7-18. 'Til Death Do Us Part.

Dukat, in disguise, manipulates Kai Winn.

THE PLOT

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

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

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


CHARACTERS

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

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

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

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

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


THOUGHTS

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

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

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

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


Overall Rating: 6/10.

Previous Episode: Penumbra
Next Episode: Strange Bedfellows

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7-17. Penumbra.

Sisko plans for retirement on Bajor.

THE PLOT

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

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

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


CHARACTERS

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

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

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

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

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


THOUGHTS

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

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

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

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

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


Overall Rating: 8/10.

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

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

The Ops crew plan a Vegas casino heist...

THE PLOT

Vic Fontaine's nightclub has been taken over.

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

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

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


CHARACTERS

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

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

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

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


THOUGHTS

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

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

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

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

Overall Rating: 8/10.

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


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7-4. Take Me Out to the Holosuite.

A friendly game of baseball...

THE PLOT

Capt. Solok (Gregory Wagrowski), a Vulcan Sisko knew at the Academy, visits the station for repairs and takes the opportunity to revive an old rivalry with Sisko. He sniffs at the inefficiency of the human repair schedule, diminishes Sisko's accomplishment at being awarded the Christopher Pike Medal of Valor, and ends the meeting by challenging Sisko to a "contest of teamwork, courage, and sacrifice" - a game of baseball.

Sisko accepts even before presenting the challenge to his senior staff, all of whom agree to go along with playing this completely unfamiliar, antiquated game of which their captain is so fond. But as they train, it becomes clear that Sisko doesn't regard this merely as a game. There is something deeply personal in this contest, leaving the captain regarding his upcoming game with Solok with the same ferocity as the Dominion War itself!


CHARACTERS

Capt. Sisko: Becomes extremely short-tempered toward the very people trying to help him, and temporarily loses the support of his crew when he kicks (an admittedly hopeless) Rom off the team. In a private moment, he fills Kasidy in on the background between him and Solok: The Vulcan not only defeated him in a wrestling match, he then used that match for years after as a way to show Vulcan superiority over humans. Now he has picked baseball - a game that has deep personal meaning to Sisko - determined to rub Sisko's nose in it by using his own game against him.

Odo: Sisko convinces him to act as umpire, prevailing on his ability to enforce rules impartially. Odo agrees reluctantly, but then throws throws himself into the role. A charming moment has Kira observe him practicing calling people either safe or out, as well as rehearsing ejecting people from the game. He gets to use that last against none other than Sisko himself, when Sisko touches his chest while arguing a call. This cues the Third Act Crisis, as the team is left with a losing game and no leader. But it's a fun scene, not least because Sisko's behavior has demanded a comeuppance all episode long. It also sets up a very funny moment later on.

Kasidy Yates: She goes along with the game, seeing that it's important to Sisko. But as it becomes clear that it's a little too important, she pushes him to reveal the truth about his rivalry with Solok. He makes her promise not to tell the others, which she does with utter sincerity in her voice - And the episode then cuts immediately to her revealing all so that the others understand why their captain is acting like a maniac.

Rom: Volunteers for the team in order to connect with Nog, having spent far too little time with his son since the boy joined Starfleet. He is hopeless at baseball, unable to grasp any of the rules and unable to do anything with even the slightest competence, no matter how hard he tries. Sisko cuts him from the team with clear anger in his voice and face, leading to almost all of the others offering to quit if Rom isn't reinstated. Rom begs them not to do so, telling Nog and the others how badly he wants to see them play. Max Grodenchik is terrific, managing to be funny, sympathetic, and even dignified in his ineptitude, and Rom's subplot lends the episode a bit more emotional heft than Sisko's personal rivalry would otherwise have sustained.


THOUGHTS

In the middle of the Dominion War, our heroes - and the series - take an episode out to play a game of baseball on the holodeck. It's fair to say that Take Me Out to the Holosuite could have been truly dire.

Thankfully, character comedy has proved to be something Deep Space 9 does rather well. Take Me Out to the Holosuite doesn't climb the same heights as such past delights as The House of Quark or In the Cards, but it's still a charming little episode, with the characters well-captured, the regulars all giving committed performances, and the script providing enough small gems to keep a smile on my face through most of the run of the show.

Particular points to writer Ronald D. Moore and actor Gregory Wagrowski for making Solok so instantly punchable. The viewer wants to wipe away his ever-present smirk just as badly as Sisko does. Given that Sisko is far from on his best behavior for most of the episode, Solok being so hateable goes a long way toward making sure we're invested in the game's outcome.

While most of the episode tries for amiable comedy (and, more often than not, succeeds), it shifts gears effectively into drama for the scene in which Sisko recalls his past with Solok. The scene is critical to making us understand Sisko's motives. Avery Brooks sells the emotion... and then the cut from Kasidy promising to keep it secret to her spilling all to the team restores the comedy in time for the game.

The ending is also well-judged, allowing our characters a victory of a sort without straining credibility. The real win isn't the outcome of the game, it's Sisko remembering that the game is meant to be fun. The enjoyment he's able to take in the end of the game, and the unpredictability of the key point scored, remind him of all the reasons he loves the sport, allowing him a pleasure Solok - playing simply to spite Sisko - cannot appreciate. The final shot, of the baseball signed by every member of the team, ends it on a perfect note.


Overall Rating: 7/10.

\Previous Episode: Afterimage
Next Episode: Chrysalis

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6-25. The Sound of Her Voice.

A wake for a lost friend.

THE PLOT:

The Defiant is on its way home from a convoy escort mission when it intercepts a Starfleet distress call. Lisa Cusack (Debra Wilson), captain of the USS Olympia, is stranded on a planet whose atmosphere will not sustain her for long. When they make contact, they learn that she has barely enough supplies to keep her alive until they reach her. To monitor her condition, and to keep her from being alone as she waits, they agree to take turns talking with her over the intercom, in a series of conversations that become increasingly personal across the six-day journey.

Back on the station, Quark has a rare business opportunity, one that can only be completed if a wanted criminal can make his way onto the station undetected. Odo's vigilance would normally make this impossible. But, as Quark observes to an attentive Jake, Odo has been distracted since the start of his relationship with Kira. A nudge from Quark to celebrate their one-month anniversary is all that it takes to keep Odo clear long enough for the criminal exchange to take place.

Until Odo informs him that he plans to celebrate the anniversary of their first kiss - Which happened exactly one day after their first date. A delay of exactly one day... And with no way to reach his contact, that one day may leave Quark with a lengthy prison sentence!


CHARACTERS:

Capt. Sisko: Kasidy Yates is aboard the Defiant, having served as convoy liaison officer during the escort mission... Something which makes Sisko uncomfortable. Not because she did a bad job - He acknowledges to Lisa when it's his "turn" to speak with her that Kasidy did a fine job of it. He's just not comfortable with the intersection of his personal life and his duty. At the end, when Sisko talks to her, it's clear that she fears he's about to end their relationship, and is visibly relieved when he tells her that his behavior was all about his issues, something he promises to discuss with her privately later.

Dr. Bashir: Has changed a lot. The war, likely combined with some feelings of isolation now that it's known that he's genetically engineered, has transformed the gregarious young idealist into a taciturn, even dour, man focused solely on his work. He isn't even particularly interested in speaking with Lisa, focusing more on his reports than on what she is saying - Something she calls him on, reminding him that it isn't enough to care - Others have to see that he cares.

O'Brien: Has also become more isolated due to the war, something that in his case is entirely self-imposed. As a veteran of the war with the Cardassians, he knows only too well the emotional danger of getting close to people who might not be alive tomorrow. He admits to Lisa that he won't talk to his friends or family about his feelings, and he doesn't like the idea of talking to a ship's counselor... Which leaves him to stew, even as he pretends to still be the cheerful engineer he used to be.

Quark/Jake: The "B" plot revives the rivalry between Odo and Quark, something that's been little-seen since the Dominion War started. I love the joy Quark feels at "beating" Odo, which gives him more pleasure than the prospect of the actual payoff. That makes his devastation all the greater when Odo throws a wrench into his timing. Jake makes a great straight man to Quark, performing what are effectively the henchman duties that traditionally have belonged to Rom, resulting in some fun exchanges between two characters who have rarely interacted. Yet again, even this late in its run, Deep Space 9 combines characters in a new way and creates an enjoyable new dynamic.


THOUGHTS:

The Sound of Her Voice is basically a bottle show. It features the regulars, Kasidy, and one guest star who is present only as a voice over a communicator. Save for a brief sojourn to the venerable Star Trek cave set, it alternates between shipbound scenes and station-bound scenes, and features only standing sets. I strongly suspect it was made in part as a budget saver, squeezing a few pennies before the doubtless more expensive season finale.

In the hands of writer Ronald D. Moore and this most excellent of Trek ensembles, it is highly effective, if suffering from an entirely unnecessary indulgence in Technobabble near the end.

I'll deal with the Technobabble issue first, as it's the episode's biggest weakness. The basic ending is easy enough to see coming, and doesn't require a labored Technobabble explanation. This bit only works if we assume Sisko never checked records about the person he was diverting to rescue, and didn't exchange any messages with Starfleet about the situation during the almost week-long period it takes to arrive. It's a bizarre choice, one that undermines an otherwise very fine episode.

Fortunately, it is an otherwise very fine episode. The script is an ensemble character piece, with excellent scenes for Sisko, Bashir, and O'Brien (and some pretty darn good ones for Quark and Odo in the subplot). All the characters ring true, the actors are excellent as usual, and the material works. Alexander Siddig and Colm Meaney are particularly good in their scenes, and it's fitting that they get the best moments of the tag. Bashir's insistence on telling his friends how much he cares is a fine moment...

One which is immediately upstaged by O'Brien, saying the simple truth of the situation of the war and what he's decided it means to him (and handily foreshadowing the following episode at the same time):

"We've grown apart, the lot of us. We didn't mean for it to happen, but it did. The war changed us, pulled us apart... I want my friends in my life, because someday we're going to wake up and we're going to find that someone is missing from this circle. And on that day we're going to mourn, and we shouldn't have to mourn alone."


Overall Rating: 7/10. Would be an "8" without the Technobabble at the end.

Previous Episode: Time's Orphan
Next Episode: Tears of the Prophets

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6-13. Far Beyond the Stars.

Science fiction writer Benny Russell's
new story causes controversy...

THE PLOT

"I don't know how much more I can take!"

So Benjamin Sisko says to his visiting father (Brock Peters) after receiving news about the loss of a friend's ship near the Cardassian border. He has lost a lot of friends recently. Despite retaking the station, he is teetering on the brink of despair.

Which is when he experiences a vision. He is no longer Benjamin Sisko, but instead Benny Russell, a science fiction writer working for a minor sci-fi magazine in New York, 1953. Benny is talented enough to write for Incredible Tales - but only so long as the reading public believes him to be "as white as they are," as editor Douglas Pabst (Rene Auberjonois) explains... It never entering Pabst's mind that some of the readers may be other than white.

A drawing of a space station catches Benny's eye, and he writes a submission featuring a 24th century captain named Benjamin Sisko. Everyone in the office agrees that the story is excellent. But Pabst announces they cannot publish it because Sisko is black. "Your hero's a Negro captain... People won't accept it. It's not believable!"

Benny continues to push the story, determined to find some way to make the magazine publish it. When Albert (Colm Meaney), a friend and fellow writer, recommends making the story the dream of someone in the present day, Benny believes he has found the answer. Pabst reluctantly agrees to publish, and Benny is overjoyed.

But as the street preacher (Brock Peters) warns: "Hope and despair walk arm in arm..."


CHARACTERS

Capt. Sisko/Benny: Sisko and Benny are very different people, and Avery Brooks' performance reflects this. As Sisko, Avery Brooks' eyes always meet whomever he is speaking to. Benny rarely directly meets the eyes of his co-workers, usually looking a little downward or at least away. Even when arguing with Pabst that there are successful black authors, Benny does so in a quiet tone, not allowing any inflection of anger into his voice. Benny knows "the rules" of his society and, save for when he loses his self-control, he is careful to follow them. For Sisko, those same "rules" simply don't exist. Avery Brooks' performance is such that the two characters never seem like the same person, and it is easy to forget that Benny and Sisko are played by the same actor.

Kasidy Yates/Cassie: Penny Johnson's brief appearance as Kasidy in the teaser reminds us that the relationship between Sisko and Kasidy is still ongoing, and re-establishes her independent nature. In the bulk of the episode, Cassie is also independent, having worked hard at a diner in a black neighborhood and pushed the owner to agree to sell it to her upon retirement. Cassie supports Benny in his writing, clearly wanting him to succeed at his passion, but she just as clearly would be happiest if he would quit his thankless job and go into the restaurant business with her.

Pabst: Rene Auberjonois' condescending editor is the closest thing this episode has to a villain. Pabst would never identify himself as a racist. He clearly feels guilty enough at rejecting Benny's story to offer him a novella and a chance at the cover as compensation - Provided, of course, that Benny abandons his Sisko character. At the same time, there's no sign that he's willing to champion the story to the owner. "I wish things were different, but they're not." This seems to be his catch-phrase when racial issues come up, and the way he recites it is pretty much by rote. When Benny replies that wishing never changed anything, Pabst clearly becomes uncomfortable and retreats from the conversation.

Herbert: Armin Shimerman is terrific as the most prominent of Benny's co-workers, a liberal Jewish intellectual who rails against Pabst's refusal to publish Benny's Sisko stories. When Herbert and Pabst clash, there's none of the good nature that underlies the Quark/Odo disputes. These two genuinely despise each other. As the argument grows more heated, Pabst puts Herbert in his place as well, intimating that Herbert is "a red" to coerce him to silence (blacks being far from the only people who can be persecuted in 1953). Herbert is on the right side of the argument, but he is too rigid a figure to be likable. When Benny accepts Albert's "dream" compromise to make the story publishable, Herbert moans that this "will gut the story." He refuses to see that a compromised story is better than nothing at all.


THOUGHTS

Far Beyond the Stars is a very different Deep Space 9 episode. That some fans dislike it is hardly surprising. If you removed the teaser and the epilogue, you would be hard-pressed to identify this as an episode of Star Trek at all.

I think it's an outstanding piece, and one that works surprisingly well within the context of the series. The themes of Benny's story resonate strongly with the themes of the Dominion War. Sisko was informed just a handful of episodes ago that it is statistically impossible for Starfleet to win the war against the Dominion. His own battle for the freedom of the Alpha Quadrant seems just as hopeless as Benny's fight to have his science fiction story about a black captain published. Sisko opens the episode in despair; Benny's story ends in much the same place.

Just as Sisko's apparently futile battle against the Dominion is worth fighting, so is Benny's futile battle to get his Sisko stories out there to a broad readership. The black neighborhood in which Benny resides is a different world from the white neighborhood occupied by his co-workers. From Benny's point of view, it's a very limited and hopeless world. The closest thing to a mainstream success is Willie (Michael Dorn), a baseball player who enjoys his celebrity in his hometown. When asked why he doesn't move to a more upscale neighborhood, Willie's response recalls Pabst's insistence that the world simply is as it exists, and that it's not his job to change it:

"(White people) can hardly get used to the idea of me playing alongside them. Living next to them? That's a whole other story. Besides, around here, when people look at me, it's 'cause they admire me. There, I'm just another colored boy who can hit a curve ball."

Jimmy (Cirroc Lofton), a small-time crook, scoffs at Benny's writing, asking why he would want to waste his time reading about "white people living on the moon." When Benny reveals that the hero of his new story is black, Jimmy becomes genuinely interested, saying that he just might be interested in reading that story - in having a black hero to root for in a world where his legal job options appear limited to "a delivery boy or a dishwasher." Cirroc Lofton is great in this scene, his quick facial and vocal changes making clear Jimmy's hunger for something more - but only showing that for a second before reverting to his "street hood" personality.

The tag raises the question of who is "real" within the fiction of this episode: Sisko or Benny. I tend to think the answer is both. The prologue shows that Sisko is once again experiencing visions like the ones from Rapture. If the Prophets/wormhole aliens transcend space and time, then it hardly defies belief that they could grant visions to two people separated by time and space - Sisko experiencing a slice of Benny's life, and Benny channeling a vision of Sisko into fiction even as he is aware that "Ben Sisko... That future, that space station, all those people... They exist!"

In the end, Far Beyond the Stars offers a strong period drama, well-scripted and wonderfully performed. Its thematic ties to the larger Deep Space 9 story make it feel relevant to the series... But honestly, I'd like this even if it was a complete digression. I know some will disagree, but I found this compelling viewing, worthy of full marks.


Overall Rating: 10/10.

Previous Episode: Who Mourns for Morn?
Next Episode: One Little Ship

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5-10. Rapture.

Sisko becomes obsessed with a Bajoran lost city.

THE PLOT

The Cardassians have repatriated a painting of B'hala, a Bajoran city lost roughly 20,000 years ago. The painting is the only proof of the city's existence, with partial coordinates inscribed on one of the spires of a building in the painting. This prompts Sisko to try to puzzle out the location. He scans the painting into the station computer and enhances a reflection in the work to find another coordinate on another spire. Then he uploads it to the holosuites to work with it directly.

When he saves the program, the poorly-maintained equipment results in a plasma burst. Sisko is knocked unconscious, and wakes in Medlab with odd neural readings. Dr. Bashir tells him that he expects everything to reset itself in a few days, and to "enjoy the show" of more vivid sights and sounds in the meantime.

Meanwhile, the station receives word from Admiral Charlie Whatley (Ernest Perry, Jr.) that the Federation Council has granted Bajor's petition to join. There will be a signing ceremony, after which Bajor will finally become part of the Federation. But Sisko remains obsessed with the puzzle of the lost city - and when he experiences a vision, then follows it and actually finds B'hala, the entire situation becomes a lot less predictable!


CHARACTERS

Capt. Sisko: Avery Brooks' performance as this transformed Sisko is odd. I do think he goes a bit over-the-top in parts of the show. But that very quality actually works for the episode, particularly when there is a real sense of poetry to his delivery of his longer speeches, notably as he describes his first vision to Kira: "I was there. I could smell the burning bateret leaves, taste the incense on the wind. I was standing in front of the Obelisk. And as I looked up, for one moment, I understood it all. B'hala, the Orbs, the occupation, the discovery of the wormhole, the coming war with the Dominion... And for one moment, I could see the pattern that held it all together."

Major Kira: Her friendship with Sisko has converted her from believing that Bajor needs to stand alone to actually wanting her home planet to join the Federation. She is delighted that Bajor's petition has been granted, and looks forward to the signing ceremony. It is appropriate that she is the one to find Sisko in the midst of his first vision, as she is the one member of the command staff who will believe it is real and not a delusion. She defends his right to follow his visions at the risk of his health, believing the Prophets will protect him from harm.

Kasidy Yates: Her first appearance since last season's For the Cause, and it's a welcome return. Kasidy holds no apparent bitterness over her prison time, and once it's clear that Sisko welcomes her back she seems happy to pick back up where they left off. She is taken aback by Sisko's welcome including a trip to Bajor to find a lost city, but she goes along with it. When Sisko's visions put his health in jeopardy, she argues strongly against his refusal of medical help, urging him to think about what he's doing to her and to Jake.

Kai Winn: When Sisko finds the lost city, Winn approaches Kira with an apology for never having truly believed the captain was the Emissary. Kira expresses surprise that Winn would have the courage to admit to ever being wrong. This prompts an angry response from Winn, who reminds Kira that she also suffered during the Occupation: "Perhaps you forget, Major, the Cardassians arrested any Bajoran they found teaching the word of the Prophets. I was in a Cardassian prison camp for five years and I can remember each and every beating I suffered. And while you had your weapons to protect you, all I had was my faith and my courage." Louise Fletcher puts just enough steel into it to let us know that Winn has added Kira's doubts as to her courage to all the other ways in which Kira has thwarted her, and that she's likely planning a suitable reckoning.


THOUGHTS

Bajor-centric episodes have become such a rarity that they are always welcome, and Rapture is a particularly good one. It feels like an important episode. I don't know that events necessarily move forward. It's more, as Sisko says when describing his vision, that it feels as if a pattern is being drawn together. We revisit Bajor and its relationship with the Federation, winn and her relationship with Kira and with Sisko, Kira and her admiration for Sisko.

All of these threads are not only touched on, but elaborated on. Winn may be a villain, but we are reminded that her spirituality is not mere opportunism. Her faith matters to her and has seen her through horrible times - and by detailing how she weathered the Occupation, we are encouraged to have some respect for her as a person, even if she is someone to distrust and even fear.

Season Four's Accession was the last episode to touch on Sisko's role as the Emissary. There, events pushed him to directly claim a title that he had previously tolerated as a burden. Here, we see him really acting in the role. Even before the accident, he shows a strong interest in the lost city of B'hala. After the accident, we see him touring the station, speaking with individual Bajorans about their problems and worries. Even Bashir responds to Admiral Whatley's questioning by stating simply that Sisko is the Emissary.

Hans Beimler's script keeps a potentially static episode moving forward with startling momentum. First, we are worried that Sisko may imperil his position. Later, we see that his life may be in jeopardy if he doesn't give up his visions.  Scenes with Jake and Kasidy, who beg him to turn away from his path, emphasize how Sisko's death would affect those around him. Finally, the future of Bajor seems to hang in the balance, as Sisko gets his final vision and lurches to warn the Bajorans of what he has seen.

Beimler and director Jonathan West don't go the obvious route with this vision. Sisko gazes into the Orb of Prophecy, but we don't see any of what he experiences. There's no light show, no apocalyptic imagery. Instead, we cut to the Federation and Bajoran delegations, and hear from Sisko what he has seen - a garbled account that is probably just a fragment of what he truly experienced. We don't know what it means, but we are encouraged to take the warning seriously.

We end the episode with everything much as it was at the start. Bajor has not joined the Federation, but Sisko still believes it will in the future. Kai Winn still does not trust the Federation, and her doubts have likely been deepened by this experience. Winn and Kira still don't trust each other, though each believes she has the other's measure. Sisko is still the Emissary, now more than ever before. Not a thing has changed - And yet it doesn't feel like time has been wasted. There's a sense that things aren't quite as they were before, or at least that the pattern connecting the disparate strands here is a little clearer than it was before.

That, and the almost surprisingly compelling experience of watching an episode that sounds a bit dull on paper, make this a must see. Another excellent episode of a thus-far very good season.


Overall Rating: 9/10.

Previous Episode: The Ascent
Next Episode: The Darkness and the Light 

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4-22. For the Cause.

Sisko suspects Kasidy of being a Maquis agent.

THE PLOT

With the Cardassians focused on rebuilding after the Klingon assault, the Maquis influence has been allowed to grow. With Starfleet rendering aid to Cardassia by sending a shipment of replicators to them, Commander Eddington (Kenneth Marshall) briefs Sisko on concerns that the Maquis will attempt to intercept the shipment. Sisko orders steps taken to secure the station while the replicators stop at Deep Space 9, but Eddington and Odo have one further worry. The possibility of a Maquis smuggler on Deep Space 9.

Their suspect is Sisko's lover, Kasidy Yates (Penny Johnson). While all the evidence is circumstantial, it is significant - particularly when Kasidy denies familiarity with star systems Sisko knows she has visited. As the coincidences grow, so do Sisko's suspicions. Meanwhile, Garak begins showing an interest in Ziyal (Tracy Middendorf), Gul Dukat's half-Bajoran daughter... and being Garak, it seems likely that this interest has some ulterior motive.


CHARACTERS

Capt. Sisko: His first impulse is to deny Odo and Eddington any additional investigation of Kasidy. His sense of duty is too strong, however, and he gives them discretion to inspect her ship and to follow her in the cloaked Defiant. At every turn, he provides Kasidy with opportunities to escape. When she prepares to leave for a rendezvous that will almost certainly end in her arrest, Sisko meets her on the docking ring and begs her to just drop everything and run away with him to Risa. Brooks' performance has gone from strength to strength this season, and he is once again excellent here.

Eddington: As the man in charge of Starfleet-related security on the station, this episode allows him to emerge from the background. A notable scene occurs when he is accompanying the Defiant, following Kasidy as she makes her rendezvous. O'Brien and Worf argue their views of the Maquis: O'Brien sympathizes with their defense of their homes, while Worf views them as dishonorable for betraying their Starfleet oaths and turning to terrorism. Eddington refuses to give his opinion, stating that his place is just to follow orders: "I do my job... Starfleet says to find the Maquis, I'll find the Maquis. They tell me to help them, I'll help them. My opinion is irrelevant." In a more unguarded conversation with Sisko, he reveals some issues with Starfleet's refusal to simply allow the Maquis to leave the Federation, comparing the way the Federation expands to enfold new worlds to the assimilation of races by the Borg.

Garak: When Ziyal approaches him in his shop, he reacts with suspicion, worrying that the daughter of his sworn enemy may plan to kill him. Quark has some fun at his expense, a few well-placed observations leading Garak to second- and even third-guess his own instincts. Finally, he just directly confronts her about her motives... all the while concealing a weapon in case she turns out to be something other than just a lonely and innocent girl.

Kasidy Yates: After being prominently mentioned in The Muse, it's hardly a surprise that Kasidy is strongly featured in the very next episode. The character is a delight, as always. Penny Johnson is a strong actress who plays well opposite Avery Brooks. The strength of both actress and character keeps her from ever getting overwhelmed by Brooks or Sisko. In an episode in which these two strong-willed people, each of whom cares deeply about the other but also about their commitments, their scenes cannot help but resonate with emotion and tension.


THOUGHTS

I've commented before about how the emergence of The Dominion and the Klingon/Cardassian conflict has marginalized the development of Bajor. The Maquis strand, which was established in late Season Two, has also been pushed very much to the side by these other conflicts. I don't think the Maquis has been the central focus of an episode since Season Three's Defiant, and they've been only barely mentioned in Season Four.

For the Cause brings the Maquis back into focus, and does so in a way that's very personal for our regulars, Sisko in particular. By creating a situation in which Sisko suspects Kasidy, we once again see the Maquis strand putting Sisko at odds with someone he cares about: Cal Hudson in The Maquis, Kasidy here. That personal focus is even more effective here, because Kasidy is a character we already have come to know and because Penny Johnson's performance far outstrips Bernie Casey's wooden, "collect-the-paycheck" work of the earlier two-parter.

There are many good elements here. I appreciated Sisko's desperation to allow Kasidy an out. Even at the end, when he is finally convinced that she must be guilty, he gives her a chance to escape. "Kasidy Yates is my responsibility," he tells Odo, in a tone that brooks no argument. I was also glad to see the episode remember that the situation with the Maquis is a complex one. They are responding to injustices against them by the Cardassians, ones which Starfleet willfully ignored to preserve a treaty the other side was violating. These are not cardboard villains; the argument between O'Brien and Worf, and the later conversation between Sisko and Eddington, reminds the viewer just how messy the Maquis situation is.

With an ending that demands follow-up, it seems a safe bet that there will be more made of the Maquis strand in Season Five. Personally, I look forward to seeing the fallout.


Overall Rating: 8/10.

Previous Episode: The Muse
Next Episode: To the Death

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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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