In the twenty-first episode of the second season of Deep Space Nine, EVERYTHING IS STILL MESSED UP. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Star Trek.
AHHHHHHHH I LOVE WHEN THE SECOND HALF OF AÂ STAR TREKÂ EPISODE IS STILL AS GOOD AS THE FIRST. I have things to say, LET’S DO THIS.
Hudson
So, I wasn’t exactly wrong about Commander Hudson. He most likely did visit Sisko in order to see if Sisko was amenable to joining the Maquis. At the opening of the second half of “The Maquis,” he extends that offer outright, and he seemed fairly certain that his old friend would accept. But there’s a crucial difference in how these two view the conflict unfolding between the Cardassians and the Federation colonists. Hudson wants retribution for what the Federation forced him into and what the Cardassians continue to do those abandoned by the Federation. And you know what? While the show isn’t terribly detailed on this note, I do think I got a sense for why Hudson believed this. The treaty they made with the Cardassians thrust them upon all the colonists, and as far as I can tell, the Federation offered little to no support for the nations that got handed over to the Cardassians. All I do know is what Admiral Nechayev told us: that at least the people of Dorvan V had a presence during the negotiations, and that their concerns were completely ignored in favor of the “greater good.”
Thus, Hudson and his people feel understandably ignored and forgotten. On top of that, we get absolute confirmation that the Cardassians were smuggling weapons into the demilitarized zone, all so they could terrorize the colonists. What was Hudson supposed to do? I think it’s easy to view them as antagonists, and while they’re an antagonistic force within the narrative, “The Maquis” never goes so far as to say they’re the enemy. I appreciate that because I believe it makes for a richer story.
ALSO: HUDSON SHOOTS SISKO. HOLY SHIT, I DIDN’T EXPECT THAT.
Nechayev / Parn
Notice how quickly both leaders try to distance themselves from any sort of responsibility? OH, I SEE YOU. I SEE WHAT YOU’RE DOING. It’s much easier for Nechayev to write off the Maquis as “irresponsible hotheads” rather than do anything substantive to address their concerns. At no point does Nechayev or any high-ranking member of Starfleet ever express any sympathy or understanding of the people whose land they signed over to the Cardassians. On the flip side of that, Legate Parn throws Gul Dukat under EVERY BUS POSSIBLE. He’s not an “irresponsible hothead,” but he’s called “misguided.” Again, a leader places distance between themselves and any problem, and Sisko sees right through both of them.
Gul Dukat
I enjoyed that Gul Dukat was given a similar treatment to the Maquis in this episode. Like them, the writing for his character straddles the line between adversary and ally, though his is a more situational state than anything else. I seriously can’t get past how wild it is that Sisko mounted a rescue mission for GUL DUKAT. Not only that, but when Sisko arrives for said rescue, Dukat goads on his captors to SHOOT AT THE VERY PEOPLE WHO CAME TO GET HIM.
He’s bold, I’ll give him that.
But holy shit, ISN’T HIS INCLUSION IN THIS EPISODE THE BEST THING. I want to frame the very moment where Sisko reveals to Dukat what Parn said about him because HE IS GENUINELY SURPRISED. There is not a moment during that sequence where Dukat is pretending to be anything but that. It’s so incredible because THIS HAS NEVER ONCE HAPPENED. Dukat is always a step ahead of everyone and everything, and he’s a master manipulator. He loves being in control, being sly, and teasing Sisko with what he can do. And then, in one instant, he’s reminded of how his own people can dispose of him. (Well, they try to dispose of him, that is.) To see that role reversal happen in real time… holy shit, y’all, it was SO SATISFYING. For the time being, it puts Sisko and Gul Dukat on the same side, thereby activating ONE OF MY FAVORITE TROPES OF ALL TIME.
Yet if we accept that there’s a role reversal in “The Maquis, Part II,” I think the very same episode demonstrates Gul Dukat’s return to form. How electrifying is that scene where he threatens the Xepolite trader into compliance? GOOD LORD.
Logic
You know, I’m curious if Quark’s continued breaking of the rules of Deep Space Nine will ever seriously come back to haunt him. At this point, he’s gotten away with practically everything he’s ever done onboard the space station. However, at least he does something to contribute towards the conflict: he uses the Rules of Acquisition to convince Sakonna that her work for the Maquis is illogical. It really is a stunning scene because Quark’s logic is just so damn good. But I also felt it was a commentary on the larger issue at hand: at what cost is peace worth it? Is murdering everyone aboard a transport ship worth peace? What of those lives? Do those families ever get to know peace? Quark appeals to Sakonna’s logical side by pointing out that there is a much, much lower cost for peace that she and the other Maquis are ignoring.
The Inevitable
Even if there is a temporary solution to the battle between the Maquis, the Federation, and the Cardassians, Deep Space Nine still provides us with no easy answers at all. At the end of the double-part episode, the Maquis escape. I am certain they will not disappear into obscurity because the border zone isn’t disappearing either. The key problem is not solved at all, and I think Sisko’s fear of inevitability is valid. It’s only a matter of time at this point. How long until the Maquis resurface? What if other splinter groups form? How will the colonists react to the Cardassians’ next attempt to kick them off their worlds?
I don’t think he’s prevented a war at all.
The video for “The Maquis, Part II” can be downloaded here for $0.99.
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