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 EPISODE REVIEWS | ||||
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In the Pale Moonlight Dancing with the Devil
File Photo || Mission Log || Poll This Show Airdate: Week of April 13, 1998
Written by: Michael Taylor (teleplay); Peter Allen Fields (story)
Directed by: Victor Lobl
In short: Now that's what I call a great story and outstanding
characterization!
Brief Summary: Realizing the unless something is done soon, Sisko
goes to great lengths to try to bring the Romulans in the war
Review: Season Six has produced what I feel are some truly
outstanding episodes - "Rocks and Shoals," "Sacrifice of Angels," "Far
Beyond the Stars," and now this, "In the Pale Moonlight." I'd argue that
when season six is on top of its game, nothing can stop it from taking any
other season and just beating the fool out of it.
The problem is, it isn't always on top of its game, for the simple fact
that it forgets that this year, as opposed to previous seasons, supposedly
has a central idea running underneath it - the Dominion War. Quite frankly,
the war has been ignored for too long. No, I'm not talking about why the
Ketracel White problem hasn't been explained. I mean I should FEEL the war
happening, that I should see the suffering. Past seasons might be able to
get away with O'Brien going on an intelligence mission, but Season Six needs
to remember that it is about a war, not Vedek Bareil's return. I don't mean
that it should show me dead bodies. I mean that this year should be about
putting our characters in realistic war situations and having them react to
them. DS9 is about shades of grey, and war is about shades of grey. It's
time that this season put two and two together.
"In the Pale Moonlight," by that logic, equals four. It's what we needed
during this war - a person having to make hard decisions that life during
peacetime wouldn't call for, and certainly wouldn't permit. War is a bloody
and messy affair, as Sisko pointed out, and after the such a long lull in
blood and mess "Moonlight" hit the spot just right, and at full cylinders.
The episode is just brilliant, with a wonderfully executed plot that never
forgets that it is a personal story. Don't ask me to start comparing it to
other episodes on its level, like "Rocks" or "Far Beyond." Suffice it to
say that "Moonlight" rocks.
There's no other word to describe this plot other than "cool." (Yes, my
vocabulary amazes even me.) Not only did it have all the prequesite factors
for coolness - a serious situation, the Romulans, Mr Garak, a bribe, etc,
but a real feeling of tension to make it work on-screen. This was real
scheming, real cloak and dagger - and the fate of the quadrant was at stake.
I agonized with Sisko as he contemplated what to do next. My heart sank
when Senator Vreenak hissed "It's a fake!!!!!" To be blunt, I thought the
Federation was screwed.
The arguments between Sisko and Dax and Sisko and Vreenak were some of
the more realistic political debates I've seen on TV in awhile. That may
not be saying much, but both sides had valid points coated with plenty of
diplomatic pretense, making for extremely excellent conversations. I do
have a tiny problem with the fact that Starfleet so eagerly approved Sisko's
plan to try to fool the Romulans, but I suppose the fall of Betazed will do
that to you. (I did enjoy how Vreenak pointed out Starfleet's incompetence,
by the way.)
What made it all work so beautifully, though, was the final act. The way
it dovetailed and came all together in the ward room scene, in such a simple
way... I daresay it was brilliant. All the events earlier in the episode -
Garak snooping in the Romulan shuttle, his going to say "hello" to Tolar,
the fact that the rod never stood a chance of passing, and so forth - all
were part of a plot of gigantic proportions from our favorite tailor. The
moment the scales fell from eyes, my jaw hit the floor, because I knew the
Federation was saved through means that were absolutely unbelievable. I'm
still shaking from it all.
At the heart of it all was one of DS9's best moral dilemmas ever. Garak
WAS right - the life of a Romulan senator and of a soon-to-be-executed
criminal (as well as Vreenak's bodyguards!) is a "bargain" for saving the
entire Quadrant. But that doesn't make it easy to take, and that's where
the personal story of Sisko takes over. Too often in these big "event"
episodes, we forget that the characters have opinions driving them to act.
"Moonlight" didn't forget. Sisko got blood all over his hands in this one.
At first he didn't bat an eye over the death of the Cardassian operatives,
but as he got deeper his guilt grew, even though in the end he didn't
actually kill Tolar or Vreenak. He had only been bamboozled by Garak.
That's the brilliance of it all - Sisko's crime was being reckless in saving
the Federation, not some sort of malice, meaning he should be able to live
with it... right?
Crucial to Sisko's, as well as Garak's, outstanding characterization was
some of DS9's best dialogue in at least a season, maybe more. It wasn't
just the usual pithy lines from Garak, either. His speech about holding a
datarod in one hand and a dead Senator in the other, and what the Romulans
would think is one such example. It laid out his scheme perfectly, with his
usual pithy remark at the end - the Romulans would believe his plot because
"that's exactly the sort of thing they would do." Garak for once just
wasn't comic relief, but a driven character with a Satan complex, and it
worked wonderfully. I should add that it just wasn't him either. Bashir
had great lines, particularly about it being a good week because between he
and Dax only a "friend of a friend" had died. Dax had a good scene in the
first ward room shot, where, somewhat ironically considering her departure,
she spoke more with her face than with the few lines she was given. Vreenak
had some wonderfully sinister dialogue, too. And of course Sisko had
several good lines, with the "souffle" story standing out. Though I must
confess, why did Sisko tell a story to himself like he didn't know who his
father was....
That brings me to the narrative, a tricky, tricky subject. On the plus
side, it I knew what Sisko was thinking, and that helped underscore the
personal struggle he had that I discussed above. Also, I thought the
narrative worked extremely well in setting up the tension, and that is
coming from someone who read the spoilers at the Great Link for this episode
two months ago. I knew something bad was going to happen, and the narrative
just teased me in this regard... would it be Tolar? Would the plan fail and
Romulus side with the Dominion? The narrative baited me, meaning it worked.
On the negative side, I thought the narrative just plain wasn't done
right in places. I mainly blame director Victor Lobl for that, since too
often I felt like Brooks was talking to ME, not his personal log. To Lobl's
defense, however, I felt Brooks way overacted in one place in particular -
the extended scene where he tried to justify his decision with the lives
saved. It was a personal recollection, Avery, not a soliloquy. I'm willing
to let Brooks slide, however, since for the most part it seemed like someone
naturally talking to himself. I just hate glaring flaws in near perfect
episodes.
It's too bad I can't end this review with a sudden fade to black, because
I must admit that I just found that to be an excellent way to end the show.
Not only was it sudden and a new way to end an episode, but it spoke volumes
about Sisko's attempt to put the events to the back of his mind, to try to
forget it all and get back to life. Instead, I'll just end by saying that
"His Way" better be @#$%ed good, because after "Moonlight" almost anything
is going to be a letdown.
Some short takes:
-Vreenak worked for Proconsul Neral, who if you recall was in TNG's
"Unification."
- At first I was uneasy about the conquest of Betazed. I mean, how is
the Dominion doing it? Yet, at the same time, it provided nice shock value,
and we can always blame the changelings. Please kill Lwaxana....
-How do you keep a population of telepaths under control anyway?
- I love Garak's script for the holoprogram. Angry at Dukat, Mr Garak?
Quote:Quark: "You just confirmed for me the 98th Rule of
Acquisition: 'Every man has his price.'"
-Quark, in one of the most stinging comments in the history of the show
Rating: A+
Next week: OK, I'm trying to have an open mind about this one...
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