In the third episode of the sixth season of Deep Space Nine, Worf is reunited with someone from his past as Kira is reunited with someone who brings complications to her life. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Star Trek.Â
Let’s split this up.
Worf
I wanted to like this episode more than I did, and that’s mostly because I thought this would provide some closure to the open-ended nature of Worf’s relationship with his son. There’s an inkling of a cool idea in “Sons and Daughters,” but I found that most of that came from the fascinating way in which this episode explored the idea that children often can’t escape the legacies of their parents. That’s most definitely the case with Alexander, who tries to hide his identity on the Rotarron by using his foster parents’ last name. Yet it’s not long before everyone realizes he’s the son of Worf, and then… well, things are a bit predictable.
I expected that to lead to an explanation for why Alexander decided to pursue something he’d been utterly opposed to the last time. Unsurprisingly, Alexander is terrible at combat or combat systems; he’s jumpy and nervous; he can’t fight worth a damn. So why do this? Why seek out a position in the Klingon military if you’re so bad at it? Unfortunately, the show never really bothers to answer this question, and it comes off as a glaring oversight. Even Worf himself wonders the same thing! Why do this? Why go through all this pain and humiliation? I DON’T ACTUALLY KNOW, CAN SOMEONE TELL ME?
I didn’t care for most of the Alexander episodes during The Next Generation, and it’s not much of a change for Deep Space Nine either. I’m sitting here, struggling to think of any way to analyze this or address what “Sons and Daughters” tried to accomplish with Alexander, but I’m drawing a blank. Does this episode imply we’ll see him again? This show does that with characters from time to time, but if that’s the case, I need more from Alexander. If he’s trying to prove himself to Worf, that’s fine, but I want to get in his head more than this episode does. I wasn’t bored by it, just mostly uninterested.
Kira
That is NOT the case for Kira, though. I am in love with the nuanced and layered story she’s been given this season, and this was a bold direction to go after the previous episode. While she begins to plot a resistance with Odo (AND PLEASE BRING IN JAKE, THANKS IN ADVANCE), a complication arrives on the station: Ziyal. It was great seeing her again because, unlike the case with Alexander, she’s given her own story that resonates with other characters, too. In hindsight, it’s not surprising that life on Bajor was not comfortable for her. It’s sad, too, because she could not escape the legacy of Gul Dukat. Her father is a notorious enemy to the Bajoran people, and Ziyal couldn’t ever get people to forget that. Thus, she was an outsider amongst her own people, even if she was half Bajoran. Now, I think that perhaps “Sons and Daughters” could have delved into the complications and difficulties of being of mixed heritage while living among people who are not. They do in tiny bouts, such as when the Klingons taunt Alexander over his food, but it’s a bigger issue for Ziyal, especially since she wishes that her two friends and supporters would get along.
But that’s where this gets really interesting. Kira is a much more diplomatic and flexible person than she was at the start of the series, so I understood why she gave the dinner invite a second chance. Ziyal was still important to her, and she wasn’t going to let Dukat stand in the way of that. Yet after Yessim’s death, Kira is still constantly examining the ways in which she knowingly or unknowingly supports this wretched system that she’s become a part of. And once Dukat oversteps her boundaries YET AGAIN, it becomes too much for her.
And I don’t blame her! It’s a personal choice to cut someone out of one’s life, or even to cut off contact with them unless absolutely necessary. It’s still brave of Kira to do so here because she knows she may lose a friend in Ziyal, and she might also lose her safety on the station. But that dress…. ugh, it makes me feel gross! It was at that moment that you could tell Dukat was doing this to win over Kira. Of course he had an ulterior motive! This is what he does! But it felt like it was on display this time, which had to have infuriated Kira because she hadn’t picked up on it. Look, she’s allowed to have complicated feelings about Dukat. He was kind to her at points in this episode, but does that mean she has to accept that gift? Actually, now I feel even grosser about it because like… how did he know her size? Did he research it? I AM NOT OKAY WITH THIS LINE OF THINKING, I’M ABANDONING IT NOW.
Anyway. Dukat is still the worst.
The video for “Sons and Daughters” can be downloaded here for $0.99.
Mark Links Stuff
– I am now on Patreon! There are various levels of support, from $1 up to whatever you want! You’ll get to read a private blog, extra reviews, and other such rewards. I POST A LOT OF CUTE PHOTOS, OKAY. Think of it like a private Tumblr blog that only SPECIAL PEOPLE get to read.
– I have updated my list of conventions and events for the remainder of the year and much of next year.  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 have been announced here.
- Mark Does Stuff is on Facebook! I’ve got a community page up that I’m running. Guaranteed shenanigans!
