The title doesn’t lie; this one’s all about Dax!

Rhonda’s Take on Episode 7: “Dax”

In his response to “A Man Alone” my husband offered to let me be seduced by Jadzia as played by Terry Farrell, and we must admit that Jadzia would be worth a tryst. How about her predecessor? The Curzon we’ve previously seen during the Prophet’s Tear vision as he passed the symbiont to Jadzia was an old man past his prime, but Sisko has told us on more than one occasion that Curzon “likes the women, maybe a little too much.” I have to believe that Curzon was as sensual as our dear Jadzia. Despite his fondness for the ladies, Sisko describes him as honorable so we must believe him on this point as well.

Therefore, when Ilon Tandro delivers the news that he is extraditing Dax for treason and the murder of General Ardelon Tandro, we know immediately that Dax is not guilty. Not the Curzon Sisko knew. Not the Jadzia we are getting to know. We don’t know why Jadzia goes silent and offers no defense, but we do know that there is a reason. Predictably, Curzon doesn’t have an alibi for the night of the murder because he was in the bed of the wife of the murder victim. It is her willingness to come forward, to besmirch her own reputation, that saves Jadzia. Enina Tandro expresses surprise that Jadzia kept the pact that Curzon had made with her, but, even before Jadzia explains that she felt obligated to keep it because Curzon loved her, we have no doubt that Jadzia would always die for honor.

Dax episodes are always my favorite because Farrell imbues her with such poise

Dax episodes are always my favorite because Farrell imbues her with such poise and subtle communication of deeply felt emotion. “Dax” is no exception, but it is the first episode of this franchise to focus on her so the first time we really see Farrell own the character. It also allows additional development of the relationship between Dax and Sisko. He continually demands to know why she is silent because he needs to know how to help her. In the softest of tones, she says, “I don’t expect any help, but thank you,” and she reassures him in the same tone, but with the gentlest placement of a hand on his shoulder, that while she must remind him that he knew Curzon, not her, he is still her “dear, dear friend” as well.

While this is definitely a Dax episode, famed Trek writer D.C Fontana makes sure we don’t miss out on our other characters. Bashir continues to be an incessant flirt. He tells Dax, “I can think of more ways to keep you up…and they’re more fun than coffee.” When she declines his offer to escort her to her quarters as “not necessary,” it is barely a beat before he declares, “Not necessary, but not forbidden either!” Quark and Odo exchange their witty banter about the case. We are surprised, however, when Quark at first refuses to let them use the bar to host the trial. Even though it would help Jadzia, he must stay true to his Ferengi nature, “Business is business.” We see yet again Odo’s ability to bully Quark into giving in, but defending Quark as he presents Quark’s decision to Sisko as if he willingly offered. Kira and Sisko are given several great moments in dealing with Ilon Tandro that show how these characters are transitioning from adversaries to allies. Kira doesn’t get a lot to do in this episode, but her enthusiasm at explaining to Ilon that the Bajorans would not tolerate his behavior, that it in fact, “annoys them,” was such fun to witness.

It seems like Dax should be my favorite character in an episode that bears her name, but Anne Haney in her guest appearance as Judge Renora steals the entire trial. “I intend to be here until supper, not senility” is a statement I intend to use…often. She carries this firm hand of deliberation throughout the trial scenes.

The trial itself provides the perfect setting for our thematic development. The Trill are often used to explore one’s sense of identity. This episode uses the Trill and symbiont to further explore the responsibility we hold for the actions of our ancestors. Are the hosts and symbionts separate entities? Can the next host be punished for the actions of the previous? Can the action be attributed to the host or the symbiont anyway? The Trill minister who is the expert witness describes the pairing as a “total sharing, a blending” of the two. Bashir’s medical testimony makes it clear that the joining creates a new being. These are all comments that could be used to describe the relationship between parents and the new life that develops in their children. During Sisko’s questioning, he gets Dax to break her stony exterior with his line of questioning about her accomplishments, which include a long list of degrees she earned before the joining. Her smile indicates both her pride in these accomplishments and her appreciation that Sisko has found a way to lead her defense without forcing her to betray Curzon and Enina Tandro.

While Enina Tandro only appears in three brief scenes, she delivers some of our most thought-provoking lines. Without outlining his faults, she indicates that her husband was not a perfect man, but that she understood the importance of his memory and so she sacrifices her desires to preserve it. She has willingly subverted her own identity to create the myth he becomes in death. When she says goodbye to Jadzia, she places a hand to Dax’s face and says, “Live, Jadzia Dax,…a long and fresh and wonderful life.” As Jadzia traces the same line on her face, we too feel the admonition to live.

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