Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — 3x15 — Destiny

Aired 1995-02-13

SpaceOpera.com rating:5

Average reader rating:5.86

Synopsis

Sisko ignores an ancient Bajoran prophecy of doom in order to undertake a joint scientific venture with the Cardassians.

Filler rating: partial filler

This episode provides some nice texture for the long term plots in the show, such as establishing more firmly Sisko's discomfort with being regarded as Emissary to the Prophets as well as detailing how communication through the wormhole became possible. However, none of these details are absolutely essential to DS9's long term plot.

Remarkable scenes

Odo: "It's been my experience that all humanoids have an agenda of some sort."
O'Brien's contentious dealings with the Cardassian scientist.
The Cardassian scientist hitting on O'Brien because she thought O'Brien desired her.
The Defiant firing on the comet.
The comet leaving a selithium trail through the wormhole so that communications could be possible.
Vedek Yarka describing another prophecy. If you've seen all of DS9, this will sounds strangely familiar! ;)
Rules of Acquisition; 34. War is good for business. 35. Peace is good for business.
Morn appearances; 1. Bashir mentions Morn came to the infirmary after drinking some of Quark's bad Kanar. He's not actually seen.

Review

This episode nicely examines Sisko's refusal to accept his designation by the Bajoran people as Emissary. In fact, for the first time ever, I think he has finally begun to accept his title as Emissary, for he has seen a Bajoran prophecy come true before his eyes! Beyond this, this episode makes some nice progress with regards to the wormhole. It is now possible to communicate through it! An overall fine episode even though it's not spectacular.

2 reader comments

I find this episode interesting because it signifies a change in Trek's philosophies to a certain degree.
TOS and (especially) TNG were both very anti-religion. The show's philosophies about science and rationality over religion and faith are clearly evident in many, many episodes. That starts to change a little on DS9. Sisko has always been uncomfortable with the role of Emissary, but here he begins to grow into it a little, and the plot of this episode suggests that there is something to the Bajoran faith beyond ancient mumbo jumbo. But even before this, Sisko has a more balanced view of such things than Picard ever did. For example, the episode in which then-Vedek Winn threatens Keiko's school makes it clear that while Sisko doesn't believe in the prophets as such, he understands their importance to the Bajoran people.
Even if the "prophets" are explained in scientific terms as non-corporeal beings who live in the wormhole and exist outside of linear time, this episode makes it abundantly clear that their fate is tied to that of Bajor and that the ancient texts are in some ways "true," and that the Prophets are somehow (perhaps without their knowledge) guiding Bajoran society through their interactions with the orbs.
This is an interesting wrinkle, and DS9 is definitely the most fully-realized series in the franchise, but I have to wonder if Gene Roddenberry would have approved of the new direction.
by JRPoole | 02/09/2009 at 5:36 pm

I agree that DS9's exploration of religion is interesting. But in a sense, it's not a religion. Not to get off on a spiritual/religious rant here, but in my mind, the very definition of "spiritual" (despite its Latin roots meaning "breath") refers to that which is non-material, and which is not subject to scientific/empirical verification (for better or for worse).
The Prophets, AKA Wormhole aliens, are non-coporeal, but still exist in the material universe, and are observable. In other words, there is nothing sacred or holy about the wormhole aliens; they simply are very, very different from humanoids.
The fact that ancient Bajorans didn't understand the true nature of the wormhole and its inhabitants, and decided to worship them as gods, to me, seems nothing more than superstition, even idol worship. Primitive people often deify, and therefore worship, that which they cannot understand, so arguably the Bajoran religion is nothing more than a vestige of pre-scientific ignorance.
The way the "prophecy" in this episode fulfills itself reminds me of the ancient Greek story of Oedipus Rex. The prophecy was fulfilled by Oedipus' very act of trying to avoid it.
Similarly, Vedek Yarka foolishly tries to avert a prophecy given by the Prophets, and of course, in doing so, helps to fulfill, or at the very least is completely ineffective in stopping, the prophecy he set out to thwart. This was because he did not take into account that if the Prophets can see past, present, and future, they would have seen his efforts to avoid the inevitable, and then THAT would be the prophecy itself. Fascinating.
by DJB | 05/22/2009 at 8:27 pm