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Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Season 3 Episode 8

Meridian

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AIRED: 11/14/94

Stardate: 48423.2 Jadzia falls in love with a Meridian scientist. The catch is that his planet and his race shift between this universe and a plane of pure energy. They only re-emerge in our universe every century or so. Back on DS9, Quark tries to obtain a holo-image of Major Kira for an erotic holosuite program.moreless

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Fan Episode Reviews (4)

Pretty Planet, Bad Episode

6.0

By Celedorian, Mar 07, 2013

Sure, in the real world some people consider mixed race relationships or same sex marriages to be awkward. In Star Trek, however, it takes a little bit more to be considered "weird". If your boyfriend isn't from another plane of existence or another time/space continuum, you've got a pretty normal relationship. (That reminds me: are we ever going to find out if Wesley has remembered to dress warmly on those other planes of existence? I hate it when the writers leave us hanging like that!) Unfortunately for Dax, her relationship in "Meridian" is complicated even by Star Trek standards. (And we're not even talking about her symbiotic makeup).

This high concept, based on the 1947 Broadway musical Brigadoon, is interesting and creative, a precursor to "Children of Time but unlike the latter episode, the story within the concept doesn't work so well. (This is probably why so many fathers tell their daughters to avoid boys from noncorporeal dimensions).

Terry Farrell and guest star Brett Cullen are both good actors who give it their best, but without enough time to build up a realistic, genuine relationship that actually makes the viewer care, there is no real drama no matter what tricks director Jonathan Frakes tries to pull out of his hat. (It doesn't help that the romance gets sidetracked by technobabble, becoming more about the planet than the characters).

The B story is just a comedic runner that's there to fill time: Quark tries to steal Kira's likeness for a holosuite program. It's not bad, although it's only notable for introducing Star Trek fans to guest star Jeffrey Combs, who would go on to play various aliens on Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise.

Still, if there has to be a bad episode in the season, it's nice to have one with a pretty planet.moreless
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Decent concept, poor 'romantic drama' implementation

6.5

By AsGard-Kvasir, Feb 26, 2011

Dax really bugged me all through this episode. For someone who has been through seven lifetimes, you would think she's be less prone to puppy love over some random dude. The whole thing was really wildly out of character. I didn't mind the concept of meridian, although it does seem like an amazing stroke of luck that the defiant stumbled upon it.

The secondary arc with quark was mildly amusing, with a good payoff, but didn't seem like enough of a storyline to justify all the time that was spent on it.

The whole episode felt like a 20-minute plot stretched to 44 minutes.moreless
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Dax turns into Troi. The low point of season 3 and among the weakest episodes of the entire series.

6.0

By pharoahsdance, Jun 11, 2010

Stumbling across "Meridian" at this point in the series is jarring, not just because it's a very weak episode, but also because it doesn't fit with the series' MO and portrays the character of Jadzia in a completely incongruous way.

The planetside story inevitably recalls the tedious Deanna Troi romantic episodes of TNG - "Masterpiece Society", etc etc. A female character suddenly and inexplicably falling in love with an uncharismatic male alien, then the romance collapses with no lasting consequences.

In this case the cliche is even more painful, because Dax isn't Troi. Despite her impulsive behavior, her behavior here seems completely out of character. The episode also seems way out of place here, given the more substantial tone taken by most other season 3 episodes.

The episode gets some redemption from the Quark story. Granted, it's nothing special (except as Jeffrey Combs's first appearance on the show), but it has some amusing moments - especially the climactic holosuite scene.

Next!moreless
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Jadzia falls in love with a Meridian scientist. The catch is that his planet re-emerges in our universe every century or so. Back on DS9, Quark tries to obtain a holo-image of Major Kira for an erotic holosuite program.moreless

8.5

By samsticka, Jan 05, 2006

Most people say this is the worst episode of "Deep Space 9". I like it. I don't think it's that bad. It has a very funny moment on it. Quark tries to take a holoimage of Major Kira and she and Odo catch him. It's very funny.
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Cast & Crew: STARS

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Armin Shimerman	Quark
Terry Farrell	Lt./Lt. Commander Jadzia Dax (Season 1-6)
Rene Auberjonois	Constable Odo
Nana Visitor	Major/Colonel/Commander Kira Nerys
Avery Brooks	Commander/Captain Benjamin Sisko
Alexander Siddig	Dr. Julian Bashir

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

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Brett Cullen	Deral	Guest Star
Christine Healy	Seltin	Guest Star
Jeffrey Combs	Tiron	Guest Star

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (3)
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- Rule Of Acquisition #19: Satisfaction is not guaranteed
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- Quark's holo-imager is just a Bajoran tricorder held differently.
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- In an early episode, Jadzia tells Bashir that Trill do not look for romance the same way humans do. But she and her boyfriends sure hit on each other like a couple of human teenagers.
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QUOTES (4)
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- Sisko: The next time I see you, I'll probably be a great-grandfather.
  Jadzia: Good, then I can call you 'old man'!
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- Jadzia: I wish we had time to beam down to the surface for a closer look.
  O'Brien: I'd hate to run into a Jem'Hadar patrol while we were down there picking flowers.
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- Quark: Is that a no?
  Kira: Let me put it this way. If you ever point a holo-imager at me again, you will end up eating it.
  Quark: Definitely a no.
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- Jadzia: I just need some time. (to herself) I just need some time... just sixty years or so.
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NOTES (5)
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- Same aerial view shot of Carraya IV from the Next Generation episode "Birthright I" recycled here for Meridian planet surface.
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- Cirroc Lofton (Jake Sisko) does not appear in this episode.
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- This is the first appearance of Jeffrey Combs on the series, as Tiron. He would later on appear as the recurring characters of Weyoun and Brunt, as well as Commander Shran on Enterprise.
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- The final holosuite sequence was supposed to have combined Nana Vistor's body with Armin Shimmerman's head. But Visitor's claustrophobia prevented her from wearing the fake head that was necessary to make the shot possible, so a body double was used instead.
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- Jeffrey Combs and the episode's director, Jonathan Frakes, both auditioned for the role of Riker on The Next Generation. Obviously, the latter won the role but remembered Jeffrey and cast him in this role, which lead to his many other Star Trek roles.
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ALLUSIONS (1)
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- Brigadoon
  
  The way the planet Meridian and it's inhabitants shift in and out of dimensions every few centuries, as well as Jadzia's affair with Deral, is very similar to the village of Brigadoon and the relationship of Tommy Albright and Fiona Campbell, in the 1954 film of the same name.
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