If not for ’In the Pale Moonlight,” “The Siege of AR558” would be my favorite episode of DS9. It has a double impact for me. I have made no secret I do not buy into Gene Roddeberry’s idealistic vision of future humans as having evolved into socialist utopianss “The Siege of AR 5588’ is further confirmation of how ridiculous Roddenberry’s vision is. For another, the episode is loosely based on the Battle of Guadalcanal. Not only am I a World War Ii history buff, but a couple weeks after this episode aired, The Thin Red Line was released. The movie was based on the James Jones novel about Guadalcanal and is, in my evidently unpopular opinion, a far and away better war movie than Saving Private Ryan, the movie which eclipsed it critically and commercially.
The Defiant is assigned to resupply an outpost so remote, it does not even have a name. Just the designation of AR 558. A small group of Starfleet soldiers have been ordered to defend a Dominion communications relay which might--might--be of some use in what is looking increasingly like a hopeless war or the Federation. They have been under siege for five moths now ad are suffering severe shell shock. On top of constant Jem’Hadar attacks, they have run ito invisible mines nicknamed Houdinis that randomly appear and explode in places you may have walked across a thousand time before safely.
Sisko beams down with Bashir, Ezri, Nog, and Quark, who is doing recon for the Grand Nagus in order to inspect the status of the troops. He realizes he cannot leave these people in the shape they are in, so when the Jem’Hadar attack again, he orders the Defiant to retreat while the five of them help hold the line.
All but Sisko are novice combatants, so we see the horror of war through their fresh eyes. The troops that have been there for five months are battle scarred and o edge. Nog has a certain admiration for some of them, but Quark warns him off. These are not the Federation people he knows. Take away their creature comforts and they become something savage.
Here is where Roddenberry’s idealism takes a major hit. Quark is right. Humans have not evolved by the 24th century into perfection. Whatever advancement they have achieved is environmental. Make them cold, hugry, and scared, and humans will become the brutes they always have been under those circumstances.
As if to bring the point brutally home, Nog loses his leg in the next Jem’Hadar attack. He handles the subsequent amputation well, solely because he has Sisko’s admiration. He asks sisko if their losses are worth it in order to keep the relay safe. Sisko remarks, “God, I hope so.” If I am not mistaken, that is the first time any character in Trek to implore God for a positive outcome. I am surely reading too much into that, but with such obnoxiously secular offerings as trek usually is, one takes what one can get.
Quark stands vigil over Nog. During the next Jem’Hadar attack, he is forced to kill one in order to save his nephew. After spending the episode explaining to Nog the wisdom of avoiding conflict at all costs, he is forced into committing as violet an act as the Starfleet troops he was urging Nog to not idolize. It is sadly poignant moment when the realization hits him.
The troops repel the attack as the Defiant returns with more young reinforcements. They will have to suffer through the same hell indefinitely into the future.
“The Siege of AR558” is a dark, depressing look at war unlike just about every other case of combat in Trek. This is not luxurious ships with all the comforts of home engaged in bloodless space battles. This is raw, man-to-man combat with casualties piling up before our eyes. The kind of story told realistically that elevates DS9 about all other trek.
I cannot end without mentioning Bill Mumy’s guest appearance. Mumy is a science fiction legend from his young days on Lost in Space and The Twilight Zone to his role of Lennier on Babylon 5, another favorite which was wrapping up its five year run around about this time.
Rating: ***** (out of 5)
