“Paradise” is an inconsistent episode which, while often profoundly compelling, is just as often irritating or inexplicably obtuse. There’s some fantastic commentary here about the role technology plays in the dehumanization of humanity, as well as minor pieces such as speaking truth to power, zealotry, and coercion. It’s an episode which is sure to generate an emotional reaction of some kind from the audience. But whether that reaction is admiration, introspection, or downright annoyance is unclear. Ultimately, despite some missteps in terms of writing, “Paradise” benefits from its very weighty and deep story.

While scouting nearby planets for potential settlement, Sisko and O’Brien encounter a previously unknown colony – one which, due to some anomalies, prevents all forms of electro-magnetic energies. Of course, Sisko and O’Brien beam down to the planet before fully investigating this anomaly and are trapped on the surface – at least until someone from DS9 manages to fetch them. This, then, is the first awkward beat of the script. For two seasoned Starfleet officers to blindly beam down to an unknown planet without investigating the field surrounding it is simply asinine. But, of course, the episode simply couldn’t happen so it becomes a conceit that viewers simply have to accept in order to move forward. And, fortunately, there’s enough meat to the rest of the episode that you can almost forgive the misstep.

What Sisko and O’Brien find is a fledgling human colony which has been living on the planet for roughly ten years, following a fateful malfunction which abruptly ended their journey. Because nothing electronic works, the colony was forced to adapt to a wholly new way of life – abandoning technology in favor of utilizing the inherent creativity, ingenuity and resiliency of the human mind, body and spirit. On the surface, the circumstances lead to a fascinating commentary on how humanity can often lose its core principles through dependency of technology. Afterall, there is something to be said for a lifestyle that is much more attuned to the natural rhythms of the planet. But such a life does not come easily. Sacrifices are made not only through giving up the shiny objects of technology, but also through the loss of life due to a lack of medicine or food or any other life-sustaining benefits of technology.

It’s here where the episode begins to find its footing a bit. But the whole enterprise is threatened by way of the community’s leader: a woman by the name of Alixus. She immediately comes across as overly zealous about the nature of her “perfect” community. She’s threatened by what Sisko and O’Brien represent. And she launches into a full-scale psychological war with Sisko to convert the two Starfleet officers. The problem is that her character is just too irritating to endure on-screen. More powerful are the orders she gives in the hopes of converting Sisko. At first, she tries seducing Sisko by sending in an attractive woman (a ploy Sisko quickly recognizes and dismisses). And later, following O’Brien’s continued attempts to find a way off of the planet, she holds Sisko accountable and punishes him with torture: throwing him into a metal box to bake during the hot afternoon sun.

The battle of wills between Sisko and Alixus is certainly powerful. And it contains a secondary commentary on zealots try to not only win power – but maintain it at all costs. Sisko’s determined opposition to Alixus, on almost every level, is compelling. The real question is how much Sisko will have to endure before the inevitable rescue – from Kira and Dax. And in the episode’s best twist, we (along with Dax and Kira) discover that Sisko’s runabout has somehow been sent off at warp speed from the planet – meaning that the mysterious field on the planet is, in fact, artificial.

As it turns out, Alixus had planned everything – from the abrupt landing on the planet to the inability for technology to work – simply to coerce a group of people into adopting her philosophy and her way of life. The biggest problem with the episode, however, is the reaction from the community members once they finally learn the truth: that they had all been duped into this way of life. I understand and accept that some of them (maybe even most of them) would want to stay now that they have discovered the virtues of a tech-free life. But for all of them to remain? Not one member was so disgusted at having their life hijacked for ten years simply at the whim of a zealot that they wanted to leave?

For an episode which delved deeply into some very meaningful and intelligent ideas about humanity, it’s a decidedly boneheaded decision to have an ending which simply ignores how some humans would react to such a seismic shift in their reality.

You’ve got to give plenty of credit to “Paradise” for telling a story with plenty of ideas to digest and consider. And the performances, particularly from Sisko, are worth watching. It’s unfortunate, then, that the episode is bookended by two truly regrettable writing decisions.

Filed under: Deep Space Nine