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Star Trek: Deep Space Nine reviews — season 5

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — 5x16 — Doctor Bashir, I Presume?

SpaceOpera.com rating:8

Average reader rating:5.42
Episode screenshot
Episode screenshots.

Synopsis

Bashir is chosen as the model for the new version of Starfleet's holographic doctor program.

Filler rating: not filler

Numerous major long term plot threads are serviced here.

Remarkable scenes

  • Rom chickening out in front of Leeta.
  • Zimmerman's appearance.
  • Zimmerman activating the EMH. I like how it starts complaining the minute it's activated. :)
  • The interviews. I especially like how O'Brien didn't want Zimmerman to tell Bashir how much respect he has for him. :)
  • Bashir's parents showing up. I loved Bashir's reaction to seeing them.
  • O'Brien walking holographic Julian into walls. :)
  • Zimmerman: "You said you liked cerebral men. And at the risk of sounding immodest, I have a towering intellect!"
  • Bashir's parents accidentally divulging their "little secret" to holographic Bashir.
  • Bashir telling O'Brien the history of his genetic engineering.
  • Quark: "Remember what happened with Nog's mother? Yeah. Don't want to think about her, do you? Let me refresh your memory. You signed a standard five year marriage contract with Prinadora's father because you wanted to have a child. A simple every day business deal. But then you fell in love with your wife and wanted to extend the contract. And you were so in love that you never bothered to read the extension before signing it. So in the end, her father swindled you out of all your money. Prinadora left you for a richer man. And you got stuck with Nog. Hooray for romance."
  • Bashir: "No. You used to be my father. Now, you're my architect. A man who designed a better son. To replace the defective one he was given."
  • The admiral: "200 years ago we tried to improve the species through DNA resequencing. And what did we get for our troubles? The Eugenics wars. For every Julian Bashir that can be created there's a Khan Singh waiting in the wings."
  • Rom finally working up the courage to ask Leeta out.
  • Zimmerman: "True love should always win."
  • O'Brien discovering that Bashir has been letting him win at darts to keep it looking fair. When O'Brien tells him to "really play," Bashir scores 3 bulls-eyes with ease. :)
  • Morn Appearances; 1. The first scene. 2. Kisses Leeta. She pushes him away. 3. Is interviewed by Zimmerman. Does not speak. He shrugs. :) 4. Playing Dabo toward the end just before O'Brien discovers Bashir was letting him win.

Review

This is the first episode in which we get to meet the real Dr. Zimmerman. One of the funniest and quirkiest characters ever introduced on Star Trek. This episode also features some great story for the ever neglected Rom character. You can really get a sense in this episode of how quasi-autistic Rom can be. He's a mechanical genius with zero social skills. I love how Leeta was in love with Rom and Rom was in love with Leeta, but she was waiting for him to make the first move and he was too shy to do it. Almost torturous to watch! :) Additionally, this subplot features great continuity with DS9: Let He Who Is Without Sin... when Leeta first announced she was in love with Rom. I was wondering if they were going to pick up on this. The main plot, however, is the shining star. Not only do we get fascinating character development for Bashir, but we get to see the ever so rarely featured and fascinating Louis Zimmerman character. A very nicely constructed episode.