In the fifth episode of the fifth season of Deep Space Nine, I am finished. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Star Trek.Â
Trigger Warning: For extreme consent issues.
My god, I’m exhausted after that episode. This is an experience, but it’s so much more than that. Look, I love a good horror flick, and “The Assignment†veers about as close to flat-out horror as we might ever get from Deep Space Nine. It’s a classic trope, of course: possession forms a significant portion of the horror genre, from the religious to the alien. Yet this episode combines the two in the Pah-wraiths, the beings kicked out of the wormhole by the “true†Prophets. I’m not sure if this is the first time they’re mentioned (I recall hearing about the fire caves prior to this), but regardless, the show’s writers have come up with something that’s creepy all by itself. The Pah-wraiths are non-corporeal, but they can possess a person so completely that it’s impossible to tell they’ve done so unless they admit it to you.
But this story isn’t about Pah-wraiths per se. That’s the device that allows the writers to unleash one of the most stressful and terrifying things ever onto us. The power of “The Assignment†comes in the mundane. There’s that scene during Miles’s birthday party where I was absolutely losing my shit. Every word out of Keiko’s mouth was laced with threats. Was a way for the Pah-wraith to toy with Miles. Was a reminder of the violence that it was capable of. And I thought to myself, “What if my boyfriend comes into the room? What if he sees me shrieking at a birthday party?†And there is the brilliance: the most pedestrian, everyday conversation becomes a lance in this episode.
I would be a fool to not acknowledge that Rosalind Chao is the prime reason this works so well. Yes, the story is amazing, and I’ll touch on that in a second. But this had to be sold to us through acting. Chao kills it. It’s so cool to see the range that she was able to convey here, and I’m now sad that the showrunners haven’t given her more. LOOK WHAT SHE CAN DO!!! DON’T MESS THIS UP.
Other than this, I honestly have the same praises. This episode is relentless. It’s constructed in a way that, for the most part, deliberately prevents Miles from reaching out to anyone around him. In terms of characterization, we have to accept that he loves Keiko so much that he’d do anything to save her. And I believed that! Yet the fact that he never quite knows what he’s building also plays a part. Without Rom (I HAVE SO MUCH TO SAY ABOUT ROM), he most likely would not have figured out what was happening until it was too late. But since the Pah-wraith can do anything it wants while in Keiko’s body, Miles can’t devise a method to keep her unconscious. Y’all, 0.9 seconds is too long. THAT ONE DETAIL DESTROYED ME. Because in 0.9 seconds, the wraith could have murdered Keiko.
So what can Miles do aside from obey the instructions given to him? Sure, he could have looped in any other member of the crew, but that wraith would know. THAT’S THE WORST PART. I kept asking, “Why hasn’t he written down a message asking for help?†Because that wraith had access to TWO ENTIRE MINDS: their own and Keiko’s. That’s why the scene on the Promenade is so horrifying. The wraith had Keiko’s knowledge of the station and Miles’s habits. I bet that it would have known the instant that Miles had told anyone else. And then what? Keiko would be killed, and it would probably move on to someone else. It would have been a sloppier option, but the wraith was non-corporeal. It would have been fine!
Amidst all of this, though, the writers still find time to give us something other than pure horror. I am just so endlessly pleased with Rom’s growth over the course of this show. And here, we find out he’s quit Quark’s and has now signed up to be on the engineering staff. He is so sincere and genuine about it! He wants to fit in so badly! He does that by trying human food, attempting to engage in small talk with his crew mates, and offering himself to O’Brien whenever an assignment comes up. Unfortunately, the timing of this is awful, since he’s drafted into the wraith’s plan to destroy the wormhole aliens. But through this, Rom still shines. He’s loyal. Efficient. Dutiful. Respectful. AND HE GETS A PROMOTION FROM MILES AT THE END OF THE EPISODE.
SO: this episode rules because it scared the hell out of me. It’s masterfully acted and constructed, and THERE IS STILL ROOM FOR CHARACTER GROWTH.
Bravo, Deep Space Nine.
The video for “The Assignment†can be downloaded here for $0.99.
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