7-25 - 7-26. What You Leave Behind.

The Dominion War ends the way wars do -
With leaders gathered around a conference table.

THE PLOT

The stage has been set for the final battle of the Dominion War. The Dominion has pulled back to defensive positions around Cardassia Prime, and Sisko and Martok lead their alliance in an invasion. There is a weak point in the Dominion defenses, and that is where they will strike with full force - And with the aid of Damar's growing Cardassian rebellion.

Even as the Federation and the Dominion put their full strength into the battle, another dark plot advances back on Bajor. Kai Winn has finished studying the Book of the Kosst Amojan. She and Dukat proceed to the Fire Caves to perform the ritual that will unleash the pah-Wraiths on the galaxy.

"Soon, the pah-Wraiths will burn across Bajor, the Celestial Temple, the Alpha Quadrant! Can you picture it? An entire universe in flames, to burn for all eternity!"


CHARACTERS

Capt. Sisko: Makes a deal with Martok and Admiral Ross to share a bottle of blood wine once they have won the battle. When the three men meet on Cardassia, however, Sisko looks at the devastation surrounding them and finds he has no stomach for celebrating this carnage. He ends the episode by fulfilling the Prophets' role for him as Emissary, moving on from the station and the relationships he has forged - Though he does promise Kasidy that he'll return. This last was apparently a late addition, insisted on by Avery Brooks - Who was 100% right to do so; Sisko would never willingly abandon his family, particularly with a baby on the way.

Col. Kira: There's a particularly good scene early in the episode. She, Damar, and Garak have just sabotaged the power in the capital, and Weyoun makes a televised announcement in response. Garak and Damar are giddy, waiting to see what Weyoun will say. Kira is far more subdued, her expression growing ever graver as Weyoun speaks. Unlike her two compatriots, she knows all too well what's coming next. During the Occupation, she saw and heard 100 such speeches from Gul Dukat, and knows that reprisals against the innocent are sure to follow. Great nonverbal acting by Nana Visitor, adding an extra layer onto an already good scene.

Odo: Unsuprisingly, Odo is key to the resolution of the Dominion War - Though I'm a bit surprised (and disappointed) that there's no follow-up to his frustration last episode at Starfleet's tolerance of the Dominion plague. Odo does admit his desire to return to his people, and volunteers to effectively act as an ambassador to them, sharing his experiences with "Solids" through the Great Link to change his people's point of view.

Damar: Remains constantly focused on stopping the Dominion. When it appears he is about to be executed, he uses what he believes will be his last moments to speak out in defiance. A terrific scene has Damar, Kira, and Garak sharing a moment of uncontrollable, semi-hysterical laughter when it appears their efforts have been thwarted by something as simple as an impenetrable locked door.

Weyoun/female changeling: Both severely misjudge Cardassia. After Damar's attack disrupts communications, they decide to take reprisals against the civilian population. Instead of quelling rebellion, their harsh actions intensify it, turning the Cardassian military against the Dominion. This is especially ill-timed for the Dominion, as the Cardassian shift turns the tide of a battle Starfleet had been losing.

Garak: Had always dreamed of returning home one day. Now that he finds himself on Cardassia, it's a shell barely recognizable as the powerful world he left behind. His one friend on the planet is brutally murdered by the Dominion, and Weyoun sneers at him about "what's left of" Cardassia. Yet another misjudgment on Weyoun's part, as Garak is far from being an honorable Federation officer bound to behave with mercy toward a prisoner. With the war won, Garak has the toughest job of all - Being left to pick up the pieces of a world that he's been outcast from, but whose culture and society he's always taken pride in. His final scene, opposite Dr. Bashir, is wonderfully written and performed, a suitable place to leave one of the franchise's richest supporting characters.

Kai Winn: Has waited for Gul Dukat to recover from his blindness before completing the ritual, something Dukat takes as sentimentality. Of course, this is Winn we're dealing with, so the real purpose is a bit darker. She continues to harbor resentment at his seduction of her under false pretenses, and tells him that he has no right to refer to her by her first name. "From now on, you will address me as 'Your Eminence.' Is that clear?" She becomes giddy at the anticipation of power when they finally reach the Fire Caves - But once the pah-Wraiths take possession of Dukat as their true intended Emissary, she finally realizes what she has done and assists Sisko in defeating the evil she has unleashed.

Gul Dukat: The most disappointing aspect of this finale is the characterization of Dukat, who is reduced from a wonderfully complex villain to just an evil caricature. I can rationalize away his final scenes as being not really Dukat - Once the pah-wraith takes possession, it makes sense that only his worst aspects would be on display. Even so, his evil cackling and final Villain Speech to Sisko feel unworthy of the character created over the course of the series. It's rare for Dukat to be the weakest element of an episode... But in this instance, he strikes the only sour note of the entire 90 minutes.


"NOT THE CARDASSIA I KNEW": CHANGES AND FAREWELLS

"Some may say that we've gotten exactly what we deserve... Our entire history is one of arrogant aggression. We collaborated with the Dominion, betrayed the Alpha Quadrant - There's no doubt about it, we're guilty as charged... (but) our literature, music, art were second to none. And now, so much of it is lost. So many of our best people, our most gifted minds..."
-Garak, reflecting on the cost of war.

What You Leave Behind is a fine finale to the Dominion War arc and to Deep Space 9 in general. It does the basics of what it needs to do, tying up the major plot and character arcs in ways that make sense for the characters. But it also is a celebration of one of Deep Space 9's greatest strengths: It's ability to be a true ensemble piece.

The episode is appropriately titled, in that every character is leaving something behind. Garak and Damar must leave behind the ideal of the strong Cardassia they remember. As Damar has previously observed, that Cardassia is dead; as Garak laments here, so much of the literature, art, and culture that he has celebrated for the entire run of the series has been destroyed in the fighting. Cardassia will survive, but as a shell of its former self.

Virtually all of the regulars make major life changes, with several leaving the station behind and their former lives in pursuit of new roles. Chief O'Brien leaves Deep Space 9 for a plumb job on Earth, leaving him more time for family but also leaving his friendship with Bashir behind. Quark and Odo leave their rivalry behind in a wonderfully unsentimental, utterly unfriendly farewell scene that leaves Quark beaming with pleasure... almost as much as the reassurance that Kira will keep the same kind of eye on him now that Odo did in the past. Kira and Odo leave their relationship behind, and Sisko leaves for a new role with no certainty as to when he might return. Quark protests at one point that he hates change - But from top to bottom, the lives of the characters are poised to change in big ways as they move on to their next chapters.

Much of this plays out in an extended epilogue, as the characters prepare to move on and pause to relive flashbacks of their time on the station. This plays out as clips of past episodes, representing their memories. Jadzia's absence from the clips representing Worf's farewell sticks out like a sore thumb - It's obvious that Terry Farrell must have declined permission for her footage to be used, but it diminishes Worf's bit as this leaves out the most formative events of his time on the station. But overall, while the clips are unquestionably self-indulgent, the indulgence works. We've become invested in these characters, and looking back on their journeys is effective on many levels.


"YOU LOOK DISAPPOINTED...": WINN, DUKAT, AND THE PAH-WRAITHS

About halfway through the episode, Winn finishes leading Dukat to the Fire Caves. Dukat is visibly underwhelmed, prompting Winn to needle him at his disappointment. Unfortunately, Dukat's reaction to the Fire Caves pretty much sums up my reaction to this entire subplot. "I know this sounds naive, but I was expecting to see fire!"

After several episodes of build-up, the Dukat/Winn strand vanished entirely in recent entries. This was fine - After being prominently featured in four episodes running, it was time to take a break from them, and I felt sure that when we rejoined them the wait would have proved worth it. Instead, their material feels tacked-on and vaguely rushed. Dukat's blindness is cured offscreen, with no struggle at all. They then spend the entire first half on a light hike to a cave and more or less sit around and wait for Sisko to have his end-of-series confrontation with Dukat.

In contrast to the close out of the Dominion arc, none of this material is compelling or even particularly interesting. Louise Fletcher and Marc Alaimo do what they can (which is actually quite a lot), but their strand doesn't really connect to anything else or build to anything in particular. Compared to the incisive character study of the episode-long Sisko/Dukat interaction in Waltz, their confrontation here is just a generic scene pitting an action hero against a sneering villain. Both characters deserve a lot better.


CONCLUSION

Emotionally, I would love to give What You Leave Behind a "10." It's the finale to my favorite Star Trek series, the Dominion wrap-up is superb, and the character endings are emotionally satisfying. But after all the buildup the Dukat/Winn arc was given, it ends up feeling like an afterthought, and one that diminishes Dukat's character in particular. It's not enough of a fault to keep this from being a first-rate episode... But it is enough to cost it full marks.

Overall Rating: 9/10.

Previous Episode: The Dogs of War

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7-24. The Dogs of War.

Kira, Damar, and Garak watch helplessly as their rebellion dies.

THE PLOT

Kira has rejoined Damar and Garak in time for a rendezvous with resistance fighters on Cardassia Prime. But the meeting is a trap, and the three find themselves beaming down just in time to witness Cardassians being massacred by Jem'Hadar forces. They manage to escape notice, and hide with Mila (Julianna McCarthy), the one-time housekeeper of Garak's Obsidian Order mentor. But trapped on a hostile world, they are helpless to act as they witness broadcasts of the destruction of Damar's entire rebellion.

Back on Deep Space 9, Quark receives a transmission from Zek. The old man has finally decided to step down as Grand Nagus. The communication is filled with static, but one message comes through loud and clear. Zek has settled on his successor - Quark!


CHARACTERS

Capt. Sisko: Near the end of the episode, Kasidy informs him that she's pregnant. Avery Brooks is wonderful here, shifting through a series of emotions ranging from worry to joy to embarrassment at having forgotten his "injection." As he reassures Kasidy, we can almost see him mentally picturing his future family, much as he painstakingly planned out his future house in Penumbra. Though joy seems to win out with Ben in the scene, I suspect the Prophets' warning is about to hit him hard.

Col. Kira: Another strong performance by Nana Visitor, who conveys Kira's terror of being captured by Cardassians during the opening ambush. There's a note of panic in her voice as she insists they have to get away, which fits perfectly with her background - Kira has seen firsthand what it is to be a prisoner of the Cardassians. Even when they are in hiding, her main thought is to escape from Cardassia, with Garak having to talk reason to her.

Quark: "I won't preside over the demise of Ferengi civilisation, not me! The line has to be drawn here. This far and no further!" Quark stands up for traditional Ferengi values - greed and exploitation - using the same words Picard used to rail against the Borg in First Contact. An inside joke for Trek fans, but it works because it fits perfectly with Quark's character. He has defended Ferengi society throughout the series, from his insistence to Sisko that Ferengi are nothing like humans - "We're better!" - to his disgust at his mother's wearing clothes and running businesses. He's on the wrong side... But there's a certain cockeyed dignity to his final, anti-heroic stand against progress.

Damar: This dour man was always an unlikely choice as a folk hero, and even he seems disconcerted at the divide between who he actually is and the legend building up around his name. Ultimately, the thirst he sees in his own people is what drives him to take up the ill-fitting mantle of rebel leader... And speaking of stirring speeches, Damar's heroic end speech is all the better for the sense that he'd rather not be the one giving it. He would rather be helping the resistance instead of leading it (Being Dukat's second-in-command was almost certainly his happiest time)... But there's no one else, and so he has to act to save his society from its demise.

Odo: In only one scene - But it's a good one, as he expresses his outrage at the Federation's tolerance of Section 31's actions in creating the Changeling disease. He acidly observes that Starfleet publicly deplores such tactics, but is happy enough to reap the benefits. He does promise Sisko that he won't reveal the cure to the Founders of his own accord. Still, the scene - which doesn't connect to any of this episode's story strands - is fairly obviously setting up his role in the finale.

Brunt: The final appearance of Liquidator Brunt (I'm going out on a limb and guessing he won't be featured in the finale). He spends most of the episode shamelessly brown-nosing presumed future Nagus Quark. He doesn't even pretend to deny it: "It's never too early to suck up to the boss." He's also the one who clues Quark into the reforms that have taken place on Ferenginar, including "wage benefits for the poor, retirement benefits for the aged, health care," and - most shocking of all - "the T word... taxes!" Jeffrey Combs is a delight as always, and it's a rare pleasure to get to see him play both of his recurring roles in the same episode (though, regretfully, the series appears set to end without ever putting Weyoun and Brunt in the same scene at the same time).


THOUGHTS

The Dogs of War is Avery Brooks' final episode as director, and it's a consequential one. The "A" plot, following Kira and Garak as they nudge Damar into a new kind of resistance, is terrific. The script, by Rene Echevarria and Ronald D. Moore, carries all the strengths of both writers, with sharp characterizations fusing with good dialogue and meaningful plot turns. We see the trio move from shock, to despair, to finally fighting back, and everything the characters do arises naturally from who they are. Brooks' greatest strength as a director has always been his ability to work with actors, and he gets great work from all of the cast.

That last is true of the "B" plot as well - Heck, even Ishka and Zek aren't annoying (in part thanks to being used sparingly). As someone who has often criticized the Ferengi episodes, I will admit to finding some enjoyment. The script offers some genuinely funny moments and even allows Quark a perverse dignity in his defiant stand for unbridled greed. There's just one problem: It belongs in a different episode!

There is a decent attempt to draw a parallel between Damar and Quark, two men standing defiant against changes that they see destroying their respective societies. But even so, the Cardassia plot and the Ferengi plot don't truly fit in the same show. And with the Ferengi plot occupying most of the screen time in the middle, it throws off the sense of jeopardy that should pervade Kira and Damar's story. I've said this about other episodes in the final ten, but I strongly feel that these two stories should have been seprated out into their own episodes.

The addition of a "C" plot, apparently to clear the decks of the Bashir/Ezri romance subplot, further interferes with momentum. Also, by cutting between two main plots and one subplot, the episode can't help but feel a bit choppy.

Still, most of the individual parts are good, with the Cardassia plot particularly strong, and the episode ends leaving the pieces in place for the final conflict. This leaves it as an overall good episode - Even if it is a bit too "busy" to be as good as it should be.


Overall Rating: 7/10.

Previous Episode: Extreme Measures
Next Episode: What You Leave Behind

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5-24. Empok Nor.

Garak menaces Chief O'Brien's engineering crew!

THE PLOT

The station's plasma conduits are breaking down, leaving the staff in a bind. With Cardassia having joined the Dominion, there is no source for replacement parts, and no ability to replicate those parts. The only reasonable possibility is Empok Nor, a Cardassian space station that was abandoned a year earlier, during the Klingon/Cardassian conflict. Chief O'Brien assembles a team to scavenge the station. Knowing the Cardassians' tendency to leave booby traps, Sisko orders one addition to the team, someone with extensive experience with Cardassian sabotage: Elim Garak!

Garak proves his usefulness almost immediately, disarming a device that would have turned Empok Nor's airlock into a deathtrap. Once aboard, the engineers begin searching for the needed parts. But Garak makes two disturbing discoveries: a bio-gel that he finds only when he makes skin contact with it, and two empty stasis tubes that housed members of the Cardassian First Order, a group that is violently xenophobic even by Cardassian standards. Their statis tubes were apparently set to wake them as soon as the station was breached.

Now they are hunting the Starfleet intruders. Garak's skills as a spy and assassin seem to offer the best hope for combating them... but Garak is sliding ever further into xenophobia himself, turning gradually against the very people he was sent to protect!


CHARACTERS

Capt. Sisko: When O'Brien suggests scavenging parts from Empok Nor, Sisko barely hesitates. He does take a moment to verify that the salvage team won't be likely to run afoul of the Dominion, however, and he bribes Garak into going along to help protect the engineers, both of which show a level of caution not always typical of Sisko.

O'Brien: The strongest character material of the episode is when Garak brings up O'Brien's military service during the Federation's war with Cardassia. Garak remarks on O'Brien's audacity at the Battle of Setlik III. This battle was first brought up in the TNG episode The Wounded (the show that introduced the Cardassians), and we saw there how uncomfortable O'Brien was with the things he had to do to survive the conflict. He is similarly uncomfortable here, insisting that he is no longer a soldier but an engineer. But as his men begin to die around him, O'Brien steadily returns to the soldier role, particularly when he is pushed into a battle of wits with Garak... a battle the engineer ends up winning.

Nog: Remains highly enthusiastic about his Starfleet career, to the point that his eagerness to volunteer for every duty available can become slightly annoying at times. His respect for O'Brien is entirely genuine, both from his own observations of the man's hard work and from hearing his father talk about how the chief can fix anything.

Garak: "Lately I've noticed that everyone seems to trust me. It's quite unnerving." It's good to see that Garak - and the writers - are aware that he has become too "safe" as an ally. Part of what makes Garak such a satisfying character is that you can never fully trust him, and that edge has diminished a bit over time. This episode might have served as a reminder that he remains dangerous and unreliable... Except, of course, that Garak does exactly what he was sent to do, right up until the bio-gel makes him "turn bad." And by turn bad, I mean turn into a stock psycho who is vastly less interesting (and less fun) than normal Garak is. Before that turn, we do get some good moments between him and O'Brien, a previously unused character pairing. The scene in which Garak needles O'Brien about his war service is a particularly strong one, leaving me wondering how much better this episode might have been had he gone to the station with a secret agenda that would put him at odds with O'Brien, with no evil bio-gel required.


THOUGHTS

Empok Nor is a story of two halves. The first half, in which the engineering team goes to the abandoned station and eventually finds itself being picked apart by Cardassian commandos, is very good: Tense, well-acted, with good character material and meticulous direction by the ever-reliable Michael Vejar. The second half, in which Garak goes crazy and Andrew J. Robinson recreates his "Gemini Killer" persona from Dirty Harry, is rather weak and silly, derailing an episode that had been on track to become a fine, spooky piece.

The performances by Colm Meaney and Andrew Robinson are terrific, as expected. The guest cast is undistinguished but perfectly adequate. What keeps this episode from hitting the mark is the script, which never quite finds a proper focus. The subplot with the Cardassian First Order never receives an adequate payoff; this strand is simply and conveniently cut off at the exact moment Garak becomes homicidal. Nor does the "evil Garak" material particularly work. Unlike Garak's nastiest moments in The Wire, his behavior in this episode doesn't seem to stem from his own personality - It's forced upon him, effectively turning him into a different character. The two halves don't really gel, and there's no sense that the events of this story will have any repercussions whatever.

I would also like to raise the question: Why didn't the DS9 crew make sure to have backup supplies of Cardassian equipment? There was a lengthy period, from the end of Season Three through to the first part of Season Five, in which the Federation appeared to be on good terms with the Cardassians. Surely using that opportunity to stock up on parts that could not be obtained from other sources would have been a simple matter of common sense? Had this been addressed with even a throwaway line ("Dukat sabotaged our spares right before leaving the station to join the Dominion), then I'd be fine by it. Instead, it appears to be a situation that exists solely because the plot requires it.

I will say that this is a quite watchable episode, with some good moments. The O'Brien/Garak pairing works extremely well, with the series' most straightforward character forced to interact with the series' least straightforward one, to amusing effect. The scene near the beginning, in which Garak prods O'Brien about his military background, is excellent character material. Also very good is the closing scene, with O'Brien's admission that he was actively trying to kill Garak all the more effective for being underplayed. It's just a shame that these moments and performances are stuffed into an episode that's otherwise unworthy of them.


Overall Rating: 5/10.

Previous Episode: Blaze of Glory
Next Episode: In the Cards

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5-19. Ties of Blood and Water.

Kira and Legate Ghemor (Lawrence Pressman)

THE PLOT

Tekeny Ghemor (Lawrence Pressman), the Cardassian legate who became the leader of the Cardassian dissident movement after Kira was kidnapped and surgically altered to resemble his daughter, visits the station. Kira is excited: not only is Ghemor the Cardassian best suited to lead a political opposition to the Dominion occupation, he is also someone Kira grew close to, close enough to see as a father figure.

Ghemor is terminally ill, however, and declining rapidly. He asks Kira to "be (his) daughter one last time," to perform the Shri-tal, a Cardassian tradition in which a dying man will tell closely-guarded secrets to his family. With his daughter still missing, almost certainly dead, Kira is the closest thing he has to family. For the Federation, it's a remarkable opportunity: A chance to gather an unprecedented amount of intelligence on the Cardassian government. For Kira, it's an ordeal she may not be ready to face.

She braves it as head-on as possible, conducting a series of exhausting interviews discussing various Cardassian Guls, including potentially corruptible political enemies of Gul Dukat. But Dukat is aware of Ghemor's presence on Deep Space 9. He attempts to intimidate Sisko into extraditing the dying man. When Sisko refuses, he makes a dramatic entrance in a Jem'Hadar warship - with weapons locked directly on the station!


CHARACTERS

Capt. Sisko: Deals well with Dukat's attempts at intimidation. He doesn't react with fear, nor does he lose his temper. He is firm but steady in rejecting attempts to make him surrender Ghemor. He does not block Dukat from seeing the dying Cardassian - but he does keep a watchful eye, and when Dukat makes an attempt on the old man's life, he responds forcefully.

Major Kira: The episode opens with Kira happy and excited as Ghemor arrives on the station. She reacts to him very much as if he was her father, spilling over with delight at seeing him and enthusiasm at plans that would involve him. When she learns he is dying, and that he wants her to act as his daughter and stay with him as he dies, she flashes back to memories of her actual father (Thomas Kopache)'s death. Her guilt at fleeing his deathbed fuels her rage at Ghemor when she learns of his acts during the Occupation - acts that would fall far short of "war criminal" status, as Odo points out, but which do give her an excuse to flee another father's deathbed. It's a tribute to just how sharp Kira's anger can be and just how much Deep Space 9 has kicked against the usual Star Trek "safeness" that, for just moment, I had doubts as to whether Kira would come back to him.

Weyoun: Why let a little thing like death stop you from bringing back a good guest character? Weyoun (Jeffrey Combs), the ill-fated yet delightfully slimy Vorta seen in To the Death, returns via the magic of cloning. Combs remains wonderful in the role, his flippant manner offsetting Dukat's more immediately imposing presence to entertaining effect. Particularly enjoyable is Weyoun's delight when Sisko confronts him over the attempted assassination of Ghemor. As someone who delights in games of all kinds, the Vorta enjoys the moves and countermoves between Sisko and Dukat - and he loves rendering all of it irrelevant with a dramatic gesture of his own.

Gul Dukat: Has retained the title "Gul," despite claiming rulership of Cardassia, because that title sounds "more hands-on." He takes a moment to savor a little dig at Sisko, observing that his own title is less pretentious than such alternatives as "Emissary." He insists that he is no Dominion puppet, and he is enjoying his newfound power - but he can't be unaware that Weyoun is perpetually attached to his shoulder. His only significant interaction with any DS9 regulars that doesn't include the Vorta is his scene with Kira, in which he knows exactly which buttons to push to spark the major's fiery temper.


THOUGHTS

Ties of Blood and Water is a direct sequel to Season Three's Second Skin. It reunites Kira with Legate Ghemor, and plays on the surrogate father/daughter dynamic of that episode to good effect. Better still, it does so while furthering the narrative arc of the season and while giving Kira yet another excellent character episode.

The Occupation and the things Kira saw, did, and saw done represent the most definitive aspect of her character, and the one most explored by the series. Which doesn't mean that the dramatic well has run dry. After all, the reason the Occupation so defines her is that it was a horrific experience to endure, and every time the show revisits it, we see yet another way in which it left its mark on her.

The flashbacks to the death of Kira's father initially come across as intrusive. They don't remain that way, however. Writer Robert Hewitt Wolfe and director Avery Brooks, both of whom have been consistently reliable behind the camera, let the flashbacks build in such a way that by the midpoint of the episode, we see the past story reverberating against the present. It results in something of a dual climax, with the tag scene nicely tying the two strands together.

The strong emotional scenes between Kira and Ghemor are the heart of the episode, but this is a character episode that also manages to build the background narrative. We get our first strong glimpse of the new Cardassian government. Despite Dukat's protestations, it is clear that he is exactly what Sisko accuses him of being: A Dominion puppet. Weyoun's interactions with Dukat strongly show this. The Vorta is quite open in telling Dukat in front of others that he will need to rehabilitate his image, or interrupting a confrontation between Dukat and Sisko to observe that using something fictitious as propaganda is merely "a small problem." I look forward to seeing more of the Weyoun/Dukat interactions; Dukat may be drunk on power for now, but I have to believe there will come a point when the Vorta will begin to seriously annoy him.

Most interesting is that the Dominion seem just about ready to move from Cold War to hot one. They may still playing at diplomacy for now. But their willingness to show up with weapons locked, all but daring Sisko to fire the first shot of the inevitable conflict, shows that the fragile peace may be about to shatter...


Overall Rating: 8/10.

Previous Episode: Business as Usual
Next Episode: Ferengi Love Songs

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4-5. Indiscretion

Gul Dukat (Marc Alaimo) faces a difficult decision.

THE PLOT

Kira is contacted by Razka Karn (Roy Brocksmith), a Bajoran smuggler who assisted the Resistance during the Occupation. Razka has a lead on the Ravinok, a Cardassian ship that disappeared six years ago while transporting Bajoran prisoners - including the man who recruited Kira into Shakaar's resistance cell. Though it's unlikely there are survivors after all this time, Kira cannot ignore the possibility of finding out what happened.

The missing ship was Cardassian, so the Cardassian government insists on sending a representative along - the very man under whose jurisdiction the Ravinok operated: Gul Dukat. Kira is anything but pleased at working with her old enemy, but she accepts the diplomatic necessity. Then she discovers that Dukat has his own personal reasons for having come - reasons which may just re-ignite the old conflict between the two of them!


CHARACTERS

Capt. Sisko: Though he doesn't try to force Kira to accept the Cardassians' request, he does urge her to agree voluntarily.  He tells her that it is exactly on this type of mission that the two governments are going to have to work together to form any lasting peace. In a subplot, we see his relationship with Kasidy becoming increasingly serious - to which he reacts with cold feet, though not for the reasons we initially think. In an effective scene near the end, we learn that his nervousness comes out of fear of the dangers of his job hurting her, as had happened with his wife.

Major Kira: Kira has matured considerably since the first season. She still carries the mental scars of her experiences. When Dukat tries to turn on his charm, she cuts him off short, telling him that while Cardassia and Bajor may eventually become friends, the two of them never will. But while Season One Kira would have just seen him as a one-note butcher when he announces his intention to murder one of the survivors, this Kira can recognize that he doesn't actually want to do it. As such, she's able to help talk him down from his intended crime.

Odo: Gets a brief but wonderful scene in which Kira tells him that she has a lead on the missing Ravinok. Kira is all geared up for an argument about why she shouldn't pursue this. Instead, Odo just tells her "Good luck," pointing out that it doesn't matter how long it's been or how unlikely there are to be survivors: A friend of hers was aboard the ship, so of course she is going to go looking. A great little moment that shows how genuine Odo's friendship for her is.

Gul Dukat: The episode takes great pains to humanize Dukat, but even as he and Kira manage a respectable working relationship, the constant reminder of their backstory hangs over the proceedings. When meeting with Razka, the smuggler says of Dukat's charm that it "almost makes you forget that five years ago, he was working Bajorans to death in forced labor camps and shooting anybody who tried to stop him. Almost makes you forget."


THOUGHTS

The first Kira-centric episode since last season's Shakaar, and it's extremely welcome. Nana Visitor brings so much to an already well-scripted character, and it's always interesting just to watch her. That's doubly true when Kira is interacting with figures from her past.  By throwing her into a reluctant alliance with the man she had to have thought of as the devil incarnate, this episode guarantees itself some dramatic mileage.

For a while, the episode seems to over-humanize Dukat, allowing Kira to be far too comfortable with him far too quickly. Then we get a sharp turn, as Dukat reveals exactly why he is there and what he intends to do, which ignites the conflict between them all over again. This creates a final Act in which the two must work together to achieve their common goal (rescuing the survivors), they work against each other with regard to the fate of one specific survivor, which lays groundwork for a lot of conflict.

Unfortunately, the episode isn't quite as good as it might have been, and that's mostly because of the Sisko/Kasidy subplot. It's not that these scenes are bad in any way. Avery Brooks and Penny Johnson are terrific, both individually and together, and the subplot isn't at all badly scripted. It just interferes with the more interesting Kira story, distracting from it during the first half and robbing it of valuable time during the second half.

Time ends up being an issue, because the resolution feels rushed. Kira and Dukat defeat an enemy force with so much ease, that it's a wonder the survivors hadn't been able to do so themselves long ago. Then Kira talks Dukat down from his intended murder - again, too easily and with too little conflict. The ten minutes or so that was devoted to the Sisko/Kasidy material could have been far better used by the main plot. And given that those scenes were completely disconnected from the main plot, I'm sure they could have been inserted into a more appropriate episode down the line.

Without the subplot and with a better-developed finale, this would probably have been an "8." As it stands, it only just squeaks by with a "7."


Overall Rating: 7/10.

Previous Episode: Hippocratic Oath
Next Episode: Rejoined

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4-1, 4-2. The Way of the Warrior.

Worf's loyalties are tested by Gowron (Robert O'Reilly).

"Come gather 'round people, wherever you roam... There's a battle outside and it's raging. It'll soon shake your windows and rattle your walls. For the times they are a-changin'."
-Bob Dylan


THE PLOT

The destruction of the Obsidian Order has destabilized the Cardassian government, leading to a civilian uprising against military rule. On its own, this might actually be considered good news for the Federation and certainly for the Bajorans. But with the revelation that the changelings have already infiltrated the Alpha Quandrant, not everyone trusts that this is a purely Cardassian matter.

A fleet of Klingons have come to Deep Space 9, ostensibly to help prepare for the inevitable Dominion invasion. But as the Klingons harrass civilians and conduct unprovoked searches of ships in neutral space, it becomes clear something more is going on. Sisko calls on Starfleet for help, in the form of Lt. Commander Worf (Michael Dorn), whose contacts are able to provide the true motive behind these deeds. The Klingons believe that the overthrow of the Cardassian government can only be the work of changelings. And they intend to respond in the most Klingon way possible: By invading and laying claim to Cardassia!


CHARACTERS

Captain Sisko: His relationship with Kasidy Yates (Penny Johnson) continues to grow, but that growth is stymied by the demands of his position and her job. She is only on the station at irregular intervals. In this episode, their time together keeps being interrupted by crises, and she tells him that she isn't sure when she'll be back again. He doesn't appear to be in any danger of losing her yet - Her final kiss and glance back at him definitely don't seem like signs of a woman giving up. But I wouldn't be surprised if things became a bit strained in the near future.

The short fuse of his early appearances appears to be a weakness he's overcome, as he never shows any sign of losing his temper. But at every confrontation with the Klingons, he refuses to back down. He also remains unafraid to bend rules. Unable to officially warn the Cardassians, he calls in Garak to give him a fitting, casually discussing the situation with his officers while Garak is in the room and leaving plain, simple Garak to do the rest.

Worf: The destruction of the Enterprise has left him at a crossroads. He has spent his life in the human world, but only ever propertly fit in on that ship. He muses to O'Brien about how they were "like warriors from the ancient sagas. There was nothing (they) could not do." But with that home ripped away, he thinks it might be time to connect with his Klingon heritage, and he has spent an extended leave at a Klingon monastery trying to decide whether to stay with Starfleet or to resign his commission.

After working so hard to reopen the doors to the Klingon world, Worf now sees those doors slammed shut again. Gowron personally offers worf the chance to go into battle with him against the Cardassians. It's an offer Worf can't honorably accept, not as a Starfleet officer, and his refusal angers Gowron and leads to a renewed expulsion. "We do not forgive - or forget!" Gowron declares at the end, his words equally directed at Sisko and at Worf.

Odo: Makes good on his offer to share breakfast with Garak, and has worked to use his shapeshifting skills to emulate dining - by adding a cup of coffee to his hand to sip from (both cup and coffee being extensions of himself). He also is conducting drills on the station to help station personnel prepare for a changeling infiltration.

Quark: The first to recognize that the Klingons must be up to something, simply because they are "too quiet" in his bar. He and Garak share a wonderful scene together in which the two commisserate over their similarities: both men who believe they deserve a greater measure of success than they have won, both not really entirely respecting the softness of the Federation, both left to hope for the Federation to rescue them from their own circumstances.

Gowron: The first impression Gowron gave, way back in TNG's Reunion, was of a near psycopath. With his wild eyes and quick temper, he may have been the lesser evil to Duras - but it was clear that he was a man of violence. This episode sees him all too eager to take the Empire into a new war. He remains cunning, and he recognizes Sisko's point at the end about a war serving the Dominion's interests. But he has no intention of pulling the Empire back to where it had been prior to this incident, and he will hold a grudge against Starfleet in general and Worf in particular for siding against him.

Gul Dukat: Dukat recognizes that the Central Command is going to fall to the civilian uprising and, ever the survivor, promptly switches sides to assist the civilian government. He might be keeping one eye on promoting his own influence, but he can't be dismissed as a coward, as he legitimately does put his life on the line. He also sneers at Garak during the battle, making barbed comments about how the tailor would doubtless prefer to meet the Klingons "in an interrogation cell," a charge Garak does not dispute.


THOUGHTS

The Way of the Warrior opens with the longest teaser Deep Space 9 has provided so far. Knowing that the much-hyped addition of Worf would bring in viewers who had drifted away in the series' early days, the first ten minutes tidily re-establishes the status quo.

We first see the Dominion threat re-established as Odo runs a "changeling drill" on the station. Also touched on is Sisko's relationship with Kasidy, including their shared enthusiasm for baseball and the way in which their respective jobs get in the way of their time together. Finally, with these pieces set up for the sake of new viewers, the Klingons arrive. As massive numbers of Klingon ships de-cloak, the dilemma for the first half is established with an eye-catching and ominous visual that all but guarantees viewers will still be there come the end of the first commercial break.

This is televised Star Trek as action movie. After the large-scale space combat scenes of The Die Is Cast worked so well, the producers appear to have decided to push even further along those lines. There is a lot of action in this episode, both ship-to-ship and hand-to-hand. It's well shot and briskly edited, and the results are genuinely exciting.

But this isn't by any means "dumb action." The script is by Ira Steven Behr and Robert Hewitt Wolfe (basically the show's best two writers), and it is an excellent piece of craftsmanship. For new viewers, all needed exposition is packaged tightly and clearly within a fast-paced, compelling narrative. For returning viewers, that exposition is kept interesting because we are being told and shown how things have changed as a result of Season Three's events, rather than simply having those events re-stated. That means for all viewers, this 2-hour piece is introducing a new normal to the series.

Worf's introduction is particularly well-handled. His entrance is delayed until the 25 minute mark, which allows Sisko's competence to be shown off as he deals with the situation. It is Sisko's decision to bring in a Klingon to deal with the Klingons, not something imposed from outside. And very quickly after Worf's introduction, he and Sisko share a very strong scene which showcases the wisdom Deep Space 9's commander has gained since the series pilot. The message to continuing fans is clear: Sisko is in no way being diminished by Worf's arrival, which forestalls potential resentment against him.

At the same time, old TNG viewers get plenty of Worf, with the next twenty minutes being solidly Worf-centric as he investigates the Klingon activity. Anyone tuning in just to see Worf gets to see plenty of him in action, interacting with O'Brien and with the Klingons. His scene with Gowron is a naturally followup to the TNG Klingon episodes, and the backstory the two characters shares gives an added dimension to the plot of this piece.

Nor is everything reset at the end. The Klingons break off their attack, but they don't cede the territory they have gained, nor do they normalize relations with the Federation. Instead, they dig into their new positions, seeming to all but dare either Starfleet or Cardassia to attack.

"The Klingons are here to stay," Kira observes. Meaning that we are left with yet another precarious balance: A new, weaker Cardassian government; a more aggressive, less friendly  Klingon government; and the ongoing threat of the Dominion, lurking in the background, its very presence a catalyst for these changes.

An outstanding season premiere, one which promises much of the year to come.


Overall Rating: 10/10.

Previous Episode: The Adversary
Next Episode: The Visitor

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3-22. Explorers.

Sisko and Jake share an adventure.

THE PLOT

Sisko returns from Bajor with a goatee and a new project. Having viewed designs of ancient Bajoran spaceships that traveled the stars using solar sails, Sisko has decided to build his own solar spaceship. As he constructs his exact replica, he comes up with an additional plan: To prove that it's possible that Bajoran legends about travelling all the way to Cardassia in these ships are possible.

Obviously, he can't take what would be a years-long voyage to Cardassia. But he can take four days to sail the ship through the Denorios belt, the most difficult part of the journey. If he can take the ship that far, then he will have proved that it was at least possible for the ancient Bajorans to make the trip. And by inviting Jake to be his co-pilot on the journey, he will get some rare time to bond with his son.

But the journey will bring with it a few surprises. All too soon, Sisko will find his trip is just a little more perilous than he had planned...


CHARACTERS

Commander Sisko: This episode marks the debut of the goatee. As with the first appearances of Riker's beard, it doesn't quite look right yet, but will in time come to suit his face - particularly when he gets around to shaving his head. This episode is a good one for both Avery Brooks and Sisko. Sisko throws himself into his project with enthusiasm, insisting on making every detail as authentic as possible, right down to using the same tools the Bajorans had used. Brooks, who has often been at his best in the more action-heavy episodes, here gets a chance to shine in the quiet moments. Particularly good scenes include a quiet moment with Dax, in which the two friends recall Sisko's building of Jake's first bedroom, and the scenes with Jake in which he pushes his son to accept the offer of a writing fellowship. fellowship.

Jake: The writers of Deep Space 9 have been careful from the first not to repeat the mistakes TNG made with Wesley Crusher. From as early as the pilot, Jake has been characterized as a fairly normal kid. He's smart, but no super-genius who regularly shows up the adult professionals at their own jobs. He's a decent young man, but still prone to getting into mischief. As a result, he's been able to emerge as likable, but he often hasn't been a very distinct character in himself. This episode sees some focus on Jake as his own person. We learn that he not only has an interest in writing, but a genuine talent for it. We also see that he's worried about leaving his father on his own, concerned about his father's lack of companionship outside of work. These are good character notes, and may help Jake to emerge more from the background in the future.

Dr. Bashir: In a "B" plot, Bashir deals with anxiety over the person who beat him out for valedictorian coming to the station. As was the case when Bashir was nominated for a prestigious award, we see how sensitive he is about being "second best," even though Deep Space 9 was where he wanted to be in the first place. He feels as if his accomplishments aren't quite truly his, because she could have taken this assignment away from him if she had wanted to. An amusing scene shows Bashir and O'Brien getting drunk together, showing how far their friendship has evolved from a beginning when, as the chief frankly admits, O'Brien had "hated" Julian.


THOUGHTS

Explorers is a quiet, character-based episode, which is exactly what is called for after the seismic shift of the preceding 2-parter. This isn't about sabre-rattling or grand plots. It's about characters in rooms, talking. Because the characters are people we've come to care about and the dialogue is well-written, it works.

There is no connection at all between the "A" plot and the "B" plot, but they still manage to fit together. Maybe it's because both plots are heavily character-based. The tone is also kept even. The Bashir material has nothing to do with the Sisko story, but it feels like it belongs in the same episode. Also, both plots use character pairs. Sisko and his son interact throughout the main story, while the subplot mainly sees Bashir talking with O'Brien.

Though the episode is mostly talk, it's still highly visual. The set design of Sisko's Bajoran replica is really well-done. The interior looks like something out of a Jules Verne novel, with dials and levers and even a porthole. It's also well-lit, enhancing the feel of being inside something akin to an old seafaring vessel. The exterior model makes a good match for the interior, and is also eye-catching. And the setting of this primitive vessel allows just enough action to be injected into the episode to keep things moving, allowing some incident between one dialogue scene and the next.

On the whole, an enjoyable piece. It provides a breather after the big events of The Die Is Cast, while working as a fun little episode in its own right.


Overall Rating: 7/10

Previous Episode: The Die Is Cast
Next Episode: Family Business


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3-21. The Die Is Cast.

Garak interrogates Odo.

THE PLOT

Garak has joined his old mentor, Enabran Tain (Paul Dooley), as Tain prepares to launch a first strike against the Dominion. Tain's plan is to attack the Founders' home world, eliminating them as a threat. The drug dependency used to control the Jem'Hadar will then neutralize them, as they will die within weeks of the Founders' destruction. This will remove the Dominion threat and, on a more personal level, provide Tain with a path back to power and Garak with an opportunity to take revenge on his old enemies in the Cardassian Empire.

This does, however, leave Odo as a prisoner on Tain's ship. Tain, for his part, requires a show of loyalty from Garak. A vigorous interrogation of Odo, with use of a stasis field to disable his shapeshifting abilities and make him vulnerable to torture!


CHARACTERS

Commander Sisko: Even under orders to stay at the station and take no action regarding the Cardassian/Romulan fleet, he will not simply sit by while one of his officers is taken into a war zone. He disregards orders and takes the Defiant through the wormhole to rescue Odo. When this takes him directly into combat, he is very ready for it - though as soon as the constable and Garak are rescued, he is equally ready to get away as quickly as possible.

Odo: Rene Auberjonois gets a great scene, as Odo is interrogated by Garak. He never displays any fear, even as the Cardassian stasis field keeps him from reverting to his liquid state, leaving him a dried out husk with skin literally peeling away. As Odo stands there, a living wreck, he continues to batter Garak with his observations, recognizing that this is far from the return to glory the Cardassian had dreamt of.

Dr. Bashir: The teaser sees Bashir attempting to have lunch with his other best friend, Chief O'Brien. Bashir expounds on theatre, while O'Brien basically ignores him and eats. The doctor's frustration at his failed attempt to replicate his lunches with Garak is very funny, and this brief interaction shows just how important Bashir's friendship with Garak is to him - as important in its own way as his friendship with O'Brien.

Commander Eddington: I'd completely forgotten about Eddington. I think the writers had, too. Much was made of his introduction, but he's gone not only unseen, but entirely unmentioned in the twenty episodes since. Given that he was placed in charge of Starfleet security on the station, I'd have thought he'd at least receive some mention in some of the intervening episodes. As it stands, it took me a moment to remember who this extra character was. "Odo's my friend, too," he insists - but since these two characters have shared no screen time since Eddington's appointment, we can't even judge this statement as a lie. A rare missed opportunity for this series, as it keeps any of the character's actions in this episode from having any resonance at all.

Garak: "Do you know what the sad part is, Odo? I'm a very good tailor." Back in his old role as Enabran Tain's right hand, Garak finds he has no taste for the job anymore. Some of this is down to Tain, whose orders are immediately too ruthless. He talks of eliminating his housekeeper, the very woman who pleaded with Garak to help Tain just one episode ago. He orders Garak to interrogate Odo, refusing to accept Garak's belief that Odo has nothing to tell. It's no surprise that the episode ends with Garak back at his tailor's shop - but he's emotionally in a very different place, which will hopefully result in further developments down the line.


THOUGHTS

A rare case of Part Two being even better than Part One. The Die Is Cast picks up on the idea of Enabran Tain's first strike against the Dominion. What's interesting is that all of the Alpha Quadrant governments have the same basic idea: To sit back and wait, not dirty their hands on this "rogue operation," but hope for its success just the same. This approach defines not only the Cardassians and the Romulans, but also Starfleet. "I never hope for war," a Starfleet official tells Sisko, "but if it comes, I want the Dominion to be on the losing side."

The Garak scenes are predictably the best in the show. Put back in a position of power, Garak finds that his ability to lie with absolute smoothness only goes so far. It's clear from the start that he's trying to protect Odo - but it's also clear to Tain and the Romulan captain, and Garak is forced to do what he least wants: torture someone he might have considered a friend.

The scene in which Garak interrogates Odo is the episode's strongest, with Rene Auberjonois and Andrew Robinson both outstanding. I particularly like the way writer Ronald D. Moore's script keeps each character determined to betray no sign of weakness. Garak is silky, charming, and utterly terrifying as he presses Odo for answers. Odo, in turn, is defiant, spitting sarcasm back at Garak even under torture. Both characters do give, just a little: Garak, practically whispering in Odo's ear as he begs the shapeshifter to say something - "lie if you have to!" - and Odo confiding his desire to join his people's Great Link. It is only when Garak shuts off the field, though, that they show their weakness: Odo returning to liquid form, Garak allowing himself to bury his head in his hands in exhaustion and self-disgust.

This is an episode which should have far-reaching consequences. The Dominion has been a background threat throughout the season - frequently mentioned, but largely passive save for a single attempt to get Odo to join them. Now they have been officially engaged, which should make them a more active threat. At the same time, this should cause a shift in the Cardassians' internal balance of power, which might be rather interesting to see. Whatever the case, I look forward to seeing the fallout from this - doubtless around the season's end.

The best episode of the season, and one which promises much to come as the series continues.


Overall Rating: 10/10.

Previous Episode: Improbable Cause
Next Episode: Explorers

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3-15. Destiny.

Sisko struggles with his role
as the Bajoran "Emissary."

THE PLOT

With the treaty between Cardassia and Bajor in effect, two Cardassian scientists come to Deep Space 9 in an attempt to establish a communications relay within the wormhole. If successful, this will allow the station to maintain contact with ships and colonies in the Gamma Quadrant - not only a boon for logistics, but also a potentially considerable advantage against any hostility from the Dominion. But Yarka (Erick Avari), a Bajoran Vedek, urges Sisko to stop the experiment, insisting that a Bajoran prophecy spells out doom should it continue.

Sisko dismisses Yarka's claims. Given that the Vedek assembly has also ignored him, Kira is inclined to do the same. But gradually, elements of Yarka's prophecy begin to come true. First, an additional Cardassian joins the scientific team, matching up with his claim of "three vipers." Then an unusual comet appears, its tail resembling the "sword of stars" in Yarka's prophecy. As the coincidences mount, even Sisko has to wonder if this effort truly is cursed.


CHARACTERS

Commander Sisko: We have already seen Sisko's discomfort with his role as the "Emissary" of Bajoran legend. It's not just that Sisko doesn't believe in the Bajoran prophecies - He desperately wants not to believe, to the point that he tries to shut out the evidence as it comes. In the scene in which Kira confronts him with all the elements of the prophecy which have already come true, she ends by noting that one of those is his presence as the Emissary. Sisko turns away, his face a picture of denial, doubt, and general insecurity. He sees himself as simply a Starfleet officer.  He cannot reconcile his view of himself with the Bajoran insistence on imbuing his very presence with special meaning.

Major Kira: Kira gets her third strong episode in a row. With most characters, I'd start to feel a sense of overkill. But Kira has become so complex that each episode is able to show some new side to either her character or Nana Visitor's performance. Here, we focus on the contradiction Kira experiences between her religious beliefs and her status as first officer to a man her religion insists is an icon. As an officer, she believes in pursuing any project that will help cement peace between Cardassia and Bajor. As an officer, she agrees with Sisko that there is no reasonable cause to suspend the experiment. As a Bajoran, however, she believes in prophecy. She may initially distrust Yarka's interpretation, but as elements seem to come true, she cannot ignore her beliefs. And finally, as she reluctantly admits to Sisko, she cannot help but view her commanding officer as "The Emissary," however much she may not wish to.

O'Brien: Strikes up a fractious relationship with Gilora (Tracy Scoggins), the Cardassian engineer. She treats him dismissively until he finally has enough and snaps at her, which - all too predictably - causes her to develop feelings for him. This subplot is pretty standard stuff, though Colm Meaney's performance when he finally recognizes Gilora's interest and tries to defuse it is very enjoyable, and Scoggins is quite fetching, even buried under a mountain of alien makeup.

Dax: Her friendship with Sisko allows her to snap him out of his doubts when he begins wondering if the Bajoran prophecies truly are real. During a rare moment of indecision, Sisko wonders if he should expel the Cardassians, as Yarka urged. Dax asks him what he would do if he had never heard of the prophecy, then tells him that he has to choose whether he will be guided by religious prophecies or whether he will make his own decisions. It's all the urging Sisko needs to return to himself for the episode's final stretch.


THOUGHTS

Destiny is the first episode to deal in any depth with Sisko's ambivalence about his role as "Emissary." That's somewhat surprising, given that we're now in the second half of Season Three. Still, seeing this background strand brought to the fore is extremely welcome, particularly in a script that deals with it in a complex way. We see Sisko's frustration at being thrust into a role he doesn't want. We see Kira's difficulty, trying to deal with Sisko as her commanding officer (one with whom she often argues) while at the same time viewing him as a religious figure. And we see the complex role of prophecy itself, with the metaphoric language open to so many different interpretations as to make firm predictions meaningless.

Ultimately, as both Dax's scene with him and the ending of the episode indicate, Sisko is probably best advised to simply make his own decisions based on his own good judgment. Any other option would involve second-guessing himself. In a crisis, that could lead to disaster.

The script is well-structured, and makes good use of the ensemble. Only Bashir and Jake really get left out (and for the latter, at least, that's nothing new), while even Odo's small role is used to bring out Sisko's central dilemma. Good use is made of continuity, from mentions of the aliens inside the wormhole to the use of the Bajoran/Cardassian treaty. At this point, the show is starting to really coalesce into an ongoing narrative, an element of the series which seems to grow stronger and stronger as the series progresses.

Another major strength of this episode is the effects. The visuals of the comet, its impact on the wormhole, and Sisko's flight through the wormhole while shielding the comets... These are wonderful visuals, dynamic and beautiful at the same time. That some of Deep Space 9's best effects are couched in such a smart script is a particular joy, as it shows that intelligent drama and outstanding effects do not have to work against each other.

All in all, another first-rate episode in a season that's shaping up to be the series' best yet.


Overall Rating: 9/10

Previous Episode: Heart of Stone

Next Episode: Prophet Motive

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