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Capsule Review: DS9 1.04 "A Man Alone"
I know these are coming at sort of a frenetic schedule, but I'm on a dopamine rush from starting something new (and a Real Life Responsibility I'm procrastinating on, in case you couldn't tell), so might as well use that energy while I have it. Besides, I'm impatient to move on and write about 1.06 "Captive Pursuit," which rocked my world for reasons I will discuss.
I liked "A Man Alone" because it's a solidly executed closed-room murder mystery with a science fiction twist. A murder happened where it could not have; how to resolve the contradiction? The solution was decent if not groundbreaking, and I liked the irony at the end that the accidental clone of the murderer, grown in the course of investigation, will start a new life on his own.
That new clone raised some questions for me that were outside the scope of the episode. I wonder if the adult clone's level of education and basic skills including language are up to par with its mature body. If so, are the memories including motor skills transferred in the process of cloning? Is there some kind of crash course for adult clones? If not, how does the clone deal with living on his own without assets or connections, other than those of his convicted murderer "parent?" I kind of feel sorry for the guy because he seems almost set up for a life of poverty and crime.
From a series standpoint it was nice to see Odo's character, including his tenure as chief of security under Cardassian rule, explored a bit more. It's a reassuring bit of continuity that as brutal as Cardassian rule was there is some stability and continuity across governments, including the vital area of law enforcement. Odo must be held in pretty high regard if he's being allowed to keep his job despite the change in regime.
Another nice bit of character exploration was Kira's devotion to Odo, something else that surprised me coming from a former resistance fighter. He could easily be seen as a Cardassian collaborator, and that he's not is, again, a testament to his integrity. FairLadyZ2005 has told me that the story of Kira and Odo's first meeting is coming up in Season 2, something I'm looking forward to.
Overall "A Man Alone" is a good standalone episode and that further develops the setting, characters, and character relationships. Much like "Babel" after it it's not particulary memorable, but was solid and enjoyable. I'd put this one in the second tier when it comes to Season 1 episodes.
I liked "A Man Alone" because it's a solidly executed closed-room murder mystery with a science fiction twist. A murder happened where it could not have; how to resolve the contradiction? The solution was decent if not groundbreaking, and I liked the irony at the end that the accidental clone of the murderer, grown in the course of investigation, will start a new life on his own.
That new clone raised some questions for me that were outside the scope of the episode. I wonder if the adult clone's level of education and basic skills including language are up to par with its mature body. If so, are the memories including motor skills transferred in the process of cloning? Is there some kind of crash course for adult clones? If not, how does the clone deal with living on his own without assets or connections, other than those of his convicted murderer "parent?" I kind of feel sorry for the guy because he seems almost set up for a life of poverty and crime.
From a series standpoint it was nice to see Odo's character, including his tenure as chief of security under Cardassian rule, explored a bit more. It's a reassuring bit of continuity that as brutal as Cardassian rule was there is some stability and continuity across governments, including the vital area of law enforcement. Odo must be held in pretty high regard if he's being allowed to keep his job despite the change in regime.
Another nice bit of character exploration was Kira's devotion to Odo, something else that surprised me coming from a former resistance fighter. He could easily be seen as a Cardassian collaborator, and that he's not is, again, a testament to his integrity. FairLadyZ2005 has told me that the story of Kira and Odo's first meeting is coming up in Season 2, something I'm looking forward to.
Overall "A Man Alone" is a good standalone episode and that further develops the setting, characters, and character relationships. Much like "Babel" after it it's not particulary memorable, but was solid and enjoyable. I'd put this one in the second tier when it comes to Season 1 episodes.