7-15. Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang.

The Ops crew plan a Vegas casino heist...

THE PLOT

Vic Fontaine's nightclub has been taken over.

Back when Vic's holosuite program was created, a "jack-in-the-box" subroutine was buried deep in the code, intended to keep things from becoming stale. Gangster Frankie Eyes (Robert Miano), financed by a mafia godfather, has purchased the hotel and casino. His first act? Firing Vic and replacing him with scantily-clad dancers. Frankie also has Vic roughed up to try to force him to leave town.

The only way to return the club to normal is to defeat Frankie within the program, using means and methods that would have been available in 1962. And so the DS9 command crew decides to use Frankie's mafia connections against him. Mobster Carl Zeemo (Marc Lawrence) will be coming to pick up his monthly payment from Frankie. So all they have to do is steal that money from the safe in the casino's count room. A classic heist.

But planning a robbery is one thing - Actually pulling it off is something else entirely...


CHARACTERS

Capt. Sisko: Alone of the Ops crew, he has resisted going to Vic's. Kasidy gets him to reveal why: The real 1962 was not a good time for black people, who wouldn't even have been allowed in a place like Vic's unless they were janitors or performers. This idealized version of the past, one that ignores the very real struggles endured, offends him. With a push from Kasidy, he does end up joining in the plan to help Vic, and even enjoys a moment on stage at the end... But his best and most interesting scenes come in the first half, when he resists any contact with the holosuite.

Col. Kira: Gets close to Frankie by pretending to be the stereotypical gangster's moll, flirting constantly while pretending to be impressed by his money. Showing off, Frankie lets her visit the count room - allowing her to report back on the room's layout, its security, and the location of the safe. During the actual robbery, her role is to keep Frankie distracted so that he doesn't notice what the others are doing.

Kasidy Yates: When Sisko talks about the reason Vic's holosuite offends him, she does hear him out and doesn't belittle his reasons. But she does argue against him, framing helping Vic as helping a friend in need. She also insists that the colorblind nature of the holosuite program doesn't insult the harsh realities of history. "Going to Vic's isn't going to make us forget who we are or where we came from. What it does is it reminds us that we're no longer bound by any limitations, except the ones we impose on ourselves."

Vic Fontaine: The most obvious solution to this problem would be to simply reset the program. But doing so would be unthinkable, because it would wipe Vic's memory and all of his experiences. Previous episodes have established Vic as fully self-aware, and It's Only a Paper Moon ended with his program being allowed to run 24 hours a day, giving him the semblance of a "real life." Within the confines of his holosuite, he's as real as any of them; a solution has to be found that maintains his individuality. James Darren remains terrific in the role, retaining Vic's dignity even when the character is thrust into the role of victim.


THOUGHTS

A refreshing holodeck episode, in that it doesn't revolve around any kind of malfunction. The program is doing exactly what it was designed to do; it's the nature of the "jack in the box" that prompts the plot, rather than something external going wrong. This allows the episode to have fun with the period caper plot, rather than getting sidetracked with Technobabble to justify that plot.

This is, effectively, Deep Space 9 meets Ocean's Eleven, and the episode embraces that. Ira Steven Behr and Hans Beimler's script has great fun with the structure of a caper story, and plays fair with the audience throughout. The always-reliable Mike Vejar is in the director's chair, providing a visual flair that enhances the fun (including a slow-motion walk by the command crew to the holosuite when they prepare to put their plan into effect).

The episode is often funny, but it isn't a parody. This is largely a straight-up casino heist story, with both humor and drama arising naturally from the situation. Only a handful of scenes take place outside the holosuite - The brief but necessary explanation as to where "Frankie" came from, and the genuinely very good character moment when Sisko explains why he's so hostile toward this particular program. Outside of that, the episode sticks to the period setting, and both actors and show seem to have a great time taking a break from space opera to do a heist caper.

A thoroughly enjoyable bit of fluff, this probably represents Deep Space 9's last chance to relax and have fun before the heavy lifting of wrapping up the many ongoing plot threads. A success on that basis - And in my opinion, a good episode by any reasonable measure.

Overall Rating: 8/10.

Previous Episode: Chimera
Next Episode: Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges


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7-1. Image in the Sand.

Sisko has a vision...

THE PLOT

It has been three months since Starfleet took the Chin'toka System back from the Dominion - and three months since Jadzia's death and Sisko's return to Earth. Sisko's stated goal when he left was to find a way to contact the Prophets - but his father and Jake worry that he's spent all that time doing nothing at all, not even leaving the restaurant.

Then the Prophets send a vision to Sisko. He sees himself on the desert planet Tyree, digging until he uncovers the image of a beautiful woman. When he wakes, he learns that this woman was actually his mother - and that she died many years ago. When his father produces a necklace of hers, with ancient Bajoran writing on it that translates to "The Orb of the Emissary," Sisko realizes that he must go to Tyree to find that Orb.

Back on the station, Worf is despondent. Not only did Jadzia die, she did not die in battle. According to Klingon tradition, she did not enter the afterlife of Sto-vo-kor, and the only way to get her there is to win a great battle in her name... Difficult to do, when the Defiant is spending all of its time escorting convoys. When he (reluctantly) confides in O'Brien, the engineer contacts Martok - who is ready and willing to take Worf aboard his ship to make a near-suicidal attack at the heart of the Dominion!

Meanwhile, the newly-promoted Colonel Kira must adjust not only to being in charge, but to accepting a Romulan presence on the station. Fortunately, Senator Cretak (Megan Cole) proves easy to get along with. Right up until Kira learns that the "hospital" the Romulans have set up on a Bajoran moon is armed with plasma torpedoes. When the Bajoran government insists the Romulans surrender their weapons, Cretak refuses, sparking the kind of confrontation that could spell the end of the Starfleet/Romulan alliance...


CHARACTERS

Capt. Sisko: Sisko's journey in this episode (and, even moreso, the next) is very much that of a man on a religious pilgrimage. He has spent months isolating himself from the outside world, making his own world effectively smaller and simpler. He spends an entire day doing nothing but playing the piano... Music having been a common way for various religious devotees to meditate, the rhythm making it easier to let go of conscious thought. The episode ends with him again assuming the mantle of the Emissary - and, in a startlingly violent moment, literally paying for that in blood.

Colonel Kira: Now in charge of the station, with a freshly-minted promotion to colonel and an acknowledgement that she's done a fine job of stepping into Sisko's shoes. She continues to insist that she's "just keeping his seat warm" until he returns, but increasingly few people believe Sisko will return. Admiral Ross (Barry Jenner) stops just short of a condescending "Uh-huh" in response to Kira's statement. Kira is resistant to the Romulans' arrival, but finds a kindred spirit in the blunt Cretak - which makes her all the angrier when it's revealed that her apparent new friend has actually been manipulating her the entire time.

Worf: His first scene sees him upbraiding Nog for daring to be relieved at the lack of danger in their most recent assignment - as if a soldier in a shooting war doesn't have every right to be happy at an assignment that doesn't involve the specter of imminent death or dismemberment. He then tears Vic Fontaine (James Darren)'s holo-bar apart while listening to the crooner sing Jadzia's favorite song - something that we learn has happened multiple times over the past months. When he reveals the reason for his behavior, it makes perfect sense. By his beliefs, Jadzia will be denied peace in the afterlife until he wins a battle for her - Which puts Worf on his own religious-based quest, thematically linking his thread with Sisko's.

Ezri: This episode introduces Nicole de Boer, as the "new" Dax. She appears only in the very last scene - a wise choice on the part of writers Ira Steven Behr and Hans Beimler. By holding off her appearance to the last seconds, we are allowed to remember and mourn Jadzia's absence as much as Sisko, Worf, Bashir, and Quark do. The next episode should start showing how Ezri differs from Jadzia, and will hopefully establish a working relationship with Sisko that's unique to this new character - but that will be something to discuss in the next review.

Weyoun/Damar: The disappearance of the wormhole seems to have turned the course of the war back in the Dominion's favor. Weyoun doesn't fully understand how this is true, but he reluctantly acknowledges that they owe thanks to Gul Dukat. Damar has always enjoyed his drink, but now he is constantly seen with a drink in hand. Weyoun can't help commenting on Damar's constant drinking, but he relishes the news about the Romulans' betrayal of Kira. "Romulans - So predictably treacherous!" he exults, as visions of the death of the Federation/Romulan alliance dance through his head.


THOUGHTS

Image in the Sand kicks off Deep Space 9's final season. It's less the first half of a two-parter than the middle part of a trilogy, with two of its three threads directly picking up from Tears of the Prophets. Sisko is still searching for a way to reconnect with the Prophets, while Worf is finding a way to come to terms with Jadzia's death. Only Kira's thread, with the Romulan presence on the station and on a Bajoran moon, originates here, and that thread is itself a consequence of the war situation.

It's a set-up episode, largely laying groundwork for the next installment, but that doesn't mean it isn't gripping. Sisko's emotionally raw state is tailor-made to Avery Brooks' strengths as an actor. When he demands his father tell him the identity of the woman in his vision, there's an instant in which we see the potential for violence - Something both he and his father seem to recognize, and are both frightened of. Not the kind of moment you expect from a Star Trek hero, but it works very well with Sisko's instability, and shows exactly why he needs a Dax to pull him back just as much as he needs the connection with the Prophets.

Also un-Trek like is the startling brutality of a knife attack near the end. Reminiscent of the broken bottle assault that was the only memorable moment in Time's Orphan, this sort of tangible and real violence carries an immediacy phasers don't... Particularly when the scene ends with the victim holding his wound while coughing helplessly on the ground. It's meant to be disturbing, and it is - Though I find myself wondering if broadcasters/Paramount received any viewer complaints as a result.

The attack is perpetrated by a member of The Cult of the Pah-wraiths, which has sprung up in the wake of the wormhole's collapse. Some dialogue between Kira and Odo tells us that this cult was originally dismissed as fringe cranks, but has gained momentum over the past few months. Save for the knife attack, they seem to be planted for use in future episodes, but it will be interesting to see what comes of them.

The episode definitely does what it needs to, following up on Tears of the Prophets in such a way that the cataclysmic events of that episode are shown to have impact. By leaving all threads unresolved, we are given time to absorb the death of Jadzia Dax, as well as the impact on the station both of Sisko's departure and the wormhole's collapse. At the same time, new complications are established in the rise of the cult and the arrival of the Romulans. A fine season opener, holding viewer attention throughout while promising plenty of interesting things to come.


Overall Rating: 9/10.

Previous Episode: Tears of the Prophets
Next Episode; Shadows and Symbols

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6-26. Tears of the Prophets.

Sisko at his heighest point - just before his fall.

THE PLOT

The war against the Dominion has finally turned in Starfleet's favor. The Romulans' entry into the war has put the Dominion on the defensive, retreating back into Cardassian space. But the enemy's ability to rapidly replenish Jem'Hadar numbers means that Starfleet must press this advantage while they still have it, and Sisko has been put in charge of the next step: An invasion of Cardassian space!

Sisko has long championed going on the offensive, and already has a plan in place. Cardassian and Jem'Hadar defenses have been weakened in the Chin'toka System, making it a perfect place to gain a foothold. The enemy also recognizes this, however, and Damar (Casey Biggs) has already begun deploying automated weapons platforms that will shore up this weak spot. The Starfleet forces will have to strike immediately, before the platforms become operational.

But on the eve of his departure, Sisko receives a vision from the Prophets. In their usual, maddeningly obscure way, they warn that is dangerous for him to leave Deep Space 9 at this time. But with no specifics, he cannot justify staying behind during such an important battle. He leaves Dax in charge of the station and leads the assault.

His forces arrive too late, however, reaching Cardassian space just as Damar's weapons platforms come to life. As the battle becomes desperate, Gul Dukat puts his own plans into effect - a plan that will lead to devastating personal consequences for Sisko, and potentially to disaster for the entire Alpha Quadrant!


CHARACTERS

Capt. Sisko: The episode opens with him at his highest point. He's awarded the Christopher Pike Medal of Valor for retaking Deep Space 9, and he has been chosen to lead the assault on Cardassian space. Even his home life is in balance, with Jake on hand to tell him how proud he is. When you're at your highest point, though, that leaves you a long distance to fall - And as much as it's about any single thing, this episode is about Benjamin Sisko falling hard. After the Prophets' warning, Sisko is bluntly told that he now has to choose whether to be the Emissary of the Prophets or a Starfleet officer. He chooses Starfleet, leading the assault. It's the wrong choice. He is incapacitated during the fight, making him useless on the front line - And disaster strikes the station during his absence. By the end, he's left scrubbing dishes in an alley, his spirit broken... A temporary situation, which I'm sure will be reversed at the start of Season Seven, but the dismantling of this very strong man's spirit is effective and convincingly done, and Avery Brooks gives another superb performance.

Kira: Sisko's fall is accompanied by Kira's rise, as she takes command during the battle. She does an outstanding job. She gives orders sharply and confidently, but listens to the expertise of O'Brien and Garak when it becomes clear that something more than brute force is needed to break through the shielding on the weapons platforms. What makes this more dramatic than the usual "First Officer takes charge" scenario is the nature of the two characters. Sisko, who began the series finding his role as Emissary a burden, is now so reliant on his connection to the Prophets that losing that connection hits him like a physical injury. Meanwhile, Kira - who has always defined herself by her religion as much as by anything - comes into her own at the very moment the Prophets withdraw.

Worf: In the briefing scene early in the episode, as Martok becomes angry and apparently near-violent toward the Romulans, it is Worf who acts as the voice of restraint for him. Worf is stable, calm, and measured in the face of the same sort of insults that once would have driven him into a rage. The scene from A Call to Arms in which Worf and Dax left for war with plans to marry, is mirrored here. This time, Worf leaves for battle, with them making plans to have a child after he returns... Plans that will be cruelly disrupted.

Dax: Is genuinely touched when Kira tells her that she's said a prayer for her efforts to have a baby with Worf. When Dr. Bashir informs her that medically, she and Worf will likely be able to conceive - something that had been in severe doubt - she responds with a giddiness so unforced that it can't help but be endearing. She decides to go to the Bajoran temple to say a prayer as a form of thanks to Kira for her prayers - a minor decision, the sort of whim that takes people on a regular basis, and one that ends up having very big consequences.

Dr. Bashir/Quark: In Change of Heart, we discovered that Bashir's feelings for Dax never really went away - He just stopped chasing her when it became clear nothing would ever come of it. That same episode indicated that Quark also had feelings for her, though it was unclear whether Quark's confession was genuine or just a tactic to distract Bashir from his game. That question is firmly answered when Quark becomes as depressed as Bashir at learning that she plans to have a child with Worf. They were already resigned to her being married to Worf... but the thought of a child makes that into something real. This allows screenwriters Ira Steven Behr and Hans Beimler the perfect chance to bring back hologram Vic Fontaine (James Darren), who is seen only briefly, and thus remains likable and amusing.

Gul Dukat: Apparently did not go straight back to Cardassia after escaping with Sisko's shuttle. Instead, he has been researching the Bajorans, learning all he can about their religion. He has learned of the pah-wraiths, and sees in them an opportunity to take the war to the true enemies, the ones keeping the Dominion from overwhelming the Alpha Quadrant through sheer numbers: The Prophets! Weyoun clearly has little time for Dukat and his schemes, regarding the former Cardassian ruler with a sort of disgusted pity. Even Damar, though he still very badly wants to respect his mentor, seems doubtful at best. The episode leaves Dukat as a pure wild card - He's an enemy of the Federation, and the Dominion has no time for him. But he's far from harmless, as the events of this installment show in a big way.


THOUGHTS

Tears of the Prophets continues the Deep Space 9 tradition of upending the status quo in every season finale. The episode begins in the same space occupied by much of the season. The war is continuing, with the Dominon and Cardassians plotting on one side while Sisko prepares to act against them on the other. It ends with one of the central features of the series removed entirely, with the death of one regular, and with Sisko back on Earth licking his wounds like an injured dog.

The death will be ameliorated (for good or ill) next season, and I strongly suspect the other two changes will be temporary... But the ramifications of this finale will be felt throughout next season. If nothing else, I tend to suspect that the next time any of the regulars see Dukat, they will be ready to do more than snap insults at him.

It is another superb episode, as reflected by most of my comments in the "Characters" section. The series continues to push the television envelope with regard to space battles, presenting yet another complex large-scale combat scene. It continues to excel at balancing action with character development. Sisko, Kira, Worf, Dax - All of them experience significant events in this episode, and their reactions to those events feel entirely authentic. There are also good roles for most of the ensemble, with only Garak (of all people!) left to feel like a spare part... And after his dominance in In the Pale Moonlight, it's OK for Garak to occupy just the fringes of this episode - That already restored any of the complexity that might have been lost.

With a driving pace, some fine character moments, and a final Act in which every scene hits hard, there's not too much question of my score. Another outstanding finale in a series that has delivered consistently outstanding season enders.


Overall Rating: 10/10.


Previous Episode: The Sound of Her Voice
 Next Episode: Image in the Sand 

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6-20. His Way.

Odo seeks romantic advice from hologram Vic Fontaine (James Darren)

THE PLOT

Dr. Bashir has created a new hologram: Vic Fontaine (James Darren), modeled as a 1960's Las Vegas crooner. Vic is an unusual hologram, who actually knows he is a computer program on a 24th century space station. He has keen insight into human nature, recognizing without being told that Worf and Dax are married, that Chief O'Brien misses his wife, and that Odo has feelings for Kira.

When Kira visits Bajor to meet with First Minister Shakaar, her former lover, Odo fears she will rekindle that relationship. He accesses Vic's program, to solicit the entertainer's advice. Vic encourages him to pursue Kira, saying that since she already likes him and that he's "halfway there!" He tells Odo he needs to become more relaxed, and of his own accord creates a simulation of a Vegas act with Odo as the piano player, following that up with simulated dates to use as practice.

When Kira returns from Bajor, Vic takes one final liberty. He sets up a date between Odo and a "Kira hologram," holding back one small bit of information: That the Kira Odo is meeting is no hologram, but the real thing!


CHARACTERS

Capt. Sisko: After beginning his "lessons" with Vic, Odo catches himself singing while Sisko reviews a security report. odo stops as soon as Sisko brings it to his attention, but Sisko tells him not to, instead clicking his fingers and singing along with him. It's a perfect little moment that's just right for Sisko, but which wouldn't work at all with any of the other Trek captains.

Kira: When she returns from Bajor only to find Odo nervously avoiding her, she's clearly disappointed and confused - Which reminds me of her reaction to Odo's romance in A Simple Investigation, where she clearly wasn't happy about Odo being in a relationship. These cues make it more plausible when she is persuaded to go on a date with Odo. When both of them realize at the same time that Vic has lied to them about the nature of the date, Kira is angry - but refreshingly, her anger is directed only at Vic and not at all at Odo.

Odo: Another terrific performance by Rene Auberjonois, who perfectly captures the anxiety of a socially awkward man pushed into pursuing a woman. I particularly enjoyed the scene in which Vic pushes Odo into acting as the piano player during a performance of "Come Fly with Me." Odo starts out absolutely awkward, sitting at the piano and concentrating a little too hard on pretending to play it, clearly self-conscious even though there's nobody who isn't a hologram watching. As the song progresses, he starts to enjoy the music and the act and, by the end, he's showing off with the glee of a child make-believing himself to be a sports hero or rock star. Most of this is nonverbal, seen through his shifts in body language and facial expression as he sits at the piano, and it's marvelously well-done.

Quark: It's notable that, for all their constant bickering, Quark is the first one Odo turns to about his problems with Kira. For his part, while Quark enjoys needling the constable about his failure to pursue Kira, he does so with an undertone of sympathy. When Odo asks for a favor - to access the Vic program - Quark not only goes along, he thinks fast to stop Bashir from interrupting.

Vic Fontaine: The debut of Vic, the holographic crooner from Las Vegas' golden age. I'm not sure how I feel about him becoming a recurring character, but he works well in this episode. James Darren is just right for this sort of Frank Sinatra/Dean Martin hybrid, slick enough for us to believe him as a representation of a 1960's nightclub singer, sincere enough for us to believe that he genuinely wants to help Odo. Darren also has good comic timing and shows strong screen rapport with Rene Auberjonois, which goes a long way toward selling the episode. I wouldn't say I'm looking forward to more of Vic in future episodes - But I'm not dreading his reappearance, either, and that in itself is a pleasant surprise.


THOUGHTS

His Way is a likable little story, a bit of whimsy to light up the darkness that has dominated much of the season. A breezy romantic comedy punctuated by several well-performed musical interludes, it has much to recommend it: Rene Auberjonois and Nana Visitor are terrific, as always, as James Darren does a fine job of making Vic work as a character in his own right. The musical numbers add to the atmosphere, and even the regulars who are only peripherally featured feel "right." Objectively, this is a good episode.

It just isn't the kind of episode that particularly hooks me, which makes it a very difficult one to review. I wasn't bored while watching it. The story followed a very predictable pattern, but writers Ira Steven Behr and Hans Beimler know the characters so well that Kira and Odo never feel less than completely themselves, and director Allan Kroeker - who labeled this episode a personal favorite of his - does sterling work in every scene. It's enjoyable... It just isn't my particular cup of tea.

I do wonder whether putting Odo and Kira into a relationship is a good thing for the series. Yes, there have been indications that Kira enjoys at least knowing that Odo has feelings for her, and the two actors and their characters always play well opposite each other. I'm just uncertain that I will find this relationship a convincing one as the show moves forward. This episode also appears to be the final nail in any hopes I may have had that Odo's betrayal earlier this season will ever receive any followup, and that irritates me considerably.

But that's more a fault with the season's failure to address that plot turn than with this episode specifically. And as I said, by any objective measurement His Way is a good piece of television. Since my scores are representing my personal reactions, and not going for some objective measurement of merit, I refuse to give this a high score - But since it was well made and I didn't dislike it, I won't be giving a low one either.

If romantic/comedy/musical is the type of episode you enjoy, then you should add two full points to this score. But for me, this gets an unenthused but respectable:


Overall Rating: 6/10.

Previous Episode: In the Pale Moonlight
Next Episode: The Reckoning

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6-17. Wrongs Darker Than Death or Night.

During the Occupation, Kira's mother (Leslie
Hope) catches the eye of Gul Dukat.

THE PLOT

On the birthday of Kira's mother, who died during the Occupation, the major receives a coded message from Gul Dukat. He is also celebrating the birthday - remembering a woman who was his lover until the day she died. He smugly informs Kira that he wants to share with her "the clarity to see beyond the lies, the self-deceptions" in her life.

Kira tries to dismiss this as the lies of an enemy, but she just can't. So she goes to Sisko, not as her captain but as The Emissary, to arrange for her to use the Orb of Time. The Orb sends her back to the time and place in which her mother, Meru (Leslie Hope), was taken from her family to become a "comfort woman" for the Cardassians. Meru catches the eye of then-Prefect Dukat, who rather than simply claiming her as a prize uses all his charm to seduce her into becoming his willing lover.

When it becomes clear that Meru is enjoying her new life, Kira becomes disgusted and labels her a collaborator. But neither life nor people are generally as simple as she would like to believe...


CHARACTERS

Capt. Sisko: As a Starfleet officer, his reaction to Kira's request to use the Orb of Time is to fear for possible changes to the timeline. When she appeals to him as the Emissary of the Prophets, however, he gives in almost instantly - which shows just how much his attitude has changed toward his spiritual role on Bajor. After Kira returns, he listens to her. He does note that Kira's mother had good reasons for the choices she made, but does not try to tell Kira what to think about what she saw.

Major Kira: Even though Dukat discloses his past relationship with Kira's mother to hurt her, I think that on some level he does think he's doing her a favor. And honestly, I'm not sure he isn't. Kira has long tended to look at the world in black and white. Looked at through Kira's perspective, what she finds is horrible - Her mother not only not kicking against a relationship with Dukat, but enjoying his company and defending him. Stepping away from Kira's viewpoint, though, it's clear Meru had no better options. Her "collaboration" saves the lives of herself and her family, at the cost of not one single Bajoran life. That's cold comfort to Kira, when she reflects on how many Bajorans were dying during the years that her mother spent with Dukat... but how would joining them in misery and death have helped anyone? The episode's end leaves Kira with all the facts she was seeking but no clue how to feel about them - whether to empathize with her mother or hate her for choosing to survive.

Odo: Notices Kira's foul mood. When she refuses to talk about it, he respects that and doesn't press. However, he does add one piece of advice that sends her on her journey: "Well, if you won't talk about it, perhaps you should consider doing something about it." It's a short scene, and his only scene in the episode. But it captures the Kira/Odo dynamic so perfectly, and is so wonderfully performed by Rene Auberjonois, that it demands a mention.

Gul/Prefect Dukat: We only see the present-day Dukat in one scene, delighting in getting under Kira's skin with the most painful weapon at his disposal: The truth. Past Dukat is very much as he always was. He's all smiles, not only civil but actively charming. And also always performing, as we see when a Cardassian legate whispers to Kira what Dukat is about to say in his seduction of Meru, word for word, because this isn't the first such performance he's witnessed. But Dukat isn't a simple cad. Against our (and Kira's) expectations, he does make good on his word, and her family is better off than it's ever been. Nor is Kira's mother a simple conquest that Dukat throws away when tired of her - We learn at the end that they were together for seven years, right up until she died. I do consider Dukat an evil character... But he's still a complex one, capable of great kindness to those he cares for. We saw it with Ziyal, and we see a glimpse of it again in his relationship with this woman.


THOUGHTS

Star Trek has a habit of reducing complex situations to pat homilies. Writers Ira Steven Behr and Hans Beimler respect the complexity. We are left, like Kira, with all the facts about her mother's relationship with Dukat, and nothing clearly telegraphing what opinion we should hold. We are left to make up our own minds - Which I consider to be a good thing.

The return to Terok Nor and the Cardassian Occupation of Bajor is a very welcome one. Every episode that has looked at the station's dark past has been excellent, and Wrongs Darker Than Death or Night is no exception. This slice of the Occupation is very different from what we saw in Necessary Evil or Things Past. There is little direct violence on hand - but the threat of it hangs in the air: in the conditions in which Meru's family lives before her capture, in the watchful and sneering gaze of Bajoran collaborator Basso Tromac (David Bowe), and in the meek whimpering of one "comfort woman" who is too afraid to do more than quietly sob when a Cardassian pulls her onto his lap and starts pawing her.

The families in the refugee camp and the women taken to the station are very different from the Resistance fighters we've seen in previous episodes. They are members of what was almost certainly Bajor's majority - beaten and cowed, too afraid to do anything but obey and cooperate. We see only one Resistance member (Tim DeZarn), and he comes across as small and petty - hardly a powerful foe for anyone.

Performances are largely excellent, and Leslie Hope's Meru is just sympathetic enough for the episode to engage without being so sympathetic as to negate the ending's ambiguity. She may weep at being separated from her family, for example - But she is quick to defend Dukat from Kira's ire, and clearly enjoys the good food and comfort of her abduction.

This falls short of full marks, in part because Basso the Collaborator is a cartoon character, a caricature who would be more at home in a Ferengi comedy than in a multilayered piece such as this; and in part because as good as this is, it doesn't ultimately have quite as much weight to it as Necessary Evil or Things Past.

It's still a terrific episode, though, reminding us of Bajor's past as we wait for the next major event to take us into the future.


Overall Rating: 9/10.

Previous Episode: Change of Heart
Next Episode: Inquisition

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6-5. Favor the Bold.

Sisko prepares to re-take Deep Space Nine!

THE PLOT:

The war is not going well for Starfleet, which keeps pulling back and retreating in the face of the Dominion forces. Dax complains that even the Klingons are starting to wonder if this war is winnable. A big victory is needed to restore morale. Sisko has just the target in mind: A bold strike that will retake Deep Space 9!

Back on the station, Quark and Kira try desperately to save Rom after his arrest for attempted sabotage. Orders left by the female changeling (Salome Jens) make it impossible for them to see Odo, and Weyoun insists that Rom must be executed, as much for making the self-replicating minefield possible in the first place as for attempting to halt efforts to bring it down. Kira prevails on Gul Dukat's daughter, Ziyal (Melanie Smith), to beg her father for a pardon - but Dukat flatly refuses, insisting that enemies of the state must be punished.  Barring a miracle, Rom's fate appears sealed.

Bad news becomes worse when a test of Damar (Casey Biggs)'s plan to deactivate the mines proves successful, and work to bring down the minefield begins in earnest. If all goes according to the Dominion's plan, the wormhole will be clear within a week - And the full force of the Dominion will be ready to come through!


CHARACTERS

Capt. Sisko: "When I go home, it will be to Bajor." The Sisko who was so reluctant to take the assignment to Deep Space 9 and who hated having the role of "Emissary" thrust upon him has transformed remarkably over the last five years. He now pores over Bajoran prophecies, hoping for some guidance, and muses about taking a couple weeks in a Bajoran monastery after the war is over. He directly states that Bajor is his home, extolling its virtues with poetic descriptiveness: "There are parts of the Eastern Province that are like Eden itself: Lush green valleys covered in wild flowers that seem to spring up overnight; hundreds of small, crystal clear ponds interconnected by waterfalls."

Major Kira: She is furious at Odo for his betrayal. Every time Quark pins his hopes for saving his brother on reaching Odo, she shoots him down: They can't reach Odo because of orders left by the female changeling; and even if they could, she insists it would make no difference. That same anger drives her through the rest of the episode. She is impatient when Ziyal insists that, now that she recognizes Dukat for what he is, she will never go back to him; and when Damar pushes her one time too many, she lets loose all the violence she's been holding back for months now, leaving the Cardassian battered and bruised, and saying that it will be up to him what happens next.

Quark: For all his years of mocking and mistreatment toward his brother, Quark is determined to save Rom from his death sentence. That his faith in Odo remains strong even when Kira's has been shattered speaks volumes about the genuine regard he has for his sometime nemesis, making this a key Quark/Odo episode even though the two don't share a second of screen time. Quark is too shrewd to let his concern be public knowledge, however, and he continues to play the mercenary Ferengi for Damar, using prodigious amounts of kanar as lubrication to keep the flow of information coming.

Odo: Has sex with the female changeling to demonstrate the solids' notion of intimacy. She reacts with amusement at how limited it is, and is surprised that Odo doesn't agree. When she gets a bit over-vehement in pronouncing that the solids must be broken of their attachment to their freedom, Odo recovers enough of himself to see her for what she is - Though his awakening comes too late for Kira to even listen to his attempted apology.

Weyoun: In an effective quiet moment, we see Weyoun musing over one of Ziyal's paintings. He looks at it from every angle, as if willing himself to see it. When Kira walks in, he reveals that the Founders kept all sense of the aesthetic out of the Vorta's genetic makeup, likely finding it irrelevant. He reacts hotly to Kira's suggestion that the Founders "made a mistake," but wistfully acknowledges that he sometimes wishes he could carry a tune.

Gul Dukat: Though he adores his daughter, a virtue even Kira will acknowledge, there is something dangerous in the way he demands to know if she had anything to do with Rom's attempted sabotage. When she asks for mercy for the Ferengi, he instantly suspects some culpability on her part and does not believe her when she (truthfully) pleads innocence. He does, at least, trust Kira to protect Ziyal's welfare. When Damar comes back from his attempt to retrieve the girl having sustained a beating by the major, Dukat knows that his man must have stepped out of line in some way.


THOUGHTS:

Favor the Bold opens with action, as an apparently cripped Defiant braces itself for a Jem'Hadar attack, only to pull a bait-and-switch on the Jem'Hadar and trap them with practiced efficiency. It's a teaser that grabs the viewer right away - desperate action, followed by a subversion of expectations. The entire episode takes a cue from that, building momentum throughout.

As with Behind the Lines, there are two main plot strands: Sisko, preparing an assault on Deep Space 9; and Kira and Quark, desperate both to save Rom and to stop the deactivation of the minefield. The Kira/Quark thread is the stronger: Kira's situation, having to work with the enemy while also trying to undermine them, is just inherently more dramatic, and her constant anger in this episode adds a wonderful additional level. But the Sisko material is also quite good, as we see just how thoroughly he has thought through his proposed attack, bringing all of his determination to bear to secure the agreement of Starfleet and its sole remaining ally.

Writer Ira Steven Behr and Hans Beimler even manage to adroitly connect the two strands. Learning that the minefield's deactivation is imminent, Kira and Quark manage to smuggle a message to Sisko (in one of the more plot-relevant and amusing uses of Morn). This pushes Sisko to initiate the attack before all of his forces are gathered. The episode ends with Sisko leading an incomplete fleet into battle against a vastly superior force, all because time has left no other option.

"To all ships, this is Captain Sisko. There's an old saying: 'Fortune favors the bold.' Well, I guess we're about to find out."


Overall Rating: 9/10.

Previous Episode: Behind the Lines
Next Episode: Sacrifice of Angels

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5-26. Call to Arms.

Deep Space 9 under attack!

THE PLOT

The Dominion is preparing for war.

This has been true for some time, but now it seems imminent. Convoys of Dominion warships are coming through the wormhole on a weekly basis, further reinforcing their already strong presence in Cardassian space. More and more Alpha Quadrant governments are signing non-aggression pacts with the Dominion, with the Romulans the newest addition to a growing list. If this continues, Sisko knows, the Dominion will become unstoppable. So he orders his crew to mine the wormhole; and when Odo protests that this could start a war, he acknowledges as much but points out that they are "losing the peace."

Rom comes up with a plan to create cloaked, self-replicating mines to prevent the Dominion from simply vaporizing the minefield from the mouth of the wormhole, and Dax and O'Brien are quickly able to make that idea into a reality. But the Defiant has barely begun the painstaking work of laying the mines before the Dominion learns of their plans. Weyoun comes to the station, for once devoid of grins or patter. He is there to deliver an ultimatum:

"Either you remove the mines, or we will take this station from you and remove them ourselves!"


CHARACTERS

Capt. Sisko: Lives up to his role as the Emissary by endorsing the non-aggression pact between Bajor and the Dominion. As he confessed to Kai Winn in the previous episode, and repeats to Kira in this one, the Federation cannot guarantee Bajor's safety. The only way to protect the planet and its recovery is to keep it out of the fight. Left to hold off the Dominion with limited resources, Sisko relies on tactics and surprises. He orders Martok to warn him when the Dominion but not to engage until he gives the word. He uses the station's upgraded defenses to engage the enemy while the Defiant finishes the minefield. And he prepares a final surprise to avoid anything useful being left on the station - along with a last message for Gul Dukat. Avery Brooks is superb throughout, and his expression at the end of the episode is genuinely, frighteningly fierce.

Kira/Odo: Have been avoiding each other ever since the revelations of Children of Time - which would have been nice to actually see, given that their only interaction since (in Blaze of Glory) seemed entirely friendly and comfortable. Here, the awkwardness is obvious - though much alleviated once Odo reassures her that he will make no move to change the nature of their relationship, at least not until after the crisis has past. Kira visibly relaxes, and Odo cannot help but make an ironic observation about how comforting it is to only have to deal with imminent war, rather than a (gasp) relationship crisis. They are once again firmly established as a team at the episode's close; and where things leave off, they will probably need to rely on each other quite a bit over the next season.

Rom: The episode's limited "B" plot sees Rom and Leeta finally get married... Something Rom frets over even as he works with the station's command staff to make the minefield work. A very amusing scene sees Rom switching between random wedding jitters and brilliant solutions to the problems posed by the minefield: One sentence of "Rom the Idiot," followed immediately by one sentence of "Rom the Engineering Genius," and back again. It works, thanks equally to Max Grodenchik's delivery and his co-stars' nonplussed reactions as he basically solves all of their problems as an afterthought!

Weyoun: A false and smarmy good cheer has marked Weyoun's every appearance to date - which makes it all the more effective when he arrives in this episode, still and humorless and entirely determined to get his way. The scene between Weyoun and Sisko is masterful, as each man first tries to intimidate each other, then goes through the hollow motions of a diplomacy both recognize as pointless before leaving to prepare for battle. Weyoun is equally firm with Dukat. When the Cardassian wants to attack Bajor, noting that Cardassia did not sign a non-aggression treaty, weyoun has to remind him very firmly that as a part of the Dominion, he is bound by their treaties. Weyoun jerks Dukat's leash a second time, at the end, reminding him that the Dominion's highest priority is not the station but the minefield Sisko has left to block further reinforcements.

Garak: Muses about how, when the Klingons attacked Deep Space 9, he and Gul Dukat fought side by side. "At one point, he turned his back to me - And I must to admit that, for a moment, he made a very tempting target." When Odo asks if Garak regrets not killing Dukat, he replies bluntly: "Before this day is over, everyone on this station is going to regret it."

Gul Dukat: From his perspective, the assault on Deep Space 9 is simply re-taking that which is rightly his. He wants to push on to Bajor, as well, and Weyoun has to remind him that Bajor's non-aggression pact with the Dominion is binding. This scene and others show signs that Dukat is starting to resent taking orders from Weyoun and the Dominion. I suspect he's already looking for weaknesses, since a man like Dukat isn't going to be satisfied serving under an outsider's rule for very long...


THOUGHTS

The fifth season draws to a close as the Cold War with the Dominion, which has built up over the past three seasons, finally erupts. In a big way, too. Deep Space 9 has consistently raised the bar on Trek combat sequences.  The Die Is Cast was the biggest space combat scene yet seen in televised Trek (or a lot of movie Trek for that matter); The Way of the Warrior was bigger.

The combat sequence that makes up the last third of this episode makes both of those look almost small by comparison. The station is under attack by an unstoppable force, and the effects work and editing allow us to see Deep Space 9 as a small speck engulfed by a locust-like cloud of enemy ships. Jay Chattaway's excellent score, the editing, and most importantly the context built up by the carefully-constructed script all combine to make the scene as desperate and exciting as the situation demands.

What really makes the battle so effective is the groundwork laid by the first two-thirds. Stalwarts Ira Steven Behr and Robert Hewitt Wolfe take time to make sure we understand the stakes, and create a scenario where it's entirely believable that Deep Space 9 has been left to deal alone with this overwhelming force. The script also finds plenty of time for human moments: Rom's wedding jitters, and his insistence on watching out for his brother; Odo and Kira, agreeing to avoid exploring any romance until after the crisis has past; Quark, smuggling in Cardassian yamok sauce in preparation for the station's inevitable fall; Sisko reflecting on how the place he hated to be assigned to has become a home he hates to leave. This is done consistently: A big scene establishing the larger situation, a small scene showing how individuals react to it. We get to see the larger tapestry while at the same time viewing several of the individual threads.

The battle itself is splendid, but even better are the closing scenes. The last part of the episode acts as an epilogue to the combat, and it also sets the stage for next season. The characters are scattered, each becoming ready to fight his or her own part of the war that has officially begun. Some will work from behind enemy lines; some will fight on the front lines; others will stay with the main fleet to help coordinate. It's a tantalizing set-up, one which leaves me eagerly anticipating the season to come.

The final three shots could each have served as a memorable ending shot: Gul Dukat, pondering the message Sisko has left for him; Sisko, seeming to give a glare that can cut through light years to reach his nemesis; and the actual final shot, of an enormous joint Starfleet/Klingon fleet. Two nations that had been at war at the start of this season, now firmer allies than ever as they prepare to face the most formidable foe they have ever encountered.

Any one of the three shots would be a fantastic closing. But what's even more impressive is how each builds upon the one before, until the slow fade to black that leaves you desperate for the next installment.


Overall Rating: 10/10.

Previous Episode: In the Cards
Next Episode: A Time to Stand

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5-23. Blaze of Glory.

Sisko and Eddington: Keep your friends close...

THE PLOT

Gen. Martok informs Sisko that he has intercepted a Maquis message, clearly directed to captured Maquis leader Michael Eddington (Kenneth Marshall), stating that a missile launch is imminent. Martok reveals that the Klingons provided the Maquis with cloaking technology during the conflict with Cardassia. If the missiles are cloaked, they will be impossible to detect; and if they strike Cardassia, then it will be the start of the very war that they have all been trying so hard to avoid.

There is one hope. If they can locate the launch site, then someone who knows the abort codes will be able to deactivate the missiles remotely. Sisko offers Eddington a full pardon for his cooperation. The Maquis leader is bitter about the destruction of his people by the Dominion. He blames Starfleet in general, and Sisko in particular, for allowing it to happen. He does eventually agree to help - but he warns that once this mission is over, he intends to kill Sisko!


CHARACTERS

Capt. Sisko: He may be willing to deal with Eddington, but it's clear that he has not forgiven the man his betrayal. Though Sisko talks about how Eddington broke his oath to Starfleet, and how Cal Hudson did so before him, Eddington is right when he says that isn't the captain's real problem. Hudson was a personal friend, Eddington a trusted officer. In Sisko's mind, both men did something worse than betray Starfleet - They betrayed him. Sisko sums it up himself, when he realizes exactly what this entire mission has really been about. "I don't like being lied to!" he snarls, punctuating the statement with a punch.

Eddington: When Sisko says that the Maquis should have been pushing for a negotiated peace with the Cardassians, rather than continuing to wage war, Eddington snaps back: "The Maquis won its greatest victories under my leadership... We had the Cardassians on the run!" As Sisko observes, the Cardassians ran to the Dominion, with predictable results for the Maquis. Those words appear to finally resonate when Eddington stands in the midst of corpses of Maquis who were massacred by the Jem'Hadar. Eddington spends the first part of the episode pretending to have a death wish, a ruse Sisko sees through immediately. After he sees the end result of his private war, what had been an act becomes a reality. Kenneth Marshall's performance here is easily his best of the series, and the many sharp exchanges between Eddington and Sisko form this episode's very strong center.

Nog: Gets the episode's "B" plot. His rotation as cadet now having put him with Security, Nog is finding difficulty dealing with Martok and his Klingons. He complains that they don't even acknowledge his presence, just looking over his head when he tries to talk to them about violations of station regulations. After Sisko tells him to stand up to them, to earn their respect by refusing to be intimidated, Nog spends most of the rest of his subplot spoiling for a fight - though when his chance finally comes, his voice quavers with fear even as he forces the confrontation.


THOUGHTS

Blaze of Glory brings the Eddington arc to a close, and to all appearances closes out the DS9 Maquis arc as well. Following up on Gul Dukat's vow to cleanse Cardassian space of the Maquis, this episode reveals that the Jem'Hadar have destroyed them. Which makes sense: The Jem'Hadar were established in their very first appearance as ruthless.  There's no reason they would have wasted any time in removing an enemy from space settled by treaty as Cardassian space... which is now Dominion space.

For Eddington, this means that the cause he fought for, and the people for whom he sacrificed his freedom, have been all but eradicated. And it happened while he was in prison, helpless to do anything except hear about it through news reports. Again, it makes perfect sense that this has engendered massive resentment against Sisko, who made his capture into a personal crusade. Had Sisko simply left him alone, he would have been able to at least try to save his people from the Jem'Hadar, even if all that would have resulted in was him dying alongside them.

Both men have valid points, but both exaggerate their claims. The Maquis may have become more aggressive under Eddington, but the real damage to Cardassia was wrought by the Dominion's eradication of the Obsidian Order and by the Klingon conflict. Sisko, in turn, did make his pursuit of Eddington personal - but Eddington was launching biogenic attacks against entire planets, clearly raising the stakes past what Starfleet was willing to accept. Our knowledge of the backstory lets us see that neither man is entirely wrong, but neither is entirely right.

The plot ticks along at a swift pace, buoyed by some of the most beautiful effects the series has yet offered in the Badlands scenes. The sequence in which Eddington and Sisko desperately evade two Jem'Hadar warships is particularly well-done, outstanding effects edited tautly with the live action to create a truly nail-biting moment. The planet-bound action of the last third is also effective, the stock Trek set given atmosphere by the dim lighting, by the smoke hanging in the air, and by the Maquis corpses that surround both men even as they battle through Jem'Hadar to reach their goal.

All of this makes Blaze of Glory a good episode, but there is a slightly mechanical quality to it that keeps me from rating it as a great one. Part of this is that the Maquis strand, while far better-handled by DS9 than by Voyager, never felt completely a part of the series. Once or twice a season, DS9 would remember the Maquis were there and do an episode involving them. Folding Eddington into the arc upped the stakes a bit (and did something interesting with a previously bland character)... but in the full season that separated Eddington's betrayal from this resolution, there was only one other Maquis episode and a handful of isolated mentions.

All of which leaves the sense that this episode was mainly designed to cut out an inconvenient thread so that it wouldn't distract from the building Dominion conflict. Ira Steven Behr and Robert Hewitt Wolfe are among the show's best writers, and they do a fine job of making the Maquis resolution fit with what's come before. But with only scattered build-up of that arc prior to this point, the ending just doesn't have the power that it should have had.

It's still good, though, and significant within the fabric of the series. It's just a pity that the Maquis were never truly exploited to their full potential.


Overall Rating: 7/10.

Previous Episode: Children of Time
Next Episode: Empok Nor

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5-14. In Purgatory's Shadow.

Garak and Worf, prisoners of the Dominion!

THE PLOT

When an encoded Cardassian transmission is picked up in the Gamma Quadrant, Sisko orders Garak to decode it. Garak tells him it's innocuous, just a years-old planetary survey. But when he states that he's given up on the idea of survivors from the Cardassian attack on the Dominion, Dr. Bashir knows that he's lying. Bashir pushes Garak to reveal the truth: The transmission is a message from his old mentor, Enabran Tain (Paul Dooley), consisting of just one word repeated over and over: "Alive."

Garak insists on going after Tain, and points out to Sisko that if Tain is alive then there may be other survivors as well. He is sent with Worf in a runabout to trace the signal back... but they don't get far before they are intercepted by a Dominion fleet. Worf is able to get out a warning that Dominion forces are building up near the wormhole, but that is all he is able to accomplish before he and Garak are captured.

They are taken to a prison camp on an asteroid. The only atmosphere is provided by a dome, making escape an apparent impossibility. Meanwhile, at the station, Worf's message is received, leaving Sisko with only one option to stop a Dominion invasion: Collapse the wormhole!


CHARACTERS

Capt. Sisko: Though he doesn't trust that Tain's message is real, he can't ignore the possibility of survivors. He sends Worf with Garak, knowing that the rigid Worf is unlikely to be swayed by the Cardassian's manipulations. When Worf's message gets through, Sisko gives him and Garak as much time as possible before collapsing the wormhole. Ultimately, however, he knows that cutting them off is an acceptable tradeoff to stopping a Dominion attack, and orders it done when the moment comes.

Worf: I love this show's willingness to combine different characters to create new dynamics. We've usually seen Garak paired with Bashir (and do for a bit of this episode), but we've also seen him teamed up with Odo to very different but equally enjoyable effect. Now Worf is assigned to accompany the Cardassian, and we get something different again. Worf's too inflexible to spar with Garak the way Bashir or Odo did. Instead, he calls out Garak's lies as soon as he recognizes them. His inflexible mind-set doesn't stop him from being manipulated, though. When he is about to turn back, as Sisko ordered, Garak prevails on his honor to get him to continue. Worf snaps that Garak doesn't understand the meaning of the word... but as Garak points out, that isn't the point. Worf does, and that's all that's needed for Garak to get the Klingon to do as he wants.

Dr. Bashir: Instantly recognizes Garak's claim of an inconsequential message as a lie. He waits in a runabout for the Cardassian to attempt to steal it, then takes him to Sisko to reveal the full truth. When Garak compliments him on how untrusting he's become over the past five years, Bashir says only that he had a good teacher. Much later in the episode, when Garak is stung by Tain rejecting him yet again, Bashir does provide some comfort. Garak snaps about how the best lesson he can teach Bashir is that sentiment is a weakness... Prompting the doctor to reply that this is one lesson he hopes never to learn.

Garak: Though there are big moments for several characters, this episode belongs to him and is all the better for it. Garak remains an unpredictable delight. He pushes Worf into considering sponsoring his application to Starfleet, only to reveal that he did so only to keep his lying skills sharp. He greets both Gul Dukat and his captors with a disarming grin, and doesn't seem too bothered when both encounters result in hands around his throat. For all of his rampant deception, and for all the wrongs Tain has done to him over the years, he retains a strong loyalty to his mentor. His final scene with Tain seems to reveal more about both men's backgrounds... though honestly, given Garak's nature, I don't trust that the information we seem to learn is truly genuine.

Gul Dukat: Enters the episode in a fury - literally, as he throttles Garak for his association with his daughter. This sets the tone for Dukat's entire role. When Kira confirms that she knew about Ziyal (Melanie Smith)'s association with Garak, he accuses her of willful betrayal. Gone is the smiling flirtation of the past two seasons - Dukat makes it clear in one scene that he now fully regards Kira as an enemy, and he intends to get his revenge. His last scene sees him denouncing his daughter for refusing to leave the station on his orders, lumping her in with all his other self-created enemies. For all of this, you can see that in his mind, he is the injured party in every case. Much like the man who claimed to want to protect the Bajorans as his "children," he has made himself into a victim. It will be very interesting to see where he goes from here.


THOUGHTS

Gul Dukat, Garak, and Enebran Tain all in the same episode, along with a massive Dominion build-up and a few big surprises... If I didn't know this was still the mid-season, I would think this was the first part of a season cliffhanger! It's certainly momentous enough. If the next episode sustains the momentum, this will likely rank alongside The Jem'Hadar, The Die Is Cast, and The Way of the Warrior for episodes that cause a seismic shift in the series.

I'll wait until my next review to discuss the episode's biggest revelation - I want to mull it over a while before seriously discussing it in any event. Besides, while I can't imagine many people are reading these reviews without having first seen the episodes, I want to allow at least one review's space before spoiling one of the best surprises the series has yet sprung.

Writers Robert Hewitt Wolfe and Ira Steven Behr provide the big moments and the sense of a series turning point, but they don't forget to make room for plenty of good character material. In addition to moments I've mentioned in the "Characters" section, we also see Odo adjusting to being a shapeshifter again, and finding that there are many aspects to being a solid that he's going to miss. The Kira/Dukat scenes are charged with energy, with Kira all but laughing at Dukat's attempts to intimidate her (something that I suspect she's taking far too lightly). worf and Dax get a scene together that shows the spark, humor, and chemistry that was so sorely lacking in Let He Who Is Without Sin...

All in all, an excellent first part that leaves me eagerly awaiting Part Two.


Overall Rating: 10/10.

Previous Episode: For the Uniform
Next Episode: By Inferno's Light


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