Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS | More
In “Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges”, Section 31 recruits Julian Bashir. The mission: attend a scientific conference on Romulus and gather information about the political situation on that planet. Afterwards, Bashir must endeavor to ensure that the Romulan Star Empire remains on the “right” side of the Dominion War. He must use whatever means are necessary.
“Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges” was not the final regular episode of DS9 to be produced (that would be Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang). It was, however, the last episodic hour of the series before the Final Chapter arc. It doesn’t have the relaxed celebratory feel of Badda-Bing, but it’s a much more thematically appropriate episode of DS9. Julian Bashir, the hero of the Roddenberry-centric ethos, learns about the nuance involved in protecting a way of life. It feels like an episode truer in spirit to the DS9 series than the holosuite adventures of Vic Fontaine.
DS9 has always pushed against the Roddenberry driven ethos of The Next Generation. As it moved away from that series, it began to experiment with testing that ethos. Many of DS9’s most successful episodes are a kind of laboratory. They are a lab that tries to understand the breaking point of the utopian fantasy that is Star Trek. And this episode attempts to stress both the pacifist worldview of TNG and the moral character of Julian Bashir.
In this podcast, special guest Darren joins the show to discuss one of his favorite episodes of the entire series. Darren, Wes and Clay discuss what makes DS9 a unique Star Trek series. They also break down how “Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges” plays to so many of the show’s strengths.
Plus!
The guys talk about Section 31’s penchant for leather, why Section 31 only seems to work in DS9, and the ethical humiliation of Julian Bashir!
You can find Darren’s review of the episode here.