Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – Season 6, Episode 5

Of all these initial six episodes, “Favor the Bold” feels the least like a self-contained story, but it’s a very entertaining and tense episode nonetheless. Structurally, it’s a setup for the conclusion to this arc and begins to tie up a lot of the running story threads. The ambitiousness of the arc is fantastic and one of the things I marvel at is how much time seems to pass vs. how much actually does.

To wit: it was only in the previous episode that Captain Sisko was relieved of command of the Defiant and had to come to terms with the reality of no longer being on the front lines with his crew. By the end of this episode he’s back aboard the Defiant’s bridge again. This might have been more effective if it had happened an episode earlier, but the overall pacing of the arc is pretty damn good. I just remember it feeling like this particular storyline lasted longer, which I think is indicative of how epic these episodes felt.

As the episode begins, the Defiant is seemingly adrift and in bad shape when a pair of Jem’Hadar ships swoop in and begin attacking. On cue, Martok’s bird of prey decloaks to take out one of the enemy ships, and the Defiant powers up to finish off the other one. It’s apparently a decoy strategy that the ships have been doing for a little while and is a fun way to jump start the episode. I think it’s details like this that help sell the passage of time in this arc and what contribute to the epic feel they have.

They receive a message to rendezvous back at Starbase 375 and there’s a chorus of bellyaching from the bridge crew about having to fall back once again. This recalls the season premiere in which Starfleet’s very sagging morale was highlighted. When Dax comes face to face with Sisko at the starbase she channels the crew’s grumblies a little too forcefully. She’s always had a relaxed relationship with Sisko because of their long-running friendship, but you need to slow your roll there, commander.

Sisko calmly replies that he’s formulated a plan for the Allies’ big morale-boosting operation: retaking Deep Space Nine! As I’ve said before, I love this newer side to Sisko as the master strategist. He presents his plan to Starfleet brass, who are nervous about committing such a large force (and diverting protection away from Earth). Sisko reiterates that the Dominion won’t attack Earth because it’s not the key to the Alpha Quadrant – DS9 and the wormhole are.

Speaking of the station! Quark accompanies Kira to Odo’s quarters in an attempt to get through to him. Quark’s disposition in this scene is a nice change of pace and he displays some of his trademark concern for Odo’s well-being, and even his honor. He simply can’t believe that Odo could be a collaborator, but Kira is still in total-hating-his-goo mode. They don’t get far as his door is under guard by the Jem’Hadar. Quark is so worked up that he even tries to push past the Jem’Hadar and almost gets shot doing so. It’s so uncharacteristically brave of Quark but is nice to see. The Bajoran guard informs Kira that the Female Changeling has been in Odo’s quarters for three days now. So clearly there’s a total bone-a-thon going on in there. Good for him.

At which point we get treated to the aftermath of said boning!

No, really.

Odo and the Female Changeling sit on opposite sides of a bed, having just finished doing it like they do on the Risa Channel. The Female Changeling seems in awe of how shallow an act it is, and how it pales in comparison to the Great Link that their kind takes part in. It’s a peculiar scene, but interesting. I went on in the previous episode about how the Female Changeling’s seduction of Odo was coded in a very sexual way, and how the overwhelming physical sensation of their linking blissed him out to the point where he no longer cared about anything anymore. The episode does away with any coyness about it and just has them literally hump it up, but just as a way of experiencing an aspect of the solids’ existence.

As I’ve noted before, the Changeling’s ability to take the shapes of other life forms does not impart any empathy for them – despite the amount of importance they place on the act. In fact, after having sex the Female Changeling is overwhelmed with pity towards the solids and it only affirms to her their inherent superiority. Hey, did she have sex with Odo… or me???

At any rate, Odo is noticeably glum. Despite having just had literal sex, the afterglow of bliss that caused him to betray his friends (and the entire quadrant) has apparently faded and the Female Changeling notices. She asks him if he ever played hide the slime with Kira, and he doesn’t want to talk about her. As he gets up to go to a station council meeting she informs him that the meeting was three days ago, and Odo is perturbed by how much time has slipped away from him. The Female Changeling emphasizes how their kind is above such day to day concerns, and that their concept of time is different. The long Changeling lifespan is something that has been mentioned before, and they are perhaps functionally immortal.

Despite how much I absolutely trashed Odo in the previous episode, there’s something noble and heroic about his adherence to a regular solid lifestyle despite his godlike abilities and existence. It recalls Superman’s embracing of a regular human life, and rejecting the lure of being a god and dominating others. As we see with the Female Changeling, embracing one’s superiority is the quickest way of shedding your humanity. Odo is clearly at a crossroads at this moment, having to choose between his old life of hardship, isolation, and normalcy vs. a timeless existence as a carefree god at the top of a vast and brutal interstellar food chain.

Sensing his wavering, the Female Changeling links with Odo again. But rather than the overwhelming relief it provided him before, the merging doesn’t seem to have such a strong effect this time.

Kira comes to see Weyoun about getting Rom released from imprisonment. In an episode with so much going on already, it devotes some welcome moments to further flesh out Weyoun’s character, and his species at large. As Kira barges in, Weyoun is intently studying one of Ziyal’s paintings on a table, attempting to find the beauty in it. He states that the Vorta have no inherent sense of aesthetics which makes them genetically incapable of appreciating art or music, thanks to the Founders. Combs is always wonderful as Weyoun, and the way he imbues the character with both an alien weirdness as well as a forlorn sympathy is so fun. Kira suggests that perhaps the Founders made a mistake in their genetic programming, to which Weyoun brusquely dismisses such a notion.

Kira politely asks for Rom to be released, and any sympathy for Weyoun as a character evaporates as he explains that you can’t release a prisoner before execution – it wouldn’t make any sense! He’s adamant that Rom must pay the price for his crime – not just in attempting to circumvent the station’s security, but because he was the one who designed the mines themselves. I love the cold impassive stare he gives Kira as he explains that the Dominion takes a dim view of terrorism – while also referring to Rom as her friend. It’s clearly a message for her.

Upon realizing that she’s not going to get anywhere with him, Kira storms out of the room. Just as she’s about to leave, Weyoun stops her to ask if the painting would be more aesthetically pleasing if it were blue? LOL. It’s such a fucked-up thing to say, and it’s not necessarily because Weyoun is being a sadistic dick – that’s not really his style. But it’s more that the life of Rom is such a non-issue for him and since that’s been tabled, can we get back to this painting thing? Again, the way Combs can just jump back and forth between all this stuff is so entertaining. Kira doesn’t say anything to him and he goes right back to studying it once she’s gone.

Quark and Leeta have their visitation time with Rom in his holding cell. Rom realizes that he’s going to die, which causes Leeta to whimper like a hurt dog. It’s almost funny. They both try to assuage Rom with their schemes to get him out, but he’s not buying it. Instead he focuses both of their attention on what they should be trying to do – sabotaging the station’s graviton emitters so that they can’t detonate the minefield. Billions of lives and the entire Alpha Quadrant depend on them now. It’s the most grave and serious we’ve ever seen Rom and he’s such a stud here. Fans (rightfully) give Nog a lot of credit for his transformation over the course of the series, but Rom undergoes a very similar journey from glorified background extra to a pivotal character in the biggest interstellar war ever!

Quark matches Rom’s serious energy but not his selflessness. He doesn’t want to get involved and doesn’t want to die, but Rom pushes him while acknowledging the possible futility of their efforts and their honorable deaths. This guy! 🤩

Kira enlists Ziyal’s help in freeing Rom, who goes to her father about it. Dukat is of course incredulous that they would release an enemy of the state, and Ziyal attempts to manipulate him based on his supposed regret over the atrocities committed during the Occupation. If you want to prove that you’re a friend to Bajor now, how about starting by being a friend to Rom? she argues. It’s actually a little unfair since Rom is a straight up criminal of the highest order to the Dominion. But Dukat is an absolute monster, so who cares if her argument against him isn’t 100% legit? He remains steadfast in his refusal to pardom Rom, and Ziyal storms out. We really need a weather expert here to monitor all of these storm outs!

Kira sits with Quark as he spitballs his genius plan to hire some Nausican mercenaries to blast their way in and get Rom out. Kira poo poos that plan, as the Nausicans are too knuckleheaded to pull off an operation like that. I like seeing the two of them on the same side like this, mostly because Quark is bereft of his more unseemly qualities.

As Kira is about to sit down to a drink, Damar lords his power over her and makes her get up to do some work. Taking her seat, he makes a crack about her attitude. Taking not one single molecule of shit from Damar, Kira invites him to change her attitude before… you guessed it, storming off!

Damar wonders out loud if Quark would poison him for locking his brother up. But Quark deviously assures him he wouldn’t, to which Damar gives him the skin-crawling compliment that he’s a credit to his race. True to his (racist-ass) Cardassian nature, Damar is too cocky and pleased with himself to keep his secret: the minefield is coming down in a week.

A frustrated Sisko learns from Worf and Martok that Gowron will not commit any Klingon ships to their operation to retake DS9, believing that it would leave their empire vulnerable to attack. Worf suggests that Martok make his case to Gowron in person. He agrees, but makes Worf come along – “What could be better? An ally and an enemy both telling him the same thing. He’ll have no other choice but to agree!” I love it.

Kira learns of the imminent timeline of the minefield’s destruction from Quark, and Jake casually leans in to the conversation to boast that he’s getting a message out to his father – via Morn, who’s bringing a birthday present to his mom. Kira interrupts Morn’s clumsy wrapping of the present. It’s so great that the writers found a way to even involve Morn in the important mechanics of the plot!

I appreciate the economy of the plot, as the next scene shows the ribbon from the present already in the hands of Captain Sisko and Admiral Ross. As in “A Call to Arms,” there’s a wonderful brevity and speed to the plot that helps move things along. Unfortunately, one of the Federation fleets won’t be able to make it to them in time, in addition to the Klingons. Sisko says that we’ll have to go without them and do their best to fight their way to DS9. If the Dominion is able to open the wormhole and bring their fleet into the Alpha Quadrant, it will be game over. They’ve run out of time and don’t have any choice.

Dukat tries to point out the distant flashing of lights that signify the mines being disabled, but Weyoun admits that Vorta have weak eyes – yet another genetic weakness of his people. Dukat is frustrated that Weyoun can’t even see the thing he’s been badgering him to get done for months. Nevertheless, Weyoun lies that he knew Dukat would accomplish it. “Did you,” Dukat replies bitterly, his narcissism still clearly wounded. The interplay between these two is always the best.

Damar bursts in to reveal that a large Federation fleet has been congregating at Starbase 375, where Sisko is stationed. Damar mentions his promotion as an adjutant to Admiral Ross, and I like how it illustrates their own intelligence gathering. “Good for him,” Weyoun chirps, before asking why all of these ships are hanging out there. Damar doesn’t know, and of course Weyoun doesn’t like that answer. Dukat vows to get to the bottom of it, and Weyoun… you’ll never believe it… storms out!

Damar laments how disrespectful Weyoun is to Dukat, who tells him that he’ll let him teach the Vorta some respect someday. As in “A Call to Arms,” the delusion of the Cardassians is on full display. These idiots think that they’re going to come out on top in this arrangement, that they’ll somehow be in a position of power over the Dominion in the future. It’s an illustration of the Cardassians’ all-consuming arrogance – you choades couldn’t beat the Bajorans, the Federation, the Maquis, or the Klingons. The Dominion is stronger than all of these foes put together and they have set up shop in your kitchen. How exactly is this going to pivot to your advantage, especially once the full force of their main fleet comes marching into your front yard? These fucking guys.

Dukat barely seems concerned about this massing fleet and instead gives Damar the much more important assignment of getting his daughter to talk to him again. Damar is clearly uncomfortable about getting involved in Dukat’s family drama, but Dukat makes it an order and underlines his fascistic need to maintain an appearance of strength and unity by having his daughter by his side when they achieve victory. After Damar scampers off, Dukat sits at the head of the empty conference table and there’s something thematically evocative to the over-the-shoulder vantage point.

Ziyal shadows Kira in a cargo bay as the major does some menial work. Ziyal rants about how much of a liar her father is and how she won’t ever speak to him again. Kira is disbelieving of that, and Damar barges in on Dukat’s orders. Damar, always playing the part of Dukat’s hype man, talks his bro up as a great man of destiny who must never show any sign of weakness in their uneasy alliance with the Dominion. Despite what I said earlier, the Cardassians are not totally deluded as to who it is they’ve gotten into bed with. Or perhaps it’s just in their nature to never trust anyone, even an ally. Damar asks Ziyal to be “a true daughter of Cardassia” and stand with her father. LOL Damar, you faschy-ass dork.

Ziyal of course refuses the vaunted role of Space Hitler’s daughter, at which point Damar drops the diplomacy and grabs her to haul her away. Kira tells him to let her go, and he asks what happens if I don’t, mommy? How hard will you spank my bottom? Actual dialogue. Kira answers with the flurry of fists she’s been itching to deliver to Damar’s face and drops him without much trouble. Ziyal’s horrified reaction is comical, and Kira makes her stormy way out of the room.

Admiral Ross visits Captain Sisko on the eve of battle, who is studying ancient Bajoran texts in an attempt to glean any advice or wisdom about this pivotal moment. Upon Ross mentioning Bajor Sisko can’t help but rant about how beautiful and perfect the planet is, and how one day he’ll build a house there. Ross asks what will happen if he gets assigned elsewhere, and Sisko replies that he’ll go wherever Starfleet sends him, but Bajor will always be the home he’ll return to. It’s the most passionate and committed we’ve ever heard Sisko about Bajor, and it’s moved long past the shitty assignment he couldn’t wait to get out of in the first episode. It establishes the personal stakes he has in this coming battle.

Speaking of Nog’s journey, he gets an important milestone with a promotion to ensign, which he happily shows off to O’Brien. Of course the last plucky youngster in Trek to make it to ensign was Wesley Crusher, but Nog’s path has been a lot more fun and less annoying to watch. I like that the episode doesn’t put too much emphasis on it; it’s just another of the million things happening in this crazy wartime.

Sisko makes his triumphant return to the Defiant’s captain’s chair, which Dax is all too happy to surrender. He orders the fleet to depart to the fireworks factory. Finally!

Weyoun and Dukat confirm that the Federation fleet is headed for Deep Space Nine, and surmise that a message must have gotten out somehow. Weyoun is nonplussed by the ship movement and is confident they will be crushed. Damar enters with an embarrassing patchwork of bruises all over his face and Dukat pulls him aside to ask what went wrong, knowing that Kira never would have hurt him if he hadn’t threatened Ziyal in some way. From across the room, Weyoun overhears their conversation – “Weak eyes, good ears,” he says. Dukat agrees to pull enough ships off of the front line to meet the Federation’s fleet, and Weyoun smugly leaves.

On the upper level of the Promenade, Odo and the Female Changeling observe the crowd below as Odo contemplates his new perspective. She continues to try and move his concerns above and beyond the solids below them. He mentions how much they value their freedom and she replies that they must be broken of that. This choice of words concerns him, but she deflects and tries to assure him that everything will be OK (once all his friends are dead).

Weyoun approaches with important War News, and she dismisses Odo back to his quarters. Weyoun congratulates her in “neutralizing” Odo, as he always posed a potential threat. She questions what he means by that, and Weyoun realizes he’s made a huge mistake as the obsequious smile fades from his face. The Female Changeling reiterates that she hasn’t neutralized Odo but is bringing him home, a mission more important than conquering the entire Alpha Quadrant. It’s an interesting statement, and is probably sincere. The supremacy of the Founders is their one and only priority – subjugating other species and all the nasty stuff that the Dominion does is in service to that one awful goal.

Odo spots Kira and on the Promenade and runs to catch up to her. He tries to apologize but she is far too pissed to accept it after all he’s done. Odo is crushed and can only watch as she departs in a manner that is not unlike that of a stormy weather pattern.

As the Federation fleet makes its way to DS9, Garak (un)helpfully counts the number of their ships that are experiencing trouble and having to fall back. But even more unhelpful is the huge Dominion fleet they detect in front of them, 1,254 ships strong. Bashir points out that it outnumbers them 2-to-1.

Without missing a beat, Sisko orders the fleet to battle formation. And notes that “Fortune favors the bold.” Chills!

It’s a tense set up for the final episode of the arc. “Favor the Bold” blows through a large number of plot points and storylines as it nears the conclusion, but it’s all done expertly. As with the entire war arc, the jumping around to all the primary and secondary characters is great and keeps the storytelling so dynamic. True to the episode’s title, going for broke and pushing the boundaries of Star Trek‘s material paid off in dividends.

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Stray Observations

• There’s a dumb scene where Garak is making a big deal about Starfleet putting a device in his brain as all the Starfleet characters try to assuage his fears. I guess considering Garak’s experiences with his own government’s invasion of its citizens’ bodies it’s understandable. But it’s just silly and pointless overall. It kind of feels like padding in an episode that didn’t really need it.

• All joking aside, I really don’t think that Changelings would even get anything out of regular intercourse? They can certainly simulate all the body parts, but none of the actual sensations that they would receive as humanoids. Case in point: Odo has no sense of taste or smell, even though he has a nose and mouth. Therefore, a Changeling simulacrum of a set of genitals wouldn’t bring any actual sexual sensation.
  
  Unless a more experienced Changeling could actually duplicate the neurological wiring that makes such pleasure possible. Odo definitely doesn’t have all the senses that humanoids do, but he also can’t even make a proper humanoids face. The other Changelings are much more skilled than he is, so perhaps they could experience the full sensation of sex? So maybe the Female Changeling wasn’t impressed because Odo just sucks at it?

• The exterior shots of Starbase 375 throughout the episode show an increasing number of Starfleet ships each time as the fleet builds. Nice detail.

• I like Ziyal’s drawing tablet. Want!

• I love this part. Just as Damar is about to spill some beans, he turns to some random Bajoran nearby as the camera darts over. The guy is like “God, fine…!”