I really liked what DS9 did with building the Klingon story, especially with Dax. They believably built up her character, so we knew that she was knowledgeable about the Klingon culture and connected to it. Thus, the relationship and then marriage between her and Worf was something I enjoyed and looked forward to. This wedding episode was deliciously filled with angst and love.
The best thing in this episode is John Anderson. He’s been around for years on TV, and I had seen him many times before this, but he is stellar in this episode. I also liked Anne Haney very much in other shows, and she shines in this as well. Their relationship is so touching, and it’s more poignant when you find out what really happened. A well-written and well-acted story that touches the heart.
Diana Muldaur is always a winner and she’s wonderful as always in this episode. So many aspects of this episode appeal to me: allusions to Shakespeare’s The Tempest, thoughts about what is beauty and what is ugly, deep thoughts about existence as a non-corporeal being, and so on. The speech that touches me the most is when Kollos, through Spock, talks about how separate we all are and alone, and how inadequate language is for bringing us together. When I was young, this caused me to think a lot about how this is the source of prejudice. We can never really know or feel connected to another person, and that leads us to try to forge connections by establishing who is like us and who is unlike us, and then emphasizing those differences to make us feel more a part of those who are like us.
This episode brought back good memories of those books of Greek and Roman myths that I read when I was young. It’s a charming idea—our myths were based on aliens. I like the actor portraying Apollo, Michael Forrest—I feel such sympathy for him, even though he is a brute and assaults Lt. Palamas. And I like Lt. Palamas, played by Leslie Parrish, too—I have lots of sympathy for her. The sexist stuff is a drag, but that’s true throughout the original series. Apollo’s final goodbye really touches me. By the way, the name in the title is pronounced “A-duh-nay-is” (according to D. C. Fontana). It’s from a poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley.
It seems like everyone is doing musical episodes these days, but Star Trek? I was dubious when I first watched this, but after watching it a few times, it really grew on me. In fact, I now have some of the songs in my playlist! The conceit is that an experiment in communication has inadvertently caused all the Enterprise crew to break into song about their innermost feelings. Some characters are more worried about this than others. The songs are good and the staging and dancing is fun, but the best part for me are the innermost feelings shared by La’An, Spock, and Uhura. Enjoy!
It’s obvious that Gene Roddenberry had a thing about interactions with gods or god-like beings. I’m not sure what that was all about, but it turns up in this episode as long-lived aliens who might’ve been progenitors of humans or at least mythical gods. There’s also the contrast of power in the hands of good vs. evil. But my favorite aspect of this episode are the intimate moments between Sargon and Thalassa. Diane Muldaur is wonderful, and I find their intimate moments endearing, especially when they must depart into oblivion; it is poignant and gets me every time.
This is another good episode about Tom and B’Elanna’s relationship, but especially about her past. When she learns that her unborn daughter will have Klingon forehead ridges, she seeks to remove them genetically because of unresolved issues with her father. Tom is again a good partner and helps her deal with those feelings and embrace the Klingon looks of her daughter. Good emotional and relationship stuff in this episode.
Like I said earlier, I like DS9 Klingon stories and Dax and Worf stories. This was the one that acknowledged their relationship out loud. Worf is so sincere about wanting to have a relationship, and Dax is so helpful while wishing it were her. It’s totally Cyrano de Bergerac, but gender-switched with Klingon flavor. I love it.
This episode deals with B’Elanna and Tom’s relationship again with a delightful twist on the Vulcan mating pon farr story. It is perfect that B’Elanna is the one to enter into the ritual fight with Vorik to end their mutual pon farr. And we again learn that Tom isn’t such a rascal after all.
I love France Nuyen, and this episode featuring her as a bratty character straight out of Taming of the Shrew is wonderfully played. Her outfits are amazing (the guard uniforms made out of place mats notwithstanding), and the plot is compelling. The relationship between her and Kirk is a joy to watch and in the best Shakespearean tradition.
