DS9 challenges the core Star Trek ethos

Jim’s Take on Episode 2.10” “Sanctuary”

What does a moral, empathetic, forward-thinking, society do when faced with millions of refugees who need help? This is not an easy question to answer, and it’s one that still divides nations today. All the choices are hard and no answer may really be “right.” Once again, DS9 digs into an issue that is all-too relevant and gives its characters, and its viewers, the challenge to consider what is the right choice versus what is the easy choice in “Sanctuary.” 

Things start out simply enough. Kira is stressed and angry, as usual, and she is struggling to deal with Bajoran officials, her duties on the station, and Quark (That greedy toad!). A distraction appears in the form of four refugees that our crew rescue from a failing ship as it exits the wormhole. At first, the universal translator can’t sort out their language, but they seem harmless enough. Their female leader clearly has an affinity for Major Kira, so Kira takes the lead in showing them the station, getting them medical treatment, and stopping the men from stealing everything they see.

Once the translator figures out their language, things become much more complicated. The Skrreeans are farmers from a society where women are completely in charge because the men are basically idiots and they, like the Bajorans, have just been freed from captivity and slavery.  Their overlords were recently defeated by the mysterious Dominion. (Ooh, another mention of The Dominion. It seems like those guys will be important.) So far so good. But Kira’s new friend, Haneek, also reveals that there are over three million of her people in desperate need of a place to live just on the other side of “The Eye of the Universe.” She has come here seeking their fabled home world “Kentanna: A planet of sorrow where they will spread seeds of joy.” Of course, it doesn’t take long for Haneek to come to the conclusion that Bajor must be Kentanna.

there are no easy answers, but it’s always important to give people some ideas to ponder that may just reflect things going on in the world around us today.

This bombshell quickly makes things complicated, because everything about Bajor is complicated anyway, and it doesn’t help matters that most people, even in the enlightened 24th century, find the Skrreeans kind of annoying. Not terrible, just annoying. Kira finds that she agrees with the Bajoran Provisional Government that Bajor can’t handle three million refugees, but her friendship with Haneek makes her feel very guilty about this belief. Is Haneek right that the Bajorans would be better off partnering with the Skrreeans to salvage the land destroyed by the Cardassians? The Federation generally operates under the assumption that everyone will achieve more by working together as equals, but Bajor can’t see past their own self-interest to try. We can ask the same questions about our world today. WOULD we all be better off if we could forget about borders and national interests and just work together? Why does our nature make that such a difficult idea? It’s part of  Star Trek’s central ethos to sometimes pose these questions without spoon feeding the audience clear answers.

There are some fun moments in this episode, as well. Any time we get more Nog and Jake time, it’s a good thing. Nog getting up to his antagonistic antics and then being forced to, sort of, apologize is hilarious. As is the tiny detail in Odo’s office when Nog is looking at the wanted posters and comes across a new one for a dangerous criminal named Plix Tixiplik. Plix Tixiplik! It seems likely that this is the only mention of this briefly glimpsed character in the entirety of the Star Trek canon, but I want more. Surely a spinoff novel or comic that tells the untold stories of Plix Tixiplik would be a huge success. Also, every smile from Odo, usually to Quark’s detriment, is a pure gift and this episode features a great one.

There are several neat little actor appearances in this episode as well. Quark’s new musical act Varani is played by William Schallert, who also appeared in the Original Series classic, “The Trouble with Tribbles.” Haneek’s son, Tumak, was played by the tragically ill-fated Andrew Koenig, son of Walter Koenig, AKA the Original Series’ Ensign Chekov and the Bajoran Minister Rozahn was played by Kitty Swink, the wife of Armin Shimerman, AKA the magnificent Quark.

It’s apropos that this episode has several Original Series connections, because it is the kind of political and moral parable, cloaked in sci-fi trappings, that the very first Star Trek did so well. As in life, there are no easy answers, but it’s always important to give people some ideas to ponder that may just reflect things going on in the world around us today.