Babel

This is an Underrated Star Trek episode. If I watched it in another time period, I would not understand its value. However, there is currently a worldwide pandemic. In a way befitting a science fiction; It has shown very well what will happen in a pandemic. The process is lifelike, just faster. With the importance of the situation, the tempo in the episode was successful. With real life experience, I was very excited while watching the episode. An important detail was the unexpected spread of the virus. As a result, Star Trek is always one step ahead.

Great episode. pretty unnerving though how relevant this still is in 2020.

A strange illness starts affecting the community of DS9.

This is a solid episode that has an interesting concept done in an enjoyable way.

I love the idea of the station being riddled with technical problems and Chief O'Brien being up to his eyes in problems like some sort of tradesmen in demand. This is plausible for the early days of the Federation's takeover of DS9. Colm Meany is a very believable Engineer and this story works well.

It is also quite entertaining to see the station down to a bare minimum of staff trying to sort the problems out. Kira Nerys, Odo, and Quark have some memorable character moments during the situation, and Nana Visitor, Rene Auberjonoir, and Armin Shimerman respectively are on good form.

The actual form the virus takes is a little bit naff and slightly laughable at times, but it does not spoil the episode for me. When the solution comes in the end it's down to one character finding a suitable way to motivate someone to find the cure. This isn't very Star Trek in its approach, but it's cool all the same.

Avery Brooks reminds me (in Star Trek context) of William Shatner in that he is a strong charismatic lead actor, but in some instances he can stray a bit over the top.

This episode seems like it could have been better with an extra few minutes to tell it's story. Which is interesting. More often it feels the episodes could lose about 10 minutes.

What I wish the episode included was a scene showing the Bajoran doctor discover the cure from Bashir's initial work. This is kind of the climatic moment the story was leading up to. And they just kind of skip it and just tell us via Sisko's log that it happens. I call that a downer.

The other scene I would have liked to see would have been a scene addressing whether the Major's action of capturing and infecting the bajoran doctor against his will was or wasn't acceptable or ethical.

But overall the contagious babeling storyline was good. And It has some interesting twists in determining the provenance of the contagion.

Overall it seems do deserve a 7. But it seems a few easy changes I recommended could have make it a 9 without much difficulty.

This unusual episode takes a very different look at a standard Star Trek plot - the ship-wide seemingly insurmountable threat story.

In fact, it starts out as a comedic episode following Miles O'Brien around as he tries to repair chronically failing Cardassian technology all over DS9. Shortly after, however, the story takes a very sinister turn as O Brien becomes heavily aphasic and is followed very quickly by many others on the station. Eventually, Sisko quarantines the station, and Kira is sent on a mission of mercy to try to locate the one person who may be able to save the crew.

Brooks and Visitor turn in excellent performances in this episode, and the episode is important in the development of O'brien, Jake and Ben and Kira's characters. And there is a good amount of conservative exposition about the Bajoran underground.

A solid, if not entirely original, episode.