This is one of my posts where I “review” Star Trek episodes. I will be giving each one a star rating. I sometimes will make some comments about non-political parts of them that I like or don’t like. I’ll sometimes use the issues raised in the episode to discuss similar issues in real life. And I will sometimes simply high-light the progressive politics of ST. ST is in-line with the three original themes of this blog, as I explain in the first ST post where I offer some general thoughts about ST.
I’m not very familiar with The Original Series and there might be some small amount of material there that would affect what I say about Star Trek (i.e. how often religion is mentioned)
Lastly. multi-culturalism is such a pervasive theme in ST that I only comment on it when it goes beyond the norm (i.e. inter-species partners).
“When It Rains...” See this for a plot summary.
This episode is partly about Section 31’s effort to spread an fatal infection throughout the Founders, something Bashir correctly identifies as genocide. Bashir and O’Brien are determined to find a cure, since Odo is infected as well.
There’s also more about the Cardassian resistance to the Dominion. Although it seems that many of the Cardassians involved are not democrats, it’s still sort of inspiring that they are fighting the Dominion. At the very least, it improves the odds of the Dominion being defeated. I also like how Kira is sent to help them, since she’s familiar with the sort of hit and run tactics they need to use. It reminds me of something I wrote in an earlier post here. I suggested that the IRA, instead of doing business with the Nazis, should have supported the Allied effort, and that could have included sending members to Nazi-occupied areas to train and advise resistance groups. It probably would have been very helpful and might have resulted in an earlier defeat for the Nazis. (I realize that if the IRA had done this it probably would have involved the British learning the identities of some IRA members, but if the IRA had done that (which would have been the right thing to do) after the war the IRA’s cause would have been a lot more popular)
“Tacking Into The Wind” See this for a plot summary.
Towards the end, Damar says something which probably means that he does believe in a democratic Cardassia. In response to another rebel Cardassian officer talking about restoring Cardassia to what it once was (an empire) Damar first kills him and then says “his Cardassia is dead and it won’t be coming back.”
“Extreme Measures” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode, but a good one, I give it two stars out of five.
“The Dogs Of War” See this for a plot summary.
There are three political aspects to this episode:
1) First, Ferengi society and the Ferengi economy are dramatically transformed into something just to the right of social democracy.
2) When Odo confronts Sisko about how Section 31 tried to wipe out all/almost all changelings Sisko tells him that the Federation considered giving the cure to the Founders but chose not to because it would strengthen their hand while millions of men and women are still fighting against the Dominion. But wiping out the Changelings or at least about half of them, WOULD be genocide.
3) Damar’s rebellion on Cardassia takes on more of a popular, mass character, which is good. In that kind of situation armed attacks by small groups are helpful, but mass action is at least as important. As I explained here Irish republicans could have done a better job of mobilizing mass struggle during most of the conflict.
“What You Leave Behind, Parts One and Two” See this and this for a plot summary.
One bit of politics is that the rebellion on Cardassia takes on even more of a mass character as a work stoppage is planned.
It ends with Sisko as some kind of super-natural being, or at least an alien VERY different from a human (and apparently existing on a different plane of existance). I’m not crazy about that. Starfleet Captains should not be like that.
Overall a good end to the series, I give it three stars out of five.
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