Groundbreaking, Ongoing Story Development

Rhonda’s Take on Season 2, Episode 1: “The Homecoming” (Part 1)

In the age of binge television, we might overlook how groundbreaking an ongoing storyline was. Yes, there were season ending cliffhangers to keep the audience waiting for a new season, but very little connective tissue within a television series back in the 1990s. The philosophy was based on what was fast becoming an outdated concept, even then. Until the ‘90s, most television was a One-and-Done watching opportunity. If you missed an original airing, you might catch the episode three years later in an afternoon rerun or a midnight fill-in slot. Deep Space Nine’s creators said to hell with that concept and decided that they would simply tell the best story and that their audience would tune in each week or have to piece together clues from the episode itself to understand the happenings.

The launch of Season 2 showcases that attitude. Not only are the first three episodes parts of a whole story arc, but the first episode presumes the audience already knows these characters. We don’t get a Season 1 recap and there aren’t any exposition dumps at the beginning or throughout the first episode. If you were a viewer unfamiliar with DS9 you might assume from the title, “The Homecoming,” that something preexisted. I feel like this would make studio executives nervous! I can hear the clamoring, “If the audience thinks they missed the introduction, they might change the channel!” So, I applaud the bravery of Michael Pillar and Ira Stephen Behr to defy the studio model.

Another trope of Star Trek fandom says that it takes until the third season for a show to hit its stride, but Deep Space Nine already feels stronger in this episode. The actors have really defined their characters, the writers are challenging the actors with intense storylines, and the filmography is honing the craft of putting aliens and alien environments and space and the future on screen.

“The Homecoming” launches with Odo degrading Quark, but the banter quickly shows a change in dynamic between the characters. Quark has actually provided Odo with a useful tip to catch some criminals. He promises Odo he has called a truce and that they will now be friends. Odo gruffly dismisses this idea with his incredulous, “You’re up to something!” Rom, Quark’s brother who has been neatly framed in the shot between and behind our main characters, is equally in disbelief. Quark promptly reminds Rom about the 76th Rule of Acquisition, “Every once in a while, declare peace. It confuses the hell out of your enemies.” The fact that the first scene of Season 2 involves these secondary characters shows how well the writers know their audience. Odo and Quark rose to fan-favorites during the first season and the writers are reminding us that they are vital to the station.

The post-credit opening scene also starts on the Promenade, which helps establish this as the center of the station and the show. The conversation between Benjamin and Jake Sisko serves to remind the audience that this show might be about aliens, space, and the future, but it is also about a single father and his maturing son. What a great conversation between them as Ben starts to give his son advice on talking to women only to have Jake shut him down: he’s already asked the girl out! Jake’s “I can see you’re not ready for this conversation” is a perfect summation of a boy on the cusp of manhood.

Lest we forget that Deep Space Nine has a particularly political and spiritual sensibility, the story that unfolds reminds us that these are deeply entrenched themes to be developed. We first see Kira Nerys praying in front of a personal shrine. Then, she leads an unsanctioned mission to recover Li Nalas, a Bajoran war hero, whose earring was surreptitiously brought to the station. The fact that Kira immediately recognizes an insignia on the earring that Quark brings her tells us several things about Bajoran culture. We’ve seen the earrings each Bajoran citizen wears, now we know that they are distinctive identifiers and very connected to the owner.

Kira’s recovery mission is successful thanks to a little role playing by her and our chief engineer Miles O’Brien in addition to their quick thinking and fighting skills. They bring Li Nalas back to the station expecting there to be repercussions from the Cardassians. Instead, Kira interrupts Sisko’s conversation with Gul Dukat in which he explains that Cardassia has already issued the Bajoran provisional government an official apology, that the camp prefect will be punished, and that the prisoners they were unable to rescue are already enroute to Bajor. (Other Ponderers have taken time to fan-out about characters, here’s my brief fan moment: I love Marc Alaimo as Gul Dukat. I draw a little heart next to his name in my notes whenever he shows up on screen. I’m thrilled to see him on Sisko’s viewscreen so early in this season. His performance reflected Alaimo’s ability to make Gul Dukat a sympathetic character while conveying an undertone that this character is not to be trusted.)

Lest we forget this is an ensemble show, all our characters get at least some screen time. Dax is mentioned in her official capacity when Kira has already had her verify the earring as Li Nalas’s through DNA testing. Then, Sisko seeks her counsel about allowing Kira to embark on the rescue mission. Dax delivers her wisdom succinctly, “I’d say give Kira the runabout.” When Sisko worries about the conflict that might escalate with Cardassia, she points out that they would have more to answer to than this infraction on their airspace, since they’ve promised that they released all prisoners. The moment she emerges from his office and gives Kira’s arm a squeeze we are reminded that these two women are supportive friends.

Julian Bashir is given his moment as he treats Li Nalas for a phaser wound in addition to other wounds incurred during his ten years of imprisonment. While this scene reminds us that Bashir is a skilled physician, his comments to Nalas remind us that he is often sycophantic and young in his behavior.

Richard Beymer as Li Nalas delivers a stunning performance as the reluctant hero who Bajor needs to step into a leadership position. His confession to Sisko that the story that made him a hero is based on a falsehood is no surprise. As the audience, we’ve been watching his reluctance to accept any praise or to speak in the capacity of a hero. It gives our commander a chance to show his strength and wisdom as he advises Nalas that Bajor doesn’t need a man, but a symbol. He says it doesn’t matter if the story that made him a legend doesn’t feel like truth to him because his fellow Bajorans see him as everything they aspire to be: strong, decent, and honorable.

The episode ends on a stunning reveal as Minister Jaro brings Li Nalas back to the station with the newly created title, Navarch, and instals him as liaison to Bajor. The shocked and disappointed looks on Sisko’s and Kira’s face remind the long-time viewers of how much their relationship has grown. They are truly a team and cannot fathom being broken apart like this.

To Be Continued…

Return to Episode 2.1 Guide