Reaction & Review: "Golden Things" [205]

Welcome to the board, AndyT, and thanks for your long note! Listener feedback is so important to the process of outlining and writing the show, so what you say really goes straight to our ears. Keep it coming!

I'm awfully glad you liked the episode. Just to quickly address your general thoughts about the more ambiguous parts of 204/205:

At this point, Brahms has no idea that Rol has been turned by Lorhrok. Honestly, Brahms can't even imagine that happening, which is why Brahms is so slow to realize what's happening and react accordingly when his old friend decides to turn himself (and Brahms) in. However, Brahms does know what Dovan has just told him:

Brahms believes Dovan. From the fact that Dovan has evidence implicating Brahms, Brahms can deduce that the murderer (Alex Rol) has been located and that some connection between Rol and Brahms has been uncovered. Brahms's first thought is that Dovan and Lorhrok were able to trace the encrypted transmission between Rol and Brahms earlier that day (Remember back in 203: "I was calling my mother"?) Rol did actually call his mother on an encrypted channel that morning, so what Rol said to Lorhrok was not a lie. But after calling his mother, Rol called Brahms. He simply didn't mention that during Lorhrok's interrogation, thereby following the cardinal rule of Alex Rol: never lie... but never tell the whole truth. Wheels within wheels!

So, you're right: Brahms doesn't know that Lorhrok knows about the genetic controls, and he doesn't expect Dovan to find out about them. He does believe that Lorhrok and Yubari have, between the two of them, solved the whole case and proven that (1) Rol killed the officers, and (2) Rol did so on Brahms's orders. That's what he means by "the story," and the people he expects to tell Dovan the story are Lorhrok, Yubari, or both. As we see in the next scene, the lucky winner is Lorhrok, whose report to Dovan contains even more information than Brahms expected.

Brahms also suspects, at this point, that Lorhrok and Yubari's investigation might have led them into Alex Rol's personal history. While he doesn't believe that they could have learned about the Sword of Damocles, he knows there are there are other assignments, other missions where Brahms and Rol have worked together in desperate circumstances, that they could have learned about. Thus, Brahms adds, "It’s a good story, full of brave men and hard times and dark deeds." His final words, "Deeds... deeds worthy of song," are of course a reference to the single most important event in Alex Rol's life up to this point: the Loval mission, which turned Alex Rol from an idealistic soldier into a ruthless operative of Special Projects. And which we proved in "The Line" was very worthy of song. (Side note: Rol's conversation with Lorhrok in 203, where he turns from Brahms to Lorhrok, makes far more sense except in light of "The Line," which contains a number of lines that are echoed in 203.)

Brahms then admonishes Dovan not to act without knowing more about the Sword of Damocles. Brahms is willing to talk about that, but only on his terms. Those plans are derailed first by Brahms's escape and second by his recapture. Will Brahms and Dovan finally have the opportunity to discuss the SoD -- on Dovan's terms -- now that Brahms has been recaptured? Find out in Episode 301, coming in 2010!

But your question hits on one of the most difficult parts of writing the show: as you can tell from this long explanation, it's very hard to keep track of who knows what, when, why, and how they feel about that. I've had to rescript scenes a few times during this season after realizing that the characters didn't know as much as I thought they did!

As for Dovan's allowing Rol to operate freely: you're right, it's not the first thing you'd expect, given Dovan's uneasy feelings toward Rol. I think that reveals something about Dovan's character: he trusts his subordinates deeply, perhaps more than he trusts himself. His faith in his crew is absolute, and, so far, at least, they haven't let him down. So he deferred to Lorhrok's judgment with nothing but a strong word of caution. You'll see more of that in Dovan in the future.

Lastly, which piece of music was the one you didn't like? I love knowing which ones are going over well and which ones aren't as popular. It's very useful in deciding what music to use in future episodes.

After that explanation, James, you're gonna make me go back and listen to 2.03 so I can figure out what the (expletive deleted) you were trying to say!

Oh, and if you'll remember in 2.05, it's not "wheels within wheels," it's "wheels within wheels within wheels!," at least according to GEN Brahms.

One more thing: if Alex has broken his control, isn't it possible that he lied to GEN Brahms as well about certain things (like killing Amara, etc.)?

edited to add something for James to ponder about

Ah, that was in Season 1 - the BSG music. While I really like that music, it's so unique and associated in my mind with that series that hearing it on a ST drama just felt, well, wrong.

-Andy T.

Possible? Yes.

Did he? No. Rol has always been honest, even in his darkest hour. The genetic controls didn't impose that honesty on him; it comes from within. (That being said, he is a master of deception and misdirection, without ever technically telling a lie.)

Thank you, Andy! Good to know!

Re: Captain's Yacht...

I was just re-listening to the episode today and had a thought about the Captain's Yacht - and, for that matter, warp-capable shuttlecraft. I know these are mostly shorter-range vehicles, but one thing that has annoyed me many times in many of Star Trek's stories over the years, is that when the main ship is damaged they often forget about these vehicles. Main communications might be out, for instance. But wait a minute, can't someone hop in the shuttle/yacht and go for a little spin somewhere and send a distress signal? Or, say, put in some seriously wounded crewmembers and express-lift them to the nearest medical facility more quickly than the main ship can?

Yeah, I know, the answer would probably be something like "well, the shuttlebay doors are fused shut" or "the yacht is out of commission", or "There's not enough room for a safe enough medical care facility in there" etc. But it's just one of those little things that has often sparked in the back of my head.

(hmmm, actually, come to think of it, I'm surprised that Starfleet doesn't have at least one "ambulance" type of shuttlecraft stationed on major ships.)

-AndyT

^ That has always bothered me, too.

Especially in the TOS episode "The Enemy Within." Poor Sulu... freezing to death on the planet because the studio hasn't ponied up for the shuttlecraft model yet.