Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Star Trek - Deep Space Nine, Episode 34: Whispers [VHS]

Star Trek - Deep Space Nine, Episode 34: Whispers [VHS] Review



Star Trek fans know that the character Miles O'Brien (Colm Meaney), the Irish-born engineer with a very small role on The Next Generation, grew into a major figure on Deep Space Nine, befitting Meaney's rising prominence in film (The Snapper). The episode called "Whispers" places the actor at the center of an unnerving, Twilight Zone-like story in which O'Brien returns to the station following an assignment in the Paradas system, only to find that everyone is treating him distantly. Commander Sisko (Avery Brooks) assigns him to meaningless work and denies the chief his usual security clearance on important matters. Meanwhile, the engineering crew lies to him, Odo (Rene Auberjonois) talks to him as if were a suspect, and O'Brien's closest friend, Dr. Bashir (Siddig El Fadil), and his own wife (Rosalind Chao) regard him mechanically.

Suspecting a conspiracy afoot, O'Brien finds ample evidence that a kind of Invasion of the Body Snatchers scenario may be underway, and he bolts from the station in a Runabout under a hail of fire. Searching for answers, the good chief runs smack into a cruel discovery about the nature of destiny and identity. A fine mystery from beginning to end, "Whispers" draws upon a favorite Star Trek theme, that of questionable realities and fear of madness. --Tom Keogh


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