Deep Space Nine Reviewed! (by a pedant) S2E15: PARADISE 

Today's Thought Experiment: I still can't understand why she deleted the logs if she thought the ship was getting star-nuked. Give me your daftest reasons please.

So do you remember in The Avengers when Loki demanded the entire crowd Kneel before him. But the one old man stood up and said "No, not to men like you." That wasn't very tactfully sound, was only the timely intervention of Cap that saved him. With Sisko its the same thing. He will not bend his knee to a tyrant,

6:53 Remember in “Armageddon Game” when they remote controlled the Ganges into attacking the alien ship? Why couldn’t they do the same to the Rio Grande here instead of the dangerous warp tractor beam thing?

"Let's ignore that for now" what all Star Trek writers hope to hear

Normally I wouldn't bring this up, because the colloquial phrase is perfectly fine for the use to which it is put, but we are the USS Pedant, so: it was Flavor Aid, not Kool-aid.

I hope we get Babylon 5 reviewed by a pedant someday

This episode was so creepy it constantly reminded me of the movie, The Beach.

Alixus could read people very well. She knew Sisko wasn’t the type to bend easily. If he had been amenable she would have been suspicious and may have killed him outright. They understood each other. Sisko kept her busy thinking about him. That is what bought Obrien space to work.

First instance I remember of the "heat box" on screen was in the movie Bridge over the River Kwai. And to paraphase G'kar: I am both terrified and reassured that Dog is still wondering around DS9 causing trouble.

I often find people who think they are doing the right thing in their mind are more tolerant than people who know in their mind they are.

How the fuck did Alexis even get at the runabout? That's honestly the biggest plot hole.

I didn't like anything about this episode but most of all I disliked the idea that the Federation's super-advanced medical technology would somehow miss someone who is clearly psychotic in their medical checkup. But strange limitations in medical technology is a running theme in scifi. Transporters and FTL are fine but an actual treatment for chronic anxiety is too much for some reason.

Space luddites, why did it have to be space luddites? Edit: I was thinking of the Imperial Japanese prisoner camps during the second world war as far as the hot boxes go.

Putting people inside a box in hot and humid climates has unfortunately been used in lots of cultures over history. Sadly, someone apparently died in one in 2009 in an Arizona prison after being left in the sun for 4 hours. On a slightly more pleasant note this kind of torture has also been in lots of movies. Apparently it was even shown in Muppets Most Wanted?

15:03 - She also played Ensign Lian T'Su in TNG's "The Arsenal of Freedom".

While I've never been involved in cults (from either perspective), I understand it's important, as far as possible, not to back down to the leader's "request" that you conform. Each time you agree you're offering another crack for them to work at and each submission becomes a little easier (It's just clothing, it's just words, it's just a kiss...) to self justify. I'm not saying I wouldn't crack like an egg if confronted, but there is a reason Sisko doesn't back down. On a lighter note, I was briefly confused by the reference to "Archer" doing stuff as I couldn't work out what Captain Archer was doing on DS9!

If it’s one thing I loathe in sci fi it’s Luddite glorification. Granted this episode shows far more of its ugly side than the abomination that is Insurrection, but the way it ends is just so absurd.

This episode and its conclusion made me so angry. There is a way to live with minimal intervention but still not rejecting the best medicine and putting people at risk and punishment for not conforming. As someone with , as you call it, a spicy brain, the idea of being punished for something I literally can't help, not conforming, makes this such a nightmare.

Yeah the decision to just beam down seemed a bit weird, especially since they were just in a runabout not leaving anyone left to get them back.

13:55 I wonder if they used a box like this as the starting point for building the Borg cube prop? Speaking of the Borg it would be ironic if the leader of this cult eventually got assimilated by them. A terrible fate for someone who hated technology.

13:27 Spicy brain activate!

I realise there's enough star trek to keep you occupied for many years to come, but I'd love to see your take on Babylon 5.

I have trouble watching episodes of TV shows like the one reviewed here, for the subject matter activates my "I want to break something" feelings.

The greatest villain of DS9

Alexis reminds me of Janeway's evil sister. If Janeway indeed had an evil sister. 😅

I stick around for space dog at the end. Funny stuff.

I think Sisco's tactical error could be chalked up to exhaustion after having been in the box for so long.

I've worked with those industrial containers. Because they are collapsible to take up less space when empty, they are very weak in certain directions. Sisko could have kicked his way out of the box at any time.

The A story is another one of those "Gee, this feels like a dusted off TNG plot": random shuttle mission goes wrong, crew gets stranded. There's nothing uniquely DS9 about Sisko taking a stand against the evil Alexis. It could have been Picard in the box. Or even Janeway.

8:55 I had forgotten how cute the archer was. Though of course, he's a bit older now....like almost 30 years older. OMG, I'm old.

"There's nothing more dangerous than a true believer." Truer words are rarely spoken. Some of the most fucked up and genuinely evil people I've ever met have been true believers.

"Sisko is defiant..." Well, of course he is. Maybe not the most tactical response, but it fits Sisko's personality of not compromising on principle. I had recently seen discussion that the reason the colonists stay was because the writers had too much sympathy with Alixus's ideology to allow her work to be completely undone in the episode despite characters inexplicably changing their minds from what they said they wanted earlier in the story, brgore they knew they were deceived. The colony ship engineer is especially frustrating, as he was not one of Alixus's followers in the first place and had a decade of his life stolen by her self righteousness.

Alixis - the coña who make Vedek Winn look like Sweet Polly Purebred.

I dunno about anyone else, but I'm really enjoying this verion of Star Trek, a hell of a lot more than the original cuts. And my favourite characters, space dog and computer, it makes no sense to me why they cut it out of the original broadcast! None of the stories make any sense without the space dog moral of the week! Woof!

Absolutely detest this episode. One of my least favourite Star Treks. That woman was abusively evil and manipulative and the fact that the writers dont portray this as a horrible bad ending but that they show some sympathy and that there is some promise to that little cult and their ideals and that they have a point, with no one joining Sisko and Miles, is mind boggling.

If you pay attention you will see a lot of pallets and things like that in DS9. The walls in sickbay, for example, has a few of them where the top side is facing the camera to give the walls texture.

Space Dog makes big logs! I felt Sisko and O'Brien not taking off their uniforms made sense in the story. It's a case of small steps and slippery slopes. The rest of the people wouldn't have been indoctrinated in one or two large steps, it would have been small, seemingly inconsequential moments "Oh your shirt is ripped, here, put this on." "You know you don't need to check that thing, here, let's go water the crops and enjoy the peace.." For Sisko to take off his uniform would mean he was falling into that pattern of thought.

So what was making them sick? They decide to stay and they will still keep getting sick and look for magical herbes to cure the illness. That was a strange ending.

I hated how Sisko meekly accepted his 'punishment'. It felt like bad characterization. I feel he would use his imposing presence (and if that failed, force on anyone who lays hands on him) instead. Most, if not all of those sheep would do nothing, and he could handle archer and his mom no problem, especially with O'Brien backing him.

These "people living without technology" stories always annoy me. Unless they're digging up grubs and roots with their bare hands and sleeping in caves without wearing clothes at any time they are using technology. A flint axe is technology. They've (or just her in this case) picked some arbitrary level of technology and decided not to go further than that.

Oh god, this episode.... I loathe this episode for so many reasons... First, it's the dumb 'Return to Nature, reject technology!' crap I can't stand as if somehow toiling away breaking your back and suffering from heatstroke is somehow a more enlightened way to live. Mind it's not as bad as the Bakkuu from the movies, but still just...gah I hate the idea that rejecting modern living is somehow better. And second, is the villain...I hate her. She is smug, condescending, murderous, self-righteous.....and she fucking wins in the end! She has broken these people so much they accept the lives she *forced* upon them, and let's not forget, she KILLED and TORTURED people to protect her power and way of life. But no, they have a 'community'. As if a community is incompatible with having a fucking toilet and proper medical supplies so you don't fall over dead the next time a bug stings you. And again, she TORTURED people, she stuck Sisko in a fucking hotbox, and she leaves the show with this smug look of superiority on her face as her cult agrees to everything she said. I wish the ending was Sisko having to hold the village from tearing her apart while one of them grabbed her books and lit them on fire. If you want them to stay there fine, but have them agree to Federation Supplies so they stop dying of the most easily treatable diseases known to man!

Cassandra (different character though) was on the bridge of Enterprise D during Arsenal of Freedom

Honestly as far as the refusal to remove the hotbox makes sense as far Sidko's character, at least to me. He might be clever and able of approaching problems sideways, but he also is a stubborn bastard who has a history of obsessive behavior. Kind of like a dog who refuses to let go of something and willing to die on hills he feels strongly on. As far as the people, dear Lord do they need help. There should have been a ship full of psychologists and doctors being dispatched to that community to come check on these people.

Obi Ndefo who played in the star trek voyager episode " blink of an eye" and played Rak'nor on SG1 passed at the young age of 51 😢

From the 45 48 or 48 45 ranges... Wonder if they asked if they sold a 47 47 one

Cults gonna cult i guess even in star trek 🤔 Thanks for another great review 😁👍

Did they find Paradise 🤔

In the Midwest USA, we call those boxes gayloards. Why? No clue. But you're right on the money about the pallet being on top. They do have versions with lids, but the lids don't look like that. Oh! You can find used ones for pretty cheap. There is a version to hold liquid that I got for $50 USD used that I use to collect rain runoff.

I feel like I’ve seen this episode a weekish ago.

If Star Trek has taught me anything; don't rely on Archer.

"I Was a Fugitive From a Chain Gang" had punishment huts before Cool Hand Luke. Not that it matters, I was just trying to trace punishment huts in movies. Also Alixis kidnapped Christopher Ewing on Dallas. I recognized her from her weird, whispery voice.

You are incorrect in your assessment, by complying Sisko would have strengthened her position

Soooo are you going to do this with Babylon 5 because if so yes please

I would absolutely *LOVE* to see you review Babylon 5.

That woman was crazy....

Since Sexy Eye Candy already came up on the first spin, I now suggest “Crater Face” !!! My apologies for my tardiness.

Given the general cult-ness and and the reliative amount of evidence that this was all planned I could never userstand why they didn't rapidly consider either just disapearing in the night or generally choosing violence (removing the head of the cult would probebly have made them a lot less culty)

I think these people might need a follow-up by a second contact ship...

So there is a device which suppresses most, if not all, Federation tech. I hope no enemies get a hold of such a device. Imagine what might happen if, say, the Klingons, with their love of melee weapons turned on the Federation and used this to attack a base. But such a scenarion would never happen, right?

Really don't like this episode due to the ending: an awful villain won whilst the episode sort of implies she was right and that a low tech life where people died of preventable disease and she ruled as a dictator was a good life.

This episode just pissed me off. She got off way too lightly. People died because of her actions and they just keep going like nothing happened.

If you believe people gluing themselves on roads is questionable - watch Luddite extremism! 😉😅😇

"many scientists were sympathetic" she probably neglected to mention to said scientists that she'd sabotage a ship and let people die slow painful deaths

The archer looks like Shane from the Walking Dead

This is one of my favorite pre dominion war episodes

She was also in Rambo II

I would have stayed. If Michael Buchman Silver as Vinod is what the perfect society can produce, sign me up to the cult.

Imo after Sisco sent in his report starfleet they sent another megashuttle to check in and bring them medicine

Did they lose Paradise?

Julia Nixon was also Rambos contact in First Blood pt 2 back in 86, I'm pretty sure she guested in an ep of TNG too but I'm too lazy to look that one up.

Planet Amish was great! Wait, Did M Night write this before or after the Village?

Sisko and O'Brien are representing Star Fleet. The truth is Alixa was wrong. To bend is to enable the lie. If there WAS no escape, would the box be that scary? Gene hated DS9 for being about a war, i like it again for fighting to keep the unrealistic peace. She had a marksman, but she optioned the box. Let Sisko die, a maurter is born. Fire with fire. It seems stupid, but Sisko is a beliver that humanity is better, not worse. Rage, rage, do not go quietly into the night.

So is Cassandra ensign Zhu from episode of TNG where Jordi still in red takes command? Clarification: from the good tea nice house episode

I can eat 50 eggs!

In retrospect this episode feels like an allegory for extreme climate activists.

I am seriously considering skipping this one... too much drama.

I hated this episode so much. It's like the writers wrote a socialist vilian, realized they portrayed socialism negatively and was like.....hopefully no one will notice

Oh also comprimising does not maie them less likely ro make an example of new people they just frame it as "still not fully believing in it"

46 seconds and one view, homie falling off