Star Trek: Apocalypse Rising

Episode: "Apocalypse Rising"

Series: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Season 5, Episode 1

September 30, 1996

via Memory Alpha

Season 4 ended with a cliffhanger: Odo believes Gowron, Chancellor of the Klingon Empire, is a Changeling.  As Season 5 begins, Sisko leads O'Brien, Odo and Worf on an undercover mission - all disguised as Klingons - to expose Gowron in hopes of preventing war.  

"Apocalypse Rising" is fun for many reasons.  The basic political intrigue story is excellent with plenty of insight into Klingon warrior culture provided.  Michael Dorn was delighted to watch his colleagues suffer through the Klingon makeup process (though Rene Auberjonois claimed he preferred it to the Odo makeup).  Perhaps most importantly for the long term, the story introduces Martok, yet another stellar recurring character who will bring plenty of value to the operation over the next three seasons.

Evidently, the Paramount people didn't like the Klingon War storyline and encouraged the DS9 creatives to get back to the Dominion War they preferred.  "Apocalypse Rising" provides the transition from one to the other.

There's a wonderful exchange between Kira and Bashir in which she blames him for her surrogate pregnancy with the O'Brien's baby.  It's an in-joke, you see.  Nana Visitor was, in fact, pregnant with Alexander Seddig's child.

Acting Notes

via Wikipedia

John German (J.G.) Hertzler (Martok) was born in Savannah, Georgia, March 18, 1950.  He was an Air Force brat and therefore moved a lot as a child: Missouri, Texas, Morocco and mostly the Washington, DC area.  He went to Bucknell as an undergrad where he played football and discovered theater.  Later he got a Master's at the University of Maryland in set design.  He worked for the Nixon Administration for a time in the National Environmental Policy Act.

Hertzler has extensive stage credentials in DC, San Francisco and New York.  Early films include The Redeemer: Son of Satan and And Justice for All.  Television guest appearances include Quantum Leap, Six Feet Under and Roswell.  He was a regular on the early '90s Zorro series.  

Hertzler will likely always be best remembered as Martok, who, in one guise or another, accounts for 26 of his Trek appearances.  In total, he made appearances as twelve different characters over four different series.  He has also written two Star Trek novels: The Left Hand of Destiny, Books One and Two.  

The environmental cause has proven to be a lifelong passion.  Largely on the strength of a pro-environment platform, Hertzler won election to the town council in Ulysses, New York.  In 2016, he endorsed Bernie Sanders for President.  In 2018, Hertzler ran for Congress but ultimately withdrew before the election.

Star Trek: Broken Link

Episode: "Broken Link"

Series: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Season 4, Episode 26

Original Air Date: June 17, 1996

via Memory Alpha

Garak episode!

Odo collapses in Garak's shop, his solid form destabilizing.  When rest in the infirmary doesn't help, Odo asserts that only the Founders will be able to cure him.  Everyone realizes he's right so a plan is made to deliver him to their home world.  Among several complications: they don't know where it is.  Meanwhile, the Federation is tumbling towards inevitable war with the Klingons.  The episode ends with one helluva cliffhanger.

We have much to discuss...

Let's start with the A-plot Odo story.  What an interesting twist on the Pinocchio tale it is.  For harming a fellow changeling, Odo is sentenced to losing his shape-changing abilities.  He is turned human, not as reward but as punishment.  Make no mistake, this is an important philosophical turning point for the Star Trek franchise.  Consider all of the material devoted to wishing Spock, Data, Worf, B'Elanna Torres and many others were more human.  When it happens to Odo, it's portrayed as a disaster.  No joke, this is a monumental shift.

It also marks the beginning of the end for Deep Space Nine, the series.  In the final act, Odo confesses to Captain Sisko how lost and abandoned he feels having lost his connection to The Great Link.  A seed is planted.  We know that, even with his enforced transformation, he will return one day, permanently.  And when he does, our connection with Odo's story will be over.  A point of finality is established for one of our principals.  Fortunately, there's still some time.

The Gowron eyes...

Gowron gets a lot of screen time in "Broken Link," all of it in close up.  My goodness, do the eyes ever get a chance to shine.  First, let's give all due credit to the makeup department for enhancing Robert O'Reilly's physical gift.  Michael Westmore was the lead man for Star Trek in this era and it's well worth noting he was nominated for an Emmy every year between 1984 and 2005, winning 9 times.  Truly, he's a giant of the industry and a member of the Westmore family which has been working in film makeup for four generations and counting.  The Gowron eyes alone are a towering achievement.

And boy, does O'Reilly sell them!  Seriously, when does the man ever blink?  Aha, he may be a changeling!  Maybe that's how he does it...

Garak...

Wow, "Broken Link" is a great Garak episode, and that's saying something!  He gets to play matchmaker between Odo and Chalan Aroya, owner of the Celestial Cafe, a new Bajoran restaurant on the promenade.  He gets into fisticuffs with Worf - "you fight well, for a tailor."  Best of all, he gets to keep Odo company during the journey to the Gamma Quadrant:  

Question: why didn't they let Odo rest in his liquid state?

Thoughts on Season Four

General Impressions

Season 4 marks a new high for the series and for all of Star Trek.  Neither the original series nor NextGen ever had a season as strong from beginning to end and it's not even close.  How good is DS9 Season 4?  This outstanding finale doesn't even crack my top 5 episodes for the season.  The season's worst is still pretty damn good.  The best is a masterpiece.

Favorite Episode: "The Visitor"

This is not an easy call.  Both "The Visitor" and "Rejoined" rank very high on my all-time Star Trek list.  "The Visitor" was the Hugo nominee.  It is close to perfect - all the more amazing for the fact that alternate history is just the sort of narrative choice that typically drives me crazy.  The dialogue sings.  But once again, the acting seals the deal.  Tony Todd's adult Jake Sisko is one of the greatest guest performances you'll ever find on television.  He and Avery Books join forces for a revolutionary scene, portraying a tenderness between Black men you simply don't see in American media.  Genuinely unforgettable.

"The Visitor" lost the Hugo to "The Coming of Shadows," a Babylon 5 episode.  I guess I need to watch it sometime.

Least Favorite Episode: "Shattered Mirror"

This choice says it all.  I will readily concede that "Shattered Mirror" is a good episode.  The Garak-Worf scenes in particular are delicious.  I'm reasonably certain I've never used that particular adjective to describe a NextGen scene - certainly not one in an episode I otherwise didn't like.  This is simply a personal preference.  I don't like the way DS9 uses the Mirror Universe.  But that's just me.

Favorite Recurring Character: Garak

It's unlikely anyone will ever beat Garak for this spot.  Even if it had been close beforehand, he distanced himself from the rest of the field in the season finale.  But folks, the rest of the field keeps getting stronger.  Dynamite recurring characters introduced in Season 4 include Kasidy Yates, Damar, Joseph Sisko and Ziyal.

Favorite Blast from the Past: Worf

While the quality of the product was only getting better, the ratings for all Star Trek series were in consistent decline from the end of NextGen onward.  The producers made a bold move for Deep Space Nine's fourth season, adding Worf - one of the previous series's strongest and most popular characters - to the principal cast.  As noted here, TNG ended with plenty of room left to explore Worf's story.

It was an outstanding choice for all involved.

Favorite Guest Actor, One-Shot: Tony Todd as adult Jake Sisko

via Memory Alpha

I'll readily admit Todd makes for a bit of an awkward choice in the category as I have named it.  "The Visitor" is certainly not his only Trek appearance, nor even his only appearance in the season.  In fact, he will probably always be better remembered as Worf's brother Kurn.  But it is his only appearance as adult Jake Sisko.  See above - it's a grand slam.

As an honorable mention, Susanna Thompson deserves some confetti for her performance in "Rejoined" but honestly, the lion's share of the credit should go to Terry Farrell (Dax) for making that story work.

Onward

Thank goodness there are still three seasons left to go.  

Star Trek: Basics, Part I

Episode: "Basics, Part I"

Series: Star Trek: Voyager

Season 2, Episode 26

Original Air Date: May 20, 1996

via Wikipedia

Voyager receives a hail from Seska - a former crewmate, who turned out to be a spy, and also Chakotay's former lover.  She is with the Kazon now, having shacked up with Maje Culluh.  Seska has given birth to Chakotay's child (long story) and claims both she and the child are now in danger.  Our friends set off to help, knowing full well they may be walking into a trap.  Sure enough, Culluh's band ultimately take control of the ship, marooning the entire crew (with a few important exceptions) on Hanov IV, a primitive planet.

A couple of meaningful ongoing narratives intersect in "Basics," a season-bridging two-parter.  In addition to the Seska fiasco (an in-story mess - I have no problem with it from a production perspective), Lon Suder is back.  Last time we saw Suder, he had permanently been confined to quarters after murdering Crewman Frank Darwin.  The beneficiary of Tuvok's guidance, Suder is a new man.  Now well along the path to reform, Suder wants to find a way to contribute to the ship and its mission, within the terms of his confinement.  He has an idea for developing the airponics vegetable garden.  

Unfortunately, Suder's presentation of his plan to Captain Janeway doesn't go well.  However, he may yet have a chance to help out.  During the Kazon attack, a hole is blown in Suder's quarters and he is technically freed.  He evades discovery during the Kazon search of the vessel.

At episode's end, three characters are unaccounted for by the Kazon: Paris, who had left the ship on a shuttle mission, Suder and The Doctor, who had deactivated himself for exactly twelve hours to avoid capture.  

Overall, it's a solid cliffhanger heading into the summer break.

Recurring characters don't hold the same prominence in Voyager that they do in DS9 so it's interesting that such an important episode depends so heavily on two of them.  It is also, as we shall soon see, nearly the end of the line for both.

Thoughts on Season Two

General Impressions

It is a tale of two seasons.  The first half-plus is truly terrible.  When fans speak of the clunky awkwardness of Voyager, they offer episodes like "Twisted" and "Threshold" as evidence.  Plus, there is the nearly unwatchable Neelix-as-jealous-boyfriend thread.  After a strong first season, the early stumbles of the second are deeply discouraging, especially with Deep Space Nine knocking it out of the park practically every week. 

But an interesting thing happened after "Threshold," the 15th episode.  Season 2's final eleven are strong, beginning with "Meld," Suder's debut.  "Dreadnaught," "Lifesigns," "Innocence" and "Tuvix" are all gems.  Just as importantly, there are no true clunkers in the home stretch.  Principal characters find depth.  Compelling ethical dilemmas abound.  Maybe Voyager has finally found sure footing.

Maybe.

Favorite Episode: "Lifesigns"

At this point, I would say Tuvok and the Doctor are battling for the lead as best-developed character of the series.  "Lifesigns" gives the EMH a slight edge.  The Doctor's entire arc is a quest for broader agency, yet falling in love catches him off-guard.  He didn't even realize it was possible.

I'm gonna let you all behind the curtain for a minute.  That's what falling in love is really like.  If you're lucky, you grow up with a fairy-tale inkling of what "true love" is.  You may have meaningful real-world models and you certainly have plenty of pop culture material to feed into your ideal.  You may have early experiences that are gratifying and likely others that are disappointing.  You may indeed have cared a great deal for one or two of your early partners and they for you.  

It's all prequel.

When the real thing hits you for the first time, it's a freight train.  Whatever concepts you had before suddenly seem quaint and silly.  The whole world is new.  Your life before and your life after are two completely different tales.  It is not a universal experience.  Not everyone knows that kind of love in their lifetime.  How do I know?  Because the world would be a very different place if they did.

That is the love I see portrayed in "Lifesigns" and that is why I believe it.

Least Favorite Episode: "Twisted"

With two series running simultaneously, the Star Trek machine was under a lot of pressure.  Producing 26 episodes a year would have been demanding enough.  Generating 50+ definitely over-extended the operation.  As such, it shouldn't be shocking that a few undeniable heaps of garbage were peppered among the genuinely brilliant installments.

"Twisted" was one of four episodes left over from the first season's production run.  The writing is awful. The story was too short so they padded already weak material with further crap.  The space-time anomaly well was already running dry.  And my god, can we please find a merciful exit for Neelix, already?

They should have left this one in the can.

Favorite Recurring Character: Danara

via Memory Alpha

While "Lifesigns" is a showcase for the Doctor, it works because of Danara, his phage-suffering Vidiian love interest.  Neither character understands what is happening to them and, to my point above, that's exactly what makes it believable.  The Doctor's holographic emotional range is limited so Danara is the more interesting of the partners to watch.  We can still see the love in her eyes when she returns in "Resolutions."

All credit to actress Susan Diol.

Favorite Blast from the Past: Will Riker

In "Death Wish," Q summons our old pal Will Riker to Voyager for Quinn's asylum hearing.  Unfortunately for the long term, he's sent back to the Alpha Quadrant quickly afterwards with no memory of the incident.  The glimpse of Voyager's circumstances `could have been meaningful in our friends' prospects for getting home.

But the brief cameo is good fun.

Favorite Guest Actor, One-Shot: Tom Wright as Tuvix

via Memory Alpha

Boy, is it a tough call on this one.  This is no small honor for Wright as he's beaten out Broadway megastar Joel Grey.  Grey was wonderful but Wright had the tougher job.  Two characters merged into one: that's not a typical ask of an actor.  Then Tuvix had to plead for his right to exist - sadly not unusual at all in reality or fiction.  Wright's performance is a triumph.

Onward

Season 3 is an important one for Voyager as it is the last with the original principal cast.  We'll be saying goodbye to someone soon.  There was much hand-wringing among the producers over the fact the series wasn't thriving as many had hoped.  The season ends with a big Hail Mary throw, one that ultimately rescues not only Voyager but arguably the entire franchise.  

But we're not quite there yet.  Stay tuned.

Star Trek: Resolutions

Episode: "Resolutions"

Series: Star Trek: Voyager

Season 2, Episode 25

Original Air Date: May 13, 1996

via Memory Alpha

Janeway and Chakotay have been infected with a terrible disease when insects bite them during an away mission.  The Doctor fails to find a cure.  On the bright side, as long as the two stay on the planet, the effects of the disease are kept in check.  On the down side, that means they must be abandoned as Voyager carries on without them.  

From this point, two separate but equally interesting narratives play out.  On the planet, the castaways build a new life.  Well, Chakotay, at least, is determined to do everything possible to make the situation comfortable but Janeway is equally determined to find a cure for the disease so they can leave.  Inevitably, they also need to sort out the realities of their quickly evolving relationship under new circumstances.

Meanwhile, back on the ship, Tuvok is left in charge.  Making a deal with the dreaded Vidiians for a possible cure seems a logical move, at least to most of the crew.  Tuvok, however, loyally follows Janeway's parting orders to stay away from the Vidiians and continue the journey homeward.  Tensions mount.  Kim openly challenges the acting captain on the bridge.  Later, he appeals to him in his quarters.  Tuvok doesn't budge.  Finally, Kes convinces Tuvok that while he may be unwilling to let emotions cloud his own judgment, he still has a responsibility to the emotional well-being of his crew. 

Go, Kes!

Long term, the episode is probably best remembered for the will-they-won't-they question posed regarding Janeway and Chakotay.  It was 1996, deep in the age of Ross and Rachel.  Will-they-won't-they was seemingly all anyone wanted out of television.  NextGen deftly avoided it for the most part but there's plenty of it in both DS9 and Voyager.  With "Resolutions," the writers left it to the viewers to decide what happened between the two while stranded on the planet.  I think Kate Mulgrew was right to fight against the over-sexualization of her character and this story respects that.

Plus, the brief return of Danara, the doctor's former sweetheart, is a welcome treat.  She clearly still loves him.  He's predictably officious.

Acting Notes

via Criminal Minds Wiki

Bahni Turpin played the role of Ensign Swinn.  "Resolutions" was the second of two appearances in the part.  Turpin was born June 4, 1962 in Pontiac, Michigan.  Films include Daughters of the Dust, Rain Without Thunder and Malcolm X.  Other television guest appearances include Seinfeld, ER and Criminal Minds.

A lot of actors do audiobook narrations as a side gig.  Bahni Turpin, on the other hand, is one of the best in the business and she has the accolades to prove it.  Her industry awards include 9 Aubie Awards, 14 Earphone Awards, 2 Odyssey Awards and induction into Audible's Narrator Hall of Fame.  Her narrations include The Help by Kathryn Stockett, The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas and Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi.  

On the Coffee Table: Moomin

Title: Moomin Adventures 1

Writers and Artists: Tove Jansson and Lars Jansson

The Moomins were invented by Tove Jansson, a Finnish writer and artist who found success in a number of media.  She first introduced the Moomins and their world in a 1945 novel, The Moomins and the Great Flood, initially in Swedish, her own first language.  She started the comic strip in 1947.  The charming hippo-like trolls have since found their way into television, film, theatre, video games and even theme parks, including one in Japan.  Moomin Adventures 1 collects seven of the comic strip serials.  While Tove produced all of the stories for many years, eventually her brother Lars took over the comics.

Moomintroll (often referred to simply as "Moomin") and his family live a simple life in Moominvalley.  Every once in a while on a whim, they'll set off on an adventure.  This book includes trips to the Riviera and a desert island.  Sometimes, the adventures find them such as when gold prospectors or artists come to the valley.  The atmosphere is light but there is plenty of playful satire along the way - occasional nuggets of wisdom, too.  

Tove Jansson's story is one of many real-life bios featured in Be Gay, Do Comics.  Jansson was with her partner Tuulikki Pietilä for the last 45 years of her life.  Unfortunately, they were not able to be open about their relationship for decades.  Eventually, they became important symbolic figures in Finland as one of the first same-sex couples to attend prominent public events together.

Star Trek: The Muse

Episode: "The Muse"

Series: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Season 4, Episode 21

Original Air Date: April 29, 1996

via Memory Alpha

Onaya, a beautiful and mysterious woman, arrives at the station.  She and Jake are drawn to one another instantly.  Evidently, Onaya has a thing for creative men.  She inspires them in their work, then draws on their energy like a vampire.  Meanwhile, Lwaxana Troi turns up, too, and she's pregnant.  She enlists Odo to help her escape from her current husband.  Our dear compassionate constable even goes so far as to marry his friend in order to help her out of her predicament.

This is a much-maligned episode by critics and internal creative staff alike.  I don't hate it.  Admittedly, the Onaya story is weak - though everyone praises Meg Foster for her performance in the titular role.  On the other hand, I like the Lwaxana/Odo tale.  As I have written before (here), Lwaxana is more likable with a bit of vulnerability - most people are, fictional or otherwise.  It also helps to have one in-story character who genuinely appreciates her.  We all know - Lwaxana included - that Odo's affection for her does not extend beyond platonic.  That said, his speech in her praise at the wedding is both earnest and touching.  She made his world a larger, less lonely place.  Truly, what more can any of us ask of a friend?

And even the Onaya story has its merits.  As I have for this entire run, I watched the episode with our child.  In the midst of a tender scene between Ben and Jake, they declared Ben Sisko "the best fictional dad."

"Better than Atticus Finch?" I asked.  

"Yes, in my opinion."

I'm not quite ready to make that claim myself yet but I acknowledge the strong claim.  As I've written in previous posts (such as this one), the affection between the Sisko men is unusual for men of color on American television.  I'll take it a step beyond that.  A man lovingly and reflexively kissing his adult son on the forehead is something you just don't see on screen, no matter the race of the characters involved.  In the 2020s, Ted Lasso has gotten a lot of credit for promoting healthy, non-toxic masculinity (see this article).  DS9 was setting its own fine example 30 years earlier.

In one scene, Jake is reading a Horatio Hornblower novel.  Once again, Star Trek piques my curiosity about nautical literature.

Oyana can't help but remind me of Alma Mahler.  Here's a musical tribute by the inimitable Tom Lehrer who just passed away this summer:

Acting Notes

via The Vampire Diaries Wiki

Meg Foster was born in Reading, Pennsylvania, May 10, 1948.  She trained at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of Theatre in New York.  

Her big break came when she won the role of Christine Cagney in the TV series Cagney & Lacey.  Unfortunately for Foster, the part was re-cast for the second season.  Evidently, it was a crushing blow for the actress and her career prospects.  She was still able to find guest appearances, including turns on The Cosby Show, Quantum Leap and ER.  She had a recurring role as Hera in both Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Princess Warrior.  Earlier in her career, she played Hester Prynne in a miniseries adaptation of The Scarlett Letter.  Films include Ticket to Heaven, The Osterman Weekend and They Live.

The light blue eyes one sees in "The Muse" are, in fact, natural.  Mademoiselle magazine once called Meg Foster's "the eyes of 1979."  Many producers made her wear colored contacts.  Fortunately, they were perfect for Star Trek.  

Star Trek: Bar Association

Episode: "Bar Association"

Series: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Season 4, Episode 16

Original Air Date: February 19, 1996

via Memory Alpha

Quark's bar is suffering through the month-long Bajoran Time of Cleansing.  With profits down, the proprietor cuts wages by a third.  Rom and his colleagues have finally had enough and they go on strike, an egregious violation of Ferengi law.  Brunt returns as an agent of the Ferengi Commerce Authority (FCA) with orders to quash the labor action by any means necessary.  In the B plot, Worf's struggles in adjusting to life on the station continue.

Full disclosure, I'm a labor man - deeply involved with my local union.  As such, much of the material in this episode speaks to me on a personal level.  Labor relations are also a major driver in the entertainment industry.  The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and Writers Guild of America (WGA) are still among the most powerful unions in the country.  Armin Shimerman (Quark) himself has served on SAG's executive board.  It's surprising stories like these don't pop up so much on screen.  There aren't many TV shows in which the good guys quote The Communist Manifesto.

The two plots intersect when Worf crosses the picket line and the pro-labor O'Brien takes offense.  The two engage in an off-camera bar brawl with Bashir caught in the middle.  That storyline ends with Sisko berating the trio in the bridge, the scene an homage to the John Ford 1948 film, Fort Apache.  I'm not a huge fan of this side-narrative - it feels like they did it for the sake of the homage rather than adding anything meaningful to the story.  Filler.

For the long-term, "Bar Association" offers the first suggestion that there might be romance potential for Rom and dabo girl, Leeta.

Acting Notes

via Transformers: Robots in Disguise Wiki

It's time to give Jeffrey Combs (Brunt) his proper due.  In 2025, Combs is a social media favorite for playing several different recurring Star Trek characters across multiple series - over 20 appearances in all.  As Brunt alone, "Bar Association" is his second of seven appearances.

Jeffrey Combs was born in Oxnard, California, September 9, 1954.  He trained at the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts and the University of Washington.  On the big screen, horror films have been his wheelhouse, especially the work of director Stuart Gordon.  He has appeared in the Re-Animator trilogy, From Beyond and The Pit and the Pendulum.  Beyond Trek, his TV credits include Babylon 5, The 4400 and Masters of Horror.

Star Trek: Meld

Episode: "Meld"

Series: Star Trek: Voyager

Season 2, Episode 16

Original Air Date: February 5, 1996

via Memory Alpha

There's been a murder and Tuvok must investigate.  The whodunnit question is resolved quickly.  Crewman Lon Suder, a Betazoid and a former Maquis, killed Crewman Frank Darwin.  With that out of the way, there's plenty of time left for a more interesting story.

Tuvok is frustrated by Suder's inability to articulate a logical motive for the crime.  He suggests a mind meld and Suder agrees.  The session has a welcome regulating effect on Suder but the impact on Tuvok is highly disturbing, awakening his own violent tendencies.  

"Meld" addresses several important philosophical quandaries in regards to criminal justice: punishment vs. reform, suspicion vs. guilt, logic vs. impulse and so on.  And, of course, there's the long-standing Star Trek question of what happens when a Vulcan lets down their well-honed emotional controls.  Tim Russ gets a wonderful opportunity to flex his acting chops and he makes the most of it.  

One of my favorite lines came early, before Suder's guilt is established.  When asked why Suder was initially recruited despite misgivings, Torres replied "In the Maquis, we didn't ask for resumes.  We needed all the help we could get."

Acting Notes

via Wikipedia

Brad Dourif (Suder) was born in Huntington, West Virginia, March 18, 1950.  He briefly attended Marshall University before leaving for New York to pursue acting.  "Meld" is his first of three appearances as Suder.

During an off-Broadway production of When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder?, Suder was discovered by director Miloš Forman who subsequently cast him in what would become Forman's masterpiece, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.  Suder played the unforgettable (aren't they all in that film?) Billy Bibbit.  Latere voiced Chucky in the Child's Play franchise.  As if that weren't enough to cement both a career and geek-cred for life, he played Wormtongue in The Lord of the Rings trilogy.  Television has been kind, too.  He played Doc Cochran in Deadwood.  He has won a BAFTA, a Golden Globe and a SAG and been nominated for an Oscar, an Emmy and a Saturn.

On the Road: Northampton in May

Driving south this time of year is like time traveling through seasonal change.  On the way down, you get more spring, then less again on the way back up.  The Smith College campus is bursting with color, just in time for graduation next weekend.

Our child wanted to introduce me to Paco, a pacu who lives in the children's section at the Forbes Library.  By my calculations, Pacu is 38 years old.  

As it's a children's library in Northampton, it should not be surprising that there's an Eric Carle original on the wall.  (The children's author lived in Northampton for many years)

Star Trek: Alliances

Episode: "Alliances"

Series: Star Trek: Voyager

Season 2, Episode 14

Original Air Date: January 22, 1996

via Memory Alpha

The Kazon are making life pretty rough for Voyager's crew.  Continuous attacks are costing lives and repeatedly exacting damage to the ship.  Times are getting desperate.  If something isn't done, the mission to get home may be doomed.  Against her better judgement, and in clear defiance of the Prime Directive, Captain Janeway pursues an alliance with one of the Kazon factions, beginning with the Nistrim, Culluh and Seska's band.  In the process, our heroes encounter the Trabe, the sworn enemies of all Kazon.  That's when things really get complicated.

Once again, we have an episode which I like while most critics are at best, indifferent.  For me, "Alliances" hits on all the dilemmas that had the potential to make Voyager, the series, truly great.  The worries over getting home bump heads with Starfleet absolutes and much of the split is along Federation/Maquis lines.  There are a few surprises on the character moral spectrum as Tuvok reveals openness to the idea of an alliance.  The Trabe's history with the Kazon turns out to be a lot more complicated than initially assumed.  In the end, nothing really changes.  But asking the questions is important.  Janeway's episode-closing lecture is a bit over-the-top preachy but Trek often fumbles on that play.

Overall, this is good stuff.  More, please.

Acting Notes

via Charmed Wiki

Raphael Sbarge played the part of Michael Jonas, a crew member whose treacherous tale is just beginning.  Sbarge was born in New York City, February 12, 1964.  He was born to theater people, his mother a costume designer, his father a stage director.  He was named after the Renaissance painter Raphael.  He made his screen debut at five years old on Sesame Street.

Especially given the family connections, it's not surprising that stage success came first.  He performed in Henry IV, Part 1 at Shakespeare in the Park, then made his Broadway debut at 19 in The Curse of an Aching Heart.  Film credits include Risky Business, Independence Day and Pearl Harbor.  On television, he has had principal cast roles on The Guardian, Once Upon a Time and Murder in the First.

Sbarge is also a director.  His documentary LA Foodways was nominated for an Emmy in 2019.

Star Trek: Prototype

Episode: "Prototype"

Series: Star Trek: Voyager

Season 2, Episode 13

Original Air Date: January 15, 1996

via Memory Alpha

Our heroes discover a robot floating in space.  B'Elanna Torres gets to play miracle worker multiple times this episode.  First, she revives the robot which identifies itself as automated unit 3947.  Soon after, 3947 kidnaps our favorite engineer and coerces her into helping his robot companions develop new units, a clear violation of the Prime Directive.  The Voyager crew must save Torres and hopefully she will find a way to complete her assigned task without upsetting the power balance of the Delta Quadrant.

Tall order for all involved.

I enjoy this episode very much, going against the grain of conventional reviews, both internally and externally.  Many within the creative staff, including executive producer Jeri Taylor, pushed against the story idea initially, feeling that robots turned evil was an old sci-fi trope, not Trek enough.  Plus, the robots themselves turned out rather boxy - again, old school.

These are the very reasons I like it.  First of all, the Trek precedent for war machines turning against their creators is strong, going all the way back to "The Doomsday Machine" from the original series.  If one wants political metaphor from Star Trek - and I do - what better representation is there for our own military industrial complex, still alive and well 64 years after Eisenhower warned us about it?

And I like the clash between Trek philosophy and classic sci-fi anxieties.  The creation turning against its creator goes back to Frankenstein, at least.  That basic industrial age fear is exactly why Isaac Asimov invented his Three Laws of Robotics for his own stories.  A confrontation with Trek's Prime Directive is natural and deeply interesting.  At least, it is to me.

Plus, "Prototype" is a great Torres development episode.  We see her inventiveness, her determination, her grit and her compassion all at once.

Once again, I need a few episodes like this to make up for all the Data and Q stories other people love and I don't.

Acting Notes

There are four robot characters with lines in "Prototype" but only two actors performing those four characters.  Rick Worthy played 3947 and Cravic 122.  Hugh Hodgin played 6263 and Prototype.

via Battlestar Wiki

Richard Worthy was born in Detroit, March 12, 1967.  He graduated from the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance.  "Prototype" was one of 15 Trek appearances.

Most of Worthy's high-profile work has been on television.  Science fiction has been particularly kind.  He made eight appearances as Simon O'Neill in the later Battlestar Galactica series.  He was a series regular on both The Magicians and The Magnificent Seven.  Guest appearances include The Man in the High Castle, Heroes and Supernatural.  Films include While You Were Sleeping, Star Trek: Insurrection and Holes.  

Star Trek: Homefront

Episode: Homefront

Series: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Season 4, Episode 11

Original Air Date: January 1, 1996

via Memory Alpha

There has been a terrorist attack on Earth and evidence indicates the culprit was a Changeling.  Captain Sisko is called to Starfleet headquarters to advise and Odo tags along to provide insights on the new adversary.  The trip also provides an excuse for Benjamin and Jake to check in with Joseph Sisko, Benjamin's father.

Watching this episode 25 years later with historical hindsight is a bit eerie.  The 9/11 Al-Qaeda attacks occurred only five years afterwards and the paranoia was awfully similar.  The threat in the United States was already building by '96 and, of course, it was an ongoing concern in the Middle East and throughout the Muslim world.  

It also puts a Trek fan in a difficult position.  Watching a Starfleet admiral argue for martial law is more than a little unsettling.  We know the threat is real.  In fact, we probably understand the threat better than the Federation President does.  But we also know that Joseph Sisko is right when he argues anyone clever enough will find their way around whatever draconian security measures are imposed.  

Star Trek thrives on moral dilemmas and this is an awfully good one.

The family story is deeply important for reasons beyond science fiction.  I've already covered the unusually open portrayal of family intimacy between Black men in previous episode posts, specifically those for "Explorers" and "The Visitor."  The introduction of Joseph Sisko demonstrates this is no generational fluke.  These men love each other and are not shy about expressing their affection - note Benjamin kissing Joseph on the forehead as a reflexive greeting.  This is a big deal, even in 2024, and especially for a program with an overwhelmingly white audience.  

Acting Notes

via Wikipedia

Brock Peters (Joseph Sisko) was born George Fisher in Harlem, July 2, 1927.  He attended the City College of New York until dropping out when he got a touring spot with the Leonard DePaur Infantry Chorus.  Prior to taking on the role of Joseph Sisko, Peters played Admiral Cartwright in two Star Trek movies.  

Brock Peters had an undeniably extraordinary and varied career.  He caught on first as a singer.  In 1949, he joined a touring company of Porgy and Bess, playing the role of Crown as well as understudy for Porgy.  Low Bass God Paul Robeson himself called Peters "a young Paul Robeson."  He was heavily involved in Harry Bellafonte's iconic Calypso album as both background vocalist and chorus director.  (I hate the current overuse of the word iconic but if ever it fit...)  Peters also released two solo albums of his own.

Hollywood came next.  In 1962, he landed the career-highlight role of Tom Robinson in To Kill a Mockingbird.  Other films include Carmen Jones, Soylent Green and Ghosts of Mississippi.  His geek cred is rock solid on the Star Wars side, too.  He voiced Darth Vader in the radio adaptations of the original trilogy.  He received a Screen Actors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award in 1991.  By the time he became Joseph Sisko, Brock Peters was already a legend.

He gave the eulogy at Gregory Peck's funeral in 2003.

Brock Peters passed away from pancreatic cancer in 2005.

Star Trek: Resistance

Episode: "Resistance"

Series: Star Trek: Voyager

Season 2, Episode 12

Original Air Date: November 27, 1995

via Memory Alpha

An away team is sent to find and buy much needed tellerium.  All goes horribly wrong.  Torres and Tuvok are arrested by the oppressive Mokra Order.  Janeway manages to get away with the help of a mysterious friend, Caylem.  Actually, Caylem mistakenly believes Janeway is his own long-lost daughter.  Together, Janeway and Caylem hatch a plan to break our heroes out of prison.

I think "Resistance" is the strongest second season episode so far and it's all thanks to Caylem, played by the inimitable Joel Grey (more on him in a bit).  His story is heartbreaking, and probably all too real for people living under oppressive regimes.  Janeway clearly feels deep sympathy for him and also genuine regret she can't do more to help.

It's a good episode for the Torres/Tuvok relationship, too.  The two see the world in different lights but they also respect each other, and care for each other.  The current dilemma is a meaningful test of limits for both.  How far can you push a Vulcan before he breaks?

Acting Notes

via Muppet Wiki

Joel Grey was born Joel David Katz in Cleveland, April 11, 1932.  Unlike many I've featured in this space, Grey never went to college.  He started his career at age 10 at the Cleveland Play House and never looked back.  

No Broadway star shines brighter than Joel Grey.  In 1966, he won the role of a lifetime: Master of Ceremonies in Cabaret.  The part won him a Tony on stage and an Oscar on screen.  

He was nominated for further acting Tonys for George M!, Goodtime Charley and The Grand Tour plus one as director for The Normal Heart.  He was the original Wizard of Oz in Wicked.  He's done pretty well on screens both large and small.  Most importantly to me, he hosted The Muppet Show, first season, fifth episode.  

I welcome any excuse to post the following scene: "Sunday" from Tick Tick Boom, featuring Grey in its Broadway legend cast.  

Grey received a Lifetime Achievement in Theatre Award at the Tonys in 2023.  On top of everything else, he's a famous father.  His daughter Jennifer starred in Dirty Dancing.

Star Trek: Starship Down

Episode: "Starship Down"

Series: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Season 4, Episode 7

Original Air Date: November 13, 1995

via Memory Alpha

Our friends are out on a Defiant adventure for trade talks with the Karemma.  When one of the Karemma ships is attacked by the Jem-Hadar, our heroes rush to defend it.  Meanwhile, Quark gets to know Hanok, the Karemma trade minister, better.  Initially mistrustful of one another, they must work together in the end to dismantle a torpedo.

This is one of those episodes that is just fine - solid quality but not exactly memorable, at least for me.  As such, I was a bit surprised when our child claimed it as one of their favorites.  "Good character development for everyone," they explained.

Hmm.

Let's see.  Sisko nearly dies.  As he lies on the ground in front of her, fighting to stay conscious, Kira pours her heart out to him, talking about how important he is to her as a religious figure even though they never talk about it and she knows it makes him uncomfortable.  In a C-plot, Worf makes further adjustments to his leadership style in the midst of crisis.  We get to see multiple sides of hustler Quark in action, skillfully managing the relationship with Hanok as both adversary and friend.  We see O'Brien's pride in both his captain and his engineering crew.  Bashir saves Dax's life and they celebrate the healthy friendship they have found together.

Yeah, that's pretty good for one episode.

Acting Notes

via Succession Wiki

James Cromwell (Hanok) was born in Los Angeles, January 27, 1940, to actress Kay Johnson and blacklisted actor/director John Cromwell.  He graduated from The Hill School, a prep school in eastern Pennsylvania, then studied at Middlebury in Vermont and Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh.  He studied acting at HB Studio in New York.  

Before August 1995, Cromwell had a reasonably successful career, boasting numerous film roles plus appearances in several high-profile TV series.  In August 1995, not long before this episode aired, he became a Hollywood superstar, practically overnight.  That was the month the surprise commercial and critical smash hit Babe was released.  Cromwell played Arthur Hoggett, a farmer with an adorable sheep-herding pig.  The role earned him an Oscar-nomination.  His phone has hardly stopped ringing since.

He has appeared in many successful films, including L.A. Confidential, The Green Mile and The Artist.  Television work includes principal roles on Six Feet Under, American Horror Story: Asylum and Counterpart.  To date, he has seven Emmy nominations, winning once.  

On top of everything else is an impressive Star Trek resume.  "Starship Down" was already his fourth Trek credit.  For the 1996 film Star Trek: First Contact, Cromwell was cast as Zefram Cochran, the inventor of the warp drive, an essential development in Trek history.  He has since appeared as Cochran three more times, including a Mirror Universe episode on Enterprise and as a holograph in Lower Decks.  

Star Trek: Persistence of Vision

Episode: "Persistence of Vision"

Series: Star Trek: Voyager

Season 2, Episode 8

Original Air Date: October 30, 1995

via Memory Alpha

The Captain is running herself ragged.  She's distracted, exhausted, not eating well, etc.  The Doctor orders leisure time so she heads to the holodeck to indulge in her holonovel.  Unfortunately, the Gothic story within a story proves less than stress-relieving when her employer, Lord Burleigh, declares his love and makes a pass at her.

The plot thickens once Janeway exits the program.  Elements from the holonovel - cucumber sandwiches, a coffee cup, Burleigh's voice - start popping up in the "real" world.  Soon the entire crew is suffering hallucinations, some indulging fears or anxieties, others deep desires.  Memorably, Torres and Chakotay indulge in a passionate tryst.  This is all due to the meddling of a malevolent being.

While there is decidedly less comedy involved, the episode reminds me of TNG's "The Naked Now" and its own inspiration, TOS's "The Naked Time."  Why stretch out character development over time when you can dump the entire notebook into a single episode?  There isn't much of lasting meaning on offer here.  Paris has daddy issues - huge surprise.  A Torres/Chakotay romance will never be pursued - thank goodness.  The writers saw "Persistence of Vision" as a meaningful exploration of Janeway's need to move on from her life with Mark, her fiancé back home.  

via Memory Alpha

The one genuine treat: Carolyn Seymour, one of this blogger's favorite recurring guest stars, makes her last of five Star Trek appearance, this time as Mrs. Templeton, the evil housekeeper in the holonovel.  In one of Janeway's hallucinations, Mrs. Templeton appears at the doorway to the Captain's quarters, clearly intent on stabbing her.  The two tussle.  Evidently, the scene was great fun for both actresses.

Acting Notes

via Memory Alpha

Michael Cumpsty (Lord Burleigh) was born in Wakefield, West Riding of Yorkshire, England, though he spent much of his childhood in South Africa.  He moved to the states for college, graduating from UNC-Chapel Hill.

Most of Cumpsty's high-profile work has been on stage.  Broadway credits include Artist Descending a Staircase, Racing Demon and Copenhagen.  He won a Tony for his role in End of the Rainbow.  In fine Trek tradition, his Shakespeare credentials are stellar, including the title roles in Timon of Athens, Richard III and Hamlet.  Television work includes One Life to Live, All My Children and L.A. Law.  Films include The Ice Storm, Flags of Our Fathers and The Visitor.  

Squid Flicks: My Dinner with Andre

Title: My Dinner with Andre

Director: Louis Malle

Original Release: October 11, 1981

My Overall Rating: 3 stars out of 5

via Amazon

Two friends meet for dinner at a New York City restaurant.  Wally is a struggling playwright.  Andre is a former theatre director who left the business a few years before to embark on a journey of self-discovery.  They talk.  Andre tells Wally all about his wild adventures.  Wally parries with his love for the simple life he lives with his wife in the city.  Wally looks at New York with new perspective on his cab ride home.

Really, that's more or less it.

My Dinner with Andre is one of the all-time classics of independent cinema.  One can't help but admire the simplicity - made on a shoestring $475,000.  It made 10 times that at the box office which is outstanding for any film.  The two lead actors also wrote the screenplay.  A grand total of five characters get spoken lines with 99% of the dialogue going to the long-winded Andre and the more reflective Wally.  Practically all of the movie is shot at the one restaurant table.

Critics fell in love with it.  Roger Ebert himself tabbed it as the #1 film of 1981.  Over the years, homages have popped up on Animaniacs, Frasier, The Simpsons, The Family Guy, Rick and Morty, Community and on and on.  44 years later, you really can't call yourself a proper movie geek if you've never seen it.

Until this month, I had never watched it.  Perhaps I've finally earned my merit badge.

Did I enjoy the movie?  You've got to get invested in the dialogue because that's truly all there is.  I can't deny, my mind wandered.  Within seconds, Andre reveals himself as a boring narcissist who believes everything he does could only be fascinating to anyone else.  I know people like that.  I don't enjoy them.  So as amusing as his story is, he lost me quickly.  I had far more sympathy for Wally's resistance.  

My first question in giving a film a rating is would I watch it again?  To be honest, I feel I would need to watch it again to appreciate it.  But would I have the patience for that?  Hard to say.  A 4 would be a definite yes.  So call it a high 3.  

One fun story for the road:  Wallace Shawn was cast as Vizzini in The Princess Bride entirely on the strength of the way he said the word "inconceivable" in My Dinner with Andre.  The word is, of course, Vizzini's catchphrase.