Stopped from heading to a quiet medical conference, Doctor Bashir is locked down with the crew of Deep Space Nine when internal investigations officer Sloan arrives. Apparently Deep Space Nine has a security breach. Information’s being leaked to the enemy and all leads point to one person: Julian Bashir.
It’s a nice rarity when this era of Star Trek plays out it’s story of the week without a B-Plot and Inquisition does it all quiet nicely. Especially as everything’s played out from the perspective of Bashir as he’s separated from his colleagues which enhances the tense paranoia of whats happening as Sloan probes through evidence that points to the doctor betraying the Federation.
Thematically it’s a story told many times before, even previously told in Star Trek, but with DS9’s tone becoming a little darker by this stage, it worked perfectly here. Sloan’s investigation points to Bashir being the bad guy, which means either Sloan himself is a plant, arriving to frame Bashir, or perhaps everything we’ve seen before had a secret underneath. After all, Bashir’s already been the plot twist a few times. A year prior Bashir was in a Dominion prison camp for several weeks, indicating that a Founder had been treating the crew unaware. And not long after it turned out he’s been hiding his true genetic identity from Starfleet all this time…
Of course, Deep Space Nine has toyed the this kind of idea in the past and if they didn’t dare have Kira be a Cardassian all this time, there’s no way they were going to have Bashir being a Dominion turncoat. But the idea’s played well, even with Weyounn welcoming Bashir on board a Dominion ship for scones and an explanation on how they used his humanity to turn him against the Federation. Betray the uniform, save lives in the bigger picture. A play theme we saw with Bashir before when he pushed for surrendering to save the future of humanity in Statistical Probabilities.
The background and episodes that came before really do make it all work and cast that doubt that Sloan may not be the bad guy here and how it’s played out with even Bashir doubting his own memories knowing they can be altered so easily gave the right amount of doubt and tension throughout.
There are some great themes that Star Trek rarely touched at the time. The Bashir we knew was played out on the screen, filled with morality and a brooding hopeful outlook. Re-examining his actions with a character looking from the outside combined with what we know about Bashir, there’s a dual concept of us not really knowing the inner workings of anyone around us and for Bashir, not trusting his own mind or memory. We also know the kind of war he’d wage and the spy games he’s loved to play. But the end result and who Sloan really was let the themes simmer to giver us a new wedge of lore to break our minds.
It wasn’t an expose of Bashir. It was a simulation designed to test Bashir ahead of being offered a new job in Section 31: A clandestine rogue intelligence agency who can offer Bashir the chance to take that morality into his own hands and break the rules he’s been shackled by before. It was a tease for new stories down the line, an idea that again played on old elements of the show that highlighted why the Maquis formed or how they maintain Earth as a paradise in a chaotic universe.
But much like Bashir’s experience, it leaves you questioning if any of it’s real. Were Section 31 a real thing? Is there really a secret force behind the Federation who operate in the shadows to keep it safe? If they are legit, what about the Federation itself? Does paradise exist because of the strength of their ideals? Or is that all part of the lie that the existence of Section 31 exposes?
All this time we’ve only ever seen Starfleet intelligence and the odd undercover operation with operatives hired at random as long as they were in the main cast. If Section 31 exists, and acts with the same secrecy and cunning as Romulus’ Tal Shiar or Cardassia’s Obsidian Order, then is the Federation really any better than it’s enemies?
Can we turn a blind eye to them and still claim the moral high ground? Or are they only acting in the interests of Starfleet, and not really a part of it as even the likes of Sisko can’t get confirmation that they exist or not.
We’d have some answers to the questions later when we learn that Section 31 does play a part in the war and have an Admiral or two on their side. Over the years the idea of secrecy would be diluted with them showing up in prequel series Enterprise through to their actions during the Dominion War being a core plot element of Picard’s third season. And of course we see them in action on Discovery, operating with their own stealth ships and command structures answering to the Admiralty.
We’ll likely learn a little more about Section 31 in the upcoming Paramount+ feature launching this month, but the introduction and original intent for the division made for a fascinating reveal decades before we got a peek behind the curtain…
About the author
[Retro Review] The Doomsday Machine
Responding to a distress call from the USS Constellation, the Enterprise race to the rescue but they arrive too late to save the day. Coming under fire from an alien entity, the Constellation has been heavily damaged and with only one survivor within it's charred shell; Commodore Matt Decker... Still in shock from the attack, Decker isn't able to say if it was an alien ship, or a creature that tore his ship apart. It doesn't take long to track the aliens flight path. It's not from around these parts, entering the Galaxy and on course towards populated areas that would undoubtedly be next in it's devastating path. Beaming on board with an away team, Kirk aims to try and get whats left of the ship back up and running while getting Decker to safety. But during the transit, the […]
Under Pressure: ‘Orders Of Magnitude’, Strange New Worlds S4E08
Boarding as a hero and legend, Admiral Joe Reeger arrives, take command and leaves Pike stranded as he leads the remaining Enterprise crew on an urgent mission. With a visiting (again!) James Kirk picked out as first officer, Reegers mission and motivations come into question and puts Kirk's leadership to task... Writers: Alan B McElroy Director: Sharon Lewis One thing about season four that's been a highlight through some uneven episodes is how it's guiding it's characters form our first contact with them in this series, and how we originally met them sixty years earlier. While it's been more obvious with Spock's pivot towards being closer to his logical side, we've had Chapel make the choice to become a permanent part of the Enterprise and Scotty's move towards being the 'miracle worker'. Even Pike seems to be on the […]
Days of Our Unreal Lives: ‘Like Chronitons Through The Hourglass’, Strange New Worlds S4E07
Waking up in sickbay with a comical bandage on his head following a shuttle accident, Pike quickly notices things are a bit off. The lights are too bright. The medical staff are behaving oddly with dramatic pauses aplenty. And he's fairly certain space madness isn't a genuine diagnosis. As the hour continues with devious secret siblings, dramatic feats of medicine and family drama aplenty, Pike is drawn further into the strangest of all worlds; the soap opera. Writers: Dana Horgan and Bill WolkoffDirector: Anna Dozoka Soap opera's are mental. And for a theme it's even more mental than it seems. But considering soap opera's are basically just overly dramatic premises with long lost relatives you'd never before heard of, absolutely insane scenario's that make Maggie Simpson shooting Mr Burns seem normal and plot twists so insane you genuinely have to […]
Star Trek Day 2026: Celebrating 60 Years of the Final Frontier!
Sixty years ago the world was introduced to a sci fi series that planted a seed of adventure, imagination and inspiration that would blossom into a juggernaut of media. After launching with the Man Trap on September 8th in the United States, the series would later grow into a pop culture icon spawning 9 Live Action Series, 3 Animated Series, 13 Feature Films & more including Streaming Events, Shorts and a huge amount of offshoot media across games, comics and books. With generations of fans discovering new era's and new adventures for decades, today we celebrate not only that first flight of the USS Enterprise and it's original crew, but an entire franchise that continued to grow, evolve, building a world of adventure, inspiration and hope for a better future! As we celebrate Star Trek at 60, we'd love to hear how […]
Away Team, Assemble! The USS Tesla Set To Beam Down to Epic Comic Con!
Returning to Glasgow this September, the Tesla Crew are once again in action at Fan Frontiers Epic Comic Con in the SEC Hosted by Fan Frontiers, Epic Comic Con has been one of the core places to meet the crew of the Tesla since it’s origins as Acme Comic Con and has become a firm part of the diverse and welcoming fan centric communities hosting everything from Rebel Legions to Ghostbusters! Taking their regular spot once again the Tesla crew will have Star Trek props and collectables on display as the team get ready to share the wonders of the final frontier! With possibly the biggest and most intriguing line ups to date, Epic will be hosting some surprises including Lord of the Rings' hobbit Duo Billy Boyd & Dominic Monaghan, What We Do in the Shadows Star Kayvan Novak, […]
60 Year Mission Celebrations!
This month Star Trek celebrates 60 years since the continuing mission launched and this year we've decided.... one Star Trek Day isn't enough. We're having a whole month of celebration! With plans including virtual meets, Europa chats, competitions and more, we're inviting the whole fleet to jump on board, get involved and join the fun of celebrating sixty years othe final frontier! Virtual Meet Sunday September 6th 8pm Starbase Europa 60 YEAR MISSION Meet the Fleet in Celebration with an evening of catching up, sharing stories, maybe a few bad jokes and general shenanigans! As we open a month of celebrating one of sci fi's most enduring franchises, grab a drink, pull up a chair and have a few laughs to begin the month! Discussion Sunday September 6th All Day Starbase Europa STAR TREK DAY 2026 From dusk 'till dawn, […]
Related
[Retro Review] The Doomsday Machine
Responding to a distress call from the USS Constellation, the Enterprise race to the rescue but they arrive too late to save the day. Coming under fire from an alien entity, the Constellation has been heavily damaged and with only one survivor within it's charred shell; Commodore Matt Decker... Still in shock from the attack, Decker isn't able to say if it was an alien ship, or a creature that tore his ship apart. It doesn't take long to track the aliens flight path. It's not from around these parts, entering the Galaxy and on course towards populated areas that would undoubtedly be next in it's devastating path. Beaming on board with an away team, Kirk aims to try and get whats left of the ship back up and running while getting Decker to safety. But during the transit, the […]
[Retro Review] Errand of Mercy
Relations between the Federation and the Klingons are in tatters and the prospect of an all out war casts a shadow over the region. To help prepare for the worst, Kirk and the Enterprise are sent to Organia, a planet populated by inherent pushovers right on the border between Federation and Klingon space. With the prospect of the Klingons getting a foothold that would help their war efforts, Kirk's job is to negotiate a protection order, getting the Organians on their side before the Klingons annexe the planet as a launching pad for conflict. Problem is, the Organians are hardcore pacifists and their native tech is limited. They don't want to be part of any war, and they don't want to change their values to resist. Which becomes a bit of a problem when the Klingons arrive ready to occupy the […]
[Retro Review] The Galileo Seven
Pulled in two directions, the Enterprise has to deliver critical medical supplies to avert a plague and conduct vital research at the same time. Unable to turn down the order, Kirk thinks on his feet by carrying forward to save the planet, while sending Spock to lead a research team on the Galileo shuttle to carry out their mission until the Enterprise has finished it's mission of mercy. It's a good idea. Until it isn't. Isolated form the Enterprise, the Galileo runs into a bit of bother. Thrown off course by plot, the shuttle crash lands on a primitive planet. Alone with a broken ship and a people who are as barbaric as they are terrified by the shuttles sudden arrival, Spock has to lead his own team through fear and frustration with cool and calming logic. On the first […]
[Retro Review] Space Seed
By chance, the Enterprise comes across an ancient Earth ship drifting through space. On board they find a whole bunch of people held in suspended animation, wake up the leader of the gang and accidentally unleash one of the most iconic villains of the franchise. Being coy with his identity at first, ship historian Marla McGivers becomes fascinated with a glimpse at the past while Kirk and the rest of the non-historians figure out that he just happens to be one of the most notorious war lords in Earths history... Star Trek, Season 1 , Episode 22 For all the action and adventure of deep space and the idea of using alien make up to mask more down to earth stories, Space Seed gives the first real glimpse of Star Trek's history. Khan is a relic of Earth from long […]
[Retro Review] Let This Be Your Last Battlefield
Often shown in highlight reels and quoted in discussions about Star Trek's more forward thinking messages, Let This Be Your Last Battlefield is at it's simplest, a story of the ridiculousness of segregation. En route to a vital mission of mercy, Kirk and his crew end up in the middle of a political minefield. Interrupted in the mission by a stolen Federation shuttle carrying an injured alien, Lokai from the planet Cheron, they're soon further interrupted by Commissioner Bele, an official representing Cheron who announces Lokai as a political traitor and demanding custody. One asylum request later, Kirk's stuck between the two trying to find the right course of action knowing he has orders to follow beyond the situation. The separation between Belle and Lokai is a simple context. And also a strangely charged one looking at it from a […]
[Retro Review] The Trouble With Tribbles
Space adventures, time travelling madness and the occasional God was standard fare for the original series. But every now and then it dived into a mission of the mundane. Kirk's mission in The Trouble With Tribbles is as dull as it could be and he's hugely aware of it. The Klingon's have popped up again and the people of resupply station K7 want some help guarding a huge shipment of grain. As the Klingons ask for shore leave, they share the station with the Enterprise crew while Kirk tries to keep his cool... For decades now this is one of those episodes that jumped out and added one of the weirdest parts to the Star Trek lore. Tribbles. Introduced by trader Cyrano Jones, the inoffensive little balls of fur catch the attention of Uhura who buys one instantly and takes […]
