Character Conflict

Matt’s Take on Episode 2: “Past Prologue”

Fine Dining at the Replimat with a Side of Intrigue:

I really don’t know what else to say here. At various points Juilan seems to view him both as a friend and as a threat. Yet, he also seems to be somewhat flattered that he has been “chosen” by Garak after his initial disquiet. He’s out of his depth here, as he often is in these early episodes. But, to be fair, everyone is out of their depth when it comes to Garak.

Garak is a legend. 

The Thick Plottens:

One strength of “Past Prologue” is that it introduces viewers to the political history of Bajor in further detail than “Emissary.” We are shown the scars of civil war in the form of Tahna Los of the Kohn-Ma. Later on in the episode, he declares his philosophy of “Bajor first!” and “Bajor for Bajorans!” These lines gave me stress-induced flashbacks to our recent political history. I really couldn’t believe that I was hearing this from a show that aired in the early ’90s and that it was still so sadly and horrifically topical. It was not a fun moment for me, but it was an important one. These dark forces have been with us for a long time, and that apparently doesn’t even get better by the 24th century. At least not for those outside of the Federation.

A Kira Divided Against Herself:

This is a dramatically pleasing episode with a good bit of intrigue with Kira grappling with her loyalties. I think that it’s a highly important episode for her character, as she is starting to realize that her position as the liaison for Bajor means that she will have to adopt a more moderate stance on political issues. She seems to be developing relationships and closeness with her Federation colleagues, and her internal struggle is the major thrust of this episode. 

Keeping it short: 

There is more that could be said about Tahna and his political ideology here, but this episode really just is a bit raw due to events in the real world. Don’t get me wrong, I think that it is a great episode for the very fact that it is still relevant so many years later. It’s depressing to see that there are still people out there who, roughly twenty years after this aired, would be willing to follow in Tahna’s footsteps. Those who were radicalized at one point (like Kira was during the occupation) hopefully experience growth and move on to a healthier perspective. Sadly, that is not always the case.

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