#captive pursuit

[walkingstackofbooks]

Definitely feels like a security breach that Tosk can just ask the computer "Show me where the weapons are stored" and the computer responds with both the location AND what security clearance is needed! What?!

[sshbpodcast]

Character Spotlight: Miles O’Brien

By Ames

Though he was introduced in The Next Generation (in the pilot episode, no less!), Miles Edward O’Brien doesn’t really get to stretch his legs until he gets promoted to chief engineer in Deep Space Nine. Not much room in the transporter room, I’m afraid. As Star Trek’s most epitomic everyman, the chief isn’t some magic-powered alien or augmented human or even a pinnacle of futuristic ethics. Hell, it’s his flaws that make him more relatable than most other characters in the franchise, and he remains one of the most popular crewmembers all around!

Is it Colm Meaney’s approachable yet nuanced performance? Is it the strength of the writing of DS9? Or do we just love watching a grown man suffer in the way only O’Brien can? Find out below as your hosts of A Star to Steer Her By shine this week’s spotlight on the chief, and listen to this week’s banter over on the podcast (beam over to 55:13). Jaysus!

[Images © CBS/Paramount]

Best moments

They say you will be doing this manually, sir. No automation.  O’Brien shows up in the first TNG episode, “Encounter at Farpoint,” though he doesn’t get a name yet. And even though Picard orders Riker to reattach the saucer section as a test of his skills, frankly O’Brien does almost all of the work. Riker really only tells O’Brien to reattach the two sections and he just goes and does it while Riker gets all the credit. No respect, I tell ya!

The minstrel boy to the war has gone For most of TNG, O’Brien is stuck in the transporter room, but he gets to use those abilities to beam over to the Phoenix in “The Wounded”! Even through shields! Now that’s impressive on its own, but there’s more. Despite his predilection towards hating the spoonheads, he talks Captain Maxwell out of destroying a Cardassian supply vessel and surely inciting another war.

I’ve been doing this for twenty-two years and I haven’t lost anybody yet One more great use of transporter chief O’Brien comes when Barclay is exhibiting transporterphobia in “Realm of Fear.” Though most of the crew view Barclay’s eccentricities as irrational, O’Brien remains understanding and patient throughout, and works with Reg to figure out what’s really going on in the pattern buffer and save the crewmen trapped in there.

Now you are Tosk as well, O’Brien Our overall favorite Miles moment from the show is probably how he stands up for Tosk in “Captive Pursuit” and helps him escape from his hunters. In one of our best examples showcasing when it’s a good idea to disobey the Prime Directive, O’Brien makes a statement by taking off his combadge to go do what’s right, saving the life of a subjugated person.

I’ve met some Cardassians I didn’t like, and I’ve met some I did O’Brien starts off “Cardassians” being racist about letting Rugal play with Molly or share their table, but it’s commendable how he warms up to the boy. They find common ground. Granted, it’s in how much they hate Cardassia, but it’s something. But it’s truly a great moment when he bonds with Rugal: someone who’s had no choice in life and whose future is being decided for him.

I want to die on my feet Here’s a quick badass moment from O’Brien. When he’s already dying from the bioweapon in “Armageddon Game” and the T'Lani and the Kelleruns are about the execute him to get rid of all people with knowledge of the harvesters, Miles requests that they allow him the dignity of dying on his feet instead of slumped in his own filth. There’s something powerful about that.

He’s their commander. They trusted him. He can’t leave them. This one’s controversial since “Hippocratic Oath” is so multifaceted in a lot of ways. Last time, we commended Julian for his humanitarian (Jem’Hadaritarian?) attempts to save our Dominion enemies from their ketracel-white addiction. Well, O’Brien is there to save Bashir from himself when the doctor’s attempts fail and a bunch of rabid alien soldiers are ready to tear the humans apart.

That boy’s life is in our hands and I won’t let anybody give up on him O’Brien’s friendship with Quique Muniz culminates in some beautiful scenes in “The Ship.” Muniz is dying a whole lot and O’Brien never gives up on him, even battling (verbally and physically) with Worf over how to handle his approaching death. And when the inevitable does occur, it’s all the more heartbreaking when Worf joins in the ritual ak’voh.

This is how an engineer plays kotra You don’t see a lot of scenes between Garak and O’Brien throughout the show. Now some of that is probably that they don’t like sharing Julian’s attention, but the rest is that there’s no trust between the Cardassian spy and the hero of Setlik Three. We get to see them stand off in “Empok Nor” and O’Brien impresses by outsmarting the homicidal Garak using his engineering skills!

Good cat, Chester! Even when infiltrating the Orion Syndicate (for reasons), O’Brien tries to do the right thing. He tries to tip Bilby off in “Honor Among Thieves” when he has entrapped him, though that does neither of them any good. But even more importantly, Miles agrees to take in Chester, who is a pretty cat and a good cat, and your SSHB hosts here have to give him credit for that.

The cause of death was the Orion Syndicate In fact, O’Brien was so dedicated to his sorta father figure that when Bilby’s widow has vanished in “Prodigal Daughter,” he goes looking for her. Without asking or informing anyone, which probably wasn’t the brightest move, but this is Miles we’re talking about. And without him, we’d never have solved her murder case at the hands of Ezri’s messed up family’s business.

You gotta friend in me Just as we did in the Julian spotlight, we’ve got to close out on O’Brien’s sweet friendship with the good doctor. Bashir, who never looks before he leaps, frequently finds himself needing the constant support and level head of someone like Miles when he does asinine things like leap into Sloan’s head in “Extreme Measures,” even when it’s a bad idea, as we've discussed before.

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Worst moments

Don’t phaser the messenger I’ll avoid citing marriage to Keiko as a Worst Moment because that’s mean, but the way they got married in “Data’s Day” was painful to watch. The audience’s first impression of their relationship is one in which both parties refuse to communicate over something as important as their marriage, and make Data (of all people!) act as their middleman. What a terrible start!

Sweetheart, I’m not a fish Don’t worry, there’s more to drag about how Miles and Keiko’s relationship was depicted in TNG. In the very next episode, “The Wounded,” we see just how they clearly didn’t know each other before deciding to get hitched. Neither likes how each other eats. Guys, you can hate each other’s food because, ya know what, food replicators exist! Order your own potato casserole!

I hate what I became because of you We give Miles a lot of grief on the podcast for his systematic racism. Which is fair – he certainly is quick to hate on other races on occasion. We see this explored interestingly in “The Wounded,” for which we already gave him credit for transcending his racism above, but not before he snaps at Daro and blames the Cardassians for Maxwell’s actions before knowing if he was even right or not.

Grapevine says Chief O’Brien and the missus are having problems But let’s move on to when Miles makes it to the main credits in DS9. As expected, we’re starting off with more Keiko drama. We learn in “A Man Alone” that Keiko was none too pleased about being uprooted (cuz she’s a botanist, get it?) from the Enterprise, and they argue about it publicly at Quark’s. In front of everyone. Do they never communicate before major life changes?

I suppose you’d be happier if I was miserable? I’m sorry that there’s more Keiko drama to include. I didn’t do this on purpose. In “Fascination,” Keiko is finally doing actual botany work and feeling useful doing a long term study on Bajor, and yet she and Miles end up fighting (again, in the middle of Quark’s!) about extending her assignment. And to make matters worse, Miles insinuates she’s having an affair! Dude! Stop.

They call me Smiley Smiley O’Brien is almost indistinguishable from our universe’s Miles (they’re both inherently good guys who suffer enormously), so I’d say it’s safe to include kidnapping Sisko in “Through the Looking Glass” and coercing him into pretending to be mirror Sisko on the naughty list. What a bold move! The Terran Resistance is lucky to have him even if we the audience are getting sick of mirror land.

They’re killers. That’s all they know how to do. Jake may have included saving Dr. Bashir in “Hippocratic Oath” on his Best Moments list, but we’ve also got to reprimand O’Brien for sabotaging Julian’s attempt to cure the Jem’Hadars’ addiction. It’s not just in order to save his friend’s life. Miles states up and down that Goran’Agar is not to be trusted because he’s a Jem’Hadar and starts spewing all the old propaganda again, like a racist.

Just leave a Yelp review, dude While it’s always sadistically fun to watch O’Brien suffer (Colm Meaney does it so well!), it’s also rough to see just how poorly he recovers in an episode like “Hard Time.” Miles is suffering hard from PTSD and guilt and he takes it by attacking Quark. Even worse, he nearly beats Molly when she’s annoying him, which is shocking coming from Miles. Please, seek professional help.

All the time you were holding out on me Later in “Hard Time,” we learn what was on Miles’s conscience the whole time. While in his memory jail, he gets paranoid enough of his cellmate Ee’Char that he murders him in cold blood over a couple orts of food that Ee’Char wasn’t even hoarding for himself. Even though none of it was real, the knowledge that Miles could be pushed to kill an innocent man is a huge blow for him.

It gets worse. There’s a view. We ragged on this plotline in the Kira spotlight as well, but there’s enough discomfort to go around. Those weird, unnecessary feelings Miles develops for a pregnant Kira in “Looking for par'Mach in All the Wrong Places” are just a bad plot device. It feels forced to make two people get romantically awkward just because they’re in proximity with each other. Just lazy.

There’s no hiding from the Syndicate Does it make a ton of sense to force O’Brien to infiltrate the Orion Syndicate in “Honor Among Thieves”? Especially in the middle of the Dominion War? Maybe not, but he does a decent job winning the trust of Liam Bilby using his engineering skills and general good nature. In fact, he does such a good job that he certainly gets Bilby killed in Starfleet’s scheme, like a little rat.

Molly and the Hendersons It is just deplorable how “Time’s Orphan” treats the developmentally stunted Molly O’Brien, and the most shame belongs to Miles and Keiko. What parent would give up on their trauma-ridden child after just a few days and release her into the dangerous wild to live like an animal? I am appalled that not once did anyone float another option to aid in Molly’s rehabilitation, but even more appalled that getting rid of her was the proposed solution.

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And that’s the way the Alamo crumbles. Keep your eyes here for more character spotlights! DS9 certainly has a lot more to cover, so make sure you’re subscribed to our Tumblr, follow along with us on the podcast over on SoundCloud or wherever you get your podcasts, sing us an Irish ballad on Facebook and Twitter, and replicate up a nice potato casserole!

[aquamonstra]

Me watching DS9: So..... Is Miles going to kiss this lizard man or what??

[kiranerysismyhero]

showed a friend Captive Pursuit today and he Also thought Tosk and O'Brien should kiss

i feel validated

[episodicnostalgia]

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, 105 (Jan. 31, 1993) - "Captive Pursuit"

The Breakdown

O’Brien goes rogue!

Chief O’Brien saves a visitor from the Gamma Quadrant  (known as Tosk) from blowing up in his ship.  Although Tosk seems pleasant enough (if a bit socially awkward), his behaviour suggests he’s running from someone, and also he tries to steal weapons which is a little hard to overlook. And wouldn’t you know it, he actually IS running from some assholes who are hunting him for sport.

It turns out the hunters genetically breed their prey and set them loose as a part of a sacred ritual, and boy do they take it seriously.  Apparently, finding their prey caught in the brig makes them so unhappy that they elect to do the worst thing imaginable… bring Tosk home and SHAME AND MOCK HIM ruthlessly until the day he dies. In fairness, that does seem pretty lame, since Tosk also refuses to seek asylum. He’s actually super on board with being hunted and thinks he deserves his punishment which he dreads only slightly less than being remembered as a coward.  As you can see, it’s not super fucked up at all.

Since O’Brien has been paying attention while simultaneously possessing basic human empathy, he elects to break Tosk free so that he can return to being honourably hunted, which thankfully the Hunters begrudgingly accept (you can never fully win with these guys).  Sisko gives O’Brien a slap on the wrist but warns that if it ever happens again there will be a mild skewering involved (or something to that effect).

The Verdict

Star Trek is often at it’s best when the characters are made to weigh their ethics with against Starfleet orders. To be fair, that sentiment could be applied most stories in general, but Star Trek being the bastion of “positive Sci Fi” makes episodes like ‘Captive Pursuit’ stand out. I gotta say though, the stunt work is a bit clumsier than usual, probably borne out of necessity from the Hunter’s awkward (and kinda dumb looking) costumes. I also found Tosk a little overly robotic in many scenes, although his monologue to O’Brien in the brig is pretty strong. This almost could have been a 4-star episode, but doesn’t QUITE earn it for me.

3.5 stars (ouf of 5)

Stray Observations

 The GOAT O’Brien: This is DS9’s first proper spotlight on O’Brien, and it really serves to show what a vital addition he is to this series. No doubt his time on TNG helped, but my man Miles comes out swinging as a fully realized character in these early episodes; The only other full-time characters that achieve this are Odo and Quark, IMO.

“I guess that one got by us.” Sisko may be Starfleet but he ain’t no narc, and moments such as this foreshadow how flexible can be. But I like that he also put his foot down. O’Brien dishes out a lot of (mostly justified) sass, but Sisko has to have a line.

Bartender Quark: Quark may be in it for the money (and other profitable opportunities), but he’s always had a heart, and his interaction with O’Brien in this episode is a nice cursory introduction to this aspect of his character.

But seriously, the Hunters look pretty hokey. That’s not to say it doesn’t have it’s charm as a relic from a 30-year-old piece or television, but this was one of those times I found it distracting.

[atomiccollectionanchorme]

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Season 1 Episode 6 "Captive Pursuit"

Can you talk to men in a non-sexually charged way for a single second

[malewifeboimler]

hey. why was there piping on tosk's outfit designed to absolutely enhance camel toe

[fictionalred]

first "O'Brien must suffer" episode up next!

[serickswrites]

Get in the Water

Warnings: pursuit, captivity, escape, gun, gunshot, left for dead

Whumpee didn't stop running. Couldn't stop. They had seen their opportunity for escape and they had taken it. Had taken it and hadn't stopped running.

They knew that if they reached the river they could find a boat and cross and then Whumper would have the rest of civilization to contend with. As it was, Whumpee knew that they could also run along the river to the next town. And then Whumper would have to give up their relentless pursuit.

And Whumper was relentless.

Whumpee could hear Whumper's angry shouts as they ran. Could hear their threats to make Whumpee's life a living hell. Could hear Whumper gaining on them.

But that didn't stop Whumpee.

They couldn't stop. They were almost to the river. They could even swim across. They just had to get away. They could hear the roar of the river. They were too far upstream to swim, the snow melt had made the current too strong.

With a sigh, Whumpee stopped running. They had time. They could look for a place to cross. Whumper was far behind them. Whumpee knew that if they crossed the river, Whumper would abandon their pursuit. Would give up and go back to their remote compound. They just had to find a way across.

Whumpee didn't even realize Whumper had caught them until the bullet ripped through their shoulder. The pain was all consuming. Whumpee screamed as they tumbled forward, feet slipping on the muddy bank of the river. The momentum from the bullet carried them forward, ever closer to the water. It was only as their feet left the bank that Whumpee realized they were falling into the water.

Whumpee windmilled their arm, a scream of agony ripping itself from their throat as their shoulder moved. But it was too late. Whumpee sank below the icy, fast-flowing water.

They struggled to breach the surface, their left arm limp and unable to help them swim. Whumpee frantically kicked out, swinging their working arm as they tried to reach the surface. Air bubbles flowed from their lips.

Whumpee gasped with relief as their head cleared the surface. They struggled to keep their head up as they tread water. The current was strong and dragging them along the bank. But as Whumpee's eyes roved the shore, searching for Whumper and their gun, Whumpee realized Whumper wasn't there.

Whumper had abandoned their pursuit the moment Whumpee sank beneath the dark surface. No doubt believing that if their shot hadn't killed Whumpee, then the water or cold would.

Whumper was wrong.

As Whumpee let their body float on the current, they realized they were successful in their escape. Though their shoulder hurt, they knew it wouldn't kill them--the bullet plugging the wound for the most part. All Whumpee had to do is let the river carry them to town and they would find help. And most of all, they were free.

[violethyacinth]

Oh! O’Brien just said there’s 300 people on the station! Okay so it’s big but not, like, The Citadel in Mass Effect massive. I guess they did say it was a mining operation for the Cardassians so that makes sense!

I’m sure it’s just a result of the special effects for when this show came out but I’m having a difficult time understanding the scale of the station in Deep Space Nine. Sometimes they show the Enterprise and various war ships or transports docking onto various parts of DS9 but those ships look so huge in comparison to the station. But I would imagine a space station housing communities of this size and visitors would be way bigger?

I guess I also just have no clue how big the Enterprise actually is either, though. Keiko said there was a school and other families on the Enterprise so is it large in comparison to DS9?

[lunatic-harness]

bro thinks he's guinan

[walkingstackofbooks]

Oh man, DS9 1x5 Captive Pursuit is One Hell Of An Episode, can't believe it hits that hard for s1.

O'Brien is just the sweetest in this episode, the way he calls Tosk friend right form the start just melts my heart <3

And Odo going to call security on O'Brien once he'd helped Tosk escape, and Sisko going "There's no hurry..." and Odo walking the slowest he possibly could and positively posing in the lift - *chef's kiss*, hilarious, this is the best TV show

Then the ending, Sisko dressing down O'Brien 'cause he has to, and then the camera panning to him at the end with a smirk that ABSOLUTELY says "I've got the best staff in the Federation" is laso perfection and I love it a lot.

Note/Question though - Tosk REALLY reminds me of the Jem'Hadar in his design and look, and in that he was genetically engineered to fight, he can turn invisible. Was he some sort of prototype, is there any link there you guys know of?

[sshbpodcast]

Episode 148: Starting With O'Brien

DS9: "Babel" and "Captive Pursuit"

The Chief plays pivotal roles to varying degrees in DS9 this week. First up: his job as head repairman also makes him patient zero for an aphasia virus in "Babel". After that, he goes full Starfleet when morality and the rules clash in "Captive Pursuit".

Also this week: Tosks, DS9 security is as silly as Enterprise security, and worst contact.

Timestamps: Babel: 1:36; Captive Pursuit: 34:40

[theheadlessgroom]

@beatingheart-bride

Damnit, she remembers the strawberry preserves incident! Randall blushed with a little grin, recalling him telling her the story long, long ago, just as his mother had recounted it to him with great fondness and amusement: How he managed to somehow get his hands on some freshly-made preserves his mother had just jarred and downed the whole thing, getting himself plenty sticky and smeared with strawberry in the process.

"Oh, it was plenty of fun!" June snorted, shaking her head as she thought back to that sunny spring day-she leaves the room for two minutes, and her son makes an absolute mess of himself and the kitchen counter. "I just remember him sitting there on the counter, all big-eyed, with strawberry...everywhere! His clothes, his hair, the countertop, oh, it was a mess!"

"And he'd just had a bath too!" Wilhelm added, as he looked to his son-who was looking a bit like a strawberry now, given the way he was blushing. "Junie and I had given him a bath after breakfast, I went out to grab something from the corner market, and when I come back, she's got our boy back in the tub!"

He was deeply bewildered by that: He looked at his son, peering out at him over the side of the tub, and then to June, who was dropping a set of red-stained clothes into the hamper, commenting with a hollow laugh, "You won't believe what your son did!"

As Wilhelm continued to regale Emily with some of Randall's other misadventures, June couldn't help but wonder if there was a way to give Emily back that taste of her favorite berry. She had to drink blood to survive, but would it still be possible for her to enjoy what she used to love, all those years ago? Could there be a best of both worlds, she wondered?

[idiaa-shroxd]

YOUR WRITING IS SO PRETTY I COULD EAT IT. YOU CHARACTERIZE THE CHARACTERS SO WELL TOO!!!

thank you so much!! ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ happy you think my writing is very pretty!! and also makes me happy you think my characterization was correct.

when writing for characters always take a bit of extra time to ensure they sound good? thinking about having an actual conversation with them for a minute and what they’d do! ♧ personally a big fan of viginettes since that reveals a lot of a character more than mainstory.

Σ('◉⌓◉’) mini (huge) rant within the tags of the way of my process to understand a character!!

[tom4jc]

Genesis 14:14 Go In Pursuit To Rescue

Now when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his three hundred and eighteen trained servants who were born in his house, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. Genesis 14:14 Helping others out who are in danger can often be very dangerous. People tend to shy back from helping those in danger because they do not want any trouble or harm to themselves. Instead of helping, many…