Review of DS9 Episode 1.04 “Babel”

I'm in the process of rewatching Star Trek: Deep Space 9 and reviewing/recapping each episode in detail. Join me in my in depth look at the deepest and most complex Star Trek series to date.

A virus that causes people to talk gibberish starts spreading through the station. It’s a race against time to find a cure before everyone is incapacitated...or worse.

Like the previous episode, this is another inconsequential “terrarium” ep. The “virus that makes people act weird and it’s kind of humorous but then we find out it’s actually killing them” trope has been done a lot (and a lot better) in ST and it really has worn thin by now. Aside from some very minor character development for Quark and some great early scenes with O’Brien, this is a very forgettable episode.

THE GOOD

• The O’Brien scenes at the start are great. I love his sarcastic comments, and Colm Meaney is such a great actor (with an awesome accent) that I would be entertained watching him read lines from a quarterly earnings report.
• The shot where it pans through the inner workings of the replicator and then focuses on the sabotage device right as it turns on is a cool one.
• Some good Quark scenes. It’s interesting how he fluctuates between bravado and cowardice seemingly at random, a trend that holds throughout the show’s run.
• Nice continuity mentioning Keiko’s school established in the previous ep. It’s easy to take for granted since all shows do it nowadays, but at the time DS9’s serial storytelling was brand new for ST (and relatively uncommon on TV in general), and the fact that I don’t even notice it most of the time is probably a testament to how well it is done.

THE BAD

• Another claustrophobic episode that takes place essentially all on DS9 (aside from one scene on a runabout).
• *Sisko takes sip of coffee* “O’Brien!” I cringed. They may as well have used a laugh track and a womp womp trombone to go along with that dumb gag.
• A lot of really bad acting from Avery Brooks.
• Jadzia gets nothing to do for the second time in three eps.

THE UGLY

• Odo shapeshift count: 1 (a metal cart...and also the handheld device on top of the cart, oddly enough), 4 total for the series
• Not sure which runabout Kira takes. It’s either the Yangtzee Kiang or the Rio Grande because it doesn’t have the Ganges’ extra module on it.
• The ship that is trying to escape DS9 isn’t visible during the exterior shots of the station and the runabout.

RATING: 6/10