DS9 Flashback: Rejoined

The original Star Trek is widely credited for featuring U.S. television's first interracial kiss (in 1968, in the episode "Plato's Stepchildren"). 27 years later, its spinoff Deep Space Nine would feature not the first, but one of the earliest instances of a same-sex kiss, in the episode "Rejoined."

A Trill scientist, Lenara Kahn, is coming to the station to work on the creation of an artificial wormhole. It's a project that will require her to work closely with Jadzia Dax -- which presents a problem. Past hosts of Kahn and Dax were once married to each other, and it's a taboo in Trill society to "reassociate" with a former love. It quickly becomes apparent: the two do still have feelings for one another. Are they willing to sacrifice and flout tradition for the sake of their love?

Star Trek: The Next Generation had tried to address gay rights through metaphor in "The Outcast." This episode is much stronger in my view, in part because it deals with its analogy and emotions much more honestly and naturally. The story is so much more organic here that in fact, the original pitch had Dax encountering a male Trill from her past. Series co-creator Michael Piller had suggested back in season two that Trills would have a taboo limiting interaction with people from former lives, to avoid creating an entrenched aristocracy of the joined. It wasn't until later in developing an episode around this that staff writer Ronald D. Moore suggested Kahn be a woman to strengthen the story.

For certain, the relationship in this episode is legitimate; it's only not believable to the extent that it's always hard to buy TV characters falling deeply in love in an hour minus commercials. (This relationship is at least far more credible than the last one the writers tried with Dax.) It's significant that host Torias Dax was killed in an accident, making that past relationship feel like unfinished business that was cut short. The stage is well set.

Terry Farrell and guest star Susanna Thompson both give strong, committed performances. Jadzia goes from a bundle of nerves to a rapidly rekindling infatuation to delivering a teary-eyed ultimatum. Lenara struggles to admit her feelings with her brother in close proximity (for most, it's harder to "come out" to close family); she wants to give in, but ultimately can't be as brave. The silent, sorrowful goodbye at the end of the episode is potent and earned.

The kiss between the two women is just one moment in this larger story, and not salacious or deliberately crafted for controversy and/or ratings as many other TV lesbian kisses were in the 1990s -- think Roseanne or Ally McBeal. Episode director Avery Brooks made sure not to give in to the hype, refusing to allow visiting Entertainment Tonight cameras to film the moment, while placing his own cameras (throughout the episode) in tight closeups that heightened the drama without exploiting the situation.

Though the Star Trek offices received many complaints at the time (and there were reports of some affiliates cutting the kiss), the episode has been mostly praised in the long run. Many involved, including Terry Farrell and Avery Brooks, have expressed gratitude to have been a part of it. It plays fairly well today, even as today's audience can now recognize that Trills are a much better analogy for transgender men and women than gays and lesbians. And though it's maybe a cop out to make the guest star the "bad guy" who can't go through with the relationship, it does at least protect the character of Dax for the audience: you can't be mad at her for bailing. (Nor, I suppose, if you're a bigot: you can't be mad at her for being in such a relationship long term.)

Sweet moments pepper the episode. Bashir and Sisko both get to demonstrate their friendship to Dax. Bashir's moment is played for comedy as he "chaperones" Dax and Kahn's "not-supposed-to-be-a-date" (if there were smartphones in the 24th century, he'd be checking his). Sisko's scenes are more profound, as he first repeats Curzon's words back to Jadzia when he thinks she wants to be talked out of a relationship with Kahn, then later gives his full-throated endorsement when he sees it's what she really wants. There's also some fun at the margins, as both Dax and Bashir dazzle their friends with a little slight of hand, and Quark concocts hilarious theories as to how the magic was done. (Transporters? Regurgitation?)

Other observations:

• Kira wears a Bajoran dress uniform for the first time, a striking lavender color.

• Where do Trills draw the line on the reassociation taboo? Given the theory of "six degrees of separation," it seems like it wouldn't take too many generations before a host would almost inevitably come in contact with someone important from a symbiont's past life.

• Lenara gives Jadzia some Klingon earrings as a gift. Klingons and romance are always entwined for Dax.

• Artificial wormholes (this one, at least) are triangular instead of round.

• The visual of Dax walking down a force field is as well conceived as it is well executed.

• After this first female-female kiss on Star Trek, it would be 22 years before the first male-male kiss would be depicted. (Also notable, there were numerous kisses between two women portrayed on television throughout the 1990s, but it wasn't until the 2000s that a kiss between two men would finally be shown.)

The people who worked on this episode had good intentions, and managed something far better than The Next Generation's metaphor for LGBT people. Still, as this episode ages out of being controversial, it's also becoming less memorable. I grade it a B.