Faith issues are treated here with remarkable care and insight -- and we see Sisko take a groundbreaking step forward.
Plot Synopsis:
Memory Alpha has a plot synopsis here
The Skinny:
Stephanie S.: I teach a fifth grade Sunday school class at our local Catholic parish, and one of the first things we cover in our year-long curriculum is the Trinity. It's a tough concept for ten-year-old brains to fathom; heck, it's a tough concept for adult brains to fathom. Our book briefly covers the distinction between "nature" and "person," encourages catechists to use St. Patrick's shamrock metaphor ("it is one leaf and three leaves"), then concludes by stating that the Trinity is mystery. That is, the doctrine of the Trinity is beyond our human reason, but we know that it is true because of our faith.
So why did I just go on a tangent about the Trinity? I have often insisted that faith and reason should be two wings of the same bird -- but as this episode beautifully highlights, they are different wings. Reason can support faith, but ultimately, it cannot create it because faith is an actual grace from God that can only come to you if you leave your heart open to it in some way. That's why, in discussions of religion and faith, theists and atheists often end up talking past each other. The atheists - like Odo - have not yet received the gift of faith, so supernatural mysteries seem, to them, to be foolish contradictions (as one atheist said to an Italian Catholic acquaintance of mine, "One does not equal three, you moron!"). Theists, on the other hand, are like Kira; they've already accepted that some things in this world surpass our understanding. This does not mean that the religious don't have perfectly defensible reasons to believe what they do; in the Catholic Church at least, apologetics is an extremely well-developed discipline. But there is a very real divide between atheists and theists when it comes to tolerance for unverifiable claims. Thus, conversations like the one that occurs here between Kira and Odo happen on a regular basis.
I find Kira's role in this episode enormously compelling because I too profess a faith with a central authority that has proclaimed challenging doctrines. As I remarked after Anne Rice's flounce from the Church, I have a difficult time coming to grips with the Catholic Church's stance on homosexuality because I'm personally drawn to that particular subculture. Now, there are three ways to react to this kind of cognitive dissonance: 1) You can pull an Anne Rice and proclaim that the pope and the Catholic Church are dead to you; 2) You can join Catholic progressives in demanding that the Church give in to the popular zeitgeist; 3) You can put on your big girl pants, suck it up, and trust in the Church's ability to lead her faithful down the right path. I have chosen option number three. Essentially, I'm Kira: I'm sitting here in my (mental) room surrounded by my own (metaphorical) flock of flightless clay birds.
Because of this society's (laudable) emphasis on individualism, we often deride - or even outright condemn - simple obedience. But Accession avoids indulging such prejudice. Although Kira's dilemma is ultimately resolved in favor of individualism (after, interestingly enough, Sisko and Akorem take it to the gods in a scene that I feel symbolizes prayer), at no time during the rising action of this episode does Espenson portray Kira's obedience as anything other than the struggle of an intelligent women grappling with a challenge to her personal faith. That kind of fairness is truly amazing -- but also pretty typical of DS9's approach to religion.
And now I shall turn it over to Matt so he can discuss Sisko...
SABR Matt: This is the episode where the DS9 writers make a stunning conscious choice to allow their Starfleet Captain to embrace his status as a religious icon, and - once and for all - separate themselves from the Star Trek franchise's tendency to view open religious expression skeptically. This, alone, is worthy of high praise for courage and open-mindedness on the part of the writing team. You have to understand that the bulk of Star Trek's audience has been modern, liberal, atheistic/agnostic and - to this point in the show's life - far more interested in Star Trek: The Next Generation and (annoyingly) Star Trek: Voyager. They had enough of an audience to keep the show going (though during the fourth season, their ratings slipped low enough that TV Guide wrote an article praising DS9 as the best show no one was watching), but even after stealing Worf from the original cast of TNG, the bulk of Roddenbury's fans thought DS9 was not true to the original spirit of Star Trek and had moved on to other canons. The writers could have viewed Sisko's status as a religious icon as "too dangerous"...it certainly didn't go over well with hard core Trek fans. Instead, they decided this was their show, not Gene Roddenbury's, and they told the story they wanted to tell - appealing to a completely different crowd. I wish more production teams around TV would have that kind of gumption.
However, that decision wasn't made blithely. They've been slowly developing Sisko's character in this direction for years, and they made him realize his significance to the Bajoran people without (a) fundamentally changing who he was or (b) forcing him to make a decision that was not justified by the work they've done on his character to date. Even better...they did not have Sisko take on the role of Emissary in name only. By the end, it was as clear as day that Sisko had learned something about the responsibility and the honor the "wormhole aliens" had bestowed upon him. He didn't convert to Bajoran and start attending temple services, but, at the very least, he felt comfortable playing a roll in Bajoran ceremony and custom from this point onward. I congratulate DS9 for having a writing team brave enough to stand for something other than scientism and a vague concept of freedom and democracy.
Writing: 9.5 / 9.5
The praise I gave the script for In the Hands of the Prophets applies here as well. Espenson goes to a great deal of effort to fairly portray the religious. Serious and decent people of faith are given just as much (if not more) screen time as the murderous fundamentalist crazies, which is certainly more than I can say for a lot of what passes for "discourse" on the subject of religion.
SABR Matt Chimes In: I had no idea that Jane Espenson had written this episode. For those of you who may not realize, Jane Espenson is a mainstay writer for Buffy the Vampire Slayer. And apparently a GENIUS with characterization. Holy cow! For someone not fully immersed in DS9 writing process and characters, she NAILED Major Kira, Captain Sisko, even Akorem (given the history of the Bajoran people and Akorem's stated profession and belief system). Buffy is NOTHING like DS9...it's not written in a similar style at all, it occurs in a radically different universe and setting, it doesn't even share common moral themes (though both shows are stunningly moral). It boggles my mind that Espenson could just show up and write one of the best Bajor-centric episodes in franchise history! Wow!!
Acting: 9.0 / 8.5
Nana Visitor is awesome in this episode. The light of her awesome is so bright that it completely outshines everything else.
Okay - maybe I'm getting a little over-excited here. But that scene between Kira and Sisko in which Kira announces that she's resigning her commission is so terrific on Visitor's end that it completely takes my breath away.
SABR Matt: I thought Richard Libertini (Akorem) was...a tad too much...from time to time. I can't put my finger on what it was that threw me off, but some of his speeches and conversations were a little too...forceful perhaps? On the other hand, Nana Visitor and Avery Brooks were just about perfect as far as I'm concerned.
Message: 10.0 / 10.0
I think I will let Matt speak for us here...
SABR Matt: There are a few keys to this episode. If you wonder how one day, Kira can think of Sisko as the Emissary and the next day, it's Akorem...you don't understand faith. Jane Espenson (and the rest of the DS9 production team) clearly do. Furthermore, the way in which Sisko is taught that he must play the role the Bajorans have entrusted to him is almost biblical in it's insight. And finally, as Steph describes, Kira's story in this episode is remarkable all by itself.
Highlights:
BASHIR: It is sort of a shame to pack all this stuff away
O'BRIEN: I wish we didn't have to.
BASHIR: It's like sculpture. A monument to your year as a bachelor.
O'BRIEN: I suppose it is.
BASHIR: Who are we to dismantle this piece of art?
O'BRIEN: I don't know. But if we don't, Keiko will dismantle me. (Heh.)
BASHIR: Quark, did you hear? Chief O'Brien is having a baby.
QUARK: I thought your females carried your young. (Rim shot!)
O'BRIEN: My wife. My wife is having the baby.
QUARK: Congratulations. I remember when my nephew Nog was a baby. Cutest thing you ever saw. You know babies. Every little thing they pick up goes straight into their ears. I used to love reading to him. You know, 'See Brak acquire. Acquire, Brak, acquire!' (Aww. That's just adorable.)
QUARK: Did you hear? Keiko's going to have another baby.
WORF: (alarmed) Now?
O'BRIEN: No, seven months.
WORF: I see.
O'BRIEN: Worf delivered Molly, you know.
BASHIR: Really?
O'BRIEN: The Enterprise was damaged. Keiko and he were trapped together when her time came.
BASHIR: Oh. Well I'll be sure and call you when she's ready to deliver. You can lend a hand.
WORF: Seven months? Unfortunately, I will be away from the station at that time. (A beat.) Far away. (ROTFL!)
ODO: Major. Come to see Akorem speak?
KIRA: The Emissary's first public appearance? I wouldn't miss it.
ODO: I'm surprised to hear you call him that.
KIRA: Why? Akorem Laan was - is a great man. He's been with the Prophets for over two hundred years, and now they've sent him back to us.
ODO: Yes, but two days ago you believed Captain Sisko was the Emissary.
KIRA: Well, he made it clear he wants to step aside.
ODO: Does that mean he never really was the Emissary?
KIRA: No.
ODO: But they can't both be.
KIRA: I don't know. What do you want from me, Odo?
ODO: Forgive me, Major, I don't mean to be difficult, but your faith seems to have led you to something of a contradiction.
KIRA: I don't see it as a contradiction.
ODO: I don't understand.
KIRA: That's the thing about faith. If you don't have it, you can't understand it, and if you do, no explanation is necessary.
SISKO: I remember when I got promoted to lieutenant. It took me a while to get used to being called sir by my friends who were still ensigns.
KIRA: That's different. You'd earned the right to be treated with respect. I haven't done anything.
SISKO: Sounds like you have some reservations about bringing back the D'jarras.
KIRA: I have some questions, sure. The Emissary is asking something very difficult of us, but we have to have faith that he's guiding us toward something.
SISKO: Even if what he's guiding you towards doesn't include the Federation?
KIRA: It's not our place to question the Emissary.
SISKO: No matter what?
KIRA: Maybe you never realized this, Captain, but we would've tried to do whatever you asked of us when you were Emissary, no matter how difficult it seemed.
KIRA: Is something wrong, sir?
SISKO: I'm sorry. I just received a communiqué from Starfleet Command responding to my report on the Bajoran situation.
KIRA: That bad?
SISKO: Not yet. But I can read between the lines. I was sent here to help bring Bajor into the Federation. That doesn't look like much of a possibility anymore. As far as Starfleet is concerned, I have failed my mission.
KIRA: That's not fair. It's not your fault.
SISKO: It is from where they're sitting. The irony is Starfleet was always trying to get me to distance myself from this Emissary business. And now that I have --
KIRA: Maybe I could talk to First Minister Shakaar about sending Starfleet a communiqué explaining --
SISKO: Thanks, it'll blow over. It's not that. I guess I'm just feeling I did fail.
KIRA: Sir --
SISKO: Anyway, why did you want me to meet Jatarn?
KIRA: We can talk about that another time.
SISKO: What is it, Major?
KIRA: I think he'd make an excellent First Officer. As soon as you find someone to take my post, I'm going to resign my commission.
SISKO: To follow your D'jarra?
KIRA: I'm planning to move back to the Dahkur province, There are a lot of artists who live in the capital and I have a friend there who's willing to apprentice me. (A beat.) I'm sorry. The last thing I want to do is add to your problems, but this is something I have to do. (We can see that this is a very emotional moment for Kira.) If you don't hit it off with Major Jatarn, I can think of a few other people. It shouldn't be that hard to find someone to replace me.
SISKO: I don't doubt I can find someone to fill your post. But to replace you? (This scene in particular is outstanding.)
ODO: He fell from the second level. His neck was broken on impact.
SISKO: Did anyone see it happen?
PORTA: I did.
ODO: Was it an accident?
PORTA: I pushed him. His family name is Imutta. Their D'jarra is unclean.
KIRA: They prepare the dead for burial.
PORTA: I asked him to set the proper example and resign from our order. He refused.
SISKO: You killed him because of his D'jarra?
PORTA: I had to. If a Vedek can't do what the Emissary has asked of us, how can we expect anyone else to? (Gulp.)
AKOREM: I regret what happened here today as much as you do, but change is never easy, and the road that the Prophets have asked us to walk won't always be a smooth one.
SISKO: And forcing people to follow their D'jarras won't make it any smoother. What happened on the Promenade was just the beginning.
AKOREM: Must I remind you, Captain? I am merely fulfilling the will of the Prophets.
SISKO: How do you know that?
AKOREM: I'm the Emissary.
SISKO: And what you've done with the position has made me wish I had never given it up.
AKOREM: But you did, and it was the right decision. You never truly accepted the role in the first place.
SISKO: I'm willing to accept it now. (Big sea change there.)
KEIKO: Miles, I promised I wouldn't say anything, but it's about Julian.
O'BRIEN: What about him?
KEIKO: I ran into him the other day and he seemed depressed. He'd never admit it, but he really misses you.
O'BRIEN: Poor guy. No family to come home to every night.
KEIKO: Maybe you should go find him, you know, cheer him up a little.
O'BRIEN: Depressed, is he?
KEIKO: Very.
O'BRIEN: Maybe I should go spend an hour with him.
KEIKO: Maybe two.
O'BRIEN: I'm a lucky man.
(O'Brien leaves.)
KEIKO: Keiko to Doctor Bashir.
BASHIR [OC]: Go ahead.
KEIKO: Julian, it's about Miles. I promised I wouldn't tell anyone, but he's been really depressed lately... (LOL! Yes - sometimes you just have to let your husband play with his friends.)
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