Invasive Procedures (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)
"Invasive Procedures" is the 24th episode of the American syndicated science fiction television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. It is the fourth episode of the second season.
| "Invasive Procedures" | |
|---|---|
| Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 2 Episode 4 |
| Directed by | Les Landau |
| Story by | John Whelpley |
| Teleplay by |
|
| Featured music | Dennis McCarthy |
| Cinematography by | Marvin Rush |
| Production code | 424 |
| Original air date | October 17, 1993 |
| Guest appearance(s) | |
| |
Set in the 24th century, the series follows the adventures on Deep Space Nine, a space station located near a stable wormhole between the Alpha and Gamma quadrants of the Milky Way Galaxy, near the planet Bajor. In this episode, a bitter unjoined Trill attempts to steal the Dax symbiont from Jadzia.
Plot
During a plasma storm, Deep Space Nine is evacuated, with only a skeleton crew remaining behind to maintain the station until the event passes. Posing as a cargo transport in distress, an unjoined Trill, a pair of hired Klingon mercenaries and a former prostitute named Mareel, board the station and overpower the crew. Kira tries to take Mareel by surprise, but Mareel beats her in the fight. The Trill, Verad, once applied to be "joined" and was rejected; now he wants the Dax symbiont. After restraining the shapeshifting Constable Odo in a container and taking the rest of the crew hostage, he forces Dr. Bashir to transfer the symbiont into his body. Without her symbiont, Jadzia will die within hours.
Bashir has one of the Klingons assist him as he tries to save Jadzia's life. Meanwhile, Commander Sisko deals with Verad, who now has the memories of all the Dax hosts, including Curzon Dax, who was a very close friend and mentor to Sisko. He implores the Trill to set things right, but he sees that Verad intends to let Jadzia die. Meanwhile, Mareel, whom Verad had befriended early in life, begins to realize how much the man has changed since he received the symbiont, and begins to think the joining may have been a bad idea. However, she remains loyal to him.
Quark, who helped Verad and his crew board the station by bypassing the security lockdown, pretends to be injured and thereby provides Bashir with the opportunity to sedate one of the Klingons. He then cracks the lock on the container holding Odo. Once Verad realizes what has happened, he heads for his ship, taking Kira as a hostage.
By the time Verad reaches his ship, Odo has released the docking clamps, leaving him stranded. Major Kira overpowers the Klingon who is holding her, but in the confusion Verad slips away, heading for another runabout pad. In the meantime, Mareel has realized that the man she loves truly is gone and decides to help Sisko. Sisko confronts Verad at the airlock to the runabout. Believing that Sisko will not shoot his old friend and risk damaging the recently joined symbiont, Verad begins to walk away, but Sisko shoots him, declaring, "Don't call me Benjamin!". The Dax symbiont is returned to Jadzia, leaving Verad alone with himself once again.
Production
Tim Russ portrays the Klingon T'Kar in this episode; he also appeared in a similarly minor antagonistic role as Devor in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Starship Mine", and would go on to portray one of the main crew members, the Vulcan Tuvok, in Star Trek: Voyager.
Reception
In 2018, SyFy included this episode on their Jadzia Dax binge-watching guide.[1]
References
- Lane, Carly (February 5, 2018). "A binge-watching guide to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's Jadzia Dax". SYFY WIRE. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
- Star Trek: Deep Space Nine DVD set, volume 2, disc 1, selection 4
- P. Farrand, Nitpicker's Guide for Deep Space Nine Trekkers New York: Dell (1996): 102 - 105