Star Trek 461: What You Leave Behind

461. What You Leave Behind

FORMULA: Tears of the Prophets + (The Reckoning x Where No Man Has Gone Before) + Homefront

WHY WE LIKE IT: "The Way You Look Tonight". The zoom out.

WHY WE DON'T: No Jadzia flashbacks. Admiral Ross.

REVIEW: DS9's finale is basically split over two stories, the first of which is the end of the Dominion War. While the allied forces invade, Damar and his merry band of rebels cause problems at home for the Dominion, cutting off contact with their fleet at a crucial moment. It's a bit disappointing to see so many reused shots in the final battle, but there's some new stuff as well, mostly with the camera planted on the Defiant. And finally the Cardassians switch sides en masse, turning the tide of battle on both fronts. Damar will end up a martyr to his new Cardassia, but neither he, nor pool old Mila, die in vain and they do "take the castle".

And now that you've had your eye candy, it's time for a more diplomatic (Trekkie) resolution as Odo has a "talk" with the Founder Leader. I'm not calling it an anti-climax, and Dominion surrender does come at a price. Odo makes a sort of sacrifice by accepting to return to his people indefinitely. He will give his people new direction and act as the basis of a new Link. A great moral victory when you consider that moments before, the Founder had ordered a genocide. The cost is indeed high for the Cardassians - 800,000 million dead and the destruction of their culture - and understandably, Sisko no longer wants to share a drink with Martok on the battlefield. Garak, the patriot, has lost his Cardassia forever, and was now only fighting for revenge (which he hollowly gets when he ends the Weyoun line), and there's a sense that he goes off to die at the end.

Intermission: Since the very last chapter will be the Sisko story, the episode takes time to do one last scene with the entire cast at Vic's. They know it's their last time all together, the appropriate speeches are made, Worf gets in funny joke about Minsk, and Vic sings the perfect song. I get teary-eyed every time he gets to the part about "that laugh that wrinkles your nose" in front of an obviously-touched Kira.

Now back to the story, because there's also a spiritual war to be fought between the Emissary and the anti-Emissary. This section suffers from being interwoven with the first, as the editing makes it seem like Winn and Dukat were in the fire caves for days. Still, it's entertaining to see the balance of power between the two villains shift back and forth. He's using her to gain power, she's using him as a sacrifice, then he returns to life as a true anti-Emissary and suddenly Sisko's there. It's actually Winn, once again showing a lack of faith, who makes it possible for Sisko to defeat Dukat, though at the cost of her own life. Irony or ironies, she ended her life as an instrument of the Prophets. As for the two adversaries, they share the same fate, joining their Prophets, one in the fire caves, the other in the Celestial Temple.

So let's talk about resolutions, because unlike the TNG finale, which was meant as a big homage show with no change in status quo, DS9 wants to conclude the arcs that were driving it. Sisko's fate is no doubt the most problematic because it's so esoteric, but it doubles back on the first episode and makes it all feel part of a whole. It also asks as many questions as it answers, something I'll have to address in a separate article (so your mileage may vary on this one). O'Brien leaves to become a teacher, which makes sense for him, leaving a sad Bashir behind. At least he's got Ezri, though the relationship never gets a chance to mature onscreen. Worf becomes an ambassador to the Klingon homeworld, though that's all to be undone at soon as they need him for a new TNG movie. Still, it's fitting given his relationship with the new chancellor. And perhaps it's also a way to leave Kira in charge. She inherits the station, the baseball and as in The Visitor's alternate timeline, responsibility for Jake. I've already mentioned Odo, but I'll add that the pair get a beautiful farewell scene. Admiral Ross spends the episode following everyone's lead, first in battle strategy, then unconvincingly spilling his bloodwine after Sisko does it (lame!), and finally using someone else's words at the historic treaty signing. He goes out like he came in as far as I'm concerned. And for Quark, it's business as usual.

Flashbacks are used to pay homage to the series past, and while I like the focus on relationships, some of these montages are flawed. Worf's in particular should have shown Jadzia (pay the damn fees, people!), and he and a couple others have memories they shouldn't have (from "alternate universe" stories). Plans to give Morn the last word didn't materialize, though it might have distracted from the last shot as we pull out of the station until it is but a speck. A wonderful, bittersweet ending.

LESSON: Minsk is a beautiful city. (And subliminal messages work. Minsk.)

REWATCHABILITY - High: Though there's a "final fate" for everyone, it also seems like the series could continue under a new status quo (and does, in novel form). I wish they'd gone back to it with mini-series or tv movie events or something. Either way, all the the threads come to a satisfying close, as the series loops back on its pilot. It shall be missed.

Comments

googum said…
Sod, I miss that show. Thanks for all the recaps, since I haven't seen DS9 in years; but your work really brings it back for me.
Moriarty said…
DS9 was, by far, my favorite Trek. I've seen it about 7 times and "The Visitor" never fails to get me weepy.

"What You Leave Behind" was so different in the pantheon of Trek finales. I'm not sure if it's because I grew to love the characters or if the character wrap-ups themselves were intended this way, but it was all, in a word, bittersweet. DS9 did shades of gray better than just about any sci-fi show before it and since. The only one that comes close, in my mind, is Firefly.

Anyway... thanks for continuing these wonderful reviews. It's quite a body of work already and you still have two series worth of episodes to go. Unfortunately, it's all kind of downhill for you now since those two shows are Voyager and Enterprise. :(

By the way... I often set my Tivo purely based on your reviews. It's been a while since I'd seen the eps, so I consult your review to decide if I want to Tivo it. :)
Jack Norris said…
You've got me watching the series again over the past couple of weeks. This is something I do every now and then, and each time DS9 rises in my esteem (especially in how it ranks among other Trek series).
It's the true heir to TOS, if you ask me, much more than the insufferably smug and smarmy TNG. Roddenberry made a big mistake in equating "evolved and more rational" with "never disagreeing and always blandly getting along" IMO. And Berman made a big mistake in enshrining this concept and also in overreacting to the failures of early TOS-referring episodes of TNG with the "the mention of TOS or TOS things is forbidden" edict.
Sigh, so you've come to the end of the reviews, and I'll be watching this episode within the next week or so, which is always sad.
I was always contemptuous of media tie-in novels, until I finally broke down for the DS9 continuation books, that's how much I liked this show.
BTW, could you tell me which month you started reviewing DS9? (& the other 2 previous series too, for that matter) I'd like to read all your reviews from the beginning & clicking the "Star Trek" tag & then "previous page" over & over again is proving a bit of an awkward way to do it.
mwb said…
I have mixed feelings about the ending of the the series. But series finales (when series get to do them) are always awkward.

Still it was a good run for DS9. And despite the many Trek people I know who disparage it, I really think as a whole it was the best single Trek series - warts and all.

It tried things none of the others did. Some good and some not. I've watched it through several times. I should really buy the DVDs - now that I've bought all the Stargate DVDs and need a new acquisition to go after.

But I always felt the ST DVD set are overpriced.

Congrats on working through another series!
Siskoid said…
Jack: Well, the sidebar can scroll out for each searching, or you can write the episode name in the search bar on top. But to make it easy for you: TOS starts at the very beginning; the animated series starts end of Feb 2007, the movies in March. TNG very end of March, DS9 in September, Voyager... tomorrow!

Mwb: Totally agree. Overpriced.
Anonymous said…
I don't mind at all that we didn't get to see Bashir's and Ezri's relationship blossom. They need to do something after the series ends, after all -- and how better to pave the way than for them to go off to the holosuite to fight some sort of unwinnable battle? That was the most satisfying note to leave their relationship on.

I don't think Kira was taking responsibility for Jake at the end; Jake is a grown man, after all, though one who clearly loved his dad. I saw the two of them as closer to equals, missing the person who did so much to change their lives.
Alden said…
I've looked around but was unable to find the post about DS9 that you promised here. Did you not post it or am I just not as skilled at reading as I had thought?
Siskoid said…
Fell by the wayside. I'll try to get to it someday.