7-21. When It Rains...

Chancellor Gowron (Robert O'Reilly) returns to Deep Space 9.

THE PLOT

Damar and several Cardassian leaders have begun an open rebellion against the Dominion, which opens up a potential advantage for Starfleet. But Damar and his men lack the skill set to be resistance fighters. They need someone who can teach them how to wage war with limited resources against a superior enemy. Sisko "volunteers" Kira to act as an advisor to Damar - but a Bajoran advising Cardassians on guerilla tactics is destined to go over badly, and Kira finds herself constantly challenged by Damar's second in command, Gul Rusot (John Vickery).

Kira's situation isn't the only turbulent one. On Bajor, Kai Winn grows closer to comprehending the ritual to release the pah-wraiths, even as Dukat pushes his luck just a little too far. Meanwhile, Dr. Bashir discovers that Odo has contracted the disease afflicting the changelings. When he contacts Starfleet for Odo's old medical scans, hoping to use them to devise a cure, he finds himself stonewalled in a manner highly reminiscent of a certain Section with which he's had previous dealings.

At least things are looking up a bit for Sisko, who finds one advantage salvaged from the disastrous battle for the Chin'toka system. It turns out that with a simple adaptation, Klingon ships can be made immune to the Breen energy weapon. Martok immediately begins planning a hit-and-run campaign to slow the Dominion offensive.

...Which is when Chancellor Gowron arrives to honor Martok's service, and to take personal command of the Klingon forces. His first order? An all-out assault that can only lead to disaster!


CHARACTERS

Capt. Sisko: Realizes immediately that Kira is the exact right person to teach Damar's forces, and sticks firmly to his decision even when Kira expresses hesitance. "Whether you like Damar or not is irrelevant. We need him. The Dominion knows they have to stop his rebellion before it spreads, and it's up to you to see that they don't."

Col. Kira: Has not forgotten that Damar killed Ziyal, whom she regarded as family, but she agrees with Sisko that she will work with her former enemy for the sake of the war. Odo and Garak accompany her on the mission - which proves to be a good thing, as the two of them work to keep Kira and Gul Rusot from each other's throats. Kira voice some hard truths to Damar about running a Resistance, including the impossibility of avoiding Cardassian casualties. "Anyone who's not fighting with you is fighting against you."

Dr. Bashir: When he discovers Odo has been infected with the virus, he feels confident that he can find a cure by simply comparing Odo's current scan with an old one and isolating the differences. What he isn't counting on is stonewalling by Starfleet Medical. He is able to get around that with some (offscreen) assistance from Sisko... only to find a new layer of deception on top of the previous one. That's when he realizes the truth, and prepares to take action that will doubtless form the focus of an upcoming episode.

Damar: Acknowledges his dislike of Kira, but tells Rusot that this hatred is "a luxury (he) can no longer afford." His personal distaste shows in the stiffness of his interactions, but he genuinely listens to her advice and extends every courtesy he can. The enemy (Kira) of his enemy (the Dominion) may not be his friend - but he'll grudgingly accept her as an ally.

Martok/Gowron: Gowron is happy to sing Martok's praises while awarding him The Star of Kahless. But his real purpose is to retake command, to make himself the "savior of the Empire." As Worf observes, Martok's leadership has made him increasingly popular with the Klingon military. Gowron, a schemer who maneuvered his way into power, can only see him as a threat. Unfortunately, the political scheming that led to him becoming Chancellor did not prepare him for large scale combat tactics, leaving the Klingons - and with them, the entire Federation - on the verge of calamity.

Dukat/Winn: The balance of power has firmly shifted from Dukat to Winn. Now that she knows his true identity, she treats him with open scorn, appalled that she shared a bed with a man responsible for so many Bajoran deaths. Not that she can lay claim to any particular moral high ground - When he points out that summoning the pah-wraiths will result in more deaths, she haughtily responds: "The pah-wraiths will spare those whom they find worthy; the rest are of no consequence."


THOUGHTS

When It Rains... adds one more fine episode added to the largely superb final run of this series. Writer Rene Echevarria handles the multiple plot threads well, focusing each thread on the characters: Kira and Damar's mutual unease at having to work together; Bashir's determination to help a friend and patient, and his gradual realization of a conspiracy; Gowron's thirst for glory; Kai Winn's own appetite for power, which is balanced against her disgust at working with Dukat. Four plot threads in one episode, but it never feels choppy because each thread is so strongly rooted in the characters and in the sense that everything is building toward Something Big.

This is the third episode Michael Dorn has directed. Taken alongside the excellent In the Cards and the very good Inquisition, it's clear he has a strong handle on the series and its atmosphere. I find myself actively sorry that he didn't direct more episodes. He may not have the visual eye of Jonathan Frakes or David Livingston, but he definitely knows how to work with the cast, focus on the best elements of the script, and keep the pace moving throughout.

The story itself is mainly another building block in the larger arc, setting up elements for the next installments. Even so, it maintains a strong grip throughout, with each strand promising interesting new developments - and raising anticipation, and expectations, for those remaining installments.


Overall Rating: 8/10.

Previous Episode: The Changing Face of Evil
Next Episode: Tacking into the Wind

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7-17. Penumbra.

Sisko plans for retirement on Bajor.

THE PLOT

Sisko finally proposes to Kasidy Yates. He's hoping for a quiet wedding - and then, after the war, a retirement to Bajor. He's even designing a house for them.

But the war isn't cooperating with his dreams of a simple life. Worf's ship, the Koraga, has been destroyed by the Dominion near the Badlands, a region of space marked by plasma storms. Several escape pods have been recovered, but none with Worf on board. With Dominion ships approaching the area, Sisko is forced to call off the search, effectively giving him up for dead.

Ezri cannot live with that decision. She steals a runabout and makes for the Badlands, determined to find him and bring him home. She does find Worf alive, but the trip home is cut short by Jem'Hadar fighters. Worf and Ezri barely manage to beam to the safety of a planet before the runabout is destroyed - leaving them alive, but marooned with no way of contacting the station for rescue...


CHARACTERS

Capt. Sisko: Is embarking on two big life changes. He has purchased some land on Bajor to build a home, and is actively thinking of retiring after the war. He also proposes to Kasidy. One gets the sense that as soon as the war ends, he's ready to be done with Starfleet, wormholes, and all of it - If only the Prophets and Dominion could stop interfering. This doesn't stop him from being a leader willing to make tough decisions, however.  When it becomes clear that Worf is unlikely to be recovered, he calls off the search - Though he doesn't stop Ezri from taking a runabout to conduct a search of her own.

Ezri: After Sisko calls off the search for survivors, she uses her override codes to enter the quarters Jadzia shared with Worf. As she walks from one part of the room to another, audio clips of highlights of the Jadzia/Worf relationship are played, making us aware of the specific memories Ezri is re-living while stoking our own memories at the same time. This is important, because it makes the emotion behind Ezri's decision to go after Worf real to us - And puts us back in the mindset of that relationship for the episode's second half.

Worf: We've seen throughout the season that Worf is conflicted about having another Dax around, from his warnings to Bashir and Quark about pursuing Ezri to his concerns for her safety. That conflict comes to its head here. Ever the stoic, he barely thanks Ezri for rescuing him and is soon gruffly avoiding all conversation with her. He tries to bar any mention of Jadzia, only to later respond to her barbs about hunting by saying, "Jadzia would have understood."

Kasidy Yates: Largely just a support for Sisko in this episode, but I'm struck once again by how convincing the relationship between these two is. There is an entirely unforced chemistry between Avery Brooks and Penny Johnson, and by this point in the series there is never a moment at which I fail to believe in them as a couple. The question is less why Ben proposes to her in this episode, and more why it took him so long to do it.

Damar: His loathing for Weyoun matched only by his disgust at himself for acting as the Vorta's lackey. He continues to drown his sorrows in women and alcohol, and is all too eager to assist Dukat when he shows up asking for a favor. His loyalty to Dukat remains strong, and he keeps his former superior's presence a secret from Weyoun and arranges the requested favor with no questions asked, even when his disapproval of Dukat's faith in the pah-wraiths is clear.


THOUGHTS

Deep Space 9 begins its march to the series finale. The script is by Rene Echevarria, arguably the series' strongest character writer, so it's appropriate that the story is heavily character-based. The main plot, about Ezri's rescue of Worf and their attempts to return to the station, is a thin clothesline, with the real focus on the relationships between Sisko and Kasidy and Worf and Ezri - which plays to Echevarria's strengths.

There's real authenticity to the scenes of Sisko mulling over the exact layout of his house, and I love the little moment where he and Kasidy debate over whether the kitchen should be separated from the dining room or open. Sisko, the son of a chef, protests Kasidy's preference for an open kitchen, arguing that he doesn't want visitors wandering in to sample the food before it's ready.

Other good character bits abound. When Ezri rescues Worf from the escape pod, she prods him to find out which Klingon opera he was singing inside the pod. He readily admits to having done exactly that, adding that the acoustics were good. The Ezri/Worf interactions continue to ring true as Ezri keeps trying to draw him into conversation while he tries to avoid it. I'm not sure I fully buy into them sleeping together near the end of the episode - Though that's more because Nicole de Boer just doesn't fit with Michael Dorn the way Terry Farrell did, as story-wise it makes sense as a development building through their interactions and non-interactions throughout the season.

For all that this is a character-based episode, the script also is busy planting lots of plot seeds. The disease plaguing the Founders gets some more attention, and Weyoun's visit to the female changeling reveals that she is deteriorating rapidly. Meanwhile, the Breen are re-introduced, with their presence an oddity Worf and Ezri comment on; and Dukat continues to be a wild card, with a plan of his own that has yet to be defined but is certain to be very dangerous to all parties.

Penumbra moves at a brisk pace throughout, and manages the tricky job of being a good episode in its own right while also effectively kick-starting the series' final arc. A promising "beginning of the end," and a thoroughly enjoyable 45 minutes.


Overall Rating: 8/10.

Previous Episode: Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges
Next Episode: 'Til Death Do Us Part

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7-14. Chimera.

Odo meets another changeling exile.

THE PLOT

Odo and O'Brien are returning to the station from a conference when a changeling appears on their ship. This changeling, Laas (Garman Hertzler), is not a Founder - He is instead one of the 100 sent by the Founders to learn about the galaxy.

That does not make him a friend. Laas has lived for centuries among "mono-forms," a label he sneeringly applies to all the species on Deep Space 9. Experience has taught him that humanoids cannot trust a changeling, and that their mistrust can turn quickly to anger and violence.

When a public display of shapeshifting inspires violence from a pair of Klingons, Laas feels the incident proves his point. And when he uses lethal force to fend off that attack, the Klingon homeworld demands Laas be given over to their custody - a request Odo is horrified to see Sisko seriously considering!


CHARACTERS

Capt. Sisko: If the viewer steps back and looks at the situation objectively, Sisko isn't nearly as unsympathetic as Odo views him. He's right that Laas was never in any danger from the Klingon, and that his use of deadly force was almost certainly unnecessary. He also isn't advocating turning Laas over to the Klingons - He simply believes that this should be up to the magistrate. Given the full situation, it's hard to argue that he should have behaved differently.

Col. Kira: Is uncomfortable when Odo reveals he linked with Laas. Given what happened the last time Odo linked with another changeling, I don't particularly blame her - But this episode doesn't reference that, not even by inference. Instead, Kira just says something about wishing she was able to link with him. For the most part, this episode reduces her to being the "supportive love interest," though she is at least proactive in jump-starting the final Act.

Odo: Overlooks Laas' role in the Klingon's death a little too easily. If he acknowledged that Laas had escalated the situation while still insisting that he acted in self-defense, it would feel truer to the Odo who has always valued justice above all. That aside, his delight in finding a fellow changeling who isn't a Founder is entirely convincing, as is his rage at seeing Laas treated more harshly than any solid would be in the same situation.

Quark: Acts as the bearer of harsh truths, reminding Odo that the changelings are very different than the humanoid species on the station and that this, in conjunction with the war against the Founders, guides reactions: "Don't you get it, Odo? We humanoids are a product of millions of years of evolution. Our ancestors learned the hard way that what you don't know might kill you. They wouldn't have survived if they hadn't have jumped back when they encountered a snake coiled in the muck. And now millions of years later, that instinct is still there... Watch your step, Odo. We're at war with your people." Quark's view is one that looks entirely at the worst aspects of human nature while ignoring the best (exemplified by Kira's final speech to Odo) - But that doesn't make it wrong, merely incomplete.

Laas: One suspects he'd actually get along well with the Founders, as he shares the view that shapeshifters are inherently superior to solids. His encounter with the Klingons is certainly started by them, but he does everything in his power to make sure the exchange ends in violence - And his reaction to killing the Klingon is so apathetic that it seems that in his mind, he's just swatted a particularly bothersome fly. It's to the episode's credit that while Laas isn't written as a villain, and his motives in trying to tempt Odo from the station are genuine, he is never made to be likable. The victim of bigotry has responded by himself becoming a bigot - and his attitude is every bit as ugly as the ill-fated Klingon's.


THOUGHTS

Chimera is a well-regarded episode. Rene Echevarria's script is intelligent, with a handful of outstanding scenes and exchanges. The character of Laas is entirely convincing, and all the performances are excellent. Despite some quibbles with Kira being reduced to the role of simple love interest for this episode, by any reasonable objective measure, it has to be regarded as a worthy piece.

Unfortunately, I found it to be a bit dull and distancing. If pushed, I would have to admit that I did not enjoy watching it.

That's one reason why this review took a while to appear. I've mentioned in the past how much easier it is to write about a very good or very bad episode. It's easy to rave about something that excites you, intrigues you, or makes you think; it's even easier to make fun of or rant about something you hate. Trying to express thoughts about something that doesn't evoke much response in you? Very difficult.

Chimera is objectively good, but it just didn't much hold my interest. The reactions of Sisko and Laas and, for the most part, Odo are convincingly scripted, and I hugely applaud Rene Echevarria's decision to make Laas unsympathetic. It's a well-turned script, and the few objective faults I can find aren't enough to explain my apathy toward it. This just is not an episode I enjoyed.

With such a sharp divide between objective quality and my own enjoyment (or lack thereof), a final rating is difficult. But these are my reviews, and I'm scoring according to my reactions... So I think I'll parse this one straight down the middle:


Overall Rating: 5/10.

Previous Episode: Field of Fire
Next Episode: Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang

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7-5. Chrysalis.

Dr. Bashir tries to cure Sarina's catalepsy.

THE PLOT

The genetically engineered mental patients Dr. Bashir worked with last year return to the station. Bashir believes he has found a way to cure Sarina (Faith C. Salie)'s catalepsy, to allow her to engage with the world around her. She initially shows no change after the surgery, leaving Bashir feeling that he failed her - but then she is found wandering around the Promenade, where she announces she is looking at "everything!"

Sarina is grateful to Bashir, and happy to be able to interact with the people on the station. But as he gets to know her, Bashir finds himself drawn to her: a woman whose genetically-engineered intelligence is not only equal to, but probably greater than, his own. He initiates a relationship, pushing her to more and more activities before she's had time to adjust to her new life.

And then watches in horror as she starts to withdraw all over again...


CHARACTERS

Capt. Sisko: The group of patients arrive on the station by having Patrick (Michael Keenan) impersonate a Starfleet admiral. A serious offense, but recognizing that the childlike Patrick has no understanding of why, Sisko agrees to have the charges dropped. Not without first reminding Bashir of the trouble this group previously created, however, and not without eliciting a promise that such behavior will not happen again.

Dr. Bashir: The episode highlights his loneliness. His friends and colleagues are all either married or in relationships (and this is the only Trek series in which the bulk of the regulars are in committed relationships), which leaves him a bit of an "odd man out," with his genetic engineering making him even more of an outsider. Meanwhile, Sarina is the ultimate outsider - someone who has never been able to engage with the world around her before now. It never occurs to him that he might be too quickly pushing her into something she's not ready for, and he only recognizes his folly at the episode's end.

O'Brien: The most emotionally accessible of the regulars, he recognizes his friend's mistakes all too well. He attempts to talk to him about how fast he's moving with a girl who was his patient (something Bashir handwaves away by saying he had her assigned to a different doctor). But when it's clear that Bashir just isn't able right now to hear the truth, O'Brien stops himself from further comment, wishes him a simple and sincere "good luck," and waits for the inevitable fallout.

Ezri: Isn't she meant to be the station's counselor? I would expect Sarina, a woman who has spent most of her life completely cut off from other people only to suddenly be connected in a big way, to need to talk to a counselor - Heck, to be required to! Nicole de Boer does do well with the scene in which Ezri supplies all the reasons why Bashir should feel free to beat himself up... But that's the only moment she has in the episode that doesn't feel like it could as easily have been written for Jadzia, and that feels like a dropped ball in an episode where a counselor would actually seem to be called for.

Hot Genetically Engineered Space Babe of the Week: A nice touch of both script and performance is that when Sarina first begins to speak, she does so haltingly, with a sound in her voice approaching that of a deaf person speaking words she can't hear. That fades as she becomes accustomed to speech. It's strongly indicated that Sarina only agrees to a relationship with Bashir out of gratitude, and as Bashir turns it into a very serious relationship very quickly, she becomes overwhelmed.


THOUGHTS

Deep Space 9's take on Daniel Keys' classic Flowers for Algernon, Chrysalis offers several worthy moments. The performances are good across the board. Much of the dialogue is sharp and even funny. Patrick impersonates an admiral with startling success by simply responding to all inquiries by barking, "That's a stupid question!" Jack (Tim Ransom) and Patrick fret about the death of the universe in billions of years time, treating that deadline as an immediate emergency - something that reinforces the difference of their perspective from most people's in a way that doesn't just make them the butt of "Look at the Crazies!" jokes. The scene in which the patients celebrate Sarina's successful surgery with an improvised a cappella performance is gloriously well-done.

Unfortunately, all of these good moments are packed into the first half of the episode. Once Bashir declares he is in love with Sarina, the episode becomes flat and tepid. There's nothing terribly effective in waiting for Bashir's ill-advised romance to fall apart, and it's clear that such has to happen - So for the rest of the episode, we are simply left waiting for the inevitable.

Perhaps if some of the story had been told from Sarina's point of view, some genuine emotion could have been wrung from her dilemma. She naturally wants to show her gratitude to the doctor who gave her back her life; at the same time, she doesn't want to commit her entire life to him before she's even had a chance to start living it. That might have created some effective drama, if that had become the focus. But with the viewpoint purely Bashir's, and the dilemma being his desperation to fit and belong with someone, the results become just a bit too predictable and a bit too tedious.

And that's the problem with Chrysalis in a single word. It isn't bad in any particular way. It's just... tedious. An episode to "get through" on the way to better things.


Overall Rating: 4/10.

Previous Episode: Take Me Out to the Holosuite
Next Episode: Treachery, Faith, and the Great River

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7-3. Afterimage.

Ezri has a difficult time adjusting to her new life.

THE PLOT

"I knew Jadzia. She was vital, alive. She owned herself. And you? You don’t even know who you are!"

Ezri is having a hard time adjusting to life on Deep Space 9. She has all of Jadzia's memories, so she knows all of Dax's old friends - but to them, she's a stranger. Except for Sisko (and, oddly, Quark), they are all uncomfortable around her. Worf goes so far as to actively avoid her, even leaving Quark's bar when he notices Ezri is there.

She plans to transfer back to the Destiny, her ship before she became joined. Sisko has other plans. He tells her that he will support her decision, but he clearly wants his old friend to remain and offers her a position as counselor on the station. "The station could use a good counselor," he observes.

His offer comes exactly when the station does need a counselor. Garak, who has been decoding intercepted Cardassian messages for Starfleet, suffers an anxiety attack caused by claustrophobia. Ezri agrees to talk to Garak, to try to help him so that he can continue his intelligence work. Garak pretends their talk helps - but shortly after, he enters an airlock and tries to open the outer door to get out of the enclosed station. When Ezri tries to help again, he denounces her "insipid psychobabble" and tells her that she's unworthy to carry the name "Dax" - leaving Ezri not just doubting staying on Deep Space 9, but doubting her very ability to continue as a Starfleet officer!


CHARACTERS

Capt. Sisko: He already went through the process of adjusting to a very different Dax with Jadzia, which I suspect is why he's so instantly accepting of Ezri. She's as different from her predecessor as Jadzia was from Curzon, but he knows that the friend he has so relied upon is there underneath the quirks. For all that he wants to be supportive, a good leader knows when someone needs handholding and when someone needs a hard kick. When Ezri responds to Garak's tongue-lashing by wallowing in her own insecurities, Sisko doesn't hesitate to deliver that kick, as harsh in his way as Garak: "Dax... had eight amazing lives. So what if the ninth was a waste? ...Dismissed!"

Ezri: A little scene that I particularly like sees her hovering in front of a replicator, uncertain what to order. The favorite foods of her past lives keep popping to the top of her head, to the point where she can't remember what she herself actually enjoys. It underscores the difficulty of her transition. Imagine not being able to remember whether you prefer coffee or tea, or pancakes or waffles, or whether you like your steak rare or medium well, or whether you're actually a vegetarian! She probably really does need a good counselor, or at least time in a low-stress environment - Luxuries the current war situation simply will not allow to the young woman carrying the Dax symbiote.

Worf: "You are not Jadzia... I do not know you, nor do I wish to know you!" Worf is not just brusque, but downright rude to Ezri, making it clear that he wants nothing to do with her. Then, after she has a friendly (if not unflirtatious) chat with Dr. Bashir, he responds like... Well, like a jealous husband, loudly declaring that Ezri is absolutely off-limits. His behavior is inexcusable... But in fairness, he is also facing a difficult situation. His role in the opening two-parter was all about securing a place for Jadzia in the Klingon afterlife, allowing him to begin the process of coming to terms with her death. Then he barely sets foot on the station before being confronted with a new Dax, carrying all of Jadzia's memories. His wife is dead, but she also still lives - So in a way, Ezri takes away by her very presence the significance of what he has just done for Jadzia's soul and memory. I hope it's a long time (if ever) before these two become comfortable around each other, because this is not something Worf should just get over in a handful of episodes.

Garak: The moment in which Garak turns his venomous scalpel against Ezri is the episode's highlight, his tearing down of her more than a little reminiscent of his tirade against Bashir in The Wire. Writer Rene Echevarria builds carefully to this moment. The first Garak/Ezri scene sees Ezri displaying all of her emotional fragility - Something that might earn sympathy from Jake or Bashir, but which can only garner contempt from someone like Garak. After his second attack, Ezri uses Quark's holosuite to simulate a wide-open space while promising to do all she can to help him. Garak initially responds with gratitude - But once he's had a chance to recover himself, the thought of being so weak as to require the aid of someone he regards as pathetic has to ignite all of his self-loathing, which he directs right back at Ezri. At the heart of it all is his fear that he has become a traitor to his own people, condemning the Cardassian Empire to annihilation by deciphering their codes for Starfleet. Which is a distinct possibility, because Garak's not wrong when he says that the Dominion won't let the Cardassians simply surrender.


THOUGHTS

After the introduction of Ezri in the opening two-parter, it was the right choice to devote the next episode to her finding her place on the station. The characters' reactions to her are designed to anticipate the audience's - Sisko and Quark accept her pretty much right away, as a small but distinct segment of viewers could be counted on to do. Most of the others show varying levels of resistance, though most seem inclined to at least give her a chance - Which would be the case with the majority of viewers. Meanwhile, the distinct subset of viewers who could be counted on to resist the change with righteous fury are represented by Worf, openly resentful as if Ezri's existance cheapens Jadzia's memory; and by Garak, who tells her that she isn't worthy to carry the name "Dax."

The goal is clearly to make it easier for the audience to accept her by putting her through an emotional hell as she overcomes the very type of resistance in the regulars that the viewers will have. I find it successful in this, but I already find Ezri quite likable. She doesn't have Jadzia's confidence and humor, and I could never picture her in command of anything - But she is likable, and her reaction to her situation feels emotionally believable so far.

Rene Echevarria is regularly top-notch at characterization, and it's no surprise that not just Ezri, but all of the characters feel right for who they are. Sisko and Quark accepting her immediately feels right, because Sisko's been through this once and because Quark is just the sort who will accept that this is his friend Dax even if it's not Jadzia - He isn't going to sentimentalize when his friend/unrequited crush is standing right in front of him, just in a different form. Kira's discomfort, particularly when standing at the very Bajoran shrine where Jadzia was shot, is well-realized, and I appreciate that we don't see everyone completely losing their discomfort by episode's end.

I retain some apprehension about introducing this new character this late in the series, but I'm happy that I find myself liking this nervous, neurotic young woman. I just hope that the writers are able to balance properly developing her against the needs of the many ongoing plot threads that need tied up over the next 23 episodes.


Overall Rating: 8/10.

Previous Episode; Shadows and Symbols
Next Episode: Take Me Out to the Holosuite

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6-15. Honor Among Thieves.

O'Brien befriends a member of the Orion Syndicate.

THE PLOT

Starfleet Intelligence has called on Chief O'Brien to go undercover on Farius Prime, a neutral planet with a heavy Orion Syndicate presence. The Syndicate has an informant in Starfleet, which has resulted in the deaths of several intelligence agents. The hope is that O'Brien, who isn't directly affiliated with Intelligence, will be able to make contact with the Syndicate and uncover the identity of the mole.

O'Brien is surprisingly successful. Posing as a "fix-it man down on his luck," O'Brien is able to gain the trust of Liam Bilby (Nick Tate), the leader of a minor group of hoods who is in turn working under Syndicate boss Raimus (Joseph Culp). With his friendly and honest manner, he quickly befriends Bilby, learning enough information to pass along to his contact (Michael Harney) to figure out the identity of the mole.

Then the situation becomes complicated. Raimus makes a personal appearance, introducing his new business partners: Agents of the Dominion!


CHARACTERS

Capt. Sisko: Deflects questions about where O'Brien has gone. When Dr. Bashir prods him about the need for repairs, Sisko recognizes that what the doctor is really asking is about the welfare of his good friend. He is compassionate toward Bashir's concern, but tells him that he cannot reveal any information.

O'Brien: From the moment he arrives on Farius Prime, his greatest desire is simply to finish the job and get back to his wife and children. When Bilby talks about his own family, O'Brien feels guilt for putting the petty criminal into an impossible situation. His Intelligence contact promises that they will try to arrest Bilby before the Syndicate can get to him, but it's a fragile hope at best - one that becomes impossible once the Dominion presence is revealed, changing the stakes dramatically.

Bilby: Like O'Brien, he places a high value on family. When he believes O'Brien to be single, he urges him to start a family because "it's the most important thing." He responds to O'Brien's basic honesty, which makes him take him into his confidence far more quickly than he otherwise would - Because he's lonely on this world of petty criminals, and wants a friend who's actually worth spending time with. None of which makes Bilby a good man, as we're reminded when he viciously murders a weapons dealer who tried to cheat him. But the weary likability lent by actor Nick Tate sells the unlikely friendship at the core of this episode.


THOUGHTS

Honor Among Thieves has the skeleton of your basic midseason filler episode - Which, at heart, is what it is. Even with the Dominion ties, I tend to doubt that the events of this story will have any real impact on future episodes.

What distinguishes it is how very well-made it is. Director Allan Eastman infuses the piece with a dark, film noir atmosphere that fits the material perfectly. The alley in which O'Brien meets his contact is drenched in shadow, and the bar that is Bilby's base of operations has dim lighting. Even Bilby's apartment, his refuge from the life he has chosen, has a run-down look, with lighting that is brighter than the bar but still not fully bright. Everything here is worn and rumpled, everything a little bit dark - And that boosts the drama's effectiveness significantly.

Rene Echevarria's script is also well-turned. Ever the strong character writer, Echevarria largely focused on the O'Brien/Bilby relationship and leaves the well-worn plot to take care of itself. This is a good choice, as the time devoted to Bilby sharing some of his wife's cake or musing about buying a birthday present for his daughter underline the things these two men have in common. The friendship feels genuine, and that makes the episode work, even when the overall plot runs along predictable lines.


Overall Rating: 7/10.

Previous Episode: One Little Ship
Next Episode: Change of Heart 

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6-4. Behind the Lines.

Odo links with the Female Changeling (Salome Jens)

THE PLOT:

Kira's Resistance cell has found a way to strike a blow against the Occupation with no backlash: By playing on the animosity between the Cardassians and the Jem'Hadar. Damar (Casey Biggs), Gul Dukat's right-hand man, penned a report recommending poisoning the final available dose of ketracel white should no new source be established. Kira and Rom arrange for that report to be left where the Jem'Hadar would find it. The result is a full-blown riot, with casualties among both the Cardassians and the Jem'Hadar.

Odo is not pleased, worrying that Kira took a reckless chance. Their argument doesn't get very far, however, because a new arrival steps into his office: the female changeling (Salome Jens) who was Odo's first contact with the Dominion, and who presided over his sentence to become a solid. She has been trapped in the Alpha Quadrant by the minefield, and has come to Odo for the companionship of another changeling.

The link she offers to his past is too much for him to resist. He still has so many questions about who and what he is, and about the nature of changeling society and The Great Link. But as he links with her, he becomes distant from Kira and the situation on the station. And when Damar appears to have found a way to deactivate the minefield, fast action is required - action that the constable may be too distracted to be trusted with...


CHARACTERS

Capt. Sisko: In the episode's "B" plot, Sisko is made adjutant to Admiral Ross (Barry Jenner). This means more responsibility for the large-scale war effort... But it also means giving up command of the Defiant. Refreshingly, the dilemma Sisko wrestles with isn't whether or not to accept the promotion - He does so without question. His dilemma is watching his ship and crew going out on a dangerous mission without him. He has no worries over Dax's ability to command; he simply worries over not being there, something Admiral Ross frankly addresses by telling him that the Defiant will be sent out on a lot of missions, and that Sisko had best get used to it.

Major Kira: She genuinely cares for Odo and is concerned for his well-being. That concern manifests itself in hostility toward the female changeling, whom she knows has manipulated Odo at every encounter. Unfortunately, that same hostility plays right into the female changeling's hands. When Kira all but demands that Odo refuse to link with the female, her arguments play perfectly into the other changeling's insistence that solids are the ones manipulating him. He sees Kira as worried about her resistance cell, and Kira's arguments focus on the war effort and the need to conceal their activities. It takes too long for Kira to appeal directly to their friendship - something she does only when it may already be too late.

Odo: "I tried to deny it, I tried to forget, but I can't. They're my people and I want to be with them in the Great Link!"So Odo revealed to Garak in Season Three's The Die Is Cast, and that desire comes into play in a big way in this episode. When the female changeling appears, so warm and friendly as she offers him the link he has craved, the temptation is too much for him to resist. He links with the female changeling twice, and both times he is left not just calm, but detached - his manner eerily similar to that of the alternative Odo from Children of Time. As he tells Kira that in the link, the war no longer seemed to matter, she almost certainly can hear the echo of that other Odo: The Odo who decided that in the face of what he most wanted (Kira's life in that case; the link in this case), everything else just didn't seem to matter.

Quark: Uses guile, along with a healthy dose of kanar, to loosen Damar's tongue and learn the Cardassian plan to deactivate the minefield. He reports that information to Kira's resistance cell - which is significant for Quark, because it means that he's finally stopped being neutral. He has chosen his side, and proclaims as much: "I don't like Cardassians. They're mean and arrogant. And I can't stand the Jem'Hadar. They're creepy. They just stand there like statues, staring at you... I don't want to spend the rest of my life doing business with these people. I want the Federation back. I want to sell root beer again."

Weyoun/Gul Dukat: After the riot that opens the episode, Dukat is quick to defend his people and not shy about being vocal in a public place. Weyoun, who recognizes the importance of demonstrating their alliance, quickly reigns him in. He gets Dukat to agree to discipline his men with a promise that he will do the same. But while Weyoun may continue maintaining a public facade of friendship, it is obvious that these two men have come to intensely dislike each other. The female changeling observes how avidly the two compete for credit and attention, and asks Odo if this is normal behavior - Which Odo confirms is very much the case.


THOUGHTS

Behind the Lines is a difficult episode to review. The episode is less a story in itself than a foundation for future events.  It feels very much like what it is: A set-up episode.

It is however, a very good set-up episode. It moves swiftly, and writer Rene Echevarria's attention to characterization insures that both the "A" and "B" plots are abosrbing.  Both plotlines have big implications for the episodes still to come, and they echo nicely off each other. Odo is torn between his friendship for Kira and his longing to be part of the world of changelings. Sisko is torn between his responsibility to the war effort, by taking on a larger role for Admiral Ross, and his longing to be on the front lines - coordinating the war effort, when what he really wants is to be directly fighting the war.

Sisko chooses responsibility over desire; Odo falls to temptation. Which leaves him in an interesting place going into the next episodes. The series' long-term structure demands Odo reclaim his former place as an ally. It will take a lot for him to redeem himself for his actions (and inaction) here - and likely will take even more to salvage him in Kira's eyes, as someone she can once again trust.

Really, Odo has disappointed Kira several times over the past season. Past Odo was revealed as a disappointment to her ideal of him as someone who was dedicated to the truth in last season's Things Past. An alternative future Odo left her not only disappointed, but actively appalled, in Children of Time. Now the Odo of the present - her Odo - has disappointed her. That's going to be a lot to forgive, and impossible to forget.

Assuming the next episodes pay this off well, I think it merits a strong score - though if the followup disappoints, I reserve the right to adjust this downward.


Overall Rating: 8/10.

Previous Episode: Sons and Daughters
Next Episode: Favor the Bold

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5-22. Children of Time.

Odo reveals his feelings to Kira.

THE PLOT

The Defiant, carrying virtually the entire station command staff, is at the end of a week-long reconnaissance mission in the Gamma Quadrant. They are about to head home when the ship picks up what may be life form readings beneath an energy barrier surrounding a planet. Dax assures Sisko that the ship can safely fly through the barrier with just a few shield modifications. Instead, the ship is badly damaged, and Kira is hit by a burst of energy that will kill her in a few weeks if she isn't returned to the station for proper treatment.

That's when the ship are contacted by the colony on the surface - a colony whose leader, Yedrin Dax (Gary Frank) informs them that all the people on the surface are descendants of the Defiant crew. When the ship completes its repairs and leaves orbit, the energy barrier will throw them back in time 200 years, with no hope of rescue. With this knowledge, Sisko and his crew could easily avoid that fate, returning to their lives and saving Kira's. But if they do so, then this successful colony of their direct descendants will not only have been killed - They will never have existed at all!


CHARACTERS

Capt. Sisko: "We're not actually considering this?" "No. We're not." I like that Sisko's immediate reaction to this dilemma is to refuse Yedrin. His explicit responsibility is to his crew, not to a colony that either will or will not exist, depending on his decision. He will not ask Kira to sacrifice herself for the colony, nor will he deny O'Brien the chance to return to his family. At the same time, Sisko isn't callous or unfeeling. He admits to Yedrin that he wishes he could help, and he allows his officers to give free voice to their views - Even ultimately allowing himself to be influenced by them.

Major Kira: Though hers is the life that will be lost if they go back in time and found the colony, she is the one most strongly in favor of doing so. This is in part because of her religious convictions. Part of her belief in the Prophets and in prophecy is that certain events are meant to be: "We're all given one destiny, one path." She also is a pragmatist, and when she does the math she comes to the same conclusion Yedrin does: That one life is a small sacrifice for 8,000 lives.

Odo: The "future" Odo is emotionally open with Kira. However, he is never seen interacting with anyone except Kira, nor he is talked about by the people in the colony. We see no evidence of friendships, relationships, or even what his role in the society might be - all of which leaves me suspecting that he is even more separate from the colony than "our" Odo is from Deep Space 9. His loss of Kira, not long after learning that she had broken up with Shakaar and was once again available (which dredged up all his old desires and fears), appears to have been the central fact of his past 200 years. Our Odo had nothing to do with the action this alternative version takes at the episode's end... but Kira's knowledge that he has the potential to do such a thing is far more likely to drive a wedge between them than the revelation of his feelings for her. I hope to see at least some strain in their interactions as a result.

Dax: Two Daxes feature in this episode: Jadzia and Yedrin, who will become the Dax symbiont's host after 200 years in the colony. Both Daxes feel responsible for the crew's situation, since Jadzia had pushed Sisko to take the ship through the energy barrier. But those 200 years make a big difference in perspective. Jadzia feels a direct loyalty to Sisko and the Defiant crew, and feels an urgency to save Kira. Yedren feels the guilt of the crew being stranded and of Kira's death, but he has spent 200 years watching the colony grow (probably most of that time, leading it), and his loyalties lie with his people. Refreshingly, Yedren does not try to force Sisko into repeating the accident. He relies mainly on persuasion, and his arguments are effective. Both Terry Farrell and Gary Frank give strong performances, making the similarities and differences between these two Daxes come to life.

O'Brien: After the original crash, he was the last to give up hope of a return home. Which makes sense: Not only does he have the strongest family ties (Jake is almost an adult; Worf only occasionally sees his son), he also has been separated from them before for a years-long period only to finally be returned. Our O'Brien works hard to reject the colony as valid. He avoids interaction with his descendants, because he needs to focus on returning home. Once he finally is forced to interact with some of his great-great grandchildren, and forced to see them as real people, he changes his mind in an instant and tells Sisko that the crew can't simply leave these people to die.


THOUGHTS

Children of Time is a character episode masquerading as a time anomaly show. The time travel elements make the story possible, but Rene Echevarria's teleplay keeps its focus squarely on the regulars, using the situation to explore their personalities and their reactions. Echevarria, arguably the show's best character writer, is able to give every regular some strong moments, and in every case the characters' reactions feel genuine.

The episode plays fair with its situation. Yedren produces a Technobabble solution to allow Sisko and his crew to return home while still saving the colony... but it's rapidly debunked as a fabrication, an attempt to trick Sisko into going back in time. From then on, the choice is clear: If the Defiant returns home, Kira lives and they return to their lives, but the colony will be wiped out; if the ship replicates the original crash, the colony will live, but Kira will die and none of them will ever see home again. Yedren doesn't make any further attempts to trick them, nor does he attempt force. Sisko and his crew are left to weight two terrible alternatives and decide on their own.

That this decision is taken away from them at the end is narratively necessary, but again it's not used as a cheat. When Odo reveals exactly what happened, it feels true to the story and to the characters, and reveals (not for the first time) that Odo has a legitimate dark side. It also brings a new perspective to the future Odo's apparent peace, which is revealed to be not wisdom but rather an extreme narcissism, elevating his own desires above everything else. Our Odo probably wouldn't make the same decision in the same circumstance... but we (and Kira... And Odo, for that matter) know now that such a decision is within him, and that may color our view of his future actions.

It's all splendidly shot, with director Allan Kroeker making the most of beautiful location shots and making them feel convincingly like part of the same geography as the colony sets. The pace is just right, slow enough to allow the character material to play out, but turning the plot in new directions at regular enough intervals to keep the situation fluid and alive.

Another great episode, in a season that's already had several great episodes.


Overall Rating: 10/10.

Previous Episode: Soldiers of the Empire
Next Episode: Blaze of Glory

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5-17. A Simple Investigation.

Odo falls in love.

THE PLOT

Odo is intrigued by a new arrival: Arissa (Dey Young), a woman from Finnea Prime who is on the station to collect a data crystal from Idanian Tauvid Rem (Brant Cotton). She claims that she hired Rem to find her daughter, whom she gave up at birth and now wishes to connect with. Odo lets her go... then follows her as she attempts to hack a station computer.

She finally confesses that she is on the run from Draim, a member of the Orion Syndicate. She worked for Draim, hacking into security systems to get information on various figures for him. Tauvid Rem's data crystal supposedly has information that will buy her freedom from the Syndicate. But Rem is dead, killed by assassins sent by Draim, and Arissa will certainly be next on the hit list.

Odo offers his personal protection, but his efforts are complicated by emotional involvement: The more time he spends with Arissa, the more certain he is that he has fallen for her...


CHARACTERS

Capt. Sisko: Gets an amusing moment when he walks in on Dax and Kira, gossiping about Odo having "spent a night with a woman!" He grins and says, very emphatically, "That's nice!" The line itself is a complete throwaway, but Avery Brooks' delivery and emphasis makes it hilarious.

Odo: Is intrigued by Arissa from their first encounter, when she makes a comment about his "bedroom eyes." Though it's official business that brings them together for their second and third meetings, it's very obvious to all that Odo is delighted to spend more time with her. When she finally does tell her story, Odo offers to help her without question - Not because he's smitten (though he is), but because he can relate. He has also done things he was ashamed of, and he admires her having the courage to try to break away from the Orion Syndicate. He recalls the mingling of bodies with another shapeshifter in erotic terms, and once they have become lovers he uses his shapeshifting abilities to share something of the experience with Arissa.

Hot Space Babe of the Week: Arissa (Dey Young) is a reasonable choice to be the object of Odo's affections. She's shown to be quick-witted, but vulnerable enough to give him someone to protect. Young does a capable job of showing the nervousness underneath her character's banter even before Arissa reveals her Syndicate connections to Odo. She and Rene Auberjonois play well opposite each other, which helps the episode over some of its bumps. Even so, I confess to being quite happy that this is her only appearance.


THOUGHTS

Something wonderful happens around the fringes of this episode's main plot. Bashir, O'Brien, and Dax engage in a holo-program that's a follow-up to Our Man Bashir. It's probably the perfect type of sequel to that episode, in that we barely see the new program. We see that Bashir is still enjoying his alter ego, and we catch a few glimpses of the action (O'Brien, as Falcon, pulling a gun on him at an inopportune moment is particularly funny), but there's no more than that. This allows Our Man Bashir to retain its uniqueness, and allows the couple of scenes referencing it to be funny without repeating or undermining the earlier episode.

I only wish the main story was as successful. A Simple Investigation isn't bad, and as with most Odo episodes, it gets a tremendous lift from Rene Auberjonois' performance. The romance between Odo and Arissa is more convincing than most one-shot Trek romances, and I enjoyed both the awkwardness of Odo approaching her and the playfulness we glimpse after she reciprocates.

But while the romance more or less works, the mystery plot surrounding it doesn't. It's slow, thinly-plotted, and in dire need of a twist or two. A little past the midpoint, this plot actually grinds to a halt, requiring Arissa to do something phenomenally stupid in order to restart it. There is also no explanation provided as to how Odo finds the villains in the nick of time. One moment, he's lost track of them; the next, he's right above them preparing to unleash Changeling Hell. In an episode as slow as this, I have difficulty believing there wasn't time for a quick transition.

I will say there are some delightful character touches in the other regulars' brief appearances. Bashir gives Odo some genuinely pretty good advice about approaching women. Dax is delighted to have something to gossip about, while Worf finds her gossiping to be in poor taste. Kira's reaction to Odo's night with Arissa is particularly interesting. Despite having encouraged him early in the episode, she seems bewildered and not entirely pleased when something actually does happen.

In the end, this is a mixed episode. The side stuff is great: at least one good character moment for just about everyone and a very funny not-quite-"B" plot following up on Our Man Bashir. But the "A" plot is slow and predictable, and while Auberjonois and Young make a far more believable screen couple than is seen in most one-shot Trek romances, I couldn't help but find it the tiniest bit... well, dull.


Overall Rating: 5/10.

Previous Episode: Doctor Bashir, I Presume
Next Episode: Business As Usual


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5-12. The Begotten.

Odo bonds with an infant Changeling.

THE PLOT

The time has come for Kira to give birth to the O'Brien's baby. She has opted for a traditional Bajoran birth, with Miles and Keiko at her bedside. The birth is complicated by the delayed arrival of the final guest: Shakaar (Duncan Regehr), whose duties as First Minister to Bajor have interefered with his ability to be there for Kira. Once Shakaar finally arrives, the delivery is further complicated by the increasing competition between Shakaar and O'Brien, each of whom is territorial about his place at Kira's side.

Meanwhile, Odo receives an unexpected delivery: An ornate container Quark obtained from a Yridian dealer. Its contents? An infant Changeling. Odo obtains permission to work with the child, to try to teach it how to shapeshift and establish communication with it. But when Odo's progress is too slow, Dr. Mora (James Sloyan), the Bajoran scientist who unlocked his own shapeshifting skills, arrives to push him to deliver results - bringing with him all of Odo's old resentments about being used as a test subject.


CHARACTERS

Capt. Sisko: Initially willing to leave the Changeling child in Odo's care.  Still, when Stafleet becomes impatient over the lack of progress, he's the one who delivers the message that Starfleet will take over if Odo gets no results. I'd tend to suspect that Sisko is the one who alerted Dr. Mora to the situation with the new changeling, as well.

Major Kira: The episode's "B" plot is mostly played for comedy, with the competition between Miles and Shakaar allowing for some amusing broad moments. But the subplot also parallels the main plot, as is made evident when Kira meets up with Odo at the episode's closing. She talks about how she never wanted a child, echoing Odo's own words to Quark earlier in the show, but how much carrying the O'Brien's child meant to her and how she wishes now that she could just hold the baby one more time. As ever, when these two characters are on screen, it's a wonderful moment - a perfect note on which to send this show off to credits.

Odo: Instantly entranced by the infant Changeling. He is parental as he talks to it, assuring it (like many parents before) that he will "not make the same mistakes" that were made by Dr. Mora in raising him. But it isn't long before, as it has for many parents before, reality shatters Odo's ideals about being the perfect parent out of necessity for simply raising the child. Odo's bond with the young Changeling brings out a new facet in Rene Auberjonois' performance, and Odo's emotional journey throughout the episode rings true at every point.

Dr. Mora: James Sloyan returns as Odo's discoverer/surrogate father for the first time since Season Two's The Alternate. Sloyan remains excellent, and Rene Echevarria's script balances Mora's roles as scientist and parent. As a scientist who successfully prompted a Changeling to grow, he is impatient with Odo's overly gentle tactics. As a parent, he is proud when Odo's efforts finally bear fruit. Despite his protestations to Odo, he does feel some guilt at his harsh tactics, and when Odo finally acknowledges that Mora's efforts made his life possible, the scientist's relief at hearing this is evident. 

Shakaar: Returns to watch Kira give birth to the O'Briens' child. I question the priorities of using the character here and not in the previous episode. Here, it would have been easy to have redrafted the Shakaar subplot so that he was too busy to come, while the last episode seemed to cry out for his participation. In any case, while there's some mild amusement in his rivalry with the protective O'Brien, there really isn't much interest, and I find myself mainly waiting for the producers to realize how substantially the Kira/Shakaar romance has failed so that it can be cut off. 


THOUGHTS

The Begotten is another excellent episode in a season that's already met its quota for excellent episodes. Odo's story is pushed further along. We see him experiencing what it is to be a Changeling again by working with this young Changeling. The end result might have felt like a cheat... but it doesn't, in part because it's been foreshadowed in earlier episodes, but mainly because that result comes with a real emotional cost.

Speaking of emotion, I'm going to veer into discussing another, lesser Trek series for a moment. A few weeks ago, I reviewed the Voyager episode Real Life. That episode has some superficial similarities with this one, as it showed the holographic doctor experiencing what it was like to have a family. The endings to the two episodes are particularly similar.

Real Life had Voyager's strongest regular responding emotionally to a quite decent child actress. The Begotten has one of DS9's strongest regulars responding emotionally to a lump of gelatin. And yet the emotion in this episode is so much more genuine and compelling than it was in the Voyager episode, it becomes ridiculous to seriously compare the two. This one is clearly on another level, because the way Odo and Mora react to that lump of gelatin convinces in a way that the saccharine manipulations of Real Life never did.

Rene Echevarria's script focuses on Odo's reactions in a way that is authentic to his character. The scene in which he is truly happy and shares that happiness with - of all people - Quark is a gem. Of course Odo would bring his joy to his nemesis, his unspoken friend, and of course Quark would react with suspicion to this strange behavior. When it becomes clear why Odo is happy, Quark drops his pretense and is genuinely happy for him. For a second, they are genuinely friends - Until a security alert tears the rug out from underneath Odo.

The Begotten ends with a major event for Odo, but to the episode's credit that event is actually less memorable than Odo fretting over the Changeling child. It's achievement is that its standalone story resonates. Excellent writing and acting fuse to make for another excellent episode.


Overall Rating: 9/10.

Previous Episode: The Darkness and the Light
Next Episode: For the Uniform


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