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