Overall Rating: 7.2
I find this episode strangely charming despite one portion of it being inconsistent with canon and despite the plot concept being a rather standard sci fi trope.
Plot Synopsis:
A good plot summary can be found here courtesy of Memory Alpha.
Writing: 6.0
The script is kind of cobbled together and has the quality of a vignette festival...not that there's anything necessarily wrong with doing an episode in that style from time to time...I just feel like the major meat of this episode doesn't arrive until 30 minutes into a 45 minute story. But the largest weakness in this script is the vignette featuring Joran Belar. When last we saw Joran, he was a quiet, creative, and artistic man who, unfortunately was repressing a powerful rage which led to his committing three murders at the Symbiosis Commission. In this episode, there's nothing artistic about Joran, nor is there any subtlety in his rage...he's not repressing anything...he's a ball of fury almost instantly. Let's face it...that's just poor characterization.
Acting: 8.5
Other than Avery Brooks' disastrous rendition of Joran (whenever a script calls for big emotion from him, he always manages to screw it up with hammy overacting), I was favorably impressed with the job all of the cast members did playijng Jadzia's past lives. Indeed, even Armin Shimerman managed to convey two very different characters in one scene with enough skill that his breaking out as Quark was legitimately funny, which is not easy to do. Rene Auberjonois and Terry Ferrell are clearly the stars of this show and did most of the heavy lifting in the moments that mattered.
Message: 7.0
This isn't a particularly message-heavy episode, but if you want to take something away from your viewing, that something does strike me as a positive. It would seem the message here is that it's better to know the truth and to deal with potential problems honestly than to lie to protect someone or run away from a possible confrontation. I think Jadzia would agree that even if she did feel some negative fallout from reuniting with Curzon once she'd learned the truth about his past infatuation with her and subsequent cruel treatment of her as an initiate, she'd rather know the truth than go on wondering forever whether she had Curzon's respect and why he let her back into the program.
Hightlights:
JAKE: Don't worry so much, Nog. You'll be a great cadet.
QUARK: In the meantime, you make a lousy stock boy. Why can't you take after your friend here? He knows enough to stay out of Starfleet. Even a human can see that there are a lot more profitable opportunities out there for a young man with ambition.
NOG: Uncle, he wants to be a writer. There's no profit in that.
QUARK: On the contrary. Writing holosuite programmes, especially the more intimate variety, is very profitable.
JAKE: I'll bet.
QUARK: I'll tell you what. The two of you come up with a proposal, and I'll put up the latinum for your first programme.
AUDRID: The day I was named head of the Symbiosis Commission was one of the happiest of my life. Right behind the day I gave birth to my first child. Are you a mother, Jadzia?
DAX: No.
AUDRID: Oh, I hope you will be someday. There's nothing quite like holding a baby to your breast, nursing it. The entity that lent me this body wishes to speak.
QUARK: How much longer am I going to have to do this?
DAX: Another hour at most. And the sooner we get back to it, the sooner it'll be over.
QUARK: Just remember, not a word about this to anyone.
DAX: I promise. (LOL)
CURZON: Quark!
QUARK: Odo? What happened to your face?
CURZON: Never mind my face.
(And kisses Quark on the forehead)
CURZON: Did I ever mention you're a magnificent scoundrel. Two Tranyas please, very cold.
QUARK: Right away.
SISKO: It's going to take Quark a little while to get over that. (LOL!)
SISKO: Do you really want to leave things as they are? Or are you just trying to avoid a confrontation with Curzon? You once told me that Curzon intimidated you when you were an Initiate.
DAX: I looked up to him. I still do. Maybe that's why I find it hard to challenge his decisions.
SISKO: Let me tell you something about Curzon. He was my friend, he was my confidant. In a way, he was my teacher as well. But he was also be manipulative, selfish and arrogant. Most people let him get away with it because he was so charming. Sometimes I let him get away with it too. But from time to time he'd push me too far and I'd have to stand up to him, tell him he'd crossed the line.
DAX: And how would he react?
SISKO: Sometimes he'd just laugh and admit it, sometimes he'd get furious. But either way he'd back off, because he knew he was wrong. And he is wrong now. He's being selfish and he's manipulated you to get you to go along with what he wants. Now, are you can confront him or let him get away with it? It's up to you. (I love bits of history like this)
ROM: I know what you did.
QUARK: Take it easy. What's wrong with you?
ROM: You know what's wrong. You reconfigured the holosuite so that Nog would fail the spatial orientation test.
QUARK: I did it for his own good, Rom. I couldn't just stand by and watch my nephew throw his life away.
ROM: You had no right to interfere. I've already told Commander Sisko what you did and he's going to let Nog retake the test.
QUARK: You what?
ROM: You heard me. And if you ever do anything to hurt Nog again, I'll burn the bar to the ground.
QUARK: You wouldn't dare.
ROM: Oh yes I would. My son's happiness is more important to me than anything, even latinum. Remember that, brother. (Awesome!)
DAX: I want my memories back.
CURZON: I'm sorry. I realise this is difficult for you, but you'll get over it. Trust me, it's better this way.
DAX: For you, maybe. You're both living out a life you never could have had otherwise. But it's my life you're living. Those should be my memories.
CURZON: Not anymore. Maybe they never should've been.
DAX: That's where you're wrong. I earned the right to be joined. I am the only person in our planet's history who was ever readmitted to the Initiate programme after being washed out.
CURZON: The only reason you got back in was because I felt sorry for you.
DAX: Curzon Dax famous for rejecting Initiates. Why feel sorry for me?
CURZON: Now don't you use that tone of voice with me, little girl.
DAX: You can't intimidate me, Curzon. And I'm not a little girl anymore.
CURZON: No, I suppose you're not. The truth is, you weren't a little girl back when you were an Initiate. You were a brilliant and beautiful young woman. Very beautiful.
DAX: You were in love with me?
CURZON: At first I thought it was just an old man's passing infatuation. After all, I'd always had an eye for the ladies. But as we spent more time together, I started to realise it was something deeper.
DAX: Then why were you so hard on me?
CURZON: I couldn't let you know the truth. You were an Initiate, I was your supervisor.
DAX: So you washed me out of the programme.
CURZON: Later I realised that I'd robbed you of something you'd wanted all your life. I felt so guilty I nearly retired from the Symbiosis Commission.
DAX: So when I reapplied, you didn't object.
CURZON: On the contrary. I was grateful when you'd reapplied. It let me off the hook. So now that you know, you can see that it's best for both of us that I stay here, in this body.
DAX: Why? Because you loved me?
CURZON: Because I still love you.
DAX: There's no shame in that, Curzon.
CURZON: Yes, there is, and if we rejoined, you'll feel it too.
DAX: No, I won't, because I love you. You're a part of me and I want you back. That way, Jadzia and Curzon can be together the way they should be, through Dax. (aww)
SISKO: Hopefully, you'll get to put on the real one next year.
JAKE: When you ace the Academy entrance exam.
NOG: Yeah.
BASHIR: What's the matter, Chief?
O'BRIEN: It just occurred to me. As soon as that kid graduates from the Academy, I'm going to have to call him sir. (LOL)
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