There are some episodes that are basically forgettable, but sometimes these serve to solve a show-runner’s behind-the-scenes quandary or produce nice moments for specific characters. “Body Parts” manages to do both those functions. It’s not bad or anything, but I can’t see anyone ever sitting around a table and fondly recalling this episode the way they might with “The Visitor” or “Duet”. “Body Parts” isn’t terrible, it just vanishes into the rest of Deep Space Nine’s fourth season.

So the first mission is solving an off-camera issue. Nana Visitor (Kira Nerys) became pregnant at some point, with co-star Alexander Siddig’s child. It’s all very sweet, but I imagine this kind of thing can cause chaos for character development, so the producers and writers came up with a solution. They’d write in an accident in which Keiko O’Brien is injured, and her unborn child would be transferred to Kira, to serve as the surrogate mother.

And that happens in this episode, and there’s explanations and such.

If it sounds like I’m not terribly interested, it’s because I’m not. I like Miles O’Brien, and I like the fact that Deep Space Nine gives screen time to your classic nuclear family (of sorts), but when it comes to the nuts and bolts of the O’Brien’s on-screen family…I couldn’t care less. I’m sorry, I just don’t watch a show featuring aliens, Machiavellian maneuvering and interstellar phenomena for tertiary items like that. Ditto with the Siskos. A little of this stuff goes a long way. Since the whole B plot is about the O’Brien’s baby, I just sort of tune it out.

The A plot is a little more interesting, if only for the bind it sees Quark put in. Convinced he’s dying of a terrible and rare Ferengi-specific ailment, Quark puts his entire body up for auction. The high bidder ends up being Brunt, Quark’s nemesis. Brunt hates Quark for being everything a Ferengi isn’t supposed to be.

Quark chooses his life over the contract on his own flesh, which represents a breached contract and the end of his Ferengi merchant’s certificate. Or something like that. I don’t know.

What’s more important is that Quark is ruined, but then finds out in the episode’s best moment that he really isn’t. It’s the only part in this “Body” that really sticks. Again, not a terrible episode, but it says something that I’m struggling to remember more.

Rating: 2.5/5

See the rest of the review series here.

A young couple’s miracle at the last star left in the Universe will lead to a specter from the past returning to confront mankind…and the end will become the beginning. Try Part I of the Beacon Saga Serial, for your choice of ebook platforms.