1.3 — “Past Prologue”
Plot: Tahna Los, a member of a Bajoran terrorist group, asks for asylum on DS9. It turns out that he has a past with Major Kira. The Cardassians want Sisko to extradite him. Meanwhile, there is no guarantee that Tahna has abandoned his former terrorist methods.
Thoughts: I love this episode. I wasn’t fully persuaded by the premiere and its guazy religious subplot. This is the stuff, though. This is the bones of a great series.
We start with Garak the tailor. Love him! Take his innuendo-filled scene with Bashir at the top of the episode, which is not only funny, but introduces the theme of “Past Prologue:” people are not just what they seem, and what they say cannot be believed. My favorite Garak line is his condescending statement to Bashir “An open mind. The essence of intellect.” You immediately understand that he is calling Bashir stupid, just as he also tells us that he is a spy, by denying it. What does dialogue this good do? It makes you lean forward, listen closely, and pay more attention to every character in the show. And the first thing you notice is they all lie repeatedly. It’s great.
Here are ten things in this episode which I’m a fan of:
1. The transporter being located on the bridge! Or “Ops” or whatever.
2. The turbolift that services the bridge moves up and down. Mind. Blown.
3. Kira describes her relationship with Sisko as like “oil and water.”
4. When Kira apologizes to Sisko, he responds by threatening her.
5. Kira’s loyalty is an open question mark, and the producers therefore move to test it immediately in the most direct way possible.
6. The rat running through the station, which later turns out to be Odo. That’s great production value. Can they keep it up?
7. The Duras sisters can come to DS9, and it doesn’t have to be because they’re having a big conflict with Sisko or the Federation.
8. Spies, diplomats, politics, terrorists, oh my! Should the characters put their faith in incremental pragmatism , or radical absolutism? It’s like Hillary versus Bernie.
9. With this story about terrorism and extremism, Star Trek is wrestling again with the important issues of the day, just as TOS did with the Vietnam War and other lightning rod issues of the 1960s.
10. Unlike segments of “Emissary,” the main characters work together in a functional way.
It’s strange that, since we are told that Klingon culture is based on honor, the Klingon characters in the episode act entirely without honor. Notwithstanding Worf, Klingons seem to easily absorb any unsavory characteristic the writers ascribe to them. Why? Is it because Klingons are historically rooted in racial caricature?
Maybe I’m feeling overly exuberant, but despite the somewhat predictable plot, I’m giving this episode 5 out of 5 stars.
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