"Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" In the Pale Moonlight (1998)

User Rating:

8.6/10   

Director:

Victor Lobl

Writers:

Gene Roddenberry (creator: "Star Trek")
Rick Berman (creator) ...

TV Series:

"Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" (1993)

Original Air Date:

15 April 1998 (Season 6, Episode 19)

Genre:

Action | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Plot:

To save the Federation in a critical scheme, Sisko comes to realize that he must violate its fundamental principles to do so. |

Plot Keywords:

Bribe | Morality | Pardon | Narration | Murder

Cast

Avery Brooks	...	Captain Sisko
Rene Auberjonois	...	Odo
Michael Dorn	...	Lt. Commander Worf
Terry Farrell	...	Lt. Commander Jadzia Dax
Cirroc Lofton	...	Jake Sisko (credit only)
Colm Meaney	...	Chief O'Brien (credit only)
Armin Shimerman	...	Quark
Alexander Siddig	...	Doctor Bashir
Nana Visitor	...	Major Kira
Andrew Robinson	...	Garak (as Andrew J. Robinson)
Jeffrey Combs	...	Weyoun
Casey Biggs	...	Damar
Howard Shangraw	...	Tolar
Stephen McHattie	...	Vreenak
Judi M. Durand	...	Cardassian Computer Voice (voice) (as Judi Durand)

Trivia:

In The Pale Moonlight is considered by many to be the darkest Star Trek episode ever, and more importantly, the one that challenges Gene Roddenberry's vision of a peaceful human future more than any other episode. It's exactly for this reason why many fans consider it Star Trek's finest hour.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Captain Sisko: Captain's personal log, stardate five one seven... thr-, uh... Five one seven... four - Computer, what day is it?
Cardassian Computer Voice: Stardate 51721.3.

Movie Connections:

References Batman (1989)

The apex of the antithesis

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

This episode stands out as the single best episode of any startreck series. The reason that it stands out it not for its being the 'perfect trek episode', but rather one that stands out for its seriousness, drama, and real thought. More importantly, it is an episode that goes against the grain of trek morality.

For many, this episode may be a rather banal conversational episode, completely devoid of any explosions or monsters. It also may be criticized as the abandonment of Gene Roddenbury's vision for this society. Well, that's true. This is a very atypical trek story.

But the way it is different is what makes it not only so unique, but also so powerful. Sisko must abandon his morality to succeed... and succeed he does. In most of the rest of star trek, the morality of the Federation is its most prominent trait. When other characters have abandoned their moral codes, their efforts have usually ended in failure. But not this time.

What results from this conflict is the framework of the whole story. It is narrated by a tortured Sisko, trying to work out where he went wrong. Throughout his story, Sisko grapples with the anguish he feels at abandoning the principles of the Federation he wished to protect... but at the end, he says that he can live with his choices.

Brook's acting throughout is among the finest in the franchises history. The plot is both complex and engaging. And more importantly... it manages to be gripping without resorting to explosions and monsters.