‘DAX’ (DS9)
Please feel free to comment on my review.
This ‘DS9’ episode focuses on the character of Jadzia Dax and what her species the Trills are like. This was an interesting episode to sit through as it does explore Jadzia’s connection to the Dax symbiont here.
In the episode, Jadzia gets abducted by a group of aliens. This is after having a meal with Dr. Bashir who witnesses Jadzia getting captured. Bashir tries to save Jadzia before he gets knocked out in the process.
Thankfully, Bashir quickly recovers as he alerts Sisko and the DS9 team about Jadzia’s capture. The DS9 team fortunately stop the aliens as they use a tractor beam to stop the aliens’ ship nearly escaping.
As soon as Jadzia is returned to DS9 with her alien abductors, one of the abductors, Gregory Itzin as Ilon Tandro, accuses Dax for the murder of his father. That is, Tandro accuses the Dax symbiont in her.
It seems that years ago, Curzon Dax, the previous Trill host for the Dax symbiont, knew Ilon’s father, Ardelon Tandro, who was a famous military hero on the planet Klaestron IV. Ilon wants to punish Dax.
Sisko however is determined to prove that Jadzia is not responsible for any crime she commited before the Dax symbiont was transferred from Curzon into her. Illon is also accusing Dax for treason in a civil war.
It was interesting when Sisko questioned Jadzia about what’s going on. But Jadzia refuses to talk as she tries to keep something secret that could possibly harm someone. She honours Curzon’s memory.
It then transpires that Ilon Tandro can’t extradite Dax from DS9 as he has no jurisdiction with the Bajoran government. Ilon also knew about DS9’s layout by acquiring information from the Cardassians.
Major Kira insists to Ilon Tandro that a Bajoran arbitration hearing needs to be held in order to clarify that his claims are valid. Ilon is obsessed with his beleif that his own father was murdered by Curzon Dax.
He also comes across as a sour man, especially when he’s dismissing Major Kira in Commander Sisko’s office. He doesn’t like having to go through a Bajoran arbitration hearing in order to see whether Dax is guilty.
The hearing takes place in Quark’s bar where the debate ensures regarding whether Jadzia and Curzon Dax are two different individuals. Sisko is convinced they are whilst Ilon Tandro is convinced they aren’t.
The arbiter during the hearing is Anne Haney as Judge Renora. This is Anne Haney’s second ‘Star Trek’ TV appearance as she was in the ‘TNG’ episode ‘The Survivors’. She was also in ‘Lair Lair’ with Jim Carrey. 😀
The episode also features Richard Lineback as Selin Peers, who is a witness during the prosecution by Ilon Tandro. He happens to be a Trill expert, being a Trill himself, but doesn’t know who Jadzia Dax is.
Bashir also presents evidence as Sisko’s witness to prove that Jadzia Dax and Curzon Dax aren’t the same person. Bashir is sadly thwarted as Ilon Tandro gives counter-arguments to his presented claims.
Whilst this is going on, Odo visits the wife of Ardelon Tandro and Ilon’s mother, Fionnula Flanagan as Enina. I’ve seen Fionnula before as she played Data’s mother in the ‘TNG’ episode called ‘Inheritance’.
Granted she did ‘Dax’ in ‘DS9’ before doing ‘Inheritance’ in ‘TNG’, but I saw her in that first before seeing her in this. It transpires that Enina and Curzon had a love affair together whilst her husband was fighting in a war.
Enina is adamant that Curzon didn’t betray her husband as they were close friends once. But she’s reluctant to admit the truth of what occurred when Odo is interrogating her. Very soon, Odo learns the truth.
I did like that scene between Sisko and Jadzia in her quarters where he demands her to tell what went on between Curzon and Enina, but she’s still silent on the matter. Sisko gets bad-tempered about this.
It was quite gripping when Sisko fears that he might lose Jadzia Dax forever should she be found guilty for something she didn’t commit. During the hearing where she’s questioned, her fate seems doomed.
Thankfully Enina comes to DS9 to tell the truth about what had occurred between her and Curzon at the time of her husband’s death. The charges are dropped and the hearing is over, much to Ilon’s dismay.
I found ‘Dax’ to be an enlightening episode on Jadzia’s character and what the relationship between the Trill host and the symbiont is like. It makes Jadzia’s character complex but interesting in the ‘DS9’ TV series.
‘Dax’ (DS9) rating – 7/10
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