A femme fatale, a hard-bitten detective, a mysterious list of names, and a case…of MURDER!

Jim’s Take on Episode 2.8: “Necessary Evil”

Not only is “Necessary Evil” a fantastic episode with a cool and unusual film noir style, it’s full of fascinating firsts for many characters. Surprising revelations come thick and fast for viewers of the show and for the characters themselves. Of course, in true film noir fashion, it all starts with a dame. A dame with legs that don’t stop, eyes as cold as ice, and a case…of MURDER!

Quark’s opening scene with Pallra really does make it clear that they are really going for it with the noir stylings in this episode. The camera angles, the use of shadows, the witty, sardonic, slightly suggestive dialogue. It’s all there, and watching Quark pour on the charm as the shady guy who can be hired for any gig, no questions asked is just fantastic. The moment when he’s confronted by the assassin, who says, “Sorry,” and Quark responds with a resigned, “Yeah. Me too,” feels like it should have been filmed in black and white.

Once Quark is out of the picture, Rom really gets a chance to shine in this story. From the revelation that he has been handily bypassing all of Quark’s security, to the genuine despair he feels when he thinks Quark is dead, to the joy when he realizes that a dead Quark means profit for him, Rom is all over this episode. The scene where Sisko and Odo play Good Cop/Bad Cop to get more information out of Rom is wonderful. Odo: “I’ve had my eye on you. You’re not as stupid as you look.” Rom: “Yes, I am!” When Max Grodenchik is given the chance, he really makes Rom a layered, interesting, and above all, funny, character. Those screams when he sees Quark being attacked in the infirmary, and then again when he realizes he’s saved his brother’s life, costing himself the chance to inherit the bar are utterly hilarious.

Of course, this episode is really about Kira and Odo. As Odo investigates the attempt on Quark’s life, he flashes back, with excellent film noir “P.I. narration” to his very first case, five years ago when Deep Space Nine was still the Cardassians’ Terok Nor. It’s fascinating that Gul Dukat was the first to see Odo’s potential as an investigator and that he assigned him the case that would set the course of Odo’s life. A case…of MURDER! Dukat was there when Odo was still an entertaining curiosity in a lab being forced to entertain with his infamous “Cardassian Neck Trick,” but he could see the eye for detail and desire for justice that would make Odo both a great investigator and an impartial enforcer of law. It’s clear that Odo doesn’t approve of Dukat or of the Cardassians’ treatment of the Bajoran people, but he will help them when his help may save the lives of innocents. It’s also very interesting that, from their very first meeting, Quark tries, and fails, to find something he can use as a way to tempt Odo. Some Ferengi never learn!

Odo’s investigation quickly takes him to Pallra, who “believes” that her husband’s murder was committed by his new mistress a young Bajoran woman…named Kira Nerys! Even from their first meeting, it’s clear that Odo respects Kira for her forthright way of dealing with him, her disdain for the Cardassians, and her honesty when dealing with his investigation. He even seems to appreciate that when she lies, she doesn’t lie well. Uh-oh…Kira admits she was there to sabotage Cardassian operations, but denies having anything to do with Vaatrik’s death. Odo’s first case goes unsolved for five years, until Pallra slips up and Odo discovers the truth about her and about Kira, which leads to a tough conversation with the woman who is almost certainly Odo’s best (only?) friend. This is another beautifully played scene and you can feel just how much this revelation hurts them both.

It’s fascinating to get a glimpse of what DS9 was actually like when the Cardassians were still in charge. Terok Nor may be the same physical station, but it looks so much different with security fences, dim, depressing lighting, and masses of downtrodden Bajorans being forced to work and live under their oppressors. It really drives home how different this world was just a few short years ago and why people like Kira were forced to do some pretty terrible things in their fight for freedom. The fact that some Bajorans want to chase the Federation away at this point seems like madness!

So a femme fatale, a hard-bitten detective, a mysterious list of names, and a case…of MURDER. (Sorry. That’s the last one!) What more could anyone ask for? Important character backstory? Meaningful and emotional character moments? Gul Dukat creeping around being slimy, manipulative, and evil? “Necessary Evil” has all of these elements making it yet another necessary episode of Deep Space Nine. Just remember: Don’t let dames lead you astray and never, never, answer a “one more thing” question when you’re guilty…of MURDER! (I lied! What are you gonna do, kill me?)