Blogging DS9, S1E5: "Captive Pursuit"

S1E5: "Captive Pursuit"
Or "An Irishman and a Tosk Walk into a Bar..."

"I live to outwit the hunters for another day."
-Tosk

"Captive Pursuit" borrows a traditional TNG story structure to illustrate the new-found Wormhole's potential. A mysterious stranger is introduced, the specifics of his cultural differences are humorously personalized through his friendship with a core crew member, and multiple levels of moral judgment are passed by the always-ready-to-judge Federation.

Deep Space 9's first visitor from the Gamma Quadrant turns out to be prey bred to elude its captors. But unlike prey species here on Earth, Tosk is a sentient creature O'Brien comes to befriend while repairing his vessel. The story is built on the concept of the Noble Savage, a staple of early American literature such as James Fennimore Cooper's Last of the Mohicans. This archetype depicts a humanoid that, while unenlightened by modern measures like European or Federation standards, demonstrates inherent quality of character through just and moral actions. Like Cooper's Chingachgook, Tosk is naively confused by O'Brien's new-fangled technology, but reassures us that man (or humanoid) is deep-down compelled to act nobly.

As with many of the one-off species the Star Trek series introduces, Tosk is designed to win the audience's compassion, and by corollary, loathe whomever his enemies are. Clearly he is a busy alien with places to go and people to see (or not see), but his candor and child-like lack of awareness desperately ask the viewer's sympathy. In another universe, maybe O'Brien and Tosk would have modified podracers on Tatooine, but in this cruel reality, we learn that Tosk's best-case scenario is death in the course of duty.

These are the episodes where Star Trek gets a little preachy, though the message in this episode is less sickeningly sweet than others. Tosk is flagrantly one-dimensional, but straw men like him and his would-be captors often are to focus the message on the real issues at play.

Beyond the main (and only) story arc, "Captive Pursuit" called attention to a few plot holes common across the franchise's series which give me a chuckle:

• Like Picard and Kirk abandoning their bridges before him, Sisko leaves Ops upon hearing of the intruders on the Promenade. I maintain how little sense this makes. Sisko has security personnel better equipped to handle any violence. And if the intruders are hostile, how much of a distraction would his safety be? I'm sure Odo's funk (I mean c'mon, he has to smell, right?) makes Sisko want to leave whenever he can, but I never understand Star Trek's desire to have commanding officers chased from their command centers by trouble.
• Speaking of Odo, "Captive Pursuit" again uses the "Odo as a background object" trick (this time, a painting) for when Tosk attempts to get to the arsenal. For a while, it seemed like that trick would be DS9's David-Caruso-one-liner-sunglasses-removal trick.
• And speaking of that weapons arsenal, would you allow your station's computer to not only be accessed by a Gamma Quadrant stranger, but to tell him where the weapons locker is? When Tosk asked, "Show me where the weapons are stored," I was actually half-shocked not to have the computer deny him.
• Another Star Trek staple is when a core character has to choose between following orders and doing what he or she thinks is right. If pressed, I think could name a scenario where every senior staff member of TNG's Enterprise directly violated orders to follow their consciences. Maybe the 23rd Century is a more forgiving time, but isn't that grounds for immediate dismissal (or, you know, death) in every navy you've ever heard of? I also enjoy the obvious removal of the communicator when the character has to make the choice against duty. I get it, writers: They're going against the Starfleet Shield on this one.

And lastly, a couple of odds and ends:

• Auberjonois' execution of the double take upon Sisko's unstated order not to capture O'Brien is outstanding. The wryness Auberjonois injects into Odo is one of the series' acting highlights.
• In rewatching this episode, I wondered if Terry Farrell's hair poof indicates Jersey Shore fashion will have a revival in the Federation's outer reaches. If so, is it fair to call Worf a juice-head gorilla?

2.5 bars of gold-pressed latinum out of 5