7-22. Tacking into the Wind.

Kira's worries about Odo complicate a dangerous mission.

THE PLOT

Kira continues to assist Damar's Cardassian rebellion, but her efforts are complicated by the animosity and blatant disrespect of Gul Rusot (John Vickery). After Rusot provokes a fight that Kira wins, he swears he will take revenge - and he might get a chance sooner that later, thanks to a plan to infiltrate a Dominion repair facility to steal a ship equipped with the Breen energy weapon.

Tensions are also rising among the Klingons on Deep Space 9. It is very clear that Gowron is focusing not on winning the war, but on disgracing General Martok by sending him on missions doomed to defeat. Worf urges the general to challenge Gowron and take his place, but Martok insists that such a challenge during wartime would be dishonorable. When Gowron hatches a new suicide mission - one that could cripple what remains of the Klingons' strength - Worf feels compelled to take matters into his own hands!


CHARACTERS

Capt. Sisko: Sisko's brief appearance carries shades of In the Pale Moonlight, as he urges Worf to resolve the situation with Gowron, and to "do whatever it takes." He obviously isn't telling Worf to kill the man - But he knows too much about Klingon culture to think that a bloodless solution is likely.

Col. Kira: For the most part, she manages to restrain herself in the face of Rusot's disdain. Season One Kira would have come to blows with him before the end of the last episode, and would have had to have been pulled off him to keep from killing him. Here, she's pushed ot the breaking point by worries about Odo and the frustration of trying to help the Cardassians, and still only snaps when Rusot physically accosts her... And she stops the fight as soon as she's won a clear victory, and even then knows that what just happened was not in anyone's best interest.

Worf: "Worf, you are the most honorable and decent man I've ever met... If you're willing to tolerate men like Gowron, then what hope is there for the Empire?" Ezri confronts Worf directly with the corruption in Klingon society - a thread that's been woven into the fabric of Star Trek since TNG's Sins of the Father. It was then that Worf was first made into an outcast - in the very episode in which he first realized that the society of honorable warriors he had idealized was, in truth, hopelessly corrupt. This episode brings his encounters with that corruption to a logical endpoint, and cements him as a significant figure in the Klingon Empire whether he wants to be or not.

Damar: Rusot is his friend, and was among his first allies in this resistance; Kira is a former enemy, one he personally dislikes. It's no surprise that his instinct is to support Rusot. But he's no idiot, and he recognizes that Kira's strategies are the ones his rebellion will need to embrace to have any chance of victory. As Garak notes, his greatest weakness is his romanticism of Cardassia's past. He mourns a Cardassia that's "dead, and it won't be coming back," when the truth is that his idealized Cardassia was as much a fiction as Worf's idealized Klingon Empire.

Garak: As much a Cardassian patriot as Damar, in his own way. Remember that this was a man willing to annihilate the Founders along with several people he calls friends, all in response to the female changeling's statement that the Dominion would destroy Cardassia. When Kira berates herself for a loose comment to Damar, Garak tells her that if Damar is "the man we hope him to be, then (he was) more receptive to what you said, not less."

Gowron/Martok: Two stubborn men, each clinging to their nature even when it leads to their destruction. Gowron refuses to follow the sound strategy set forth by Sisko and Martok. Instead of focusing on the war, he focuses on his own personal battlefield: Politics, with Martok as a potential rival who must be shamed. Martok, in turn, won't challenge Gowron because Klingon tradition frowns on such challenges in times of war. Without Worf's intervention, Gowron's plan would have played out exactly as he intended... And likely doomed the entire Alpha Quadrant in the process. A perfect illustration of Ezri's words about the Empire's decay.


THOUGHTS

Ronald D. Moore, arguably Deep Space 9's best writer, is paired with Michael Vejar, one of the show's most reliable directors, for a dark installment involving challenges and betrayals. And Klingons, of course - Moore being the franchise specialist in Klingon episodes. Add in that this is pretty much all payoff for the plot complications that built up in the previous installment, and it's no surprise that Tacking into the Wind is an excellent episode.

The two main plot strands parallel each other in multiple ways. Both involve a regular trying to convince a patriotic leader to take a stand against a destructive influence from within. Both strands also involve characters (Worf and Damar) who have romanticized and idealized their cultures, turning a blind eye to the corruption that has always been there. The result is that, even though the two plots don't brush up against each other even once, it all feels of a piece. Both strands also come to a strong climax, with the overall arc moved forward as a result.

The Bashir/O'Brien story, involving finding a cure for Odo's illness, also gets some screen time, but it proves to the weakest thread. Nothing really happens in this subplot, which ends this episode exactly at the same place it begins: Odo is dying, Section 31 did it, and Bashir needs to get Section 31 to cure it. Sure, they have the beginnings of a plan... But it feels like that could have been dropped in with a line or two of dialogue at the start of the next episode.

Something I really wish had been done, as the episode's only real weakness is that it feels a touch overstuffed. It doesn't feel rushed, thanks to most of the setup having been taken care of in When It Rains... - But it does feel packed, and I think the two "A" plots would have benefited from the removal of the Bashir/O'Brien scenes in order to give the characters and events a bit of breathing room.

Still, if my primary complaint is that too much happened and that I wanted more of the two primary strands, that's not a bad complaint to have. There's no question but that Tacking into the Wind is not only a significant episode, but an extremely good one as well.


Overall Rating: 9/10.

Previous Episode: When It Rains...
Next Episode: Extreme Measures

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7-19. Strange Bedfellows.

Dukat seduces Winn to the Dark Side...
which, for her, isn't exactly a long journey.

"I'll do anything you ask. You need only give the word. Have you nothing to say to me? Am I so offensive to your eyes that I don't exist for you anymore? There must be something I can do to prove to you that I'm still worthy of your love."
-Kai Winn, begging the Prophets to speak to her.


THE PLOT

Worf and Ezri are now prisoners of the Dominion. They are being held on Cardassia, where Weyoun and Damar promise them full due process of Cardassian law: A state trial, followed by execution.

Damar has problems all his own, however. The Breen have been warmly greeted by Weyoun, and the Vorta is taking special pleasure in diminishing his hated Cardassian ally. He makes Damar answer to Breen supervision, and at the same time refuses to send reinforcements to save Cardassians from a Klingon onslaught - leaving a large contingent of loyal Cardassians to their deaths.

Back on Deep Space 9, Sisko settles into married life with Kasidy, while Kai Winn continues her relationship with the disguised Dukat. Winn is eager to fulfill her role as the Prophets' chosen one... Until she receives another vision, one that reveals that she has been chosen not by the Prophets but by their mortal enemies, the pah-wraiths!


CHARACTERS

Capt. Sisko: Responds a little too well to Martok's description of marriage as a war. Right after talking with Martok, he pressures Kasidy to assist in some functions of the Emissary. When Kasidy refuses, Sisko observes, "And so the battle begins!"

Col. Kira: After Winn discovers that her visions are from the pah-wraiths, she responds by appealing to the most authentically religious person she knows: Kira. Despite her dislike of Winn, Kira doesn't hesitate when called to the Kai's quarters. When the older woman admits that she has "strayed from the path," Kira is delighted, showing genuine warmth toward her rival's admission that she wants to change. But when she suggests Winn step down as Kai, the results are entirely predictable, Winn insisting that she must cling to her position of power. The light vanishes from Kira's eyes and her face falls into a polite but hard mask as she excuses herself.

Worf/Ezri: There's a genuinely funny moment as Ezri, hung upside down from the ceiling, tells Worf that this is doing wonders for her back... Right before adding that she's about to be space-sick. Worf and Ezri hash out their personal conflicts from thoughout the season, with Worf admitting that his behavior toward her has been "dishonorable," and gets a nice moment of self-awareness when he acknowledges that he "uses that word far too often." They end the episode as friends, which should help to clear the decks for the final 7 episodes.

Damar/Weyoun: Damar's loyalty is toward Cardassia, not the Dominion - Which is something Weyoun either won't or can't understand. Gul Dukat had convinced Damar that the Dominion was a necessary evil for Cardassia to regain its status, and that Dukat would be able to control them once the war was over. Without Dukat, Damar's dislike for his "allies" has just been left to simmer - and every time Weyoun reprimands him for not being blindly loyal to the Founders, he pushes Damar ever closer to the boiling point.

Martok: Martok enjoys talking to Sisko about "the war at home," remembering his relationship with his wife in purely Klingon terms: "War has broken out, whether you know it or not. A long, grueling, intoxicating war... Over the course of our marriage I've won more than my fair share of the battles between us. But in the end, I know she will win the war." J. G. Hertzler remains a delight, and his one scene is a highlight of an episode that features many strong scenes.

Gul Dukat: Knows exactly which buttons to push with Winn - probably because she's so much like him. Like him, she thirsts for power and adoration, for the masses to recognize her greatness. At points, he pushes hard - And then lays back, meekly withdrawing at just the right moments for his words to fester in her brain. At one such point, we follow him out of her chamber and into the station corridors - and as soon as no one is around to see, he begins grinning broadly.

Kai Winn: The first time she saw the wormhole open, all the Bajorans around her spoke of how they could feel the love of the Prophets... But she felt nothing at all. She manipulated those around her so that she could become Kai, and she cherishes the power of being the Bajoran spiritual leader far more than she actually cherishes or feels anything truly spiritual. When Kira suggests that she give up that position, she balks, then retreats to the man who keeps telling her exactly what she wants to hear - Dukat.


THOUGHTS

Strange Bedfellows carries forward all the plot threads from the previous episode, this time with more dramatic results. By the episode's end, Winn is firmly with Dukat and the Cult of the Pah-wraiths, Ezri and Worf have escaped and are on their way back to the station, and Damar has entered a new phase in his hate/hate relationship with Weyoun and the Dominion.

The Dukat/Winn scenes remain the strongest. Winn's desperate monologue to the Orb, quoted at the top of the review, is particularly good. What might have come across as theatrical is genuinely emotional, Fletcher making us feel her desperation and sense of entitlement. Dukat's manipulations take on a harder edge, with him denouncing Winn's hesitation and telling her with scorn that if she stays loyal to the Prophets she will always live in Sisko's shadow. Characterization and dialogue are as sharp as the performances; and even though Winn's choice isn't in much doubt, it's a darkly fascinating joy to watch her fall to hubris, despair, and a few honeyed words.

Writer Ronald D. Moore delivers superb moments in all three strands. Damar, who has sometimes seemed frozen in place as the alcoholic who hates himself and his allies but never does anything about it, finally moves forward in a big way. The impetus? Not so much Weyoun's personal slights against him. He's no Winn; he never wanted his position of power and does not enjoy it. No, the deciding moment is Weyoun's strategic "sacrifice" of Cardassian troops. It's a misjudgment that Weyoun will never even recognize, because for him no sacrifice is of consequence when serving the Founders.

The Worf/Ezri strand is the least interesting, but still has good moments. It's reassuring that Worf and Ezri seem to finally put their past behind them and agree they can be friends, and their attempted escape is well-done, with Ezri recaptured because of her refusal to leave Worf. But the best moment comes when Damar and Weyoun are interrogating them. Weyoun makes a personal jibe against Ezri, and Worf responds in a manner that's absolutely in-character and yet utterly unexpected. Damar's reaction, by the way, is priceless.

Overall, Strange Bedfellows is a terrific hour of television, building on events that have come before and moving them forward in ways that are often compelling to watch. That it ends with most of the major players in a different place than at the beginning leaves us waiting to see what will happen next.


Overall Rating: 9/10.

Previous Episode: 'Til Death Do Us Part
Next Episode: The Changing Face of Evil

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7-18. 'Til Death Do Us Part.

Dukat, in disguise, manipulates Kai Winn.

THE PLOT

Kai Winn comes to the station to congratulate Sisko on his upcoming marriage... Even as Sisko struggles with the Prophets' message that marrying Kasidy will bring him "nothing but sorrow." Sisko admits to Winn that the Prophets have set a challenge in front of him, one he doesn't feel certain he is up to.

That's when the Kai experiences a vision of her own - A vision that seems to be from the Prophets, and that tells her exactly what she wants to hear: That Sisko has faltered, and that only she can save Bajor by following the instructions of a guide who will have "the wisdom of the land." That night, she receives a visitor - a man calling himself Anjohl Tennan, a self-described "man of the land." A visitor who is actually Gul Dukat, surgically altered to appear Bajoran.

Meanwhile, Worf and Ezri are now prisoners of the Breen, who are about to reveal themselves as major new players in the Dominion War...


CHARACTERS

Capt. Sisko: In earlier seasons, he would have just ignored the Prophets' warning and moved ahead with his marriage. But over the course of the series, he has become absolute in his belief in the Prophets. He also has to be very conscious that the last time he ignored their advice, it ended very badly. Even so, he's fighting with himself the entire length of the episode, his religious belief battling with every fiber of his personality.

Worf/Ezri: Now that he and Ezri have slept together, Worf assumes they will be a couple from this point on. But it's not that simple. Ezri's feelings for Worf are all bound up in carrying Jadzia's memories; but the look on her face when he announces that the two of them "will have many years together" announces loud and clear that she doesn't want a romantic relationship with him. When Worf discovers this truth, he reacts as if he's been betrayed - Which is not fair on his part, but is definitely in character.

Kasidy Yates: Though her role is small, Penny Johnson's performance remains outstanding. Look at the scene in which Sisko discusses his dilemma with her. As he moves back and forth between declaring how much he loves her and despairing that he cannot go against the Prophets, Kasidy's face shows the entire world disappearing out from under her. Her expression flashes from anger to nausea to despair, often without saying a word. It's a great performance, every bit as good as (maybe better than) Avery Brooks' also excellent work.

Gul Dukat: There's a terrific scene early in the episode, in which Dukat confronts Damar about his drinking and despair. "What happened to that brave officer I served with? The one who stood at my side while we fought the entire Klingon Empire with a single ship? ...Those days might be gone, but the man I served with isn't. He's still within you. Reach in and grab hold of him, Damar. Cardassia needs a leader!" There's no gain for Dukat in this, no angle that he's playing. He's simply responding to a friend and loyal former officer who is clearly in trouble, and instinctively finding the right words to reach him. Yet again, we see that the tragedy of Dukat is that while he may have ended up a villain, with just a few different choices at key moments, he might actually have been the great man he thirsts to be.

Kai Winn: None of which stops him from being a villain, and his manipulations of Winn are classic Dukat. With just a slight push from the pah-wraiths, he is able to play on her ego and her jealousy and resentment of Sisko. Becoming her confidante is effortless, because Winn is so eager to listen to his reflections of her own prejudices. To its credit, the episode does pause to remind us that she isn't a black-and-white villain either - One bit of her past Dukat uses is her own activities during the Occupation, when she bribed Cardassian guards to reroute Bajorans scheduled for execution to labor camps, where they would at least have a chance to survive.


THOUGHTS

'Til Death Do Us Part is largely a transitional episode, connecting Penumbra and the earlier parts of Season Seven to the big events yet to come. It's not at all bad on that basis: It's well-acted, with some excellent character material and fine individual scenes. But it's far from compelling, and feels a bit padded out.

There are three stands: Sisko's dilemma with Kasidy, Worf and Ezri's captivity by the Breen, and Dukat's manipulations of Winn. All three strands are more set up for future episodes than storylines in themselves, and all three feel like they take at least one more scene than is actually needed to reach the episode's end point... Which highlights this installment's biggest problem, that it feels like 30 minutes worth of material has been stretched to fill 45 minutes.

On the plus side, writers David Weddle and Bradley Thompson have a firm grasp on the characters. Everyone is well-written, with the Dukat/Winn material particularly strong. We see the bits of genuine good in both of these villains: Dukat's genuine concern for Damar, Winn's devout faith. And we see very clearly how Dukat manipulates Winn, feeding her pride even as he preys on her faith. This is a strand that seems destined to go to very interesting places, and I only hope that the handful of episodes that remain will allow it to be done justice.

Overall, this is an episode that plays better as a piece of DS9's final arc than it does on its own. Judged as an episode in its own right, it's good enough - But it's stretched too thin, leaving it less effective than some of its counterparts.


Overall Rating: 6/10.

Previous Episode: Penumbra
Next Episode: Strange Bedfellows

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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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7-7. Once More Unto the Breach.

Kor (John Colicos) yearns for a return to his glory days.

"Savor the fruit of life, my young friends. It has a sweet taste when it is fresh from the vine. But don't live too long. The taste turns bitter after a time."
-Kor, Dahar Master, teaches his final, bitter lesson.


THE PLOT

Kor (John Colicos) returns to Deep Space 9, seeking Worf's help. He has made too many enemies throughout his long life. Despite his status as a Dahar Master, he is unable to receive a battle command during the current war. He pleads with Worf to find him a place in Martok's fleet. "Help me fight again, Worf. Help me end my life as I've lived it: As a warrior."

Martok becomes enraged at the mention of Kor's name, but allows Worf to assign him as Third Officer on his ship. When Worf presses to know why he hates Kor so much, Martok reveals that long ago, when he was working to become trained as an officer, Kor struck his name from consideration because of his bloodlines. Though Martok would later rise through his own merit, he has never been able to forgive the slight, not least because his father died before he was able to prove himself.

Martok's current mission is a bold one: A strike across enemy lines, to quickly hit a Jem'Hadar breeding facility and then race back to Federation territory, doubtless with the enemy in pursuit. They find their target easily and decloak to begin the attack. But when a hit on Martok's ship leaves both him and Worf temporarily incapacitated, Kor assumes command - Barking orders that make it clear that he cannot distinguish this battle from battles long past!


CHARACTERS

Capt. Sisko: Appreciates the audacity of Martok's plan, which he likens to a cavalry charge. Is so enthusiastic that he offers to join the raid, but settles for waiting at the rendezvous point to turn back any Jem'Hadar pursuit.

Worf: Even after all he's been through, Worf cannot always reconcile the Klingon ideals that he grew up yearning for against the nastier realities of an often corrupt Empire. He labels Kor's long-ago dismissal of the young Martok as "unworthy," barely listening to Kor's protestations about the importance of bloodlines to the Empire. He remains protective of Kor, but never at the expense of his loyalty to Martok or the mission - and when Kor's weakness shows itself, he does not hesitate to remove the old man from active duty.

Ezri: Clearly enjoys seeing Kor again. Even so, she complains to Kira that she keeps having the same conversation with people who knew Dax's previous hosts: incredulity that she could be Dax, then insistence on finding (likely nonexistent) physical similarities between her and previous hosts. She talks about how vividly she remembers being with Kor on a Klingon ship in the past - which Quark, in true sitcom fashion, misinterprets as her talking about wanting to get back together with Worf.

Martok: The episode's central character conflict doesn't center on any of the regulars, but rather on Kor and Martok. Over the past two seasons, J. G. Hertzler's Martok has become part of the series' fabric, and it's a credit to how well DS9 has integrated its recurring cast into its overall tapestry that focusing on an episode on his resentment of a guest character doesn't feel jarring at all. An early scene in which he tells Worf exactly why he despises Kor so much makes the Kor/Martok conflict meaningful. Martok gets his revenge in the second half, his old adversary laid as low as a Klingon warrior likely could be... But he gains no joy from Kor's misery, and his entire attitude shifts from that point on.

Kor: Shades of King Lear, as Kor's bravado in the first half cracks, revealing diminished capacity as he confuses present and past. John Colicos is suitably larger than life as he boasts about his past and basks in the young crew's admiration of him. But his best acting comes in the second half, when a shattered Kor sits and endures the scorn of those same warriors, now mocking him for his age and weakness. What happens next can be seen coming from as far away as the teaser - But to the episode's credit, Kor's final stand works, in large part because Colicos makes us invested in the character.


THOUGHTS

"The only real question is whether you believe in the legend of Davy Crockett or not. If you do, then there should be no doubt in your mind that he died the death of a hero. If you do not believe in the legend, then he was just a man and it does not matter how he died."
-Worf, unwittingly foreshadowing Kor's final mission.

Once More Unto the Breach is utterly predictable in its plot, with no surprises in the way its story unfolds. Kor's disintegration during the first battle is clearly telegraphed, as is his triumph at the end. That Kor will earn Martok's sympathy and, ultimately, his respect is something most viewers will guess before the teaser ends. In story terms, this is pedestrian stuff.

But writer Ronald D. Moore, the default Klingon scribe of both TNG and DS9, has a way of breathing life into this warrior race. Kor, Martok, Worf, and the elderly Darok (Neil Vipond)... They are all fully realized characters, and their interactions resonate. The scene in which Martok and his crew sneer at Kor's mental weakness is the episode's best, Kor reduced to an object of ridicule by the very crew that had previously worshipped him. Director Allan Kroeker keeps the focus of the scene on Kor's face, which is stone-like, betraying no emotion as he endures this verbal onslaught. When he finally does speak, he does so with equal stoicism, weariness in his voice but no real emotion, which makes the effect of his words all the stronger.

The follow-up scene is also good, as a subdued Worf and Martok contemplate how they might appeal to the Klingon Chancellor to grant Kor an honorary position to lend some dignity to his dying days. Kor's acceptance of the insults, and his reply that rang too true, has drained away Martok's antagonism; he recognizes that this could be him in 100 years' time, if he lives that long. It's almost a shame when the action plot returns, with the too-predictable finish, as the character material up to then is so much more compelling than any of the actual combat scenes.

In the end, this is a touch too predictable to rank among this excellent series' greats - But the performances, sharp characterization, and excellent dialogue ensure that it's still quite a good one, and a suitable sendoff for Star Trek's original Klingon.


Overall Rating: 7/10.

Previous Episode: Treachery, Faith and the Great River
Next Episode: The Siege of AR-558

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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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7-2. Shadows and Symbols.

Sisko's pilgrimage.

THE PLOT

Sisko travels to Tyree to locate the Orb of the Emissary, which he is convinced will put him back in contact with the Prophets. Jake and his father accompany him, along with a surprise new arrival: Ezri (Nicole de Boer), the newest host for the Dax symbiote. Dax is exactly who Sisko needs right now - A strong-willed friend who can help break him out of his obsessive behavior. Unfortunately, the very young Ezri lacks Jadzia's confidence, and in the wake of the joining doesn't seem to even know herself anymore.

Worf and Martok have guests of their own on their mission to destroy a critical Dominion shipyard and win Jadzia passage into Sto-vo-kor. Bashir and Quark have insisted on joining, wanting to pay their final respects to Jadzia. O'Brien has also come along, mainly to keep an eye on Bashir. Martok seems to welcome the extra help, but Worf regards them as unwelcome intruders.

Back on the station, Admiral Ross (Barry Jenner) informs Kira that Starfleet is unwilling to intervene over the Romulans' arming of a Bajoran moon. The alliance with the Romulans is critical to the war effort, and Bajor simply isn't as important right now. Kira refuses to back down, however, leading a small group of Bajoran ships in creating a blockade around the moon. It's nothing the Romulans couldn't easily swat aside, if they want to escalate into a shooting conflict - But Kira believes that the Romulans will stop short of opening fire - a bet she's willing to stake her life on...


CHARACTERS

Capt. Sisko: Sisko's journey is even more explicitly a religious pilgrimage than it was in Part One, with his trek across the desert mirroring images from Biblical art (and Hollywood Biblical epics). At one point he is on hands and knees, reaching out for something he has not yet found, as if begging the heavens to please deliver on his vision. Ezri, Jake, and his father are left to follow him like disciples - Though Ezri (or, more accurately, the Dax part of her) finally has enough of Sisko's non-communication and calls him on it... Which ends up being the very thing that reveals his goal!

Colonel Kira: The unmovable object awaiting the unstoppable force, she doesn't even consider backing down when Starfleet refuses to intervene. She knows that a handful of outdated Bajoran freighters are no real obstacle to the Romulans, but insists on creating the blockade anyway. Cretak is sure this is a bluff, that Kira is counting on the need to avoid an actual shooting conflict. But viewers who have been watching the series for six seasons know that Kira will engage with her hopeless blockade if she has to, and she and odo approach the confrontation with a sort of resigned fatalism.

Ezri: I'm still not 100% sold on Ezri having been a good idea... But in her first proper episode, I'll admit that I like her. We learn that Ezri was not actually trained to be a joined Trill - She was a Starfleet ensign who happened to be the only Trill aboard when the Dax symbiote's condition started to fail. As such, she was completely unprepared for the reality of being joined, and is struggling with maintaining her own identity around the several lifetimes of memories she's suddenly absorbed. This, and a tendency toward insecure babbling, makes her refreshingly different than Jadzia, while still allowing enough of a relationship with Sisko to shake him out of his fanatical visions when he reaches his lowest point.

Jake: Continues to follow his father, even as he becomes uncertain about the journey. His best scenes in the episode come opposite Ezri, however. A comparable age to the insecure Trill, he makes a good sounding board for her self doubts. He's clearly a bit taken with her, and the two actors play well enough opposite each other that I wouldn't object to an eventual relationship - Which could create some amusing complications, given Dax's long-standing friendship across multiple lifetimes with Sisko.

Worf: Resents the presence of O'Brien, Bashir, and particularly Quark on what he believes should be his mission. He denounces what he sees as their interference: "You are not here to help Jadzia get into Sto-vo-kor. You are here because you wish to convince yourselves that you were worthy of her. But the truth is, none of you could ever hope to be worthy of her or even understand the kind of woman she was!" Martok is altogether more sympathetic, and gives Worf a push to apologize to them. After the mission, having now begun to come to terms with Jadzia's death, he returns to the station... and finds a new Dax waiting for him, something that leaves him visibly shaken.


THOUGHTS

Shadows and Symbols concludes the parallel narratives of the previous episode, bringing all three stories artfully to their respective high points. This deserves praise in itself, as the three stories are only thinly connected. And yet the three strands never feel like they're interrupting each other, and they never feel disconnected. These are three separate narratives, yet they absolutely belong together in this episode.

The way in which the episode cuts from one strand to the next is perfectly-judged, allowing each story's tone to complement the other two. Humor and action come from the Worf plot, while the grim strategy of Kira's confrontation with the Romulans delivers a completely different yet sharper suspense. Meanwhile, the religious symbolism woven throughout Sisko's story gives the entire piece an additional resonance, even as the introduction of Ezri puts a coda on Worf's mission. From death to rebirth, like the mythological phoenix. Jadzia Dax is laid to rest in fire, and Ezri Dax is born. The plots have virtually nothing to do with each other - and yet they work together to create a greater whole.

Also worth noting is the return, in a vision, of Benny Russell. Benny is still writing his Sisko stories, now scribbling on the walls of his asylum cell. His current story is Sisko's current story. When he is stopped in his writing, Sisko stops. When Ezri prevents Sisko from burying the Orb of the Prophets in sand, Benny breaks through the resistance around him to continue writing - and once he continues, Sisko's story continues as well, with a jump that seems to eliminate there having been any interruption at all.

It's a breathtaking episode, one that builds on the previous installment and delivers on every promise Image in the Sand gave. An outstanding conclusion to an excellent arc.


Overall Rating: 10/10.

Previous Episode: Image in the Sand
Next Episode: Afterimage 

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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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Thoughts on Season Six.

Starfleet prepares for what might be its final battle.

Deep Space 9's fifth season ended with the start of the Dominion War. Deep Space 9 fell under Dominion control, with Gul Dukat once again in command - though facing a promise from Sisko to return. This season ends with the station back in Starfleet control, but with the war still raging and victory far from assured. Along the way, two major characters die, another is changed forever, and the series generally continues to raise its already very high stakes.


"IT IS THE ORDER OF THINGS": WAGING WAR

I complained in Season Five that Apocalypse Rising too easily resolved the Starfleet/Klingon conflict within the space of just one episode. This season does not repeat that mistake. Sisko retakes the station... but only after a run of six episodes, in which all the characters face trials. The Founders offer Odo everything he ever wanted, and he briefly falls to that temptation. Kira finds herself in another Occupation, this time as the very type of collaborator she has always despised. Sisko leads an assault knowing full well that most of those following him will not survive, and even that isn't enough - He's ultimately forced to be not a Starfleet officer, but the Emissary, confronting the Prophets and pushing them to intervene.

That intervention wins Sisko back his station, but it doesn't end the war. Just a few episodes later, Dr. Bashir and a group of emotionally damaged geniuses deliver the devastating news that it is mathematically impossible for Starfleet to win this war. Throughout the season, we see people reading casualty counts, and watch the regulars grow quieter and more isolated as they learn of the losses of people they knew. Planets fall to the Dominion, and only a desperate deception by Sisko is enough to put the enemy on the defensive.

The season ends with Sisko choosing to be a Starfleet officer instead of the Emissary - the exact opposite of the choice that won him back the station. The personal cost to him is devastating, and he fails as a Starfleet officer at the same time. Even though the season finale portrays what should be a major Starfleet victory, it feels like a defeat - and ends with the sense that the hardest part is still to come...

In the Pale Moonlight: Sisko is haunted by difficult
choices in the season (and maybe the series)'s best episode.

"THE MOST DAMNING THING OF ALL? I THINK I CAN LIVE WITH IT": THE CHARACTERS

Deep Space 9 has never shied from putting its characters through the wringer, but Season Six is even more unforgiving to the regulars than previous years. Feeling depressed and powerless, Sisko experiences a vision of life as an African-American writer in the 1950's, getting a taste of true powerlessness. A few episodes later, he resolves to bring the Romulans into the war on Starfleet's side - but to do so means compromising everything he believes in... And at the end of the episode, he decides that the price was worth it.

Meanwhile, Kira learns that everything she learned about her mother as a stalwart member of the Resistance was a lie.  The Orb of Time reveals her mother to have been a woman who willingly became Gul Dukat's mistress in exchange for comfort for herself and food for her family. Kira probably only survived her childhood because of her mother's actions - but by her own strict code, Kira can only view her as a collaborator. This is only about half a season after she wrestles with fears that she has herself become a collaborator for urging Bajor not to resist the Dominion.

Odo is not only tempted by the female changeling (Salome Jens) - He gives into that temptation, betraying his friends. He snaps out of it when the female changeling overplays her hand by threatening to execute Kira. But that doesn't change his actions at the time, without which Sisko's appeal to the Prophets would have been unnecessary.

The characters are tested repeatedly through the season, and they don't always pass their tests. Or - as with Sisko's gambit to bring the Romulans into the war at a steep moral cost - it's left open to debate as to whether the choices made were right or wrong... Or wrong but sadly necessary.

Profite & Lace: Quark gets in touch with his
feminine side in the series's most notorious episode.

"HOPE AND DESPAIR WALK ARM IN ARM": QUALITY CONTROL

Season Six opens with a stunning run of episodes. The weakest installment of the first seven is Sons and Daughters, which suffers from a weak plot, but remains watchable thanks to good character material. So of the first seven episodes - more than a quarter of the season - the weakest episode is "okay," and the remainder vary between very good and outstanding.

It was a given that the entire season wasn't going to keep up that level. Once the Dominion Occupation is resolved, the season returns to the series' normal hit rate - which is still pretty darn good and refreshingly varied even around the central Dominion War thread. The Magnificent Ferengi delivers one of the series' better comedy outings, followed by Waltz's redefinition of the character of Gul Dukat, followed by the enjoyable caper Who Mourns for Morn?, followed by the truly remarkable Far Beyond the Stars. All of these are good episodes, and despite their stark differences in tone and style, they all fit perfectly within the series' framework.

It's become sadly standard for the last third or so of the season to see a sharp increase in filler episodes or episodes that feel like filler, and that trend does continue in Season Six.  Change of Heart and The Reckoning should be big episodes, the first doing some important character work for Worf and Dax, the second directly laying groundwork for the season finale... but neither episode fully hits the mark, with Change of Heart feeling small and stagy, and The Reckoning deteriorating into silliness.  Time's Orphan is pure filler that feels like something left over from Season Two or Three.  And it's made all the worse by coming immediately after Profit and Lace, which may not quite have lived down to its disastrous reputation but was still a pretty bad episode.

Still, if that last bit of the season feels a bit stretched, those weaker installments become easy enough to forgive when you reach a gem like In the Pale Moonlight or Tears of the Prophets.  And a quick survey of the scores I awarded this season show that it isn't hard to find gems in Season Six.

Dax and Worf struggle to balance their
relationship with mission priorities.

"I HAVE TO MAKE THINGS RIGHT AGAIN": SEASON SEVEN WISHLIST

I'll admit: I'm worried about introducing a new Dax in Season Seven. That's not a knock on Nicole de Boer, who is both a perfectly fine actress and a likable screen presence. I just can't help but feel that it's a bit late in the day to introduce a new character - particularly when the series has so many plot and character threads to tie up. I'll keep an open mind, and I'm actively curious to see how Ezri integrates into the crew (I have never seen a single Season Seven episode)... But my instinct is that it's too late in the day to properly develop a new character and that when they killed Jadzia, they should probably have killed Dax at the same time.

Beyond that, it would seem presumptuous to have a wish list for a show that so consistently impresses me. For the most part, Season Six has felt like a series at its absolute apex. I tend to suspect Season Seven won't quite match its heights (though I'm eager to be proved wrong!). Regardless, it is breathtaking to see just how good a Star Trek show can be when it's willing to take risks and follow up on plot and character turns, rather than simply resetting everything on a weekly basis.

A wake for the fallen.

Deep Space 9 is more than just a great Star Trek series. This is one of the finest science fiction television sagas I have ever witnessed. I look forward to watching the unfolding of its final chapter.

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