to broaden his own experiences, the Doctor creates a holodeck family for himself: a wife and two children.  Predictably, they are all nauseatingly perfect.  Torres makes a few tweaks to the program in order to provide the EMH - Kenneth to his family - with a more realistic experience.  Shocker, his wife and kids are now quite a lot more resistant to his efforts to control them.  What starts as chaos quickly turns to heartbreak when his daughter Bella suffers a terrible accident.

This is all part of the Doctor's wish to better understand his patients and it's an admirable goal.  The real barrier isn't so much lack of experience as lack of emotional range.  Last episode, I mentioned Kes's exceptional empathy.  Her strength is the Doctor's deficit.  Brilliant as he's constantly reminding everyone he is, he doesn't get people.  Unfortunately, that's a real world problem for too many in the medical profession. 

How does a computer program improve in this area?  As this story demonstrates, confronting pain and loss is important.  Perhaps most important of all for this particular character, admitting his own limits and vulnerability is essential.

The episode is good, but not nearly as good as the Starfleet Academy episode "The Life of the Stars" which referenced it 29 years later.

Acting Notes

via American Dad Wikia

Wendy Schaal played the role of Charlene, the Doctor's holodeck wife.  She was born in Chicago, July 2, 1954.  Her father Richard Schall was also a television actor who later married Valerie Harper, a fact which certainly helped Wendy's own acting career.  Wendy studied at Los Angeles City College.

Films have included Innerspace, The 'Burbs and Small Soldiers.  On television, she's had regular roles on Fantasy Island, Good Grief and It's a Living.  Early in her career, she made guest appearances on such classic shows as Little House on the Prairie, Rhoda and Welcome Back, Kotter among others.  She's had a successful voice acting career, including playing Francine Smith on American Dad! for the past 22 seasons and counting.  

Squid Mixes: Chanticleer

A Chanticleer combines gin, lemon juice, raspberry syrup and egg whites.  I got my recipe from The New York Bartender's Guide.  The word chanticleer means rooster, often referring specifically to the rooster character in Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales.  The drink was invented at New York's Waldorf-Astoria to celebrate the 1910 opening of Edmond Rostand's play Chantecler.  

I have a new toy in my mixing arsenal: Fee Foam.  It's essentially a synthetic egg white substitute, handy since the real thing has a very limited shelf life, even in the fridge.  Plus, Fee Foam avoids allergic reactions, not to mention the current salmonella outbreak.  I learned about the stuff from our niece, of all people, who works in a restaurant.  Basically, you add 4-6 drops in lieu of an egg white before shaking.  From what I've seen so far, the foam is not as impressive as what you get with the real thing.  But the advantages are undeniable so I'm happy to play around with it.

Wife and child (over 21) agreed that the result tasted like melted sorbet - a bit on the sweet side but good.

My main association with the word chanticleer is the men's vocal group - the best in the world.  Enjoy:

Star Trek: Ties of Blood and Water

Episode: "Ties of Blood and Water"

Series: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Season 5, Episode 19

Original Air Date: April 14, 1997

via Memory Alpha

Major Kira invites Tekeny Ghamor to the station in order to provide intel on the Cardassians.  Back in Season 3's "Second Skin," Kira learned that a Cardassian operative, Iliana, who looked an awful lot like her had been sent undercover to infiltrate the Bajoran resistance.  Ghamor was Iliana's father.  In the midst of confusion and heartbreak, Kira and Ghamor formed a genuine, loving bond.  Ghamor is no fan of the current Cardassian regime and is happy to help bring them down.  To complicate matters for all involved, he's dying.  Meanwhile, Dukat is demanding that Ghamor be extradited.  

Without question, "Second Skin" is one of the very best DS9 episodes and well-deserving of a sequel.  In all honesty, I would have preferred a continuation of the Iliana story but what we got instead is plenty interesting in its own right.  Ghamor's death dredges up Kira's regrets about her own father's passing.  The two tales are linked by the fear of dying alone and, of course, the accompanying remorse of the survivors.  Confronting death and aging has been an important recurring theme with Trek from the beginning - clearly important topics for creator Gene Roddenberry.  

"Ties of Blood and Water" adds rich complexity to the character of Kira Nerys who already had plenty.  She must find forgiveness in her heart for Ghamor regarding his role in the occupation while also coming to terms with the grief she feels in losing him.  Powerful stuff.

Acting Notes

via West Wing Wiki

William Lucking played the role of Furel, one of Kira's comrades during the Resistance.  Furel passed away in his first appearance, "The Darkness and the Light."  In "Ties of Blood and Water," he appears in the flashback to Kira's father's death.  This is the actor's second of three Trek appearances.  

Lucking was born in Vicksburg, Michigan, June 17, 1941.  He graduated from UCLA and the Pasadena Playhouse.  He co-founded the Santa Paula Theater Center in 1986 and served as its artistic director for five years.

Films include The Magnificent Seven Ride!, The Rundown and Erin Brockovich.  On television, Lucking had starring roles on Outlaws and Sons of Anarchy and a recurring role on The A-Team.  Guest credits include M*A*S*H, The Greatest American Hero and The West Wing.

Lucking passed away in 2021.

Squid Eats: Palmer Lane Maple

Creemee is Vermont's term for soft serve ice cream.  Our state's twist (pun intended) on the concept is higher butterfat content and, of course, the most famous flavor is maple.  Palmer Lane Maple in Jericho is our local shop.

The Palmers started out as a retail store, with a wide assortment of products from the family's own maple operation: maple candy, maple sugar and, of course, loads of maple syrup, all grades.  Business really took off, though, when they started selling creemees during the warmer months.  They've won Seven Days's Daysie award for Best Creemee in Chittenden County the past four years in a row.  

Squid Mixes: Joaquin Simó's Sidecar

After making the raspberry limeade involved in last week's cocktail, my wife had a bit of left over simple syrup.  I have been charged with finding cocktail recipes to make use of it.  First up is Joaquin Simó's Sidecar from Robert Simonson's 3-Ingredient Cocktails.  Simó's variation combines cognac, dry curaçao, lemon juice and the crucial simple syrup.  

It's probable that my resulting drink didn't turn out quite like Simó's as he lists a specific cognac and a specific curaçao.  No doubt both are higher quality than I'm willing to shell out for.  But mine was still a nice sidecar, if perhaps not noticeably better than my own home recipe.  

We still have plenty of syrup left so stay tuned.

Squid Mixes: Raspberry Limeade Cocktail

I will admit upfront, my wife did the hard part for this one.  She made the raspberry limeade, following the Vanessa's Raz recipe in olive + gourmando: The Cookbook by Dyan Solomon, owner of olive + gourmando, one of our favorite Montreal restaurants.  My job was to find the best liquor pairing.

I chose gin over vodka or rum, the other suggestions I saw online.  In my experience, gin draws flavors together while vodka pushes them apart. And rum just adds more sweetness, undesirable in this case as the tartness of the two fruits needs to shine.

The drink was our picnic cocktail for the Vermont Symphony's America 250 performance in Shelburne, held at Shelburne Museum, facing west - ideal for a glorious sunset.

If you squint for this one, you might recognize Bernie Sanders, our Senior Senator and a leading light for progressive politics in the United States for a decade-plus.  Bernie was the narrator for "Vermont Is a State I Love," a speech by Calvin Coolidge, backed by Edward Elgar's Chanson de Matin.

Star Trek: Favorite Son

Episode: "Favorite Son"

Series: Star Trek: Voyager

Season 3, Episode 20

Original Air Date: March 19, 1997

via Memory Alpha

Harry Kim is inexplicably drawn to the planet Taresia where the natives tell him he is one of their own.  An agent of their world traveled to Earth long ago and injected Taresian DNA into Harry's mother.  Now that he's finally "come home," the Taresians are eager for him to stay, marry three wives and have loads of children.  The Doctor's scans confirm that Harry does, indeed, carry Taresian DNA but something's fishy...

"Favorite Son" is the last of a three-episode run often referred to by fans as the "trilogy of terror."  In other words, they're notoriously bad.  I don't really think any of them are so terrible.  A little Harry development is always nice and it's only fitting that an Odyssey-like series should have a Sirens episode.  "Favorite Son" is definitely sexist so if that's the complaint, I will concede the point.  But otherwise, the story's okay - certainly far from terrible.  We've seen worse from Voyager!

 

In the end, it is revealed that the Taresian DNA was implanted in Harry long after his birth.  However, in the original script, there is no such plot twist.  Harry is a Taresian and would have been for the rest of the series.  That could have been interesting.  Instead, the writers let themselves off the hook for trying to figure out how to incorporate the revelation in future stories.

Acting Notes

via Criminal Minds Wiki

Cari Shayne played the role of Eliann, one of the Taresian women eager to marry Harry.  She was born in Sellersville, Tennessee, September 8, 1972.  Career highlights including recurring roles on General Hospital, Party of Five and The Bay.  She's also made guest appearances on Murder, She Wrote, Criminal Minds and This Is Us.  Films include Exposé, Jack the Dog and Good Fortune.

On the Road: DC, Summer 2026

I recently visited my parents in Washington, my first summertime trip in many years.  DC's heat and humidity can be brutal and as such, it's not always the most inviting city this time of year.  But parent needs are on the increase and downsizing is likely soon.  I'm probably going to need to spend more time down there in the coming years.  

Sightseeing was not a high priority this time.  I went through all of my stuff in storage and hauled four big boxes of books to the public library.  I also touched base with old friends, including a couple I'd not seen in decades.  Overall, it was a meaningfully grounding trip.  And also very hot.

I did make it to the Smithsonian one day.  Inspired by our recent Montreal trip, I targeted the Museum of the American Indian (MAI) this time - my third visit, I think.  It's a funky spot and not especially popular, certainly not by Washington standards.  Compared with the city's other big museums about marginalized populations - the Holocaust Memorial Museum and the Museum of African American History and Culture - the MAI is not built around a single, unifying narrative and I expect it may feel inaccessible to people as a result.  

To a point, this reflects a deliberate choice made during the museum's creation.  Indigenous America is not a monolith.  There were and still are literally thousands of different cultures across two vast continents.  They speak different languages and follow different customs.  Even their post-European contact experiences have varied (though there are certainly common themes).  So, one story to represent everyone would be impossible.  

There were two exhibits I particularly enjoyed this time.  Return to a Native Place: Algonquian Peoples of the Chesapeake documents the experience of indigenous tribes of the Chesapeake region which, of course, includes both DC and the Maryland of my childhood.  

The Americans exhibits the roles and representations of indigenous peoples in contemporary American society, including a full documentation of the Trail of Tears, a tragic historical event only partially understood if at all by the vast majority of white Americans.  

One part of the museum has gotten rave reviews from the beginning: the Mitistam Native Foods Cafe, one of the Smithsonian's best restaurants.  I got a fried bread taco with chicken.  No, I did not manage to eat the entire thing. 

In many ways, I feel I have reached a crossroads in life.  Family needs are changing.  Professionally, I certainly have a lot more years behind me than in front of me - or at least, I'd damn well better!  One question I ask myself these days: "What do I still want to learn?"  Honestly, it's a long list but the last couple weeks have helped to bring focus.  I want to learn more about the non-white perspective on the history of the United States.  Obviously, a lot of the truth is uncomfortable, especially from my own white perspective.  But it's a healthy discomfort and frankly, the truth is genuinely fascinating and often even inspiring.  And the traditional white perspective is delusional.  It's well past time for all of us to pull back the veil.

Even during the height of World Cup mania, I find myself intrigued by lacrosse.  The Haudenosaunee Confederacy, also known as the Iroquois, are the only indigenous nation represented in international sport and lacrosse is their game.  The Iroquois invented lacrosse, you see, and they are a genuine power on the global scene.  In 2028, lacrosse will be an Olympic medal sport for the first time since 1908.  The Haudenosaunee are campaigning to compete independently.  In fact, many top players have said they will only compete for an indigenous team. 

Both Joe Biden and Justin Trudeau supported the movement but with Trump and his band of racist dickheads currently in charge, US follow through on that support seems unlikely.

(You didn't really think I'd miss a chance to take a dig at the Orange One, did you?)

Star Trek: Rise

Episode: "Rise"

Series: Star Trek: Voyager

Season 3, Episode 19

Original Air Date: February 26, 1997

via Memory Alpha

Always happy to make nice with the locals while they're passing through, the Voyager crew are helping protect a Nezu colony from an asteroid bombardment.  But there's something fishy going on.  The ship's torpedoes should be obliterating the asteroids and yet fragments are still making it to the planet surface.  A Nezu scientist reports that the asteroids appear to be artificial.  Our friends send down three shuttles on a rescue mission including one led by Tuvok and Neelix.  They are forced to make an emergency landing and that's where the real fun begins.

"Rise" explores the difficult relationship between Tuvok and Neelix.  It's well established by this point in the series that Neelix drives Tuvok crazy.  Neelix is impulsive, moody, gregarious and seemingly unserious: everything that a logical Vulcan abhors.  Now here they are, in a situation in which they absolutely have to work together in order to survive.  For perhaps the first time, Neelix proves his value - as well as the value of his own particular strengths - to the Lieutenant.  It's a big deal.

The story is based on the 1965 film, The Flight of the Phoenix.

Acting Notes

via Wikipedia

Alan Oppenheimer played the role of a Nezu ambassador.  It was his third of three Trek appearances on three different series.  Oppenheimer was born in New York City, April 23, 1930.

Television work includes appearances on Hogan's Heroes, Get Smart and Happy Days.  Film credits include Westworld and the narrator in The NeverEnding Story.  He had an extensive voice acting career, beginning in the 1970s.  He worked on several Filmation shows, including Flash Gordon, Ghostbusters and The Smurfs and yet, interestingly, never Trek's animated series.

Star Trek: Doctor Bashir, I Presume

Episode: "Doctor Bashir, I Presume"

Series: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Season 5, Episode 16

Original Air Date: February 24, 1997

via Memory Alpha

Robert Picardo guest stars as both Dr. Lewis Zimmerman and the Emergency Medical Hologram he created in his own likeness.  The scientist is designing a new and improved medical hologram and wishes to use the handsome and talented Dr. Bashir as the model.  To do the job, Zimmerman requires intimate knowledge of Julian's psyche, including a deep probe of his past.  To this end, Zimmerman invites our doctor's parents to the station for interviews, against Julian's explicit wishes.  In an accidental slip up, Mom and Dad reveal a dark secret: Julian was illegally genetically enhanced as a young child.

Meanwhile, Zimmerman takes a shine to Leeta, forcing Rom out of his shyness to confess his love for her.  Fortunately, she loves him, too, and DS9's happiest and healthiest romance is finally realized.

I have mixed feelings about the Genetically Enhanced Julian storyline.  In the writers' ongoing need to make the character more interesting, I think they went a bit too far with this one.  He's superhuman?  That doesn't make him more likable.  Contrast his with Rom's arc.  We root like hell for Quark's little brother.  At this point, Rom is one of the strongest recurring characters and for DS9, that's saying quite a lot.  The writers didn't change Rom.  They simply put him in circumstances where he'd best be able to shine.  With Bashir, they try too hard.  And so does Julian.  In my defense, the development came as a late surprise for actor Alexander Siddig and he wasn't too happy about it initially either.

But postgaming the episode with our child brought new perspective for me...

They feel the augmentation plotline has parallels with nonconsensual genital surgeries performed on intersex children.  Julian didn't have a choice in undergoing the procedure.  In fact, he didn't even fully understand what had been done to him until later.  The same is true for infants born with non-conforming genitals.  In both cases, the parents have made what is essentially a cosmetic choice motivated by the long-term well-being of the child.

I think it's hard to fault the parents in either case.  We all want what's best for our kids and will go to great lengths to ensure their well-being.  But where is the limit?  For the Trek universe, there's a legal limit regarding genetic enhancement.  Regarding intersex children, parents have all the power, though the medical establishment certainly has influence in the matter.

It's an interesting question - the sort of question Trek should be encouraging all of us to ponder.

One fun note: Fadwa El Guindi (Amsha Bashir) was not a professional actor at all.  At the time, she was an anthropology professor at UCLA.  A casting agent discovered her at a community theater performance and El Guindi auditioned for Trek on a whim.  The episode is her only on-screen acting credit.

Acting Notes

via Wikipedia

Chase Masterson (Leeta) was born Christianne Carafano in Colorado Springs, February 26, 1963.  She graduated from the University of Texas with a BFA.  She made 17 appearances as Leeta on DS9 plus a voice appearance on Lower Decks.  The television resume also includes guest appearances on General Hospital, Sliders and ER.  Her film Yesterday Was a Lie earned her a Best Feature Film Producer award at the LA Femme Film Festival in 2008.

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.

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.  

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.  

On the Coffee Table: The Hernandez Brothers

Title: Love and Rockets

- Human Diastrophism

- Perla la Loca

- Beyond Palomar

- Amor y Cohetes

- Penny Century

- Esperanza

- Luba and Her Family

Writers and artists: Gil, Jaime and Mario Hernandez

Since my last post about the series in August, I've gone on a deep dive with Love and Rockets, powering through seven more trades.  For the most part, each volume is devoted entirely either to Jaime Hernandez's Locas world or Gil Hernandez's Palomar, though few of those are actually set in Palomar anymore, much of the family having moved to Los Angeles.  The exception is Amor y Cohotes which includes unrelated material from each of the two main creators, plus a few stories from brother Mario.  

I won't pretend that over several hundred pages, all of the material is great.  But when Love and Rockets is good, it is astonishingly good.  The greatest strength throughout is the seemingly effortless intimacy.  A few thoughts on specific volumes:

Human Diastrophism

via Amazon

Palomar stories.  The residents suffer through a serial killer and an earthquake.  For the reader, it's rough when terrible things happen to a community you care about.  Kids grow up too fast as decades often pass in just a few pages.  The most interesting story follows Pipo - interesting because the tale told in the images is independent of the one told in the text.

Perla la Loca

via Amazon

Maggie and Hopey start out in Hoppers (LA) but ultimately wind up on separate cross-country adventures.  Loads of wrestling in this one.

Beyond Palomar

This one moves way too fast for me.  Quite a lot of time passes from one panel to the next and it's hard to keep track of it all.  This is also the book where, as the title suggest, the characters start to move away from Palomar to the US.  When they finally do make it back, it feels like coming home for me, too.

Amor y Cohetes

via Amazon

This one is a collection of shorter pieces.  My love for the series relies on absorption and I couldn't get into most of the material here.  However, AyC does include a truly excellent biography of artist Frida Kahlo with images based on her work.

Penny Century

Back to Locas.  One of the most important through stories of L&R is the on-and-off-again love affair between Maggie and Hopey.  They're rarely actually dating.  In fact, they're both usually with other people.  But they still hook up with each other seemingly every chance they get and clearly, it's not just about sex.  There is a potent love between them.

However, it's not exactly equal.  Hopey is the more attached (though also the less dependable) of the two.  At one point in this volume, she muses about the nature of the relationship, basically acknowledging that it's all pretty messed up but in the end, she'll take what she can get from Maggie.  

I've heard people say this in the real world, too.  In effect, they'll take all of the dysfunction over being alone.  Honestly, I've never understood that attitude.  But here, I kind of understand it.  Hopey knows they can never have anything normal.  But she's in love with Maggie.  She doesn't really have a choice.  If it's the mess or nothing, she'll take the mess.

It's still unhealthy.  But I kind of get it.

More wrestling.  

Esperanza

via Amazon

Still with Locas.  Esperanza is Hopey's given name.  Esperanza, of course, is the Spanish word for hope.

The truth is, it's nearly impossible not to fall in love with Maggie.  Most of the other characters do at one point or another.  I kinda did, too.  She's not perfect - far from it.  But she's believable, accessible, vulnerable, unassuming.  Her reflections on her divorce - from a marriage that never even seemed to be especially important to her - comprise my favorite story in the entire series.  

We're also reminded that she's still a kickass mechanic.

And still more wrestling.

Luba and Her Family

via Amazon

Much of this collection is told from the viewpoint of the precocious Venus, Luba's niece, as she writes letters to her cousin back in Palomar.  Venus, probably about 10 years old, is hilarious and her insights into her family are keen.  However, her perspective is far from omniscient.  There's quite a lot of sex going on among the adults, including her own mother's extra-marital affairs.

In my previous post, I proclaimed Palomar to be the superior of the two main worlds.  I've since changed my mind.  Those stories are still good but for me, they lose something after the family moves to the States.  Meanwhile, Maggie and Hopey always draw me back.

I've still got two more trades on my shelves and there are two more beyond that in this series.  At this point, I see no reason not to read all of them.

Squid Mixes: Empress Aviation

I last posted about the Aviation cocktail about five years ago (see here).  I first posted about Empress Gin, dyed indigo with butterfly pea flower, about three years ago (see here).  When my wife recently requested an Aviation (a drink she's been ordering a lot at restaurants lately), I thought to put them together in order to enhance the purple color.  While Empress Gin has a recipe of their own on the company website, I chose to stick with the recipe in David Lebovitz's Drinking French in order to maintain flavor balance (and not cut out the creme de violette altogether).  

As I hope you can see in the photos, my latest attempt is definitely more purple than my 2021 effort.

2026

2021

However, they're still not as dark as the ones The Playwright made for us back in 2016.

2016

Sadly, he's not around anymore to ask but my guess is that he swapped the 2:1 proportion between the maraschino liqueur and the creme de violette in favor of the latter.  I may try that next time.  My wife has also suggested that his were more bitter which could bring greater flavor balance.

Star Trek: Blood Fever

Episode: "Blood Fever"

Series: Star Trek: Voyager

Season 3, Episode 16

Original Air Date: February 5, 1997

via Memory Alpha

Ensign Vorik attacks B'Elanna Torres.  He is suffering through the pon farr, an intense Vulcan hormonal episode which crops up every seven years.  Torres, in turn, starts exhibiting the same symptoms, a la rabies.  She turns her own attention to Tom Paris.  The episode is, in many ways, an homage to the original series's "Amok Time."

There's a lot of ickiness here.  Consent is evidently not a major concern for a Vulcan experiencing pon farr and Vorik is too easily forgiven for his attack.  There is also a problematic perspective on non-human species (too easily interpreted as "non-white") as animalistic when not properly controlled.  

On the bright side, I appreciate the Doctor's broad and inclusive attitude toward sexual understanding across humanoid species.  We could do with a bit more of that here at home in the 21st century.

The story is another step on the road to B'Elanna and Tom having a more romantic and sexual involvement.  Fortunately, the relationship to come is a lot healthier than what we see here.

Acting Notes

via Memory Alpha

Alexander Enberg played the role of Vorik, "Blood Fever" being one of eight appearances for the character.  Enberg also played Taurik in the NextGen episode "Lower Decks."  I think it would have been nice if Taurik's story could have been continued via Voyager but the producers preferred having an all-new character.  Jeri Taylor - executive producer and also Enberg's mother - once suggested that Vorik and Taurik are twin brothers.  In total, Enberg has played four different Trek characters.

Enberg was born in Los Angeles, April 5, 1972.  He is the son of the aforementioned Jeri Taylor and legendary sportscaster Dick Enberg.  Beyond Trek, Enberg appeared in Quincy, M.E., Simon & Simon and Jake and the Fatman.  Films include Pump Up the Volume, Junior and Senseless.