S01.E10: Move Along Home

[BizBuzz]

Stardate: Unknown - Quark is forced to play a game by the Wadi, a newly encountered species, and the lives of the crew depend on the outcome.  (Description via TheTVDB.com)

[ShadowDenizen]

I've been dreading this moment since the rewatch started.  But at least now we can move past it.

This is one of the "Top 5 Worst DS9 Episodes" (in my book,.)

 

The very few redeeming moments don't make up for the major hackiness, plot-holes, and ham-fisted overacting.

 

A race we've never seen beofre (and never see again, thankfully!!) creates utter havoc over a BOARD GAME?!  And there was no motive behind it; it wasn't even to teach Quark a lesson ot anything, which is what I was orginally expecting the first time I saw this.

 

The CLEARLY fake "avalanche" went on WAY too long, and Terry Farrel can't even pretend to be hit with a syrofoam rock convinvingly! And Bashir... They don't even address his issue in the episode; he's there in some shots, and not in others, and then he's just THERE again in the end, and no-one even says "What happened?"  Apparently, rumor behind the scenes is that anytime an espideo was a dud, they would use the code word "Allemeraine". (Ha Ha.)

 

That said, Avery Brooks does have a delightful singing voice.

[John Potts]

I have to admit to a soft spot for this episode - it's by no means good, but any episode that ends with "Dude, it's a game - you don't think we'd really kill anyone did you?" (though from past Trek experience, that would be an entirely reasonable assumption).

[Meushell]

I know I am in the minority, but I enjoy this episode. It does not have much rewatch value I admit, but I did enjoy the first time I ever saw it. It also has more rewatch value than other episodes, "Q-Less."

Like John Potts, I enjoyed the "It's just a game"ending.

Part of me wonders if the Wadi chose Sisko and company for the game for their rudeness. I am probably giving the episode too much credit here, but damn were they rude. The Wadi want to play games and Sisko immediately acts like it's beneath him. Really, playing games doesn't make any less sense than the usual "We just met, let's go have dinner (even though we are different species and might not even be able to eat the same thing)." I know it would have made for a completely different episode, but Sisko should have used the opportunity to teach them about our games. This is the guy that used baseball to relate to the prophets!

I like that Quark saw the value in the game. After all, it is essentially a big holosuite game.

It also amuses me that their first Gamma Quadrant contacts are not going well.

[blueray]

This is probably the weirdest episode in DS9. I honestly don't hate it but it definetly one of the worsts of the show (which has mostly good episodes). I did love the Quark and Odo interaction in this episode.

[BizBuzz]

::giggle::

 

Choice line:

 

First Contact ain't what it used to be.

 

Pun intended maybe?

 

The look Sisko gives when told to sing and hop the floor like the girl was priceless.  Like, geesh, OK, I will give it a shot.  This better work.  HA!

 

I had a hard time feeling this episode.  It didn't keep my attention.  I see I am not the only one.

[Joe]

I dunno, Skisko was a dad. He's probably done heaps of ridiculous things before. maybe he was thinking athat after Jake grew up he thought he was free.

[iMonrey]

It's funny to think DS9 is generally considered the darkest and most cerebral shows in the franchise and then see a real dud like this episode. It ranks up there with the worst of the worst out of all the Star Trek shows combined IMO. And I'm sensing that even this early on, the show was already zeroing in on the comedy dynamic of Quark and Odo and maybe relying a little too heavily on it. Quark begging the Wadi not to make him choose a player to eliminate was actually painful to sit through it was so over the top and ridiculous. 

[SVNBob]

10 hours ago, iMonrey said:

It's funny to think DS9 is generally considered the darkest and most cerebral shows in the franchise and then see a real dud like this episode.

Well, the darkness didn't really hit DS9 until season 2.  This could really only have been a season 1 episode.

There are some good points.  We get a lot of good character establishing moments in this episode.  The "Allamaraine" scene shows the personalities of the 4 stuck in the game very well.  And while it may be cringe inducing, Quark's begging scene shows a lot about him.  Yes he may be greedy Ferengi, but he doesn't want to hurt people.  Especially people he likes.

Spoiler

Of course, that changes with the Jem'Hadar.  Quark is at least 3 for 4 in killing them.  That's a Klingon worthy kill percentage.

[Maverick]

 This was the quintessential episode to highlight the problem with the original path of the show:  "Let's sit around and wait for something to come through the wormhole and see what hijinx (wacky or otherwise) ensue.  Dramatis Personae, Captive Pursuit, Q-Less were all offenders but Move Along Home was the worst of the lot (and that's saying something to beat out Q-Less).