In the fourth episode of the second season of Deep Space Nine, a group of invaders try to steal Jadzia’s symbiont. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Star Trek.Â
You know, it was always going to be hard to follow up “The Siege,” so I know that this episode suffers because of the comparison of the two plots. That’s not always a fair criticism, of course, and every episode of a show can’t be a relentless nightmare of tension. (Unless you’re The 100. Good lord.) So does “Invasive Procedures” hold up on it’s own?
Sort of. It’s a fairly solid episode that’s got a few too many slow sequences for my liking. I think the idea is fascinating, and I certainly didn’t expect the symbiont transfer to actually happen. But really, there are two big reasons that I found this compelling.
1) Verad is a self-entitled, arrogant asshole.
And he is purposely portrayed that way. I mentioned the Abigail Fisher case while watching this episode, and I think it’s a perfect real-world example of how people can use their sense of entitlement to harm others. Verad believes he deserves a symbiont after failing the exam that the Trill give to determine who gets one. Yes, I can imagine that it must be very frustrating to take a test like that and not know where you failed. I’ll give Verad that much. But if he is not qualified to receive a symbiont, then there must be some flaw within him biologically or psychologically that would preclude him from getting what he dreamt of for so long. I think this story could have been taken in a different direction and examined why the test might have been flawed, but that’s not what we got. As far as we know, Verad was not suitable for a symbiont.
So what does he do? He hires Klingon mercenaries, takes over DS9, and then STEALS JADZIA’S SYMBIONT. His logic? He studied his whole life for this, and thus, his time put into it equates into this terrifying sense of entitlement. Even Jadzia points out how common it is for Trills to not get a symbiont! But does that matter? No, because Verad can’t fathom that time invested in something like this doesn’t mean he deserves the end result. Again, if we go back to Abigail Fisher, just because you studied for a certain amount of time to get into a university (and had many other members of your family are alumni of said school) does not mean you deserve a place there. If you don’t have the grades or the qualifications, why should a special exception be made just because you want it?
It’s sad that Verad feels disappointed in the results, but practically guaranteeing the death of another Trill to get what you want isn’t the way to go about this.
2) Sisko is an endless force of anger and calculation.
Kira is bizarrely underused in this episode, but I think I’m ultimately okay with it because this script sets Sisko as the focus of “Invasive Procedures.” It makes sense because he’s the one who knows Dax the best. But it goes beyond that here! Sisko spends the bulk of this episode plotting a subtle method to turn Mareel against her lover by pointing out that Verad has no clue what he’s actually doing. Verad is so consumed by his goal that he isn’t taking into account the massive changes that will happen when he takes Dax within him.
No one here knows that better than Sisko because he’s watched Dax move from one host to another, soon to move to a third. (Well, obviously Jadzia knows better than Sisko since she’s an actual Trill, but she accepts her fate here in order to prevent anyone else getting hurt.) Thus, Sisko is pissed off. I lost count of how many times the camera cut to him and he had the most VICIOUS look on his face. And I love that he channels that anger into an insidious attempt to point out all the ways in which Verad Dax will be different.  Even more brilliant? He immediately resumes his rapport with Dax once Dax is inside Verad, and he exploits that in order to make Verad feel unbearably uncomfortable. I LOVE IT.
Ultimately, those two things are what stood out to me most about this episode. I felt it was a bit prodding at times, especially when it got to a point where it seemed like every scene was just people pointing phasers at one another. Sisko got in a pretty sweet body slam in there, too! I’m just glad that Verad was not rewarded for his gross behavior in this episode. That is what he truly deserved.
The video for “Invasive Procedures” 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.
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– 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 Death Note and Neon Genesis Evangelion. On Mark Reads, Diane Duane’s Young Wizards series will replace the Emelan books.
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