S01.E14: The Storyteller

[BizBuzz]

Stardate: 46729.1 - O'Brien is appointed as the spiritual leader of a Bajoran village when he and Bashir are unable to save the dying predecessor. (Description via TheTVDB.com)

[Bryce Lynch]

I liked this episode, especially the "B" plot with Jake and Nog and Varis. I always enjoyed the episodes with an A and B plot, especially when Jake and Nog were involved.

My favorite part was Nog helping Varis realize that her problem was really an "opportunity". I like to think that Nog saved the post series Federation by reinjecting a little free market Capitalism into it. :-) We see him doing this in later episodes like "In the Cards" and "Faith, Treachery and the Great River".

The plot with O'Brien and Bashir on the surface was OK, but if it had taken up the whole episode I think it would have become tedious.

There are a few funny moments and we get another glimpse into Bajoran culture. I did find the whole idea of the artificially generated monster to bring unity to the village a little far fetched, though I suppose all societies have such things in a figurative sense.

We also see a rather rocky start to one of the better bromances in television history, with Dr. Bashir...I mean Julian, reaching out to O'Brien.

[iMonrey]

Fourteen episodes in, and I'm more and more surprised how shaky the first season of this show actually was. Maybe that's why I was never as enamored of it as other Trek fans seemed to be. Every season had a great opener and a great finale, but there was just so much filler in between.

This episode featured no less than three differing factions on the same planet that suggested a much more primitive, unenlightened culture than Bajor should have had. On the one hand, it's a fairly interesting approach, since no planet should really be entirely homogeneous. Ours certainly isn't. On the other hand, it's hard to believe a planet that has advanced to have warp technology also has some isolated little village that still believes in smoke monsters. 

I think it would be helpful if we knew more about Bajor prior to the Cardassian invasion. Maybe they were in fact a more primitive people until they were overthrown and occupied by Cardassia. 

[Maverick]

 It's mentioned in later episodes that before the Occupation, the Bajorans were known for their art, architecture, music, etc.  They weren't primitive, but they were very much an agrarian, artistic culture.  Despite having FTL travel, they weren't explorers like the Federation or conquerors like the Cardassians.   They had technology--perhaps developed or perhaps introduced from other races--but it didn't take over their culture.   Now that doesn't explain sill believing in smoke monsters.  That I attribute to trying to graft some TOS/TNG -style plot onto DS9.     

[SVNBob]

5 hours ago, Maverick said:

Now that doesn't explain sill believing in smoke monsters.

The smoke monster story was confined to this one village.  It wasn't a planet-wide myth.  As a parallel, practically everyone on Earth has heard of Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster.  But ask most people about Champy, her American cousin in Lake Champlain, and you'll find very few have heard of him.

Now, the Bajoran people were still highly religious, bordering on theocratic.  So it could also be said that this one village was just a particular and niche sect, like the Amish or Quakers but even smaller and less known.

Then again, there could be people all over Bajor saying things like "I wouldn't go that one village if I were you.  They say the people there believe in a magic storm monster that will attack them during harvest season."  "Really?  That sounds weird.  Thank the Prophets you told me."