Character Insight No. 246: Jim Shimoda and Sarah MacDougal

Welcome back to Character Insight! This week, we take a request from "K
enP" and review Jim Shimoda and the moving parts of engineering in early TNG episodes.

https://archive.org/details/CharacterInsightEp246


In the first season of TNG, the chief engineer and their leadership personnel would change almost as quickly as someone's underwear.  Until Geordi gets his hands on the job, nobody could seem to keep that department running smoothly.  That made for a nice corollary to the show writers getting their sea legs using many rehashed or callback scripts in the first season.

One such example is the episode The Naked Now, which of course is a similar story to what Kirk's crew faced with polywater intoxication in the episode The Naked Time.  In this episode, Sarah MacDougal takes her short stint as chief engineer, and she has to deal with a crazed Wesley Crusher locking her out of engineering, as kids do.  However, her most notable scene comes later in the episode thanks to a much more entertaining character, her assistant chief engineer Jim Shimoda.

You see, Shimoda was one of the crew members quickly affected by the polywater intoxication, and his way of acting out was to pull all the isolinear chips from the ship's computer and stack them in a game of tower building and Jenga.  Obviously you cant run a starship without some tabletop gaming enthusiasts, and Shimoda is clearly living out a great fantasy we can all relate to.  MacDougal has to try and put the chips back, but it turns out Data can do it better to restore control to the ship...which may help explain why we didn't need MacDougal much longer in charge.

QUOTE
Jim Shimoda: Never got as far as sickbay, Wes. I feel too good for that.

So here's to you, assistant chief engineer Jim Shimoda.  Hopefully you were able to retire after the polywater intoxication and live out your dreams of tabletop gaming for a living...you know, just like Wil Wheaton ended up doing!  It will be interesting to see if there's any department like TNG engineering that sees personnel turnover in the new Discovery show, given the similar long gap since writers had their hands on making Star Trek work.

Sarah MacDougal was played by Brooke Bundy, who had plenty of small TV roles over a 30 year career in shows like Lassie, Bonanza, and The Brady Bunch.  She has been retired for 25 years, but she did appear in the Elm Street Legacy documentary a few years ago thanks to her notable roles in the 3rd and 4th films of that horror franchise.

Jim Shimoda was played by Benjamin Lum, who had many small acting roles throughout his career before death in 2002 at age 48.  Shimoda did have a long recurrence on the show Guns of Paradise.  We will always have isolinear chip jenga to remember him by!

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Character Insight No. 245: Best of Elim Garak

Welcome back to Character Insight! This week, we continue the Best Of series for Deep Space Nine with a look at Elim Garak, a Cardassian tailor aboard the station who has one of the most interesting and mysterious back stories as an Obsidian Order agent, making this often recurring character worthy of a Best Of segment.

https://archive.org/details/CharacterInsightEp245


Garak is most often seen interacting with Doctor Bashir, and this includes in one of his first notable episodes in Season 2's Cardassians. Garak proves some of his many skills from a former life in repairing a resettlement center's computers with tailor tools while investigating some work by Gul Dukat.

QUOTE (from Cardassians, S2):
Doctor Bashir: I continue to underestimate you, Garak.
Elim Garak: Oh, it's no more difficult than sewing on a button actually. Excuse me.
[He takes an electronic loupe out of his eye]
Doctor Bashir: You carry this everywhere with you, do you?
Elim Garak: A simple tailoring tool. You'd be surprised how often someone needs their pants let out.

We find out much more about Garak when a device implanted in his brain begins to malfunction and is slowly killing him, in the episode The Wire. Bashir saves his life, but not without a lot of interesting dialogue between these two once again.

QUOTE (from The Wire, S2):

Elim Garak: I do hope you appreciate the irony, Doctor. The whole purpose of the implant was to make me immune to pain.
Dr. Julian Bashir: What caused it to malfunction?
Elim Garak: It was never meant for continuous use.
Dr. Julian Bashir: Continuous use? What do you mean?
Elim Garak: Living on this station is torture for me, Doctor. The temperature is always too cold, the lights always too bright, every Bajoran on the station looks at me with loathing and contempt. So one day, I decided I couldn't live with it anymore. And I took the pain away.

There's no episode that holds a candle to In The Pale Moonlight for Garak, as far as character pieces go. Commander Sisko hits his darkest moment in the Dominion War as he employs the underhanded plots of Garak himself to plant evidence to force the Romulans into the war, to save the Alpha Quadrant.

QUOTE (from In The Pale Moonlight, S6):

Elim Garak: That's why you came to me, isn't it, Captain? Because you knew I could do those things that you weren't capable of doing? Well, it worked. And you'll get what you want: a war between the Romulans and the Dominion. And if your conscience is bothering you, you should soothe it with the knowledge that you may have just saved the entire Alpha Quadrant. And all it cost was the life of one Romulan senator, one criminal, and the self-respect of one Starfleet officer. I don't know about you, but I'd call that a bargain.

Elim Garak was played by Andrew Robinson, who currently serves as the director of fine arts acting program at the University of Southern California. Outside Star Trek, he is likely best known as the serial killer Scorpio in the classic film Dirty Harry.
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Character Insight No. 244: Best of Miles O'Brien

Welcome back to Character Insight! This week, we continue the Best Of series for Deep Space Nine with a look at Miles O'Brien, the Chief of Operations aboard the station.

https://archive.org/details/CharacterInsightEp244

Miles gets a promotion when he moves over from the Enterprise-D, but he unfortunately has some tough times on DS9 like in the episode Tribunal, in which he experiences the horrific Cardassian judicial system, and then questions himself and how he looks as a role model to his daughter.

QUOTE (from Tribunal, S2):
Chief O'Brien: I've been in service to the Federation - Starfleet - all my adult life. No one has ever questioned my loyalty. No one in my entire life has ever had cause to ask "Miles O'Brien, are you a criminal?" I took an oath to defend the Federation, and what it stands for. I don't steal from them, I don't lie to them. I'm no angel. But I try to live every day as the best human being I know how to be. I need my little girl to wake up in the morning and look up at me and see a man she can respect. Until now, she always could.

One of O'Brien's best character building pieces is Hard Time, an episode where Miles has trouble adjusting back to real life after 20 years in a virtual prison, and he nearly commits suicide in the process of PTSD.

QUOTE (from Hard Time, S4):
[Chief O'Brien is holding a phaser under his chin, preparing to commit suicide]
Dr. Julian Bashir: Chief?
Chief Miles Edward O'Brien: Get outta here, Julian.
Dr. Julian Bashir: You don't want to do this, Chief.
Chief Miles Edward O'Brien: The hell I don't.
Dr. Julian Bashir: Look, I don't claim to know what you're going through, but whatever it is, it's not worth dying for.
Chief Miles Edward O'Brien: You don't understand at all. I'm not doing this for me. I'm doing it to protect Keiko and Molly and everyone else on this station.
Dr. Julian Bashir: Protect us from what?
Chief Miles Edward O'Brien: From me. I'm not the man I used to be. I'm dangerous. I nearly hit Molly today. All she wanted was a little attention, and I nearly hit her.
[He begins to sob]
Dr. Julian Bashir: But you didn't. You're a good man, Miles Edward O'Brien, and whatever it is you think you've done wrong, you don't deserve to die.

However, when it comes down to it, Miles is a great operations and transporter chief who is incredibly loyal to his crewmates and to his family. We learn about how he mentors best friend Julian Bashir to enjoy such family relationships in the episode Extreme Measures:

QUOTE (from Extreme Measures, S7):
Chief O'Brien: Well, I'd better get home. Keiko is holding dinner for me.
Doctor Bashir: This late?
Chief O'Brien: Yeah, well, she's a helluva woman.
Doctor Bashir: That's why you love her.
Chief O'Brien: M-hm, that's right - that's why I love her.
[he is about to leave but comes back once more]
Chief O'Brien: You wanna come?
Doctor Bashir: Sure.

O'Brien does have a sense of humor, and it comes out often in his family dealings like this one from the episode Children of Time:

QUOTE (from Children of Time, S5):
Molly: Aren't you gonna help?
Chief O'Brien: I'm busy.
Molly: You don't look busy.
Captain Sisko: [laughs] She's an O'Brien all right.

Miles O'Brien was played by Colm Meaney, who has had recent appearances in shows like Hell on Wheels.  He holds the distinction of being the only Star Trek actor to appear in more than one pilot episode and more than one finale episode.

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Character Insight No. 243: Best of Quark

Welcome back to Character Insight! This week, we continue the Best Of series for Deep Space Nine with a look at Quark, the bartender and business owner aboard the station.

LINK

Although we see Ferengi from the beginning of TNG, Quark as a main character represents an opportunity to dive much deeper into the race and their background and traditions.  Of course, his black market ways often draw the ire of station security constable Odo, as evidenced in this counterplay in the episode Profit and Loss.

QUOTE (from Profit and Loss, S2):
Odo: I heard an interesting rumour today.
Quark: Only one? I started at least twelve.
...
Quark: I never told you this, Odo, but I consider you as dear to me as my brother.
Odo: [laughs contemptuously] I've seen how well you treat him. 

Quark and his brother Rom end up in many silly adventures together, like when they travel back in time to 1947 Earth when trying to drop off Nog at Starfleet Academy in the episode Little Green Men.

QUOTE (from Little Green Men. S4):
Quark: What's that disgusting smell?
Nog: I think it's called tobacco. It's a deadly drug. When used frequently, it destroys the internal organs.
Quark: If it's so deadly, then why do they use it?
Nog: It's also highly addictive.
Rom: How do they get their hands on it?
Nog: They buy it in stores.
Quark: [stunned] They buy? If they buy poison they'll buy anything. I think I'm gonna like it here.

Quark's best customer is Morn, who never is seen speaking on screen.  Although the best Morn episode is definitely Who Mourns For Morn, Quark expresses his gratitude for his best customer on many occasions, such as in this clip from the episode The House of Quark.

QUOTE (from The House of Quark, S3):
Quark: Now I know we're doomed.
Rom: Why, brother?
Quark: Rule of Acquisition 286: When Morn leaves, it's all over.
Rom: There is no such rule.
Quark: There should be.

Even though the latter seasons of DS9 grow darker thanks to the Dominion War, Quark's personal stories always bring levity thanks to things like the Grand Nagus becoming romantically involved with Quark's mother.  In the episode Ferengi Love Songs, Quark is able to push off the pesky investigations of Brunt, a Ferengi Commerce Authority liquidator who is always trying to bring Quark down for infractions against Ferengi practices, thanks to the help of the Nagus.

QUOTE (from Ferengi Love Songs, S5)
Quark: What are you doing in my closet?
Brunt: Conducting official FCA business.
Quark: In my closet?
...
Brunt: I want you back in business. It gives me an opportunity to keep my eye on you, because one day you are going to make a mistake, and on that day, you're going to lose more than your license!
Quark: But that day is not today. Now, back in the closet, where you belong.

Quark was played by Armin Shimerman, who is also known for roles as Principal Snyder on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and as Andrew Ryan in the Bioshock video games.  Despite coming up on his 70th birthday, Shimerman still acts and does voice work today.
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Character Insight No. 242: Best of Dr. Julian Bashir

Welcome back to Character Insight! This week, we continue the Best Of series for Deep Space Nine with a look at Julian Bashir, the chief medical officer aboard the station.

https://archive.org/details/CharacterInsightEp242

Dr. Bashir had an interesting childhood, struggling with school at young ages before his parents moved with him to a planet that offered genetic engineering treatments to improve their child.  He was originally named Jules, but when he finds out about the genetic engineering at age 15, he rebels and changes his name to Julian, as we learn in the episode Dr. Bashir, I Presume.

QUOTE (from Dr. Bashir, I Presume, S5):
Dr. Julian Bashir: You used to be my father. Now, you're my architect - the man who designed a better son, to replace the defective one he was given. Well, your design has a built-in flaw: it's illegal.

Although Julian was originally afraid of doctors and their power, likely based on what happened in his childhood, an incident at the age of 10 changes Julian's path.  We see this in the episode Melora, where a girl dies because of a lack of medical knowledge that could've saved her, and this causes Julian to dedicate his life to medicine and helping others.

QUOTE (from Melora. S2):
Dr. Julian Bashir: I sat there and watched her die. The next day when we returned, his guide told us we could've treated her with a simple herb that was growing all around.  I could've saved her life.
Melora: And so, you started to study medicine.
Dr. Julian Bashir: Actually, first, I started to study tennis...turned out I had more natural talent at medicine than tennis.

Bashir and the mysterious Cardassian tailor Elim Garak interact a lot in early seasons of the show, as Bashir tries to see behind the layers of Garak.  One episode full of this counterplay is a silly holodeck episode called Our Man Bashir, in which Garak appears as a character in Bashir's secret agent program and has plenty of illuminating conversations with the Doctor.

QUOTE (from Our Man Bashir, S4):
Dr. Julian Bashir: You'll be fine. It's just a flesh wound.
Garak: That was awfully close. What if you'd killed me?
Dr. Julian Bashir: What makes you think I wasn't trying?
Garak: Doctor, I do believe there's hope for you yet.
Dr. Julian Bashir: Well, I'm so relieved!

Although the Doctor eventually pairs up romantically with Ezri Dax when that character changes in the final season of the show, his true love is clearly Miles O'Brien.  These two are always sharing life stories and hanging out, a highlight of which is in the episode Extreme Measures.

QUOTE (from Extreme Measures, S7)
Chief O'Brien: [of Keiko] She always said I... I liked you more than I liked her.
Doctor Bashir: That's ridiculous!
Chief O'Brien: Right.
Doctor Bashir: Well, maybe, maybe you do, a bit more.
Chief O'Brien: What? Are you crazy? She's my wife, I love her!
Doctor Bashir: Of course you love her - she's your wife.
Chief O'Brien: Yeah.
Doctor Bashir: I'm just saying, maybe you like me a bit more, that's all.

Julian Bashir was played by Alexander Siddig.  He and Nana Visitor were briefly married and have a son together named Django.  He's had a number of great TV roles including as a villain on 24, as Ra's al Ghul in Gotham, and as Dorian Martell in Game of Thrones (insert theme)...ahh yes, it's almost time for winter to arrive, and then Star Trek Discovery right after that!
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Character Insight No. 241: Best of Kira Nerys

Welcome back to Character Insight! This week, we continue the Best Of series for Deep Space Nine with a look at Major Kira Nerys, the Bajoran major who serves as Bajoran liaison and second-in-command aboard the station.

https://archive.org/details/CharacterInsightEp241
https://archive.org/details/CharacterInsightEp241
Major Kira transitioned from a lead antagonist of the Cardassians when they occupied Bajor to an important ally when the Cardassians got in over their heads against the Klingons and later the Dominion.  The highlight of Kira's transition with the Cardassians and character growth is seen in the episode Return to Grace, in which she and Gul Dukat are forced to have lengthy conversations while they track down a Klingon ship that destroyed a Cardassian outpost.

QUOTE (from Return to Grace, S4):
Major Kira Nerys: The fact of the matter is, I've already been where you're going. I've lived the life you're choosing - fighting, hit and run, always outgunned, living on hate and adrenaline... It's not much of a life. And it eats away at you, so that every day a little bit of you dies.

Kira is also an important character for helping the viewer understand the history and some of the religious beliefs related to the wormhole Prophets.  That leads the Major to state some compelling truths at times, including this quote from the episode Covenant.

QUOTE (from Covenant. S7):
Colonel Kira: I have always found that, uh, when people try to convince others of their beliefs, it's because they're really just trying to convince themselves.

Another similar quote about faith comes from the episode Accession, where Odo fails to understand some of Kira's logic.

QUOTE (from Accession, S4):
Odo: I don't understand.
Major Kira: That's the thing about faith. If you don't have it you can't understand it, and if you do - no explanation is necessary.

However, the high point for Kira's character and one of the best episodes in DS9 period was Duet, in which the complicated layers to the Cardassian-Bajor conflict are revealed in a series of Kira's interrogations of a Cardassian war criminal.  While she originally wants to kill the Cardassian, she eventually has a change of heart that is revealed in the final moments when another Bajoran kills him.

QUOTE (from Duet, S1)
Major Kira: Why? He wasn't Dar'heel! Why?
Kainon: He's a Cardassian! That's reason enough!
Major Kira: No!... It's not.

Major Kira was played by Nana Visitor, who is also known for roles as a child in One Life to Live and more recently in Family Guy.  She was also briefly married to Alexander Siddig, who played Dr. Bashir.  She's definitely one of my favorites, but I'm biased, having named my second daughter Kira as well.

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Character Insight No. 240: Best of Jake Sisko

Welcome back to Character Insight! This week, we continue the Best Of series for Deep Space Nine with a look at Jake Sisko, the son of Commander Ben Sisko.

https://archive.org/details/CharacterInsightEp240


Jake is a teenage character that grows with the show, and while he is the subject of many awkward storylines, he does add a unique dimension to the role of commanding officer as the parent of an only child.  As you might expect, Jake gets into a lot of shenanigans with fellow youngster Nog.

In the episode In The Cards, Jake convinces Nog to come off some money to help Jake acquire the perfect present for his father, a baseball card.  But not without significant complaining and debate.

QUOTE (from In The Cards, S5):
Cadet Nog: It's not my fault your species decided to abandon currency-based economics in favor of some philosophy of self-enhancement.
Jake Sisko: Hey - watch it! There's nothing wrong with our philosophy. We work to better ourselves and the rest of Humanity.
Cadet Nog: What does that mean exactly?
Jake Sisko: It means... it means, we don't need money.

Jake does not follow the path of his father, and we see him address this different desire in the episode Shadowplay.  It's a typical type of conversation that all parents can relate to, and an important part of Jake's story arc in this show.

QUOTE (from Shadowplay. S2):
Jake Sisko: Dad... I don't want to join Starfleet.
Commander Sisko: Since when?
Jake Sisko: S-snce forever. Starfleet is too much like you. I need to find what's me.
Commander Sisko: It's your life, Jake. You have to choose your own way. There is only one thing I want from you: find something you love. Then do it the best you can.
Jake Sisko: I'll try.

Jake develops a passion for writing, and we see this lead him to an important life lesson in the episode Nor The Battle To The Strong.  Jake is trying to write a profile on Doctor Bashir, but he ends up with a much better life story to write when they are diverted to help a Federation colony under attack from Klingons.  Jake reacts in much different manners to save his life when Klingons attack multiple times, and it makes him learn one of the truisms of humanity.

QUOTE (from Nor The Battle To The Strong, S5):
Jake Sisko: The battle of Ajilon Prime will probably be remembered as a pointless skirmish. But I'll always remember it as something more - as the place I learned that the line between courage and cowardice is a lot thinner than most people believe.
Commander Sisko: It takes a lot of courage to look inside oneself, and even more to write it for others. I'm proud of you, son.

One final good character piece centered on Jake is The Visitor, in which we see a grown up writer Jake in an alternate timeline.   Jake Sisko was played by Cirroc Lofton, who had a number of acting credits as a youth but has only recently appeared in the TV series Renegades after a 9 year break from acting.  His uncle is longtime pro baseball player Kenny Lofton.

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