Life Support (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)

Last updated

"Life Support"
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode
Episode no.Season 3
Episode 13
Directed by Reza Badiyi
Story by
Teleplay by Ronald D. Moore
Featured music Dennis McCarthy
Cinematography byJonathan West
Production code459
Original air dateJanuary 30, 1995 (1995-01-30)
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
 Previous
"Past Tense, Part II"
Next 
"Heart of Stone"
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (season 3)
List of episodes

"Life Support" is the 59th episode of the syndicated American science fiction television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , the 13th episode of the third season and the first episode to air following the premiere of its spinoff, Star Trek: Voyager .

Contents

Set in the 24th century, the series follows the adventures on Deep Space Nine, a space station near the planet Bajor, as the Bajorans recover from a brutal, decades-long occupation by the imperialistic Cardassians. In this episode, Vedek Bareil (Philip Anglim), a Bajoran cleric who is the lover of Deep Space Nine's first officer Kira Nerys (Nana Visitor), is severely injured during pivotal negotiations with the Cardassians.

Plot

A ship carrying Vedek Bareil and the Bajoran spiritual leader Kai Winn (Louise Fletcher) to Deep Space Nine for peace negotiations with the Cardassians suffers a mishap, and Bareil is left gravely injured. Dr. Bashir (Alexander Siddig) finds that Bareil is braindead and tries to console Kira.

During the autopsy, Bashir discovers that Bareil's nervous system still shows signs of activity. He manages to revive Bareil by regenerating his brain. Kai Winn is pleased and wants Bareil to continue managing the negotiations, given his greater experience and diplomatic skill.

Bashir soon discovers that the revival is damaging Bareil's internal organs. He advises Bareil to go into stasis so that Bashir can find a solution, but Bareil refuses; he insists that he must finish the negotiations and create peace for his people. Bashir considers giving Bareil the experimental drug Vasokin, which would increase the blood flow to his organs and allow him to resume negotiations, but would ultimately damage his internal organs further.

The talks resume, but Bareil's condition continues to deteriorate, especially with Kai Winn continuing to probe him for advice when he should be recovering. Eventually, the Vasokin treatments begin to inflict brain damage, and Bareil falls unconscious again. Winn insists on keeping Bareil alive at all costs; Bashir accuses her of only wanting him alive so he can be a scapegoat in case the negotiations fail.

Bashir replaces the damaged part of Bareil's brain with a positronic matrix. The surgery is a success, but Bareil is still severely brain-damaged with a life expectancy of only a few months, just enough time to possibly conclude his negotiations with the Cardassians. Kira speaks with him, but he barely recognises her and is no longer the man she fell in love with.

Bareil is kept alive long enough to aid in completing the negotiations, and the treaty is signed between Bajor and Cardassia. As Bareil's condition worsens, Kira asks Bashir to replace the remainder of his damaged brain with positronic matrices, but Bashir refuses on the grounds that it will remove any 'spark of life' that Bareil has left. Winn agrees that it is time to allow Bareil to die. The episode closes with Kira at Bareil's bedside, recounting for a slowly dying Bareil how she first fell in love with him.

In a side plot, Jake Sisko (Cirroc Lofton) must confront his Ferengi friend Nog (Aron Eisenberg)'s misogynist attitudes toward women and dating.

Reception

Reviewing the episode for Tor.com in 2013, Keith R.A. DeCandido gave the episode a rating of 5 out of 10; he praised the performances of Siddig, Fletcher, and Visitor and the dynamics developed between their characters, but found Anglim's performance as Bareil "wooden", and the side plot involving Jake and Nog "out of place". [1] Zack Handlen, reviewing the episode for The A.V. Club in 2012, praised the episode's commitment to taking Bareil's death seriously, and appreciated the character development it illustrated for Winn and Bashir, but found the contrast between the main plot and the side plot "grating" and "inane", and criticized the side plot in that Jake was encouraged to condone Nog's misogyny. [2]

In 2018, SyFy recommend this episode for its abbreviated watch guide for the character Kira Nerys. [3] In 2020, io9 listed this as one of the "must-watch" episodes of the series. [4]

Releases

This episode was released on VHS paired with "Heart of Stone". [5]

It was released on LaserDisc in the United States on October 26, 1999, paired with "Heart of Stone". [6] The disc was 12 inches with both sides used giving a runtime of 92 minutes, in NTSC format. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bajoran</span> Fictional extraterrestrial species from Star Trek

The Bajorans are a fictional species in the science-fiction Star Trek franchise. They are a humanoid extraterrestrial species native to the planet Bajor, who have a long-standing enmity with the Cardassians, owing to decades of subjugation under a military dictatorship which saw many of their species enslaved or forced into exile away from their homeworld. They were first introduced in the 1991 episode "Ensign Ro" of Star Trek: The Next Generation, and subsequently were a pivotal element of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and also appeared in Star Trek: Voyager.

Dukat (<i>Star Trek</i>) Fictional character from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Dukat is a fictional character from the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. A member of the fictional Cardassian species, he is introduced as the former overseer of the series' namesake space station but goes on to become the leader of his species' governing body, the Cardassian Union. At times an enemy while at others an ally of Benjamin Sisko, Dukat appears in 35 of the series' 176 episodes. He was portrayed by Marc Alaimo throughout. Dukat became a fan favorite among Star Trek fans and he is widely considered to be one of the most iconic villains in the Star Trek franchise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kira Nerys</span> Fictional humanoid in the TV Series Star Trek Deep Space Nine

Kira Nerys is a fictional character in the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993–1999). She was played by actress Nana Visitor. The character is from the fictional planet Bajor, a world which has recently emerged from a brutal foreign occupation. She was a member of the resistance, and the decades-long conflict has left her tough and uncompromising, but she is sustained by her strong faith in traditional Bajoran religion. She has been assigned to Deep Space Nine, a space station jointly operated by the United Federation of Planets and the new provisional Bajoran government, where she serves as second in command as well as the ranking representative of her people.

"In the Hands of the Prophets" is the twentieth and final episode of the first season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Written by Robert Hewitt Wolfe and directed by David Livingston, the episode originally aired in broadcast syndication during the week of June 21, 1993.

Second Skin (<i>Star Trek: Deep Space Nine</i>) 5th episode of the 3rd season of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

"Second Skin" is the 51st episode of the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the fifth episode of the third season.

"The Circle" is the 22nd episode of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. It is the second in a three-part story arc, and also the second episode of the second season.

"The Siege" is the 23rd episode of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. It is the third in a three-part story arc, and the third episode of the second season.

"Progress" is the 15th episode of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

"The Collaborator" is the 44th episode of the science fiction television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the 24th episode of the second season.

"Indiscretion" is the 77th episode of the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and the fourth episode of the fourth season.

"When it Rains..." is the 171st episode of the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the fifth of the final nine-episode arc of the series. This episode was directed by Michael Dorn and written by Rene Echevarria. It was first aired in broadcast syndication on May 3, 1999.

"Things Past" is the 106th episode of the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the eighth episode of the fifth season.

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

"Shakaar" is the 70th episode of the science fiction television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the 24th episode of the third season. It was first broadcast on May 22, 1995.

Rocks and Shoals (<i>Star Trek: Deep Space Nine</i>) 2nd episode of the 6th season of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

"Rocks and Shoals" is the 126th episode of the syndicated American science fiction television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the second episode of the sixth season's opening six-episode story arc, beginning shortly after the events of the previous episode.

"Accession" is the 89th episode of the syndicated American science fiction television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the 17th episode of the fourth season.

"Ties of Blood and Water" is an episode of the syndicated American science fiction television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the nineteenth episode of the fifth season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deep Space Nine (fictional space station)</span> Fictional space station in Star Trek

Deep Space Nine is a fictional space station, the eponymous primary setting of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine which aired from 1993 to 1999. It serves as a base for the exploration of the Gamma Quadrant via the Bajoran wormhole and is a hub of trade and travel for the sector's denizens. It is run by a joint crew of Starfleet and Bajoran officers and it is the home port of a number of Starfleet runabouts, as well as the starship USS Defiant.

References

  1. DeCandido, Keith R.A. (December 4, 2013). "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Rewatch: "Life Support"". Tor.com. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
  2. Handlen, Zack (October 18, 2012). "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: "Life Support"/"Heart Of Stone"". The A.V. Club . Retrieved February 20, 2021.
  3. Krishna, Swapna (January 16, 2018). "A binge-watching guide to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's Kira Nerys". SYFY WIRE. Archived from the original on July 23, 2019. Retrieved January 9, 2020.
  4. "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's Must-Watch Episodes". Gizmodo. April 22, 2020. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
  5. "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Vol. 3.7 - Life Support/Heart of Stone". www.videocollector.co.uk. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
  6. 1 2 "LaserDisc Database - Star Trek DS9 #059/60: Life Support/Heart of Stone [LV 40510-459]". www.lddb.com. Retrieved February 20, 2021.