Deep Space Nine 2x14 "Whispers"

rating: ****

the story: O'Brien starts to suspect a massive conspiracy has been woven against him.

what it's all about: This has long been one of my favorite episodes of the whole franchise, on the basis of its cleverness alone.  That and the fact that it's one of O'Brien's best episodes (which tend to be among the best of the franchise, too).

The whole thing is a mystery, and yes, you find out what's really going on at the end, and yes, it absolutely delivers, in a way that surpasses any other Star Trek mystery you could think of, because suddenly everything makes perfect sense without even needing to be explained at any great length.  In the meantime, however, "Whispers" also functions as one of those quintessential O'Brien-is-having-a-hard-time episodes.  You'd think, because he technically just had one of those (with Bashir) in the previous episode ("Armageddon Game"), the impact might be dulled.  But this was a character who thrived on having miserable experiences (there's another near the end of the season!).

At heart, O'Brien was one of the most relatable characters in the franchise, which is why this sort of thing was so easy to pull off.  It's not so hard to imagine things going wrong in your life, is it?  O'Brien was known for being humble (eventually retconned to be one of the few crewmen, which is to say he enlisted Starfleet, to be regularly featured, which is why in Deep Space Nine he's referred to as "Chief" rather than by rank).

So anyway, for the majority of this episode he's faced with, yes, a massive conspiracy that just seems to get deeper and deeper, so that he can't even trust his own wife Keiko.  The clever thing about this is that it may be the first time in the season Sisko is portrayed in a way that truly flatters him.  There were moments when even Picard was less than fair, at least apparently, to his crew, when otherwise he was presented as the consummate professional.  But here's Sisko being the most professional of anyone aboard the station, not only as he should be, but in a way that is totally in-character for him, certainly as he was originally depicted, someone who came to the station just to do a job, who has yet to find a real reason to care, but who nonetheless performs his duties impeccably and with remarkable compassion.  The same goes with O'Brien in this case, even though O'Brien eventually sees through it.  (In a lot of ways, Sisko's first few seasons saw him behave in exactly the way management in the real world was to start performing thanks extensive corporate training, although never as well as he did, but then Sisko had the benefit of being a fictional character.)

I'd rank "Whispers" with the likes of Next Generation's "Conundrum," an unexpectedly stellar experience that seems to have nothing much to say, just excellent storytelling behind it, the kind of sci-fi Star Trek often aspires to but doesn't really nail as often as you'd think.

criteria analysis:

• franchise - Can easily be held up as exemplary of Star Trek storytelling.
• series - By exploring O'Brien's plight you get a window into the whole series.
• character - But this is certainly an O'Brien showcase.
• essential - A typically great one.

notable guest-stars:
Rosalind Chao (Keiko)
Hana Hatae (Molly)
Susan Nimoy

Deep Space Nine 1x3 "Past Prologue"

****

So many episodes from the first season of Deep Space Nine have been lost in a void that it takes almost an act of will to pierce the fog and rediscover what exactly was accomplished in the formative development of the series.

"Past Prologue" is a prime example.  It will never be mistaken for an entry from later seasons, even the first half of the second, for which it could be mistaken, yet it's one of the most important and necessary entries the creators could have contributed.  You'll be astonished, once you hear what's in this one, because I doubt for most fans, even of the series, will be able to identify it by title alone (hopefully the Fan Companion can start to rehabilitate its reputation).  The funny thing is, if this had been an episode of Next Generation, this wouldn't be a problem, but that's what Deep Space Nine essentially was, a whole series of episodes that would've been highlights for any other Star Trek.  It was harder to appreciate this early on.

Okay, so the first thing you need to know is that it's the first appearance of Garak.  This is notable in its own right, even before you're reminded that he isn't seen again until the next season, and grows to mythic status at the end of that one.  But this one's just as notable as "The Wire," not only introducing the "plain, simple tailor," but his ideal relationship with the originally, incredibly naive Dr. Bashir.  Those fans who only became interested in the series later on are missing out on a version of Bashir that's one of the most interesting characters in any version of the franchise, a brilliant but inexperienced, wide-eyed dreamer who is anything but ready for the DS9 experience, and is therefore all the more remarkable for surviving it entirely intact (in the third season, you begin to appreciate his rough push into maturity).

Garak could easily have been a series regular, and nearly was in later seasons, but it's worth noting that as far as anyone knew just from viewing this first season, he was a one-off character who played like no one else since Q as guest characters go.  That's reason enough to give "Past Prologue" another shot, yes?

There's also the Duras Sisters, unofficial MVPs of Klingon guest stars, arguably more significant than Gowron, only eventually upstaged by DS9's own Martok.  They were mainstays in Next Generation, and were blown up in Generations, and were one of several attempts by the show's creators to maintain a link from one series to another, and as always, they're worth the visit, no matter where they are.

The crux of the episode isn't even any of this!  It's actually the first hard look at the pathetic state of Bajoran society, and the terrorist mentality that pervades it after decades under Cardassian Occupation.  It's not really an essential Kira episode (there are two others from this season that more easily lay claim to that title) so much as a necessary look at the Bajorans, the whole reason Starfleet took on this assignment.

Like a direct answer to the pilot, "Past Prologue" is a look at the grim everyday realities of a space station, and sets up what most of the rest of the season couldn't really live up to.

franchise * series * essential * character

Notable guest-stars:
Andrew Robinson
Barbara March
Gwynyth Walsh
Vaughn Armstrong
Susan Nimoy

Memory Alpha summary.