Welcome back to Underrated Trek, where I take a special look at Star Trek episodes that I love…which may not be the most popular or even liked by most. So every series has that one episode that is goes beyond bad to off the wall ridiculous. TOS has Spock's Brain, TNG had Sub Rose, and of course Voyager had Threshold. What was DS9"s?
Ah yes, the episode where pretty much everyone associated with it has said it crap. Does it deserve that reputation, however?
Plot Synopsis:
New aliens arrive for a first contact but all they want to do is play games. They are introduced to Quark's, but when he tries to cheat the aliens, they decide to play a brand-new game.
Sisko, Dax, Kira, and Bashir awaken in a strange place and soon realize that they have to play games to get out of the situation. On the station, Odo discovers the four are missing. While investigating what happened to them, Quark realizes that the game he is playing actually controls there fates.
As Quark tries to get to the end of the game, or lose the players, the four work there was through challenges. Finally they end up on a cliff and despite there best efforts they fall--only to discover they were never in any real danger. It was just a game.
Guest Stars:
Our main alien is played by the character actor Joel Brook, who is a favorite of mine. He's been in a million things and always a joy when he is.
Episode pros
That synopsis really sums it all up, doesn't it? Anyway, in these silly episodes there is usually at least one actor who is trying. Spock's Brain had DeForest Kelly trying to make it work. Sub Rosa was awful but Gates McFadden was at least trying. And in Threshold Robert Duncan McNeil acted is butt off under tons of goopy makeup. Here, it's Armin Shimmerman giving his all and Quark is the one character that shines.
After the situation has been established Kira has a line about how this isn't what she signed up for. It always felt like the writers talking through her saying "This is DS9 NOT TNG!"
I almost panned the Jake stuff at the top of the episode but honestly it's good character stuff and pretty much it for the episode.
Episode Cons
The idea of a person playing a game with real stakes is nothing new, it's been the subject of TV, movies, and even comic books going all the way back to a very old Justice League of America issue. But here, it's just BAD. The game makes no sense, and the obstacles are pointless. Everyone remembers the hop scotch scene which is ridiculously silly. The others include the stupid cave and a room full of gas. These are so nonsensical they take whatever fun episode could have created and chucks them. We aren't even sure if Quark is in control, or are the four in control? All Quark does is make Bashir vanish everything else is out of his control. And the aliens laughing and singing or whatever through it makes it even worst. These kind of stories are either goofy fun or a way to learn more about the characters and here we get nothing.
DS9 didn't struggle like TNG in its first year but the struggles were there, This is early season 1 so we have some of that including the insufferable Bashir, angry Kira, things that make no sense like everyone having a tricorder in the game, and the stupid plot point of Odo arguing with the dumb Starfleet security officer. I get there was supposed to be more tension on this show, but do you have to make Starfleet look incompetent to elevate Odo?
And in the end, despite the aliens making it clear the four were in danger, we find out it was all for nothing. No real stakes, just a waste of time. The aliens get no punishment and it almost ends like a damn sitcom with Quark chasing them. The worst part as I watched? This episode was a slog! Seriously I just wanted it to end already!
Where was O'Brien anyway?
Fast Forward Moment: That whole cave scene is so boring and pointless, awful ending to a stupid episode.
Final Thoughts:
This felt like it was trying to be a comedy episode and a dramatic episode, and utterly failed at both.
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