UNCUT - Sanctuary (DS9 S2E10) | Star Trek Journey 297
Added 2025-09-03 16:06:17 +0000 UTC
Comments
I don't mind this episode. I get the sense that the politics of immigration playing out in the US right now (and maybe some anxiety about the previous episode showing a decline in quality from a great start to the season) may have framed your viewing of it. Basically, I don't think it was supposed to be a lecture even a little bit. I don't think the point of this episode was to say "refugees/immigrants good", or "borders bad", or anything of the sort. I think it was literally just an awkward first contact, and exploring the emotions of the characters involved. I don't think it was even trying to suggest that Kira had, or should have had, any regrets or change of mind at the end. Indeed, even when this show does proclaim morals, usually it's someone in the Federation doing it, not just some new species being judgemental, and none of the Federation characters were all that bothered by Bajor rejecting the proposal. Basically, I think the whole point of this episode was the day-to-day grind and the grey at the edge of the wormhole. Just like how we have to deal with Kira being a lovable murderer/former terrorist, or, as in this episode, Nog being a goofball idiot bigot, sometimes new species and cultures, even when not clearly offensive to the Federation/Bajor (like the Tosk people), are just uncomfortably awkward and annoying. (I think this was also shown in the Move Along Home episode, which I appreciated, in part, for the same reason.) Obviously it misses the mark for some, and even I would say it's not one of the great episodes. Though, I do also like the translator evolution scene.
Joseph Spiros
2025-09-30 19:12:21 +0000 UTCThe Dominion again π
Jason Biggs
2025-09-16 01:22:37 +0000 UTCThis does not in any way redeem the episode or any part of it, but I am surprised that nobody in the Patron Takes pointed out that Tumak is a bit of Star Trek royalty. He was played by Andrew Koenig, Walter Koenig's son. He also played the character Boner on Growing Pains. And he sadly took his own life in 2010
Comrade of Chaos
2025-09-08 18:46:52 +0000 UTCSo how could the Skreeans have all been farmers, when their entire planet had been living under occupation for 800 years? Also they all look like they are in pretty good shape for only just recently becoming refugees. Did their occupation just consist of their oppressors letting them all farm in peace? Also their culture was maintained the entire time under this occupation? They were allowed to continue being a matriarchal society with clear leaders, multiple male partners, and males who act like spoiled violent angry overgrown children? This must have been a pretty lax occupation. Did they just have to send a portion of their crops off to some random planet, and that was bad enough for them to leave the entire planet once they didn't have to pay tribute? Where's their resistance movement? Something doesn't add up here.
BN13
2025-09-07 19:49:16 +0000 UTCSeason two is not sending its best - the Skrreeans, the boring disappearing lady... and some episodes I assume, are good episodes. But we're building a subspace tachyon net, because these mediocre episodes have got to go back (to season 1) where they belong.
#MaxwellDidNothingWrong
2025-09-07 04:59:04 +0000 UTCI think the episode would have been boring with the guest species being kind and relatable with the ending making you 'wonder' if it was a mistake to not take them in; that would just be so formulaic. It was a very bold decision to try and explore a situation where the guest species is irredeemably insufferable. The problem is, what do you do with that? I don't know, but having explored that as a concept it seems the answer is nothing. You do nothing with that. So what was the point??
#MaxwellDidNothingWrong
2025-09-07 04:57:26 +0000 UTCπ₯± D-
reactive1
2025-09-06 15:40:06 +0000 UTCYou know I wonder if the whole point of the music guy was to provide commentary on mixed reception to the DS9 theme song? The song he was playing actually seemed pretty similar to the DS9 theme. Some parts were obviously based on it. People like me hear the DS9 theme and are mesmerized like the people in Quarks bar. But People like TA hear the theme and go "where's the bounce? Where's the drop? Spice it up a little!" Maybe they were getting similar feedback back in the 90s and this was how they decided to address it? Probably not. But it's fun to think about.
BN13
2025-09-06 12:42:52 +0000 UTC
