Star Trek: Deep Space Nine gives us one last standalone, as “Extreme Measures” delves into the psyche of one Sloan, Section 31. Or is he? Then, in “The Dogs of War”, we say goodbye to some Ferengis, and the Federation-Klingon-Romulan Alliance makes a fateful decision about the Dominion War.
Trekabout Episode 235: Extreme Measures/The Dogs of War
Mindy
-I am reasonably sure that the DS9 writers didn’t know what Section 31 is. It isn’t portrayed consistently enough. As far as I’m concerned it has to be one of two things.
1. It is akin to MI6 in that it was very secret for a long time, and perhaps only rumors of it were heard by a few people, But it really functions as a more clandestine arm of the official Intelligence dept. This would explain how Sloan could get cooperation from other Starfleet personnel. If Sloan is the director it might also explain why he knows so much. This would mean, yes, it is a way for the Federation to try to disavow actions that don’t fit into its philosophy. But it would actually be semi-accountable to the Federation government. (Which means Sloan was lying.)
2. Sloan is kinda crazy and read this forgotten part of the charter and decided to make up this whole thing, and through knowledge and charisma manages to con people into going along with him for various tasks. This is harder to reconcile with the Changeling virus, though, which seemingly would require likely at least a dozen people to pull off, including the coverup.
Oh, and tell Richard, I always thought that Sloan was just putting all those “files” in the room in order to distract Bashir into staying too long, thereby killing him and destroying all record of the cure to the virus. This seems pretty obvious to me. I guess what is up for dispute is whether that information was real or just made up. I tend to believe it was likely made up, because Sloan is a known liar.
The whole episode just seemed a way to give Bashir/Obrien a last adventure. Which I guess was okay.
I love seeing all the guest stars in “The Dogs of War”. You all didn’t even talk about Jeffrey Combs playing both of his characters in the same episode. Ha! I love that. I don’t mind Rom being named the Nagus, because it’s funny and I don’t really care about anything else with this plot. Armin Shimmerman is funny in this episode. What more could I ask?
The stuff on Cardassia is what I really love about the entire final arc of the show. What the show does with Damar is remarkable. They are able to use his character as a stand in for changes in the entire Cardassian structure. It is wonderfully done by the writers. It is also great to see Garak getting to use his skills to help achieve his longstanding goals, to return to Cardassia, but also to help make it the Cardassia he wants. And putting Kira into that story is a brilliant move, from beginning to end. This is an A+ story, paying off YEARS of both plot and character development.
That story is what really makes me sad that there is no existing Star Trek after the end of this show. (I mean Alpha Quadrant Trek.) And no, Nemesis doesn’t count. DS9 was the show much more concerned with the wider scope of the quadrant and it essentially smashes the existing order. Would love to see what happens next. It seems almost strange to me that subsequent efforts at doing Trek have gone way back to the past or to an alternate universe because they claim to not want to be beholden to the canon. But, DS9 so thoroughly smashes existing order that a subsequent show seems like it would have a lot of freedom. Alas.
Eric Brasure
-Whoa, this an awesome, A+ comment Mindy! Thank you!
I totally agree with you re: an Alpha Quadrant show–I think it’s a timidity in the franchise. Star Trek is looking backwards to its own past because that’s what the bean-counters think Star Trek is to most people. They might even be right, I don’t know. I think it’s an open question what Discovery turns out to be–I’m both excited and nervous.
HabsFan29
-Agreed, A+ for Mindy!
I will add to the Cardassia part my love for Mila (sp?). She really comes through with some great stuff in this last arc.
And I will add to her comment about Jeffrey Combs that the moment when Brunt walks in, everyone is scared, and then he drops to his knees in front of Quark kills me every time I see it.
Eric Brasure
-Oh, Mila is probably my favorite tertiary (?) character in all of Star Trek.
M
-I don’t know if it’s just my imagination, but my favorite part of Extreme Measures is the line readings that Avery Brooks gives as Sisko after Bashir and O’Brien tell him about their plan to lure Section 31 in (“Whaaaat?!”). You can get this sense that Brooks thinks that this plot is just as ridiculous as the two of you do. It’s always this laugh moment when I rewatch, and I was hoping you guys might pick it up.
Eric Brasure
-I can’t say I’ve ever noticed that!