A Morn episode... without Morn

6x12 - "Who Mourns for Morn?"

QUARK: "Oh, that-that can't be! There's... there's no latinum in these bricks!"
ODO: "What?"
QUARK: "Someone's extracted ALL THE LATINUM! There's nothing here but worthless gold!"
ODO: "And it's all yours."
QUARK: "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"


For some time during Deep Space Nine's run, the writers had wanted to do a Morn-centric episode.  However, the crux of the character was the fact that he never spoke on camera (although he was reportedly quite verbose otherwise).  So the question became, how do you do an episode about someone who is not allowed to speak?  The answer, it turns out, was fairly simple: you have to do an episode about Morn that didn't actually feature Morn for the most of the hour.

This episode, while enjoyable, was not one of DS9's finest hours.  Many times, the plot seems a little thin, and some aspects of the story clash with things that had already been established within the Trek universe.  For example, if latinum is a liquid at room temperature, how could Lwaxana Troi have a latinum hair brooch in "The Forsaken"?  Or how could the Nagal residence on Ferenginar have latinum-plated plumbing fixtures?  Minor quibbles, to be sure, but I am a Trekkie after all.  Obsessiveness is part and parcel.

Krit and Nahsk threaten Quark

Our first look at Larell

Hain, deep in thought

What does make this episode enjoyable is the guest cast.  The "mobster" brothers Krit and Nahsk are well-played by Brad Greenquist and Cyril O'Reilly.  Bridget Ann White is quite alluring as Morn's supposed "ex-wife" (actually co-conspirator) Larell.  My favorite, however, is the bumbling, idiotic Hain, played by one of my all-time favorite guest actors, Gregory Itzin.  Mr. Itzin pops up from time to time in various television shows, usually playing memorable guest roles.  Arguably, his most famous turn is as President Charles Logan in the Fox television series 24.  In fact, this is not Gregory Itzin's first role in Star Trek; he previously played Ilon Tandro in the first season DS9 episode "Dax," and would go on to play a role in Star Trek: Voyager and two different roles in Enterprise.  Armin Shimerman, of course, is a wonderful actor, and the earnestness and believability he brings to the character of Quark really help sell this episode.

Morn, proud owner of a new painting

Another aspect of this episode that appeals to my Trekkie-obsessiveness is the attention paid to continuity.  Remember that painting in Morn's quarters?  The one that is smashed over Quark's head by the mobster brothers?  Well, we actually see Morn purchasing that painting at an auction in the fifth season episode "In the Cards."

Mark Alan Shepherd as not Morn

Also, a small in-joke:  During Quark's eulogy for Morn, he says that Morn's barstool should never be empty, and directs a Bajoran man to sit in it.  That man is, in fact, Mark Alan Shepherd, the man who played Morn for all seven seasons of Deep Space Nine.







For the most part, a fairly average outing for the DS9 group... I would have to give this episode a 6/10.  Competent, interesting, but overall nothing really amazing.

Also, I would be quite remiss if I didn't say that I really enjoyed watching this episode with Miramanee over Skype.  It was great to watch Trek with her once again, an experience I hope we can repeat in the future.

Next Time:

Yay.  That is all.

“You know Morn, he never shuts up”

Who Mourns for Morn?

So I just had one of the best Star Trek viewing experiences ever.  It wasn’t the episode that was so great.   It wasn’t watching the episode on a screen that wasn’t my 27inch, almost flat screen, 2003 Toshiba tv.  It most definitely wasn’t watching from a comfy chair.  No, it was none of these things.   It was, in fact, watching the episode with my regular Star Trek buddy- Kertrats!  I had the brilliant idea of watching together over Skype and it worked out pretty damn great.  Why didn’t we think of that before?  Anyone who says that being a half a world away prevents two people from watching Star Trek together is sadly mistaken.

Now, on to the episode!  This was a fairly entertaining filler episode.  I especially enjoyed Quark’s scream when he thought his thumb was going to be cut off.  Best part of the episode.  Quark also looked pretty adorable when he was in the shipping container full of the bricks of gold.  I had no longer finished saying that he was only safe in there if the weapons that were being fired couldn’t penetrate the container, when a blast went right through the container.  Ha!

The stories that were weaved throughout this episode were actually pretty entertaining.  I had a “Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaa????” kind of reaction to hearing that Morn was a prince.  Of course it wasn’t true, but I didn’t know that!  I also believed for a short time that Larell was his ex wife.  That was a neat side story that involved a naked girl in a tub of boiling mud.  That was actually kind of hot. 

Anyways, I enjoyed this episode.  I probably enjoyed it a lot more because I got to watch it Kertrats.  That was just awesome!  I have been enjoying these filler episode but I’m looking forward to getting back to main storyline- the Federation- Dominion War.  I’m told that I’ll probably like the next episode, so I look forward to watching it! 

Also, I really want that painting of Morn from the memorial service.

Take care humons. 

LLAP

-B  

The Prime Directive - An Analysis

One of my favorite YouTubers is sfdebris, who does many video reviews of Star Trek episodes from all of the series.  His latest video crosses the series barrier for a look at Starfleet's General Order #1: The Prime Directive.  It's fifteen minutes long, and unlike most of his videos, is not comedic in nature.  It does contain some limited spoilers for Voyager and Enterprise, but certainly nothing that will hamper the enjoyment of those episodes if you haven't seen them yet.  Warning: this video is only for serious geeks; you have been warned!

"I'm not going to let him destroy Bajor. From now on, it's him or me."

6x11 - "Waltz"


Notable Dialogue:

DUKAT: From the moment we arrived on Bajor it was clear that we were the superior race, but they couldn't accept that. They wanted to be treated as equals, when they most certainly were not. Militarily, technologically, culturally-- we were almost a century ahead of them in every way. We did not choose to be the superior race. Fate handed us that role and it would have been so much easier on everyone if the Bajorans had simply accepted their role. But no... day after day they clustered in their temples and prayed for deliverance and night after night they planted bombs outside of our homes. Pride.. stubborn, unyielding pride. From the servant girl that cleaned my quarters, to the condemned man toiling in a labor camp, to the terrorist skulking through the hills of Dahkur Province... they all wore their pride like some... twisted badge of honor.

SISKO: And you hated them for it.

DUKAT: Of course I hated them! I hated everything about them! Their superstitions and their cries for sympathy, their treachery and their lies, their smug superiority and their stiff-necked obstinacy, their earrings, and their broken, wrinkled noses!

SISKO: You should have killed them all, hm?

DUKAT: Yes! Yes!! That's right, isn't it?! I knew it. I've always known it. I should've killed every last one of them! I should've turned their planet into a graveyard the likes of which the galaxy had never seen! I should've killed them all.

SISKO: And that is why you're not an evil man.




"Waltz" presents something of a quandary to a fan such as myself.  On the one hand, it is an extremely compelling hour of television, in which we see raw, basic emotion played out between two amazing actors.  On the other hand, Dukat has always been a very dynamic and multi-layered character, and having him "come out" as a truly evil person could have had disastrous consequences to the Deep Space Nine series as a whole.  However, I think the issue is well-handled and is executed very competently by the writers, the director, and of course, the actors.


In the case of Dukat, I believe he has always felt this way, but always found ways to justify his actions.  "The Bajorans are like my children," he'd say to himself.  "I love them, but sometimes they must be punished."  Here we see all of the pretense and showiness of Dukat stripped away, revealing his true self.  Sure, Dukat is a product of the society in which he was raised, but that does not excuse his actions or his beliefs.  He truly believes that Cardassians are superior to all other forms of life, and that the lives of Bajorans are less important that the goals of the Cardassian Union.  "Evil" is a word that I very much try to refrain from using in my daily life.  I don't know whether a person can be called "truly evil," but I do know that actions can be truly evil, however you wish to define that particular word.  Regardless of where his beliefs and motives came from, Dukat's actions during the occupation (and, in microcosm, during this episode) were evil.  He may be unbalanced, but that doesn't make him any less dangerous nor does it excuse his actions in the past or in the future.  If anything, the fact that he now believes he can act without consideration to "keeping up appearances" makes him far more dangerous.


I also really enjoyed the scene on the Defiant's bridge with Bashir and Worf.  In particular, I admired Worf's handling of Bashir's clear insubordination.  An officer does not say what Bashir said get away with it.  Any complaints made to the commanding officer should be made behind closed doors, and only after asking permission to speak freely.  Bashir did neither of these things, and should have been reprimanded.  Worf's "you may leave the bridge, Doctor" was very well-timed and appropriate.  I enjoy when moments like these serve to make the viewer believe that this is a real-life situation between real people.

Now, from a purely technical standpoint, wasn't that a beautiful CGI model of the Nebula-class starship, the USS Honshu?  Gorgeous.










Next episode:

Only One Will Survive

Waltz

Well I guess I finally know what happened to Dukat.

I don’t really know what to say about this episode.  Honestly, I don’t.  I suppose there will always be episodes where a person is unsure of how they really feel about it at first.  I suppose that a few days down the road I might think of something better to write once I’ve thought about it more.  This episode just has me thinking about a bunch of different things and scenarios all at the same time.  Real thought provoker this episode was.   

Anyways, I think the biggest thing about this episode for me was when Sisko said: “Sometimes life seems so complicated; nothing is truly good or truly evil.  Everything seems to be a shade of gray.  And then, you spend some time with a man like Dukat and you realize that there is such a thing as truly evil.”

This was a very powerful line because Sisko has stated that Dukat is in fact evil.  He has summed up Dukat in one word and not just any word, but evil.  Evil is not behaviour but who you are, and that is what makes this line so powerful.  And yet, Sisko made this decision knowing that Dukat’s mind was still fractured.  Of course a lot of things that Dukat said definitely made him appear evil.  For example:

Dukat: “From the moment we arrived on Bajor it was clear that we were the superior race, but they couldn't accept that. They wanted to be treated as equals, when they most certainly were not. Militarily, technologically, culturally-- we were almost a century ahead of them in every way. We did not choose to be the superior race. Fate handed us that role and it would have been so much easier on everyone if the Bajorans had simply accepted their role. But no... day after day they clustered in their temples and prayed for deliverance and night after night they planted bombs outside of our homes. Pride... stubborn, unyielding pride. From the servant girl that cleaned my quarters, to the condemned man toiling in a labor camp, to the terrorist skulking through the hills of Dahkur Province... they all wore their pride like some... twisted badge of honor."

Sisko: “And you hated them for it."

Dukat: “Of course I hated them! I hated everything about them! Their superstitions and their cries for sympathy, their treachery and their lies, their smug superiority and their stiff-necked obstinacy, their earrings, and their broken, wrinkled noses!"

Sisko: “You should have killed them all, hmm?"

Dukat: “Yes! Yes!! That's right, isn't it?! I knew it. I've always known it. I should've killed every last one of them! I should've turned their planet into a graveyard the likes of which the galaxy had never seen! I should've killed them all."

Hearing this speech, I couldn’t help but think of how messed up Dukat was, and just how damaged his mind really was.  See, this speech made me wonder if he really thought those things when he was “sane” or if his damaged mind was making him think those things.  What if when he was “sane”, he didn’t actually believe he was trying to do good things?  Of course that still makes him evil, but kind of in a different light.  See, I hesitate to pass judgement on Dukat.  Dukat stated that the occupation had been going on for 40 years before he even arrived at Bajor.  It just seems to me that his mindset and his view of Bajorans may have been skewed before he even set foot on Bajor.  He was probably raised with his parents or adults telling him that Bajorans were inferior and therefore needed the Cardassians to help them and rule over them.  If you grow up in that kind of environment, you are likely to become the man that Dukat did.  And this is why I’m not willing to pass judgement on him so quickly.  Dukat might be evil, but he didn’t get there all by himself.  (Although, the fact that Dukat beat the crap out of Sisko makes me depise the him and I was definitely willing to agree that he was evil at this point).

Ha, I’ve said more than I thought I would!  Anyways, this was a good episode.  We now know what happened to Dukat and where he is now.  We know that he is still suffering from some form of psychosis and that his mind is fractured.  This was quite evident through his hallucinations.  Another thought that just crossed my mind, what if Dukat was always sick?  What if he was always psychologically imbalanced and this is the first time he wasn’t able to keep it in check?  Would we still judge him the same way?  Would he still be the evil man that Sisko says he is or is just a victim of psychosis?  We tend to be a little less judgemental when we find out that someone was sick and we tend to not blame them.  I’m not saying this is the case, I’m just saying it’s something to think about and consider.      

I liked this episode even though I found it to be a bit harsh.  I’m glad that Sisko was found and that the crew was able to rendezvous with the other Federation soldiers.  OH and Bashir, standing up for what he believes in, nice touch.  I don’t really remember him saying anything like this before:  “You will forgive me if I don’t consider your honour to be worth Captain Sisko’s life.”  Very powerful words.

Another dialogue that stood out for me was Sisko’s opening thoughts.  He was wondering if Dukat was better off dead, if he’d be less dangerous that way.  Another part of him was sympathizing with Dukat.  He wondered if losing one’s daughter and then one’s mind was punishment enough.  Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t, but I will not stand in judgement.   In the end though, Sisko has decided that it’s either him or Dukat, only one will survive.      

LLAP

-B