“The Pegasus” (7×12)
August 15, 2021
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I thought a lot about DS9 while watching this episode, which gets steadily darker after the (actually pretty effective) humor surrounding “Captain Picard Day”. It’s the exact kind of moral quandary that DS9 loved to tackle. But one would have to assume that DS9 would have had a very different ending, especially in the later seasons.
Spoiler: Deep Space Nine 6×19 (Hover to reveal)
Sisko misled the Romulans into joining a war against their interests, and recruited the assassin who killed the Romulans who learned the truth, all with the tacit approval of Starfleet Command. Now “The Pegasus” took place before the Dominion War, while the events of “In the Pale Moonlight” played out at a moment when the Federation faced imminent defeat. But even so, it’s hard to imagine that Starfleet Command wouldn’t be willing to overlook a lot to secure such a strategic advantage.
Sisko misled the Romulans into joining a war against their interests, and recruited the assassin who killed the Romulans who learned the truth, all with the tacit approval of Starfleet Command. Now “The Pegasus” took place before the Dominion War, while the events of “In the Pale Moonlight” played out at a moment when the Federation faced imminent defeat. But even so, it’s hard to imagine that Starfleet Command wouldn’t be willing to overlook a lot to secure such a strategic advantage.
I also liked the back and forth between Picard and the Romulan captain, both of whom make their points clearly without ever actually stating anything truthfully.