Rhonda’s Take on Episode 15: “If wishes were horses”
What a shame our characters don’t know the title of the episode, it would’ve saved them so much time. The title derives from a Scottish nursery rhyme that begins, “If wishes were horses, beggars would ride,” which tells us if wishes could make things happen, we would all have what we want. But, I think it’s the much disputed line that follows that is more important to the end of this tale. In the various versions, the next line turns turnips into, alternately, watches, swords, or bayonets. Watches might imply time being on our side, but those swords and bayonets—weapons for either offense or defense—are sadly telling about what the Scots felt they needed and are emblematic of what our characters might need.
How revealing dreams are! O’Brien creates Rumplestiltskin who will make the horrible demand of his daughter. Jadzia creates the solution to the problem, which is always her deepest desire. Odo puts Quark in the brig (Who says Odo lacks imagination?). Quark has some extra hot Dabo girls. People on the Promenade want it to snow or to set their jackdaws free (I’m really not sure what the general population was dreaming!). Kira’s dream is the nightmare of losing a pylon and the people on it. Our “young doctor” brings to life his fantasy Dax.
Obviously every moment with fantasy Jadzia could be interpreted as a very sexist view. Bashir definitely has some out-dated views of women (let’s not waste time revisiting every previous scene where we’ve seen him flirting with women), but we can’t really blame the more submissive Dax on sexist views. I would be more upset if he’d created a fantasy Dax that didn’t fawn on him. I am, however, disappointed that his fantasy Dax didn’t know what thoron emissions are. I mean, come on, Bashir, you can appreciate Jadzia’s body only if you also appreciate her mind! I’m willing to forgive this oversight, because Terry Farrell is. Farrell relished playing her doppleganger and smack talking herself!
This episode was rife with humor, but it never felt like pantomime or ridiculous for the sake of ridiculousness. The danger feels real throughout, no more so than when the “figments” seem to be conspiring against the station.
Their motivation remains unclear, even after the alien in the form of Buck Bokai tells Sisko it was about watching rather than engaging because Alpha Quadrant residents aren’t always “welcoming to the visiting team.” The enigmatic final goodbye with “maybe next year” is intriguing. I wonder if the writers had a plan for their return. I don’t remember this story being further developed.
Social Commentary
Two moments that I don’t believe were intended as social commentary, but are:
- Odo receives my gold star for inclusivity: “Ladies, gentlemen, and all androgynous species!”
- When talking about the earlier incident that Dax believes is similar to theirs, Bashir says that the reason reports of hallucinations weren’t included is because Vulcans lack imagination. I suppose these types of comments are shorthand, but I always feel a little jarred when Starfleet characters make comments based on stereotypes.
A Note on Storytelling
Star Trek writers, in general, know how to speed a story along: The Log. Think back to the earliest TOS episodes with Kirk’s Captain’s Log in the middle of the action, but used as a tidy recap after the commercial break. On Deep Space Nine, Sisko’s Station Logs feel like they are written at more opportune moments in the story between actions, but they still provide a tidy package to zoom through exposition or tighten pacing so that we can get to the next action.
Return to Jim’s Take: “Proving imagination helps us create and achieve”
Continue to Ray’s Take: “Imagination of Biochemistry?”
Skip to Matt’s Take: “Sweet Dreams are Made of This”
Return to Episode Logs or Episode 15 Guide
Ponderings from the Promenade: A Journey through Star Trek Deep Space Nine 
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