In the sixteenth episode of the first season of Deep Space Nine, WHAT. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Star Trek.
This is a weird episode, and I don’t necessarily mean that in a good way. “If Wishes Were Horses” is disjointed as hell, veering from serious introspective reflection on the nature of fantasies to… well, Rumpelstiltskin giving Chief O’Brien lessons while sitting on one of the bridge consoles. Now, I get the larger point of it. I think the writers are trying to give us a breadth of experiences here. Molly imagines Rumpelstiltskin after hearing his story for the first time. (Except she doesn’t??? Later, Rumpelstiltskin will claim that Miles was the one to imagine him, and that barely makes sense to me.) Jake’s time playing baseball in the holosuite brings Buck Bokai to life. And then Dr. Bashir…
Lord, y’all, it’s so awkward. At one point, I was convinced that this episode might seriously address how terribly awful it was to see that version of Dax bouncing about the station, but the show quickly veers away from anything meaningful. Because of this, it lacks any real emotional weight. What is this episode trying to say about the nature of fantasy and imagination? That it’s a window into human behavior? That multiple species all imagine a life that they don’t actually get to live? Truth is, I don’t know. The mystery presented to us by this episode ends up being a figment of Sisko’s imagination. What does that tell us about him? That he imagines disaster whenever possible? That he likes to solve crises? I DON’T KNOW THIS EITHER.
I think that’s what bothered me most about the story here. If everything was a hallucination of sorts, caused by the unnamed beings, then what’s the weight of all of this? Where’s the risk? Where’s the meaning? Is anyone going to change their behavior because of this experience, or will it just be written off as another wacky adventure by the crew? I am, of course, namely thinking of Doctor Bashir, who is not only politely rejected by Dax again at the opening of this episode, but then has his fantasy paraded about the ship. Now, I agree with Dax that this is unfair for Julian because most people get to keep their fantasies about other people private. But had Julian done so prior to this? There wasn’t a person on DS9 who probably didn’t know of his intense unrequited love of Dax. Yet I don’t see any indication by the end of this episode that he’ll examine why his behavior is unacceptable. Right up to the moment that the fake Dax disappears permanently, he still entertains the notion of a possible physical, romantic relationship with his fellow officer. The fantasy isn’t ever destroyed; at best, it just goes away for a while.
Thus, “If Wishes Were Horses” contains a neat concept, but it’s a temporary story. I like the idea that this space station, full of explorers, becomes the explored. It’s a neat reversal, and I can admit that! I also found the episode entertaining in its wackiness, but that only lasted so long before I wanted something far more substantial. I don’t think this episode gave that to me at all. It’s a fun episode, but it’s not the best one to follow “Progress” either.
The video for “If Wishes Were Horses” can be downloaded here for $0.99.
Mark Links Stuff
– I am now on Patreon!!! MANY SURPRISES ARE IN STORE FOR YOU IF YOU SUPPORT ME.
– IÂ will be at numerous conventions in 2016! Check the full list of events on my Tour Dates / Appearances page.
– My Master Schedule is updated for the near and distant future for most projects, so please check it often. My next Double Features for Mark Watches will be seasons 1 & 2 of The 100, Death Note, and Neon Genesis Evangelion. On Mark Reads, Diane Duane’s Young Wizards series will replace the Emelan books.
- Mark Does Stuff is on Facebook! I’ve got a community page up that I’m running. Guaranteed shenanigans!
