Zanthi Fever turns DS9 from Dark Trek to Rom-Com

3.10 Rhonda’s Take on “Fascination”

It’s interesting that this tale of unrequited love followed two episodes where our female leads experienced at least infatuation–Dax with her ill-fated romance with Deral in “Meridian” and Kira with her ill-fated interest in Riker (thinking it was Will, being kidnapped when it turned out to be Thomas) in “Defiant.” In this episode, Lwaxana Troi is back aboard the space station ostensibly as the Betazed ambassador for the Bajoran Gratitude Festival, and to see Odo. Unfortunately, she’s suffering from Zanthi fever, which infects those who are in close proximity to her during an attack. The creators claim this was their attempt at a Shakespearean farce, A Midsummer’s Night Dream, and it definitely provides a diverting rom-com episode.

In the first year of DS9, I complained about throwbacks to The Next Generation, such as the first episode kicking off with Picard and the appearance of Q. While Lwaxana is Deanna Troi’s mother and Deanna is distinctly a TNG character, Lwaxana herself doesn’t seem like she belongs to only one series. In fact, because her earlier appearance on DS9 in “The Forsaken” contains one of my favorite of all Star Trek scenes–when she removes her wig to reassure Odo that he can return to his gelatinous state and be safe with her–in my mind she belongs to DS9.

While most of the station is having uncontrollable urges to fornicate with all the wrong people in their circle, “Fascination” also is a wonderful exploration of marriage. I’ve always hated the way Keiko appears on DS9. She presents as a nagging, unpleasant wife too often. At the start of this episode, things are no different. Miles O’Brien has been nervously awaiting her return from two months on Bajor because he wants to make the most of their two days together. Keiko steps off the shuttle exhausted and exasperated. During their first night on the station, she only wants to sleep, which leads to them bickering. When they finally make it to Quark’s, they end up fighting because, when she tells him the expedition will take months longer than originally planned, he tells her he doesn’t want her to go back. She, of course, is upset that he would make this demand when her taking the position was his idea. Both her exhaustion from the trip and their fight over the possibility of an extended separation are realistic interpretations of married life. If we can’t be our authentic, exhausted selves in front of our spouses, who can we be exhausted in front of? Of course, Miles doesn’t want to be separated from her for even longer than he’d thought, and, of course, Keiko doesn’t want to give up this professionally fulfilling opportunity. However, the fight quickly gets nasty. She says that a colleague told her not to mention the extension until after the Gratitude Festival. Miles demands to know exactly who this colleague is to her. It devolves until she tells him he is “behaving like a child,” words no adult should ever say to another adult, especially one she loves.

Quark provides the advice that Miles needs to remind him how important Keiko is to his happiness. When we see him next, he returns to his quarters, has a brief interaction with Molly, who is playing with her stuffed Targ now that she feels better. She tells him that Mommy is in her quarters “being sad.” He asks Molly to play in her room, and then he moves to outside their bedroom door. Keiko doesn’t want to see him, so the conversation occurs from his point of view. He tells her how much she means to him and that he has placed his resignation letter on Commander Sisko’s desk. If this were only a rom-com, she would’ve opened the door and embraced him, but it isn’t. It is a well-thought out examination of the human condition, and she tells him she has to think about it. This makes the reveal of her at Sisko’s party, wearing the red dress Miles likes, more powerful.  It’s also sweet that Miles’s headache had been simply stress, not part of the Zanthi fever. My only complaint with this storyline is that Miles could take a leave of absence, rather than resigning. This option isn’t even mentioned. The audience is left to assume that all is right with their relationship, and that both can survive six more months of separation with brief visits now and then, without this ever being clarified on screen.

Episode Highlights

• Lwaxana’s cheerful charm always! Her ability to see his love for Kira, which is notable because she cannot read his mind.
• Odo’s discomfort, but polite tolerance, with Lwaxana. His stiff dancing while she spins him around is precious.
• Cirroc Lofton once again showing why he is the best child actor in Trek as he starts the episode in Shelley-esque melancholy, and then acts the puppy dog affection with Kira. His serious delivery of lines about how Mardah was too immature for him while Kira is a woman.

• Only the actors know whether this led to their offscreen relationship, but Nana Visitor as Kira and Siddig El Fadil as Bashir being unable to keep their mouths and hands off each other.
• The brighter lighting by Jonathan West with hints of pink and purple not usually seen on DS9.
• Dax’s purple dress is innocent while her attraction to Sisko is rabid.
• That Zanthi fever was added to Trek lore, which allowed it to show up and wreak havoc on a Lower Decks episode in the modern era.

Concern

• The “latent” attractions: Bareil to Dax, Dax to Sisko, Jake to Kira, and Quark to Keiko. While they provided space for humor, we didn’t get to see the awkward conversations that might follow such reveals. In particular, how do Kira and Bareil reconcile the fact that they were thrown into romance with others, instead of each other? In Midsummer Night’s Dream, the attraction is simply the first person seen, and, while that is how these romances were shot, that isn’t the explanation provided.