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Waltz Airdate: Week of January 5, 1998
Written by: Ronald D Moore
Directed by: Rene Auberjonois
In short: Not terribly gripping in places, but intelligent
enough to offer a powerful
characterization of man so evil you almost feel sorry for him
Summary: Following an attack an injured Sisko and a deranged
Dukat are
stranded together. Soon, Sisko is challenging Dukat to defend his rule
of Bajor.
Review: "Waltz" is probably one of the most anticipated shows
of the season.
In retrospect, I'm probably letdown as a result of that fact. But part
of the letdown also
probably comes from the piecemeal nature of the story being told. One
of the more positive
trends this season of DS9 has been the willingness of the writers to
create a continuous story,
not by directly concurrent "arc" shows, but by setting up events, such
as Dukat's insanity, and
touching on them throughout the year. But at the same time, that takes
much of the focus off
the individual show, as if some of its punch was being drained off to
apply to a later date. The
revelation in"Waltz" was shocking but not quite earth-shattering, and I
think the story format
of this year is at least a part cause of that.
But this episode, upon reflection, is quite a jewel. It had a great
deal of buildup done
quite well. Starting with the uneasy conversation on the Honshu, where
Dukat acted
suspiciously upon hearing the name Ziyal, it was clear not *all* was
right. During the show
itself, there was never one specific descent into madness, and I think
that's a good idea, since
to have Dukat suddenly go crazy would seem artificial. What was
particularly effective was
the use of Weyoun, Damar, and Kira. Not only did this unfold with almost
twisted glee
onscreen, but also it was very, very strong in showing how truly
tormented a person Dukat is,
so tormented that ironically one feels sorry for him.
One of the more interesting questions is why Dukat let Sisko go.
Though the episode
failed to say exactly why, Dukat obviously wanted him to live, since he
told the Defiant where
he was at. Theoretically, he wants Sisko to live so that one day Sisko
will be there to see
what he does to Bajor. Perhaps as well Dukat wants what Sisko still
hasn't given him - "the
respect he deserves" - though why Sisko can't give him that in a
Dominion cell is beyond me.
Likewise, I'm unsure as to why Dukat seemed so uneager to get off the
moon, unless he
wanted to use the situation to corner Sisko. Nonetheless, much of what
went on between
Sisko and Dukat was at times absolutely riveting.
But the most fascinating aspect of the episode to me was the root of
Dukat's obsession
with Bajor. It worked on one level because it seemed so plausible -
Dukat, perhaps a bit
starry-eyed, tried to reform the Occupation, but instead only got some
"ungrateful" Bajorans
who wanted to determine their own destinies. It works because it seems
so real, so grounded
in history.
It worked on another level as well. Dukat's almost arrogant attitude
toward the people of
Bajor, hinted at several times during the war arc, shows a man with
severe personal problems.
He needs respect in order to survive, but he's so detached from human...
err, Bajoranity that
he doesn't understand, trite as it seems, that other people have
feelings too. Look at why
Dukat beat Sisko up - because Sisko couldn't offer a sufficient defense,
only able to reply by
small attacks, in this case verbal barbs. Dukat treated Bajor the same
way, because he needs
power in order to survive.
At the other end of the fight was Benjamin Sisko. Though never
heavily emphasized,
Sisko's feelings played an important role in the show as well,
particularly as they changed in
reaction to Dukat's final break with reality. Sisko started the show
almost TOO forgiving of
this power-hungry butcherer, but by the end of the show he was fully
convinced that Dukat
was nothing less than pure evil, *I think.* Sisko did give a rather
enigmatic comment to
Dukat before he knocked him out, but I'm still unsure what it was -
"That's why you are not
evil"? - after three viewings. And despite a platitude or two at the
end, it was actually
somewhat bold for Sisko to say there is such a thing as an unredeemable
evil to Dax, and that
evil was present in his"old friend" of Dukat. Too often we get the
feeling that the Federation
views everything as rosy and nice, with all goods being attainable. But
that is not the case at
all, and it is somewhat appropriate that it is DS9 to be the first to
really say that since TOS.
This is not to say "Waltz" was perfect. I think the episode's
underwhelming nature also
comes from its sluggish plot movement in places, probably because it
seemed not so much
"wordy" but "talky," without fully developed action. I'm certainly no
writer, but there needed
to be another element, such as maybe a more substantial connection to
Bajor or a scenario
where Dukat and Sisko had to work together in order to survive.
The episode did have another minor problem. In many ways I felt this
show was far too
one-sided. Unlike "Duet," much of "Waltz" was Sisko either listening to
or goading on Dukat,
and that created an imbalance that made the episode more of Dukat's
show. Perhaps that is
not a bad thing, but it seems unadvisable from an advertising standpoint
("Come see and
episode about a recurring character!") and has a much greater risk of
falling because of its
focus on one person. The episode would have crackled far more if Sisko
was more
aggressive.
In any regard, "Waltz" should set up some interesting things to come.
It is possible that
Sisko's penance will have something to do with what Dukat may or may not
do to Bajor... but
we'll see. "Waltz" is a solid though somewhat uneventful hour of TV.
It is carefully crafted, laying out
not just a portrait of a man's insanity, but the very roots of hate
itself, and doing it well for the
most part.isko can't give him that in a Dominion cell is beyond me.
Likewise, I'm unsure as to why Dukat seemed so uneager to get off the
moon, unless he
wanted to use the situation to corner Sisko. Nonetheless, much of what
went on between
Sisko and Dukat was at times absolutely riveting.
But the most fascinating aspect of the episode to me was the root of
Dukat's obsession
with Bajor. It worked on one level because it seemed so plausible -
Dukat, perhaps a bitã. DS9
is my teacher's pet, but that's another review...
Why did the Cardies not capture the escape pods?
I'm struggling with whether or not there has a hidden message against
Western
imperialism in the show. Dukat ranted about how advanced and superior
the Cardassians
were over the Bajorans, making it sound like Social Darwinism trying to
justify the
Occupation. The problem is, there really aren't any historical
parallels... so maybe someone
should ask Moore at AOL?
Rather devilish of Mr Moore to have the team find two women at the
same time we hear
Dukat and Sisko in a heated argument!
Worf's decision to not save Sisko was not only gutsy but more
importanly in character too
Writing: A very intelligent if not terribly exciting script
Acting: The one sure thing about a Dukat show is that the
acting will be
outstanding.
Directing: Murky, and while that was surely intended, that
never appeals to me,
especially on the obviously phony cave set.
Overall: 8.9 out of 10.0
Quote: "Once, when I was a newly minted glinn on the Cornair, I had
to clean out a
compartment where three men had undergone explosive decompression."
-Dukat, showing his bedside manner
Next week: Rerun of the season's best episode IMHO, "Rocks and
Shoals."
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