We don’t see it often bet when Star Fleet officers take a vacation, you would assume that they would get a chance to relax. Unfortunately, Vacations for Starfleet officers always seem to end up as an adventure of their own. Originally Aired on November 11,1996. This is Let He Who Is Without Sin…
The Episode:
Station Log stardate undetermined Let He Who Is Without Sin…
A vacation on Risa turns into something more when Worf joins a radical group who begin a political revolution on the pleasure planet.
The Breakdown:
While at breakfast, Odo and Sisko tease Jadzia about her recent injuries during her relationship with Worf. Sisko is shocked to learn that Dax has convinced Worf to go to Risa with her. She assures the Captain that he has not changed at all and soon watch as it is clear the two of them are at odds about who knows where they are choosing to Vacation. Worf is further frustrated when Julian and Leeta invite themselves along for the trip. It gets even worse when they discover Quark has also decided to join them for the trip.
Upon beaming down, the three groups seperate and it soon becomes clear that Worf has no intention to ‘enjoy himself’. Soon Dax runs into Arandis, one of Curzon’s old lovers which makes Worf clearly uncomfortable. Determined to force Worf to enjoy himself, Dax sends her lover to their room to change and join her at the lagoons. While in his room he is visited by Pascal Fullerton who informs him that they plan to correct the loose Morals of Risa and it’s people.
Later, Dax and Worf run into Leeta who is clearly not with Bashir, and Worf finds himself even more frustrated. Insisting that they attend Fullerton’s speech, Worf drags Dax to listen to the the Essentialists presentation. Soon a group dressed in robes arrive to begin preaching to the vacationers. It soon becomes apparent that Fullerton is an extremist who wants everyone to push forward, ignoring comfort and drive only toward excellence. Worf finds himself believing the man’s words and, afterwards, he tries to convince his friends that Fullerton may have a point.
They soon learn that Leeta and Julian are on Risa together to conduct the Bajoran Rite of Separation, explaining why they are seeing other people. Soon, however, the Essentialists arrive and begin holding vacationers hostage only for it to be a demonstration in which Fullerton was trying to prove a point. It soon becomes clear that Worf and Dax do not see eye to eye on the situation on Risa.
That evening, Worf asks Dax to discuss their relationship. They soon agree that neither of them will change for the other but it clear they have a rocky road ahead. The next morning, Jadzia meets with Arandis who encourages her to find some enjoyment on the planet. Meanwhile, Leeta and Julian complete the Rite of Separation in front of Quark. Afterward, they learn that she is in love with Rom, much to both Julian and Quark’s surprise.
After Worf witnesses Arandis and Jadzia together, Worf finds himself too frustrated to think and decides to join the Essentialists in their plot to destabilize Risa. Back at the resort, a storm begins and they soon discover that Worf has joined with the Essentialists to cause a disruption of their pleasurable vacation. Furious at him, Julian, Quark and Dax, question Worf’s motives but the Klingon remains steadfast in his justification, siting that they need to learn to survive a few days of struggle if they have any hope of surviving a Dominion attack.
Jadzia confronts Worf for his actions and soon learns some dark secrets as to why Worf has remained so restrained in his life. Due to a tragic event, Jadzia finds that he is worried that, should he let loose, someone may get hurt and that someone may be the person he loves. Understanding where he is coming from, the two make up only to be shocked by the advent of an earthquake. Finding the Essentialists, Worf takes the device from him and explains that Fullerton is wrong and he will not let the man complete his task.
In the end, Dax and Worf go swimming.
Is this a ‘Good’ Episode:
While I love a great Jadzia and Word episode, this is one that seemed a little forced and very off tone for the series. It was almost an attempt by the writers to inject a little soap opera love story into the series and, frankly, it didn’t really work.
Elephant in the room time here, Worf is now a criminal. This Starfleet officer, knowingly and willfully aided and abetted a terrorist group as they attempted to overthrow a peaceful Federation planet. Not only did he help them with their plans but was the mastermind behind their biggest attack on the planet. Had he not come along, the worst they would have pulled off was some lame community theater about the dangers of the Jem’hadar. Simply put, not only should Jadzia remove herself from this dangerous person, but she should also have him arrested, his rank stripped and he should be serving time in a Federation Prison. The fact that none of this happens makes this episode truly out of place as there is literally no recourse for his actions. In fact, not only does he remain a Lieutenant Commander but he ends up married to Jadzia down the line. Not only that, we also learn that Worf ‘accidentally’ killed a fellow classmate in junior high. How is it that he is in Starfleet again? I guess the fabled ‘permanent record’ is really a myth. For a series that has had great story telling so far, this is by far the most disappointing a weakest entry of the series at this point.
All in all, this is possibly the weakest episode of the series, and certainly the weakest of this season. That being said, with it’s track record so far you really can’t expect every episode to knock it out of the part, can you?
Gleanings and Cool Bits:
- The return of the Horga’hn. This little fertility god just wont go away!
- We learn that Curzon died happy…participating in jamaharon.
- This episode opens the door for a great romance between Leeta and Rom. More on that later.
Thanks for reading the Retro TV Review, I look forward to discussing the rest of the series with you, one episode at a time every Monday, Wednesday and Friday! Next Review: Things Past
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Late To The Game 10/21/2019
Special Thanks to Memory Alpha as they are one of the best sources for details on Star Trek information available. Although I have a pretty deep knowledge on the subject, they have proven invaluable as a regular resource.
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