Classics: DS9 3:22 - Explorers

Overall Rating: 9.1

This episode is nothing special from the standpoint of the "newness" of the plot or the depth and brilliance of the dialogue, and yet it leaves me feeling truly wonderful for having watched it. It is explosively romantic, beautifully filmed, warmly acted and yes...a little schmaltzy...and it will forever have a place in our hearts here at Right Fans.

Plot Synopsis:

Sisko returns to DS9 from a visit to Bajor and he's got a relic with him that will utterly consume him for no good reason for the next month. It is a blueprint for an ancient Bajoran spacecraft - a ship which uses huge foil sails to catch the solar winds and travel between the stars. Though the Cardassians (including a bemused Gul Dukat) deny it, the Bajorans claim that vessels like this reached Cardassia over 800 years ago, making Bajor one of the first races to reach another star in the Alpha Quadrant. Sisko - showing a passionate joy for adventure that makes him truly endearing to anyone with a pulse - lavishes all of his attentions on building his own functional replica using only the tools and designs the Bajorans would have used long ago. Many of his officers - led by Dax - ask him why he is doing this. He asks them "why not?!"

As he finishes his craft and prepares to take it on a quick test flight around the Denorius Belt, he's got other matters on his mind. Jake has just recently admitted that he doesn't want to join Star Fleet (less than a year ago near the end of the second season) and Sisko would like to get to know his son a little better now that he's changing so rapidly. He begs Jake to come along on his test flight so they can bond, but Jake has made plans to hang with Nog. Crestfallen, Sisko prepares to leave (after wittily rebuffing a message from Dukat) - but as he's about to break form the station, Jake has a change of heart and climbs on board. Thrilled, Sisko insists "we'll make a sailor out of you yet!" Jake is a little less in love with the cramped accomodations and the ration packs he has to eat (heh) than his father, but he puts his heart (and elbow grease) into flying the ship with his Dad anyway, because he knows it will make him happy.

As they float away from the station (in an absolutely BREATHTAKING looking ship, BTW...the artist who rendered this masterpiece for the show ought to get some kind of award for it...it is a thing to behold), Jake comes out with the few reasons that he decided he needed to spend time with his father after all. First, he's gotten accepted to a writing school (The Pennington School in New Zealand) and he wants to show his father some of his work. Sisko reads it with gusto and gives him an amazingly honest appraisal filled with hope and joy. He's considering asking the school for a year extension on his invitation, however. He feels that leaving now would be bad timing - that his father still needs him around because he doesn't have a woman in his life (you read that correctly - Jake cares so much for his father that he wants to see him happily married to someone new!). If that weren't enough issues for a seventeen year old boy to be handling, he's actually got a girl in mind for his father! And he wants to play match-maker and introduce them!

Interspersed between these moments of very sweet dialogue, the light ship encounters a stronger than expected ionic current that rips a chunk out of one of the mainsails. Severely limited in range now, they decide to cut short their planned tour of the Denorius Belt. But as they're preparing to come about, they become caught in another, more powerful eddy and are thrown millions of miles off course (traveling faster than light for a short time). When they come to a stop, Sisko scrambles to figure out where they are. They need to get a message to the station to call for aid. But just when things seem bleakest, three Cardassian Warships appear and Sisko is contacted by Gul Dukat. It seems, the Cardassians have just now miraculously discovered evidence that Bajoran ships did indeed crash land on Cardassia 800 years ago and Sisko's little shakedown tour has landed him in the Cardassian system as well. The Cardies break out the pyrotechnics to celebrate this amazing discovery and all is well.

I should mention that there is a rather pithy little side plot in which Bashir encounters the woman who beat him in med school thanks to his bizarre mistaking of a preganglionic fiber for a postganglionic nerve. The woman appears to ignore him completely when he tries to introduce himself and he spends the next couple of days moping about feeling inferior to her - knowing she could have stolen his posting on DS9 if she'd wanted it drives him crazy as does her apparent dismissal of him. He and O'Brien get completely clobber-snockered and in his drunken stuper, Bashir nearly marches out to Quarks to find her and tell her off...the only problem is, he can't even stand up! Later, he learns that she simply was misinformed about who amongst her med-school classmates was Julian Bashir - she thought he was Bolean! She admits that her assignment is a complete bore and gushes over his work on the Bajoran viral outbreaks with which he's had to cope, leaving him feeling a renewed sense of confidence.

SABR Matt's Ratings:

Writing: 9.0

Although much of the dialogue is routine in word choice and lacking in the sort of erudite brilliance of (for example) a Peter Allen Fields script, the interactions between Jake and his father are beautiful on a human level and stand out as a great example of the kinds of things DS9 does so well that the other Trek incarnations utterly failed to duplicate. The families on DS9 ring so much more truly than anything Wesley and Beverly Crusher or Neelix and Naomi Wildman or even Worf and Alexander Roshenko produced. Jake and Ben Sisko (and what the hell...let's throw in crazy ole' Grandpa Sisko too. :) ) ooze pathos from every pore whenever they're together and do so without taking on a Disney "too good to be true" flavor.

Yes, you could slap the writers for the schmaltzy feel-good ending (it has a sort of deus ex machina that I could liken to the ending of a live action Disney movie, and I'm fully aware of this)...or you could do what I do, and smile from ear to ear. Let yourself enjoy the silly happy ending because damnit...this is TV and it's supposed to make us happy at least some of the time. Battlestar Galactica may have been better written than DS9, but it was not better TV because they forgot that they were supposed to make us happy too...not just make us think really hard all of the time. Frivolous fluffy plots aren't always bad - Disney finales aren't always a condemning flaw - and a good character vehicle doesn't always have to be dramatic and thought provoking. Sometimes seeing the world with the joy of a curious child and enjoying a beautifully crafted father-son bond in a new way is enough to make you happy.

Acting: 9.5

Cirroc Lofton and Avery Brooks obviously have to carry the banner for the acting this week, and this is the kind of thing that Brooks does very well. There is no call for big "last action hero" style scenery-chewing, no chance for him to reach for a 2X4 to hit us over the head with a heartfelt personal message ("Far Beyond the Stars" would be an example of this last one...our review of this episode will be a little more critical than other blogs have been in the past in part because Brooks' acting was actually quite poor), and no stretching to cover a technical universe he doesn't fully understand (you can always tell that Brooks is uncomfortable when they give him technical jargon in his lines...he doesn't watch or read a lot of science fiction and you can just feel the "yeah, right!" in his manner when he has to actually make like he's on a sci-fi show and lower himself to saying things like "reverse the polarity on the shield emitters!"). Just sailing lingo (drawing a direct parallel to our own experiences sailing to open ocean) and father-son bonding at a low key. Cirroc is really coming into his own as an actor too. He and Alexander Siddig were acting babies when they arrived and got noticeably better as the show progressed.

Message: 9.0

I love what Jake has to say about needing his father to be happy and to have someone else in his life before he can go on with his own. There are a lot of young people out there who spend their formative years looking ahead to all the things they want out of their own lives and don't stop to think about the impact they have on the people already in their lives - their parents - and what they might need. I certainly wouldn't suggest that a child should give up his dreams lightly to do what their parents tell them they should do, but choosing for yourself to do something (or not do something) because you believe your parents will be better off...that takes the kind of love that's all over the New Testament.

I would also like to add that, as a scientist at heart, and as a lover of our boundless human potential (driven, of course, by our thirst for knowledge and adventure), I am a HUGE sucker for a story about doing something just for the joy of doing it...needing only a childlike spirit of wonder and your own bare hands to make a dream come true. I think a lot of Star Trek fans, when not covered in Cheeze Dust from their bags of Doritos and when out of their parents' basements (ZING!! - we kid because we love!), dearly love this sort of thing. You gotta love that DS9 writers knew their audience well enough to do episodes like this one on a semi-regular basis.

Stephanie S's Ratings:

Writing: 8.5

DS9 is alone among the Treks in its ability do an episode like this and not have it turn out to be a colossal bore. Why? Because as my co-author implied above in his discussion of the Sisko family dynamic, the characters are rich enough to hold up the quieter moments. Not only do I enjoy watching Sisko bond with his son, but I also love that cute little scene in which Bashir and O'Brien get completely hammered and butcher "Jerusalem." I can't say I care overly much about Bashir's feelings of inferiority (especially since I already know the truth about his background), but Bashir and O'Brien's moment of pure camaraderie here makes an otherwise mediocre subplot completely worth it.

Acting: 9.0

I really have nothing to add here -- except perhaps to say that Alexander Siddig and Colm Meany are hilarious when they play drunk.

Message: 9.0

As far as themes go, what I find particularly striking is the fact that Sisko makes no assumptions about the capabilities or expertise of the ancient Bajorans. Instead, he keeps an entirely open mind. This is an attitude that is refreshingly counter-cultural in an age in which people often ignore the extraordinary ingenuity found in the relics of the world's great classical civilizations in order to hold up a chronological chauvinism that denies that our distant human ancestors were themselves creative and smart. The writers drew inspiration for this story from real world research into early Polynesian navigation, but the subtle political drama that unfolds in the background of this episode also reminds me of the arguments that arise whenever flippant remarks are made about medieval Christians.

Bonus Production Score: 10.0

I'm throwing this mark in because the Bajoran lightship is, hands down, the most beautiful ship the Trek production team has ever designed. The interior is magnificently steampunk in its conception (there's a mention in the guide that the set was inspired by Jules Verne), and the exterior is equally breathtaking. Bravissimo, folks!

Highlights:

SISKO: According to legend, the ancient Bajorans used ships like these to explore their star system... eight hundred years ago...
JAKE: (impressed) You mean that when humans were first sailing across the oceans, Bajorans were already going to other planets?
SISKO: Some scholars think they made it all the way to Cardassia...
JAKE: (studying the PADD) Seems hard to believe... what are these?
SISKO: Solar sails... these ships were propelled by light pressure...
JAKE: (intrigued) Like a sailboat catching the wind...
SISKO: Exactly...(Jake studies the PADD for a beat)
JAKE: I wonder if a ship like this could really fly... ?
SISKO: I don't know... that's why I'm going to build one. (I love this spirit. :D )

O'BRIEN: I just don't see how a ship like this could've made the trip. They didn't even have replicators back then... they would've had to store their air supply...(indicates PADD) -- and there's only enough room on board for a few weeks worth.
KIRA: Maybe they recycled it somehow... using some kind of photosynthetic plant.
O'BRIEN: (politely skeptical) Maybe...
KIRA: You sound like a Cardassian...
O'BRIEN: (bristling) I beg your pardon?
KIRA: They've denied the possibility of ancient contact for decades because they can't stand the idea that Bajor had interstellar flight before they did.
O'BRIEN: With all due respect, Major... you're beginning to sound like a Romulan.
KIRA: A Romulan?
O'BRIEN: There's no piece of technology in existence that they don't claim they invented before everyone else...(Sisko smiles and decides to intervene.)
SISKO: Look... I'm not planning to spend the next few years sailing to Cardassia... I just want to build one of these ships and prove that it's spaceworthy.
O'BRIEN: A computer model could do that...why go to all the trouble? (Sisko turns and looks at O'Brien)
SISKO: Why? (smiles) Because it'll be fun! (AWESOME!!)

DAX: I haven't seen you like this in a long time.
SISKO: Like what?
DAX: So caught up in something... so excited. (considers) Not since... not since you and Jennifer decided to have a baby. (Sisko smiles self-deprecatingly.)
SISKO: The nursery...
DAX: I don't think anyone's ever put more effort into making a room for their baby.
SISKO: But you have to admit it turned out pretty well.
DAX: Especially the starscape on the ceiling...
SISKO: Jake loved that ceiling... when we moved out of the house, he couldn't understand why we couldn't bring it with us. (beat)
DAX: You're disappointed he's not going with you on this trip, Aren't you?
SISKO: He's got other things he'd rather be doing, friends he'd rather spend time with.
SISKO: (considers) It's funny... a year or two ago, nothing would've stopped him from coming with me on an adventure like this. (with regret) I guess I waited too long. (a long beat follows)
DAX: You'll have other adventures together, Benjamin... they'll just be different. Believe me, I know. I've been a father a couple of times, myself. (thinking back) I could tell you stories...
SISKO: (smiling) You already have...
DAX: That's right... I have, haven't I? (shrugs) Then you know I'm right. (This whole sequence is just so sweet that it hurts!)

DUKAT: I understand you're planning a trip.
SISKO: Word gets around.
DUKAT: I can't believe that a man of your intelligence would take stock in Bajoran fairy tales about ancient contact.
SISKO: If you recall, you thought the Celestial Temple was a Bajoran fairy tale -- (a small smile) -- until we discovered the wormhole. (Dukat gives Sisko a cold look.)
DUKAT: I suggest you reconsider your plans; solar vessels are very fragile, and it's a long way to the Denorias Belt at sublight speeds...
SISKO: Don't worry. I'll have emergency equipment aboard. If something goes wrong, Major Kira can get a runabout to me within an hour.
DUKAT: An hour can be a long time...especially if you happen to encounter something unexpected.
SISKO: Like what?
DUKAT: Oh, I don't know. A Maquis ship, perhaps...
SISKO: Why would the Maquis have any quarrel with an unarmed ship sailing toward the Denorias Belt... they have nothing at stake here, nothing to prove... or should I say, disprove.
DUKAT: Commander, I contacted you out of concern for your safety, but you seem to be intimating that I've made some sort of threat.
SISKO: I'm glad I was wrong. For a moment there I thought you'd been put in charge of the Cardassian Ministry for the Refutation of Bajoran Fairy Tales...(Dukat stiffens)
DUKAT: Since I don't seem to have dissuaded you from undertaking this little voyage of yours, I'll wish you luck instead. Let's hope you don't need it. (heh...what a great little exchange)

JAKE: This is the bathroom?
SISKO: It was designed for a zero-gravity environment...
JAKE (at a loss) How do you...
SISKO: You'll get the hang of it. (LOL!! I love goofy moments like that)

JAKE :So you really think it was good, huh?
SISKO: I think it shows a lot of promise. (Jake's features falter, he isn't quite sure how to take this.)
JAKE: Promise?
SISKO: In a few places you're writing about things you haven't actually experienced. At least... I hope you haven't experienced. Unless you've joined the Maquis without telling me.
JAKE: (poker faced) I can't talk about it. (he holds a steady look for about five seconds, then busts out laughing) I had you going there! (LOL!)

O'BRIEN: I hated you when we first met.
BASHIR: I remember.
O'BRIEN: But now...
BASHIR: But now... ?
O'BRIEN: Now...(can't quite bring himself to say it) I don't.
BASHIR (sincere) That means a lot to me, Chief, it really does...
O'BRIEN: That's from the heart, too... I really do...(tripping on it again) -- not hate you anymore..(BWWAHAHAHA!!!)
O'BRIEN: If you want to find out why she ignored you, you're going to have to confront her.
BASHIR: You're right...(stands) I'm going to go up to her and ask her flat out where she gets off walking past me like that.(He heads for the door as if intending to do it now, but O'Brien stops him.)
O'BRIEN: Better wait until tomorrow...
BASHIR: Why should I? Why not right now?
O'BRIEN: Because you can barely stand up...right now. (Bashir considers for a beat, then agrees, flopping heavily on the couch - trust me...this is drop-dead HILARIOUS)
BASHIR: Good point.
O'BRIEN: (Singing) And did those feet in an-cient time...Walk up-on Eng-land's moun-tains green?
O'BRIEN AND BASHIR: And was the Ho - ly Lamb of God...On Eng-land's plea-sant pas - tures seen? (LOL!!)

SISKO: You know... I wasn't much older than you are when I left for San Francisco to go to Starfleet Academy. For the first few days, I was so homesick I went back to my house in New Orleans every night for dinner. I'd materialize in the living room at six-thirty and take my seat at the table like I'd just come down the stairs.
JAKE: You must've used up a month's worth of Transporter Credits...
SISKO: My parents... they never said anything about it... just "How you doing, son, how was school today?" They knew I'd get over being homesick soon enough, and they were right. By the third or fourth day, you couldn't have pried me away from the campus. Of course... if you go to Pennington, you won't be able to beam back to the station to have dinner with your old man, but after a week or so, you'll get over it.
JAKE: Dad, it's not me I'm worried about... it's you.
SISKO: Me?
JAKE: If I go, you'll be all alone...(Sisko is touched by his son's concern, even though he doesn't share it.)
SISKO: Jake, I appreciate you thinking about me... but don't turn down this opportunity on my account. I'll have plenty of people to keep me company. I can have dinner with Dax, or Doctor Bashir... even Quark.
JAKE: (unconvinced) I guess... but I'd feel a lot better if... you had someone... you know... someone special... like a girlfriend... (awwww :) )

SISKO: I can't believe this... I'm getting advice about women from my son...
JAKE: Don't think of me as your son right now. Just think of me as another guy. (a beat) Another guy who happens to know a very attractive lady who wants to meet you. (Sisko can't believe his ears.)
SISKO: Are you trying to set me up? (ROTFL!!)