S07.E08: The Seige of AR558

[John Potts]

Quote

Sisko and crew fight to maintain an essential communications outpost.

 

 

Star Trek is sometimes criticised as being too "anti-septic" - People may die (especially those wearing red!) but it's mostly quick, painless and frequently unmourned. Here we get to go down into the trenches (pretty much literally - has neither side heard of drones? Air cover? Artillery?) and experience what it's like to hold in the face of unending assaults. As Quark observes, "Let me tell you something about hew-mons, nephew. They're a wonderful, friendly people as long as their bellies are full and their holosuites are working... but take away their creature comforts deprive them of food, sleep, sonic showers... put their lives in jeopardy over an extended period of time and those same, friendly, intelligent, wonderful people will become as nasty and as violent as the most bloodthirsty Klingon." But Quark's concern for Nog felt genuine (however much he may disapprove of his joining Starfleet) - although Sisko was right too: he may like Nog, but he was the best person for the patrol duty. And the fact that he lost his leg meant that, while our heroes do all make it out (unlike most of the Redshirts), it's not unscathed. And we don't even know if their heroic defence was worth the casualties.

Also liked Ezri pointing out that the "Houdinis" were seen as evil - until they found a way to turn them against their owners. And Sisko (for once) loses in hand to hand - if the Jem'Hadar hadn't succumbed to "Bad Guy Gloat", Sisko would have been dead (I'm guessing Reese saved him). And Bill Mumy (Kellin) joins the increasing list of those who've appeared on both DS9 and Babylon 5 (where he played Lennier).

Sisko sums it up succinctly:

Sisko: We held.
Reese: Those were our orders, sir.

[blueray]

This is one of my favorite episodes (if not my favorite). It seems to show war the way it really is. No, space battles it's all hand to hand with weapons such as the "houdinies" which are basically mines. Quark is good in this episode and what happens to Nog is powerful (especially in the follow up episode). While the redshirts die they seemed more real the usual. Like the engineer who Ezeri was working with.

[readster]

You also have to see how much the war was taxing on both sides. They way people were acting especially: "He was annoying and then he shut up one day because he was killed, then I realized I missed his voice." Telling, scary and shocking at the same time." Something until we saw the Founders dying from the plague that Section 31 made, they started tiring of the war too and it was impacting them too. For once the Dominion was in a battle/war they weren't immediately winning or taking them out in one or two swift actions. Plus, then Cardassia betrayed them, they never saw that coming or the fact that Gul DuKat was basically: "well, we tried the Dominion, I'm going to use the Pa Wraiths because they can do things the Dominion can't do."  

[iMonrey]

I thought it was a little far-fetched that Sisko himself would be sent on a supply run but what the hell was Ezri doing there? Isn't she supposed to be the station's counselor? Why on earth would she be sent on any missions like this? I guess in theory she could be sent to counsel the poor foot soldiers who've been stuck in the trenches for months but she wasn't doing any of that. What was she even doing on the bridge of the Defiant? It seems like they just kind of plugged Ezri into Jadzia's spot even if it didn't make any sense. Jadzia was a pilot/engineer. Ezri is supposed to be a counselor. For the space station. Not for away missions.

I though it must have been a nod to Lost in Space when they were passing out "power packs" to the front line. I'd never heard that term used in Trek-verse before.

[blueray]

I never thought about why Ezri was there. It could have to council the troops. But once they got down there, they realized that she was better if helping engineering. If I remember correctly she was with Quark in the cabin when there was a red alert. She (and him) went to the bridge to find out what was going on.

Edited August 17, 2017 by blueray

[VCRTracking]

One of my favorite episodes of season 7. Quark's speech to Nog about humans being more savage than Klingons when you take away their comforts and put them through unbearable stress was great.

[rmontro]

On 8/17/2017 at 5:53 PM, blueray said:

I never thought about why Ezri was there. It could have to council the troops. But once they got down there, they realized that she was better if helping engineering.

I'd like to see what kind of curriculum Starfleet officers go through in their training.  It seems like they are expected to be "jack of all trades" in some respects, able to be plugged into various roles, despite what their main assignment is.

It was a good episode, but I don't think I liked it quite as much as some people did.  I've seen enough "war is hell" messages in various media to not get too excited about it, even if it is somewhat unique for Star Trek.

[SVNBob]

Ezri's engineering here was somewhat handwaved as her using skills from past Dax hosts.  Jadzia to some degree, but primarily Tobin, who was an engineer.