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Facets (DS9 episode)
Encyclopedia
"Facets" is an episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
, the 25th and penultimate episode of the third season. It is rated 4.2/5 on the official Star Trek Website.
Quick Overview: Jadzia Dax deals with feelings of inferiority as she encounters past hosts in a Trill rite of closure.
finally makes plans to undergo her Zhian'tara, in which she has the chance to actually meet her previous hosts by temporarily transferring each one's memories from the symbiont into the minds of each of her closest friends.
The Zhian'tara is the Trill
rite of closure. This is a very emotionally intense ceremony which involves the separation of the personalities of the previous hosts from the symbiont into friends of the current host. The relation allows the current host to gain a renewed sense of his/her shared lives. The process takes place with the assistance of a Guardian who telepathically transfers the personalities. Commander Sisko
, Major Kira
, Dr. Bashir
, Odo, Quark
, Chief O'Brien
, and Leeta have agreed to participate.
Kira accepts Lela Dax, and Jadzia can see that she is the origin of many of Dax's unique characteristics, which she herself now exhibits. O'Brien becomes the shy but friendly Tobin Dax. Leeta receives the personality of Emony Dax, a cheerful and talented gymnast. Quark had been somewhat nervous about taking on the personality of the female Audrid Dax, who tenderly brushes Jadzia's hair as they talk. Bashir is Torias Dax, an adventurous pilot who died young in a shuttle accident. Sisko has to be restrained in a holding cell to receive the personality of Joran Dax, who was a violent murderer. Indeed, when Jadzia comes to meet him and hesitantly lowers the force field between them, he grabs her and tries to strangle her. Verad, from the second season episode "Invasive Procedures," is not among the previous hosts that are separated out, since Verad stole the Dax symbiont and was not joined long enough to be a true host.
Afterwards she expresses some anxiety about the Zhian'tara. She had been a little bit afraid to hear what her previous hosts had to say. The hardest part is still to come: she has not yet met Curzon.
Curzon Dax trained Jadzia when she was a Trill Initiate, studying to prepare herself to apply to the Symbiosis Commission to receive a symbiont. Curzon Dax had flunked her from the program, recommending that she not be approved for a joining. She later reapplied and was accepted, and actually received Curzon's symbiont when he came to the end of his life. Despite having Dax within her, she does not know Curzon's motivations for refusing to approve her to get a symbiont. Furthermore, she is not sure she wants to hear his reasons.
Odo accepts Curzon Dax. When Curzon's memories leave Jadzia and enter Odo, he breaks out in Trill spots and becomes the fun-loving free-spirited "Old Man". When Jadzia tries to talk to him, he evades her questions. Then he says he intends to stay within Odo, and that Odo has agreed to keep him. Jadzia cannot imagine life without the force of Curzon's personality within her, not to mention all of his exciting memories. When Sisko offers to talk to Curzon, who had been his mentor and friend many years ago, Jadzia declines and resolves to face the Old Man herself.
When she demands to hear Curzon's story he finally admits that he flunked Jadzia from the program because he was in love with her. He realized such feelings were inappropriate, and when she reapplied he made sure she was accepted. The symbiont she got was Dax. When Jadzia reassures Curzon he will always be with her, and a part of her, he is satisfied and leaves Odo's body.
Meanwhile, Nog prepares to take the final exam for the crash course which will allow him to later take the Starfleet Academy
entrance exam. He is despondent when he finds out that he failed, but Rom
discovers that Quark
rigged the exam so that Nog would fail. Furious, Rom confronts Quark for interfering in Nog's choice to enter Starfleet
. Sisko allows Nog to retake his exam, and this time he passes. At Quark's, after Rom proudly presents his son to the crowd, Nog orders a root beer
- something they serve at the Academy.
This episode includes a reference to Andrew Wiles
' proof of Fermat's Last Theorem
, and is considered as a continuity repair for comments made in the Star Trek: The Next Generation
episode "The Royale" (in that 1989 episode, it is mentioned that Fermat's Last Theorem may never be solved; Wiles would provide the final proof of the theorem five years later).
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe...
, the 25th and penultimate episode of the third season. It is rated 4.2/5 on the official Star Trek Website.
Quick Overview: Jadzia Dax deals with feelings of inferiority as she encounters past hosts in a Trill rite of closure.
Plot
Jadzia DaxJadzia Dax
Jadzia Dax , played by Terry Farrell, was a main character during the first six seasons of the science fiction television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine....
finally makes plans to undergo her Zhian'tara, in which she has the chance to actually meet her previous hosts by temporarily transferring each one's memories from the symbiont into the minds of each of her closest friends.
The Zhian'tara is the Trill
Trill (Star Trek)
The Trill are a fictional species of symbiotic life forms, depicted in the Star Trek media franchise. First introduced in an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, the species became a major part of the spin-off series, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, which featured a Trill named Dax as one of its...
rite of closure. This is a very emotionally intense ceremony which involves the separation of the personalities of the previous hosts from the symbiont into friends of the current host. The relation allows the current host to gain a renewed sense of his/her shared lives. The process takes place with the assistance of a Guardian who telepathically transfers the personalities. Commander Sisko
Benjamin Sisko
Benjamin Lafayette Sisko, played by Avery Brooks, is the main character of the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.-Early life and career:...
, Major Kira
Kira Nerys
Kira Nerys , played by Nana Visitor, is a main character in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.-Backstory:Per Bajoran custom, her family name, Kira, precedes her given name, Nerys. She has two brothers , and her parents' names are Kira Taban and Kira Meru...
, Dr. Bashir
Julian Bashir
Lieutenant Julian Subatoi Bashir, M.D., played by Alexander Siddig, is a main character in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Bashir is the chief medical officer of space station Deep Space Nine and the USS Defiant.-Overview:...
, Odo, Quark
Quark (Star Trek)
Quark is a fictional character in the American television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. The character, which was played by Armin Shimerman, was depicted as a member of an extraterrestrial race known as the Ferengi, who are stereotypically ultra-capitalist and only motivated by...
, Chief O'Brien
Miles O'Brien (Star Trek)
Miles Edward O'Brien, played by Colm Meaney, is Chief of Operations in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Before DS9, he appeared as a recurring transporter chief in Star Trek: The Next Generation...
, and Leeta have agreed to participate.
Kira accepts Lela Dax, and Jadzia can see that she is the origin of many of Dax's unique characteristics, which she herself now exhibits. O'Brien becomes the shy but friendly Tobin Dax. Leeta receives the personality of Emony Dax, a cheerful and talented gymnast. Quark had been somewhat nervous about taking on the personality of the female Audrid Dax, who tenderly brushes Jadzia's hair as they talk. Bashir is Torias Dax, an adventurous pilot who died young in a shuttle accident. Sisko has to be restrained in a holding cell to receive the personality of Joran Dax, who was a violent murderer. Indeed, when Jadzia comes to meet him and hesitantly lowers the force field between them, he grabs her and tries to strangle her. Verad, from the second season episode "Invasive Procedures," is not among the previous hosts that are separated out, since Verad stole the Dax symbiont and was not joined long enough to be a true host.
Afterwards she expresses some anxiety about the Zhian'tara. She had been a little bit afraid to hear what her previous hosts had to say. The hardest part is still to come: she has not yet met Curzon.
Curzon Dax trained Jadzia when she was a Trill Initiate, studying to prepare herself to apply to the Symbiosis Commission to receive a symbiont. Curzon Dax had flunked her from the program, recommending that she not be approved for a joining. She later reapplied and was accepted, and actually received Curzon's symbiont when he came to the end of his life. Despite having Dax within her, she does not know Curzon's motivations for refusing to approve her to get a symbiont. Furthermore, she is not sure she wants to hear his reasons.
Odo accepts Curzon Dax. When Curzon's memories leave Jadzia and enter Odo, he breaks out in Trill spots and becomes the fun-loving free-spirited "Old Man". When Jadzia tries to talk to him, he evades her questions. Then he says he intends to stay within Odo, and that Odo has agreed to keep him. Jadzia cannot imagine life without the force of Curzon's personality within her, not to mention all of his exciting memories. When Sisko offers to talk to Curzon, who had been his mentor and friend many years ago, Jadzia declines and resolves to face the Old Man herself.
When she demands to hear Curzon's story he finally admits that he flunked Jadzia from the program because he was in love with her. He realized such feelings were inappropriate, and when she reapplied he made sure she was accepted. The symbiont she got was Dax. When Jadzia reassures Curzon he will always be with her, and a part of her, he is satisfied and leaves Odo's body.
Meanwhile, Nog prepares to take the final exam for the crash course which will allow him to later take the Starfleet Academy
Starfleet Academy
In the fictional universe of Star Trek, Starfleet Academy is where the future's recruits to Starfleet will be trained. It was created in the year 2161, when the United Federation of Planets was founded...
entrance exam. He is despondent when he finds out that he failed, but Rom
Rom (Star Trek)
Rom is a recurring character on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. He is played by Max Grodénchik.Rom is a Ferengi, the son of Keldar and Ishka. He is Quark's younger brother, and the father of Nog.-Overview:...
discovers that Quark
Quark (Star Trek)
Quark is a fictional character in the American television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. The character, which was played by Armin Shimerman, was depicted as a member of an extraterrestrial race known as the Ferengi, who are stereotypically ultra-capitalist and only motivated by...
rigged the exam so that Nog would fail. Furious, Rom confronts Quark for interfering in Nog's choice to enter Starfleet
Starfleet
In the fictional universe of Star Trek, Starfleet or the Federation Starfleet is the deep-space exploratory, peacekeeping and military service maintained by the United Federation of Planets . It is the principal means by which the Federation conducts its exploration, defense, diplomacy and research...
. Sisko allows Nog to retake his exam, and this time he passes. At Quark's, after Rom proudly presents his son to the crowd, Nog orders a root beer
Root beer
Root beer is a carbonated, sweetened beverage, originally made using the root of a sassafras plant as the primary flavor. Root beer, popularized in North America, comes in two forms: alcoholic and soft drink. The historical root beer was analogous to small beer in that the process provided a drink...
- something they serve at the Academy.
This episode includes a reference to Andrew Wiles
Andrew Wiles
Sir Andrew John Wiles KBE FRS is a British mathematician and a Royal Society Research Professor at Oxford University, specializing in number theory...
' proof of Fermat's Last Theorem
Fermat's Last Theorem
In number theory, Fermat's Last Theorem states that no three positive integers a, b, and c can satisfy the equation an + bn = cn for any integer value of n greater than two....
, and is considered as a continuity repair for comments made in the Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Michael Piller served as executive producers at different times throughout the production...
episode "The Royale" (in that 1989 episode, it is mentioned that Fermat's Last Theorem may never be solved; Wiles would provide the final proof of the theorem five years later).
Arc significance
- Jadzia discovers why Curzon (her previous host) washed her out of the initiate program: he was in love with her.