[7.2/10] This is a weird episode of Deep Space Nine. In the A-story, you have a love quadrangle with the tone of a Shakespearean comedy. (A Midsummer Night’s Dream comes to mind.) In the B-story, you have two characters who’ve barely had any meaningful character interactions with one another grappling with an awkward attraction. The tone is light and silly. Romance is in the air in a big, comedic fashion. And there's even pretty frank (by Star Trek standards) depictions of sex. This is not your average DS9 outing.
But that's kind of what makes me like it. At this point in the show, we have one war winding down and another one revving up. Odo’s been excommunicated and stripped of his powers. If you go by stardate, Jake was just in a harrowing situation. And rest assured, there's more challenges to come.
So in the midst of all that, having what amounts to a light farce, thin on thematic weight but big on character and relationships, is a nice change of pace. Some folks bristle when Star Trek gets a little goofy. But Trek is a big tent, and when done right, I’ve always found it to be a welcome ingredient in the stew.
The main plot is spurred by Grilka, our favorite Ferengi bartender’s Klingon ex-wife from season 3’s “The House of Quark”. Worf wants to court her, but given his discommendation, must settle for joining Dax in helping Quark stand in his place. The Cyrano-like setup, where Worf uses his knowledge of Klingon courtship to puff up an unlikely Ferengi beau, is a fun one. Seeing Quark bumble his way through warrior rituals, while Worf grumbles but lends him a hand, makes for an amusing dynamic.
What makes it interesting, though, is that Quark seems sincere. He’s horny, sure. But there are easier ways to get your lobes some love, and in the pair’s last encounter, you got the impression that there was genuinely something between them, however unusual the circumstances in which the attraction was forged. So when Grilka asks Quark why he’s doing this -- the dinner ritual, the battle recreation, the Klingon phrases -- he tells her it’s because he’s in the business of acquisition and thinks she’s worth more than all the latinum in the galaxy. And by god, you believe him.
You believe the attraction between Miles and Nerys too. What’s interesting about their subplot is that on the surface, it’s pretty broad. You have cheesy scenes where Dr. Bashir ribs Chief O’Brien over whether he snuck a peak at Kira when helping her out of the bath, and a jealous Odo tweaking Kira about what role exactly she’s playing in the O’Brien family given her zealous defense of Miles. The wide-eyed awkwardness between them when they both realize something’s up and try to keep their distance, only for oblivious Keiko to keep sticking them back together has a sitcom-y quality to it. The uninitiated could mistake it for pure looney comedy.
And yet, behind the big humor of it is something surprisingly mature. The notion of two people developing a comfort and familiarity through this unique surrogacy situation, only to watch it bleed over into an unexpected attraction, is well-observed. You can understand how, based on the situation alone, Miles and Nerys see new sides of one another, with the kind of experience that would bring any two people closer together. This isn’t quite Florence Nightingale syndrome, but it’s close. Exploring the crossed wires that could emerge when Kira’s under the O’Briens’ roof, is something that comes with more nuance and understanding than the silly comic shell might suggest.
But it also comes with a mature attitude toward the resolution. Nerys and Miles act like grown-ups. They acknowledge the attraction, but also that neither of them wants to act on it. There's no self-flagellation or shaming, just two adults recognizing that these are just some unexpected sparks, but that it’s not what either of them really wants. I’m reminded of the ahead-of-its-time friendship between Riker and Troi on TNG, who had a romantic history, but who were legitimately good friends and mutually supportive of one another’s relationships despite that.
Both Nerys and Miles realize immediately that this is a bad idea, and despite some amusing enough flustered moments, let that be the end of it. Maybe it’s just that on so many television shows, past and present, even the grown-ups act a little like teenagers. But it’s downright refreshing to see two people handle an awkward but understandable situation like mature adults.
The situation with Quark and the Klingons isn't quite as mature. The closing act of the story sees Worf take his Cyrano-like assistance for Quark to a new extreme, not just briefing him on Klingon protocol, but actively controlling his limbs for a duel with Grilka’s bodyguard. The exercise is a little silly, especially when Worf’s surrogate courtship is interrupted by a malfunction in the needed tech, forcing Quark to vamp until it’s fixed. The humor here is gentle, albeit pleasant.
Despite the hijinks it takes, there's something genuinely sweet about Grilka seeing the lengths Quark went to in order to win her hand and...well...semi-literally jumping his bones (while breaking a few in the process). Likewise, it’s nice to see the show finally pull the trigger on the romantic tension between Dax and Worf that's been brewing for a whole season now, with Jadzia taking the initiative.
Admittedly, Worf seems kind of like a dope for not picking up the signals Dax has been sending and that he’d seemingly been reciprocating. But it matches the heightened tone of the episodes, and it’s nice to see the take-charge Dax not just sit around and pine, but take action to express her affections in a way Worf can understand.
As everyone acknowledges, these are not traditional pairings. We’ve had nary a hint of romantic chemistry between Kira and Chief O’Brien until now. Grilka and Quark have to overcome Klingon prejudice against mixed marriages, especially with Ferengi. Dax is not a traditional man and Worf is not a traditional woman. This is not a traditional episode. But in recognizing that there's something between each of them, and having them all reach a mature (and for two-out-of-three potential couples, mature) resolution to their feelings, makes this one of Deep Space Nine’s odder installments, but also one that's strangely endearing.
Very good take on the Cyrano de Bergerac story. And the end....well ;-)
DS9 really did comedy well. Unlike the funny but often garish Ferengi-centric episodes, this one feel much more natural. Riffing on Cyrano de Bergerac and developing an almost Shakespearean tilt, this is an absolutely wonderful episode about lust and romance in all its various forms.
The jokes just work, and so much of it is because the comedy all stems from characters rather than just situations. From over-the-top stuff like Worf throwing Morn aside and challenging Thopok, to subtle things like the girlish (and very un-Klingon) yelp from Grilka when Quark pinches her on the way down from the holosuite. The actors sell it, too, for example the excellent ending when Julian realises what his multitude of patients have been getting up to.
Then we have the O'Brien/Kira storyline. On the surface this is very strange and something that I wouldn't have thought works for the characters at all - and it doesn't, that's entirely the point. They're both equally as horrified with the sudden thoughts in their heads, and again it's played so well that even though we as an audience think, "noooo!", the show recognises it.
Certainly among the funniest episodes of the series, but it also gives us so much great character work. Finally, after a year, Jadzia manages to get Worf to see that she's been standing there the whole time!
General unpleasantness
Dax is amazing
Keiko makes no sense
Nice conclusions
:notes: I was lookin' for par'Mach in all the wrong places
Lookin' for par'Mach in too many faces
Searchin' their eyes
Lookin' for traces of what I'm dreaming of
Hoping to find a friend and a lover
I'll bless the day I discover another heart
Lookin' for par'Mach :notes:
If you like Ferengi comedy episodes and if you liked House of Quark in particular, this will be hilarious entertainment. This episode should only be judged on the understanding that this is a pure comedy. Don't expect more. But the comedy part is great. Pairing Quark with people that are not like him worked before, it works again. It's a joy to watch him circumnavigate the pitfalls of Klingon culture. Again, his abilities are constantly underrated and finding out that he's more than a humble bartender always has a certain element of surprise. Worf's also great here, if you can accept for one moment that he is not much more than a funny prop in a screwball comedy - it's certainly not the dignified Worf that is essential to his character in all other episodes of the show. But it actually makes sense that he helps Quark eventually (it's a test of his ability to pursue a Klingon woman for the first time [which is odd btw... doesn't the mother of his son doesn't count?]) What you learn about Klingons is - as always - fascinating but that's also an afterthought. But I love how this comedy is set up against the backdrop of war-mongering, cantankerous, aggressive Klingons and a dangerous family feud.
The Julian and Miles buddy story is also mildly funny but inconsequential. The Miles and Kira story is also nice. I guess this issue had to be discussed at one point.
The one thing I don't like: Worf and Dax wander way too much into "buddy territory" in the first part of this episode. Couldn't she a little bit more jealous and angry? Judging by the first part of this episode, you wouldn't know that this buddy story eventually will turn into a romance. And even this turn comes rather quickly. Yes, it has been prepared well in previous episodes but Worf made his mind up rather unexpectedly after all the fascination he has shown for Grilka. Anyhow, for DS9 that's another great development: Dax' and Worf's characters take the next step and we'll get some wonderful episodes out of this later in the show.
Shout by Username57BlockedParent2019-04-29T18:39:10Z
This episode is so funnyyyyyyyyyy. Quark trying to woo a klingon while Miles and Kira are afraid of accidentally having sex with each other and Keiko doesn't even CAREEE, and keeps pushing them together, she really wants Miles to have sex with other people (like Julian). I lose my mf'ing MINDDDD.
This show should have ended with Miles/Keiko/Kira/Julian all together (while Julian is dating Garak also). Would have been huge.