Doctor Bashir, I Presume?

Hologram engineer Lewis Zimmerman comes to Deep Space Nine with the intent of using Dr. Bashir's likeness as a template for a holographic program designed to provide medical treatment. In order to make the program as robust as possible, Zimmerman needs a complete personality profile on Julian. Against Julian's wishes, Zimmerman invites his estranged parents, Amsha and Richard Bashir, to the station to be interviewed.

Julian is embarrassed by his father's tendency toward self-aggrandizement. For example, Richard references a time he "ran shuttles" when, in fact, he was merely a steward and was fired shortly into his career. Julian implores his parents not to reveal to Zimmerman anything about a secret from his childhood, and they are angered that he thinks they would be so sloppy.

Later, his parents go to the infirmary to try to assuage their son's fears, stating emphatically that they will not tell Zimmerman that they had Julian illegally genetically modified when he was a child. However, they are unaware that they are speaking to Zimmerman's new hologram, rather than to their son. Zimmerman and Chief O'Brien are in the next room and hear everything they say.

O'Brien informs Julian about what he heard. Julian is furious, but confirms that he was genetically modified as a child. He was a poor student, apparently had a learning disability, and was below average in height and weight for his age. Shortly before his seventh birthday, his parents sent him to a clinic for a series of treatments that dramatically improved his physical and mental abilities. When he was fifteen, he learned of what had been done to him and stopped using his birth name, Jules. With the secret out, Julian sees no alternative but to resign from Starfleet, whose regulations bar genetically enhanced individuals from serving or practicing medicine.

Julian angrily accuses his parents of giving up on his original self, but they tell him that they put him through the treatments out of love for him and worry over seeing him struggle. Before he can tender his resignation, his parents tell Captain Sisko everything and make a deal with the Judge Advocate General of Starfleet. Richard will plead guilty to illegal genetic engineering and serve a two-year sentence at a minimum-security prison, and Julian will be allowed to retain his commission and medical license. Julian makes some peace with his parents as they depart for Earth, grateful for his father's sacrifice.

Meanwhile, Zimmerman pursues the affections of Julian's ex-girlfriend Leeta, asking her to accompany him back to Jupiter Station. Shy Rom is too scared to say anything to convince her to stay, although Leeta would welcome any reason to stay with him. She is on the verge of leaving with Zimmerman when Rom careens around the corner and tells her that he loves her. Touched, she decides to remain on the station.

The episode began as a way to bring actor Robert Picardo and his character the Emergency Medical Hologram to Deep Space Nine.[1]

Amsha Bashir is portrayed by Fadwa El Guindi, an anthropologist with no previous screen acting experience, at the time a professor at UCLA. She was invited to audition for the role by Ron Surma, who saw her community theatre performance in Mahjar, a play she co-wrote and co-directed.[2]

Keith DeCandido of Tor.com rated the episode 7 out of 10.[2][3] Cinefantastique gave it 2.5 out of 5.[4]

In 2012, Den of Geek ranked this the ninth best episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.[5]

Wikiquote has quotations related to "Doctor Bashir, I Presume".

• "Doctor Bashir, I Presume?" at IMDb
• "Doctor Bashir, I Presume" at Memory Alpha
• "Doctor Bashir, I Presume" at StarTrek.com