Deep Space Nine - A Man Alone

After the extended opening episode Emissary its time to jump full throttle into the show with the second episode, which isn't the second episode as Netflix have the episodes in the wrong order! Hopefully this is a one off or things are going to get confusing. Right that's the admin done where was I? Oh yeah, A Man Alone! Whereas the opener was concerned with setting up a number of things this episode is concerned about life aboard DS9 while at the same time there's a good little mystery.

This episode makes very good use of the ensemble cast, its an Odo episode but he's not to far at the front of proceedings. Its also about the other characters relationship with him, most of them have only just met him, he seemingly has only one ally in Kira and supposedly an enemy in Quark. We have to talk about this relationship between Quark and Odo as already its one of the best things about the show. The scene in Odo's office as Quark arrives and tells him he hasn't found any information on the murdered Bajoran is the best of the episode.

Moving on to Jadzia, this episode examines the Trill and their relationships with other races after changing host. We're in transgender territory and largely the subject is treated well, in particular Bens reaction and later acceptance that their relationship is going to have to change. Julian however is written as a chaser and comes across as creepy every time he's in a scene with Jadzia. This is an aspect of transgender life that the show doesn't really need to be going into as the majority of viewers today don't understand what a "chaser" is let alone when it was broadcast.

The plotline with the school is perhaps the most satisfying it brings together a group of the supporting characters in Keiko, Jake, Nog and Rom. I'm watching this with my sister whose viewing it for the first time and it is so satisfying watching these characters start out while she has no idea how they'll grow.

Summing up this is a 9/10 episode from me as the establishment of daily life on the station combined with the setting up of the Odo / Quark relationship is completely my kind of jam. It loses a point for the Julian Bashir is a chaser stuff and an odd scene where Rene Auberjones genuinely looks like he's not aware the camera is rolling, he's saying his lines not acting them and looks like he's trying to block his movements out for when the camera starts rolling.

A good start to the series proper.