In the eighteenth episode of the fourth season of\u00c2\u00a0Deep Space Nine<\/i>, this is EVERYTHING. Intrigued? Then it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s time for Mark to watch\u00c2\u00a0Deep Space Nine<\/i>.<\/p>\n
LET US DISCUSS ALL THE REASONS WHY THIS EPISODE RULES.<\/b><\/p>\n
Style<\/b><\/p>\n
Point-blank: the script and direction for this court procedural is goddamn brilliant, and I am endlessly pleased with this show taking a familiar framing device and doing something utterly new with it. (Well, new for this show, I should say.) The flashbacks in this episode don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t feel tired and repetitive. Part of that comes from the way they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re folded into the hearing. Instead of jumping back from that opening to the past to update us on what happened on that transport ship and how Worf was involved, our entire perception of events is through the trial. Therefore, like Admiral T\u00e2\u20ac\u2122Lara, we can only judge Worf\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s actions through the various witnesses and the evidence provided to us.<\/p>\n
It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s such a perfect focus, and it makes all the flashbacks way more exciting. Of course, adding in the fourth wall breaks was an even more thrilling addition. I LOVE IT, BRAVO\u00c2\u00a0DEEP SPACE NINE<\/i>, YOU ARE DOING EVERYTHING RIGHT.<\/p>\n
Serialization<\/b><\/p>\n
Yes, you could argue that this episode is a standalone, but you would be\u00c2\u00a0wrong<\/i>\u00c2\u00a0and I am going to\u00c2\u00a0type emphatically at you<\/i>\u00c2\u00a0to tell you that \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Rules of Engagement\u00e2\u20ac\u009d is deeply tied to Worf\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s characterization this season and to the conflict introduced in \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Way of the Warrior.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d ARE YOU READY.<\/p>\n
See, here\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the thing: you can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have this episode without the Klingon Empire leaving the Federation. You just can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t! It is\u00c2\u00a0heavily<\/i>\u00c2\u00a0based on this fact, and it informs the bulk of Ch\u00e2\u20ac\u2122Pok\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s behavior. Without it, there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s no reason to set up Worf for failure. The \u00e2\u20ac\u0153fake\u00e2\u20ac\u009d transport exists specifically so that the Klingons can find a way to disgrace the Federation. That loss of reputation will allow them to creep into Federation space even more. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a political gamble and maneuver, and it nearly works.<\/p>\n
But\u00c2\u00a0Deep Space Nine<\/i>\u00c2\u00a0also has the challenge of building off of seven years of characterization for Worf. That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not an easy thing to do, and yet? Somehow, the writers manage to invoke: Alexander; the house of Mogh; Worf losing prestige and honor in Klingon society; Worf\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s brother; Worf being raised by humans; Worf never quite fitting into either society he belongs to. And it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s all appropriate and fits without seeming like the writers are going, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Hey, remember THIS thing???\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Worf\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s entire character feels like it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s on trial, and thus these references are absolutely necessary.<\/p>\n
Klingons<\/b><\/p>\n
Which makes for interesting storytelling because this ultimately comes down to an issue of identity. That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s what Ch\u00e2\u20ac\u2122Pok\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s whole technique comes down to. Was Worf a\u00c2\u00a0Klingon<\/i>\u00c2\u00a0in that moment, or was he following Starfleet protocol? It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a thorny concept because\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 well, people don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t necessarily compartmentalize their identities that way. Our experiences and how our identities affect those experiences matter, but like\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 okay. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m not writing this sentence and thinking, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153This is Gay Mark writing this sentence.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not how it works.<\/p>\n
At the same time, Worf\u00c2\u00a0is<\/i>\u00c2\u00a0Klingon, and his tendency to valorize violence and warfare matters. Did he fire upon that transport ship in order to prove himself? To protect his ship and do his duty? Because he couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t silence the Klingon part of him? Those\u00c2\u00a0are<\/i>\u00c2\u00a0important questions to ask, and as \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Rules of Engagement\u00e2\u20ac\u009d unfolds, the writers bring us closer and closer to a\u00c2\u00a0very<\/i>\u00c2\u00a0uncomfortable conclusion. Worf\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s bitterness and resentment absolutely did play a part in his decision, which is ultimately a mistake on his part. And look, the big twist ending here \u00e2\u20ac\u201c that the transport ship was EMPTY and the whole thing was staged so that the Klingons could stick it to the Federation \u00e2\u20ac\u201c doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t negate Worf\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s actions. That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s another major reason this episode is so satisfying. Worf\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s exoneration does\u00c2\u00a0not<\/i>\u00c2\u00a0erase the fact that he still fired on a ship before he identified what it was, and Sisko scolds him for that. YES. YES. YES.\u00c2\u00a0This<\/i>\u00c2\u00a0is excellent storytelling, y\u00e2\u20ac\u2122all. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s complicated and uncomfortable, but it works so terribly well. This is why I love\u00c2\u00a0Deep Space Nine<\/i>\u00c2\u00a0so much! We get taken on journeys like this all the time, especially in this season.<\/p>\n
Bless this show, I swear.<\/p>\n
The video for \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Rules of Engagement\u00e2\u20ac\u009d can be downloaded\u00c2\u00a0here for $0.99<\/a>.<\/p>\n Mark Links Stuff<\/b><\/p>\n – I am now on Patreon<\/a>! 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.<\/b> In the eighteenth episode of the fourth season of\u00c2\u00a0Deep Space Nine, this is EVERYTHING. Intrigued? Then it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s time for Mark to watch\u00c2\u00a0Deep Space Nine.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[640,614],"tags":[615],"class_list":["post-5730","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-deep-space-nine","category-star-trek","tag-mark-watches-star-trek"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5730","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5730"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5730\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5730"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5730"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5730"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n– I\u00c2\u00a0will be at numerous conventions in 2016! Check the full list of events on my Tour Dates \/ Appearances page.<\/a>
\n– My Master Schedule<\/a> is updated for the near and distant future for most projects, so please check it often.\u00c2\u00a0My next Double Features for Mark Watches have been announced here.<\/a>
\n<\/b>-\u00c2\u00a0Mark Does Stuff is on Facebook!<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0I’ve got a community page up that I’m running. Guaranteed shenanigans!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"