Equilibrium (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)

Last updated
"Equilibrium"
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode
Episode no.Season 3
Episode 4
Directed by Cliff Bole
Story byChristopher Teague
Teleplay by René Echevarria
Featured music Jay Chattaway
Production code450
Original air dateOctober 17, 1994 (1994-10-17)
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
← Previous
"The House of Quark"		Next →
"Second Skin"
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 3
List of episodes

"Equilibrium" is the 50th episode of the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , the fourth episode of the third season.

Contents

Set in the 24th century, the series follows the adventures on Deep Space Nine, a space station located near a stable wormhole between the Alpha and Gamma quadrants of the Milky Way Galaxy, near the planet Bajor. This episode is centered on the Station Ops crew, with several guest stars. It focuses on the Trill character Jadzia Dax and the mysterious occurrences that begin to happen to her. It also further explores the Trill alien species, especially the nature of their "symbionts".

It achieved a Nielsen rating of 7.4, which is an estimated percentage of viewership out of the total number of U.S. households. [1] [2] It originally aired in broadcast syndication on October 17, 1994. [3]

Background

The Trill aliens were introduced on Star Trek: The Next Generation on May 11, 1991, with the episode "The Host". "The Host" was directed by Marvin V. Rush and written by Michel Horvat. They return as one of the prime characters of Deep Space Nine, with Jadzia Dax. Dax is a symbiotic lifeform that is implanted in a living host. The symbiont has the memories of all of its previous hosts, this provides an emotional bonding of personalities linking host and symbiont and can lead to interesting social situations. On Deep Space Nine, Jadzia Dax is a joined Trill (not all Trill have a symbiont - they are rare) and many episodes explore the situation; major Trill episodes prior to "Equilibrium" include "Dax" (S1E8), "Invasive Procedures" (S2E4), and "Blood Oath" (S2E18).

Plot

At a dinner party, Jadzia Dax toys with a piano and finds herself playing an unfamiliar tune despite having no musical training in this life nor in her previous ones. Later, she experiences odd mood swings and hallucinations of a masked figure. Bashir finds that these symptoms are linked to her symbiont. According to Dax's medical history, a previous host experienced similar symptoms when he went into a six-month coma. Sisko and Bashir take Dax back to her homeworld, where Doctor Renhol of the Trill Symbiosis Commission stabilizes Dax's symptoms. However, Dax suffers a relapse and experiences a new hallucination of Trill hospital guards in century-old uniforms accosting her. Frustrated, Sisko, Bashir, and Dax visit the caves where unjoined symbionts are spawned to consult the caretakers. A caretaker there believes that Dax's problems stem from memories of one of her symbiont's previous hosts.

Sisko and Bashir identify the musical tune Dax heard in her hallucinations as a composition by a Trill named Joran Belar. When Dax sees his photograph, she experiences another hallucination of the masked man murdering someone, and when she rips off his mask she sees Joran's face. She then goes into neural shock and is hospitalized. Doctor Renhol plans to remove the Dax symbiont, which will kill the host Jadzia. Sisko and Bashir revisit the spawning caves, but the caretaker there has been scared into keeping quiet. Bashir finds that the Trill government deleted information on Joran Belar from its records. However, they manage to contact Joran's brother, Yolad, who says that Joran was a candidate for being joined with a symbiont. According to the official report, Joran was rejected due to his violent temper and murdered the doctor who evaluated him, and was then killed by hospital security. However, Yolad doubts this story, because he remembers Joran telling him that he had been successfully joined. Sisko and Bashir deduce that Joran was one of Dax's previous hosts, and to cover this up Joran's files were altered and Dax's memories of him were suppressed.

Sisko and Bashir confront Doctor Renhol, and accuse her of letting Jadzia die in order to protect an even bigger secret. The Trill government claims that only one in a thousand Trill are physically and psychologically fit to be joined with a symbiont. If a symbiont is placed in an unfit host, both host and symbiont will die within days. Joran's psychological problems should have disqualified him, but the doctors failed to detect them and gave him a symbiont. By the time the doctors discovered their mistake, Joran had been carrying the symbiont for six months despite being "unfit". This proves that the official criteria for fitness are excessively stringent. Renhol admits that nearly half of all Trill are in fact fit to carry symbionts, but if the truth came out the small supply of symbionts would be fought over fiercely, jeopardizing their welfare and destabilizing Trill society. To prevent this, the government pretends that only a tiny minority of the Trill population are fit to be joined so as to lower the demand for symbionts to a manageable level.

The only way to stabilize Dax's mind would be to allow her suppressed memories of Joran to resurface. Sisko threatens to expose the secret if Jadzia dies, so Renhol agrees to remove the memory blocks. Dax recovers and must come to terms with her disturbing new memories.

Arc significance

Release

The episode was released on June 3, 2003 in North America as part of the season 3 DVD box set. [4] This episode was released in 2017 on DVD with the complete series box set, which had 176 episodes on 48 discs. [5]

On July 6, 1999 it was released on LaserDisc in the United States, paired with "House of Quark". [6]

The episode was released with "The House of Quark" on a VHS cassette. [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Worf</span> Fictional character from Star Trek

Worf, son of Mogh is a fictional character in the Star Trek franchise, portrayed by actor Michael Dorn. He appears in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG), seasons four through seven of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (DS9), and the third and final season of Star Trek: Picard, as well as the feature films Star Trek Generations (1994), Star Trek: First Contact (1996), Star Trek: Insurrection (1998), and Star Trek: Nemesis (2002).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benjamin Sisko</span> Character from TV series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Benjamin Lafayette Sisko is a fictional character in the Star Trek franchise portrayed by Avery Brooks. He was the main character of the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (DS9), which was originally broadcast between 1993 and 1999. The character has also appeared in various books, comics, and video games within the Star Trek franchise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jadzia Dax</span> Fictional character

Jadzia Dax, played by Terry Farrell, is a fictional character from the science-fiction television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ezri Dax</span> Fictional Character

Ezri Dax is a fictional character who appears in the seventh and final season of the American science fiction TV series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Portrayed by Nicole de Boer, she is a counselor aboard the Bajoran space station Deep Space Nine. The character is a member of the Trill species, and is formed of both a host and a symbiont—referred to as Dax. Ezri was introduced to the series following the death of the previous Dax host, Jadzia at the end of season six. The producers made the decision that the new symbiont bearer would be female in order to ensure that Nana Visitor was not the only female member of the main cast. There were initial difficulties in casting, and the character changed from one intended to be "spooky" to one struggling to deal with all her previous personalities, having taken on the Dax symbiont without the usual preparation. De Boer was not considered for the part until co-producer Hans Beimler suggested that she submit an audition tape, which resulted in her meeting the producers in Los Angeles and subsequently gaining the role.

"Melora" is the 26th episode of the American syndicated science fiction television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the sixth episode of the second season.

"Facets" is the 71st episode of the American syndicated science fiction television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the 25th and penultimate episode of the third season, originally airing June 12, 1995.

"Invasive Procedures" is the 24th episode of the American syndicated science fiction television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. It is the fourth episode of the second season.

"Dax" is the eighth episode of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rejoined</span> 5th episode of the 4th season of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

"Rejoined" is the 78th episode of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the fifth of the fourth season. It originally aired on October 30, 1995, in broadcast syndication. The episode received a record volume of feedback from viewers for the series, both positive and negative, as it marked one of the first televised lesbian kisses.

"Playing God" is the 37th episode of the science fiction television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. It is the 17th episode of the second season. "Playing God" aired on syndicated television starting on February 26, 1994.

"Field of Fire" is the 163rd episode of the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the 13th episode of the seventh season. The episode first aired the week of February 8, 1999, and was written by Robert Hewitt Wolfe and directed by Tony Dow.

"'Til Death Do Us Part" is the 168th episode of the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. This episode first aired the week of April 12, 1999 on syndicated television.

"Image in the Sand" is the 151st episode of the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the opening episode for the series' seventh and final season. It was first aired the week of September 28, 1998.

"Past Tense" is a two-part episode from the third season of science fiction television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the 57th and 58th episodes overall and the last episode to air before the premiere of its spinoff, Star Trek: Voyager. It is also the first episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine to not feature any scenes on the DS9 space station, except for the opening credits.

"Fascination" is the tenth episode of season three of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the 56th episode overall.

"Tears of the Prophets" is the 26th and final episode of the sixth season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the 150th episode overall. It was first broadcast in broadcast syndication in the United States the week of June 15, 1998. It was written by Ira Steven Behr and Hans Beimler, and directed by Allan Kroeker. The episode featured the death of the character Jadzia Dax and the final appearance on the series of actress Terry Farrell.

"Shadows and Symbols" is the second episode of the seventh season of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the 152nd overall, premiering the week of October 5, 1998. The episode's premiere received Nielsen ratings of 4.2 points corresponding to over 4.1 million viewers. This episode was written by Ira Steven Behr and Hans Beimler, and directed by Allan Kroeker.

Afterimage (<i>Star Trek: Deep Space Nine</i>) 3rd episode of the 7th season of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

"Afterimage" is the 153rd episode of the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the third episode of the seventh season, written by René Echevarria and directed by Les Landau. It was first broadcast the week of October 12, 1998, receiving Nielsen ratings of 4.3 points corresponding to about 4.3 million viewers.

"Change of Heart" is the 16th episode of the sixth season of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the 140th episode overall. The episode was written by Ronald D. Moore and directed by David Livingston; it aired in broadcast syndication the week of February 28, 1998.

References

  1. ↑ "WebTrek - Star Trek: Deep Space Nine * SEASON 3 NIELSEN RATINGS". users.telenet.be. Archived from the original on 2019-05-12. Retrieved 2018-11-07.
  2. ↑ "Nielsen TV Ratings and How Data is Collected". The Balance Careers. Retrieved 2018-11-07.
  3. ↑ Zach Handlen (2012). "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: "The House Of Quark"/"Equilibrium"". The A.V. Club . Retrieved 2021-04-20.
  4. ↑ "TrekToday - DS9 Season 3 DVD Details Released" . Retrieved 2021-02-19.
  5. ↑ TrekNews net Staff (2017-02-10). "[REVIEW] Deep Space Nine Complete Series DVD Box Set". TREKNEWS.NET. Retrieved 2021-02-19.
  6. ↑ "LaserDisc Database - Star Trek DS9 #049/50: the House of Quark/Equilibrium [LV 40510-449]". www.lddb.com. Retrieved 2021-02-19.
  7. ↑ "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Vol. 3.2 - The House of Quark/Equilibr". www.videocollector.co.uk. Retrieved 2021-02-19.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.