Star Trek’s Greatest Monster?

Jim’s Take on Episode 4: “Invasive Procedures”

When fans discuss the most terrifying and dangerous villains in Star Trek history, it’s always “Khan this” and “Borg Queen that” and “Roga Danar had great hair.” But Verad, this intolerable wet noodle of a failed Trill, this utter, utter twit of the highest order, has the audacity to plot against Jadzia Dax to steal the Dax symbiont for himself? To kill Jadzia so he can feel like a big man and not the complete tosser that he really is? This guy just may be Star Trek’s greatest monster. 

I know I have already gone on a bit about my devotion and fan-love for Jadzia Dax and Terry Farrell. Both are brilliant, powerful, fantastic women who should be rightly revered by all. So, for Verad to get his girlfriend to hire some Klingon muscle so he can board the station during a plasma storm and steal a sentient being, who is also an integral part of Jadzia, and to think he can get away with this, despite Dax also being Commander Sisko’s oldest friend, is stupidity and recklessness of the very highest order. He should be infamous for his arrogance and idiocy. I’m here to help raise awareness of the true villainy of this awful, awful, failure of a Trill.

Thanks to Quark, his plan does start out going surprisingly well. They get the drop on O’Brien and Odo, and THEN have the gall to put Odo in a lunchbox. Unacceptable! For all his weakness, he somehow stands up to Sisko’s glare of rage and disgust. That look he bestows on people who truly disgust and disappoint him…I’d collapse under that in an instant. How does Verad manage to survive that look without immediately abandoning his rash plans? I can’t even imagine. He must have greater fortitude than his appearance and manner would suggest. Truly villainous levels, one might say. Could Khan stand up to that glare so blithely? Or Trelane? Or Roga Danar? (Okay, I’m gonna go ahead and say “no” for Roga Danar.)

Clearly this whole plan proves that the Trill Symbiosis Commission was 100% right about denying this guy. How well could it possibly work out to essentially hijack a sentient being, kill its former host, and then force it to join with you sharing all your memories and experiences? What kind of cognitive dissonance would that have to create? He thinks he hates himself BEFORE he’s joined? Long-term, this whole plan is a recipe for disaster. It couldn’t possibly work out. Verad is a complete idiot. A selfish, weak, detestable, idiot. 

At least Sisko gets to phaser him, but a serious punch to the face (or three) would have been even more satisfying. Like the unarmed beat-down he dishes out to the Klingon goon who’s guarding them in Ops. He felt the Wrath of Ben Sisko, for sure. 

With Jadzia’s life at stake, all of our heroes have no choice but to rise to the occasion. Bashir is not taking any Klingon sass, Quark tries to redeem himself by taking on a Klingon all by his lonesome, and Kira…well, Kira’s having an off day, but her threats to Quark for causing this whole mess are pretty scary. Honestly, Quark may be ultimately responsible for saving the day here. From his very convincing screams of pain, to picking the lock on Odo’s container, Quark does a lot to defeat the monstrous Verad and reunite Jadzia and Dax.

In the end, the fact that this heinous villain’s only real punishment is that he has to live with the knowledge of how cool he might have been, is simply not enough. He has to be added to the ranks of the very worst, most foul, most evil ne’er do wells that Starfleet has ever encountered. Let’s make it so, people! From here on in, whenever there is discussion of the most vile of villains in Star Trek canon, let us all speak with disdain the name Verad. What a loser.

Return to Episode 2.4 Guide or Season 2 Log