Chewed Up and Spit Out (DS9 S3 : 13 "Life Support")

·1 hr 8 min·5 clips

Dr. Bashir tells the space pope of Bajor she's willing to let a man die to avoid taking an L.

The episode begins with the hosts expressing relief at returning to Deep Space Nine after a Voyager episode. They immediately identify 'Life Support' as having a major structural flaw: a severe tonal clash between its A-plot and B-plot. The A-plot is a serious medical drama where Dr. Julian Bashir fights to save Vedek Bareil after a transport accident, confronting Kai Winn's political machinations. The B-plot is a lighthearted story about Jake Sisko's new girlfriend, Leanne, played by Lark Voorhies (Lisa Turtle from Saved by the Bell), and a disastrous double date with Nog. The hosts spend significant time analyzing the B-plot, noting its cultural clash humor and the father-son moment between Sisko and Jake that resolves it. They then shift to the A-plot, praising Bashir's character development as he asserts his medical authority and moral clarity. They dissect Kai Winn's manipulation, using Bareil's sense of duty and the crew's values to ensure a peace conference happens for her political gain. The hosts delve into the medical ethics of the episode, as Bashir performs increasingly drastic procedures to keep Bareil alive, culminating in a positronic brain implant that diminishes Bareil's humanity. They debate the ending where Bashir refuses further treatment. Throughout, the hosts contextualize the episode within Deep Space Nine's themes of limited resources, the absence of a dedicated counselor, and the station's gritty reality. They compare it to other Trek series' handling of A/B plots and character arcs.

As heard by us

A lively Bashir defense turns Deep Space Nine's uneven plotting into a broader Star Trek argument.

V'Ger Please! turns Deep Space Nine's "Life Support" into a lively case for Julian Bashir, using the A-plot as proof that he has become more than the show's eager young doctor.

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Why you'd press play

Press play when a Bashir argument, a wildly disconnected B-plot, and Kai Wen's villainy sound like a good evening.

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