S07.E19: Strange Bedfellows

[John Potts]

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The Dominion and the Breen negotiate an alliance; Ezri and Worf are sentenced to death; Kai Winn has a revelation; Damar makes a decision

This episode suffers from (clearly) being an episode without a story of its own but being predominantly a set up for future storylines. Still, I liked it rather better than the last few episodes.

The Breen having been lurking in the background since Season 4 (Indiscretion), but at last they get their time in the spotlight. I do like an alien who seems truly alien - probably helped by the fact that the ubiquitous Universal Translators apparently don't work on them. Apparently, they're ruthless, elitist xenophobes - you can see why the Founders get on with them so well!

Damar's change of heart clearly follows from his arc so far: he's always followed Dukat's lead, so following his prompting last episode (I think?) about why he's still jumping to Weyoun's tune, the realisation that the Cardassians are entirely disposable to the Founders finally cause him to break with the Dominion (or see the light, from the Federation POV). And boy, isn't it lucky that it happened right now, when the Dominion's about to go back on the offensive?

Worf & Ezri: I'm a fan of Ezri, but she's annoyed the hell (Fire Caves?) out of me for the past couple of episodes. However, she redeemed herself here with actually displaying (some) skills as a Counsellor, forgiving Worf (and herself) for their "intimacy" last episode. Ezri does manage to get the best line of the episode when Damar is releasing her & Worf:
 

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Worf: Why should we trust you?

Damar: Well, you can trust me - or you can stay here and be executed.

Ezri: Well I vote for option One!

 

Kai Winn: I've always felt that Winn was a devout in her beliefs (as she said to Kira, she did suffer for her faith throughout the Occupation - I don't think that was entirely feigned), so I do think that when she finally gets a vision from the "Prophets" it would cause her to feel truly blessed. I did think her relationship with Dukat/Anjohl was rather too sudden - ironic, because they have to throw roadblocks into their plot to stop it from reaching the end before the main plot gets to its conclusion. I guess she just gets turned on by those who set themselves against Sisko (like Minister Jaro in The Seige).

Anyway, although it's a setup episode, it does at least follow through on ideas that had been set up earlier and does what is needed for the plot. 

[Joe]

24 minutes ago, John Potts said:

 Apparently, they're ruthless, elitist xenophobes - you can see why the Founders get on with them so well!

I dunno. I'd think that two different groups of intolerant arseholes would hate each other, not cooperate.

[John Potts]

1 hour ago, Joe said:

I'd think that two different groups of intolerant arseholes would hate each other, not cooperate.

Well, the Japanese and Germans got on OK in WW II (though it helped they operated in entirely different spheres).

[legaleagle53]

3 hours ago, John Potts said:

Kai Winn: I've always felt that Winn was a devout in her beliefs (as she said to Kira, she did suffer for her faith throughout the Occupation - I don't think that was entirely feigned), so I do think that when she finally gets a vision from the "Prophets" it would cause her to feel truly blessed. I did think her relationship with Dukat/Anjohl was rather too sudden - ironic, because they have to throw roadblocks into their plot to stop it from reaching the end before the main plot gets to its conclusion. I guess she just gets turned on by those who set themselves against Sisko (like Minister Jaro in The Seige).

If she had really been that devout, she would have accepted the will of the Prophets in choosing Sisko to be the Emissary instead of constantly trying to undermine him out of sheer envy.  She also wouldn't have been as ruthless as she was in advancing her own political career and agenda.  Kira knew her to be a monumental hypocrite from Day One, which is why Kira never hesitated to call Winn out.

1 hour ago, John Potts said:

Well, the Japanese and Germans got on OK in WW II (though it helped they operated in entirely different spheres).

That alliance would only have lasted for as long as there was anyone else left to fight.  It would only have been a matter of time before Japan and Germany eventually destroyed each other, especially once Germany had perfected nuclear weapons (there can be only ONE "master race," after all!).  And that's exactly what would have happened had the Dominion won the war.  Once the Federation had been destroyed, the Cardassians, the Romulans, the Klingons, the Vorta, the Jem'Hadar, and the Breen would also have eventually been destroyed because the galaxy simply wasn't big enough for all of them.

Edited August 13, 2017 by legaleagle53

[John Potts]

33 minutes ago, legaleagle53 said:

If she had really been that devout, she would have accepted the will of the Prophets in choosing Sisko to be the Emissary instead of constantly trying to undermine him out of sheer envy.

I'll admit I seem to be alone in my Headcanon (from what I hear, even Word of God is against me on this one!) but I'm Ok with that. We don't know whether the Bajoran religion views the Prophets as either Omniscient or Omnipotent, so maybe she thinks Sisko managed to dupe them somehow. Canonically, we know the Prophets do make mistakes, or they wouldn't change their minds - eg. Altering Zek in Prophet Motive or sending back Akorem Laan in Accession, so she could simply believe her Gods are wrong on that one. But the Prophets chose her as Kai, so they must have realised their mistake, right? You'd have to be fantastically egotistical  to think that way - but I doubt many viewers would disagree that Winn IS an egotist.

45 minutes ago, legaleagle53 said:

That alliance would only have lasted for as long as there was anyone else left to fight.  It would only have been a matter of time before Japan and Germany eventually destroyed each other, especially once Germany had perfected nuclear weapons (there can be only ONE "master race," after all!).  And that's exactly what would have happened had the Dominion won the war.

I agree - but that doesn't mean the Alliance wouldn't have persisted until that point. I can easily see the Breen following exactly in the footsteps of the Cardassians in thinking they're equal partners only to discover the Founders regard them as expendable as any other "solids".

[readster]

6 hours ago, John Potts said:

I'll admit I seem to be alone in my Headcanon (from what I hear, even Word of God is against me on this one!) but I'm Ok with that. We don't know whether the Bajoran religion views the Prophets as either Omniscient or Omnipotent, so maybe she thinks Sisko managed to dupe them somehow. Canonically, we know the Prophets do make mistakes, or they wouldn't change their minds - eg. Altering Zek in Prophet Motive or sending back Akorem Laan in Accession, so she could simply believe her Gods are wrong on that one. But the Prophets chose her as Kai, so they must have realised their mistake, right? You'd have to be fantastically egotistical  to think that way - but I doubt many viewers would disagree that Winn IS an egotist.

I agree - but that doesn't mean the Alliance wouldn't have persisted until that point. I can easily see the Breen following exactly in the footsteps of the Cardassians in thinking they're equal partners only to discover the Founders regard them as expendable as any other "solids".

That was what started some of the Jem'Hadar to start breaking away from the Dominion. Even the original Wyaum explaining while Ketsel White had to be used to keep them enslaved. Other wise, they would just break away and go away and the Founders would have no foot soldiers. Some realized the Changllings weren't gods and some realized: "When will they eventually say we aren't needed anymore?" 

[iMonrey]

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probably helped by the fact that the ubiquitous Universal Translators apparently don't work on them. 

Well, they didn't work at first but eventually Damar was able to understand them even though we still couldn't. Which is odd. I think this anomaly along with their headgear can probably be explained by $$$ - they didn't have to pay anyone to play them (or at least not an actor's scale wage) if they didn't have any lines and we couldn't see their faces.

Is it weird that Marc Alaimo is better looking as a Cardassian than as a human?

[friendperidot]

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But the Prophets chose her as Kai, so they must have realised their mistake, right? 

I thought she was elected by the people of Bajor, I seem to remember an earlier episode where there was an election for Kai, one of Kira's lover was the opponent and I think the more popular choice, but Winn pulled off some shady electioneering and took the position. 

[John Potts]

9 hours ago, friendperidot said:

I thought she was elected by the people of Bajor

I'm not sure it was ever made clear exactly WHO elected the Kai (there is talk of the Vedek Assembly and the similarities to the Pope in he Catholic church would suggest that perhaps they are the ones choosing, but there seems a lot more public campaigning involved than you would see for the Papacy, so maybe the Bajoran people get a say, too) - but ultimately it came down to Winn v Bareil, until the Prophets intervened (in S2's The Collaborator) and caused Bareil to withdraw. So Winn became Kai by default rather than actually be elected - and it was very much affected by the intervention of the Prophets.

[Melgaypet]

I remember Bareil had an Orb experience in that episode, but I don't recall the Prophets intervening in the election specifically. Winn accused Bareil of being a collaborator during the Occupation and Bareil dropped out to protect the reputation of the real collaborator - Kai Opaka.

[John Potts]

Not seen it in a while, but I recall Bareil having a vision of the (sort of dead) Kai Opaka handing him a snake, which is pretty clear symbolism for "You're about to be screwed".

[readster]

1 hour ago, John Potts said:

Not seen it in a while, but I recall Bareil having a vision of the (sort of dead) Kai Opaka handing him a snake, which is pretty clear symbolism for "You're about to be screwed".

Yeah, pretty much. Basically it is: "Take the hit for me, because in the long run the Pa Wraiths and the Dominion will be more damaging than Winn ever will be, but I won't tell you, you'll be dead in a couple of years." 

[rmontro]

This is part three of the ten part finale.  This is also the third straight episode with Worf and Ezri bickering at each other, which I found strangely enjoyable.  By the end of it, we see why they aren't well suited as a couple.  I also like Worf's jealousy, makes him more "human".  Bring on Dr. Bashir, yippee.

I notice whenever they have a meeting of the Dax admiration society of wannabe suitors, they always include O'Brien in there.  I know he's just there as a friend of Bashir, but still it seems kind of odd.

The Breen have a Star Wars-ish type feel to them.  They even sound like Sand People.

Dukat and Kai Winn looked like they were drinking some of J'Roc's Booberry flavored vodka there (Trailer Park Boys reference).  Winn makes the switch from religious hypocrite to full on villain finally.

[SVNBob]

29 minutes ago, rmontro said:

The Breen have a Star Wars-ish type feel to them

It's the helmets.  They look like the one Leia wore when she disguised herself as the bounty hunter Boushh in Return of the Jedi.