Serious title for a buddy comedy

Rhonda’s Take on Episode 2.13: “Armageddon Game”

This episode has such a serious title for what is essentially a buddy comedy! (Yeah, yeah, O’Brien almost dies and that’s serious too, but his interactions with Bashir are full of humor.) “Armageddon Game” refers to the reason Bashir and O’Brien are off station. They are on a munitions ship above T’Lani III  to help eliminate an imminent threat of mutually assured destruction. While this episode was written and aired after Gorbachev took down that wall and the Cold War was officially declared ended, the idea of two warring factions developing a weapon that can destroy the enemy and themselves was very fresh in the mind’s of the audience. In the end, the political machinations take a backseat to the character development of our duo. It just sets up a nice framework for our character foils of the eager medical doctor and the earnest engineer.

We enter the story as they find the antidote to the Harvester biomechanical weapon. When they report back to Sisko, O’Brien is quick to give Julian the credit, but, in a rare magnamious moment, Bashir emphasizes that it was a team effort. They’ve been invited to a celebration, which Bashir wants to attend. O’Brien would like to hurry back to the station, but acquiesces to Bashir at Sisko’s assistance. He delivers the ill-fated line, “Another day won’t kill me!”

Like evil leaders everywhere who think they are doing what is best for all, ambassadors from each faction have plotted to kill off all those involved in finding the cure. They will argue that if anyone is left alive with the knowledge that the virus might be resurrected. I suppose it says something good about the truce between the factions that they could conspire so elaborately to kill their own people and frame the Starfleet officers so that no suspicion falls on their people. They make the mistake of underestimating the power of O’Bashir and the curiosity of their friends on the station. While Sisko discourages Kira from pursuing questioning of the event, enough doubt has lodged in his mind that, as soon as Keiko gives him some specific evidence to question, he is ready to pursue it with full force.

This is only one of many episodes to trade on the dynamic of these characters and the actors who portray them with aplomb.

Meanwhile, O’Brien and Bashir are stuck in ruins on T’Lani III and are trying to repair a communications device to reach DS9 or the T’Lani to report the Kellerun betrayal. Each of these sequences gives us an opportunity to get to know both men as they get to know each other. As Bashir will say at the end of the episode, people who’ve experienced a life-or-death situation together have a deeper bond so we will have a deeper bond with these characters together.

O’Brien starts as prickly as ever toward Julian. He gives him tasks that will keep the doctor busy and out of his hair while he works his magic on the device. Julian persists in keeping up a constant flow of banter. He talks about missing out on the beautiful T’Lani women at the party (Are they beautiful? How can he tell them apart? They all have the same…interesting…hair style.). He tells O’Brien that he thinks marriage is unfair to the wives of career officers and uses the example of O’Brien’s appointment to DS9 as being “not conducive” to their marriage. O’Brien bristles at this station gossip being repeated back to him. Bashir says he should shut up and O’Brien says, “That’s the first intelligent thing you’ve said.”

Later, once O’Brien is incapacited by the virus, he will appreciate Julian’s banter and will even  encourage it by asking about Bashir’s one love story. The story provides depth we haven’t really had with Bashir. In the story, he isn’t the shallow lothario, but a romantic in love with a dancer. It ends with Julian choosing a Starfleet career over love. O’Brien doesn’t lecture him in that moment, but he does correct him later by saying that “marriage is the greatest adventure of them all” and that it is “worth taking because you take it together.”

The touching scene is interrupted by the T’Lani and Kellerun ambassadors who enter together with murderous intent and armed soldiers. Bashir helps O’Brien to his feet so that he can die with dignity and O’Brien tells him, “It’s been an honor serving with you.” O’Brien will try to walk back from the compliment at the end of the episode and he will tell Keiko derisively that Bashir “never stops talking,” but we know his attitude has changed toward the good doctor, if for no other reason than the doctor did follow his instructions to repair the device. Those of us who know what will evolve know this is only one of many episodes to trade on the dynamic of these characters and the actors who portray them with aplomb.