“In The Cards” is an enjoyable distraction, ending with an important, and profound thought. In many ways, it shows how infectious optimism can be, and how important it is to do things for other people. There’s a nice level of humor to the story. And the characters are fun to watch. But it’s a slow, meandering tale which takes some time to get moving and never really finds a great deal of traction. I do like the “calm before the storm” approach to this, the penultimate episode of Deep Space Nine‘s fifth season (the finale will surely be a riveting affair). Still, as pleasant as this outing might be, it just isn’t a particularly exceptional episode.

As the episode begins, the specter of war hangs heavily on the shoulders of the crew of DS9. A dinner party at Sisko’s quarters is a spectacular failure because everyone is so up tight and tense. Jake decides that his father needs some cheering up and when the opportunity to bid on a 1951 Willie Mays rookie baseball card presents itself, Jake realizes it’d be the perfect thing. Of course, Jake is outbid and so he must enter into a barter with the original bidder in order to acquire the card. The episode then follows Jake’s “adventures” (with Nog in tow) as the two try to gather the laundry list of items they need to complete their deal.

The episode runs hot and cold, though. The man with which Nog and Jake make their deal is comical version of a mad scientist. Dr. Geiger has decided to that the key to immortality is the fact that we die because our cells become “bored.” His dream is to design a machine that will “entertain” our cells and thus keep them happy and willing to continue indefinitely. It’s a preposterously silly idea that is sure to generate a few chuckles. But it’s just as likely to elicit some groans, too.

Jake and Nog discover that they must barter with the crew of DS9 in order to get the things they need. So they’re forced to do a number of favors including writing speeches, realigning some technobabble stuff, and stealing back a teddy bear for Bashir. It’s one of those situations where, if viewers are in the right mindset, there’s plenty of fun and laughs to be had. But the scenes themselves aren’t uproariously hilarious. And not all of the jokes work (perhaps the best is how Odo reacts when Jake and Nog try to explain everything).

But while the humor is hardly a “home run” there are a couple of very solid elements to the episode. For starters, the episode does a fantastic job of using its B-plot as a more serious narrative that brings along the Dominion arc to a very precarious edge. Kai Winn puts in perhaps her best performance here as a leader torn between two unappealing alternatives. She genuinely turns to Sisko-as-Emissary for advice. And, for his part, Sisko acts the part of both Starfleet officer and Emissary in equal parts. In the end, the proposed treaty between the Dominion and Bajor is left in limbo, with Winn stalling for as much time as she can manage.

The other pleasant element to the episode is in how infectious Jake’s efforts are. By deciding to do something for his father, and by doing favors for everyone else in an attempt to succeed in cheering up his father, Jake (and Nog) manage to cheer up just about everyone. The change in mood is a welcome one on DS9, leading Sisko to comment, “Even in the darkest moments, you can always find something that’ll make you smile.” Perhaps it’s an overly sappy sentiment. But it’s certainly a very human one. And it provides a nice balance to the doom and gloom of the Dominion threat.

“In The Cards” is a pleasant episode. But some of its humor just misses the mark (the whole scene with Weyoun on the Jem’Hadar ship, for example is just too over-the-top). But it’s an episode that has its heart in the right place. And it’s a necessary precursor to what will surely be a very intense season finale.

Filed under: Deep Space Nine