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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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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5-15. By Inferno's Light.

Gul Dukat gives Cardassia to the Dominion.

THE PLOT

Worf, Garak, Dr. Bashir, and the Klingon general Martok (J. G. Hertzler) are all prisoners of the Jem'Hadar. They have a plan for escape - but it hinges on Garak being able to modify Enabran Tain's transmitter to beam them to Worf's runabout. Garak is the only one among them with the technical knowledge to make this work... something that's badly complicated by Garak's extreme claustrophobia.

Back on Deep Space 9, what appears to be a massing Dominion attack is turned on its head when the Dominion fleet flies right past the station on its way to Cardassia Prime. Gul Dukat's ship flies after them - but not to try to attack or pass the fleet to warn Cardassia. Dukat has been in secret negotiations to join the Dominion, and is being installed as the new Cardassian ruler.

Dukat's first order of business is a promise to his people. He will restore the empire to full strength: "There will not be a single Klingon alive inside Cardassian territory or a single Maquis colony left within our borders. Cardassia will be made whole. All that we have lost will be ours again, and anyone who stands in our way will be destroyed!" As he explains to Sisko, Cardassian territory includes Deep Space 9. And with the Changeling impersonating Dr. Bashir preparing mass sabotage of the station, its destruction may be imminent!


CHARACTERS

Capt. Sisko: Even though Sisko is left to mostly react to events, he still doesn't project the slightest weakness in his conversations with Dukat.  He actively encourages the Cardassian to try to take the station from him, in a tone and manner that should give pause to even the most power-mad of egotists.  He is able to convince Klingon Chancellor Gowron (Robert O'Reilly) to re-commit to the Khitomer Accords, so that the Federation and the Klingon Empire can stand united against the Dominion. Finally, when he realizes that the Bashir he has been trusting is a Changeling infiltrator, he doesn't hesitate to order "Bashir's" shuttle destroyed.

Worf: Earns Martok's respect by accepting one Jem'Hadar challenge after another, and defeating every one of them. Even as Worf becomes steadily more injured, he refuses to decline a challenge. His sense of honor will not allow him to yield. His final fight is against Ikat'ika (James Horan), the Jem'Hadar First of the camp. By this point, Worf is too badly injured to put up much of a fight, but he still refuses to yield even when both Martok and Ikat'ika insist that "honor has been satisfied." His stubbornness leads Ikat'ika to yield, the Jem'Hadar stating: "I cannot defeat this Klingon. All I can do is kill him - and that no longer holds my interest."

Dr. Bashir: Part One revealed that for the last several episodes, the Bashir on Deep Space 9 was actually a Changeling while the real Bashir languished in a Jem'Hadar prison. This episode cuts between both Bashirs, showing an effective contrast. Changeling Bashir is very smooth and unflappable. The real Bashir's compassion shows itself as he tries to talk Worf out of continuing his fights with the Jem'Hadar and as he insists on Garak taking regular breaks in his work. It really makes me want to go back and watch the last several episodes again, to see if I can spot differences in Bashir's behavior after the fact. I do think it's a missed opportunity that they didn't pick his separation from his allies during Nor the Battle to the Strong the moment at which he was taken, though - It would have turned that episode's one weak point (his miraculous, off-screen return to base) into a retroactive strength.

Garak: The Garak we see here is largely robbed of his silver tongue. He is forced to face his greatest internal fear, and that strips away his acerbic armor. It does seem that Tain truly was his father (something I doubted at the end of Part One). It also seems clear that he genuinely does care about Ziyal, trying to push himself to overcome his claustrophobia by invoking his promise to her to return. I wouldn't want to see Garak this vulnerable very often, but it is worthwhile to see it occasionally. Knowing that there is a real core underneath the act makes him more complex, not less - And I'm sure another episode will come along in due course to remind us that he is a formidable figure in his own right.

Gul Dukat: "One man's villain is another man's hero." Dukat really does see himself as the hero, striking the devil's bargain with the Dominion in order to make his people strong again. It's completely consistent with what we've seen in previous episodes. In Return to Grace, he was outraged when his government overlooked Klingon aggression in Cardassian space, denouncing the new government as "paralyzed... beaten and defeated." He proclaimed himself "the only Cardassian left!" In his mind, selling his people out to the Dominion is an act of patriotism, to restore his empire to its former glory. Given the shared (pointless) resentment among some fans of the two shows, I hate to throw a Babylon 5 reference in - but Dukat's bargain with the Dominion strongly recalls Londo's dealings with Mr. Morden. I suspect they will lead in a similar direction, but likely without the redemption Londo found.


THOUGHTS

By Inferno's Light makes good use of the many strands left by In Purgatory's Shadow. This is a true Part Two, carrying on both the tone and narrative of Part One. It also functions as a piece of a larger arc. The immediate threat is resolved by the end of the episode, but the series has shifted in a fundamental way by the end.

The 2-parter continues to balance momentum against strong character moments. As the station braces for a Dominion attack, O'Brien sends his family to Bajor for refuge. He comments to "Bashir" that Molly is getting old enough to know when something's wrong, and that he doesn't like seeing her worried or afraid. Dukat says farewell to Kira, observing that it never felt right for the two of them to be on the same side. Quark looks at a potential Dominion takeover in terms of its effect on business: Neither the Founder nor the Jem'Hadar eat, drink, or have sex, which are Quark's three main profit lines. Little moments like these only take a minute or so, and therefore don't interfere with the pace - but they do a lot to personalize the plot developments for the characters, and they make the characters feel that much more real for taking that spare minute here and there.

I was fearful of a weak finish, but that doesn't end up happening. The Bashir Changeling is exposed and his immediate plot is foiled. Beyond that, the Federation and the Klingon Empire are firmly allies again, the end of their conflict fused to the Dominion arc just as the beginning of it was. But as we fade to black, the overall situation is far more grim and far less stable than it has been.

The Dominion now has a presence in the Alpha Quadrant. The Dominion/Cardassian alliance has driven the Klingons out of Cardassian space. The Maquis will likely be similarly driven out, as the Dominion's scorched Earth tactics will make a guerilla war untenable. Finally, Dukat's ending conversation with Sisko makes it clear that he sees Deep Space 9 as Cardassian property - and that he fully intends to take it back or destroy it. This leaves a threat of war hanging over Deep Space 9's head, a threat which I suspect will materialize right around the season's end.

In short, it's hard to imagine that things can just go back to "business as usual" for the last part of the season. The status quo has changed - and not in a way that can remain stable for long. I look forward to the point at which it will shift again.


Overall Rating: 10/10.

Previous Episode: In Purgatory's Shadow
Next Episode: Dr. Bashir, I Presume

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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 I found the emotion in this far more genuine and compelling than the emotion in the Voyager episode. Because of the well-scripted reactions of Odo and Mora to that lump of gelatin, I shared and believed in their responses in a way that I just didn't to the saccharine manipulations of Real Life

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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5-1. Apocalypse Rising.

Sisko infiltrates the Klingon Empire.

THE PLOT

Sabre-rattling has finally given way to open conflict: The Klingon Empire and the Federation are at war. In the wake of Odo's revelation that Chancellor Gowron (Robert O'Reilly) is a Changeling, Starfleet has decided to send an infiltration team to go into Klingon territory and do "whatever it takes" to prove that the Klingons have become dupes of the Dominion.

Sisko has been given polaron emitters, which should bombard a Changeling with enough radiation to make him drop his disguise. He has himself, Odo, and O'Brien modified to look like Klingons, and he makes arrangements for the use of Gul Dukat's hijacked Bird of Prey to get them through Klingon space to Gowron's military base at Ty'Gokor.

But as Worf says, it is not enough to merely look like a Klingon. They must learn to act like Klingons, as well. And in a warrior society where one wrong move can lead to a duel to the death, this simple feat may prove as perilous as the mission itself...


CHARACTERS

Capt. Sisko: The aggressiveness required to play a Klingon is well-suited to his own personality traits. He focuses tightly on the mission, but is a good enough commander to recognize Odo's personal crisis and make time for a couple of private chats with him. When he sees that Martok (J. G. Hertzler) has his own doubts about Gowron, he exploits those, working to convince Martok that turning against Gowron's Changeling imposter would not be treason to the Empire, but rather service to it.

Odo: With his shapeshifting abilities now gone, he feels diminished and useless. He reacts to being asked on the mission by suggesting one of his deputies come instead. "There's nohting I can do that he can't," Odo says bitterly. He worries that he will be the reason the assignment fails. Dramatic structure demands that the last third of the episode see this prediction likely to come true, as Odo's emitter is discovered by a Klingon - prompting quick thinking on the part of both Odo and Worf to effectively defuse the situation.

Worf: A scene on Dukat's ship sees Worf training the others in Klingon behavior. Odo and O'Brien make unconvincing Klingons in these early bits, while Sisko is actually too aggressive, engaging in behavior that would prompt a duel to the death. Once at their destination, Worf interprets the Klingon ritual and customs for his comrades (and for the audience), and his interactions with Gowron remind us of the rivalry between them.

Gul Dukat: Makes his first appearance since Return to Grace in mid-Season Four. It was entirely too long a gap, and Marc Alaimo instantly reminds us how delightful he is. Dukat may be Sisko's ally, but he remains ruthlessly pragmatic. It is clear that he believes Sisko's trip is a one-way one, though he is more diplomatic than his first officer in saying so. He limits his assistance to dropping the party off, bluntly telling Sisko: "If you succeed, the war will be over and you won't need us. And if you fail..."

Klingons: Have gone to war with the Federation with ghastly enthusiasm, bragging of their raids on their former allies. We see more of their warrior culture, with the ceremony for those awarded The Order of the Bat'leth doubling as an endurance test. Only those who remain standing after a night of drinking and, inevitably, brawling will actually receive the honor. Those who are not still on their feet the morning after are removed from the chamber, presumably returning to their units in dishonor.


THOUGHTS

Apocalypse Rising is a solid season premiere. It establishes the new status quo and re-introduces the major characters and situation. We are reminded of the conflict with the Klingons, and we see that it's now gone further than it had at Season Four's close. We are reminded of Odo's loss of his abilities, and see how he is reacting to that. We get at least one moment with each of the regulars, with even Jake getting a brief look-in. At the same time, a solid action/suspense story is told, one which ties directly to the arc while still standing on its own as a good episode.

That said, the previous four seasons opened with some real heavy hitters: Emissary, the Bajoran "Circle" 3-parter, The Search, and The Way of the Warrior. After that run, my expectations of a Deep Space 9 season opener have been raised a bit higher than just a good episode that does what it needs to do.

There's nothing wrong with Apocalypse Rising. Writers Ira Steven Behr and Robert Hewitt Wolfe have crafted a fast-paced story. It does an excellent job of building on the Klingon and Changeling complications of Season Four, and turning those strands in a way that will allow for a new direction in Season Five. There's even a nicely-executed plot twist at the end, one which makes a lot of sense out of what had seemed like rather senseless and even contradictory actions on Gowron's part.

But compared to previous premieres, it just lacks that extra "something." Maybe it's because it's a one-parter instead of a two-parter, which limits the extent to which the story can be complicated. The setbacks Sisko's party encounters are predictable ones which are resolved very quickly in all cases. A two-parter would have allowed more complications in reaching Ty'Gokor and more varied interactions among the Klingons once there.

As it stands, I would rate this as a good episode, one with a particularly strong end twist. It just feels a bit "smaller" than I'd have liked.


Overall Rating: 7/10.

Previous Episode: Broken Link
Next Episode: The Ship

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Thoughts on Season Four.

Worf has difficulty adjusting to life on Deep Space 9.

Season Four of Deep Space 9 is the best so far. That's enough of a surprise, given how very good Season Three was. It's even more of one when you consider that this is a season which undergoes changes made for purely commercial reasons. Shifting emphasis and adding a new character, both on the record as having been done strictly to boost ratings, are the sorts of actions that usually lead to disaster for series television. Instead, the new elements are used in a way that builds on and ties into what went before.


WHEN A RELAUNCH ISN'T A RELAUNCH: THE CHANGES

Season Four of Deep Space 9 begins with a feature-length episode that, in many respects, seems to act as a second pilot for the show. The Way of the Warrior is designed as a jumping-on point for new viewers, re-establishing the world of Deep Space 9 and resetting its rules. Worf is added as a regular, the Klingons are redefined as adversaries instead of allies, and there is suddenly much more emphasis on action.

Though this shake-up may have been motivated by ratings concerns, real thought has gone into using it to enrich the show. The season premiere may appear to be a "second pilot," but The Way of the Warrior takes care to weave its plot around existing threads. Time is devoted to Worf finding his place on the station, and time is spent on the renewed animosity with the Klingons. By the middle of the season, it becomes clear that the series has not redefined itself around these new elements. The Dominion remains the foremost threat, with an ambitious mid-season two-parter showing how the Dominion presence sparks paranoia even in the heart of the Federation.

In short, what starts out looking like a second start is made part and parcel of the series as it already existed. The action builds as much from events in Seasons Two and Three as from anything created this year. The relaunch isn't actually a relaunch, and both new and old elements come together in a way that makes both more interesting than they would be individually.

Jake Sisko (Tony Todd) nears the end of his life in
The Visitor, the season (maybe series)'s standout episode.

WARRIOR, TAILOR, DOCTOR, SPY: THE CHARACTERS

Deep Space 9 continues to excel in using its ensemble. Sisko, the Star Trek captain who probably least idealizes the Federation self-image ("It's easy to be a saint in Paradise!"), nevertheless proves a strong protector of its ideals when his old mentor prepares to launch a paranoid coup.

He continues to be protective of his son's welfare, emotional as well as physical, whether the situation involves the Mirror Universe's counterpart of his dead wife or an alien muse, feeding off Jake's creative energies. His bond with his son is most evident in the season's standout episode, The Visitor, which may be the most successfully emotional episode of Star Trek ever made.

In the supporting cast, Garak continues to steal every scene he's in and almost every episode that features him. Likely in response to the character's popularity and to Andrew Robinson's wonderful performance, he is featured more and more often. Amazingly, the writers manage this without undermining the qualities that made him so much fun to start with. We still don't know much about him, and what we do know hardly inspires trust - yet he remains impossible to truly dislike. He might slip a knife in your back, but he'll be enormously entertaining company right up until the second before that happens.

Strong material is spread among all the regulars, with Odo having to deal with consequences from killing a changeling; O'Brien, facing the prospect of becoming a father a second time; and Bashir facing tests of not only medical skills, but also of his principles and his character.

On the downside, this is the weakest season yet for Kira, and the only season to date in which she does not end up being a standout character. She still gets good material, particularly when put opposite Marc Alaimo's Gul Dukat (also underused this year), but she has noticeably less to do than in previous seasons.

Season Four is probably best remembered as the season that brought Worf onto the show. His introduction in The Way of the Warrior is exceptionally well-handled, giving him a dynamic first DS9 appearance that makes use of his background from the Klingon episodes of TNG without allowing him to overshadow Sisko and the other regulars. It's an excellent episode, one of the series' best, and an outstanding introduction to Worf.

After The Way of the Warrior, however, comes a run of episodes in which the writers don't seem sure what to do with the new addition. I suspect many of these scripts had already been completed, or at least outlined, before the decision to add him was made, and there are more than a few cases of "a Worf scene" being tacked onto an episode that otherwise has no use for him.

Thankfully, this improves as the season goes along, with Worf gradually receiving strong episodes and subplots. His friendship/budding relationship with Dax has potential to develop both characters, as does his respectful but sometimes strained working relationship with Odo. Even at the season's end, I don't think the show has fully found a place for Worf - but I do think this is likely to be rectified in Season Five.

Akorem Laan (Richard Libertini) takes the title of Emissary
in Accession, one of too few episodes to deal with Bajor.

BAJOR WANING

When I wrote my Season Three overview, I observed how far into the background the Bajor arc had been pushed by the rise of the Dominion threat. Seasons One and Two were heavily centered around Bajor and its political entanglements in the wake of the Cardassian Occupation. Season Three saw that focus reduced, with only a handful of episodes continuing to follow up on Bajor and the machinations of Kai Winn.

Season Three at least continued to develop this thread, though, with the Bajoran/Cardassian peace treaty and the rise of Shakaar, Kira's old resistance cell leader, to First Minister. In Season Four, what few Bajor-centric episodes exist are just placeholders, installments which may entertain, but which don't alter the status quo.

Really, as the show becomes less about Bajor and more about the Dominion, it stands out just how well the series has done at weaving the Klingon, Dominion, and Cardassian stories together with that of the station. All of those threads feel like parts of  single, dynamic whole. Bajor, which was the focus of the series when it began, does not feel like part of that same whole, and in Season Four its situation has ceased to be as dynamic as the rest of the series' elements. Continuing to namecheck Bajor has become an obligation of a series that has moved on to other things.

Odo visits the changeling homeworld. It's not a happy homecoming.

SEASON FIVE WISHLIST

Don't get me wrong when I observe that Bajor has waned in importance at this point. I not only don't foresee a return to a Bajor-centered series, I also don't want that. The central arcs of the series now are genuinely compelling, and the show feels like a richer place than it did in its early days. What I would like is for the Bajoran threads to be woven into the larger story. If this could be done with the Klingon arc - which initially seemed like a colorful digression - then it could certainly be done with Bajor.

Beyond that, the series has gotten so good at this point, it's almost impossible to wish for major changes. I not only would like, but I genuinely do expect, to see better use made of Worf in seasons to come. I also hope to see Kira return to her former prominence.

Past that, I just hope the series continues to do as well as it has in balancing its many characters and stories, and in keeping them feeling like part of the same whole.

Even in Season One, I was impressed by how good this series often was. In Season Four, Deep Space 9 has become genuinely excellent television. My biggest wish is for it to remain such, so that I can continue to enjoy the ride.


Previous Season: Season Three
Next Season: Season Five

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4-12. Paradise Lost

Sisko finds himself in conflict with Admiral Leyton.

THE PLOT

It's been four days since the power outage that led to the President's declaration of martial law, and Sisko finds himself increasingly troubled. The events surrounding the outage don't add up. If the Dominion was responsible, why was there no invasion? The power is back up, and Earth is now more fortified than ever - Hardly a set of circumstances that favors the enemy.

When Odo discovers a log of Red Squad, an elite group of Starfleet Academy cadets, beaming back on the night of the outage, Sisko becomes suspicious that another agenda was at work. When he interrogates the leader of Red Squad, his suspicions are confirmed. The Dominion didn't sabotage the power grid - someone at Starfleet did. Someone Sisko knows and respects...


CHARACTERS

Capt. Sisko: Spends the first part of the episode debating what to do with the information he has gathered. It doesn't take long for him to realize what Admiral Leyton (Robert Foxworth) has done, but he still respects the admiral and doesn't want to act against him. He does know his duty, however, and when he realizes that Leyton's plans go further than the enhanced security that's already in effect, he puts together a plan to expose his old friend. Avery Brooks is in fine form, showing both regret at being in opposition to Leyton and a righteous fury at Leyton's betrayal of his Starfleet oath.

Odo: Less prominent than in Part One, though he still gets some good material. Most notable is his loyalty to Sisko, which doesn't waver even though he shares Leyton's concerns about the Changeling threat. Amusingly, when he extracts evidence from Starfleet's security systems, he gives credit to Quark for being able to hack in so adeptly.

Pompous Earth Bureaucrat of the Week: Part Two thrusts Admiral Leyton into a full villain's role, though he remains sincere in his belief that he is doing good. He genuinely believes that Starfleet needs stronger leadership than that provided by President Jaresh-Inyo (and he might have a point there). He is likely sincere when he tells Sisko that he only intends for military control to be temporary... though Sisko knows as well as we do that such arrangements usually end up being permanent, at least until the next coup. Robert Foxworth continues to play the role straight-up, as a sincere man who believes he is acting honorably, and the scenes between Foxworth and Brooks are uniformly excellent.


THOUGHTS

Homefront built up a general atmosphere of fear. It was clear that Changelings were creating havoc on Earth, and it seemed equally clear that Leyton's reaction to this was likely to lead to further problems. By the end of the episode, the Federation President has granted Leyton his full goal and instituted martial law on Earth.

Paradise Lost picks up with that, and builds on the theme of fear and how people react to it. We are told that the population of Earth overwhelmingly supports Leyton's security measures. We even see Sisko's father cooperating with them, despite his stubbornness in Part One. The power outage caused enough fear for people to crave safety, even at the expense of some liberty. Exactly according to Leyton's plans.

Still, this episode mostly lacks the atmosphere of fear that pervaded the first part, and that's one reason why it's not quite as good. Part One built up the sense of paranoia, so that when Sisko's father cut himself with the knife, we were looking for him to be a Changeling right along with Ben. This episode mostly is about explaining the full plot. It moves quickly and is never dull, but there's little time for atmosphere.

There is one wonderfully atmospheric scene, though. Right at about the midpoint, after the first of the three excellent Sisko/Leyton scenes, Sisko goes for a night walk. He is greeted by a friendly face: O'Brien. Who can't possibly be on Earth. This is, of course, a Changeling. Sisko thinks of calling for help - but as Changeling O'Brien points out, he'll be long gone before anyone arrives. So Sisko grants his request for a little chat, in which the Changeling talks pleasantly about how much damage just a handful of their number have caused on Earth.

"We're smarter than solids. we're better than you. And most importantly, we don't fear you the way you fear us. In the end, it's your fear that will destroy you."

A nice, creepy reminder of the genuine Changeling threat in an episode otherwise focused on the internal threat of Leyton's coup.

And yes, as we discover, Leyton's plot is to stage a coup against the democratically-elected President. It's Deep Space 9's version of Seven Days in May, with the final scene between Sisko and Leyton a direct reflection of the final scene between Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas in that film. Right down to Sisko telling Leyton that he used to consider him a man of honor.

A good episode, and a well-scripted finale to a very fine two-parter. It isn't quite up there with Part One, but that shouldn't be held against it.


Episode Rating: 8/10.

Overall Rating for Homefront/Paradise Lost: 9/10.

Previous Episode: Homefront
Next Episode: Crossfire 

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4-11. Homefront.

Admiral Leyton (Robert Foxworth) has a job for Sisko.

THE PLOT

When a bomb goes off at a conference between Federation and Romulan diplomats, Sisko and Odo are summoned to Earth. Analysis of security video shows that the attack was the work of a Changeling. As Admiral Leyton (Robert Foxworth) explains, Sisko knows more about the shapeshifters than anyone in Starfleet. To that end, Leyton is naming Sisko acting head of Starfleet Security - effective immediately!

Sisko, Leyton, and Odo work together to institute new precautions throughout Starfleet. Phaser scans will be done of all objects going into high-security areas. High-ranking Starfleet officers and their families will be required to submit to blood tests to prove they are not Changelings. Even gaining these concessions from the peace-loving Federation President Jaresh-Inyo (Herschel Sparber) is not easy. But when a further Changeling infiltration is discovered, Leyton worries that their security is not enough, and that firmer steps must be taken to protect Earth!


CHARACTERS

Capt. Sisko: Experiences firsthand the paranoia left by the Changeling attack when his father (Brock Peters) refuses to submit to a blood test. The elder Sisko insists that he never joined Starfleet and never swore any oath to them, and that he has no duty to cooperate with a violation of his rights. Ben's response? Suspicion. When his father cuts himself with a knife, Ben stares at the blood on the blade, frozen in the rush of emotion at this confirmation that his father really is human. His father points out that a Changeling might fool a blood test by stockpiling human blood in any case, and Ben worries that he may be right - not about Starfleet betraying its principles, but about the prospect of the Changelings overcoming their security measures.

Odo: Odo has always been authoritarian in nature. We saw back in Season Two's The Maquis that he prizes security over freedom, when he observed that for all the Cardassians' abuses, the station was safer when they were in charge. It's no surprise that he is in lockstep with Admiral Leyton. His time as security officer has also granted him an understanding of the worst aspects of human nature, notably of the power of fear. This gives him just enough insight to persuade the Federation President - first with a demonstration, then with words - to grant Leyton the expanded powers the admiral is seeking.

Pompous Earth Bureaucrat of the Week: Leyton is Sisko's former CO, and the man who recommended Sisko to command Deep Space 9. He and Sisko are initially on the same page about the need for increased security on Earth. Gradually, however, we see hints of xenophobia in the admiral. He observes of the president that Earth "isn't his world. We can't expect him to care about it the same way we do." We don't see any sign that Leyton wants anything other than the security of Earth, and to actor Robert Foxworth's credit, he never plays Leyton as a villain. He is genuine in his dealings with both Sisko and Odo, and shows genuine intelligence and authority. Still, I suspect Leyton's pursuit of security will see him in the role of (well-meaning) villain come the second half of this two-parter.


THOUGHTS

"Fear is a powerful and dangerous thing... If you don't act, if you don't show them that they're not alone, then fear will surely take over."

Odo's warning to the Federation President achieves his goal, as the man accedes to the wishes of him, Sisko, and Leyton, signing off on additional security measures. What is lost on Odo and the other characters, but not on the audience, is that these measures are a response to fear. They know of only a single Changeling on the planet. But out of fear of what might happen, they are reacting as if they are under siege by an unseen army.

The idea of Changelings invading Earth was originally intended for the Season Three finale. When Paramount overruled the show's producers, not wanting to end the year on a cliffhanger, the concept was recycled for this mid-Season Four two-parter.

I think it worked out for the best. The Adversary was an ideal endpoint for Season Three, demonstrating the threat posed and the damage done by a single Changeling. That was further developed by The Way of the Warrior, a story whose catalyst was the paranoia created by the Changelings. All of this allowed the threat to build steadily, so that it is all the more effective when it literally comes home.

A wise decision is to craft Homefront not as a Changeling hunt, but instead as a story about paranoia. The Changeling attack provides the catalyst, and a second infilitration pushes Leyton's suspicions to the brink at just the right moment. However, the real threat is the one the President sees - that of transforming Earth into a police state, oppressing its citizens in the name of protecting them.

This is a terrific episode, the first real payoff we've gotten to The Adversary's changeling declaring, "We are everywhere." The Way of the Warrior saw the Klingons responding to the perceived threat of the Changelings. Now we see Earth going the same direction - only this time, the threat itself is real. There's enough here to hint that Leyton's approach to the problem is the wrong one. At the same time, there is a changeling presence, a fact that cannot simply be ignored.

It's one of the joys of Deep Space 9, in my opinion, that situations often carry shades of gray. The President doesn't want to do anything about the problem, only agreeing to added security after Odo provides him with a visceral scare. The end of the episode shows him weak and indecisive in a moment that demands leadership. He has the right instinct, to protect people's rights and protect the values of the Federation, but he comes across as weak. Leyton's instincts to secure against potential invasion are not entirely wrong, but his jump to martial law is an overreaction. Both men are flawed in their approaches, one going too far while the other wouuld prefer to ignore the problem altogether.

An excellent first half, and one which leaves me eager to watch Part Two.


Overall Rating: 9/10.
Previous Episode: Our Man Bashir
Next Episode: Paradise Lost

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Thoughts on Season Three

Odo finally encounters his own people - and they're the enemy!

PREVIOUSLY ON DEEP SPACE 9...

Season Two took the most promising elements of the series' first season and built on them.

The Bajoran political situation became more tangled. Things became really messy with The Collaborator, as the fanatical Vedek Winn (Louise Fletcher) was anointed as the spiritual leader - effectively ceding control of the planet to the worst possible person. We got more insight into the past of the space station itself, and into the pasts of the various characters (notably Kira and Odo). Two strong recurring characters, the charming but untrustworthy Garak (Andrew Robinson) and the militaristic Gul Dukat (Marc Alaimo), were given added depth, making both far more interesting than they previously had been. Meanwhile, the show's regulars were allowed to steadily come into their own as characters. By the end of the season, Deep Space 9 had become a rare ensemble show that had no real weak link.

In the background, we also started to hear about a new threat from the Gamma Quadrant: The Dominion. And in the second season finale, the Dominion showed itself to fully merit that buildup, allowing the year to end on an ominous note.

Sisko continues to struggle with his role as the Emissary,
but the series' focus is drifting away from Bajor.

SEASON THREE: A SHIFT IN FOCUS

The events of The Jem'Hadar demanded followup... something the show's producers recognized. The opening two-parter follows directly on. In a brilliant stroke, the writers make the leaders of the Dominion changelings, tying this entire strand of the series directly to Odo. The Dominion aren't just a physical threat to our heroes - They are an emotional threat to Odo, one that will doubtless reverberate throughout the remainder of the series.

The Search doesn't tie everything up neatly. Though there is a return to "business as usual" as the season progresses, with regular expeditions to the Gamma Quadrant, the Dominion remains a threat. They are mentioned throughout the season, even in episodes that don't involve them. They are left mainly as a background menace in Season Three, a looming conflict which Starfleet is trying to prepare for. But we see just enough of them in action, particularly in The Die is Cast and The Adversary, to recognize that Starfleet is almost certainly outmatched.

The Dominion storyline is wonderfully handled, progressing enough to pave the way for future developments without overshadowing the individual episodes. But it does represent a shift in focus. Previously, the series seemed to turn on Sisko's mission to prepare Bajor for admission to the Federation. Most of the best episodes of Seasons One and Two revolved around Bajor, its messy political situation, and the wounds left over from the (still very recent) Cardassian Occupation.

In Season Three, Bajor often feels like an afterthought. Only three episodes significantly deal with the Bajoran/Cardassian situation: Second Skin, Life Support, and Shakaar. The second of these mainly serves to tie off the Bajoran/Cardassian conflict. The peace agreement offers dramatic opportunities of its own, but so far those haven't been seriously addressed. Shakaar ends up being the only Bajor-centered episode of the season that promises future developments.

Don't get me wrong: I am genuinely enjoying the Dominion arc and look forward to seeing where it goes.  But I would hate to see its development come at the expense of the Bajoran story.

Commander Eddington (Kenneth Marshall) joins the crew - and
is all but forgotten for the rest of the season.

THE CURIOUS PROBLEM OF COMMANDER EDDINGTON

As a series, Deep Space 9 has been pretty good so far about making use of the opportunities its individual episodes provide. Intriguing guest characters become recurring characters who become fixtures, such as Gul Dukat and Garak. Events that should have implications have a tendency to get followed up on - a rarity in other Trek shows, and a delight to see happening in this one.

But this season introduces one missed opportunity, and that is Commander Eddington.

Eddington is introduced at the season's start, in The Search. His addition represents a shake-up for station security, with Starfleet security matters being taken away from Odo - a shift that creates a lot of potential for tension. But after The Search, Eddington is neither seen nor mentioned again until The Die Is Cast, fairly late in the season. To be perfectly honest, I forgot all about the character by the time he reappeared!

We really needed to see more of him, particularly in the first half of the season. In The Search, Odo resents his coming so much that he almost leaves the station. By The Adversary, the two have forged a reasonable working relationship - and done so entirely offscreen. At least one more appearance in the first part of the season, something to show Odo coming to accept and even respect him, would have been welcome - as would have been mentions of him in episodes where things should have concerned Starfleet security, particularly when Odo "adopted" a Jem'Hadar.

Thankfully, the last part of the season indicates that the writers have not only remembered Eddington's existence, but actually might do something with him. The Die Is Cast and, particularly, The Adversary show that both the character and actor Kenneth Marshall have the potential to work well within the fabric of this show. His conversation with Sisko in the finale hints at frustrated career ambitions, and his prominence in that episode gives me hope for some interesting developments for the character next season.

Garak interrogates Odo in The Die Is Cast,
one of the season's best episodes.

SEASON FOUR WISH LIST

It's becoming difficult to come up with much of a "wish list" for Deep Space 9. The series has done such a good job of building on its own successes. Season One was a promising start. Season Two was a huge improvement, cementing this as a quality series. I'd rate Season Three as even stronger, with the best hit rate yet and the strongest sense of events that are building to something more. When a series is so successful at keeping its universe interesting and its overall story moving, it seems almost churlish to impose some list of preferences on it.

Still, I hope (and expect) to see the Dominion start to emerge in the foreground, instead of simply being whispered about in the background. Odo's final line from The Adversary demands follow-up, as do his actions in breaking the changelings' single greatest law. I look forward to seeing how those events will unfold.

I also hope that Bajor is allowed some episodes, maybe even another multi-parter, to keep its story alive. Bajor became an afterthought in Season Three. I really hope better use is made of the Bajoran situation in Season Four. Kai Winn has most recently attempted to take control of the civilian government. She's been rebuffed, but it seems certain that she should attempt to extend her influence in more underhanded ways. With Shakaar, an adversrary of Winn's, becoming the head of the civilian government, there is plenty of potential for good storytelling. I would like to see that explored, and not just through a token episode here or there that amounts to the show saying, "Oh, here's a Bajor episode!"

Maybe the Bajoran story could even be tied in with the Dominion one in some way, so that it all becomes one great narrative?


IN CONCLUSION

Aside from my reservations about the treatment of the Bajoran thread this year, Season Three was yet another fine season of Deep Space 9. At this point, the show is not only my favorite Trek spinoff, it has the potential to topple TOS as my absolute favorite Trek. So above any wish list, I'm currently content just to go wherever the show takes me. Based on the first three seasons, it's bound to be interesting.


Previous Season: Season Two
Next Season: Season Four

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