Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — 4x01 — The Way of the Warrior, Part I

Aired 1995-10-02

SpaceOpera.com rating:9

Average reader rating:6.84

Synopsis

When the Klingon Empire withdraws from its peace treaty with the Federation, Sisko must help Klingon Starfleet officer Worf decide where his loyalties lie.

Filler rating: not filler

Numerous major long term plot threads are serviced here.

Remarkable scenes

Bald, bearded Sisko.
Odo playing evil changeling for the station's simulations.
So many Klingon ships!
Quark measuring the decibel level in the room just with his ears. Hilarious.
Dax: "Didn't you play make believe when you were a child?" Kira: "Yeah, I used to make believe that the Cardassians would stop killing the Bajorans and just go away."
Odo having breakfast with Garak, just like he said he would in DS9: The Die Is Cast.
Garak speaks Klingon!
Garak assaulted by Klingons.
Bashir: "I can't believe you're not pressing charges! Garak: "Constable Odo and Captain Sisko expressed a similar concern, but really doctor, there was no harm done." Bashir: "But they broke seven of your transverse rips and fractured your clavicle!" Garak: "Ah, but I got off several cutting remarks which no doubt did serious damage to their egos." Bashir: "Garak, this isn't funny." Garak: "I'm serious, doctor. Thanks to your administrations, I'm almost completely healed, but the damage I did to them will last a lifetime."
Worf's entrance.
Quark's reaction to Worf ordering prune juice.
Worf throwing the dart too hard.
Jadzia dueling Worf.
Garak's "participation" in the briefing room.
Gowron's appearance.
Morn Appearances; 1. He's harassed by a bunch of Klingons. He's asked what he's doing so far from the Ionite Nebula. 2. At Quark's when Worf enters for the first time. 3. At Garak's shop, buying Vitarian wool undergarments.

Review

DS9 gets a major retooling in this episode and all the little changes add up to a much stronger show overall. Frankly, I wish DS9 started out this way. :) That said, the beginning to this two parter is quite exciting. The Klingons are back to their old ways! The peace treaty is dissolved! The Klingons have invaded Cardassia! Good stuff.

6 reader comments

"Why was Worf wearing an old-style TNG uniform?" Easy: When he arrived at the station, he was on a temporary assignment and therefore not part of the regular DS9 crew. When he joins the crew for good in the end, he switches to a regular DS9 uniform. That's it :) I loved the episode. I'm from Germany, and I watched this episode for the first time on video in England, when it was still a year away in Germany. I was so surprised with the "restart" of the series, bit I positively loved it and still do.
by Praelat | 05/13/2009 at 5:07 pm

Every time there is someone on the station wearing a TNG-style uniform, you think it's some sin and put it in your "Problems" section. IT'S NOT A PROBLEM. It's consistency. Since "Emissary" it has been that way on DS9. If anyone comes to the station from a starship or starfleet command, they wear the TNG uniforms until next season. I wasn't ever a very big fan of it, but it is consistent throughout the series. This episode reminds me somewhat of TOS federation-klingon hostilities.
by Wes Thompson | 01/18/2011 at 4:27 pm

You're just caught up on the inconsistency in the fact that "Generations" had crew members occasionally in DS9 style uniforms, but that was solely because they were afraid the actual TNG uniforms weren't going to translate to the big screen, with visible zippers. But it wasn't an official style change. If you watch the film again, you'll see that the cast changes back and forth throughout the entire film between DS9 style uniforms and TNG style. Patrick Stewart is probably the only one who didn't change his uniform style at all, and that's just because he had a specially designed captain's uniform starting around the 4th season of TNG.
Here's how it worked: Crew members on space stations had space-station style uniforms like DS9. Starfleet personnel serving on spaceships had TNG style uniforms. You see that any time someone visits the station from a ship up until the change-over to the "First Contact" style uniforms. It was a consistent rule, not something to be confused about.
by Bronn | 11/07/2011 at 3:34 am

More Star Trek stories should have been built around this model. Long story arcs, plenty of combat drama and lots of fight scenes make for very enjoyable episodes. I didn't even mind it so much when they had Kira beating up Kingons but really, I don't care how hard my sister hits me, I' m not going to fall to the deck. So that was either the biggest pussy in the history of the Kingon empire or…. Well, I guess that's it, the Kingpns she beat up were the biggest pussies of all time. The powers that be should really leave the hand to hand combat to the men.
by Dana | 09/23/2013 at 2:55 am

First impressions of episode and overall change in tone for the season is set right away from the new graphic and speeding up of the theme song. Some one in the graphics department decided to add some life to the images of the station. Sisko bald is bad ass. Jadzia and Kira showing some skin. Ds9 season four off to a good start
by Kenobie | 04/13/2014 at 3:43 am

The new theme music for season four sure is different, but I disagree with your opinion that it is better.
The original theme had an elegant austerity to it--horns building upon each other in counterpoint with a soft orchestral backing. It was beautiful, the best of all of Trek's theme songs IMO.
The season four version is faster. The strings are shrill and detract from the intricate horn counterpoint, particularly by overpowering and obscuring some of the pleasing harmonies at the end of the tune. The new graphics, which I admitedly do not care for, unfortunately also come with irritating sound effects which further tarnish the music. Altogether, these changes subtract substantially from the bare appeal of the original theme.
Of course this is all up for debate based on personal preference, but as a musician I was disappointed when the original theme was replaced.
by jbense | 12/28/2017 at 8:04 pm

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — 4x02 — The Way of the Warrior, Part II

Aired 1995-10-02

SpaceOpera.com rating:9

Average reader rating:6.67

Synopsis

When the Klingon Empire withdraws from its peace treaty with the Federation, Sisko must help Klingon Starfleet officer Worf decide where his loyalties lie.

Filler rating: not filler

Numerous major long term plot threads are serviced here.

Remarkable scenes

Worf's reaction to the Defiant having a cloaking device.
The Defiant engaging the Klingons and saving Dukat.
Dukat: "I find this whole procedure offensive." Bashir: "And I find you offensive."
Sisko's bet with Dax.
Quark: "I want you to try something for me. Take a sip of this." Garak: "What is it?" Quark: "A human drink. It's called root beer." Garak: "I don't know..." Quark: "Come on. Aren't you just a little bit curious?" Garak takes a sip. Quark: "What do you think?" Garak: "It's vile!" Quark: "I know. It's so bubbly and glowing and happy." Garak: "Just like the Federation." Quark: "But you know what's really frightening? If you drink enough of it, you begin to like it." Garak: "It's insidious!" Quark: "Just like the Federation."
Several dozen Klingon ships arriving at DS9 preparing to attack.
Bashir: "I'm sure there's more than one Klingon who thinks that slaying a Changeling would be worthy of a song or two." Odo: "Doctor, if a Klingon were to kill me, I'd expect nothing less than an entire opera on the subject."
Gowron: "History is written by the victors!"
Sisko: "I can assure you, this old cat may not be as toothless as you think. Right now I've got 5000 photon torpedos armed and ready to launch. If you don't believe me, feel free to scan the station."
The battle. So awesome.
Sisko convincing Worf to stay aboard DS9.
Morn Appearances; 1. In the background during Quark and Garak's conversation about the Federation and root beer. 2. Is the first person to enter Quark's bar when it is reopened after the battle.

Review

A roaring ride, part two loses none of part one's momentum. The highlight of the episode is obviously the space battle. Indeed, DS9 isn't as "toothless" as it was in the pilot episode. Nothing like 5000 photon torpedos at your disposal. The thing to discuss about this episode is the behavior of the Klingons. Certainly unexpected. The first reaction is to say, wow, the Klingons sure were a bunch of idiots in this episode. It's easy to make this claim with hindsight, but consider the events in order. The Changelings are revealed to be "everywhere." The Cardassians closed their borders. A political shakeup ensues. The Klingons take this as evidence that the Dominion has seized control of Cardassia. Even Odo says that that's how his people would have done it. So the Klingons invade. Then Sisko interferes with their war and thoroughly offends the Klingons. The Klingons then attack DS9. All a very natural course of events from a Klingon point of view. Sisko manages to convince Gowron of why they were all making a mistake fighting like this, but Gowron remains offended by the Federation having sided against them in battle. So who wins? The Dominion. Nicely played.

4 reader comments

The scenes that have Worf talking about leaving Starfleet just don't work. The audience is not fooled for a minute, especially since his name is in the opening credits. I still like the episode though.
by Orion Pimpdaddy | 07/06/2009 at 8:23 pm

Watching DS9 up to this point, I was thoroughly unimpressed by the Federation's response to the Dominion. Don't get me wrong, I love the show. It was really coming into it's own, introducing new story arcs, adding further depth to its circle of characters, and really proving itself as a series to be on par with TOS and TNG, with the potential to outshine them. But within the story itself, the Federation has seemed impotent, while every other power in the region is realistic about the Dominion and doing what they can to stop them.
Consider the Romulans. They have attempted to collapse the wormhole, and then launch a pre-emptive strike on the Dominion. The first plan was stopped by the Federation, and the second plan went forward with no Federation support. Now the Klingons plunge themselves into the fight, and again the Federation hesitates.
The only justification I could come up with for the Federation's behavior is that its fight with the Borg has altered its strategy. Wolf 359 taught the Federation to be wary of massive confrontations, and the fact is, the Federation faced the Borg threat with very little help from the Klingons and none from the Romulans or Cardassians. Maybe in the eyes of the Federation, it's time the others stepped up to face the Dominion threat. That is understandable.
Another thing I don't understand, is where are all the other Alpha and Beta Quadrant powers right now? The Sheliak, the Gorn, the Tholians…surely there is some involvement? This seems to have been the time for Star Trek to summon its prior alien encounters, since the Dominion is clearly something everybody should be concerned about!
That being said, I love the angles DS9 is exploring; it is something unique that neither TOS or TNG have dealt with yet.
by MJ | 01/11/2011 at 10:22 pm

The subspace realm Jake gets sucked into on his second to last try looked a lot like the place where Sisko met the creators of the wormhole in the Pilot.
by AW | 12/15/2015 at 7:26 pm

This certainly isn't unique to this episode, but as an example: right before the final attack on DS9, Gowron says something in Klingon. Worf then translates to "today is a good day to die".
But why didn't the universal translator already translate it? I mean, Gowron wasn't speaking English that whole time, right? He was speaking Klingon.
Anyway, great two-parter.
by tigertooth | 10/18/2016 at 4:03 am

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — 4x03 — The Visitor

Aired 1995-10-09

SpaceOpera.com rating:10

Average reader rating:7.43

Synopsis

When a tragic accident causes Sisko to vanish before his son's eyes, young Jake begins a life-long obsession to bring him back.

Filler rating: good filler

This episode is technically filler, but it's some of the best character development Ben and Jake will ever get.

Remarkable scenes

Future Jake telling Melanie about the death of his father.
Sisko: "I'm no writer, but if I were it seems to me I'd want to poke my head up every once in a while and take a look around, see what's going on. It's life, Jake! You can miss it if you don't open your eyes."
Seeing Sisko's death.
Sisko appearing in Jake's quarters briefly out of nowhere, confused, then disappearing.
Jake talking about all the changes in the timeline due to Sisko's death. The Klingon situation got worse and the Bajorans allied with the Cardassians! Chilling.
Sisko appearing again, this time in front of other people.
Future Jake telling Melanie that the Federation gave control of DS9 to the Klingons.
Sisko appearing to a middle aged Jake.
A desperate Jake and Sisko pulled into subspace together, discussing the situation.
Future Jake: "I want you to promise me something." Melanie: "Anything." Future Jake: "While you're studying my stories, poke your head up every once in a while. Take a look around. See what's going on. It's life, Melanie." Melanie: "And you can miss it if you don't open your eyes."
Sisko appearing in front of his son now an old man.
Future Jake: "I've been dragging you through time like an anchor. And now it's time to cut you loose."
Future Jake: "For you. And for the boy that I was. He needs you more than you know."
Morn Appearances; 1. Standing behind Quark during Sisko's memorial. 2. Pats Jake's shoulder, seemingly sad for him, in Quark's bar in the scene just after the memorial. 3. Not shown, but Nog tells Jake that Morn runs the bar in the future. He talks his customers' ears off and is probably drinking himself out of business. ;)

Review

This is one of the best reset-button episodes ever done. The biggest reason for this is that Sisko retains a memory of his son's efforts to save him across the decades. The reason this is cool is that many reset button episodes are just that; total resets. None of it actually happened. But the way this one played out, Sisko is left with an extremely profound memory of his son's heroic sacrifice in the divergent timeline. It's a nice ride too. Both actors playing Jake did an utterly fantastic job acting their parts, as did Ben Sisko himself. In the end, the temporal paradox is presented very nicely. Future Jake's sacrifice and Ben's resurrection was one of the most moving scenes ever presented in Star Trek. Ben begging his son not to kill himself on his behalf was very sad and very moving. The episode ends with a deeply moved Sisko who has dodged death thanks to the second chance his son gave him. Only he will ever truly know the pain his son went through in the divergent timeline, and I'm sure it changes his life. Bravo, an unexpectedly brilliant episode.

10 reader comments

I have to admit that I am mainly a TOS and TNG fan but I would go so far as to say that this is IMHO my candidate for pretty much the best episode of any Trek, ever.
It beautifully portrays a father's love for his son. It is the only ep of Trek that has ever brought tears to my eyes (and my wife's). It is successful on a number of different levels: the plot, the superb acting, the view of how the DS9 charcters will turn out in future (very like "All good things…").
Having said that it does not stand up so well to repeated viewings and the view of the future was superceeded by later events.
Still a great one though.
by Johnny Storm | 05/07/2006 at 11:59 am

I just saw this episode recently. I had not seen it in many years. I'd forgotten how incredibly moving and touching it is. I am a full grown man. I do not cry often watching a tv show or a movie. Maybe ET when I was a boy. This episode gets me every time. Perhaps it reminds me a lot of my relationship with my father. The thing that struck me with this most recent viewing, was Cirroc Lofton's acting. It's like a .150 hitter coming up with the game winning hit in the World Series. Superb. Where did that come from? If he'd only been half as good, the episode would have suffered. This is an episode you can watch and show to someone who doesn't even follow the Star Trek. It's that good.
by Rich Dixon | 06/02/2006 at 9:16 pm

You know, as I was watching this I thought "I can't wait to see how low a rating eric gave this reset button episode". When I came to find out that you gave it a TEN my mind was blown. I am sorry, I usually agree with all your ratings but I found this episode to be filler, doubtlessly the producers recovering from the expensive "Way of the Warrior". I couldn't focus on the episode because the whole time I knew that this couldn't possibly be. I knew that DS9 didn't just end with an old man jake kicking the bucket and the Klingons owning deep space nine. Now if I went back and watched it again, maybe I'd enjoy it more. I did like seeing Nog as a CAPTAIN.
Bottom line, I disliked it. I thought it wasn't nearly as profound as it was trying to be, and I think that TNG "The Inner Light" is a much better executed version of a similar premise. I recognize that I am in the minority, so I won't mess up the fan votes by submitting mine. I, however, would give this one a 3. I didn't care for it at all.
by Pete Miller | 06/25/2006 at 2:06 am

An absolute cracker! I only saw it 7 July 2008. Your last sentence sums it up perfectly! The series really came alive for me today! I just didn't know what hit me…
by Alex von Treifeldt | 07/07/2008 at 8:25 am

The concept of a "reset button" episode is not, in itself, bad. Some of the best TNG episodes had that going, to some degree (The Inner Light, Tapestry, Yesterday's Enterprise, and All Good Things come to mind). It's all in the execution. This episode executed the reset button quite well. In fact, you could even say that aspect strengthens this episode, in a way.
For one, it's obvious from the very start. As soon as we find out that the old man is Jake, it's clear that this is not a typical episode. Then when he refers to his father's death, since we know Sisko doesn't die, it has to be some kind of alternate-reality-type episode.
One way it which this aspect is a strength is the way it implies how things would have turned out if Sisko weren't around; in other words, Sisko is instrumental in the events that happen over the next 4 seasons. This is clear, but the episode highlights that. Plus, as someone else pointed out, Sisko is left with the memory.
I always appreciate these small excursions from the normal sci-fi Trek. It reminds us that this show (series of shows) is about the human journey as well.
by DJB | 11/08/2009 at 6:48 am

Jake and Sisko's relationship has always been portrayed so wonderfully, an openly affectionate father-son dynamic is rarely seen in popular culture or sadly even real-life. This was beautiful and moving. My only concern - does losing his father and his consequent bumming around make Jake a great writer, or will he still be one with the timeline 'fixed'?
by L | 05/28/2013 at 8:29 am

Too bad that the poignant exchanges between Jake and Melanie are rendered meaningless. Nonetheless, just the chance to see a sagely Jake in an exquisitely homey setting, dispensing wisdom unto the youngun, was beautiful.
by meinerHeld | 06/03/2013 at 2:57 am

You know how sports teams sometimes wear retro throwback jerseys in certain games? It must have been throwback uniform day on Commander Nog's ship, because there's no way that TNG era uniform was still in use!
by Dstyle | 10/24/2013 at 7:44 pm

As good as the acting was by the regular cast all around, I think it was Tony Todd who really made this episode what it was.
by Zorak | 05/17/2016 at 8:53 pm

Made me cry. Every-time-they-get-together. This was even better than The Inner Light.
by Coihue | 10/02/2018 at 4:37 pm

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — 4x04 — Hippocratic Oath

Aired 1995-10-16

SpaceOpera.com rating:9

Average reader rating:5.12

Synopsis

Held prisoner by a group of rebel Jem'Hadar, Bashir and O'Brien clash over Bashir's desire to help their captors escape Dominion rule.

Filler rating: not filler

Numerous major long term plot threads are serviced here.

Remarkable scenes

Worf lamenting about Odo's inaction regarding Quark.
O'Brien lamenting to Julian about Keiko's objections to O'Brien having setup a workshop in their bedroom.
O'Brien: "Exactly! Exactly! See? You understand. Why can't she see that? Why can't she be more like--" O'Brien cuts himself off. He was going to say he wishes Keiko was more like Julian. ;)
O'Brien: "I'm sorry I couldn't find us a better place to crash land. Should we try again?"
Goran'Agar revealing that he and his people want to free themselves from the Katracel White.
Worf and Odo arguing about how Odo performs his duties.
Goran'Agar: "I have fought against races that believe in mythical beings who guide their destinies and await them after death. They call them gods. The Founders are like gods to the Jem'Hadar. But our gods never talk to us and they don't wait for us after death. And they only want us to fight for them and to die for them."
Worf's final faux pas with Odo, ruining his investigation.
Goran'Agar saving O'Brien and Bashir.

Review

This is another very good episode. The Klingons are attacking the Romulans now, and the Jem'Hadar want to be free of the Ketracel White. It seems while the Jem'Hadar have great respect for the Founders, they have little respect for the Vorta. My favorite detail about this episode is Bashir's devotion to helping the Jem'Hadar. The contention between O'Brien and Bashir nicely parallels the contention with Worf and Odo. In both cases, the latter contender was the correct one. If Bashir could have found a cure for the Katracel White, the Dominion could have easily been defeated by the Federation early on. I understand O'Brien's paranoia, but having seen the rest of DS9 it's kind of sad that Bashir's cure never panned out. Though at the same time, I completely understand O'Brien's desire to get Bashir off that planet ASAP. Bashir definitely wouldn't have found the cure in time to save all of Goran'Agar's men. O'Brien only wanted to save Bashir's life. The only regret I have is that we never see Goran'Agar again. He was a cool guy, and could have been a nice regular character added to DS9.

4 reader comments

I can understand that Worf's black and white morality makes it difficult for him to know what to do with Quark. But any time there's a plot based upon a misunderstanding because of a lack of communication, it's a hackneyed plot. Odo says that he's not in the habit of talking about his long term undercover work-that's fine, but since Worf is ALREADY snooping around in the investigation, it's probably better to limit the damage. He mentioned that Worf's surveillance was useful in keeping up appearances…but if that was the case, he could have just told Worf the plan and asked him to cooperate, and it would have worked out fine.
There's also a whole contingent of Starfleet security on the station at this point that nobody seems to have remembered. That doesn't really bother me, it's the culmination of events surrounding Worf. It's stupid that Odo's investigation fails not because Worf won't leave it alone, but because Odo refused to tell Worf what he was doing despite having plenty of golden opportunities to do so. And somehow Worf comes out looking like the idiot here.
The A-plot for this episode, however, is awesome. There's conflict between Bashir and O'Brien, the tension of a young idealistic officer and a veteran non-commissioned officer. It's a complicated issue, and O'Brien raises a few valid concerns: What if freeing the Jem'Hadar dependency turns them into renegades? What if the Founders decide this interference is an act of war by the Federation? It's really a huge decision for a Lieutenant to take full responsibility for, even if his motives are completely pure. If only they'd sacrificed the stupid B-plot, they could have focused even more on this part of the episode.
by Bronn | 07/10/2013 at 10:23 pm

Regarding the problems with "Goran'Agar doesn't eat, doesn't drink, …": Goran'Agar explains to Bashir that he came back to the planet in order to cure his men like himself from the Ketracel White addiction. He thought the environment contained some healing factor. Roughly around minute 15 in the episode he clearly states "we breath the same air, eat the same food". Thus, the Jem Hadar do eat, although it is not mentioned whether Goran'Agar might have started eating after he stopped taking the drug. But then his body seems to produce always small amounts of the drug, as Bashir finds out. Also, it would be very unlikely to get all the energy the Jem'Hadar need from small doses of a drug.
by peterwolf | 11/23/2013 at 10:26 pm

I understand Odo could've told Wolf about his long term plan, that could've saved them all the trouble. Still, there is a chain of command and Odo's the chief of security in that station. Worf was out of line to interfere with the investigation without explicitly telling Odo. Lesson lerned, we hope. About the other part of this episode, being this episode about black and white moral standars, i honestly think O'brian's a stupid man. After all those years looking up to Picard and another few years learing to change his beliefs about cardassians and other ethics related issues, he shoud NOT have decided to see the matter in a black and white manner. Bashir could see beyond his own experiences with the Jem'Hadar and that the matter was a big plain grey. They were dealing with a group of people trying to break free from slavery, trying to be free. Isn't that a top priority for the federation? To help people in such meaningful manners? What about TNG "I, Hugh"? They understood that Hugh was becoming an individual with his own rights to be, and chose to help him instead of taking the oportunity to cripple the Borg right there, taking his life. O'brian was right there, wasn't he? Shouldn't he have learnt the lesson? Damn him! Damn him i say!
by Martin | 03/10/2016 at 10:30 am

Yes, this was definitely an episode that deserved a sequel of some sort where we find out something more about Goran'Agar's fate. The premise of the episode was too interesting to simply leave alone. Other episodes dealt with the Ketracel White addiction, but not in an interesting way like this one.
Re: Martin, O'Brien makes it clear that the reason he opposes what Bashir is doing is because there's no way to predict what the Jem'Hadar will do once free of the White. Bashir is doing what we'd expect a Federation doctor to do, but O'Brien makes a good counter-point; they could indeed turn into a destructive, uncontrollable force that kills at will. Using the Hugh example, the next time we saw Hugh in TNG: Descent, he explained the confusion and chaos that resulted when those Borg were free of the collective.
That's what makes all these episodes great, IMO. The Federation values of freeing sentient beings from things like the Borg collective or the Dominion are portrayed as the right path, but not an easy one and with plenty of opposing views and unforeseen consequences.
by Mike L. Jackson | 10/31/2016 at 9:49 pm

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — 4x05 — Indiscretion

Aired 1995-10-23

SpaceOpera.com rating:5

Average reader rating:4.28

Synopsis

Forced to bring along Dukat on a personal mission, Kira discovers the real reason her nemesis wants to accompany her.

Filler rating: not filler

Numerous major long term plot threads are serviced here.

Remarkable scenes

Dukat's appearance as Kira's traveling companion. Funny.
Kira to Dukat: "Captain Sisko is right! You are in love with the sound of your own voice."
Dukat: "I know you find this hard to accept, but I believe that in some ways the occupation actually helped Bajor." Kira: "Which part? The massacres or the strip mining?"
Sisko's major faux pas with Kassidy at the dinner and his later discussion about with with Dax and Bashir.
Quark trying counsel Sisko, describing how Ferengi handle women.
The revelation that Dukat had a Bajoran mistress and even a half Bajoran daughter!
Dukat sitting on something painful. I bet Kira enjoyed every moment of that.
Sisko getting advice about his girlfriend from Jake. ;)

Review

So Dukat has a half Bajoran daughter. A decent episode. For several brief moments, I felt that Kira and and Dukat actually gained some respect for each other. Beyond the chronicling of Kira and Dukat's adventure and Sisko and Yates' relationship though, the episode offers very little. An average offering.

3 reader comments

When Dukat is about to kill his daughter, at the end of the cave, look carefully at the right side of the screen. Something appears to crawl down the camera lens and then crawl back up. It may be a drop of water, but that does not explain how it changes direction. It is probably a spider.
by Orion Pimpdaddy | 05/13/2006 at 2:33 pm

Another Kira episode. It plays out like this:
Kira hates Cardassians and won't shut up about it. Gul Dukat shows up. Kira is outraged. Dukat is arrogant. Kira gets defensive and self-righteous -- this goes on for about 20 minutes, as usual. Kira puts her foot in her mouth and finally shuts up for a little while. Dukat shocks everybody (except the audience) by proving once again that he's even more evil than they thought he was, but not quite super-evil (yet). Kira witnesses all of this but doesn't learn anything (as usual). The end.
by John DC | 01/11/2011 at 7:28 am

I was just watching this episode and just after Dukat sits on the thorn all is not right, i edited out the scene and uploaded it, check this out
Good bit of humour i thought
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1ehovn_major-kira-anal-fisting-gul-dukat_fun
No copyright infringement intended purely for fandom and entertainment purposes only ;) Thanks for sharing that little snippet of sanity Kethinov
by Rob UK | 03/03/2014 at 9:36 pm

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — 4x06 — Rejoined

Aired 1995-10-30

SpaceOpera.com rating:2

Average reader rating:4.65

Synopsis

Jadzia Dax must choose between her feelings and the rules of Trill society when she is reunited with the wife of one of Dax's previous hosts.

Filler rating: bad filler

Reassociation is relevant again later, but you don't need to watch this painful episode to understand the later stories.

Remarkable scenes

Jadzia's magic trick.
Quark trying to figure out the specifics pertaining to Dax' relationship with Dr. Lenara Kahn.
Kira: "What do Klingons dream about?" Worf: "Things that will send cold chills down your spine and wake you in the middle of the night. It is better that you do not know. Excuse me." Kira: "I can never tell when he's joking."
Bashir getting called away on a medical emergency at the dinner. Saved by the bell!
Jadzia walking on top of a forcefield!

Review

An episode exploring lesbianism... sort of. The cause is a bit different, the effect is the same. Personally, I don't like this one. Trill society's taboo on previous relationships is frankly absurd. And the episode never tackles it directly. Consider this: isn't the whole point of being a joined Trill to build off the experiences of the previous hosts? The exploration of Jadzia's past relationship is far less interesting than the B plot anyway which is the endeavor to create an artificial wormhole. Unfortunately, it gets very little screen time despite what seemed to me to be remarkable progress, and despite Worf's lack of enthusiasm for the project. ;) A misguided effort of an episode, despite some nice performances.

5 reader comments

The overreaction to this episode speaks volumes about Trek fandom. It's okay for Kirk, Riker et al to snog their way around the galaxy, but show one brief kiss between two women - who first became attracted when they were different genders - and the whole world collapses.
It's true that the episode isn't particularly interesting, but judge it on its own merits, not on prejudice.
by Rob Herbert | 07/30/2010 at 6:12 pm

The other joined trill in the romantic relationship with Jadsia was Dr. Lenara Kahn. This character was played by Susanna Thompson who played the Borg Queen in four Voyager episodes: Voy: Unimatrix Zero Parts 1 and 2, and Voy: Dark Frontier Parts 1 and 2. Interestingly, she did not play the Borg Queen in ST: First Contact, the only other Star Trek title that includes the Borg Queen. In First Contact, the Borg Queen was played by Alice Krige. Personally, I thought that Susanna Thompson did a better job.
I agree with the comment that this episode does not deserve to be rated as low as a 2. There was some pretty good stuff here. Certainly, Jadsia's heroics were entertaining. There was some decent acting. The onscreen kiss was provocative and actually kind of hot.
But our reviewer is correct that this is not up to the best that DS9 can offer. The main issue was that is was rather slow. I got tired of seeing the two joined trills incessantly doing their thing. They were so boring! I actually related to Bashir in Quarks when he got so bored.
Certainly, it is nowhere near other episodes in season 4 such as DS9: The Visitor (which I would say is the best single Star Trek episode ever). Or even DS9: Hippocratic Oath which was also completely terrific.
I gave it a 4 personally.
by Jeff Browning | 11/02/2011 at 1:06 am

The kiss? Disturbing? Definitely not the word I'd use for it.
All in all a pretty dull episode though.
by Psycroptic | 03/28/2012 at 7:48 pm

I found this a decent episode. Good acting from dr Khan and good chemistry with her and Jadzia.
But - why couldn't they just beam her out from engineering… ?
by Hugo von Ahlenius | 04/05/2012 at 7:38 am

The reason I love this episode is not as much because we get Trek's first same-gender kiss, but more because literally nobody in the entire episode brings up their genders as a Thing. The taboo in-show is reassociation. As a lesbian, I love seeing a sapphic love story where it's treated just like any straight love story. This ep could have been basically the same if Lenara or Dax were a man. And that's pretty much the goal of LGBTQ+ activism: that normal variations in human(oid) sexuality and gender identity are treated as that: normal. Kind of how some people are left-handed or hate cilantro. It's just one of many value-neutral facts about them.
And honestly, the scenes between Jadzia and Lenara were wonderful for me. Their kiss was amazing to watch. The actors nailed it, IMO. I totally don't blame anyone else if they're not excited about it, but for me, even in 2021, seeing a WLW love story where their gayness is treated as 100% normal in-universe is still quite refreshing. Also, this episode establishes Jadzia as canonically not-straight. Take that, Rick Berman! :D Note: Roddenberry wanted a gay character on TNG, but Berman blocked it until Gene's death. Berman continued to block gay characters throughout the rest of the series he produced, so the writers and cast had to sneak it in. Garak and Bashir, for example, are definitely gay (or bi, as the case may be) for each other, the actors intended it that way, but they couldn't state it outright.
I tend to agree that the in-universe taboo against reassociation is absurd, but I think that may be part of the point. The real-world taboo is homosexuality, which WILL get you exiled or killed in certain parts of the world, including here in the US. (The number of homeless LGBT teens kicked out by their bigoted parents is utterly sickening. And those are the ones that don't die by suicide. Lawmakers are trying to pass anti-trans bills as I type.) Sisko rightly points out that, regardless of the morality of the situation, there will be a cost to Jadzia being in the relationship she wants. And for many gay people, that is all too often intimately, depressingly true. I can't blame Jadzia for being willing to face the cost. And I can't blame Lenara for being unwilling, either. When faced with severe, irrational societal pressures against us being true to ourselves, we cope how we cope.
My little quibble here is not with this episode, per se, but it's this tendency for Dax to make these rather impulsive decisions around romance. This might not have bothered me if Meridian had never aired -- where Dax is ready to throw everything away to go join Brigadoon In Space -- but here her willingness to face exile and the deaths of two symbionts is less convincing because of that episode. I tend to agree with Lenara on this. Jadzia loves hard, and she WILL love again. Surely Lenara will too. I did appreciate the explanation for Jadzia's impulsivity, though: Curzon. This is especially insightful given us just having seen "Facets" and getting to know Curzon (albeit fused with Odo) in the flesh. Of all the characters we barely see, Curzon is one of the most interesting. I enjoyed the scene where Sisko speaks his mind but then says he'll be loyal to Jadzia whatever she ends up doing.
I also wondered about the transporter thing. They could have easily waved it off with a bit of technobabble like "there's a subspace field that would scatter a transporter signal" or something. The transporter only works when it serves the plot!
Side note: I said "I can't tell if Worf is messing with us" right before Kira said the same thing! ????
by Azalea Jane | 12/24/2021 at 9:11 pm

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — 4x07 — Starship Down

Aired 1995-11-06

SpaceOpera.com rating:8

Average reader rating:5.76

Synopsis

A fierce battle with the Jem'Hadar leaves the Defiant trapped in a planet's volatile atmosphere and the crew in danger.

Filler rating: partial filler

This episode features some minor continuity regarding Sisko's discomfort with being regarded as the Emissary to the Prophets. It's also the first episode to feature open combat between the Dominion and the Federation since season 3.

Remarkable scenes

Quark revealed to have been exploiting the Karemma.
The Jem'Hadar attack and the Defiant entering the atmosphere.
Quark bragging to Hanok regarding cheating the Federation.
The probe taking out the Jem'Hadar ship.
Kira trying to keep Sisko awake.
A torpedo lodged in the hull of the room with Quark and the Karemma representative.
Kira praying for Sisko.
Quark and Hanok disarming the torpedo.
Worf destroying the other Jem'Hadar ship.
Morn Appearances; 1. Bashir is talking with him at the end. Appears mystified that he has 17 brothers and sisters. Jadzia rescues Bashir from the conversation with Morn.

Review

This is very obviously the writers trying to do a submarine episode in space. ;) But I don't care because it's very well done. Besides the fun action which is convincingly portrayed, there's a lot of fun character development as groups of characters are singled out. Bashir and Dax get to explore their attraction with one another, Kira gets to tell Sisko stories and express her undying respect for him as the Emissary, even prays to for him to live. Worf has to learn to go easy on a bunch of enlisted men, and gets some hardcore Defiant command experience. Quark even gets a decent showing with the Karemma representative. I absolutely loved the torpedo disarming scene! I wish Quark had gotten more props saving the ship. ;) Overall, I was very impressed. It was a highly exciting episode and every character got a good showing.

4 reader comments

A DS9 version of TNG: Disaster! Awesome. It was a little disappointing to see the Defiant practically incapacitated so easily, but they made up for it. Always nice to see Jem'Hadar ships destroyed too.
by DJB | 11/15/2009 at 8:39 am

I was really hoping for a sonar ping sound while running the 'active scan'.
by krs321 | 03/28/2011 at 12:26 pm

Although it was difficult to tell with all that makeup, the Karemma representative, Hanok, was played by James Cromwell, a very well known star from many films and TV shows. It would be hard to identify a single work that Cromwell is most known for, he has been in so many. He plays the farmer in the movies "Babe" and "Babe in the City". He is a major character in the movie The Green Mile. Also a major character in the movie Star Trek: First Contact (where he plays Zefram Cochrane). Also a major character in the Movie I Robot. He also appears in TNG: The Birthright Parts 1 and 2 as Jaglom Shrek and TNG: The Hunted as Prime Minister Nayrok. A very, very well known actor in other words. Here, it is pretty hard to recognize him, but his voice is quite unmistakable.
by Jeff Browning | 11/02/2011 at 2:07 am

As the review says, a Star Trek submarine episode. I also liked it a lot (season 4 so far has been more or less perfect as far as storytelling goes).
The only thing that slightly annoyed me was when Bashir "absolutely had to" close the door on Deck 2 because it was so crucial for the ship, and ran out to get Dax, drag her into the turbolift, taking his time to shut the door, which took more than 30-40 seconds, while nothing of consequence happened to the ship. He could have easily grabbed her and dragged her back with everyone else, but the writers obviously needed to get him and Jadzia to be alone…
by Gul Ranek | 12/28/2012 at 8:30 pm

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — 4x08 — Little Green Men

Aired 1995-11-13

SpaceOpera.com rating:9

Average reader rating:6.77

Synopsis

A mishap sends Quark, Rom, and Nog back in time to Earth of 1947 in Roswell, New Mexico, where military forces mistake them for alien invaders.

Filler rating: not filler

Nog formally enters Starfleet Academy in this episode.

Remarkable scenes

Worf's behavior at Nog's going away party. I especially like his interest in the tooth sharpener.
Nog: "But think about it uncle. That means they went from being savages with a simple barter system to leaders of a vast inter stellar federation in only 5,000 years! It took us twice as long to establish the Ferengi Alliance and we had to buy warp technology from the-" Quark, interrupting: "5,000, 10,000, what's the difference? The speed of technological advancement isn't nearly as important as short term quarterly gains."
Nog asking Rom why the Gabriel Bell photo from Earth looks like Sisko. A very nice reference to DS9: Past Tense. I like Quark's response: "All hew-mons look alike."
The scene where Quark, Nog, and Rom are discussing the "Divine Treasury" and the "Vault of Eternal Destitution." Perfect heaven and hell for Ferengi. :)
The universal translator failure and the resulting head banging.
The general calling Quark a bad car salesman. :)
Quark calling the general an Australian.
Quark's "free advice" telling the general that his people should stop poisoning their bodies with tobacco and atom bombs.
Quark: "My people have been watching your world for years. We know all about you. Baseball. Root beer. Darts. Atom bombs."
Nog having Nurse Garland give him oomax.
Odo's appearance.
The interrogation.
Morn Appearances; 1. In the first scene when Nog is selling his possessions. 2. Quark leaves the bar in his hand before his trip to Earth.
Rules of Acquisition; 203. New customers are like razor-toothed greeworms. They can be succulent, but sometimes they bite back.

Review

Quark's procured a ship of his own. Scary. Thankfully he loses it in this episode. We don't need Quark running around with a ship, now do we? ;) This episode is an instant classic and is probably the best humor episode so far, maybe one of the best humor episodes Star Trek has ever done. So many things about this episode were done just right. The reference to the Roswell alien weather balloon fiasco was great. The Ferengi are our crashed aliens! The universal translator failure and the resulting headbanging is a fantastic scene, but my favorite detail of this episode was incessant smoking and Quark's reaction to it. Indeed, Quark puts on the best performance in this episode. I love his constant disgust with 1940s Earth. Nurse Garland was pretty cool too, with her overly accurate dreamy "the future will be so amazing" type lines. Overall, a fantastic episode.

5 reader comments

Armin Shimerman is one of the most underappreciated actors in all of Star Trek. He was the first actor on DS9 to develop his character. By the middle of the 1st season, quark was fully realized. He is one of my favorite characters. He makes poignant observations when you least expect it that really do strike a chord. I loved his comment and reaction when he was told that humans would smoke tobacco for recreaton…."you mean they poison their bodies on purpose?" Then, he has to ruin it by being Quark, "if they buy poison, they'll buy anything." This episode was hilarious from beginning to end. I also like the univeral translator malfunction. Little subtle things like that make this episode a charmer. One last thing. By making Nog appreciate humans more than ever, it gives him an added incentive to become a starfleet officer. Nice touch.
by Rich Dixon | 06/08/2006 at 1:32 am

Does this episode estabish that the univeral translator is a device worn in the ear? I can't remember it ever being referred to this way, but it makes sense. It's still problematic, though: How would it broadcast in different languages?
I know, I know…I need to just accept the UT as a plot device and let it be. But I do like episodes that at least acknowledge its existence, even if they do confuse the issue even more.
This is a real winner all the way through. DS9 does humor episodes better than any other Trek series, probably because the Ferengi--usually the center of humor episodes--are all acted so well on DS9.
by JRPoole | 03/23/2009 at 4:16 pm

I agree with the webmaster's review, and with RichD. This episode is pure genius: writing, acting, everything.
The setting was remarkably well done, with the classic dual human response to visiting aliens: the suspicious general who sees them as a military threat, and the "egghead" professor who sees them as peaceful and wants to communicate. The detail of the people's uniforms, the lighting…all of it set the perfect mood for 1940's Earth.
The interactions were, of course, hilarious and fitting. Armin Shimmerman's performance in this episode was superb. He's always great as Quark, but this was award worthy. But Rom, Nog, and the guest cast of Americans all did outstanding, too. They all made this work brilliantly and played their characters perfectly.
I was a little curious as to what would be the fate of the professor and the nurse since they helped the aliens escape quite possibly ruining their happy future, but it's possible this was overlooked in the overall secrecy of the Roswell incident. Speaking of that, I couldn't help but think Star Trek seems to be paying homage here: the Roswell incident is one of the things that contributed to the popularity of science fiction and human imagination about aliens.
The beginning, too, was great. Nog's selling of his childhood possessions, especially the Ferengi tooth sharpener to Worf, added to the overall comedy of the episode. In fact, we get quite a nice dose of Ferengi culture here including the Ferengi language which was interesting to hear. I really cracked up when Quark was asking Nurse Garland for oomox.
Outstanding stuff!
by MJ | 01/14/2011 at 5:26 pm

I really enjoyed that episode, but excuse-me, how is it NOT 100% filler??
Nothing that happens here has any incidence on anything in the series. Nog gets to Earth, but you don't need to see that episode to know that…
by Jons | 02/02/2014 at 9:17 pm

I love this episode but we definitely have a problem, Odo can't shape shift into making good human hair (it is mentioned several times throughout the show run), but here he can make himself into a very convincing hairy German Shepheard style dog
by Rob UK | 12/01/2023 at 9:59 pm

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — 4x09 — The Sword of Kahless

Aired 1995-11-20

SpaceOpera.com rating:3

Average reader rating:5.07

Synopsis

Kor, a revered Klingon warrior, sets out with Worf and Dax in search of a mythical, ancient artifact they believe has the power to unite the Klingon Empire.

Filler rating: partial filler

This episode serves as a followup to TNG: Redemption regarding Worf sparing the Duras boy and TNG: Rightful Heir with regards to Emperor Kahless. It's also the episode in which Worf meets Kor.

Remarkable scenes

Quark to Worf: "You know what I like about Klingon stories, Commander? Nothing. Lots of people die and nobody makes any profit."
Worf, Dax, and Kor discovering the sword of Kahless.
The Duras family trying to steal the sword of Kahless.
Worf and Kor arguing over who's to blame for the Duras family's interference.

Review

The return of Kor in this episode is certainly welcome. It's always nice to see a ridiculously old Klingon throwing his weight around. The continuity in this episode is spectacular. It seems the Kahless clone is nothing more than a figurehead; Gowron has all the real power. Unfortunately, this episode falls flat on its face with the bickering between Worf and Kor. I found it all rather childish. The final blow to me is the ending. The episode started off so good in the beginning, then Kor and Worf started fighting, then they agreed to beam the sword into space and not deliver it to the Klingons. What happened to the sword restoring Worf's name and improving Federation-Klingon relations?

4 reader comments

I have to agree that this episode starts out really well, but descends into childish bickering by the 25-minute mark. By 30 minutes you're just tired of seeing it. I find this rather distasteful, given that Worf has, until now, been the hallmark of honor in the Star Trek franchise. I don't like seeing him scheming or plotting "like a Ferengi", as he would say.
I give it a 5, only because the beginning was so good.
by John DC | 01/12/2011 at 4:28 am

The DS9 producers apparently chose this episode as their first to focus on Worf in order to demonstrate that they completely fail to understand him as a character. They brought on this character to try to win over fans of Worf from TNG and then immediately pissed all over his honourable image treasured most by exactly the fans they were trying to court. I found it extremely insulting at the time, but now it's just one of the many signals that the producers of DS9 did not really understand much about Star Trek or its fans.
by Laroquod | 06/12/2012 at 12:35 pm

For a while there, it seemed like the sword had been forged by the Dark Lord Sauron in Mt. Doom. It was having the same effect on people as the one ring :)
Anyway, I do buy the bickering between Worf and Kor although they dragged it on way too long and screwed up by making it the story. Worf, as honorable as he is, has never been confronted with the opportunity for this kind of power, and it can make good people go a bit nutty. It did for Kor as well. But it would've been a lot more interesting to explore the impact of Federation officers helping to retrieve the most prized artifact in Klingon history.
by Axel | 05/31/2015 at 4:46 pm

What an amazingly bad episode. It starts off well then takes a left right into crazy town. A virus that changes people into loonies would have been preferable than both of them just suddenly losing their mind. TBH I have not really watched much of TNG but it seems to me that the DS9 people/makers really did the famous Worf a disservice here.
by lumzi23 | 12/27/2016 at 7:44 am

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — 4x10 — Our Man Bashir

Aired 1995-11-27

SpaceOpera.com rating:7

Average reader rating:5.98

Synopsis

Posing as a 1960s secret agent in a malfunctioning holosuite program, Bashir is all that stands between his trapped fellow officers and certain death.

Filler rating: partial filler

The events of this episode are referenced later in a few minor ways but not in ways that are absolutely essential viewing.

Remarkable scenes

Garak barging in on Bashir's holosuite program.
Eddington saving the senior officers storing them in the computer.
Kira appearing on Bashir's holosuite program.
Worf's appearance in the holosuite program.
Sisko's appearance in the holosuite program.
Rom's modifications to the Defiant. Eddington: "O'Brien's gonna kill me when he gets back..."
Garak: "Hmm. Kiss the girl, get the key. They never taught me that in the Obsidian Order."
Bashir shooting Garak.
Bashir destroying the world in his holosuite program.
O'Brien: "What'd you do to my ship!?" His first line after beaming aboard the Defiant.
Garak: "Interesting. You saved the day by destroying the world."

Review

Bashir plays Bond, James Bond, in a holosuite program with trusty sidekick Garak. This episode features a rather cliched holosuite malfunction, but the implementation is very original and funny. Characters with names like Mona Luvsitt and Professor Honey Bare and great tributes to the James Bond movies. Kira does a great job with her accent. Worf as Sisko's thug is equally convincing. But my favorite performance is Sisko himself. He makes such a fantastic villain! The ending is fantastic. Bashir ultimately takes Garak's advice, opting to destroy the world and join the bad guy just to keep the holosuite program running a little longer. Doing so saves the lives of the senior officers. A fine show.

4 reader comments

I want to hate this episode but I can't. It's a totally pointless James Bond parody, but it's done so well that you have to love it.
There are so many references to real Bond movies you can't count them all: the basic plot is Moonraker; the gem identification scene is a rework of the fish identification scene from The Spy Who Loved Me; Doctor Noah -> Doctor No; the music could come from almost any 60's or 70's film; "You should have killed me while you had the chance"… and so on.
This could have been such a dreadful failure that I cringed when I realised what was going on, but as it played out I got more and more engrossed. It's a perfect melding of Trek and Bond, and the actors get into their roles so well, and I'm such a fan of both series… that it gets a 9.
by Rob Herbert | 07/30/2010 at 8:12 pm

If it takes the entire station memory to store the neural patterns of the crew, how did Scotty manage to keep his pattern in electronic stasis for 50 years?
by Michael | 06/06/2011 at 7:53 am

Loved it! What a great show, especially Kira, Sisko and O'Brien - and Bashir of course. Garak is one of my fave characters, but he was mostly whining in this episode. Interesting that Eddington (what a dull character…) got to play a bigger role this time.
by Hugo von Ahlenius | 04/18/2012 at 7:32 pm

The emergency scenario was just an excuse for them to have some fun, and it was. Being they were in a scenario based on Bond-logic, Bashir and Garak were never in any real danger as Bond's ability to get out of certain-death scenarios would be part of the program, but it's fitting that Garak was overly-concerned about coming to harm, as never having seen any Bond films he wouldn't know this. It was funny the way they had to outwit the cliches to keep everyone alive, especially to ensure Kira and Dax would both survive - one of the two women always dies and he ends up with the other one, but it's never certain which. Sisko's normal over-stated acting style made him perfect to play the villain. Love Rom's patchwork fixes for the holosuite. "Where's the core memory interface?" "It's… right behind the spatula."
by L | 05/24/2013 at 8:28 am

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — 4x11 — Homefront

Aired 1996-01-01

SpaceOpera.com rating:5

Average reader rating:6.5

Synopsis

Evidence that Changelings are targeting Earth sends Sisko back to his home planet, where he and Odo must prevent or prepare for war with the Dominion.

Filler rating: not filler

Numerous major long term plot threads are serviced here.

Remarkable scenes

Odo lamenting about Dax moving his furniture.
The recording of the bombing.
Worf: "I prefer Klingon beliefs." Kira: "I suppose your gods aren't as cryptic as ours." Worf: "Our gods are dead. Ancient Klingon warriors slew them a millennia ago. They were more trouble than they were worth."
Odo lamenting about being the test Changeling for the phaser sweeps.
Odo discovering the Changeling admiral.
Armed Federation security officers beaming down all over Earth.
Morn Appearances; 1. Talking to Quark just before Odo complains to Quark. 2. Enters the bar as Bashir and O'Brien talk to Odo.

Review

So the wormhole is opening and closing at random. Then there's a bombing on Earth caused by a Changeling. Then Odo discovers a Changeling trying to impersonate an admiral on Earth. Yep, it all adds up. Changelings are indeed "everywhere." This story is credibly presented, but I just don't like it on principle. While it's an enjoyable episode, I personally would have rather seen the time spent on something else. I agree entirely with Odo's objections for coming. What's the point? They already submitted very thorough reports. One thing I did like was the alien president of the Federation, something that was featured in TOS as well. I also enjoyed getting a chance to see Sisko's father for the first time, as well as the restaurant he kept talking about. Other than that, it's all fairly average stuff.

7 reader comments

I love how they don't allow those nasty DS9 uniforms on Earth. Cool people wear the TNG uniforms, and that includes everyone on Earth.
by Pete Miller | 06/25/2006 at 9:40 pm

I was surprised to see such a low score for this one. Personally, I find this to be the best two-parter so far on DS9. I love seeing how, despite the near-perfection of the Federation, humans still have some basic flaws. They are unavoidable, since most of them can be good qualities in many situations. The story strikes me as credible and well-executed, and I like seeing some internal Federation politics, which we don't get much of.
by EKH | 05/11/2007 at 9:03 pm

It's pretty rare that I seriously disagree with our host here, but this is one of those times. I think this is one of the best DS9 episodes in existence.
I love seeing Earth. I love Sisko's dad. I love the paranoia about changelings. I even like Nog's struggles at the Academy. I think the tension between the President and the Federation's ideals and Star Fleet's insistence on raising security. It's rare that Trek makes uncomfortable decisions, and it works well here. I haven't seen the conclusion yet (not since the original run, anyway) so I'm hoping this is building up to something special.
by JRPoole | 03/25/2009 at 8:54 pm

People who complain about the mixture of uniforms clearly do not understand that every historical military has had a mixture of uniforms even within the same branch. For example, at some points in Star Trek there appear to be uniforms for stationary assignment and others for naval assignment. For a campaign and for the home front. For Monday and for Tuesday.
by Tallifer | 03/30/2011 at 12:18 am

The thing I can never get my head around when I watch this episode is Joseph Sisko's restaurant - if, as Picard put it in First Contact, there is no money on Earth, what's the point of having a restaurant? Okay, maybe it would be fun for Sisko's dad to have a restaurant and provide free food to people just because he's a nice guy and likes to cook, but why the hell would someone be a busboy or chop onions in the kitchen the entire day without getting paid?
Or maybe he charges latinum…
by Gul Ranek | 12/30/2012 at 11:31 pm

This story line just doesn't quite work for me. We keep hearing this is happening all over the planet, but we don't SEE it. The action is just contained to a few small sets. The scope of this story is too big for the show. They should have set this on maybe another space station, or on DS9, but not the entire planet Earth.
by Mike D | 04/06/2017 at 5:21 am

Admiral Leyton: “What I’d like to know is, why was (the Changeling) imitating me?” Commander Benteen: “Well, sir, you live on a very nice bayfront property with an amazing view. You have a vacation home in the Riviera. You own one of the biggest luxury shuttlecraft in the city, and the rumors are that your wife is excellent in bed.”
SERIOUSLY, Leyton? You’re an admiral in Starfleet Security and you can’t deduce why a Changeling would want to impersonate you?
That boneheaded line aside, Leyton’s an excellent idea for an antagonist. When I saw this two-parter, I didn’t expect they would take the direction it did. The Changelings foment just enough chaos on Earth to plunge the planet into fear which lets paranoid, reckless people like Leyton do the rest for them. It’s as insidious as it was effective, and made for a great story.
For Gul Ranek, there’s a lot out there on the economics of Star Trek. I can’t repeat it all here, but basically Earth and the Federation have a post-scarcity economy. All resources, energy, and necessities of life are either replicated or efficiently mass-produced. In this world, people no longer have to pursue something because they need to make money, they can do what they enjoy. The Picard vineyard isn’t necessary, but is something the family wants to do to give the authentic French wine experience. The Sisko restaurant is similar, offering real Cajun and Creole food as part of New Orleans life. It’s the same desire for personal fulfillment and social betterment that is the basis for Starfleet itself, just a different version. As for the currency, who knows? Maybe it’s an advanced barter system. It just isn’t for profit. I do agree it’s unlikely that in such a world, lowly jobs like busboy or prep cook wouldn’t be appealing…we can only assume “Nathan” works there out of some sense of family loyalty or is compensated in some way.
by Axel | 04/10/2020 at 1:15 am

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — 4x12 — Paradise Lost

Aired 1996-01-08

SpaceOpera.com rating:6

Average reader rating:6.4

Synopsis

Preparing Earth for war with the Dominion, Sisko and Odo discover evidence of a Starfleet plot to seize control of the planet from the Federation.

Filler rating: not filler

Numerous major long term plot threads are serviced here.

Remarkable scenes

Sisko chewing out the Red Squad cadet getting him to describe his mission.
Sisko being relieved of command by Admiral Leyton.
The shape shifter O'Brien.
Sisko: "Paradise has never been so well armed."
Odo rescuing Sisko.
The Lakota attacking the Defiant.
Leyton starting to freak out as he began to realize he's losing.

Review

The sequel is a bit better episode than the first part. While crazy power hungry idiotic admirals have been a cliche since TOS, it was fun to watch in this episode. The battle between the Defiant and the Lakota to me seemed far too short, but other than that it was spectacular. Other than that, the episode reminded me somewhat of TNG: The Drumhead, though without most of the offensiveness. Overall, a decent two part episode. It could have been done a lot better, but it was acceptable.

7 reader comments

I still don't understand why you found the drumhead "offensive". It was a great episode, and this one continues in its spirit.
by Pete Miller | 06/25/2006 at 10:44 pm

I agree that Paradise Lost is better than Homefront. However, for me, this two-parter will always live in the shadow of Babylon 5's Messages From Earth-Point of No Return-Severed Dreams arc, which dealt with similar subject matter but did it a lot better.
by Chris Baldwin | 11/29/2009 at 9:28 pm

The captain of the Lakota was played by Susan Gibney, the same actress who was the designer of the new Enterpise and Geordie's unrequited true love in TNG, Dr Leah Brahms.
I don't know if this Starfleet takeover plot has further consequences or developments or not. If it doesn't come up again then that's a bit disappointing - but if it is a standalone two-parter this is still pretty good. Mankind still has to be vigilant against its own corruptible nature.
by L | 05/25/2013 at 6:25 am

Most Star Trek episodes set on Earth add some more realism to the whole series. Since I have visited some of the locations myself (e.g. San Francisco, Los Angeles, Paris), there is a certain connection of the present age with the Star Trek future, whatever unlikely it will seem. So I like these episodes very much and give at least 8 points to the two parts, regardless of nasty uniforms and recurring power hungry admirals, which are just like in real life. A remarkable scene in "Paradise Lost" is Odo doing the Vulcan nerve pinch on the female Starfleet guard. Did he ever use it on other occasions?
by peterwolf | 11/27/2013 at 11:11 pm

so how did they fake the bloodtest? And how come they kept using them later…
by bodner | 02/28/2014 at 10:42 am

The blood test is easily faked by a changeling, simply kill a solid and store some of their blood inside your changeling body and move that pocket of solid blood to the surface wherever someone is taking the blood sample from you, be that with a hypo Starfleet style or cutting your palm with a blade Klingon style
by Rob UK | 02/27/2015 at 3:56 am

This episode feels oddly prescient. Had it been released during the run of Enterprise, it would read as a 9/11-allegory. Blood tests and martial law for increased airport security and the PATRIOT Act. Fake-O'Brien's speech to Sisko "only four of us… in the end, it's your fear that will destroy you."
Episode sits among the best of Trek, as social commentary… even before the events it speaks most directly to. Cutting to the core of our failings as a society, and yet there is hope; our hero Sisko triumphs in the end over the coup d'etat.
by Gaius Gracchua | 10/02/2021 at 6:04 pm

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — 4x13 — Crossfire

Aired 1996-01-29

SpaceOpera.com rating:5

Average reader rating:4.69

Synopsis

Odo's hidden feelings for Kira interfere with his duty to protect the Bajoran First Minister, who also happens to be attracted to her.

Filler rating: not filler

This episode establishes the Shakaar-Kira-Odo love triangle.

Remarkable scenes

Odo perfecting his office and his disposition just prior to Kira's arrival to discuss station security.
Quark complaining about Odo making too much noise shape shifting above Quark's quarters.
Kira: "It's just Quark's luck that you would be assigned quarters above his." Odo: "Luck had nothing to do with it."
Odo: "I have a daily routine which I follow unwaveringly. The shopkeepers on the promenade joke that they can set their clocks by me."
Odo and Worf discussing order in their quarters and reasons/methods of deterring visitors. O'Brien has a tendency to drop by a lot and it annoys Worf.
Kira asking Odo why he doesn't wear a belt anymore. Odo's response: "It didn't really serve a purpose. It's not as if I needed it to hold my pants up." When she said it looked good on him, he materialized it.
Odo smashing things in his quarters.
Quark confronting Odo about the noise.
Odo denying that he knew the floor renovations he requested had sound proofing in it.

Review

So there's more talk about Bajor's push to join the Federation, this is something I like. It's always nice to see the show advancing its premise. This episode also featured a few nice scenes between Odo and Worf. Though the episode was more about Odo than anyone else. Odo of course is in love with Kira is too afraid to tell her. There are some good scenes between Odo and Quark in this episode too. Their half adversarial half friendship relationship is one of the best character developments of the whole series, and this episode contributes heavily to it. My favorite moment between them in this episode is Odo installing sound proofing in his quarters to make Quark happy, then denying all knowledge of the whole operation to Quark's face. It was a great ending to this otherwise unremarkable episode. Literally, nothing happens in it except we get to watch Odo go through some social pain.

4 reader comments

One thing that struck me watching the scene with Odo's belt, is that Odo has walked around naked his entire life! That must provide for additional weirdness-factor for the people on the station.
It also means his comm-badge is really just him. How would it feel to be part-computer? If we think this through a little further: how would it feel to be Sisko's briefcase in Homefront? How would Odo know when to turn back into his humanoid form? Bags don't usually have ears, or brains to process sound.
I would like to hear explanations to these things instead of the throwaway technobabble that we sometimes get to hear.
by Remco | 01/25/2009 at 7:06 pm

Why not just beam VIPs to and from locations instead of all the security hoopla?
by krs321 | 04/18/2011 at 3:28 pm

I have been wondering why we don't see Odo doing more Reed Richard's routines (or plasticman etc). I thought that if shifted shape he would not necessarily take on the properties of the object he turns into - but this time his hands in the elevator…
I liked this ep though, and great that it didn't focus on the assassination.
Best moment : Quark in PJ's
by Hugo von Ahlenius | 04/30/2012 at 6:21 pm

In a season that hasn't really missed with an episode yet, this one has not aged well. "Odo the incel" is a pretty yucky plot, one we are able to more accurately diagnose in 2021 than a writers room in the mid 90s could. The development of the overarching Odo-Kira subplot could have been handled much better than this.
by Gaius Gracchua | 10/04/2021 at 3:27 pm

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — 4x14 — Return to Grace

Aired 1996-02-05

SpaceOpera.com rating:6

Average reader rating:6.63

Synopsis

A demoted Dukat enlist Kira's aid in regaining his former status in the Cardassian Empire.

Filler rating: not filler

Numerous major long term plot threads are serviced here.

Remarkable scenes

Kira's inoculations.
Dukat's initial meeting with Kira
Dukat gossiping with Kira her seeming desire to entice powerful men.
The Klingon Bird of Prey taunting Dukat's ship.
Dukat's ship attacking the Bird of Prey.
Dukat destroying his old ship with all the Klingons on board.
Kira: "The best way to survive a knife fight is to never get in one."

Review

It's something of a funny tradition on Star Trek that people keep stealing Klingon Birds of Prey. This episode is an homage to Star Trek III: The Search for Spock and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home in many ways, in fact. Not only is a Klingon Bird of Prey stolen, but there's even complaints about Klingon technology being odd! :) I was glad to see Dukat as a "good guy" in this episode. In fact, his actions for the most part were downright honorable. The ending was equally pleasing; Ziyal is now a resident of DS9 thanks to Dukat declaring a private little war on the Klingons and Dukat thanks to some convincing from Kira, doesn't want his daughter involved in it. While the episode is nice, there's little else of note, making it a fairly average transitional episode.

3 reader comments

Kira comparing the Cardasian rifle with the Federation one… It was a bit like hearing someone compare an AK-47 with an M-16. The first one very simple and very rugged, the other much more advanced, but somewhat more prone to failure. No wonder someone like Kira would recommend the Cardasian rifle to a novice like Ziyal, after all she was a freedom fighter. And its real life counterpart, the AK-47, has been the weapon of choice for most untrained… freedom fighters.
by Giuseppe | 11/07/2010 at 1:18 am

Overall the episode is entertaining, sometimes thrilling. However, some parts of the discussions and conversations between Dukat and Kira went wrong. It started in "Indescretion" and gets worse in later episodes. Dukat´s constant need to expose his feelings and motifs to Kira and his begging for appreciation are annoying and "un-Cardassian". It would have been much more effective if these "confessions" or whatever you may call it had occurred unexpectedly and very rarely. For example, such things happen with Garak: all of a sudden you see a different part of his character, of his past, which makes him such an interesting character. The dialogues between Kira and Ziyal are much better and more credible. Also, Dukat showed the potential for a more positive character development, but as we know, in the end it turned out bad. Interestingly, Damar appears for the first time on DS9 in "Return to Grace". His ups and downs account for one of the best character developments in Star Trek. The moment when he gives up drinking is the crucial turning point in the war against the Dominion, while Dukat choose a far more negative path.
by peterwolf | 11/29/2013 at 10:36 pm

Dukat and Kira have great on-screen chemistry. Scenes between those characters always jump out, so episodes putting them together always resonate. The series found a winning formula here.
by Gaius Gracchua | 10/04/2021 at 8:59 pm

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — 4x15 — Sons of Mogh

Aired 1996-02-12

SpaceOpera.com rating:6

Average reader rating:6.15

Synopsis

Cast out of Klingon society because of Worf's dishonor, his outcast brother asks Worf to kill him.

Filler rating: partial filler

Watch this episode if you're interested in how Kurn's (rather insignificant) arc from TNG ultimately ends. Otherwise not too much happens here of consequence.

Remarkable scenes

Worf's faux pas in the beginning with Dax.
Kira's casual sleeping on the runabout.
Sisko chewing out Worf and Dax.
The severely damaged Vorcha class cruiser coming out of nowhere.
Worf: "He decided to kill me while I was looking him right in the eyes and I never saw it! But Kurn did, and he was three meters away!"
Kira blowing up the Klingons' mines.
Kurn learning of his new identity.
Morn Appearances; 1. Walks by Odo and Dax when Dax figures out that Worf is about to kill Kurn. 2. In the final scene.

Review

This one's been coming for a while. We all knew Kurn sat on the high council and would be ejected after Worf offended Gowron. Now we finally get to see the result of Worf's decision and the effect it has on his family. Additionally, there's an interesting subplot in this episode regarding the Klingon minefield. I rather enjoyed watching Kira and O'Brien flush the quail. ;) Overall the episode is still pretty average, just like the last, but in my opinion quite a bit more exciting and moving. It seems this season is quickly becoming the season of transitional episodes!

5 reader comments

This one was the last straw for me when it came to DS9's Klingon episodes. In TNG, the Klingons were an interesting and respectable group of characters, and the series explored their culture. Gowron was a formidable opponent but also very honorable, and Kurn was one of the better minor family characters in the series.
Then comes DS9 in which the Klingons (except Worf) return to the mindless thugs they were in TOS. They suck at battle, as proven in "Way of the Warrior" and "Return to Grace". They act dishonorably on several occasions. Gowron has become a madman, a development that could be justified by his thirst for power but still makes the character one-dimensional.
And now Kurn. I liked the character in TNG, and it was very disappointing to see it end this way for him. His point of view is easy to understand. Even when Worf went through his dishonor, he was in the Federation and didn't really have to face it every day like Kurn has. And it blows my mind that the Federation would have such a problem with the ritual murder, an honorable act in Klingon culture, but be OK with erasing someone's identity without their consent. This is a major discrepancy that is simply too large for me to ignore.
Overall, one of my least favorite episodes of DS9.
by MJ | 01/14/2011 at 4:39 pm

In contrast to the other commenter, I rather like that the showed that actions have real-life consequences, in contrast to the real feeling we get that actions are self-contained inside episodes - if that. Worf's actions do have consequences for those left on his home planet, somthing that everyone seems to forget.
These characters are not islands unto themselves - they've got ties and interestes beyond the bulkheads that can go bad or good depending on what they do.
I don't think a highly militarized society such as the Klingons would have many detractors in a universe that was rapidly experiencing threats, changes and the doubts that came with the Changling threats. Therefore you can make the case that a military leader (see the TNG episode where Garwon was chosen) that struck a balance would shift towards a more locked-down military political stance to preserve the Empire from percieved threats. Such a mindset isn't that hard for Klingons to fall into.
And its not like Klingons were really a race of sophisticated or otherwise in TOS that suddenly became 'Vikings in Space' in TNG/DS9….i mean, in ST 6 the whole novelty of General Chang and Gorkon was that they were leaders that quoted Shakespeare and were more politically aware, rather than the 'typical fare'
And the leadership of the empire IS dominated by a Council that seems persuasive to the winds of the time and can be manipulated or dominated, in this case the latter.
by Jon Guda | 05/26/2011 at 4:59 pm

With regards to how the mines could be effective given that ships could simply navigate around them - the whole point is that they're cloaked. That's why Worf and Kurn have to board the Klingon ship to discover their locations.
by Selador | 04/09/2013 at 9:44 pm

The premise of this episode is excellent, "how can Worf bridge a divide between his Klingon culture demands of him and what his life in the Federation will allow?" And the repeated failed attempts for him to do right by Kurn are great. Tony Todd has done a great job acting with pathos this season, first as older Jake in The Visitor and now reprising this role from TNG.
The conclusion of the episode is highly disappointing. The decision of the Starfleet to inflict the Lovecraftian horror of erasing a man's memory and giving him a new life, just being okay with that, does not sit well. The need to tidily wrap this story up was too strong. I'm not sure what the "best" way to have approached this would have been, but finding a way to let it linger, perhaps to return to the topic in a later season, would have been preferable. This is a product of DS9 not knowing the balance between serial/episodic that it wanted, and it suffers here, wasting a great guest performance.
by Gaius Gracchua | 10/05/2021 at 11:20 am

Klingons are such docile whiners, do they just sit by and let the government seize their lands?? Look at Kern whining about how they took his stuff, why didn't he and his house fight Gowrons men? Who cares if they stand no chance, they always brag about honorable deaths. Instead he comes to DS9 to whine and just die like a coward. Even the biggest hillibilly would put up more of a fight if the government came to take his stuff.
by Amelia Obumhardt | 10/16/2022 at 3:05 pm

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — 4x16 — Bar Association

Aired 1996-02-19

SpaceOpera.com rating:5

Average reader rating:5.13

Synopsis

Tired of workplace mistreatment at the hands of his brother, Rom organizes all of Quark's employees into a union and goes on strike against the bar.

Filler rating: not filler

While largely a minor character development piece, the little details we see in this episode regarding Rom, Leeta, Worf, Bashir, and O'Brien are all significant later.

Remarkable scenes

Worf nitpicking the Defiant.
Bashir and O'Brien dressed up for their holosuite program.
Bashir suggesting to Rom that he should form a union.
Quark to Rom: "The only thing I regret is not being an only child."
Odo listing all the security breaches on the Enterprise to rub it in Worf's face that Worf isn't a perfect security officer.
O'Brien regarding a cyst on the back of his neck: "Either I paint a nose, eyes, and a mouth on it and pretend I've got two heads, or you take it off!"
Worf lamenting about the station's constant breakdowns while O'Brien revels in it because he likes fixing things. I like how he complains about how boring sitting in the transporter room was. :)
Holographic Quark approaching Odo.
Sisko blackmailing Quark into settling the union dispute by threatening to charge him for back rent. ;)
Worf moving his quarters to the Defiant.
The Nausicaans throwing darts at one another.
Rom to Quark: "What you were trying to do was make yourself feel important. Making me feel dumb made you feel smart. But I'm not dumb, and you're not half as smart as you think you are."
Rules of Acquisition; 211. Employees are the rungs of the ladder of success. Don't hesitate to step on them. 263. Never allow doubt to tarnish your lust for latinum.
Morn Appearances; 1. In front of Rom while he bemoans about his ear. 2. Gets up and leaves after Quark announces the pay cuts. 3. Seen in the background sleeping at the bar during the strike. 4. Next to Rom when he quit his job.

Review

Worf loves the Defiant and hates the station, Quark's employees have unionized and are demanding better treatment. The FCA shows up and haves Quark beat up. Quark solves the problem by secretly giving into his workers' demands so long as the union is "officially" dissolved. Nothing particularly groundbreaking, but a good show and a decent watch.

5 reader comments

Odo called the station "DS9" in this episode. I don't think we've heard this abbreviation on the show before.
by Remco | 01/29/2009 at 3:59 am

I found this episode highly enjoyable, and the fact that it features Leeta has absolutely nothing to do with it. :)
by John DC | 01/12/2011 at 5:27 pm

Just dull and uninspired, and a plot where not much happens. And Leeta is not a good actress.
by Hugo von Ahlenius | 05/09/2012 at 5:37 am

This is THE Rom episode. It provides all the reasons and feelings why Leeta will love Rom (soon after her affair with Bashir). It is very funny how O´Briens´ story of his ancestor Sean (made up or real) inspires Rom to stand his ground against Ferengi laws and tradition. Although Rom seems to trade his Union ideals in the end, he wins: all his conditions for the workers will be accepted by Quark and he gets his job in Starfleet as technician "junior grade"! Similar to Damar he will do things in the future that decide the war against the Dominion. Also, the tiny subplot of Dax and Worf prepares the basis of their relationship. A very great episode, if you know what is coming later on!
by peterwolf | 11/30/2013 at 9:05 am

Nice episode. One detail i couldn't stop noticing is Liquidator brunt's bodyguards are Nausicaan…the same nasty race that stabbed picard on the heart.
by Martin | 04/02/2014 at 6:29 pm

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — 4x17 — Accession

Aired 1996-02-26

SpaceOpera.com rating:5

Average reader rating:5.24

Synopsis

A legendary Bajoran appears mysteriously after more than 200 years and challenges Sisko's claim to be the Emissary.

Filler rating: not filler

This episode mostly features a collection of minor, but necessary continuity, such as Keiko's second pregnancy.

Remarkable scenes

O'Brien and Bashir cleaning O'Brien's bachelor pad.
Akorem Laan's introduction.
Sisko: "I'm just a Starfleet officer again. All I have to worry about are the Klingons, the Dominion, and the Maquis. I feel like I'm on vacation!"
Quark to Worf: "Did you hear? Keiko's going to have another baby!" Worf: "Now?!" Seems Worf had not so fond memories of delivering Keiko's first baby in TNG: Disaster. ;)
Keiko playing O'Brien and Bashir back to together.
Morn Appearances; 1. Playing darts with Bashir.

Review

This is a complicated episode, which creates a shakeup in the very premise of the show. It seems Sisko is no longer the Emissary; that the real one has appeared from the wormhole. Sisko revels in these events at first, because he hated being the Emissary. But when the new Emissary begins advocating ridiculous new social changes that would ruin Bajor's chances of joining the Federation, Sisko realizes maybe he should be the Emissary after all. To me, more interesting was the whole subplot regarding Keiko, O'Brien, and Bashir. I don't know why, but it had a certain charm to it. I liked the ending where Keiko goes behind O'Brien and Bashir's back both to get them back together. Very cute.

10 reader comments

Two problems here:
1) Doesn't sending Akorem back to live out his life change the time line in a very serious fashion? The cute little tie up of that question at the end is ridiculous.
2) Okay, how gullible are the Bajoran people?
by JRPoole | 05/06/2009 at 2:30 am

This episode proves once again that the Bajoran people are the most naive pushovers in the Alpha Quadrant.
One of the things I love about DS9 is that the "Prophets" themselves seem to have little or no interest in what actually goes on on Bajor. They are completely indifferent, in part because they themselves can't even conceive of linear time as we understand it. It's fun to laugh at the Bajorans as they read so much into everything the Prophets do, while at the same time you know the Prophets don't really care one way or another.
by John DC | 01/12/2011 at 7:27 pm

The wormhole aliens/Prophets are to DS9 what the Traveler was to TNG: an absurd, unnecessary story arc that reduces the show's credibility. As with the Traveler, the Prophets are used to explain away inconsistencies, do things that make no sense, and kill the climax of otherwise good episodes (see DS9: Sacrifice of Angels). The difference is, we have a lot more Prophet episodes than we do Traveler episodes.
This religion of the Prophets makes the Bajorans look like despicable fools. This is especially true of Kira, who in these episodes is no longer the tough, independent fighter, but a sheep who blindly devotes herself to whatever the religious authorities of her planet dictate. So, the Kira character definitely loses credibility. Then, enter this 200+ year-old Bajoran poet who wants to turn Bajoran society upside down, likely throwing the entire planet into chaos and ruin, and everyone just goes along with it because you don't question the Emissary? It doesn't really reflect well on Bajor overall.
I console myself with this episode somewhat by hoping the point is to show how blind obedience to organized religion can be bad. There are hints this might be the case, such as Odo's excellent questioning of Kira (my favorite moment in the episode) on the Promenade before the new Emissary's first speech, and how the Prophets clearly have no concept of time, rendering the prophecy of who contacts them "first" a moot point. But, I realize it's not Star Trek's place to really take positions; the show simply offers competing points of view to educate the audience, which, of course, is fantastic. But the Prophet storyline takes away from Kira and Bajor in the process.
I do like how the episode reflects both Sisko's being uncomfortable with the position of Emissary while also wearing the uniform, and his true concern for Bajor when the new Emissary starts enacting his agenda. Sisko has come to love this world and its people, however superstitious they may be, and is willing to serve in this role if it's in Bajor's best interests.
We also have an episode that ends rather suddenly (again).
I also wasn't a huge fan of the subplot. Normally I enjoy the camaraderie between O'Brien and Bashir, but this subplot was rather dull and pointless. It went from O'Brien wanting to spend more time with Keiko to missing Bashir. Not interesting.
Below average episode at best.
by MJ | 02/07/2011 at 12:45 pm

I find myself in agreement with MJ over the Prophets but in total disagreement over Major Kira.
I think that you are confusing your personal loss of respect for her character with her credibility. The character is still perfectly credible as we see time and time again on our planet the blindness of faith. Have you never had conversations with believers who can stand there and as perfectly rational people then suddenly say that they believe that a man fed 5000 from a couple of loaves? The Kira character is consistant in this respect all the way through the series, so I think it is perfectly credible that she behaves in this manner. Just because I personally can't understand why people can have blind faith doesn't mean that a character is not credible if they do.
This episode does not mark the end of the Prophets as a well thought out and written species though… just watch 'Rapture' and any episodes from that point onwards involving Prophets/Pah Wraiths or both to see not only the spoiling of a truly fascinating species but also the implication (and later more than just implication!) that they really do have a connection with the Bajorans!
I enjoy this episode as it brings up interesting points and as MJ said is allows the viewer to make up their own mind. I would rate it slightly higher than 5 despite some of the problems.
by Bernard | 02/07/2011 at 11:01 pm

Hi Bernard,
You make a great point. I have, actually, known some very intelligent believers, and it has been strange to me how they reconcile their faith with some of their other views. Maybe not strange, but interesting. I can see what you mean about Kira still being who she is, and yet still steeped in the traditions of her people. We have had glimpses of how her religion was one of the things that may very well have sustained her during the Cardassian occupation.
I guess it just catches me off guard when I see episodes in which Kira is fearless, answering to no one and taking on anybody who gets in her way, and yet here is willing to abandon her life simply because a spiritual leader told her to do so. The good thing, though, is that she doesn't do so unquestioningly. She voices her frustrations to that Vedek about her lack of artistic talent, which at least makes it somewhat believable.
On another note, I really did enjoy the moment in this episode where Kira informs Sisko of her decision to resign, and advising him on a replacement.
by MJ | 02/13/2011 at 1:46 pm

Original Star Trek was generally atheist: gods were just aliens in disguise. Deep Space 9 recognizes that for most people the universe is mysterious and mystical. The Bajoran religion seems to be a mixture of Hindoo and Moslem ideas.
In this episode, it is the Hindoo caste system. The Cardassian occupation was an aberration and a traumatic experience. Naturally many Bajorans would be eager to return to the halcyon days of yore. Nowadays there is still a segment of Indian society that wants the ancient caste system legalized and enforced.
As for the emissaries, all the major religions have several prophets from the gods. When Akorem assumed the mantle of emissary, many Bajorans could have easily thought of Sisko as a sort of John the Baptist preceding the actual emissary.
by Tallifer | 03/31/2011 at 12:23 am

Well, I gave it an 8 - a solid, interesting and engaging episode, with any major flaws - as I see it!
by Hugo von Ahlenius | 05/11/2012 at 8:00 pm

Keiko has redeemed herself. I was really aggravated by her in the last episode with her in it. In this one she behaved the way I expected a woman returning home after a long absence would behave. :)
by Lt. Fitz | 06/27/2012 at 5:20 pm

I have to agree with Bernard that Kira is still a very credible character.
Specifically, the idea that someone can be stubborn, willful and annoying, while at the same time being indecisive, ignorant, and easily swayed by religious doublespeak is perfectly credible.
by John DC | 05/01/2013 at 1:06 am

I'd give this a 2, mainly because it's an episode that didn't really need to be made, or should've been much better.
The whole point of this episode was to show Sisko finally embracing his role as Emissary. And I could buy the premise that the Prophets had Akorem do this brief stint in the future in order to get Sisko to accept his "path". But that's not how the episode is scripted. Instead, the whole thing seems like random action by the Prophets that inadvertently almost upends Bajor, the consequences of which are completely ignored by the end of the episode.
Akorem lays out a pretty good case for his being the Emissary. But apparently, he's wrong. So why exactly did he emerge from the wormhole 200+ years into the future? The vague response from the Prophets indicates that he drifted into the wormhole, they saw that he was injured, healed him, and then released him. Since they're unaware of linear time, they just so happened to drop him into the timeline at this moment. When Akorem and Sisko speak with them, they seem to think something along the lines of, "oh yeah, that's right…Sisko explained this whole linear time thingy to us…ya know, maybe we could just send this Akorem guy back to his time." In other words, as John points out, they do things in capricious ways while the Bajorans foolishly read into everything as intentional. We never find out what the Bajorans thought of why Akorem briefly appeared in this time period. Instead, they seemingly just accept that it happened and go back to their lives.
So Akorem goes back to his time, almost everything returns to what it was at the start of the episode except for Akorem's poetry, the changes to which are written off as mysterious Prophet ways, and Sisko now happily performs the ceremonies that he felt uncomfortable with at the start.
It's an aggravating, unsatisfying end.
by Mike L. Jackson | 11/03/2016 at 6:16 am

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — 4x18 — Rules of Engagement

Aired 1996-04-08

SpaceOpera.com rating:7

Average reader rating:6.83

Synopsis

Worf faces a hearing to determine whether he should be extradited to the Klingon Empire for destroying a civilian ship ...

Filler rating: good filler

There's no essential plot or exposition in this episode that renders it unskippable, but it's a decent episode, even though it could have been better.

Remarkable scenes

The arrogance of the Klingon advocate in the beginning.
The flashback testimony. I liked Quark's. :)
O'Brien's flashback, detailing the battle.
Ch'Pok, regarding switching sides to defend Worf should he be extradited: "What matters to me is the thrill of the fight. Not which side I'm on."
The Klingon lawyer provoking Worf.
Sisko cross examining the Klingon lawyer.
Sisko chewing out Worf in the end for making poor command decisions. :)
Worf: "Life is a lot more complicated in this red uniform."
Morn Appearances; 1. In Quark's much revised flashback.

Review

This episode is remarkable in that the Klingon prosecutor is a fantastic guest star. Only a Klingon lawyer would thirst for battle... in the courtroom! The directing is also remarkably interesting. Such as Dax describing Worf's demeanor whilst in a flashback fighting him. And Sisko explaining why he selected Worf for this mission whilst in a flashback. Quark gets a similar scene, but he can't get it right. ;) O'Brien gets one too, set during the battle. Worf as well. One problem with the episode though is the seeming hypocrisy of the Klingon prosecutor's entire argument. Klingon history honors conquerors who murder civilians, yet it is illegal for Worf to murder them now? What's the bloody difference? Well, Klingons are very... odd. And the Federation has to respect their... odd laws. I'm not willing to mark this is a technical problem because of this, but it walks the line. The ending is superb, Sisko's last minute new evidence was fantastically presented, leaving us with an original question... why was Sisko defending Worf in the first place? Why, he even chewed Worf out for his decision in the end! Sisko defended him blindly. Awesome. :)

9 reader comments

Fantastic episode. The Klingon advocate was incredible. He very nearly won the case. The way the plot unfolded was quite extraoridinary. I would have never guessed that the Klingons were trying to lure the Federation into giving up Worf while at the same time, keep them from escorting medical convoys. The plan was very romulanesque. I guess that's my only knock. It was unbecoming of the Klingons to behanve in this manner. Being underhanded. We learn later however, the Klingons were not acting on their own valition. The Quark scene was great. That guy kills me. Finally, I just love the way Sisko both lectured and scolded Work while patting him on the shoulder all at once. The mark of a great leader. Something my ol' high school basketball coach use to do. Tear us down, and build us up. I enjoyed this episode.
by Rich Dixon | 06/13/2006 at 11:41 pm

I also love the Klingon lawyer - the actor's guest starred in a few episodes (TNG and Voyager if memory serves). Fine tradition of aggressive Klingon lawyering in Trek - always good to see. And at least Worf wasn't threatened with a spell on Rura Pente :-) One thing - why would Chief O'Brien say he would have taken command if Worf had been injured in the battle. Surely Major Kira would have been the ranking officer?
by Dave McMullan | 05/14/2009 at 9:11 am

I don't like this episode at all and gave it a 2. First of all I find the whole premise doesn't make alot of sense, why would klingons complain about bloodshed, why did the advocate call Worf a coward for killing people, and in the same sentence call the guy who exterminated a whole city a hero. Then Sisko was unbearable in this episode. He talks as if this was some sort of poetry contest, makes me really miss Picard.
by onlinebroker | 11/05/2009 at 6:40 pm

A brilliant episode; gripping and suspenseful. The Klingon advocate in particular was superb - I loved the bit when he told Sisko he would defend Worf himself in any subsequent trial.
Just one problem. He asks Worf "Did you weep…", but we know from The Undiscovered Country that Klingons have no tear ducts. It seems unlikely that the advocate would use a human expression in this situation.
by Rob Herbert | 07/31/2010 at 1:45 pm

"Klingon history honors conquerors who murder civilians, yet it is illegal for Worf to murder them now? What's the bloody difference? Well, Klingons are very… odd."
That's hardly hypocrisy at all. Think about all the reverence we today might hold for Alexander the Great. Or better yet, Julius Caesar. Caesar's conquest of Gaul involved the burning of hundreds of villages, killing perhaps hundreds of thousdands. In his most famous battle, he refused to allow starving civilians-women, children-to be evacuated from Alesia because he wanted to stretch the Gaul's food supply. He is certainly revered, still today.
"Ah," you might say, "but we don't pretend to be him, running around and killing women." If you think of Holodeck programs, though, as just an evolution in video gaming technology…Worf was just playing "Klingons: Total War." There's plenty of people who enjoy games like Grand Theft Auto who still believe in the wrongness of senseless violence.
by Bronn | 11/13/2011 at 5:59 pm

Good episode. One problem though…why does sisko have only 3 dots in his uniform during the trial?
by Martin | 04/03/2014 at 4:15 am

This is one of the only times I have seen a deus ex machina ending done in a way that was satisfying and didn't come off as a cop out.
I guess it really wasn't a deus ex machina because now that I think about it that awkward bit of dialog (right before the brilliant "the truth must be won" line) where the advocate reveals an ulterior motive makes sense. However, I doubt the advocate would have revealed that bit of information. Unless he didn't know about the ruse. Yeah that is more like it. In fact that explains why he would contradict himself as other commenters pointed out. The Klingon were using an uncharacteristic (non-battle) strategy to accomplish 2 the two different goals.
Excellent complex episode. Best so far in my opinion.
[Ha, I just realized I wrote that comment like I was having a conversation with myself]
by AW | 12/17/2015 at 5:57 am

Some great acting from Avery Brooks in this one as well, especially at the end with Worf.
by Psycroptic | 07/13/2018 at 1:58 am

I had to look up who directed this episode. LeVar Burton! Impressive work. Loved the cuts between the courtroom and the scenes presented by the witnesses.
by Gaius Gracchua | 10/05/2021 at 10:48 pm

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — 4x19 — Hard Time

Aired 1996-04-15

SpaceOpera.com rating:7

Average reader rating:6.56

Synopsis

After an alien race implants false memories of a 21-year prison sentence into O'Brien's brain, he has trouble readjusting to station life.

Filler rating: good filler

There's no essential plot or exposition in this episode that renders it unskippable, but it's a decent episode, even though it could have been better.

Remarkable scenes

A disheveled O'Brien in the first scene aged 20 years extra, waking up to his old life.
O'Brien lying about being alone in his prison memories.
O'Brien's reeducation.
O'Brien relieved of duty and freaking out at people, even Molly.
O'Brien accidentally killing his inmate friend in the flashback.

Review

A fascinating episode from a science fiction point of view. Similar to what happened to Picard in TNG: The Inner Light. What effect would there be on society if there were no prisons, but in fact you were forced to live the equivalent of years in prison all in your mind, but just in a few hours? I think this punishment method's success rate is overly exaggerated in this episode somewhat. For part of the reason prison is used in society today is to force offenders to be out of touch with society for a certain period of time. Waking up 20 years later and having all your friends and family exactly the way you left them defeats the purpose somewhat. But only partially. Beyond this point, I am very fond of this episode. It's a great O'Brien episode and a very moving one at that. One remarkable detail is the musical score of the episode. It was utterly fantastic all throughout. I was incredibly moved by O'Brien accidentally killing his inmate friend. I only wish the writers had found a way to make this story take place not in a dream world. As incredibly moving as it is and as profound an effect it had on O'Brien, it would have had a much greater effect on the viewer if O'Brien had actually killed someone he cared about accidentally, instead of in a virtual reality. Possibly even rating ten material. Oh well, nevertheless it was yet another high quality offering from DS9.

3 reader comments

The first time I watched this episode, I realized that TNG hadn't really used the acting talents of Colm Meaney to their full capacity. We got glimpses in TNG: Power Play, but in DS9, O'Brien's character really shows some dimension. He moves beyond the down-and-dirty, blue-collar Irish engineer, and this episode is a big part of that development.
It was an interesting concept for an episode, and it improves with repeated viewing as you can fully absorb the significance of O'Brien's behavior with regard to his Argrathi cellmate. Speaking of the Argrathi, this is one of a couple episodes (see DS9: Whispers) where O'Brien encounters an alien race whose relationship with the Federation isn't entirely clear, but which nonetheless decides to screw with him psychologically and get away with doing so. It's hard for me to believe the Federation's complacent reaction to one of their Starfleet officers being arrested, charged, and essentially tortured (certainly by Federation standards) and do nothing about it. Maybe the protesting is off camera. But while the episode's focus is on O'Brien, this is an inconsistency that takes the episode down just a peg in terms of believability.
The punishment these Argrathi inflict on their prisoners is especially harsh when you consider, as the webmaster's review does, that your family and friends will have barely noticed you're gone. I think that's the point: it's as if they want you to be psychologically scarred and unable to act normal while everyone else acts like it's just been a few hours. Your erratic behavior will then startle your loved ones so much that they will, in theory, restrain you from committing a crime again. Obviously, it doesn't always pan out that way, since we know about how institutionalization takes its toll.
Yet another example of how Star Trek gets you to think about things without being preachy and encouraging you to endorse a particular value. Well done!
by MJ | 02/05/2011 at 10:09 pm

A great concept, and a really good character piece.
But once again the Federation lets an alien race seriously abuse, torture and violate one of their members, for just asking questions, and seem to do nothing about it. This treatment was an outrage and if they were ever in the federation they should be kicked out. I was thirsting for revenge or at least a shaming speech, Picard style, but no. This is politically correct cultural relativity gone too far. This should not be tolerated.
But this was a 'real' science fiction concept, and well done.
by L | 05/27/2013 at 8:52 am

You guys realize that this is a TV show where writers come up with concepts that don't always jive with overall plot. This was a great idea and I thought it was executed well and for that willing to believe that the Federation handled this situation well off camera.
by AW | 12/17/2015 at 6:52 am

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — 4x20 — Shattered Mirror

Aired 1996-04-22

SpaceOpera.com rating:7

Average reader rating:5.34

Synopsis

Sisko follows his son into a war-torn alternate universe after Jake is lured there by the living counterpart of his late mother.

Filler rating: not filler

This is the third DS9 mirror universe episode.

Remarkable scenes

Jake walking in and seeing Jennifer sitting with Sisko.
Mirror Bashir hitting Sisko back to settle the score from the previous mirror universe encounter.
Mirror Worf, as a regent in the Klingon military.
Seeing the Defiant under construction. Cool!
Mirror Bashir and Mirror Dax evading the Alliance fleet.
Mirror Kira: "You know I bet if we put our... heads together, we could create a little excitement for ourselves." Guard: "You sentenced my wife to death." Mirror Kira: "Isn't that a coincidence? I was hoping you weren't married!"
The Alliance attacking the station.
Sisko taking command of the Mirror Defiant.
Mirror Kira murdering Mirror Nog even though he was on her side!
The Defiant kicking some ass!
Mirror Kira murdering Mirror Jennifer.
Mirror O'Brien: "Shields are down to 40%! That cruiser has us in weapons range! Should we make a run for it?" Sisko: "We run all right, right at it!" Mirror O'Brien: "Ah, pattern suicide!"
Sisko taking the helm.
Mirror Bashir and Mirror Dax showing up at just the right time.

Review

Picking up from where we left off in DS9: Through the Looking Glass, Bashir hits Sisko back. :) Okay, seriously, the rebellion has made progress. They captured Terok Nor, and moved it! (Bajor is no longer in the background.) O'Brien stole the plans for the Defiant during his last visit to DS9. Everybody's manipulating everybody in this episode. Jennifer manipulates Jake, O'Brien manipulates Sisko, Garak manipulates Worf, and so on. A complex web of drama ensues. In the end, we get a rather basic confrontation. The Defiant struts her stuff against a fleet of Alliance ships! Maybe it was all a cheap excuse to show us a completely inconsequential VFX battle, but it was a lot of fun to watch! Nothing like a mirror universe episode to to superfluously spice up a season. :)

4 reader comments

I liked this episode a lot, but it would have been nice if mirror universe Worf had confronted Sisko face to face. I also see this episode showing us how incredibly powerful the Defiant is. If the Federation can make one it can makes thousands and never worry about the Klingons or the Dominion. Loved the Bashir-as-Han Solo-you're all clear kid-moment.
by Christopher Wright | 11/29/2011 at 3:46 am

I missed the episode that set all this up due to a scratched library dvd. So in the alternate universe everyone's a jerk and inappropriately sexual? Got it.
by L | 05/27/2013 at 10:21 am

Well, that was a horrible episode. I really like DS9 more than other series (exept TOS - this one is my fav), but all the mirror episodes are just bad. However I like one moment in this episode - Worf: "Make it so!".
by McCoy | 01/21/2017 at 12:32 pm

Mirror Nog is great
by Psycroptic | 07/15/2018 at 7:05 pm

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — 4x21 — The Muse

Aired 1996-04-22

SpaceOpera.com rating:2

Average reader rating:3.82

Synopsis

While Odo provides shelter for a pregnant Lwaxana Troi, Jake Sisko falls under the spell of a mysterious woman.

Filler rating: partial filler

This is the final Lwaxana/Odo episode.

Remarkable scenes

Odo: "I was wondering if you wanted to take a walk." Worf: "I would." Odo: "I meant Lwaxana." This is funny on two levels. Not only was Worf's comment funny, but Odo is actually doing Quark a favor!
Odo surprised that Lwaxana guessed that Odo's furniture was for shape shifting, and not just artwork.
Jake: "I've never worked on paper before." I like this statement, paper is obsolete!
Odo and Lwaxana playing hide and seek.

Review

More of Odo avoiding Lwaxana. Poor Lwaxana. First Picard and now Odo! That woman certainly has a way with men... Onaya is certainly an interesting predatory alien. She makes you complete your life's work in a matter of days at the expense of the rest of your life force. Unfortunately, she behaves a little irrationally. I wonder what she thought would happen when she abducted Jake from the infirmary? Did she seriously believe there wouldn't be a massive search conducted in short order for Jake? He's the son of the commander of the station, after all. Her motives really are never quite clear throughout the episode other than that she gains sustenance, or at least pleasure from her activities. She leaves mysteriously with no apology, nothing is gained from her time on the show. Only Odo's experience with Lwaxana is noteworthy, and even that is a bit silly.

3 reader comments

Just wanted to point out that Captain Sisko's acting at the end of this episode was spot on. Imagine -- to read the beginning of a work that he had, in The Visitor, only heard of shortly before witnessing Jake's death as an old man. There are complex emotions in Sisko as he tells Jake that he is sure Jake will get back to writing, emotions that are very well portrayed.
by Fenix | 01/30/2011 at 9:51 pm

An 'alien-energy-vampire' metaphor exploring the relationship between creativity and drug use, wrapped in the generally taboo subject of the sexual dynamics between an older woman and a younger lover. Interesting territory for Star Trek to be exploring, but not ultimately that interesting as an episode.
by L | 05/28/2013 at 7:43 am

Personally, I can't get enough of the Odo/Lwaxana dynamic. I think they're great together. She seems to bring out the best in Odo. I really couldn't stand her in TNG, but in DS9 she is fantastic.
by Zorak | 05/19/2016 at 4:30 pm

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — 4x22 — For the Cause

Aired 1996-05-06

SpaceOpera.com rating:8

Average reader rating:7.23

Synopsis

Sisko is shocked to learn that his girlfriend, Kasidy Yates, may be a Maquis smuggler.

Filler rating: not filler

Numerous major long term plot threads are serviced here.

Remarkable scenes

Kira participating in the springball tournament.
Garak expressing attraction for Ziyal to Bashir.
Sisko gently needling Kassidy about the places she visits on her cargo runs.
Garak's first meeting with Ziyal.
Eddington's opinion of the Maquis... or lack thereof. :)
Ziyal visiting Garak in his shop.
Jake making fun of his father about his relationship with Kassidy, unaware of the allegations against her.
Sisko inviting Kassidy to Risa for a few days to try and get her off the hook.
Quark complaining about his new suit and then Kira threatening Garak about Ziyal. Too much at once! Poor Garak.
Garak: "Paranoid is what they call people who imagine threats against their life. I have threats against my life."
Quark egging on Garak's paranoia.
Sisko discovering the plot against him.
Eddington stunning Kira.
Sisko's conversation with Eddington after his betrayal.
Garak's conversation with Ziyal in the holosuite.
Kassidy returning to the station, alone.

Review

A story of secrets, lies, love, tension, betrayal, and perseverance. Garak has fallen in love with Ziyal, and Kassidy is a Maquis supplier! I always suspected something funny about her since her DS9: The Way of the Warrior when she seemed a bit nervous about all the activity on the docking ring. The writers probably did that to make her falsely seem like a Changeling, so this is a nice twist on that continuity. I felt Sisko's pain all throughout this episode and deeply at the ending too. He struggled with his deep love for Kassidy and his duty to the Federation. In the end, he had to sacrifice his love for his duty; then, to top it all off, he's betrayed by one of his most trusted officers, Michael Eddington! You really got to feel sorry for the poor guy by the end of the episode. By contrast, things between Garak and Ziyal couldn't be better. And, since Garak is my favorite character on DS9, I couldn't be happier for him. :)

3 reader comments

Great episode. "You're even more insidious than the Borg -- at least they tell you that they're going to assimilate you!". But it's too bad about Eddington; I liked him. At least his plot was well enough hatched that he got away safely to the Badlands.
by Jason Shooter | 10/24/2009 at 7:23 am

Several episodes of TNG and DS9 have dealt with the Maquis now, and they’ve all been very, very good. It’s a dilemma that is relevant to the real world, in situations like the Middle East peace process. What’s great about these episodes is how powerful the Maquis point of view is always portrayed. These are not truly terrorists, they are ordinary men and women who are convinced tey are doing the right thing for their well being. But you can also understand the Federation’s point of view.
This might be one of the best Maquis episodes yet, if for no other reason than Eddington’s very well written speech to Sisko. Hell, he almost had me ready to join the Maquis, even knowing they don’t really exist! But this episode hints at a greater theme, a disturbing one, at least for Star Trek fans. The Federation has always been the “good guys” in TOS and TNG. It’s a group of aligned planets whose goal is to explore the galaxy and make peaceful contact with new worlds, and to protect the fundamental rights of its members. DS9, for all its other faults, is really the first series to explore the darker side of the Federation, and it’s a very compelling theme. For the first time, we see covert agencies, we see attempted military coups, we see naivety in government…and we see a distant bureaucracy unable to grasp the demands of its former colonists. The Federation that Gene Roddenberry conceived is shown in a very different light in DS9. I don’t know that Roddenberry would have approved, and I don’t know if I really do either. But whatever the case may be, it certainly is fascinating, and it strikes a powerful chord: after all, isn’t America supposed to be “paradise”? And don’t we have our darker side too? This is what separates DS9 from other Trek series, and in my opinion, what ultimately makes DS9 worth watching.
by MJ | 01/14/2011 at 8:08 pm

Kiras interference with the Ziyal and Garak romance was absolutely unnecessary. Her charater shown as being a tough woman is overdone too often for too many times. Physically she does not fit into the role. It is total nonsense that she could fight Klingon or Jem Hadar warriorrs in hand-to-hand combat. Only Dax, who is much more athletic and trains constantly with Klingon combat prorgrams could stand a chance against such opponents.
by peterwolf | 12/03/2013 at 5:15 am

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — 4x23 — To the Death

Aired 1996-05-13

SpaceOpera.com rating:9

Average reader rating:6.97

Synopsis

Attempting to stop a group of Jem'Hadar renegades from gaining power, Sisko and the Defiant crew must join forces with deadly Jem'Hadar soldiers.

Filler rating: not filler

This is the first episode to feature Weyoun. The episode also establishes many important smaller details about Dominion culture that will be relevant later. And this episode also serves is a sort of minor sequel to TNG: Contagion.

Remarkable scenes

DS9 with a whole pylon destroyed!
Weyoun meeting Sisko.
Weyoun: "The Dominion has endured for 2000 years and will continue to endure long after the Federation has crumbled into dust."
Odo: "Are you accusing me of something?" A Jem'Hadar: "It is not for us to accuse a god of betraying heaven."
The Jem'Hadar soldiers trying to provoke Worf into a fight.
Omet'Iklan announcing that he knows about the Gateway and that they don't need to keep secrets and use the White to ensure their loyalty because he believes the Jem'Hadar are more loyal to the Founders than the Vorta will ever be.
Lots of great Jem'Hadar tidbits here. Jadzia: "Am I really that interesting? You've been standing there staring at me for the last two hours." Virak'kara: "You are part of my combat team. I must learn to understand your behavior. Anticipate your actions." Jadzia: "There must be something you'd rather do. Maybe get some sleep?" Virak'kara: "We don't sleep." Jadzia: "How about getting something to eat?" Virak'kara: "The White is the only thing we need." Jadzia: "Don't sleep, don't eat. What do you do for relaxation?" Virak'kara: "Relaxation would only make us weak." Jadzia: "Well you people are no fun at all. Glad I'm not a Jem'Hadar woman." Virak'kara: "There are no Jem'Hadar women." Jadzia: "So what do you do... lay eggs?" Virak'kara: "Jem'Hadar are bred in birthing chambers. We are able to fight within three days of our emergence." Jadzia: "Lucky you. So let me get this straight. No sleep, no food, no women. No wonder you're so angry. After 30 or 40 years of that I'd be angry too!" Virak'kara: "No Jem'Hadar has ever lived 30 years." Jadzia: "How old are you?" Virak'kara: "I am eight." Jadzia: "I would have guessed at least fifteen." Virak'kara: "Few Jem'Hadar live that long. If we reach twenty, we are considered honored elders... How old are you?" Jadzia: "I stopped counting at 300." Virak'kara: "You don't look it..." Jadzia: "Thank you."
Weyoun staring at Odo, obviously regarding Odo as a god. O'Brien to Odo: "I wonder what would happen if you went over there and ordered him to stand on his head."
Weyoun administering the White. Worf: "Loyalty bought at such a price is no loyalty at all."
Omet'Iklan: "I am First Omet'Iklan and I am dead. As of this moment we are all dead. We go into battle to reclaim our lives. This we do gladly, for we are Jem'Hadar. Remember, victory is life!" O'Brien: "I'm Chief Miles Edward O'Brien. And I'm very much alive, and intend to stay that way!"
Omet'Iklan killing Weyoun.

Review

A real thriller, this episode has many things going for it. Seeing an entire pylon destroyed on DS9, the delightful character of Weyoun, tension with the Jem'Hadar, a big battle, and so many other things. Of course, it's also a reference to the events of TNG: Contagion. I liked the idea of the Iconians quite a bit in that TNG episode, and it was nice to bring them back for this episode. Once again, the Gateways are destroyed, but I'm glad this time. Gateway technology is somewhat overwrought and would fundamentally alter the entire storytelling of Star Trek were it to become normative for the characters to use. Overall, I was extremely pleased with this one because we're finally getting to see some real contention with the Dominion. At the same time, it was a rare moment of truce between the Dominion and the Federation, something we may never see again to this extent.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — 4x24 — The Quickening

Aired 1996-05-20

SpaceOpera.com rating:3

Average reader rating:5.42

Synopsis

While traveling in the Gamma Quadrant, Kira, Dax and Bashir respond to an automated distress call from a planet that the Jem'Hadar destroyed 200 years ago.

Filler rating: bad filler

No significant exposition, events, or consequences. And a lame episode on top of that. The ending is touching, but you have to wade through a lot of muck to get there.

Remarkable scenes

Quark's "little advertisements."
Julian's teddy bear story.
Julian discovering a vaccine.

Review

Another alien race that looks exactly like humans. This episode examines euthanasia. A blight is killing people on a massive scale. Since there is no cure on this planet, a man is euthanizing people en masse when they come to him to make their death quicker and less painful. Interestingly, Julian and Jadzia both display abhorred reactions to the concept of euthanasia when confronted with it, which is consistent with the Federation's "do no harm" and "never execute anyone" attitude. It also seems a bit impractical. What is the point of prolonging life when life is always painful and there is no hope of a cure? Well, Julian's attention quickly shifts away from the euthanasia problem and dives into finding a cure. The episode thus conveniently avoids making a statement about euthanasia and instead the episode becomes your average miracle cure show. Granted Julian wasn't able to "just" find a cure, keeping the episode nicely realistic, I still feel this episode is a severe missed opportunity to say something profound about euthanasia.

4 reader comments

Now we've had two Star Trek shows failing to address the issue of euthanasia acceptably, and that only mere weeks apart. Voyager's Tuvix was a lot more disturbing than this, even though in this episode someone is euthanizing on a massive scale. The difference is that it is voluntary.
"What is the point of prolonging life when life is always painful and there is no hope of a cure?"
This is exactly the discussion with euthanasia. Are we supposed to allow the voluntary killing of loads of people who are incurably suffering? Should we instead allow them to suffer? It's a bit of a stalemate. No argument is going to change anyone's mind. But you could still present the arguments nicely.
The thing that saves this episode, is that there is at least some productive opposition to the euthanization. Bashir doesn't agree with the status quo, so he tries to find a cure.
The big problem with "Tuvix" was the lack of differing opinions. In "The Quickening" we can see the moral ambiguity shine through the characters' opinions, even if it doesn't shine as bright as it could have.
I'd rate it a 4. Missed opportunity, but not offensively so.
by Remco | 02/14/2009 at 2:41 am

One thing I liked about this episode is that we get to see some growth in the relationship between Julian and Dax -- the days of him pining for her, and of her constantly teasing him, are largely in the past at this point.
I didn't mind that the aliens (once again) looked exactly like humans -- I guess I've just gotten so used to the fact that they can't all be Cardassians or Ferengi.
I do, however, agree that this episode would have been much more interesting if the morality of euthanasia were explored more.
6/10
by John DC | 09/20/2011 at 11:02 pm

I gave this a 7, the story was a tad flat, but I liked the direction, the acting, the light and the sets. The matte paintings are gorgeous, and I loved those giant round buildings.
by Hugo von Ahlenius | 06/12/2012 at 10:40 am

This actually isn't pure filler. The Quickening comes up in S7E16 "Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges" as the purpose behind Bashir giving his medical presentation.
by Gaius Gracchua | 12/27/2021 at 4:18 pm

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — 4x25 — Body Parts

Aired 1996-06-10

SpaceOpera.com rating:3

Average reader rating:5.08

Synopsis

Misdiagnosed with a terminal disease, Quark sells his body parts on the Ferengi Futures Exchange to pay off his debts, then finds himself unable to break the contract.

Filler rating: not filler

Numerous major long term plot threads are serviced here.

Remarkable scenes

Brunt accusing Quark of being a philanthropist.
Quark seeking to hire Garak to kill him.
Keiko explaining morning sickness to Kira.
Quark and Garak arguing over the death method.
Everyone chiming in to help Quark in the end.
Rules of Acquisition; 17. A contract is a contract is a contract. But only between Ferengi. 239. Never be afraid to mislabel a product.
Morn Appearances; 1. In Quark's bar in the teaser when Quark announces that he's dying. 2. Talking to a Starfleet officer in the background just after the opening credits. 3. At Garak's shop getting a new pair of trousers. 4. Is one of the people coming in to help restock and refurnish the bar. Morn brings in a chair and sits on it. :)

Review

This is a rather silly Ferengi episode, but a rather clever O'Brien / Kira / Keiko episode. Unfortunately, most of the time is squandered on Quark's silly situation. Very little plot is given to Kira and the O'Briens. This plot would have been worth a few more points if Quark's and the O'Briens' allotted time were reversed.

6 reader comments

While I love the O'Brien's, and would have enjoyed seeing more of their story, in this case I was more than willing to do without, since any story about them would also involve Kira, whom I cannot stand.
I thought the Ferengi plot was more entertaining anyway.
by John DC | 09/21/2011 at 12:04 am

until the very last moment i actually though garak would appear out of nowhere and try to fulfill his part of the contract, killing quark without he even knowing it…
by Martin | 04/04/2014 at 3:57 pm

I actually thought this was a cute and entertaining episode. I really like Quark and Rom, so I enjoyed it. I also agree with John that Kira is really not my favorite character. (I don't love Jadzia, either.)
by Abigail Chappell | 08/20/2021 at 8:58 pm

The contract says Brunt gets Quarks bodyparts when he dies. Is there a timelimit or something? I don't see why he needs to kill himself. Brunt can still get his parts when he dies in 50 years or whatever.
by Amelia Obumhardt | 10/18/2022 at 7:02 pm

@The Obam-Hadar: Brunt directly quotes the contract - the dessicated remains must be available within 6 days. Surely this means 6 days since the auctioning.
I think this episode is definitely above 3 for me. 6, maybe 7? What I enjoy the most is the delightful acting. I always was fond of Ferengi episodes due to the actors and them having to perform in that kind of heavy makeup, and they always put up a great show, intentionally caricaturish. And the comedy was just really good as it usually is on DS9.
by Alex | 01/18/2023 at 12:33 am

Rule of acquisition 17
A contract is a contract is a contract… but only between Ferengi
As long as Quark is not in drag I usually enjoy a Ferengi-centric episode, especially when Brunt is involved ????
by Rob UK | 01/26/2023 at 1:19 am

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — 4x26 — Broken Link

Aired 1996-06-17

SpaceOpera.com rating:7

Average reader rating:5.49

Synopsis

Odo is forced to return to the homeworld of his people and face judgment for killing one of his own.

Filler rating: not filler

Numerous major long term plot threads are serviced here.

Remarkable scenes

Garak playing matchmaker on Odo.
Kira's sneezing.
Garak keeping Odo company by discussing his past with him. :)
The Defiant being greeted by a whole fleet of Jem'Hadar ships and the female shape shifter appearing.
Garak's short and very hostile conversation with the female shapeshifter.
Seeing the great link.
Garak attempting to destroy the Founders' homeworld.
Odo having been transformed into a human.
The revelation that Gowron is a Changeling.

Review

Salome Jens as the female shapeshifter is always a welcome appearance, coupled with Garak of course, and a fantastic story to boot. Odo has killed a Changeling, and judgment must now be pronounced on him. Well, they turned him into a human, but that's not all. Odo learned that Gowron is a Changeling whilst in the Great Link. No wonder the Klingons have been acting so strange lately. Not the most action packed finale one could expect, but certainly interesting. Ah, poor Garak. To have his entire race insulted by the female shapeshifter then to fail in his attempt to assassinate them all. Six months in a holding cell does seem like light punishment for attempting to commit genocide, but this is Garak we're talking about! A former mass murderer anyway... besides. We all like him here at DS9. ;) A fine season finale.