Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — 7x19 — Strange Bedfellows

Aired 1999-04-21

SpaceOpera.com rating:6

Average reader rating:3.42

Synopsis

Kasidy must adjust to her new role in life, while new Dominion alliances are formed.

Filler rating: not filler

Numerous major long term plot threads are serviced here.

Remarkable scenes

The female shapeshifter meeting with the Breen.
Martok telling Sisko the story of his pet Targ.
Ezri, whilst hanging upside down as a prisoner on a Jem'Hadar ship: "I hate to say it, but this is doing wonders for my back." Worf: "I doubt that is what our captors had in mind."
Ezri: "You have the biggest ego of any man I have ever known!" Worf: "Considering how many men you have known, that is quite a statement!"
Worf killing Weyoun 7. I love Damar's reaction.
Kai Winn's vision from the Pah-wraiths.
Damar's reaction to meeting Weyoun 8.
Bashir, somewhat speechless about Ezri in Quark's.
Dukat revealing to Winn that he is working with the Pah-wraiths.
Damar getting pissed at Weyoun for letting the Klingons wipe out 500,000 Cardassian troops.
Worf and Ezri finally working out their problems.
Damar, regarding Weyoun being pessimistic about being summoned to see the founder: "Oh, I'm sure she'll understand. But if she doesn't, I'll look forward to meeting Weyoun 9!"
Winn describing her doubts about her faith to Dukat.

Review

Damar throws his Kanar at the mirror and helps Worf and Ezri to escape Cardassia. Not only is he shedding his alcoholism, but he's shedding his desire for power and conquest so that he may save his people. Rarely do we see such profound character evolution. The "strange bedfellows" described in the episode title are of course Dukat and Winn; it also describes the alliance between the Dominion and the Breen. And with some loose interpretation it could describe Damar and the Federation, for it seems now he's committed to undermining the Dominion. While the episode pacing has picked up slightly, it's still a bit slow; it seems clear now that the writers are building up to quite a climax in this ever growing and ever complex plot arc.

4 reader comments

This is probably my favourite arc on DS9, so much going on and so much great character development. A bit too much time spent on Ezri and Worf's bickering though.
by Psycroptic | 07/20/2012 at 10:22 pm

I loved Martok telling the proud warrior story of a proud warrior's wife and his proud warrior, honorable targ…that's basically the tale of a door being left open so the dog gets away. It's amusing the way Klingons put their stories into a framework. J. G. Hertzler gives such a great Klingon performance.
by Bronn | 07/28/2013 at 10:32 pm

Kai Winn and Dukat making pillow talk in bed together is the single most disturbing thing I've ever seen in Star Trek; because they've been so well-written as characters over the series we know how truly ruthless they really are and that together they will be a major force of evil.
I continue to hate the religious messages as the show still seems to be tacitly approving them, rather than showing how stupid blind obedience to authority is and how contrary to notions of humanity's freedom to choose their own destiny within the larger universe, but it's still a very compelling dramatic build-up to the final conflict.
I don't know how but Ezri seems to get cuter every episode.
by L | 08/18/2013 at 8:13 pm

I’m surprised that no one has mentioned the excellent acting of Louise Fletcher (Kai Winn) in this episode.She was brilliant in 5he scene where she was begging the Prophets to speak to her. She thinks she’s being religious, but she’s really being self-absorbed.
by Scott Nolan | 11/18/2018 at 6:49 am