Star Trek - Deep Space Nine, Episode 8: Dax [VHS]

But fortunately, the episode surprised me somewhat. The producers decided to focus most of story around Dax rather than with her. She actually has comparatively little screen-time. Most of the action revolves around people talking about her, or researching her, or learning about her.

Unfortunately, I still didn't like the rest of the story all that much. It's difficult to discuss exactly why without giving away spoilers, but I will point out generalities. To begin with, the entire thrust of the episode is based upon the fundamental nature of the Trill species. Trills are hybrid creatures; so, when the host body ages and dies, the secondary creature goes on living inside another person. The episode asks the question of whether a later hybrid is responsible for the actions of the previous lifetime. The symbiont has remained constant, but the host body is different. Is Jadzia-Dax the same person as Curzon-Dax? It's a very interesting question, and I really wish the story had done justice to the idea.

The biggest annoyance for me was that the episode ends in an enormous cop-out. It felt as though the writer(s) had been backed into a corner and didn't know how to resolve the central conflict -- so they cheated. The resolution is the equivalent of distracting a person with a shiny object while slipping something past them while they weren't looking. It's a shame that the episode didn't have the courage of its convictions.

The direction seemed oddly stilted, and some of the blocking looked extremely awkward. There's not a whole lot to recommend about this episode, especially since the most interesting thing this episode does is mishandle its central premise. This was a blown opportunity.

'Dax' or 'The Tumultuous Times Of A Trill', 2003-02-24
During the first season of any show a viewer can always expect to see shows dealing with the background and pertinent history of key individual players. And that is exactly what 'Dax' is - a brief look into the life of the host of the Trill, Curzon Dax, nearly thirty years before Jadzia Dax was born and of course prior to her becoming a host. Trekkies had gotten a composite analysis of a Trill in the TNG episode 'The Host' but here the alien species is examined and explained in a little further detail.

After leaving the Promenade, Dax is followed to her quarters by a trio of alien beings who get her attention, violently take her as a hostage and start to make their way back to their ship. Bashir, who imagines himself getting an invitation to her quarters, also comes along a few moments later and though surprised by the scene tries to rescue her. After failing he contacts the bridge and the aliens are effectively cutoff from escape and themselves taken prisoner by Odo and the DS9 security staff. The aliens however produce legitimate extradition papers for Dax - though it is actually Curzon Dax they are seeking and not Jadzia Dax. It seems that Curzon Dax is charged with treason and the murder of General Ardelon Tandro on Klaestron IV; the arresting officer is also the general's son, which complicate matters further. Sisko is forced by circumstance to hold an extradition hearing on the station and curiously he gets very little help from Dax in an attempt to halt the extradition. Initially Sisko, acting as Dax's lawyer, is quite convincing but as the hearing progresses the dire straits continually grow worse - and then Odo, who has traveled to Klaestron IV, uncovers the most damning evidence of all...and it may mean that Dax will face the death penalty.

Considering the daunting task of inventing a background for such a complex being this is a remarkable and surprisingly well-done episode. Defining the separate lives that the Trill has lived prior to being hosted by Jadzia is going to be bound to any future storylines so the writers, Trek veteran D.C. Fontana and Peter Allan Fields, tread very fine ground and come out of it O.K. How is a host chosen? What happens to the person once they become a host? What becomes of their personality and lifes' experiences after they are joined with a Trill? Can a host change their mind after becoming a host? These questions and more are brought to light and answered relatively well. Some that aren't brought up are: How does a new host come to peace with all the lives that the Trill has lived? Initially there must be some confusion and turmoil, an internal war of personalities battling for dominance. Also, since Trill beings can alternately inhabit either a male or female host in separate lives doesn't this cause quite a bit of gender identification confusion? Naturally the creative staff wouldn't want to venture too far into this territory because it could become too compromising when considering future episodes about Dax. They try to cover a lot of background on what a Trill is but ultimately the focus is actually on the trial at hand and it eventually takes precedence in the show.

The quality of guest stars that the Trek staff is able to get continually surprises me. Anne Haney is absolutely superb as the judge sent from Bajor for the hearing. Gregory Itzin, playing Ilon Tandro, has portrayed lawyers in other previous television shows and does a fine job here as well. Fionnula Flanagan, who plays the part of Enina Tandro, has also appeared in TNG's 'Inheritance' episode playing Dr. Julianna O'Donnell Soong Tainer, the long missing wife of Dr. Noonian Soong and just recently appeared in a first season episode of "Enterprise" as the Vulcan ambassador V'Lar.

Note: There is a brief moment at the end of 'Dax' where a former lover - a female in this case - touches one of Jadzia's cheeks instead of kissing her and Jadzia immediately puts her fingers on the area where she has just been touched. It's effective and, in hindsight, the best way to handle this potentially explosive and objectionable scene. A few seasons later they would feel relaxed enough to tackle the issue in the episode 'Rejoined'.

Jadzia Dax may have to pay for the sins of Curzon Dax, 2001-07-08
It is time to explore the character of Jadzia Dax in this early DS9 episode when Ilon Tandro tries to kidnap the Trill for extradition to Klaestron Four. Dax, or more accurately Curzon Dax, is charged with the murder of General Ardelon Tandro, thirty years earlier during the planet's civil war. Sisko uses the technicality of DS9 being Bajoran to force an extradition hearing while Odo goes to Klasestron Four to investigate the charges and try to save Dax, who refuses to tell him what really happened. A fairly interesting episode dealing with one of the Trill's previous "lives," but the payoff to the mystery is less than satisfying. However, I must say that from the first episode of DS9 the relationship between Sisko and Dax, who the Commander calls "Old Man" because of Curzon, worked for me. Later down the road the series will get a much better handle on Dax's character(s).