Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Our Man Bashir Rewatch
February 3, 2016 5:08 PM - Season 4, Episode 10 - Subscribe
A transporter accident replaces the characters in Bashir's secret agent holosuite program with the physical forms of the station's senior staff.
All items from the Memory Alpha page on the episode.
Quotes :
"I work for one of the nation-states of this era, Great Britain, which is battling various other nations in what is called the Cold War. This apartment, my clothes, weapons, even my valet were provided to me by my government."
"I think I joined the wrong intelligence service."
-Bashir and Garak
"I am afraid I don't believe you'll pull that trigger."
"I wouldn't be so sure about that."
"It's time to face reality, Doctor. You're a man who dreams of being a hero because you know, deep down, that you're not. I'm no hero either, but I do know how to make a choice, and I'm choosing to save myself."
- Garak and Bashir as Bashir threatens to shoot Garak if he tries to exit the holosuite
Trivia :
* The producers were very wary of doing a "holodeck malfunction" story due to the number of times it had been done on The Next Generation, but writer Bob Gillan's pitch was so unique (using the transporter to 'store' the patterns of the crew in the holodeck matrix) that the producers decided it could make a good episode. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion)
* Most Deep Space Nine episodes shoot in seven days, with the occasional episode here and there taking eight. "Our Man Bashir" took nine (with 23 October 1995 being the seventh day of shooting), and according to producer Steve Oster, it had the longest production of any single episode. The main reasons for this were elaborate stunts that took time to set up and reshoot after a take and a large number of complex sets, many of which presented their own unique problems. For example, when the crew arrived to begin shooting in Dr. Noah's lair, they immediately saw that the backdrop of the Himalayan Mountains had mountains with no snow on them, and as such, it had to be taken down and sent to the scenic crew to add snow, all of which, Oster points out, costs time and money. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion)
* Although Ronald D. Moore attempted to avoid directly referencing any of his primary influences, it seems that some names and situations skated a little too close for comfort. After this episode aired, the producers got an angry letter from MGM, the studio which holds the rights to the James Bond property. The DS9 Companion doesn't reveal the content of the letter other than to say, "apparently MGM did not find imitation to be the sincerest form of flattery." As such, in the fifth season episode "A Simple Investigation", which returns to Bashir's holonovel, the references to Bond are far more subtle. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion)
* This is one of Nana Visitor's favorite Deep Space Nine episodes; "it was so much fun, that show was a joy to do. How many times, you know, is it a necessity to do a bad Russian accent? I was in heaven. It was ideal for me. And to come out of a wall in a round bed? It just doesn't get better than that." (Hidden File 03, DS9 Season 4 DVD special features)
* The fifth season episode "A Simple Investigation" indicated that Bashir continued to enjoy the Julian Bashir, Secret Agent series of holonovels. By the time of "Investigation", however, Bashir had involved other members of the senior staff in his fandom. In that episode, various members of the senior staff are shown to be volunteering to play various roles in one of Felix's follow-ups to the adventure seen in "Our Man Bashir". However, O'Brien is less than enthusiastic at having to play Falcon "again".
* This episode was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Hairstyling for a Series (along with VOY: "Persistence of Vision") and Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Jay Chattaway).
All items from the Memory Alpha page on the episode.
Quotes :
"I work for one of the nation-states of this era, Great Britain, which is battling various other nations in what is called the Cold War. This apartment, my clothes, weapons, even my valet were provided to me by my government."
"I think I joined the wrong intelligence service."
-Bashir and Garak
"I am afraid I don't believe you'll pull that trigger."
"I wouldn't be so sure about that."
"It's time to face reality, Doctor. You're a man who dreams of being a hero because you know, deep down, that you're not. I'm no hero either, but I do know how to make a choice, and I'm choosing to save myself."
- Garak and Bashir as Bashir threatens to shoot Garak if he tries to exit the holosuite
Trivia :
* The producers were very wary of doing a "holodeck malfunction" story due to the number of times it had been done on The Next Generation, but writer Bob Gillan's pitch was so unique (using the transporter to 'store' the patterns of the crew in the holodeck matrix) that the producers decided it could make a good episode. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion)
* Most Deep Space Nine episodes shoot in seven days, with the occasional episode here and there taking eight. "Our Man Bashir" took nine (with 23 October 1995 being the seventh day of shooting), and according to producer Steve Oster, it had the longest production of any single episode. The main reasons for this were elaborate stunts that took time to set up and reshoot after a take and a large number of complex sets, many of which presented their own unique problems. For example, when the crew arrived to begin shooting in Dr. Noah's lair, they immediately saw that the backdrop of the Himalayan Mountains had mountains with no snow on them, and as such, it had to be taken down and sent to the scenic crew to add snow, all of which, Oster points out, costs time and money. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion)
* Although Ronald D. Moore attempted to avoid directly referencing any of his primary influences, it seems that some names and situations skated a little too close for comfort. After this episode aired, the producers got an angry letter from MGM, the studio which holds the rights to the James Bond property. The DS9 Companion doesn't reveal the content of the letter other than to say, "apparently MGM did not find imitation to be the sincerest form of flattery." As such, in the fifth season episode "A Simple Investigation", which returns to Bashir's holonovel, the references to Bond are far more subtle. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion)
* This is one of Nana Visitor's favorite Deep Space Nine episodes; "it was so much fun, that show was a joy to do. How many times, you know, is it a necessity to do a bad Russian accent? I was in heaven. It was ideal for me. And to come out of a wall in a round bed? It just doesn't get better than that." (Hidden File 03, DS9 Season 4 DVD special features)
* The fifth season episode "A Simple Investigation" indicated that Bashir continued to enjoy the Julian Bashir, Secret Agent series of holonovels. By the time of "Investigation", however, Bashir had involved other members of the senior staff in his fandom. In that episode, various members of the senior staff are shown to be volunteering to play various roles in one of Felix's follow-ups to the adventure seen in "Our Man Bashir". However, O'Brien is less than enthusiastic at having to play Falcon "again".
* This episode was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Hairstyling for a Series (along with VOY: "Persistence of Vision") and Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Jay Chattaway).
I don't know how they were able to write a music score that is both Bond evocative and feels completely Star Trek, but they did. It's a marvel of composition.
In the 90s, I'd say my two biggest fandoms were Trek and Bond, so this episode was invented for me. It's so clever in the way it services both the homage and the DS9 story/characters.
posted by crossoverman at 5:45 PM on February 3, 2016 [2 favorites]
In the 90s, I'd say my two biggest fandoms were Trek and Bond, so this episode was invented for me. It's so clever in the way it services both the homage and the DS9 story/characters.
posted by crossoverman at 5:45 PM on February 3, 2016 [2 favorites]
I think that Garak was goading Bashir into shooting him, because he wanted Bashir to stop him from leaving the holodeck. Garak often seems caught between doing the smart and/or safe thing and doing the right thing, and particularly when he seems driven toward the smart/safe thing, he can get a bit nasty. There's also the element of his yet-to-be-revealed claustrophobia, which might be triggered by a malfunctioning holodeck; I don't know how far in advance the producers were thinking of this, but it kind of works here.
In general, this is a great episode. Avery Brooks, in particular, seems to be having a blast, and I can believe that Sisko is one of the officers who volunteers to come back.
posted by Halloween Jack at 7:59 PM on February 3, 2016 [4 favorites]
In general, this is a great episode. Avery Brooks, in particular, seems to be having a blast, and I can believe that Sisko is one of the officers who volunteers to come back.
posted by Halloween Jack at 7:59 PM on February 3, 2016 [4 favorites]
"I work for one of the nation-states of this era, Great Britain, which is battling various other nations in what is called the Cold War. This apartment, my clothes, weapons, even my valet were provided to me by my government."
"I think I joined the wrong intelligence service."
-Bashir and Garak
I always liked that exchange. Garak is always so cagey; you can never pin him down. What's his true past? I feel like he's so surprised that Bashir's employers would set him up with so much luxury that he's a little jealous and, for once, drops the cloak and says what he really means. Maybe, just this one time, the traditional Cardassian way wasn't the best way. I like to think this helped opened Garak's mind a little which pays off later in the Dominion War arc.
posted by Servo5678 at 7:13 AM on February 4, 2016 [2 favorites]
"I think I joined the wrong intelligence service."
-Bashir and Garak
I always liked that exchange. Garak is always so cagey; you can never pin him down. What's his true past? I feel like he's so surprised that Bashir's employers would set him up with so much luxury that he's a little jealous and, for once, drops the cloak and says what he really means. Maybe, just this one time, the traditional Cardassian way wasn't the best way. I like to think this helped opened Garak's mind a little which pays off later in the Dominion War arc.
posted by Servo5678 at 7:13 AM on February 4, 2016 [2 favorites]
This is the first time that Rom gets to save the day, right? The tech crisis is so farfetched and silly in this one, that Rom solving the problem doesn't seem any less ridiculous than anything else going on. But it's also a big step towards his contributions to the war effort.
posted by Banknote of the year at 1:27 PM on February 4, 2016
posted by Banknote of the year at 1:27 PM on February 4, 2016
He came up with the technobabble solution to get them out of 1940's Roswell. And I feel like there have been other smaller victories before - like diverting some of the Nagus' money back to the bar when the Nagus was whammied by the Prophets.
Couldn't really get into this episode. I get such a visceral Do Not Want reaction whenever they have Bashir in ladies' man mode, so the cold open put me off, as did the 'Honey Bare' stuff. I normally love the Garak/Bashir scenes, oh well.
posted by oh yeah! at 2:23 PM on February 4, 2016 [2 favorites]
Couldn't really get into this episode. I get such a visceral Do Not Want reaction whenever they have Bashir in ladies' man mode, so the cold open put me off, as did the 'Honey Bare' stuff. I normally love the Garak/Bashir scenes, oh well.
posted by oh yeah! at 2:23 PM on February 4, 2016 [2 favorites]
Of all the Bonds for Julian to cosplay, he picks Roger Moore.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 2:42 PM on February 4, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 2:42 PM on February 4, 2016 [2 favorites]
Oh yeah!, those are kind of surprising reasons to dislike the episode. Bashir is only a ladies' man here in a James Bond holodeck fantasy, and it's a brief scene at that. And if Honey Bare bothers you, actual Bond movies must give you dry heaves! I actually thought the sexy dame names here were a little too tame, compared to the truly ridiculous names in the movies. But at the same time Star Trek is Star Trek, and it would seem super sexist and gross to have a name like Pussy Galore in there.
I think he's supposed to be more of a Connery Bond, or a composite of all of them. Everything is kind of 1965.
posted by Ursula Hitler at 2:46 PM on February 4, 2016
I think he's supposed to be more of a Connery Bond, or a composite of all of them. Everything is kind of 1965.
posted by Ursula Hitler at 2:46 PM on February 4, 2016
It's also another episode where smoking plays a key role in setting the tone.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 3:09 PM on February 4, 2016
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 3:09 PM on February 4, 2016
I actually thought the sexy dame names here were a little too tame, compared to the truly ridiculous names in the movies.
I'm still mildly astonished that Albert Broccoli got away with naming a movie Octopussy.
posted by Halloween Jack at 11:35 AM on February 5, 2016 [2 favorites]
I'm still mildly astonished that Albert Broccoli got away with naming a movie Octopussy.
posted by Halloween Jack at 11:35 AM on February 5, 2016 [2 favorites]
Avery Brooks makes such a great Bond villain.
Damn, can you imagine?
At one point he has this freaky, barking laugh, just one HA!, out of nowhere, and it's just the best.
HA!
I think Garak would like Le Carre. Or maybe The Sandbaggers.
posted by the man of twists and turns at 9:01 PM on September 8, 2016 [2 favorites]
Damn, can you imagine?
At one point he has this freaky, barking laugh, just one HA!, out of nowhere, and it's just the best.
HA!
I think Garak would like Le Carre. Or maybe The Sandbaggers.
posted by the man of twists and turns at 9:01 PM on September 8, 2016 [2 favorites]
Avery Brooks makes such a great Bond villain. At one point he has this freaky, barking laugh, just one HA!, out of nowhere, and it's just the best.
I just rewatched this and when I heard that "HA!" I thought, is this the role Avery Brooks was born to play? I wish he'd come back over and over like Moriarty on TNG.
posted by showbiz_liz at 6:10 PM on November 24, 2020 [1 favorite]
I just rewatched this and when I heard that "HA!" I thought, is this the role Avery Brooks was born to play? I wish he'd come back over and over like Moriarty on TNG.
posted by showbiz_liz at 6:10 PM on November 24, 2020 [1 favorite]
After finding Little Green Men to be extremely meh, I enjoyed this far, far more than I should have.
If nothing else, this episode is a veritable goldmine of incredulous comments from Garak:
Another decorator's nightmare. This era had a distinct lack of taste.
posted by schmod at 7:32 PM on March 14, 2021 [2 favorites]
If nothing else, this episode is a veritable goldmine of incredulous comments from Garak:
Another decorator's nightmare. This era had a distinct lack of taste.
posted by schmod at 7:32 PM on March 14, 2021 [2 favorites]
I know this episode is just goofing around, but something sticks out enough for me to comment...
Maybe Skeletor in Worf's workout video plays for keeps and maybe the guns do shoot real bullets. I think that's bad, but here in this James Bond video game, there are giant earth-penetrating lasers that not only can work, but it's part of the game that they do turn on? And then the room fills with real lava? And I suppose all you have to do is say "Computer, turn off the safety!"
People, do you not realize that this thing malfunctions all the time, or it gets hacked by aliens, or whatever? It nearly destroyed the Enterprise at least once a year. Where is the government oversight?
posted by polecat at 11:20 PM on February 14 [1 favorite]
Maybe Skeletor in Worf's workout video plays for keeps and maybe the guns do shoot real bullets. I think that's bad, but here in this James Bond video game, there are giant earth-penetrating lasers that not only can work, but it's part of the game that they do turn on? And then the room fills with real lava? And I suppose all you have to do is say "Computer, turn off the safety!"
People, do you not realize that this thing malfunctions all the time, or it gets hacked by aliens, or whatever? It nearly destroyed the Enterprise at least once a year. Where is the government oversight?
posted by polecat at 11:20 PM on February 14 [1 favorite]
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Avery Brooks makes such a great Bond villain. At one point he has this freaky, barking laugh, just one HA!, out of nowhere, and it's just the best. I love his reaction after his fiendish plot succeeds too. ("Somehow, I didn't expect to win...")
I'd forgotten how tense things got between Bashir and Garak in this one. The root of the disagreement is quite true to their characters, but Garak telling Bashir that Bashir's not a hero (and knows it) is harsh and pretty obviously untrue. Bashir's a Star Trek character, he's always saving the day! That's what they do. It's also not great strategy on Garak's part, it almost seems like he's goading Bashir to shoot him. So Garak's lines in that scene are questionable, but otherwise he is a delight in this one with his incredulous, snarky take on all this campy, make believe spy stuff. For a spy who has seen and done the kind of things Garak has seen and done, Bond would indeed probably be the weirdest, silliest goddamned thing.
posted by Ursula Hitler at 5:28 PM on February 3, 2016 [3 favorites]