1- A One Sentence Plot Synopsis.....................
*A people (Skrreeans) without a home planet come through the wormhole and begin to look for possible solutions to their homelessness.
2- Viewers Check This Out.....................
* DON'T TOUCH THAT!....... At 11:15 in the gift shop - Odo and Kira try to get the Skrreean adolescents to stop playing with items on a table. What follows is laugh at loud funny.
*HAKUNA MATATA?......... The Universal Translator has a difficult time with the Skrreean language. At 11:58 some Skrreean's are bantering back and forth and I could've sworn I heard one of them start speaking the words to the Lion King song, "Hakuna Matata". Their language has that vibe - which is an African dialect.
* CHEKOV's REAL-LIFE SON HAS A MAJOR GUEST STAR APPEARANCE......... Walter Koenig's (Pavel Chekhov from the original Star Trek series) real-life son, Andrew, plays the son of the lead lady guest star (Deborah May as Haneek). His character's name is Tumak. Andrew's part in this episode is integral to the plot and his character's life is eerily similar to the plot of his real life. His real life has some very interesting twists and turns with the art and the artist intertwined to the very end, not too long ago.
*UNIVERSAL TRANSLATOR'S ARE COOL....... At approximately 14:40 the Universal Translator is finally able to come to the rescue. The interchange where this takes place is fascinating to watch. Two distinctly different cultures with different languages are able to finally understand each other. The way the scene plays out is interesting and reveals the necessity of a UT (Universal Translator) for exploring space and being successful in your transactions/interactions both professionally and personally.
*WOMEN IN CHARGE AND USERS OF MEN....... When Kira shows up at the Skrreean woman's guest quarters (18:10) and begins a conversation, 2 Skrreean guys come staggering out of her bedroom rubbing their eyes. She tells them (literally shoos them away like animals) to go back to bed - she says she would not be long behind them. Kira is open-mouthed. We discover Skrreean women take more than one man (if they have an inclination to do so) to their bedroom. Haneek "keeps" (I'm not using that verb casually) 2 for herself. She tells Kira, "They are very useful." Kira responds with a sly grin, "I can imagine they are."
*WHAT SKRREEAN WOMEN THINK OF MEN....... "....men are far too emotional to be leaders. They are constantly fighting among themselves. It's their favorite thing to do. I'm sorry, I hope I have not offended anyone." - Haneek - farmer lady.
*THERE'S THAT NAME AGAIN............ "The Dominion" are mentioned by Haneek as a group/race of beings in the Gamma Quadrant-other side of worm hole- wrecking havoc and dislocating entire planetary populations. When Haneek mentions them, furtive glances are exchanged among the DS9 cadre. They are preparing us...getting us ready....
*FREEDOM!!........... At approximately 22:00 the first wave of immigrants from Skrreea flood DS9 much to the chagrin of Odo. But Sisko reminds him they are getting their first real taste of freedom. So many earth analogies can be made from the Skrreeans clambering for security, freedom & peace.
*LIKE FATHER LIKE SON...... Remember the siren scream emanating from Rom (during Necessary Evil) when Quark is attacked on his hospital bed? In this episode Nog and Jake Sisko are in a brawl (30:19) on the upper level of the promenade and Nog emits a similar sound. It is not near as loud or developed, but it's definitely there. When Quark comes to the rescue Nog hides behind his uncle and it is during this moment I noticed something else about Ferengi. I've heard other Ferengi give off this sound as well but Nog really makes it clear: a cat-like hiss. That's right - a cat, under distress and angry will make eye contact and hiss, spit and sputter. This is what Nog was doing hiding behind his uncle, Quark, as the Skrreean guys left. Hissing behind bared teeth!
3- Final Reflective Analysis and Final Grade............
*Dax and O'Brien are almost non-existent in this episode.
The Skrreeans are a pathetic group of people. They stink (Nog was going around spraying them with a body spray of some kind! Lol). They are not a very attractive people. I think it's very interesting the writers chose to make their culture a matriarchal -dominated society. The problem with doing that in this particular episode is the Skrreeans have completely failed to maintain their way of life and find themselves homeless vagabonds - wandering around the universe begging and living off the good will of others! Is this what happens when women have control of an entire society? Hopefully, in the future, the writers will give female dominated societies a better look. I have long heard women in our society say if they ruled the world it would be a much better place. Definitely do not look to the Skrreeans as an example of how life would look if women ruled the world! I mean you can have two guys waiting in bed for you and you can boss men around - so what??? You have lost control of your planet, chaos reigns and people think you stink and don't want you anywhere near their world and will literally kill you if you try!
Women, apparently you will not find Star Trek writers coming to your rescue or empathizing with your hopes and dreams.
Final Grade For Episode: B-
2- Viewers Check This Out.....................
* DON'T TOUCH THAT!....... At 11:15 in the gift shop - Odo and Kira try to get the Skrreean adolescents to stop playing with items on a table. What follows is laugh at loud funny.
*HAKUNA MATATA?......... The Universal Translator has a difficult time with the Skrreean language. At 11:58 some Skrreean's are bantering back and forth and I could've sworn I heard one of them start speaking the words to the Lion King song, "Hakuna Matata". Their language has that vibe - which is an African dialect.
* CHEKOV's REAL-LIFE SON HAS A MAJOR GUEST STAR APPEARANCE......... Walter Koenig's (Pavel Chekhov from the original Star Trek series) real-life son, Andrew, plays the son of the lead lady guest star (Deborah May as Haneek). His character's name is Tumak. Andrew's part in this episode is integral to the plot and his character's life is eerily similar to the plot of his real life. His real life has some very interesting twists and turns with the art and the artist intertwined to the very end, not too long ago.
*UNIVERSAL TRANSLATOR'S ARE COOL....... At approximately 14:40 the Universal Translator is finally able to come to the rescue. The interchange where this takes place is fascinating to watch. Two distinctly different cultures with different languages are able to finally understand each other. The way the scene plays out is interesting and reveals the necessity of a UT (Universal Translator) for exploring space and being successful in your transactions/interactions both professionally and personally.
*WOMEN IN CHARGE AND USERS OF MEN....... When Kira shows up at the Skrreean woman's guest quarters (18:10) and begins a conversation, 2 Skrreean guys come staggering out of her bedroom rubbing their eyes. She tells them (literally shoos them away like animals) to go back to bed - she says she would not be long behind them. Kira is open-mouthed. We discover Skrreean women take more than one man (if they have an inclination to do so) to their bedroom. Haneek "keeps" (I'm not using that verb casually) 2 for herself. She tells Kira, "They are very useful." Kira responds with a sly grin, "I can imagine they are."
*WHAT SKRREEAN WOMEN THINK OF MEN....... "....men are far too emotional to be leaders. They are constantly fighting among themselves. It's their favorite thing to do. I'm sorry, I hope I have not offended anyone." - Haneek - farmer lady.
*THERE'S THAT NAME AGAIN............ "The Dominion" are mentioned by Haneek as a group/race of beings in the Gamma Quadrant-other side of worm hole- wrecking havoc and dislocating entire planetary populations. When Haneek mentions them, furtive glances are exchanged among the DS9 cadre. They are preparing us...getting us ready....
*FREEDOM!!........... At approximately 22:00 the first wave of immigrants from Skrreea flood DS9 much to the chagrin of Odo. But Sisko reminds him they are getting their first real taste of freedom. So many earth analogies can be made from the Skrreeans clambering for security, freedom & peace.
*LIKE FATHER LIKE SON...... Remember the siren scream emanating from Rom (during Necessary Evil) when Quark is attacked on his hospital bed? In this episode Nog and Jake Sisko are in a brawl (30:19) on the upper level of the promenade and Nog emits a similar sound. It is not near as loud or developed, but it's definitely there. When Quark comes to the rescue Nog hides behind his uncle and it is during this moment I noticed something else about Ferengi. I've heard other Ferengi give off this sound as well but Nog really makes it clear: a cat-like hiss. That's right - a cat, under distress and angry will make eye contact and hiss, spit and sputter. This is what Nog was doing hiding behind his uncle, Quark, as the Skrreean guys left. Hissing behind bared teeth!
3- Final Reflective Analysis and Final Grade............
*Dax and O'Brien are almost non-existent in this episode.
The Skrreeans are a pathetic group of people. They stink (Nog was going around spraying them with a body spray of some kind! Lol). They are not a very attractive people. I think it's very interesting the writers chose to make their culture a matriarchal -dominated society. The problem with doing that in this particular episode is the Skrreeans have completely failed to maintain their way of life and find themselves homeless vagabonds - wandering around the universe begging and living off the good will of others! Is this what happens when women have control of an entire society? Hopefully, in the future, the writers will give female dominated societies a better look. I have long heard women in our society say if they ruled the world it would be a much better place. Definitely do not look to the Skrreeans as an example of how life would look if women ruled the world! I mean you can have two guys waiting in bed for you and you can boss men around - so what??? You have lost control of your planet, chaos reigns and people think you stink and don't want you anywhere near their world and will literally kill you if you try!
Women, apparently you will not find Star Trek writers coming to your rescue or empathizing with your hopes and dreams.
Final Grade For Episode: B-