Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — 3x17 — Visionary
Synopsis
An accident causes O'Brien to inadvertently jump briefly into the near future, where he witnesses his own death ... and worse.
Filler rating: not filler
Numerous major long term plot threads are serviced here.
Remarkable scenes
- O'Brien seeing himself in the future.
- The Romulans demanding the Federation give them more intelligence in exchange for the cloaking device.
- O'Brien seeing himself again, this time as the other O'Brien.
- O'Brien timeshifting into a bar fight at Quarks.
- Kira: "I'm always diplomatic!" The next scene during her interview, Kira, very pissed off: "That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!" Nice scenework there.
- Kira telling Odo about her conversation with the Romulans. I like how Kira and Odo both deny their love for each other. Ah, the blind leading the blind!
- Miles seeing himself die in the future.
- Sisko, surprised that Odo listed Quark as possibly being involved: "You think Quark had something to do with this?" Odo, surprised at the question: "I always investigate Quark."
- Future Bashir giving O'Brien instructions on how to get present Bashir to find the damage to his brain and correct it before it's too late. Very surreal.
- Similar to the last episode with Bashir, Odo's listing of his connections to Sisko was complex and drawn out. Funny.
- Bashir: "Well then. Who am I to argue with me?"
- Odo interrogating the Klingons.
- O'Brien seeing the future station explode.
- O'Briens: I hate temporal mechanics.
- Sisko confronting the Romulans regarding their hidden plans.
- Sisko: "I'll tell you what's not a theory. We tracked the tetryon emissions back to your warbird and I have about 50 photon torpedoes locked onto it right now."
- O'Brien predicting Bashir's dart hit and a Dabo score at Quark's.
- Morn appearances; 1. Near O'Brien as he sets up the dart board in Quarks. Quark hits him with a dart. 2. In the bar fight. 3. Quark's bar while Bashir plays O'Brien at darts.
Review
I like this one. The Romulans finally came to collect on their cloaking device loan. It annoys me that they plotted to destroy the station and collapse the wormhole out of paranoia, but it's certainly in character. I do wish that relations between the Federation and the Romulans could have been smoothened by allowing this intelligence exchange to take place, but I suppose peace between the Romulans and the Federation will take far more encouragement than a single joint operation. O'Brien's timeshifting is credibly displayed, and suitably entertaining. For the most part, it was used as comic relief, but there there were a few intelligent scenes regarding it. My favorite of which are the ones where future Bashir gives O'Brien instructions to give to present Bashir on how to save his own life. Confusing predestination stuff can be fun when done correctly. A decent episode, though largely a missed opportunity to do some cool Romulan political stuff.