PAST PROLOGUE


I take it all back!

"Past Prologue" was a *vast* improvement over "Emissary" in just about every
area.  With the exception of Dr. Bashir (who still seems committed to
Weeniedom Above And Beyond The Call Of Duty), the characters came alive in
this story.  I hope that the writers move toward focusing more squarely on
Sisko, Kira and Odo, and using the others as supporting characters.  Given the
experiences with Classic Star Trek and The Next Generation, it seems clear
that focusing on a handful of characters in depth works to much greater effect
than doing an "ensemble cast" show, as far as Star Trek is concerned.

"Past Prologue" also overcame a frequently fatal flaw of TNG's: The multiple
story thread syndrome.  Here there were several disparate subplots, yes;
three, to be exact (the Bajoran terrorists, the Duras sisters, and the
Cardassian clothier).  But they all came together into a single, overarching
story, which made the whole greater than the sum of its parts.

The script crackled with more energy than has typically been seen on TNG, as
well.  Part of it was due to Avery Brooks' menacing delivery, and Rene
Auberjonois' brusque one, but there were good lines in there, too ("I think
that you *could* use a new suit."  "You go over my head again, and I'll have
yours on a platter."), and strong exchanges, such as Bashir asking Sisko's
advice, and Kira consulting Odo.  (Aside: I found it an interesting
implication that Odo was chief of DS9 security under the Cardassians!  I'm a
bit surprised they didn't take Odo with them, actually.)

But most of all, "Past Prologue" benefitted from its limited scope.  Unlike
many TNG stories which attempt to bite off *much* more than they can chew in
only one or two episodes ("The Best Of Both Worlds" and "First Contact" being
two prominent offenders), this was truly a short story, a vignette involving
some characters and events set in motion about each other, coming to a quick
and plausible resolution.  And this is grand news indeed since, first, the
short story is very much a living art form (witness the myriad collections
which are published each year), and, second, DS9 is eminently suited for such
a storytelling approach.  Epic battles won't make a lot of sense in a setting
where the focus is a trading center and a shopping mall.  Better to focus on
the stories of the passers-through, and (if necessary) the effect that they
may have on the regulars (though I hope the creators remember that it is NOT
necessary to threaten the principals' life and limb every episode; a strong
guest star can work wonders, and Classic Star Trek proved time and again).

As for the story itself, it was quite nice.  The terrorist's character
successfully walked the fine line between achieving his goals while eschewing
any more killing.  The presence of the Klingons was a successfully understated
plot device (which would have failed miserably had this episode been presented
as "The Duras Sisters Visit DS9").  And the Cardassian and his interaction
with Bashir was largely satisfying (and would have been wholly successful had
Bashir not been portrayed as such a ninny).  I hope the Cardassian has a
recurring role in the series.  (So far, he's more successful than Quark!)

The resolution of this mess was also satisfying, with the powerful image of
Kira sending the runabout (dumb name for a shuttle; oh, well) into the
wormhole, and the explosive being detonated - too late.  Seeing the
Cardassians (by happenstance) on the same side as the DS9 crew was another
nice touch, and made for an eminently plausible reason for the terrorist's
surrender.  Best of all, unlike in "Emissary", the DS9 gang was not powerless
to act effectively.  Keeping things on a human(oid) level seems the way to go
for this series.

A few points off for Bashir acting like a doofus, and for the TNG-style yawn-
inducing music (come *on*, people, get away from the pseudo-new-age stuff and
put some power in the melodies), but otherwise I have no complaints.  NOW I'm
genuinely optimistic about this series.  A couple more episodes like this one
and I'll be enthusiastic!

Grade: A

DS9 SEASON ONE AT A GLANCE:
Emissary: C-
Past Prologue: A
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Total Points: 5 2/3
Season Average: 2.833 (B)
(Rise of 1.166 from previous episode)