Station log: stardate unknown

Jim Trombetta and Michael Piller pen this Dax (Terry Farrell) episode that sees the Science Officer dealing with a Trill initiate named Arjin (Geoffrey Blake). It first aired on 27 February, 1994.

Unfortunately for Arjon, Dax is nothing like the young man expects. He’s nervous, eager to please, and Dax is relaxed, easing into the situation of training and testing the Initiate.

The b-story sees O’Brien (Colm Meaney) and Kira (Nana Visitor) dealing with an infestation of Cardassian voles that are causing problems with station equipment. This makes for some fun, and entertaining moments.

Dax and Arjin are drawn into a mystery that comes back on the runabout they were travelling in – a mystery involving a proto-universe and the possibility of life within it. This is a fascinating concept, that doesn’t quite get enough exploration as the story keeps circling on whether Arjn will meet the standards for a Trill Initiate.

I quite enjoy this episode, as Dax is much more relaxed in these episodes than in previous ones, and we get to see more of her humour, and the history of the character. In fact there are a number of very enjoyable character beats for a lot of the main cast, building the layers into their roles.

From conversations between Sisko (Avery Brooks) and his son, Jake (Cirroc Lofton) about his dating a Dabo girl, Quark (Armin Shimerman) filing complaints about the voles, and Dax playing games with Ferengi.

Overall I liked the character beats, but the story wasn’t as solid as it could be.

Station log: stardate unknown

Flip Kobler and Cindy Marcus pen this Quark episode that debuted on 20 March, 1994.

An old flame of Quark’s arrives on the station, a Cardassian by the name of Natima (Mary Crosby). She arrives on the station with a damaged ship and a pair of students, claiming to be a teacher, but she may have a secret.

She may in fact be a member of the Cardassian underground.

Things take a turn for the interesting when Garak (Andrew Robinson), the station’s resident tailor, and Cardassian spots her, during his repast with Bashir (Alexander Siddig).

Quark gets to show a bit of a vulnerable side, but for me the real enjoyment comes from Garak – I love the episodes that bring his character in to play, because you’re never quite sure who he is, what his motivations are, and what his final goals are. He’s such a great character.

Next week the Human Adventure continues when I continue to explore Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – The Complete Series on DVD from Paramount Pictures.