It's been days since the last Star Trek Thread: The Argrathi Authority have sentenced you to 20 years in prison for espionage

[DrForester]

The Setup:
Miles O'Brien must suffer every season. This season he was convicted of espionage and sentenced to prison. For 20 years he is kept in his cell with another prisoner. He is routinely starved and one night kills his cellmate, fighting over food. He is then released from prison. But the whole 20 year sentence was a simulation compressed into a few hours. There's no way to remove the memories. He then has to reintegrate into society, while trying to deal with the 20 years of suffering he went through in his mind. Eventually, he is suicidal and is talked down by Dr. Bashir.



The whole set up was dependant on having him spend that time in a horrible prison, but at the same time it always seemed strange that a society that was able to do this would still then chose to have the prison experience be a completely terrible experience with no thought of rehabilitation.

 

[B.K.]

This is probably the darkest moment in all of Star Trek.

 

[Pluto]

I didn't like this episode, DS9 was often pretty good with continuity but O'Brien's "cannot remove the memories" prison sentence was never brought up again and didn't affect him at all outside of this episode. This is exactly the kind of reset button the other shows are often criticized for.

The whole set up was dependant on having him spend that time in a horrible prison, but at the same time it always seemed strange that a society that was able to do this would still then chose to have the prison experience be a completely terrible experience with no thought of rehabilitation.

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Yeah, if they have the ability to create and implant lifelike memories why not give the prisoner a positive experience and memories of successful rehabilitation? That would make way more sense and they gain a productive member of society in a day instead of a traumatized suicidal shell of a person.

 

[SeaSilver]

Great episode! It definitely impacted me when I first saw it. I always liked most of the standalone O'Brien episodes on DS9

 

[SeaSilver]

Yeah, if they have the ability to create and implant lifelike memories why not give the prisoner a positive experience and memories of successful rehabilitation? That would make way more sense and they gain a productive member of society in a day instead of a traumatized suicidal shell of a person.

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LOL totally true. It's a backwards messed up system… not unlike our own prisons. That's probably an intentional mirroring

 

[Rodney McKay]

I was watching the some show in Netflix "Worlds most Dangerous Prisons" or something like that, but not all the prisons were shitholes.

There was on in Iceland I think that was super nice, to the point where it was barely a prison. Some people were allowed to leave, work, and even go on dates, they just had to come back by a certain time, haha.

I'd definitely take that nice of a prison over a fake virtual one that scars me mentally for life. But then again that's 20 years of my life gone, so maybe it's worth it...

 

[deimosmasque]

I didn't like this episode, DS9 was often pretty good with continuity but O'Brien's "cannot remove the memories" prison sentence was never brought up again and didn't affect him at all outside of this episode. This is exactly the kind of reset button the other shows are often criticized for.


Yeah, if they have the ability to create and implant lifelike memories why not give the prisoner a positive experience and memories of successful rehabilitation? That would make way more sense and they gain a productive member of society in a day instead of a traumatized suicidal shell of a person.

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They actually do mention in other episodes that he sees a counselor. He even mentions it to Ezri in one of there episodes together.

Edit - However you are right. This episode definitely focuses on the American view that prison is for punishment rather than rehabilitation.

 

[Kazooie]

An amazing episode. I do think though, that missing important family situations is a very fundamental part of what makes prison terrible. Since I would basically miss the entirety of my children's youth by going to a real prison, I'd rather take the risk of being broken by an abhorrent virtual prison than being in a humane prison for twenty years. Without wife and children, I would prefer the significantly nicer real prison.

 

[HStallion]

I feel like the ST universe just had it in for O'Brien.

 

[Mudcrab]

 

[Praetorpwj]

Babylon 5 did it better with Passing Through Gethsemane. Brad Dourif plays a former serial killer who has his personality wiped to become a useful member of society but who is tormented by the relation of one of his victims.

 

[deimosmasque]

I didn't like this episode, DS9 was often pretty good with continuity but O'Brien's "cannot remove the memories" prison sentence was never brought up again and didn't affect him at all outside of this episode. This is exactly the kind of reset button the other shows are often criticized for.


Yeah, if they have the ability to create and implant lifelike memories why not give the prisoner a positive experience and memories of successful rehabilitation? That would make way more sense and they gain a productive member of society in a day instead of a traumatized suicidal shell of a person.

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Yeah that is the problem with Star Trek at times.

You have people who's job is Transporter Chief, and I assume there is more to the job, there is definitely maintenance, logs and the like.

But eventually the shows just has the computers do it all. Hell season 1 TNG actually has Picard call to "Turbolift Control" meaning there are people on the ship who are supposedly just running the Turbolifts.

 

[Tater]

Yeah that is the problem with Star Trek at times.

You have people who's job is Transporter Chief, and I assume there is more to the job, there is definitely maintenance, logs and the like.

But eventually the shows just has the computers do it all. Hell season 1 TNG actually has Picard call to "Turbolift Control" meaning there are people on the ship who are supposedly just running the Turbolifts.

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After the nightmare that is the Discovery turbolift void, it would make sense that Starfleet would need someone watching those things at all times. (I kid, I kid)

 

[Quinton]

It never escapes my nagging brain that everybody else on DS9 spent seven years of their lives filling our TV screens, but poor Miles O'Brien spent 27.

 

[deimosmasque]

It never escapes my nagging brain that everybody else on DS9 spent seven years of their lives filling our TV screens, but poor Miles O'Brien spent 27.

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Colm Meaney is the only actor in Star Trek that was in the Series Opening and Series Finale of two Star Trek series.

 

[Quinton]

Colm Meaney is the only actor in Star Trek that was in the Series Opening and Series Finale of two Star Trek series.

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I think that's partly why I'm so drawn to him. He and Worf spent so much time in their roles, you know? We've seen O'Brien from 2364 until 2375; it doesn't sound so grand when one puts it that way, but his presence is what counts.

Bring him back for an episode, pls. ;_;

 

[deimosmasque]

I think that's partly why I'm so drawn to him. He and Worf spent so much time in their roles, you know? We've seen O'Brien from 2364 until 2375; it doesn't sound so grand when one puts it that way, but his presence is what counts.

Bring him back for an episode, pls. ;_;

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Agreed! He is the everyman of Star Trek. He is the one you can actually see yourself as.

And Michael Dorn deserves a lot of credit to being willing to sit through that makeup everyday for so long, and to this day is still trying to get his own show.

 

[Quinton]

And Michael Dorn deserves a lot of credit to being willing to sit through that makeup everyday for so long, and to this day is still trying to get his own show.

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Bless that man, for real.

Star Trek: Picard's third season could suck beyond measure and I'll still be happy to see him in that makeup one more time, haha.

 

[Pluto]

They actually do mention in other episodes that he sees a counselor. He even mentions it to Ezri in one of there episodes together.

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I don't remember that at all, that means it's time for a rewatch.

 

[TyrantII]

I can't remember if this was the original O'Brian, or the replacement one they just kinda accepted.

Let's not get started about that daughter episode.

 

[deimosmasque]

I don't remember that at all, that means it's time for a rewatch.

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It's alway time for DS9 rewatch. Watch the documentary too if you haven't.

 

[B.K.]

I feel like the ST universe just had it in for O'Brien.

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He's the most important person in Starfleet history, so it evens out.