There are basically two main plots going on here, woven together throughout the episode with another couple of minor threads. On the one hand, you have the genocidal dictator who provides an opportunity for the show to delve into some big time moral issues. It's a plot that really drew from what was going on in the world at the time. That was right in the midst of all the horrific things that followed the breakup of Yugoslavia (a direct result of the breakup of the USSR in 1991) and there were some nasty things either happening or about to happen in Africa as well. So I applaud the producers for taking on a topic like this, and putting on the screen a character as brutal (and we find out later with Milosevic, not too far from the truth) as Tezlof -- even if they did screw up by casting William (I-Always-Sound-Like-I'm-Out-Of-Breath) Shatner. At the same time, in the background, you have a 'love triangle' (for lack of a better term) going on with Bridger, Westphalen and Malcolm. Truly, Malcolm's part in all this is more as a plot device utilized to make Bridger begin to confront his feelings. I myself find some of those scenes between Kristin and Malcolm almost painful to watch, but that's just me. All in all, though, their handling of the relationship and its development here is well done. And finally, floating around in the background of all this is the autistic son and the hokey dreams with Darwin (can you say 'plot device'?). Yeah, there are some holes in the plot (mostly discussed later) but on a whole this was a thoughtful, well-done hour of TV.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY:
Dolphin E/K H.D. 93-XR/ZYB - Translation: Darwin's dream/hologram machine. While neat, this one stretches my disbelief a little too far. It's based on the same technology as the vochorder, which immediately puts it into the realm of not-yet-possible to begin with. But I'm not sure about some of the assumptions Lucas et.al. make with it. I don't really know if I believe that the tail/fin slapping and body gyrations of dolphins mean anything more than a human waving his hands through the air when he talks. We translate those without the aid of a machine, so why do we need a machine to translate a dolphin's body mannerisms?
Neurological Imaging System - Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this just an EEG (probably tweaked to work around water and be wireless)? The 'breakthrough' would mostly be in identifying the different emotions and correlating them to the output on the screen. Perhaps this is more difficult than it sounds, but on the surface, I'm not impressed.
CHARACTERS:
Let's start with the biggie: Tezlof. He's one of the more complex, well put-together guest characters during the season -- and certainly the most intriguing we've seen lately. They really flesh out Tezlof, and much of it is due to the background they present very early on. It's good and solid, and certainly makes sense based on current events in that part of the world. And like all bad guys, he has a fatal flaw that eventually leads to his downfall. In Tezlof's case, it's his son. You realize that pretty early on, as do most of the characters, but it isn't immediately obvious how Bridger will eventually 'exploit' that weakness. But the one problem I do have (besides casting) is with his quick turnaround at the end; one picture of the dead wife and he's bawling like a baby and ready to turn himself in. It's not in character with the ruthless person we've been presented with up to that point. There's a certain sense of self-preservation that comes with people like Tezlof (and we see it out of him earlier even) that precludes peaceful endings of any sort.
I like that they pick one character (Ford, in this case) to present the opposition view to having Tezlof aboard. Whenever you introduce a subject as volatile as ethnic cleansing, you are going to have at least some people in the crowd who have pretty definite opinions on the topic. And in all fairness, you have to deal with both sides of the issue if you want to do anywhere near a realistic portrayal of the topic. In a way, it's fitting that Ford is the one who is most vocal in his opposition. Ford is also one of the most morally and ethically conscious people on the ship. So it makes sense that he would be highly opinionated about Tezlof.
I really like how Noyce is able to pick up on Bridger's feelings, even over a vid-link. Good friends frequently pick up on things like that before even you yourself do.
And speaking of which, let's tackle the relationship issues. By all rights, I should hate this episode for the Westphalen/Malcolm scenes, not to mention the lack of any resolution that occurs between Bridger and Westphalen. But I don't. I actually really enjoy the relationship fodder in here. Their little tiff on sea deck is one of my favorite scenes because so much is revealed in so little space. Bridger is so transparent in his feelings, and so much of that is because of his eyes. Take, for example, the very very last scene, after she gives her cryptic "I'm checking" line and walks out. His eyes follow her and are looking her retreating form up and down with this faintly predatory look. The subtleties on this show are what hook you in. But to briefly touch on that last scene...I was confused by it the first time, and I'm still confused by it to this day. I get the feeling there is a subcontext there that just eludes me, as it does Bridger. He's so cute in this episode, though. He's so protective of her. And I love the jealousy that he (and we) knows is there but he refuses to admit to. They do, however, fall into typical male/female roles in the sea deck scene. He goes from morose to verbose in seconds flat and is protesting way too much for someone unaffected by the situation. And Kristin just counters with a "maybe we should talk about it." Women prefer to be open with feelings and talk things through instead of just being mind readers like the opposite sex, kind of like that old beer commercial where they subtitle a guy conversation with what's really being said.
Malcolm Lansdowne:
Malcolm has two main roles to play in this episode. First, he's meant to be a method by which the writers are able to bring up the issue of Bridger's feelings for Kristin. As Malcolm himself says, he's "just a crazy kid with a crush on [Bridger's] medical officer." I'm not sure Kristin really cares about him the same way she does for Bridger, but the writers needed some way to force the issue. He's not really very chivalrous, either; he doesn't even try to protect her from Tezlof at all. What Malcolm is best at is his other role in this episode: dealing with Darwin. He's really at his best and most effective when it comes to figuring out riddles associated with Darwin. He is, after all, the one who figured out the meaning of Darwin's strange babblings in "The Devil's Window." And here he works briefly with Lucas and friends on the dream machine. Perhaps this comes from his work with dolphins -- that is how he was introduced to us, remember. Or maybe it's the outside perspective he brings with him. I can't tell you how many times I've been stumped on problems, only to have the fresh pair of eyes of a friend come up with a solution. Whatever the case, underneath all the goofiness and fun exterior, Malcolm is at heart a scientist. That's I think what attracts both Bridger and Westphalen to him.
QUICK QUESTIONS, QUERIES, QUANDRIES AND COMMENTS:
Love the joking and good-humored bashing of Noyce by Ortiz and O'Neill. How many of us, when we were the newbies around the office (some of us still are), made similar jokes about our superiors? I, of course, would never do such a thing.
Why do they let the whole bridge view the emergency communiqué? I would think that's something only Bridger and/or O'Neill would get to see.
In the Vietnam War, "dolphins were trained to hunt, to kill, to help in the slaughter," according to Tezlof. I don't know exactly what the dolphins were used for back then, but I do know they were used. And even today, they're still used. I just caught an article a few weeks ago about how the military is using dolphins to assist with clearing mines. The dolphins mark the mine somehow, and then divers go down to disable it.
"He prayeth best who loveth best/All things both great and small;/For the dear God who loveth us,/He made and loveth all." I love this quote. It's been a number of years since I studied the Rime of the Ancient Mariner, so I don't remember too much about it. But I do know the Albatross Ford talks about is some sort of portent of evil, or something to that effect. So in that sense, the reference makes sense. Ford also brings his objection to Bridger in the proper way. It's not something that should be addressed on the bridge in front of the whole crew, but the discussion does need to be held.
Tezlof claims that "there never has been a multiethnic country." Uh, I beg to differ. What do you call the US? Seems to me it's quite a melting pot of different peoples, different religions, different ethnicities here. How else would I end up with ancestors who are Polish, Swedish, Dutch, Irish, English, etc? It's what makes this country so unique.
Yet again, they're letting out some classified secrets to people who shouldn't have them. Like the vochorder. I'm impressed the 6 o'clock news hasn't picked up that story yet based on the number of people who know.
No one is in the engine room when Tezlof goes in there? I'd think that would be one of the constantly manned parts of the boat.
Recent research into human and dolphin interaction has led to improved interspecies communication. Research by the AquaThought Foundation suggests that close contact with dolphins may alter human brain wave activity. Continued research may eventually lead to a better understanding of intelligent creatures. Obviously Bob's referring to dolphins and not humans there.
