Star Trek Retro Review: "It's Only a Paper Moon" (DS9) | Holodeck Episodes
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ก.ย. 2024
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We lost Nog's actor far too soon.
He put so much into the character and It's Only A Paper Moon is the magnum opus of Nog's development.
Rest in peace Aron Eisenberg. You are and will always be missed.
Yes he lost the battle with kidney disease
Edit: it hits hard due to a family member dealing with the same issue and being bolwed over by it. Hope you and her are sharing a coffee on a relaxing morning in the here after, RIP
When Nog first appeared on DS9 we had no idea he'd come so far and be the voice of PTSD in Star Trek. And we did lose Aaron far too soon. A pity we didn't get to see more of him following the end of DS9.
I was coming here to say that. And he was acting through all that facial foam rubber. Did he do any acting where he was regular acting not playing with ton make up non
Alien make up. I remember Rene from Benson Jeffery Combs in another Star Trek series
“He didn’t call you crazy”
“He didn’t?”
“Of course not. That would be ableist. He said you were bonkers”.🤣🤣🤣
Bonkers Cuckoo bananas
In the What We Left Behind (the documentary about DS9 from 2019), Aron Eisenberg talked about real life vets coming up to him and saying how much this episode helped them. That's pretty damned cool.
This episode helped me heal as well. Being a vet and understanding PTSD this really made me open up more to my family and friends ❤️
That's such a great documentary, and Aron's parts are so incredibly moving.
That little glare about “Genetically predisposed to be good with money” is my second favourite comedic element of this episode
The first being turning Vic into such a gruff asshole
I liked when Vic talked about being alive. It sounded like a Leslie Nielsen line
RIP Aaron Eisenberg, gone way too soon
It speaks for DS9's quality that an episode almost completely divorced from the ongoing serialized narrative featuring two side characters is still one of its best character pieces.
Nog's journey here was actually really helpful in my own life after losing a leg.
Your user name checks out. (Hope you're doing great these days!)
3:07 in-universe explanation: due to their sensitive and sensual ears, Ferengi can't really use headphones without years of monk-like training
I totally buy this
easy no-prize!
Some ferengi engineer is going to invent a comfortable lobe massager with inbuilt speakers and make a thousand bricks of gold pressed latinum
Well remembered! Alternatively, Nog could've heard the music at a MUCH lower volume... so it was clearly a broadcast for help?
It's a sex toy to them, would be weird to use one openly when your roommate is around.
The brilliance of DS9 is that they allowed two recurring characters to carry an entire episode and one with some deep, emotional meaning. Aron Eisenburg was amazing in this.
What gets me closest to the heart is how Nog just wants to sleep all the time. Because when you're asleep you don't have to think about your life. That's something I completely understand.
What I think is that the fact that Aron Eisenberg wasn't up for a supporting actor (or whatever) Emmy for this episode is a damned oversight.
This is such a good episode. As someone who suffers from PTSD I appreciate the way they handled Nog's trauma even if we never hear about it again.
This exemplifies the way that DS9 makes character so central to its evolution as a Trek show. Nog was in no way the character in my initial estimation that he ends up being by series end. And doing this episode shows how seriously the show treated him. Not just the younger Sisko's sidekick but a full fledged and fleshed out character living in our story. Eisenberg was a true gem, the absolute right person to who put their all into the part with gusto, and matching the chops of all the pros around him. His loss to Trek and our shared entertainment is heartbreaking.
A lamp made out of a leg is a major award.
Perfect reference!
"Fra-gi-lay", indeed.
“You’ll shoot your eye out!” 🤣
yes but they are very "fragile"
that came from a frageelay mind...
Was so grateful that Nog had the journey he had, so many cool character and cultural exploration in DS9. Doesn't just need to be star systems and an alien culture of the week. RIP Aron Eisenberg
One of the best parts about his character arc is that it's not intrinsically Star Trek. It was told within the Star Trek setting but ultimately was a story about growing up and defying expectations, proving yourself, feeling the pain of defeat and learning your own mortality. He could just as easily be any one of us
There are only 2 episodes of trek that really cut at me emotionally, and they both feature Nog. The other is with the scene in Sisko's office when Nog breaks down about why he wants to join Starfleet. RIP Aron Eisenburg, you were one of the best.
I watch "The Siege of AR-558", "It's Only A Paper Moon" and "Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang" together as a trilogy and it's the best three parter in all of Star Trek. Aron stole the show in all three episodes. His best work that made me love the character.
"I'm not okay -- but I will be."
I have used this phrase over and over again since I heard Nog utter these words during this episode. I've lived with depression for most of my life, and those who are close to me have also lived with my depression. It is often difficult for them and for me when I am going through a particularly tough episode of severe depression. But that simple phrase -- "I'm not okay -- but I will be." -- is infused with so much hope that it makes things.... better. It lets those that love me know that I haven't succumbed to despair. I know and they know that, most of the time, the only way out of a depressive episode is through -- all the way to the other side. And I'll get there.
Yeah. I'm not always okay. But I know that I will be.
That's really powerful isn't it? Depression makes it feel endless and that what is bad now will always be. So good to keep hope in mind.
Another thing worth noting about Vic Fontaine’s soul and character development in this episode is his (unseen, unspoken) backstory. Assuming Vic in the mid-1960s was supposed to be the same age as James Darren in 1998, he would’ve been born just a few years too young to join World War I and be somewhere in his 30s or 40s during WW2. He may well have seen this sort of trauma before and feel some amount of empathy about survivors’ guilt.
Of course, Vic knows he’s a holodeck program and he hasn’t seen this stuff before in reality, but he has a programmed backstory from before his time in Vegas. In “Badda Bing, Badda Boom”, as an example, he mentions that he “grew up with” the gangster who took over his club.
Given the suffering experienced by characters like O'Brien, Picard, Kirk and Worf, the fact that we rarely seen this dealt with outside of a few occasions ("Family"), seeing Nog deal with his trauma in an episode really makes him more real. Although this is obviously a showcase for Nog and Vic, it also gives new counselor Ezri a chance to shine. Her understanding and willingness to go with the unconventional Vic therapy is tempered with insight into when to nudge Vic to push Nog from his holosuite nest.
All that said, the most memorable line from the episode for me comes from Rom. "My son is a one-legged crazy person!"
Rom's line was pretty funny in context and in character for Rom, someone also started as a minor side character and grew into a major character in the ensemble.
I was SO looking forward to this video.
I'm a veteran; not a combat veteran.
I'd say this is one of my top 5 DS9 videos, but that list would include 20 - 30 episodes. I will say this is one of the MANY DS9 episodes that makes me cry... EVERY time.
I love this episode. When I rewatch What We Leave Behind, I can definitely tell, this is the episode Aron's referencing during his interviews. This is personal. This is amazing. AND, this is an episode dedicated to a background character. I love this.
Ok, crying as I write this. Thank you Steve.
I'm with you.
That Nog is such a memorable flashed out and liked character yet only appears in 45 episodes is testament to DS9’s great writing and Aron Eisenberg’s wonderful performance. Wonderful episode.
I could go on and on about all the great work that went into this episode by everyone involved, but I'll limit myself to saying that Aron Eisenberg acted the hell out of this; and so did James Darren. Perfection, no notes.
It would have been cool if they had Nog watching the Rifleman.
Damn- I’m tearing up just looking at Nog hug his family. This episode should go down in television history.
Deep Space Nine's greatest triumph, IMO, is that it's the first Star Trek show that actually made me feel like the characters keep existing after the credits roll. This episode is one that really highlights that feeling. Nog had huge life-changing stuff happen and we only catch a portion of it. I was OK with how "fast" he got over it because it's only fast for what you see on the screen. But I can believe a lot more went on when the camera was off.
"It's called 'wounded,' Peanut. 'Injured' is when you fall out of a tree or something." - Sgt Martin, Band of Brothers
Amazing performance by Aaron Eisenberg. I've seen other reviews over the years where war vets gave praise for his portrayal of PTSD.
He's too young. He's too small. The idea that he got hurt, that he'll end up with scars that will never heal it feels...wrong.
It makes me angry in a righteous way. Just like the existence of any war that harms the young always should
Outstanding review of this episode. Good timing as well. This weekend, there will be a protest in Washington DC called "Rolling to Remember" Formally "Rolling Thunder". Myself and my wife will be there on my motorcycle to take part in it. Please everyone look it up on TH-cam and the website. This protest is for the MIAs and 22 a day personnel. 22 service members take their own life everyday because of what the nations leadership has asked them to do. I was in the Army also and this is important.
I somehow suspect Ferengi don't usually put things over their ears for the same reason most folks would not walk around with an intimate toy.
Well that and the headphones would have to be so huge they'd probably weigh their heads down.
My favorite DS9 episode. All these years and Nog's breakdown has never not made me tear up.
One of my favorites. Traumas are not all physical and some of us have lived Nog's story.
I thought it was pretty moving when Nog was applying to be a starfleet officer and Sisko confronted him and Nog broke and explained how he didn't want to be like his father.
I absolutely love this episode! Vic Fontaine is a great entertainer, and Nog's character growth is fantastic!
As an Iraqi war vet with ptsd I like the episode, the portrayal. I get hating being called a hero. It surprises many to learn that a great proportion of vets dislike (and I outright hate, but understand) being thanked for their service.
Also glad that you, Steve, mentioned PTSD in non vets too. Many live with it for a variety of reasons. Surviving traumas, abuses, violence, long term emotional/mental abuse, or even just long term fear.
One of the (non-combat) military jobs during the post 9/11 conflicts most likely to get ptsd is actually graves registration folks, the ones processing the bodies of soldiers and civilians alike. You don’t have to get shot at to have ptsd
Absolutely I've of the best star trek episodes ever.
First it shows actual consequences from a previous episode.
Second, it shows another sentient hologram. (Which is really a bug they should fix if they're not doing it on purpose)
Third, incredible human drama and a careful, conscious portrayal of trauma.
Great work DS9 writers and actors.
Edit.
Fourth. Also shows another example of other characters being better at doing the counselors job than they are... Lol
Edit edit.
We'll miss Aaron Eisenberg. We lost him too soon.
I can't believe how little appearances Nog had in the show when he's one of the best characters, but damn do I really wish we had more of Vic Fontaine. The holograms like him, Moriarty and The Doctor are so interesting. Also James Darren's album of songs he did from the show 'This One's From the Heart' is pretty good too!
Agreed. Steve, have you done a series featuring hologram *characters*? Are there enough episodes? Might be interesting if so!
Nog's simple, broken "I'm scared" is so wrenching. I've related to it many times in my life. Vic's message along with the simple acknowledgement "I'm not OK... but I will be" is such a strong acknowledgement of how healing from trauma actually works
One of the most memorable star trek episodes. And not a single pew pew in it.
I watched this episode a *lot* in the months and years after a catastrophic motor vehicle collision broke my... *most* of me. Took two years to learn to walk again, and even now, a decade later, sometimes I still limp when the weather gets bad. It was... weirdly helpful, seeing a fictional character have similar issues, mentally and physically.
This isn't just one of DS9's best episodes, it is one of the best episodes of *television*.
I remember watching this ep on TV while I was being treated for AML (acute myeloid leukemia), and it hit me on such a deep level. I, like Nog, was a rambunctious lil turd during my high school years, gettin into all sorts of trouble (not unusual for a teenage boy lmao), then I got struck with the cancer diagnosis only a year after I graduated. At first, I didn't truly grasp how serious that was until I started getting treatment, and then I got progressively weaker and more atrophied until I didn't even wanna get out of my bed. I was deep in depression, but I tried my best to keep everyone else's spirits up because I just like seeing others happy. Of course not every day was all sunshine and rainbows; sometimes I just wanted to be left alone like Nog. I eventually got better after all was said and done thanks to both the amazing doctors and nurses at the cancer center and Star Trek. It's crazy, I wasn't even a Star Trek fan before I started treatment, but once I started watching re-runs of both DS9 and TNG, I began falling in love with nearly every aspect of the franchise: the characters, the silly techno-babble, the wacky premises and the moments of raw humanity all put on display.
Thank you Steve for covering what is undoubtably my favorite Star Trek episode, may you live long and prosper
A couple minutes in and i need to point something out; Nog was not *injured*. He was *wounded*. I know it seems like pointless semantics but its an important distinction. He didnt injure his leg playing baseball. He was wounded when a Jem'hadar soldier blew his fucking leg off in combat.
With that said I agree that this is one of DS9s best episodes. And i cant emphasize enough how much this episode nails the experience veterans and wounded warriors have. I recently watched this episode and I help but identify with Nog. Its almost been 15 years since i came home from Afghanistan but i am still Nog.
Also autocorrect keeps changing it to Bog. Fucking technology.
I tend to think this episode is the turning point between Vic being a very good simulation and him being self-aware person - like the Doctor in Voyager being left on well beyond original design parameters seems to have that a potential outcome for holograms in this era.
James Darren is so great as Vic Fontaine; he really brings weight to the role. Aron Eisenberg is so great; all the more amazing that he is emoting through that heavy make-up and those false teeth.
I've always thought it was weird how skeptical the other characters are about the idea of using the holosuite as a tool for psychotherapy. To me, it always seemed like a natural fit and something that would almost certainly have been attempted almost as soon as the technology was invented.
I could see the idea is that in the society of the Federation, since Holo technology became widespread and common, "addiction" to Holo use has become an issue that instigates "vigilance" in public discourse and in the professional psychiatric community. Barclay's story is probably not uncommon. Yes it's fine to use this tech to experience things, even private fantasies, and in acting them out find some cathartic release, but in a world of unlimited resources practically, it would be too easy for use of Holo tech to become addictive and stunting for the individual. I think this would be a thing "enlightened" future Earth society would be sensitive too, but also, I think empathetic about, again we have the La Forge and Barclay tales as guides (Imperfect ones, sure...) that indicates that this tech can help the individual to blur lines of reality and fantasy, perhaps reinforcing negative personality traits even. Future Earthlings don't wanna harsh anyone's buzz but they also, in a world were all physical needs, and indeed even many irrational needs are met or exceeded (Anyone can try to be an artist and NOT starve. Dedicate yourself to a lifetime of martial arts or yoga training? You won't have to worry about shelter or ruinous travel expenses. Wanna meet and learn from a master in Sri Lanka but live in Ohio? Transporter at your service. Want to be a pro Anbojutsu fighter? Poet? Anthropologist? It's a go.) I think that there's sensitivity about everyone putting effort into oneself. With so much provided there's maybe a sense that there's fewer chains of adversity holding people back. Seeing a person just spend time in a Holographic fantasy might invoke a knee jerk response, and unwarranted ones given circumstances too I'm sure. It's not healthy to ensconce oneself in fantasy 24/7 but people all heal, physically and mentally, in different ways. As a therapy Holo tech is like any tool at the hands of our real world mental health professionals. From talk therapy to pharmaceuticals the recipient may abuse the therapy in some way and that's something professionals need awareness of. So too in the 24th Century I think. Dax was doing due diligence keeping an eye on Nog but she let him go through his processing on his terms after all.
Anyhows, that would be my reasoning why Holo tech use could be a touchy subject tied into a host of human frailties and decorum.
Absolutely! It’s tailor made for exposure therapy (used to treat OCD), for instance.
Good video. Episodes like this show why DS9 is some of the best television put to film, ever, period.
I remember you talking about this episode in your tribute to Aron Eisenberg's career as Nog. It was awesome then, and it's awesome now.
Steve, as a Disabled Trans Veteran who served in a unjust war for 7 months nearly 20 years ago, I can tell you first hand that "It's only a Paper Moon" hits closer to home in so many ways both socially and politically. On the social aspect, it reminds me how not only servicemembers but anyone who experiences a dramatic event continue living with those memories for the rest of their lives yet we have to keep pushing forward if possible and help others if we can do so as well. On a political aspect, it reminds me on the impact of war on those who suffer from them, the effects of mental health, and the healing effects a community can have on those afflicted. These aspects Conservatives continue to visibly fail at addressing or positively change but end up doing the complete opposite to further the harm.
This is why throughout all the years, after everything I have been through, I will always remain a Progressive...because being anti-war is the only principled thing to be!
That scene was so impactful, you just recounting it, brought back tears to my eyes.
RIP James and Aaron. Two fantastic contributors to what is still my favorite Trek series.
Would have been nice, if they'd gone from Vic singing to a final shot of Nog, making the song and VIc's feeling the soundtrack, instead of a plot element, and more effectively conveying that hope IN NOG, instead of just Vic FOR Nog in the l;ast moments.
Great review, one of my all time faves too.
Nog had the greatest character arc out of the classic Trek series (TOS through ENT). And this episode was the culmination of that arc. And it was beautiful.
And the best part is, Nog's wasn't the only great character arc. This is the same show that brings us Damar, Major Kira, hell, even the best version of Worf. Quark, Rom, Garak. The friendship between O'Brien and Bashir.
Uh. I'll be back in 132 hours. Gotta go binge this series again.
One of the most beautiful episodes of DS9, and that is really saying something.
My favourite episode of all time!
Stories like that walked so other shows could run: I'm thinking specifically of Hugh's struggle with burnout. Shaw's trauma around the borg. Etc.
I like it when Star Trek at least ACKNOWLEDGES that the stuff they're doing can take a toll. It makes it a lot more meaningful if we get to see just how HARD their jobs are, once in a while.
I'm also fascinated by how the episode draws a distinction between Vic's "written" narrative ("I'm going up to Tahoe next weekend with Sammy") and his lived experience of just...bumming around his apartment. Vic gets to just exist without entertaining other people every second.
I know it was the B plot, but my favorite Nog episode was the one where he introduces O'Brien to the great material continuum... This was a close second, though. 😄
It may just be me, but I think the point of the ending was that it is Nog who now has the world by a string. Because this was the ultimate point of development of his character.
I wish I could find a good recording of Darren's "I'll be seeing you" from AR558. There are recordings he's done since then, but none of them are the same as that one. It was dark, melancholy, and meant every word, it was the farewell of people who know there's a very good chance this is the final goodbye. It's no wonder it stuck with Nog, it'd accumulated layers upon layers for him. I sorta wish Vic had ended with a happier, hopeful version of it. This and 558 yank tears out of my cold, hard heart every. single. time. Not a show, an experience.
The family dysfunction comedy/drama series SIX FEET UNDER did a good job of showing how PTSD is something one doesn't get over by the episode's end. One of the 2 adult sons in the family of funeral planners (David, played by Michael "Dexter" Hall) endures one of the most harrowing episodes of any TV show I've ever seen -- terrorized by a weird unpredictable psycho for hours and hours before being beaten half to death, doused with gasoline and almost set on fire --- and being the family's people-pleaser he spends several episodes afterward denying to himself + others that he even HAS ptsd, as his mind and emotional state completely unravel; with flashbacks leaving him unable to function, driving him him to the brink of suicide before finally realizing his slapping-a-band-aid-on-the-trauma solutions aren't working and getting real help. It's a lot like Nog's story arc and just as good but on a more believable time frame...
"The promise of Star Trek isn't that the future *will* be better, it's that it *can* be." - Such a great quote. This was one of your most beautiful reviews Steve-really loved it!
My friend's wife stopped paying for our Paramount+ subscription recently so I really appreciate what Steve does 🎉😊
The way I see the ending of Vic living the gift of life from Nog is Nog stepping back into a life of service. Nog takes his responsibilities as a starfleet officer very seriously and going back into service for him could easily mean helping a friend who helped him when he was at his rock bottom. It’s a beautiful ending
It is a shame Aron did not get even nominated for Emmy for this episode. This is the Best Nog episode and the finest hour of acting from Aron. An actor often smaller rolls or guest spots on shows. Nog went from a two bit character to this masterpiece of an episode. My favorite line after being asked will he be all right is responds "No, but I will be." We all live this line, and we all know how we push on even when we do not.
I think it's important to acknowledge the boldness of the writers and producers to say, "F--- it, let's do a Nog and Vic episode" when that is a completely crazed thing to do, by one perspective. Ira Steven Behr said it came from following the organic development of the episode; it wasn't the original intention, but everyone grasped the brilliance of what was emerging and had the trust to go for it -- that's the culmination of many seasons of collaboration coming to fruition, and what a treat they delivered.
I love this episode. It’s one of Nog’s best, letting loose his fears and doubts.
i find this episode really conflicting, i love Aron Eisenberg as Nog, loved him, and his character arc, and love that Star Trek even dealt with PTSD at all, after The Siege of AR-558, which i consider one of the best-ever episodes of Star Trek, but even though this was a rare Aron Eisenberg moment in the spotlight showing his acting chops, and i love how Nog gets lost in the 1962 fantasy and had to adapt to how it was back then, even using a pencil! I appreciate the episode, and love how it shows the aftermath of war and what it does, but still feel it lacked something. but maybe because this episode was only scratching the surface of what Nog and Aron were capable of. and we never saw more, we never saw what happened next. though i maintain he becomes Star Fleets first Ferengi Captain, before he was 30
"You'll be as hollow (holo) as I am. I love that silly pun in such a serious moment.
I first watched this episode a couple of months ago and it’s one of my favorite episodes of Star Trek ever I was completely invested in this episode so gripping and emotional love love love this episode.
I think the final moments with Vic singing World on a String again actually do relate back to Nog. It's echoing Nog's new lease on life and his choice to rejoin reality with Vic making an enthusiastic start on his own new life. Vic may be the one on screen, but the song is for him and Nog.
we LOVE Aron, rest in power!
Such an excellent amazing episode. Both of DS9 and your comments of it. You summed up my my feelings on the episode better than I could do. Thank you for highlighting such a powerful episode.
You know I honestly never really minded that this episode ends with a bit of a reversed focus back on Vic. That always struck me as both a subtle creative nod to the fact that Nog is healing - we're no longer immersed in his inner world because it's no longer in radical turmoil -- and showing us that Vic is indeed capable of celebrating life the way he described previously. To your point, we aren't ever really sure if Vic actually has feelings or if he's just elaborately programmed to act like he does, and sticking with him for those additional beats at the end gives us the closest thing to an answer as the series is willing to give us. His jubilance at being gifted a "life" gives us an opportunity to see how much he might *actually* care about this stuff - what it *actually* means to him, and frankly I think if we don't linger on Vic for those last few moments we might be inclined to wonder if all of the wisdom and advice he'd been dispensing for the rest of the episode was actually coming from a place of sincerity, or if it was just a well-practiced computer-generated script. Ending with Vic's delighted surprise as the final beat of the episode serves to punch up his humanity and that's something we absolutely need to believe he possesses in order for the final moments between the two characters to land. I think that's why that ending has never bothered me. At that point Nog has found his new beginning; showing us that Vic gets one too is just kind of nice.
with regard to the headphone thing its not like this is even an instance of trek failing to predict some future technology, headphones were old tech even in the late 90s when this was made
This is the hardest episode of Star Trek for me to watch. I have one criticism of your criticism, and it's likely something you never even considered. You singled out veterans and civilians affected by war, but it wasn't an insurgent or an IED or anything else that left me disabled, it was a distracted driver. I was riding shotgun in my buddy's car and we pulled over because the road was blocked by a semi with an oversized load up ahead. Someone behind us driving a construction truck was busy playing with his phone and not paying attention, and rammed into us going 60. The driver's side airbag went off, mine didn't, and my life was forever changed after that.
Now I can't do the simple things I took for granted before the accident - stand for more than a few minutes, go grocery shopping without agony. People look at me on the outside and don't see my injury, so they assume that i'm perfectly fine, but don't realize the reason I have a death grip on the shopping cart is because i'm trying not to cry out in pain. Nog has the right of it - being locked away in a fantasy world means you can't get hurt, but it sucks your soul away in exchange.
Thanks for all of the great work you do.
I believe this episode was appreciated far more after it was viewed by the public. That after the fact, with the perspective of hindsight, we realized what a jewel this episode was. I was in Montgomery Alabama as a young man starting his first real job when I saw the episode the first time. And remember liking the episode. But I came to appreciate Eisenberg's amazing performance after the fact.
Thanks Steve. I’d forgotten how great the nog character is.
Not my FAVORITE episode but it is certainly up there among the best. It is certainly one of Nog's best outings and the topic is ALWAYS relevant, then and now. Thanks for sharing.
Can’t wait for “Why Vic Fontaine Should Have Ezri Dax’s Job”
this episode actualy really helped me, i firstt saw it not long after someone tried to kill me
Sorry to quote a different franchise here but I think the best quote to this episode should be "War, War never changes" the famous line from the Fallout Franchise
As someone who has dealt with another kind of trauma I have to add one thing that really shows the quality of the show:
It doesn't cast judgement on Nog.
As stated in the Barclay review: the show doesn't say if it's good, or healthy. Just that it's more than understandable.
And I liked closing on someone other than Nog.
Sometimes you are done talking and want the focus somewhere else. And sometimes , that is the healthy thing
So, TNG gets a self aware hologram and it tries to take over the ship...
DS9 gets a self aware hologram and it becomes the de facto counsellor on a station that desperately needs one. (Ezri-who?)
Good episode despite the standard holodeck absurdities.
This has got to be one of my favourite Star Trek episodes ever!
I'm not a veteran, but I do have ptsd, and really feel represented by this episode.
"You win some, you lose some - but at least you're in the game."
Probably one of Vic's best lines in this amazing episode. And so true to real life. It isn't perfect. There will be good times, and bad times, but that's a part of life. Take the good with the bad.
One thing to keep in mind with trauma is that it is not a competition
Trauma is trauma
I know you said suggesting changes isn't necessary for critics, but there's a single change I can think of that would've kept the focus on Nog to the end. Just let Vic start singing while Nog is there, and keep Vic in the background as Nog leaves the holodeck in the foreground. This way the scene is framed as Nog always having that support ready, but it's getting a little easier to move forward with his life each time he chooses not to rely on that emotional crutch
One of my favorites. After "Far Beyond the Stars" I think it's some of the best DS9 writing.
Steve... I never gave DS9 a chance when it first aired. I grew up on TOS reruns, as well as the TOS cartoon. I watched TNG with my son when he was little, which was a great bonding experience and it allowed me to give the new characters a chance. I guess after Gene Roddenberry passed away I considered Star Trek to be over. It was because of your TH-cam channel that I finally gave DS9 a chance. I fell in love with new characters and enjoyed seeing some old ones. It took me about a month or two to watch all seven seasons, and by the end of it I was crying because I didn't want it to end. It was an emotional rollercoaster with a lot of twists and turns. It was relatable even today. What a great cast! Thank you so much! ❤
"Can I make your leg into a lamp?" Is the most Ferengi thing I have heard in a while 🤣♥️
This is my favorite episode of DS9. It's that line "No, but I will be..." that sticks with me. As someone who has struggled with depression for their entire life, there are times when things have been so bad, I've almost fallen completely into a hole. When I'm finally crawling back, I'm not happy, not even ok... but I'm working towards that, and that's really all we can do sometimes. The acknowledgement of that, where the pain from psychological issues doesn't just go away immediately, is the highlight of this episode. Of course, the most important part of this is that the episode got a lot of letters from people who struggle with PTSD, especially veterans, because they felt seen and heard. I don't know of any other show that has had that kind of impact.
This reminds me of a quote from Ernest Hemingway's For whom the bells tolls
Steve, your commentary is on point as always. You are insightful, and your observations are well considered and articulated. I have been most impressed with your skillfulness as a writer. Your commentaries are well organized and adeptly highlight the pathos of our characters. Your insights are well grounded by showing how each story reflects and speaks to the human condition for us in the real world. Your ‘bits’ added in for humor and levity are entertaining and are the perfect balance for commentary that, more poorly written could come off as preachy. Your ‘Actually’ commentaries are always enjoyable and satisfying. Keep up the great work!
I'm not trying to argue with the position about the episode should have end on Nog vice Vic but I would like to offer my perspective as a combat wounded Veteran. I don't think Nog was only afraid of the pain and a repeat occurrence of being hurt like he's been again. The comparison to natural disaster and mass shooting survivors is excellent concerning how they all experience the fragility of life in a intimate ways that causes them trauma.
Combat veterans often have another element to deal with that I feel is even more overwhelming. That is the acceptance of having taken life yourself. Much of my trauma that persists in some manner everyday, is the fear that the violence could come out again. The closer you are to the death you cause, the worse the trauma based on my experience talking about this act with other Veterans. Unleashing the hate needed to survive close combat situations affects people of good morale standing and while words like "you had no choice," and "you did what you had to do" are true but only provide momentary reprieve. I found that I was shocked at how easily it came when needs, how I could be and how I felt in the moment. Shifting over to TNG's "The Wounded, " O'Brien's line in Ten Forward, "It's not you I hate, Cardassian. I hate what I became because of you," perfectly captures what I mean I this paragraph.
The fear that something in life could happen to trigger the hate to come out again and you'd see that self again can be crippling and difficult to realize what it is you're really feeling. Worse, those you love could see it and become scared or view you differently is also part of what Nog was working through in my opinion. After Nog did something minor that had a major impact on Vic's happiness at the end is a manifestation of Nog moral fabric that becomes tangible in his view. He was still the selfless person, getting purpose and joy by helping others. He's not a monster that needs to hide from everyone and everything. Things are going to be OK and life could become more normal again that it has felt. I know he said this in the scene prior but takes many affirmation of this before you really start to feel like you're not just lying to yourself to cope.
Paper Moon, The Wounded and Under the Cloak of War are the top 3 Trek episodes that resonate with the experience of my life. The SNW's episode was so well structured and acted that I had to pause during the first time watching it and take some time to collect myself before continuing. If I could meet Jess Bush and Babs Olusanmokun in person, I'd want to embrace them, would probably come to tears and would only be able to thank them for their personification of their characters. While the desire is to hide and the tendency is that you don't want to talk to people who won't understand, there is still an immense desire to feel seen and understood. They helped me feel seen and understood. It definitely helped my wife and my mother to. I still can't talk to them about it but I can feel they have some understanding by watching how I reacted and related to Under the Cloak of War.
Really powerful analysis. Thank you. Ivwonder if the best (and by contrast, the worst) holo-episodes are those that use the holodeck not as a cheap venue for a fantastical setting for an epidode, but as a storytelling venue to explore themes of pain, escapism, and embracing real life. I'd love to see a fuller treatment of this motif. Again, thanks for an awesome episode.
I feel like saying this is "Nog's episode" and "Nog's best episode" is selling short the fact that it is also Vic's episode and his best. For better or worse he gets a few episodes in the tail end of the show, and this, "the siege of AR-558" and "Badda-bing Badda-bang" the heist one, form something of a little loose arc. In Seige we start with Bashir taking the recordings, knowing the soldiers there could use the comfort. Here we have Nog desperate for that support and leaning on Vic for it, rewarding him in the end with the chance to truly live. Finally in Badda-bing we see the lengths they are willing to go to, to ensure his person hood is maintained. In that last episode we even see an argument where Sisco must be reminded that Vic is a person, and is worth this gentle kindness. Ending "Nog's" episode, the second Nog episode in this little trilogy, on Vic, is passing the torch for him to take the next big episode. At the end of Vic's episode, Sisco, who was largely not involved, other than making the save at the end of the episode, gets a duet with Vic, passing that torch once again as the show gears up for the long finale.
I don't think it's an accident that these three episodes are a tragedy, a drama, and a comedy, in that order either. It's a cycle of healing, and a promise that things will change, but that also means they will heal. There is a home to go back to, even if it feels mundane, and anachronistic. The troubles there are a lot sillier, but the people are still just as real. I wouldn't say it's ds9's best multi episode story, not even it's best subtle one, but the fact I can call out the chain of events as an arc is one of the reasons I love DS9.
I haven't watched yet, but this episode always chokes me up, even when people are just discussing it. But, you know? I think that's a good thing. So I'm diving in. Also, it looks like I'm first :)
It's curious that two of my favorite DS9 episodes have "moon" in the title. This one was truly stellar in its unfolding for me. Loved your coverage of it as well, though I have to say that I liked the ending as it played out. For me, it not only underscored that Nog's struggles would eventually make sense and provide meaning later on, but that even in his distressed state he was still able to contribute to someone else's experience in a positive enough fashion for Vic to want to literally sing for joy. The ending provided a relief to the episode's overall darkness as well as cement the full circle established between Vic and Nog's journey here. Quite the feat for a hologram yeah? It made me feel good to see Vic so ecstatic.
This show was all about Nog that when Rom calls his son a one legged crazy man, Ezri's collar pips are reversed. It's got the full gold on the outside and the darker one inside instead of the proper lieutenant junior grade pips. Then, they're normal after a few close ups. Great episode, if not one of the best episodes!
War, war never changes
When Eisenberg let the emotions out he really made it feel so raw and real.