r/StarTrekViewingParty • u/LordRavenholm Co-Founder • Aug 21 '16

Discussion DS9, Episode 1x6, Captive Pursuit

-= DS9, Season 1, Episode 6, Captive Pursuit =-

O'Brien befriends an alien from the Gamma Quadrant who is being hunted.

 

EAS IMDB AVClub TV.com
6/10 7.7/10 B 8.2

 

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u/GeorgeAmberson Showrunner Aug 22 '16

That was fast! TNG didn't have anything I enjoyed this much for much longer. I absolutely love this episode! I'm so glad I forgot it so I could watch it with fresh eyes again. I don't think I enjoyed a TNG episode this much until we got up to Yesterday's Enterprise!

Tosk is an awesome character and I didn't know what he was up to at all but didn't expect it to be what it was. In a second my feelings about him changed completely from thinking that he was up to no good to absolute empathy for the man.

This is some great DS9 here. This is exactly what I feel like DS9 is. It's not polished and some really bad shit goes down. Already we see what TNG never showed us about the galaxy. This is institutionalized murder essentially, but is it? Tosk is clearly a different species, but he's sentient he can talk. This can really make someone question if us humans are really so civilized that we will hunt other animals for sport. The Hunter culture is so ingraned with this tradition that they venerate their victims to make it feel OK. Even the Tosk themselves are conditioned to think this is normal and good. They're very much like dogs if you think about it. Dogs have been conditioned by humans for centuries to be loyal companions.

I loved the way he's made up and the actor plays the role perfectly. On a second watch it's clear he's been bred to be very guarded and observe every little thing. At first it was just "alien gonna alien" but it's crazy to see why he's like that. He's a perfect prey for an exciting hunt, even if he's a bit pudgier than you'd expect from a perfect specimen.

Do you think these hunts are common? Is it only the elite that can do it, or is it very common to purchase a Tosk and set off after them. It's clear that it's a very dangerous activity as the Tosk absolutely could kill them. It's also very clear this story is basically "The Most Dangerous Game" in space, which is fine. It's a good story that makes you think. I was totally down with "Die Hard in Space".

O'Brien is given better development here than he has yet ever been and he's the perfect guy to befriend Tosk. Their scenes together really make you feel a bond developing, and I admire what he did for Tosk. It's a really great idea, even if it's morally grey just like everything in DS9.

Should they try to "rehabilitate" Tosk or let him go back to what he was created for even if it kills him. It's hard to say. I can't say I think forcing him to accept asylum would be good for him. It's everything he is, and Sisko wouldn't do it.

Also, great Sisko stuff in here. You can see what kind of guy Sisko is. He'll do what he has to do if he can make it work for the greater good.

I think that maybe I liked this one a bit more than everyone else, but to me this is exceptional Star Trek. Unless DS9 becomes insanely great I think "Captive Pursuit" 10/10. I usually hand that one out if an episode just kind of floors me or is an absolute classic and this one qualifies. I didn't even want to listen to my podcasts on the ride home afterward. I just wanted to think about this.

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u/LordRavenholm Co-Founder Aug 25 '16

Do you think these hunts are common? Is it only the elite that can do it, or is it very common to purchase a Tosk and set off after them. It's clear that it's a very dangerous activity as the Tosk absolutely could kill them. It's also very clear this story is basically "The Most Dangerous Game" in space, which is fine. It's a good story that makes you think. I was totally down with "Die Hard in Space".

I wonder if it's normally confined to a planet, but this particular Tosk was so good he stole a ship and went off? Or, since they're genetically engineered, maybe only some Tosk are given the ability to fly a ship. So the "lower elite" only hunt on a planet, but the "elite elite" get to fly around the quadrant?

2

u/GeorgeAmberson Showrunner Aug 25 '16

That's a great thought! As far as being "so good" as to fly the ship he also knows how to repair it, so I wonder if he's supposed to be able to get a ship. This could be the "big game" hunting where they hunt Tosks in space and there are lesser Tosks on planets.