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Jammer's Review
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
"Far Beyond the Stars"
****
Air date: 2/8/1998
Teleplay by Ira Steven Behr & Hans Beimler
Story by Marc Scott Zicree
Directed by Avery Brooks
Review by Jamahl Epsicokhan
"You see, Albert's got the right idea. He's not interested in Negroes or whites. He writes about robots."
"That's because he is a robot."
-- Douglas and Herb

Nutshell: Wonderful, classic Trek. A socially aware issue episode that's also an engrossing reflection upon Trek's own spirit.

Captain Benjamin Lafayette Sisko: portrayed by the engaging African-American actor Avery Brooks. Does it matter that Captain Sisko is black? In the color-blind 24th century, it's a non-issue. The word "black" (which, to my knowledge, has never directly been used to describe a Trekkian character) might as well be in the same group of descriptive words as "tall" or "bald." No character sees Sisko as a "black captain"--he's just "the captain." The case is similar for Voyager's female Captain Janeway. For the purposes of Trek, I think that's absolutely the way it should be. In 400 years, I hope we will have improved race and gender relations to the point that everyone can immediately accept people for who they are, rather than scrutinizing their ethnic background. I know--it sounds like a trite, obvious sentiment, but aren't the most universal statements always trite-sounding after they've been said so many times?

Next question: Does it matter that actor Avery Brooks is black? Deep Space Nine may take place almost 400 years from now, but let's face it: Reality is 1998, and no matter what your stance is, race issues are still relevant to most people in our society.

On a personal note, I find it very refreshing to see a black hero as the lead for a mainstream television series. In my opinion there are not, for whatever reason, enough impacting black characters in television drama (excepting Homicide: Life on the Street), so when DS9 premiered in 1993, I was pleased to see an African American leading a Star Trek series--a franchise which has always prided itself on forward thinking and social commentary.

But before this review turns into a column on race relations in the 1990s, let me frame my point in terms of this week's story. This episode, for the first time in DS9's run, utilizes Avery Brooks' character as "black." It accomplishes this by putting Brooks' in the role of Bennie Russell, a science fiction writer trying to make it in 1953, when racism built up the walls blocking opportunity.

"Far Beyond the Stars" is what it's all about, people. This is a perfect example of what makes Trek what it is: not just entertainment, but entertainment with a social awareness that goes beyond the technology, adventure, and space journeys, and into the exploration of the human condition.

The slice of Bennie's life is a dream that Sisko has when he falls unconscious, exhibiting medical readings and bizarre mental activity similar to when he had his visions in last year's "Rapture." The dream idea is itself interesting, and even though this was intended as a single-shot, stand-alone episode, there are little details within "Far Beyond the Stars" that make one wonder if the Prophets weren't somehow set on giving Sisko this vision for a specific purpose.

Bennie Russell's daily troubles begin with the editor of the sci-fi magazine he writes for: a man named Douglas (Rene Auberjonois), whose cowardice epitomizes the dangers of embracing a slanted status quo. He's a prime example of covert racism: Sure, he has a Negro writer on his staff, but he's unwilling to acknowledge that man's identity. "As far as our readers are concerned," he says, "Bennie Russell is as white as they are. Let's just keep it that way." He explains away all social responsibility for his own actions and opinions by blaming society--simply excusing his own close-mindedness on "the way things are."

Early in the episode, Douglas explains that the writing staff will be in a photo to be published in the next issue. Nobody is surprised when Douglas tells Bennie and Kay (Nana Visitor), the staff's only woman, to "oversleep" the day the photo is to be taken. "It's nothing personal," he tells Bennie. But that's the point--racism (and sexism) is rarely a personal issue.

When Roy, the resident artist (J.G. Hertzler), shows Bennie an intriguing drawing of a space station, Bennie is hit with an overwhelming inspiration. The next day he comes to work with a completed story about this space station--a place called Deep Space Nine--which is commanded by a black captain. The other writers love it. But it doesn't matter, because Douglas won't print it. "Your hero is a Negro captain ... It's not believable." Left with no option but to either make the captain white or not have the story published, Bennie suffers a defeat while maintaining his integrity. Because Douglas isn't willing to make a difference, Bennie's story is rendered useless.

Armin Shimerman portrays Herb, a forward-thinking liberal who represents the antithesis of Douglas. Throughout the episode, Herb hounds Douglas for his conservatism, and encourages Bennie to tell his story just as he wants to. Herb is interesting because he represents the other view--the side that realized that individuals had to make personal efforts to overcome the generally held opinions of the masses.

Also appropriate given the era of McCarthyism is Douglas' suggestion that Herb is a communist. "Far Beyond the Stars" benefits from a number of such historic touches. The casting of Michael Dorn as a Negro baseball player who has been inducted into the Major Leagues makes sense, and adds to the running commentary dialog.

"Far Beyond the Stars" is, of course, obviously intended as a Trekkian "message" episode, but there's much more to it than that. Anyone who sees this purely as a soapbox preaching is missing a lot of the story's more general elements. After all, this episode is also wonderful entertainment. Dropping all the DS9 regulars into these new roles is interesting for the novelty value alone, particularly giving human roles to the actors who are usually in makeup. I greatly enjoyed Shimerman as the lively liberal; and Auberjonois in that '50s-looking haircut and glasses; and Farrell as the ditzy New Yorker secretary Darlene, and Meaney as Albert, the "robot" writer who can never come up with the words he's looking for; and even Aron Eisenberg as a newsstand boy.

Then there's the Harlem setting, featuring Penny Johnson as practical woman Cassie, who just wants to marry Bennie and settle down; Dorn's engaging turn as Willie, the baseball star with the big ego; and especially the impressively convincing Cirroc Lofton as the charismatic but troublesome Jimmy--a cynic with little hope who is spiraling down into crime.

The atmospherics alone are worth the hour's view. The period costuming and production design looks great, and Dennis McCarthy's score is like a breath of fresh air. It's always enjoyable when the series gets off its standing sets, and even more enjoyable when such special settings are utilized for a story.

All things considered, I'm giving "Far Beyond the Stars" four stars because it falls into the category of great Trek. However, I think I'd better address one issue that may be on some people's minds: There's a melodramatic overture in "Far Beyond the Stars," and some are undoubtedly going to find it a little excessive and possibly obvious.

The two cops played by Marc Alaimo and Jeffery Combs, for example, are little more than shady, two-dimensional characters used to further crush Bennie's character into his tortured place in the world. Their racially motivated evil actions--shooting Jimmy for breaking into a car, and then severely beating Bennie when he reacts to his friend's death--are anything but sudden and subtle. But in the end, isn't that the whole point? Racism in the 1950s was hardly subtle, either.

The episode's climax follows from the idea of Bennie as a symbol of despair. The structure of the show sets him up for a terrible fall. There's a point when Douglas finally permits Bennie to go forward with submitting his Deep Space Nine story for the month's magazine run--provided he turns the premise into a dream (supposing people will be more open to it if "it never really happened"). Bennie is overjoyed with the hope of a major breakthrough that could have meaningful aftereffects. But then the publisher pulps the issue and, furthermore, orders Bennie's termination.

I'll admit that I think Avery Brooks may have overacted his payoff scene a tad more than he needed to. It seemed a little uneasy upon first viewing. But when I watched it again, it seemed to work better. If you think it through, Bennie is an example of one man who has reached his limits and can't take any more. Just when a lifetime of frustrations and fruitless patience finally seemed like it was going to pay off, he finds himself starting all over again with nothing gained, and no progress made. He loses it. "Nervous breakdown" would probably be an applicable '90s term.

But I think it goes even further than that--something that extends into destiny or prophecy. The mysterious street preacher (Brock Peters) offers cryptic words of foresight on more than one occasion, and much of what he has to say is reflected in Bennie's struggle. The fact that "hope and despair walk arm in arm" is particularly interesting given Bennie's defeat when considered alongside the implicit, unseen results of his writings. Indeed, there seems to be more at stake here than what concrete events can explain. As Bennie is reduced to a broken, crying heap on the floor, he professes that his characters cannot be destroyed--because he created them, they're real, and they exist somewhere, whether his story was published or not. And that's something that I think may have more literal implications than what anyone but Bennie can know. After all, these fictional characters had become a part of Bennie more than Bennie himself could ever have expected. When he was inspired with the idea of DS9, he began having hallucinations--seeing Sisko's reflection when he should've been seeing his own, and sometimes seeing his characters in his friends and co-workers. At one point he finds reality skewed, believing he is inside his own story.

This is Star Trek taking a leap into an unknown that only the truly great sci-fi ideas strive for. When Sisko wakes up, there's a sense that Bennie's existence goes beyond that of a simple dream. Given the mystical DS9 lore involving Bajoran prophecies and wormhole aliens, I seriously wonder if this wasn't a pivotal part of Sisko's own existence--and maybe even the Trekkian fictional history. The ending makes one seriously wonder about the nature of Bennie Russell's existence.

It's strange how many levels of poignancy Sisko's final reflection conveys. At one level, Sisko ponders his dream about this distant, tragic person who had a hopeful vision. On another level, Sisko wonders if he and everything he knows is just a figment of this person's imagination. And on a third level, it's a nonfictional reflection upon the real truth--that Sisko really is just a fictional dream, created by the DS9 writers at Paramount Pictures. There's something strangely bittersweet about that last sentiment. This is a story that wants to keep dreams alive.

Next week: Looks kinda silly. Two words: Runabout shrinkage.

Previous episode: Who Mourns for Morn?
Next episode: One Little Ship

40 comments on this review
Stef - September 10, 2007 - 04:01 am (USA Central Time)
I am surprised you've rated this episode so highly. I felt it was far to heavy handed and black and white (no pun intended). The episode essentially cried "Black=Good, White=Bad". Even Armin's character as the only non-racist white, while defending Sisko, almost treated blacks as children in his arguments. Almost as if Sisko wasn't in the room.

Sisko came across as a hypocrite at the beginning, when Visitor's character is told not to show up along with Sisko, the office rushes to defend Sisko and sweeps Visitor under the carpet. After all, she is only a woman.

Dukat & Weyoun as the comic-book bad cops put in their worst performances in the entire season, mostly due to the heavy handed approach and OTT script.

If the writers had been a little more subtle, the show could have been great, but for me the only redeaming aspect was Dorn's character saying that even though he had made the big leagues, he still wasn't accepted. That was the most believable thing about the episode.

And the ultimate irony of the show is, Sisko is forced to rewrite his story so it was all a dream. And what happens at the end of the episode? Oh, it was all a dream and , just like we used to write at school when we were 7 and knew no better.
indijo - November 21, 2007 - 09:01 am (USA Central Time)
Be fair, Stef, the problem went much further than a simple picture in the publication. I doubt that many white women were being harassed by cops simply for the color of their skin or gunned down for shop-lifting in that era.

Besides, if a woman writer wanted to make her self known, there were other ways to do it, and if she did so, I doubt she would have lost her job for it.

I agree with Jamahl, this episode was excellent, one of the very best in the series.
AeC - April 3, 2008 - 12:18 am (USA Central Time)
I can't believe it's been ten years since this aired. I remember upon first seeing the preview, my reaction was not dissimilar to Stef's: Trek to that point had always worked by way of allegory, yet here it looked as though it was going to remove all subtlety and give us a brick-to-the-head hour of didacticism that basically said, "Racism bad!"

I was overjoyed to find that I was wrong. True, it took away the allegorical element, but put in its place a nuanced, lyrical story. Several elements of racism were put on display, from the two detectives' overt menacing of Benny to Douglas' subtler attitude of, "It's not me; it's just what IS." I've seen both subtle and gross expressions of racism, both personal and institutional, and it felt right for each to be depicted, even if the cops' came up short characterization-wise as a result.

I don't know that I can add much that hasn't already been said here and elsewhere. I will say that I was surprised that in all the reviews I read, no one brought up what for me was one of the biggest belly laughs of the episode, namely, Herb's being accused of being a Communist. Sure, it was an illustration of the attitude of the times, but, given that other character Armin Shimerman plays on the show, it was also a hilarious bit of meta-irony.
Rogue09 - May 5, 2008 - 01:05 am (USA Central Time)
I'm surprised anyone could like this episode. I'm not one to support racism, but it seems to me dwelling on the topic is as bad as supporting it. But my biggest problem with this episode had nothing to do with its racist implications. It was boring. It took a facinating concept, swept it out the door for no reason, and gave us an hour of "what the hell is going on now?". This has nothing to do with the main storyline, and did nothing but give trite dialouge and a sicophantic plot. It's all a dream! Whooo! Add to that Avery Brooks bad and over the top acting performance of a man who's losing his mind, and you come out with one of the worst episodes of the sixth season.
Occuprice - June 20, 2008 - 05:57 pm (USA Central Time)
Far Beyond The Stars is a Trekkian Classic. Even outside Trek it is stellar science fiction.

Everything else to be said is in Jammer's review.
matt - June 21, 2008 - 12:09 pm (USA Central Time)
I love this episode.
Jhoh - October 27, 2008 - 10:29 am (USA Central Time)
I think this was a great episode and powerful, and it actually ties in not only with Trek but with future episodes. It really makes the 50s look bad understandably, and reinforces how much better things are not only now but in the Star Trek universe.

The only downside for me is that since ethnicity shouldn't be an issue in the Star Trek future, they're basically making it an issue. I sort of liked it when Sisko didn't have to be defined as a black man in the future. It is a concern that is supposed to be dated at that time, and only applies to us in the present. I know that's really why this episode exists and that's fine with me, but at the same time I think that within Star Trek itself it didn't much need a reason to exist.
Brendan - June 14, 2009 - 01:35 pm (USA Central Time)
Despite a few small problems, the sheer creative brilliance and audacity of this episode, combined with the message and the cool things like seeing the cast in different roles, makes this one of the best episodes of Star Trek ever made, I think.
Brian - July 29, 2009 - 05:56 pm (USA Central Time)
It was an ok episode for me. I have to dock marks from any episode that allows Brooks to put his hyper-ventilating into 5th gear.
Jay - September 4, 2009 - 11:00 pm (USA Central Time)
I'm with Brian...I'm not a fan of Avery when he gets into full scenery-chewing mode.
Kyle - September 22, 2009 - 02:02 am (USA Central Time)
I have very mixed feelings about this episode.

On one hand we have some great stuff with the interaction between Bennie and Douglas (the "it's just what it IS" line was very well conceived) and seeing the Trek regulars in different roles minus the makeup is good fun. The self-reflexive nature of the story and its commentary on the liberating power of the Sci-Fi thought experiment was also well done.

On the other hand, Brooks' delivery seemed really weak in this episode, especially the breakdown, only made worse by the full on close-up shot that was used to capture it. I also felt like the setup for this plot (Sisko doubting his capacity to fight, his father coming to visit) didn't really match the main plot very well, and felt like it could have gone in other interesting directions.

There are a lot of DS9 episodes that are just mediocre, this isn't one of them, being both a success and a failure at the same time.

At least they shot for the stars...
Destructor - October 11, 2009 - 07:03 pm (USA Central Time)
I loved everything about this episode.
Wilbur - November 1, 2009 - 05:33 am (USA Central Time)
Hundreds of years ago (as far as I can tell), my ancestors were serfs working for some baron in Southern Germany. Any of them could have been beaten to death for talking back to a baron. All of them, I'm sure, faced daily injustices. And when they went to sleep at night on their beds of straw, they dreamed of a world where they would be treated as human beings. I live a life of extraordinary comfort and freedom. When I feel like giving up, I have to remember that my life is a fulfillment of their dream. I have a responsibility to honor that dream, just like Captain Sisko has a responsibility to fulfill the vision of Bennie Russell.

It hardly matters that Captain Sisko isn't real. The dream itself is real, and everything good that we've accomplished as a species is a result of that dream.
Alexander - November 25, 2009 - 10:42 am (USA Central Time)
Good review, for an excellent episode. One of the most ambitious, relevant and overall excellent episodes Trek has produced. Has to be in the top five of DS9 episodes ever.

Rogue: "I'm surprised anyone could like this episode. I'm not one to support racism, but it seems to me dwelling on the topic is as bad as supporting it"
Heavily disagree. Awareness of the process by which a large segment of humanity has, in the past and present, been brutalized, exploited, marginalized and killed is a vital process to combat ongoing injustices and work towards a more egalitarian society. Frankly, my mind boggles at the concept that recalling these incidents and the long structures of domination is as bad as the structures themselves. But in a way, thanks for voicing this, as it makes explicit what a lot of our culture implicitly believes. 'Things were bad in the past, let's not think about it, it's all fixed now, no need to upset people.' Wrong. A society that can't look at and value lives that struggled against such extreme prejudice is a society that's still profoundly broken. This is doubly the case when so much of the circumstances of this episode as still sadly relevant. Yes, even after Obama's election. Police pressure, from suspicion of 'driving while black' to disproportionate use of force are still a reality. To a large extent people are still more comfortable with a white scifi author or actor than a black one. Most of the speculations on the future take a basically "neutral" and white privileged standpoint. Bottom line, we still have a long way to go before we reach the 24th century, not just chronologically or technologically, but in social attitudes. Episodes like 'Far Beyond the Stars' can help move us there. So can shows like The Wire, but I digress.
Mal - April 14, 2010 - 06:40 pm (USA Central Time)
Obama may be President, but other than Boston Public (which ended six years ago!), I can't think of one mainstream show besides DS9 (and The Wire, but that hardly counts - plus it ended two years ago) that has a black lead?!?

And this is 2010.
Kirby - April 18, 2010 - 05:14 pm (USA Central Time)
Just watched this episode for the first time two nights ago. It definitely had excellent production, direction, and the outline for a classic story... But ultimately, it wasn't as satisfying as I had hoped and it seemed to collapse under the weight of its two major shortcomings. First, the premise felt like a gimmick instead of some organic extension of the series, and secondly (more importantly), there was a lot riding on Avery Brooks' performance and I just think he took things too far. From the get go, when he was listing off important African-American writers, I felt like he was trying to convince me that Benny has very intense feelings about the topic(I can see why he would), but it was too on the nose, too heavy-handed. You can imagine my reaction to the climactic breakdown scene. Avery Brooks seems to have a real acting sweet spot when playing things that are gravely serious (a la "In the Pale Moonlight") or lighthearted/casual (thinking of his interactions with Kasidy). Whatever the case, I find he's at his best when he reins in his impulse toward excess. One might say the same about Shatner! The episode had a lot of charm and heart, but couldn't quite live up to its lofty ambitions.
Nic - June 26, 2010 - 03:35 pm (USA Central Time)
Somehow I agree with all the above comments, the good and the bad. One thing to remember is that Avery Brooks also DIRECTED the episode in addition to starring in it. That is no small task, and may be why he overacted a little. But the point still gets across. I wouldn't put it in my top 10, but this is still damn good Trek.

P.S. Anyone else wonder where Kasidy has been since "Rapture"? I know Penny Johnson was busy, but they never even mentioned what happened to her during the Dominion occupation of the station!
JohnG - July 2, 2010 - 10:21 pm (USA Central Time)
Very good episode. The roles of the DS9 cast (especially the ones normally covered in makeup) were great fun and well done.

However, it is a CRIME that Louise Fletcher (Kai Winn) was not in the ambulance when Benny was taken to the psychiatric ward. Having the actress who won an academy award for playing the evil psych Nurse Ratched as a recurring character, how could they not use her in that scene?
Edge - July 8, 2010 - 12:48 am (USA Central Time)
I like this episode a lot. I see it at a different level from the commentors above. I see it as meta-sci-fi. This is SF writers writing about what they can do in the medium and what they cant do. Two periods are compared 1953 and the writes of the Incredible Stories Monthly, and 1998 and the writers of Star Trek. There was no way Bennie was ever going to be able to have a black lead character in a story published in 1953. OK, so, now that can happen in 1998, is that cause for celebration ? The message I get from the episode is "No, it is not". There are many issues that Star Trek writers would like to put to screen, but which society will not tolerate, unless it is to further inflame existing prejudices. Epidoe 9 Statistical Probablilities was a profoundly flawed and derogatory attack on enhanced-intelligence. It was an embarrassment to see this script in Star Trek colours and indicates that there were as many problems in 1998 as there were in 1953. In hindsight we can see the prejudices that crushed Bennie. The message I got from this episode is that prejudices are crushing SF writers in 1998 and even today in 2010. We can tell this because Star Trek has closed its doors - its child's fantasy is no-longer sustainable. But nothing and noone has stepped forward to full the vacuum. The writers have been crushed.
Marco P. - August 14, 2010 - 11:38 am (USA Central Time)
I was enjoying every MINUTE of this episode, until Avery Brooks's over-acting kinda ruined it for me. It makes perfect sense for Benny Russell's character to have a psychological breakdown in that scene, but the way it is delivered is not only trite and akward, but also needlessly long. We get the point. Kinda wished Patrick Stewart had been in those shoes for a second.

It's all the more a shame, because everything else about this episode is perfect. We have a great story with a moral, some meta-irony, the opportunity to see some regular cast members without make-up on (Odo, Quark, and Worf are awesome!), and even (as Jammer put it) a reflection upon Trek's own spirit. "Classic Trek" indeed.

P.S. Maybe I was too severe when I said "ruined". But the breakdown scene still knocks half a star for me to make it a 3.5/4 rating.
Kingofmadcows - December 15, 2010 - 05:33 am (USA Central Time)
I think some people are missing some of the finer details of the episode. This episode does make the obvious statement that racism is bad but it also examines racism in the kind of detail that you don't find on television.

Think about it, Benny Russell basically writes the story of DS9 but DS9 never made a big deal about the fact that Sisko is black. If you just read the DS9 scripts and ignore the parts that describe Sisko's appearance, you won't even know what Sisko's race is since it is never brought up except in this episode and another episode in season 7. The writers could have easily made Sisko Asian or Hispanic or Caucasian or even a woman and it wouldn't make that much of a difference on DS9's story just like how they could have made Picard Italian or Portuguese instead of French and it wouldn't have much effect on TNG.

The fact that Benny Russell was so insistent on making Sisko black even though it would have no impact on the story is an excellent illustration of the mechanism of racism. Racism isn't just about how one groups benefits from the suffering of another group. It's not just about the physical oppression of a group of people. It's about the suppression of ideas. That is the true evil of racism that this episode is trying to show us. It ties everything a person does, everything a person is, to their race so that you can completely dismiss that person's feelings, thoughts, and ideas based on something as superficial as their skin color.

Also, this episode serves to remind us that segregation was not that long ago. There is the notion in society today that segregation and slavery ended a long time ago. There are plenty of people out there who think that slavery ended hundreds of years ago. In reality, institutional racism wasn't really abolished until 1968. When you see an African American with grey hair, then that person lived during a time when black people were beaten by the police and lynched by mobs.
Kingofmadcows - December 15, 2010 - 05:43 am (USA Central Time)
I should also add that the "what is reality" part of the episode is reminiscent of "All Good Things." Remember Q's lesson for Picard in that episode, "For that one fraction of a second, you were open to options you had never considered. *That* is the exploration that awaits you. Not mapping stars and studying nebulae, but charting the unknown possibilities of existence."

In a way, the Prophets were teaching Sisko/Benny the same lesson, giving him/them a glimpse into the mysteries of existence. I think that this also illustrates how DS9 focuses more on the social science aspect of science fiction while TNG focuses more on the natural science aspects.
Elliott - January 11, 2011 - 01:51 pm (USA Central Time)
If only THIS were the norm for prophet interactions with SIsko--religion is something internal--a source for strength and psychic mythos...we find the supernatural at work within our own experiences, our own history and our dreams...and it interacts with our world in our art, in our creation. THIS is the truth of the episode which makes it so great; the racism is a nuance of Sisko's particular history which is an allegory for HIM.

Again, I cannot reconcile this kind of profundity in the prophets with the absurd pettiness they exhibit in most episodes, but on it's own, I think this may be the best episode of DS9 created.

Brooks' acting came close to sabotaging the final scenes, but overall, it worked. Farrell, Dorn (he can't really do anything well except Worf) and Meany were pretty abysmal though, Lofton was pretty bad too, but at least he didn't get a lot of stage time.

The only 4-star rating for this series with which I can agree.
Jon - January 16, 2011 - 04:34 am (USA Central Time)
I just watched it for the first time and feel completely cheated. This isn't a DS9 episode as far as I'm concerned.
Neil - February 1, 2011 - 06:35 am (USA Central Time)
Alexander: "Has to be in the top five of DS9 episodes ever"

Wow, that's a pretty crazy idea :P I doubt even those who rate this episode as 'excellent' would claim that!

Alexander then went on a long 'rant' about racism and educating people about it. I use quotes around 'rant' because it wasn't angry or sarcastic, but 'rant' was the only word I could think of.

Here's my take: Roddenberry created the show not long after the period shown in this episode. Perhaps 15 years. He included African Americans, Chinese, and women in senior ranks right from the very first episode. You may remember that in the first episode, the XO was a woman, but the network executives got Gene to change it to make Spock XO for the 2nd and all further episodes.

However, Roddenberry *never* made a fuss about the race-neutral approach of his casting. He made the point that 300 years in the future, racism would be completely non-existant, so it would be highly unrealistic for any of the scripts to make a big deal about the race of officers on the ship.

So, I think this episode is *completely* against the way Gene wanted to deal with the issue of discrimination in the Trek universe. This episode is incredibly heavy handed, unsubtle, and itself completely cliched in it's portrayal of the police, the newstand boy, women, petty criminals and so on. In fact, almost every single character is a pretty offensive caricature in some way.

So it really is pretty lame to try and present some kind of message about racism while insulting half a dozen other groups along the way.

Besides, the 'lesson' the story tries to teach us might have been appropriate in 1950 or 1970, but in 1990-whatever it's completely inappropriate. It's good to discuss discrimination issues but this thing does it so clumsily, its almost impossible to think about without laughing at it.

Second, Sisko's 'breakdown' at the end when he gets the sack is just weird and over-the-top. A black guy in the 1950s who had made it into the writing trade would be *so* used to being discriminated against, he would never even dream of putting a black guy in the captain's role in his story. If he did, he certainly wouldn't be surprised if it was rejected.

No, the various racist incidents shown build up such a level of stress in Sisko, I think it only makes sense if it's Sisko himself getting treated so badly, and being completely unused to *any* kind of racism, he would find it very difficult to deal with. But the Sisko we know wouldn't respond to this by breaking down like a baby. He would suck it up and either ignore it, or go and beat the crap out of everyone who treats him badly.

Finally, the ending where 'it was only a dream' is really stinky and as always, the audience feels completely cheated. It might have worked if they writers had somehow tied the prophets into the dream and it was their way of communicating with Sisko about something. But instead, it was just a completely pointless diversion.

I actually skipped this the first couple of times I watched the series, but watched it this time based largely on Jammer's high rating and positive review. I think honestly that he, and many others, had so much fun seeing the regular characters playing dress-up (or, in some cases, dress-down, as they are all without the usual prostheses) that they gave a lot more credit to the actual story than it deserved.

It *is* entertaining seeing Quark without the makeup, or Odo as a real person. I liked Shimerman as the nasty principle on Buffy; and those of you who are old enough will remember Rene Auberjonois as the stuck-up irritating PR guy on 'Benson' about a thousand years ago. So it was good fun to see them as their ordinary selves again.

But the story was crap, and as allegory about discrimination it was childish and too obvious to take seriously.

ps: Rene Auberjonois doesn't look like he's aged one day since Benson in the early 1980s. He was born in 1940, so when he filmed DS9 he was almost 60 years old. Pretty well preserved, I have to admit.
Polt - February 2, 2011 - 06:08 pm (USA Central Time)
Never understood the appeal of this episode. I agree wth Rogue09. And I think this sentence from Neil totally sums up me thought on it: "But the story was crap, and as allegory about discrimination it was childish and too obvious to take seriously."

Other than racism is bad, I dont see a point to the episdoe at all. And really, did they need to use a sledgehammer to get the point across.

I personally consider this one of the worst episodes of DS9. The only that saves it, even slightly, is seeing the actors without their alien makeup.

Weiss - February 23, 2011 - 04:37 pm (USA Central Time)
seems like most are projecting their own insecurities.

"Besides, the 'lesson' the story tries to teach us might have been appropriate in 1950 or 1970, but in 1990-whatever it's completely inappropriate."
the episode took place in the 50s, so I dont see the problem...? They have the right to talk about racism for that time.
hell i even remember an episode whre they did roswell in the 40s. I think every decade has been shown in every trek except the 70s.

but then again best not to talk about discrimination or racism.
maybe roddenbery shouldnt have created Guardian of Forever, why talk about nazi's and stopping them... just too uncomfortable.

--
my only complaint with this episode when I was young was that it was not part of the "real" storyline, felt like a waste. but later seeing it, felt more interesting and true science ficitonish. reminds of what farscape would later do in Human Reaction, Wont Get fooled again, take your regulars and throw them in a nightmarish Earth situation, and show prejudices...but there was alot of truth in what happened to John's friends once they landed on earth (Rygel dissected, and rest captured)

--
this plot was relevant to the future storyline of DS9, it was foreshadowing of the despair that was to come to Sisko. lofton's death I think was a hint of Jadzia. the references to hope and despair go together, was to show Sisko what was coming for him.


Weiss - February 25, 2011 - 12:36 pm (USA Central Time)
I forgot the mythical Roddenbery capacity for subtletly when speaking about race and never being obvious or childish

maybe the DS9 writers should have changed the dream to have some characters in 'black face' and others in 'white face' make up. or better yet, some characters in 'half black'/'half white face' make up, and other characters in 'half white/half black face' make up. That would be nuanced true to trek.

since they didnt go that route, the route they did choose was probably the reason DS9 was heads above the other trek series.



Neil - February 25, 2011 - 04:52 pm (USA Central Time)
Ha - for those who don't realise, Weiss is being savagely sarcastic in that last comment, because there WAS a TOS episode where there were two alien races who where both half-white and half-black.

Episode 70: Let That Be Your Last Battlefield. Check out the picture here:

ttp://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/630098866X/ref=dp_image_0?ie=UTF8&am p;n=404272&s=video

(add the 'h' at the start of that address, this forum doesn't allow h ttp to be used for some reason)

These two races were locked in perpetual conflict because one of them was white on the left, but the other race had black on the left.

It was an incredibly heavy-handed didactic treatment of the race issue, so bad that it's laughable now. But I think in it's time, the general TV-watching public were actually seriously ignorant about such things and may well have needed the message shoved down their throats like that.

Either way, I wasn't even alive when that episode aired, so I'm in no position to make any judgement as to whether this story was too heavy-handed to be useful for it's audience at the time.

But for this episode of DS9, I was alive in 1998 and I stand by my opinion that it is too simplistic and obvious for the audience of 1998 when it was aired.

I realised much later in the series that this episode was the start of a critical story arc for Sisko, and mental breakdown here that I described as 'weird and over-the-top' is much better understood in the context of the later episode where Sisko is searching for the Emissary's orb and discovers the truth about his own origin.

But I still think this was a clumsy and artificial treatment of racism in the 1950s, and even as the first episode in the long-term arc it starts, I think it could have been done a lot better.

Jon - February 25, 2011 - 05:04 pm (USA Central Time)
My chief problem with this episode is that it has no bearing on the DS9 universe. Neil, am I missing something with the 'critical story arc' business? I remember Sisko returns to the asylum briefly as part of a hallucination at the start of S7, I think? Doesn't seem much of a story arc to me.

Somebody mentioned the Roswell episode. The point is, that was a time travel episode, which had a proper bearing on the DS9 universe. Equally with Trials and Tribbleations.

FBTS had NO bearing on the DS9 universe. It was basically an excuse to lecture its audience on racial politics. It had no meaning outside of itself and its own perceived self-importance. If you want to include race issues in DS9, then fine, but at least BOTHER to write a DS9 episode! Not this 'oh, it was all just a dream' rubbish!

Uggghhh. Just horrible. The worst episode of DS9 in my book, and not by a short measure.
Neil - February 25, 2011 - 05:31 pm (USA Central Time)
Jon - well, this idea of Sisko hallucinating as a way of finding the Emissary orb is part of the somewhat important revelation that Sisko was deliberately conceived by the Prophets 40 years earlier so they could use him when the time came, which is 'now'.

The 1950s story and the incarceration in a mental hospital aren't particularly critical, but Sisko learning the truth about his origin certainly is. It's only after learning the truth about his mother that Sisko can completely give himself up to the job of being emissary, and not worry about nagging doubt from the rational atheist part of him that doesn't like supernatural explanations for anything.

Honestly, they could have easily done the whole story about him finding the Emissary orb and discovering his true origin, without ever having this 1950s story occur at all. But this episode, which seemd completely pointless at the time, does at least seem to have a reason for being written once you know the whole story.
Nick - March 2, 2011 - 11:40 pm (USA Central Time)
I showed the scene to a non-fan and he said it was amazing. the whole point of a nervous breakdown is that it never SEEMS right or appropriate. They always seem a bit over the top, out of place, and always more intense than the moment demands. So in that regard, Brooks nailed it. Nailed it
Dave Nielsen - March 5, 2011 - 04:51 pm (USA Central Time)
The best Trek episodes of any series are best when they lack subtlety. It's practically necessary in a one-hour show to beat the audience over the head to make a point. Classic TOS was certainly never anything but obvious in the points it was trying to make. So, that aspect of this episode didn't bother me at all. Even seen that way, some of the criticisms that others here have made here aren't rational. As the reviewer correctly stated, racism was hardly subtle in those days. There were a lot of people who were as openly racist as those cops. Without having been around in the 1950s - and without being black in the 1950s - I can't know for sure how accurate that all was but it rings true. As for the dream aspect of it, I don't think that diminishes it at all. I'm not sure what the other options were. To have made it about a real 1950s black sci-fi writer would have been extremely and offensively cheesy as it is unlikely that he could have got the names and other details so exactly right. The Prophets giving him that knowledge makes the story meaningless as his stories wouldn't be the result of his creativity and writing ability. In the end, as viewed from the perspective of DS9 as reality the episode has no point. As a classic example of Trek social commentary it is nearly brilliant.
Nathaniel - April 3, 2011 - 07:04 pm (USA Central Time)
For those who seem to feel that Brook's acting of the nervous breakdown was over the top, let me reassure it wasn't.

How do I know? Because I had one.

Someone claimed it was silly that a 1950s writer would breakdown after dealing with racism all his life. Nervous breakdowns aren't logical. And they are not subtle or small.

In all honesty, Brooks played it much smaller than he otherwise could have.

The entire scene makes me uncomfortable. It feels... almost voyeuristic, watching something so intense.
Paul - April 27, 2011 - 06:40 am (USA Central Time)
"The whole point of a nervous breakdown is that it never SEEMS right or appropriate. They always seem a bit over the top, out of place, and always more intense than the moment demands. So in that regard, Brooks nailed it."

Agree. The guy is having a breakdown! It is supposed to be extremely over the top. That's the whole point of it.
Greyfeld - October 3, 2011 - 12:37 am (USA Central Time)
I don't care so much about his "overacting," my problem with it is that what he was screaming just didn't make any sense in context with the scene.
Nathan - October 23, 2011 - 08:51 am (USA Central Time)
According to Memory Alpha, Albert is based on Asimov. Obviously both wrote about robots, but it also goes a little deeper. Asimov rarely included aliens in his stories since editor John W. Campbell (likely a racist and sexist) refused to print anything where humans didn't win, so Asimov turned to human-constructed robots as an alternative.
Steve - December 13, 2011 - 03:10 am (USA Central Time)
People here are thinking too much. There's one reason and one reason only I dislike this episode.

It's boring and not Star Trek.
tec - December 16, 2011 - 05:25 am (USA Central Time)
Steve please tell me you did not say that?

Wow

This and its type are the very essence of Star Trek
Roddenberry has used Trek as a social commentary sence the start !

Dont like asians or Russians..to bad our show has thim as good guys! blacks? Ha! Our captan kisses one on screen...shocking I know..

Race color gender creed Trek has tryed to show social relevence sence the start
Mordy - January 28, 2012 - 05:52 pm (USA Central Time)
I can't believe I'm responding to these comments in 2012, but I finally saw this episode again for the second time and it rings so powerfully this time around it makes me dizzy.

When I first saw this episode I was a child and I didn't get the overtones of meaning in this fantastic episode and at the time I just thought it was more heavy handed trek moralizing. *yawn*

These days after all the youtube videos of cops beating up on blacks, people getting rejected from jobs due to their names, extraordinary renditions and innocent people being held without trial etc I'm ashamed to be one of those people who wanted to sweep talk of racism under the rug and rated this episode a dud. I'm disgusted now by some of these commenters but I guess everyone grows up and sees things in a new light.

The whole point of this episode wasn't merely to be a "let's talk about racism in the 50's" but to highlight the power of racism to limit the expression of ideas and how it crushed men's souls and even the ability for others to dream of a better life, because that was its purpose. To deny blacks even the simple joy of dreaming of a better future and having hope.

The other main theme was the prophets trying to show Sisko, that even if he thought he was beaten by the dominion he was never beaten as severely as Bennie was his whole life, and still Bennie struggled to push on. This is telegraphed by the police officers who were savagely beating Sisko and alternately looking like 1950's and DS9 dominion characters while they're beating him up. It's just brilliant. Bennie rises from his beating and plods on, Sisko was considering quitting after the dominion's pummeling.

It's like the prophets are amused that Sisko is considering giving up when he has ancestors who have struggled far more to survive relentless oppression and dared to continue dreaming and striving to a better future, which he embodies as the black commander of DS9. (similar to Wilbur's comment)

The number of layers of meaning in this episode is just beautiful. I give it 5000 stars
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