2.21 — “The Maquis, Part II”
Plot: This second installment sees Sisko playing both sides as he scrambles to prove that Cardassian Central Command is supplying weapons to the colonists while preparing to use force if necessary to prevent the Maquis from making further terrorist attacks.
Thoughts: Gul Dukat is my favorite recurring guest star. “Shoot them!” he yells as he is being rescued. It’s always important to remember that for Kira, he is a war criminal, the commander of Cardassian forces during years in which atrocities were visited on the Bajoran people.
I feel affirmed in my opinion of TNG 7.20, “Journey’s End,” as Admiral Necheyev makes a true statement, “We never should have allowed these colonists to remain on the Cardassian side of the demilitarised zone.” Picard, what were you thinking?
These runabouts seem to be heavily armed. Shouldn’t you need at least a starship to protect a whole colony/weapons depot?
I love the scene between Quark and Sakonna the Vulcan, in which he uses Ferengi philosophy to explain to her why the path of war is not logical. Spock would have reached this conclusion much sooner, but along a similar path. This is great writing.
The space battle between the runabouts and Maquis ships, despite the runabouts being rather heavily armed, is the most credible action scene I remember seeing since TOS and the original cast films. Maybe the Battle of Wolf 359 approaches.
Ira Steven Behr, DS9 showrunner and author of the teleplay, is quite proud of Sisko’s speech in Ops procliming the darker, more troubling themes of DS9 in comparision to other Star Trek series:
SISKO: Just because a group of people belongs to the Federation it does not mean that they are saints.
KIRA: Excuse me?
SISKO: Do you know what the trouble is?
KIRA: No.
SISKO: The trouble is Earth.
KIRA: Really?
SISKO: On Earth there is no poverty, no crime, no war. You look out the window of Starfleet headquarters and you see paradise. Well, it’s easy to be a saint in paradise, but the Maquis do not live in paradise. Out there in the Demilitarised zone, all the problems haven’t been solved yet. Out there, there are no saints, just people. Angry, scared, determined people who are going to do whatever it takes to survive whether it meets with Federation approval or not.
KIRA: Makes sense to me.
Indeed, it’s all very well to have resolved conflicts on Earth, or among the crew of a Starship, but this doesn’t tell you how to behave when you encounter hostile forces that don’t follow your code. This is something Kirk encountered all the time. I appreciate that Sisko is struggling make moral choices while searching for the third way of reconciliation which is at the heart of Rodenberry’s original conception of Trek. I look forward to more episodes like this.
5 out of 5 mouthy prisoners. Dukat and Princess Leia have something in common!
http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/The_Maquis,_Part_II_(episode)
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