6-6. Sacrifice of Angels.

Sisko engages in a desperate battle!

"Cannon to the right of them,
Cannon to the left of them,
Cannon in front of them,
Volley'd an thunder'd."

"Storm'd at with shot and shell,
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the Jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of Hell
Rode the six hundred."
-O'Brien and Bashir, reciting the last poem you want to hear when charging into battle.


THE PLOT:

Sisko's fleet, already short its full strength because of the need to rush the attack on Deep Space 9, has come face to face with a Dominion blockade that outnumbers them two-to-one. Sisko attempts to create a hole by sending fighters against the Cardassian forces, in hopes that they will become angry and chase their attackers. It's a strategy that plays right into Gul Dukat's hands. He sees his adversary's plan and obliges by creating the hole, with the intent to close it hard. Sisko recognizes Dukat's strategy in turn - but the clock is ticking, and this may be the only opportunity that presents itself, so he takes the bait anyway - Willfully sending his entire attack force into a trap that may well destroy them all!

On the station, Dukat and Weyoun begin planning for the sustained occupation that will follow their all-but-assured victory. Dukat orders the arrest all those he suspects of conspiring to sabotage his plans: Kira, Jake, and Leeta. But no one spares a thought for Quark, who seizes the opportunity for some surprisingly strong action of his own.

All of which may be for naught, as Sisko's forces are crushed, the Defiant only barely clearing the blockade. Rom and Kira race to stop the efforts to bring down the minefield, as the Defiant races to Deep Space 9. But as that ruthless clock keeps ticking, Sisko turns for help in an unanticipated direction...


CHARACTERS:

Capt. Sisko: The episode opens with him commanding a fleet, but only the Defiant is able to make it through the blockade. The episode opens with the Dominion still blocked by the minefield surrounding the wormhole - but that minefield is being steadily disabled. Left with nothing but one ship, Sisko makes his most desperate plea of all, one whose cost will be very steep - particularly seen in light of Sisko's words about Bajor in the last episode.

Odo: Odo finally gets back off the fence, thanks to Kira. Not because of anything she does here - but when the female changeling announces that Kira will be executed, just to cut off her influence with Odo, it completes what started at the end of Favor the Bold. Odo now recognizes that however much he may hunger for the Great Link, he cannot support his people's actions. He does not want to subjugate the Solids, and he will not allow Kira's death. He gathers together his security force - the Bajoran officers he convinced Weyoun to restore to him in A Time to Stand - and uses them to make sure Kira and Rom are able to break through the Jem'Hadar guarding the area of the station they hope to sabotage. When Kira asks why, he answers both for his original betrayal and for his coming to her rescue now: "The Link was Paradise. But it appears I'm not ready for Paradise."

Quark: With Kira and the others arrested, he is the only one left on the station who can take action. He enlists Ziyal's aid and stages a commando raid on the cells. Quark bursts in, a gun in either hand, looking like he just stepped out of a summer action movie - only in a script that recognizes the ridiculousness of the cliche. Some mild comedy follows, as Quark tells the Jem'Hadar guards to freeze, then unlock the cells, and then has to tell one of them to un-freeze so that the second order can actually be followed. Eventually, they charge - and Quark looks ready to have a heart attack after he pulls both triggers, and actually hits both targets!

Damar: In Seasons Four and Five, I largely dismissed Damar as a minor extension of Dukat. Starting with Call to Arms, and building in earnest since Behind the Lines, he has emerged as a strong character in his own right. He is loyal to Dukat, but more rigid than his mentor. He sees the world in black-and-white. Dukat gives a command, it must be obeyed - Hence, his attempt to forcibly drag Ziyal to him.  In the face of an obstacle, he falls back on force as a first resort... But he's not a dumb thug, or else he would not have figured out how to deactivate Rom's minefield to start with. When it's clear the Federation is about to retake the station and Dukat calls once again for his daughter, he instantly recognizes the truth: That Ziyal will not choose to leave. But his black-and-white view and propensity for violence leads to a shocking action, one that makes sure that Damar is not a character I will ever dismiss again.

Weyoun: Throughout this season, he's been presented as the person keeping Dukat in check. In A Time to Stand, Kira and Odo acknowledged his importance in restraining the Cardassians from mistreating Bajor or its people. He has been the voice of reason and diplomacy. But it's tactical rather than benevolent; when tactics call for ruthlessness, it's no surprise to see him advocating it. When talk shifts from winning the war to holding the territory, he eyes a star map with a clinical eye and calmly insists that Earth's population must be eradicated to break their enemies' will and spirit. This reverses what has been the standard relationship of the two men, with Dukat now trying to curb Weyoun's ruthlessness rather than the other way around.

Gul Dukat: "A true victory is to make your enemy see they were wrong to oppose you in the first place. To force them to acknowledge your greatness." So Dukat intones to Weyoun, giving both the Vorta and us a direct look into the way his mind works. In Dukat's mind, he is a hero - More than that, a savior. But it's not enough simply to win - Everyone else must see him as he so desperately wants to see himself, or else the victory is meaningless. In his mind's eye, he sees it all: The Alpha Quadrant at his feet as he enjoys the adulation of not only Cardassia, but of Bajor and Earth as well, all with his adoring daughter at his side. In the span of about ten minutes, he goes from touching with his fingertips the edges of that dream, to watching it be irrevocably destroyed before his eyes. What is left is broken, leaving Sisko no real sense of victory when he reclaims his prized baseball - Merely a sort of disgusted pity at this shell of a man, beaten less by his enemies than by the crushing weight of his own ego.


THOUGHTS:

Sacrifice of Angels does not finish the Dominion War arc. Starfleet is still in a hard situation, particularly with the heavy losses suffered in this episode at the hands of the Dominion blockade. The Dominion still hold Cardassia, and they still have enormous resources at their disposal. Starfleet has finally won a battle, and a big one - but the war is far from over.

This episode does finish the Occupation of Deep Space 9, however, and does so in spectacular fashion. The battle scenes are large-scale and chaotic. As Sisko throws his fleet at the blockade, exploding ships punctuate every frame - most of those ships, Starfleet's. I love the way the episode treats the strategies of Sisko and Dukat in this battle. Neither man outthinks the other. Dukat recognizes Sisko's strategy, and orders his men to take the bait in order to set a trap. Sisko recognizes Dukat's trap, but orders the fleet to take the bait because it may be their only opporunity. Since Dukat is not diminished, being shown as Sisko's equal in strategic terms, Sisko's ultimate victory feels much more deserved.

Marc Alaimo's performance as Dukat has been a consistent series highlight, ever since the character evolved from "recurring villain" to 3-dimensional character back in early Season Two. This episode lets him run the gamut, from absolute arrogance to absolute ruin. Alaimo is stunning throughout, and in a very real sense it is Dukat who holds this episode together. It's a testament to Alaimo's performance, every bit the equal of the richly complex character Dukat has become, that I find at least as much tragedy as satisfaction in the moment at which Dukat's relinquishes of Sisko's baseball to him, officially handing him back the station.

The entire episode is stunning. I'm sure some have taken issue with the way in which Sisko regains the station. But I found that to work as well, a way of tying what has largely been background mythology for the series into the foreground arc. And we are told that Sisko's victory will come at a price - Something I look forward to seeing delivered on.


Overall Rating: 10/10.

Previous Episode: Favor the Bold
Next Episode: You Are Cordially Invited

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6-5. Favor the Bold.

Sisko prepares to re-take Deep Space Nine!

THE PLOT:

The war is not going well for Starfleet, which keeps pulling back and retreating in the face of the Dominion forces. Dax complains that even the Klingons are starting to wonder if this war is winnable. A big victory is needed to restore morale. Sisko has just the target in mind: A bold strike that will retake Deep Space 9!

Back on the station, Quark and Kira try desperately to save Rom after his arrest for attempted sabotage. Orders left by the female changeling (Salome Jens) make it impossible for them to see Odo, and Weyoun insists that Rom must be executed, as much for making the self-replicating minefield possible in the first place as for attempting to halt efforts to bring it down. Kira prevails on Gul Dukat's daughter, Ziyal (Melanie Smith), to beg her father for a pardon - but Dukat flatly refuses, insisting that enemies of the state must be punished.  Barring a miracle, Rom's fate appears sealed.

Bad news becomes worse when a test of Damar (Casey Biggs)'s plan to deactivate the mines proves successful, and work to bring down the minefield begins in earnest. If all goes according to the Dominion's plan, the wormhole will be clear within a week - And the full force of the Dominion will be ready to come through!


CHARACTERS

Capt. Sisko: "When I go home, it will be to Bajor." The Sisko who was so reluctant to take the assignment to Deep Space 9 and who hated having the role of "Emissary" thrust upon him has transformed remarkably over the last five years. He now pores over Bajoran prophecies, hoping for some guidance, and muses about taking a couple weeks in a Bajoran monastery after the war is over. He directly states that Bajor is his home, extolling its virtues with poetic descriptiveness: "There are parts of the Eastern Province that are like Eden itself: Lush green valleys covered in wild flowers that seem to spring up overnight; hundreds of small, crystal clear ponds interconnected by waterfalls."

Major Kira: She is furious at Odo for his betrayal. Every time Quark pins his hopes for saving his brother on reaching Odo, she shoots him down: They can't reach Odo because of orders left by the female changeling; and even if they could, she insists it would make no difference. That same anger drives her through the rest of the episode. She is impatient when Ziyal insists that, now that she recognizes Dukat for what he is, she will never go back to him; and when Damar pushes her one time too many, she lets loose all the violence she's been holding back for months now, leaving the Cardassian battered and bruised, and saying that it will be up to him what happens next.

Quark: For all his years of mocking and mistreatment toward his brother, Quark is determined to save Rom from his death sentence. That his faith in Odo remains strong even when Kira's has been shattered speaks volumes about the genuine regard he has for his sometime nemesis, making this a key Quark/Odo episode even though the two don't share a second of screen time. Quark is too shrewd to let his concern be public knowledge, however, and he continues to play the mercenary Ferengi for Damar, using prodigious amounts of kanar as lubrication to keep the flow of information coming.

Odo: Has sex with the female changeling to demonstrate the solids' notion of intimacy. She reacts with amusement at how limited it is, and is surprised that Odo doesn't agree. When she gets a bit over-vehement in pronouncing that the solids must be broken of their attachment to their freedom, Odo recovers enough of himself to see her for what she is - Though his awakening comes too late for Kira to even listen to his attempted apology.

Weyoun: In an effective quiet moment, we see Weyoun musing over one of Ziyal's paintings. He looks at it from every angle, as if willing himself to see it. When Kira walks in, he reveals that the Founders kept all sense of the aesthetic out of the Vorta's genetic makeup, likely finding it irrelevant. He reacts hotly to Kira's suggestion that the Founders "made a mistake," but wistfully acknowledges that he sometimes wishes he could carry a tune.

Gul Dukat: Though he adores his daughter, a virtue even Kira will acknowledge, there is something dangerous in the way he demands to know if she had anything to do with Rom's attempted sabotage. When she asks for mercy for the Ferengi, he instantly suspects some culpability on her part and does not believe her when she (truthfully) pleads innocence. He does, at least, trust Kira to protect Ziyal's welfare. When Damar comes back from his attempt to retrieve the girl having sustained a beating by the major, Dukat knows that his man must have stepped out of line in some way.


THOUGHTS:

Favor the Bold opens with action, as an apparently cripped Defiant braces itself for a Jem'Hadar attack, only to pull a bait-and-switch on the Jem'Hadar and trap them with practiced efficiency. It's a teaser that grabs the viewer right away - desperate action, followed by a subversion of expectations. The entire episode takes a cue from that, building momentum throughout.

As with Behind the Lines, there are two main plot strands: Sisko, preparing an assault on Deep Space 9; and Kira and Quark, desperate both to save Rom and to stop the deactivation of the minefield. The Kira/Quark thread is the stronger: Kira's situation, having to work with the enemy while also trying to undermine them, is just inherently more dramatic, and her constant anger in this episode adds a wonderful additional level. But the Sisko material is also quite good, as we see just how thoroughly he has thought through his proposed attack, bringing all of his determination to bear to secure the agreement of Starfleet and its sole remaining ally.

Writer Ira Steven Behr and Hans Beimler even manage to adroitly connect the two strands. Learning that the minefield's deactivation is imminent, Kira and Quark manage to smuggle a message to Sisko (in one of the more plot-relevant and amusing uses of Morn). This pushes Sisko to initiate the attack before all of his forces are gathered. The episode ends with Sisko leading an incomplete fleet into battle against a vastly superior force, all because time has left no other option.

"To all ships, this is Captain Sisko. There's an old saying: 'Fortune favors the bold.' Well, I guess we're about to find out."


Overall Rating: 9/10.

Previous Episode: Behind the Lines
Next Episode: Sacrifice of Angels

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6-3. Sons and Daughters.

Worf gets a surprise reunion with his estranged son.

THE PLOT:

The IKS Rotarran, captained by Martok (J. G. Hertzler) with Worf as first officer, rescues Sisko and his crew from Dominion territory and returns them to Starbase 375. At the same time, the Klingon ship takes on replacement crew members - one of whom is Alexander (Marc Worden), Worf's son. Worf is shocked to see the young man, who had previously rejected the life of a Klingon warrior, enlisting to serve the Empire. He is also displeased to see how poorly-suited Alexander is to a warrior life, unable to even hold his own in a simple brawl. The young man is finding his place; unfortunately, that place, as Worf observes, is "as the ship's fool."

Meanwhile, Kira finds herself dealing with a dilemma of her own. Ziyal (Melanie Smith), Gul Dukat's half-Cardassian, half-Bajoran daughter, has returned to the station to try to have a relationship with her father. Dukat is thrilled to have her back in his life - but that doesn't mean he's above using her to manipulate Kira, who is the closest thing she has had to a mother. With Ziyal genuinely wanting relationships with both of them, Kira finds herself pulled back into the personal orbit of the man she most despises...


CHARACTERS:

Capt. Sisko: Only briefly glimpsed, but it is clear that he and Martok share a strong mutual respect - one warrior to another. I look forward to seeing which of them wins Sisko's bet regarding who will first set foot on Deep Space 9.

Worf: Claims that he accepted Alexander's choice not to become a warrior, and has probably convinced himself that this is true. But we learn in this episode that, shortly after the events of TNG's Firstborn, Worf sent the boy back to his human parents.  He has basically not even seen him in the intervening years - a tidy explanation for why Alexander has barely been mentioned during Worf's DS9 tenure. He has difficulty standing back and allowing his son to fail, or even to take a beating, which actually makes things harder for Alexander in fitting in with the crew. In the end, he is able to make a reconciliation with his son, but to the episode's credit it feels like a fragile one.

Martok: The last episode to focus on Martok as ship's captain was Soldiers of the Empire, in which his time as a prisoner of the Dominion left him a shadow of his former self. He only regained his strength when challenged from within. This episode marks a direct contrast, with the Klingon back at his zenith. He is a strong captain, a man who sees and recognizes the dynamics of his crew. He tries at first to get Worf to accept the situation, pointing out that Alexander is finding his own place. When it becomes clear that Worf's effectiveness as first officer is compromised, though, Martok acts decisively, telling the boy that he will be transferred off the ship. "I need (Worf)," he says flatly, "I do not need you."

Major Kira: Though the Klingon material is entertaining enough, the "B" plot is far more engrossing. Nana Visitor's splendid performance is part of the reason why, as Kira finds herself torn between her genuine caring for Ziyal and her loathing for Dukat. It's a problem made worse by how easy it is for her to be briefly comfortable around Dukat, who is very calculated in showing his most charming face when they are in front of Ziyal. There's a particularly fine moment when he sends her a dress. For just a second, Kira is overjoyed at the lovely garment and how beautiful she will look in it. Then her face sinks as she realizes that she is allowing herself to be claimed - bought, and not even at any great cost. Almost as good is the follow-up, as she confronts Dukat. She accurately labels him as "opportunistic" and "power-hungry." In the first two seasons, she would have been spitting the words at him. Here, she just states them as fact, with no rancor or even emotion - Which is likely why he doesn't try any counter-move; games are no fun when the other person has lost interest in playing.

Gul Dukat: I believe his pride in Ziyal is genuine. The one genuinely selfless moment we've ever seen from Dukat was when he sacrificed his position to save her (though admittedly, only after intending to kill her). He wants her to do well, and he wants a positive relationship. But he wants that on his own terms, terms that include being seen by her as some sort of heroic white knight. Being Dukat, it's easier and truer to himself to manipulate reality rather than actually live up to such an image. A telling moment comes right after Kira returns the dress, denounces him, and leaves. Ziyal enters a moment later, asking who was there. Dukat's smile never wavers as he announces that it was "a delivery... Do you like it?" His pleasure is in no way diminished by her adoration of both gift and him being based on a lie.


THOUGHTS:

Sons and Daughters is the weakest Dominion War episode thus far... Which, given how good much of it is, speaks more to the quality of this run of episodes than to any great weakness in this particular script. The Kira/Dukat material is wonderful, with both Nana Visitor and Marc Alaimo in fine form. The Klingon material isn't as strong, but neither is it bad. The episode rolls along at a solid pace, with plenty of good scenes and no particularly bad scenes. It's a solid piece of Trek, that really suffers only in comparison to the four episodes preceding it.

Readers of my TNG reviews are doubtless aware of how little I enjoyed the character of Alexander on that show. His return to the franchise is not a welcome one. Marc Worden is easier to take as an (arguably too much) older Alexander than Brian Bonsall was, but the character remains irritatingly whiny and unsympathetic. He brings out the worst traits of Worf's character, showcasing how inflexible and self-defeatingly stubborn he can be in his dealings with his son. This leaves Martok as the only truly likable character in the Klingon plot, though J. G. Hertzler is thankfully up to the task, stealing every scene in which he's present.

The script cleverly bookends the Klingon drama with a minor drama of Worf's. Dax tells him that she intends to refuse to join Martok's House - something Worf fears would be a grave dishonor. She lets him rant for a moment before revealing that she's just teasing him and fully intends to join the Klingon House. Alexander, Worf's son, has no House and insists on being referred to as "Rozhenko." By episode's end, when Worf has reached a reconciliation with him, Alexander joins Martok's House as Worf had done previously.

A problem with the Klingon plot is that it doesn't really reach much of a climax. There's a minor space battle, but however urgently the actors may speak, it doesn't feel particularly significant. The convoy escort doesn't so much close in triumph as simply run out after a single, fairly uninspired action scene. This, coupled with the "A" plot being far less interesting than the "B" plot, keep the episode feeling a bit small, as if things are being padded out before the next important episode.

In short: Entertaining and probably about as good as an Alexander episode can be. But a fair step below the excellent shows that preceded it.


Overall Rating: 6/10.

Previous Episode: Rocks and Shoals
Next Episode: Behind the Lines

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5-15. By Inferno's Light.

Gul Dukat gives Cardassia to the Dominion.

THE PLOT

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

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

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


CHARACTERS

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

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

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

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

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


THOUGHTS

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

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

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

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

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


Overall Rating: 10/10.

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

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5-14. In Purgatory's Shadow.

Garak and Worf, prisoners of the Dominion!

THE PLOT

When an encoded Cardassian transmission is picked up in the Gamma Quadrant, Sisko orders Garak to decode it. Garak tells him it's innocuous, just a years-old planetary survey. But when he states that he's given up on the idea of survivors from the Cardassian attack on the Dominion, Dr. Bashir knows that he's lying. Bashir pushes Garak to reveal the truth: The transmission is a message from his old mentor, Enabran Tain (Paul Dooley), consisting of just one word repeated over and over: "Alive."

Garak insists on going after Tain, and points out to Sisko that if Tain is alive then there may be other survivors as well. He is sent with Worf in a runabout to trace the signal back... but they don't get far before they are intercepted by a Dominion fleet. Worf is able to get out a warning that Dominion forces are building up near the wormhole, but that is all he is able to accomplish before he and Garak are captured.

They are taken to a prison camp on an asteroid. The only atmosphere is provided by a dome, making escape an apparent impossibility. Meanwhile, at the station, Worf's message is received, leaving Sisko with only one option to stop a Dominion invasion: Collapse the wormhole!


CHARACTERS

Capt. Sisko: Though he doesn't trust that Tain's message is real, he can't ignore the possibility of survivors. He sends Worf with Garak, knowing that the rigid Worf is unlikely to be swayed by the Cardassian's manipulations. When Worf's message gets through, Sisko gives him and Garak as much time as possible before collapsing the wormhole. Ultimately, however, he knows that cutting them off is an acceptable tradeoff to stopping a Dominion attack, and orders it done when the moment comes.

Worf: I love this show's willingness to combine different characters to create new dynamics. We've usually seen Garak paired with Bashir (and do for a bit of this episode), but we've also seen him teamed up with Odo to very different but equally enjoyable effect. Now Worf is assigned to accompany the Cardassian, and we get something different again. Worf's too inflexible to spar with Garak the way Bashir or Odo did. Instead, he calls out Garak's lies as soon as he recognizes them. His inflexible mind-set doesn't stop him from being manipulated, though. When he is about to turn back, as Sisko ordered, Garak prevails on his honor to get him to continue. Worf snaps that Garak doesn't understand the meaning of the word... but as Garak points out, that isn't the point. Worf does, and that's all that's needed for Garak to get the Klingon to do as he wants.

Dr. Bashir: Instantly recognizes Garak's claim of an inconsequential message as a lie. He waits in a runabout for the Cardassian to attempt to steal it, then takes him to Sisko to reveal the full truth. When Garak compliments him on how untrusting he's become over the past five years, Bashir says only that he had a good teacher. Much later in the episode, when Garak is stung by Tain rejecting him yet again, Bashir does provide some comfort. Garak snaps about how the best lesson he can teach Bashir is that sentiment is a weakness... Prompting the doctor to reply that this is one lesson he hopes never to learn.

Garak: Though there are big moments for several characters, this episode belongs to him and is all the better for it. Garak remains an unpredictable delight. He pushes Worf into considering sponsoring his application to Starfleet, only to reveal that he did so only to keep his lying skills sharp. He greets both Gul Dukat and his captors with a disarming grin, and doesn't seem too bothered when both encounters result in hands around his throat. For all of his rampant deception, and for all the wrongs Tain has done to him over the years, he retains a strong loyalty to his mentor. His final scene with Tain seems to reveal more about both men's backgrounds... though honestly, given Garak's nature, I don't trust that the information we seem to learn is truly genuine.

Gul Dukat: Enters the episode in a fury - literally, as he throttles Garak for his association with his daughter. This sets the tone for Dukat's entire role. When Kira confirms that she knew about Ziyal (Melanie Smith)'s association with Garak, he accuses her of willful betrayal. Gone is the smiling flirtation of the past two seasons - Dukat makes it clear in one scene that he now fully regards Kira as an enemy, and he intends to get his revenge. His last scene sees him denouncing his daughter for refusing to leave the station on his orders, lumping her in with all his other self-created enemies. For all of this, you can see that in his mind, he is the injured party in every case. Much like the man who claimed to want to protect the Bajorans as his "children," he has made himself into a victim. It will be very interesting to see where he goes from here.


THOUGHTS

Gul Dukat, Garak, and Enebran Tain all in the same episode, along with a massive Dominion build-up and a few big surprises... If I didn't know this was still the mid-season, I would think this was the first part of a season cliffhanger! It's certainly momentous enough. If the next episode sustains the momentum, this will likely rank alongside The Jem'Hadar, The Die Is Cast, and The Way of the Warrior for episodes that cause a seismic shift in the series.

I'll wait until my next review to discuss the episode's biggest revelation - I want to mull it over a while before seriously discussing it in any event. Besides, while I can't imagine many people are reading these reviews without having first seen the episodes, I want to allow at least one review's space before spoiling one of the best surprises the series has yet sprung.

Writers Robert Hewitt Wolfe and Ira Steven Behr provide the big moments and the sense of a series turning point, but they don't forget to make room for plenty of good character material. In addition to moments I've mentioned in the "Characters" section, we also see Odo adjusting to being a shapeshifter again, and finding that there are many aspects to being a solid that he's going to miss. The Kira/Dukat scenes are charged with energy, with Kira all but laughing at Dukat's attempts to intimidate her (something that I suspect she's taking far too lightly). worf and Dax get a scene together that shows the spark, humor, and chemistry that was so sorely lacking in Let He Who Is Without Sin...

All in all, an excellent first part that leaves me eagerly awaiting Part Two.


Overall Rating: 10/10.

Previous Episode: For the Uniform
Next Episode: By Inferno's 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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4-14. Return to Grace.

Kira and Gul Dukat, reluctant allies.

THE PLOT

Kira has agreed to go to the Cardassian outpost Korma to attend a Bajoran/Cardassian conference about the Klingon threat. She is startled to find that her escort is none other than Gul Dukat. Dukat was disgraced and demoted with the exposure of his half-Bajoran daughter, Ziyal (Cyia Batten). He now commands a lowly freighter, with no realistic prospect of anything better to come.

Dukat's ship reaches Korma without incident. But the outpost is a lifeless shell, both Cardassians and Bajorans wiped out by a Klingon attack. One Klingon vessel is still in the area - but it ignores the freighter, as the vessel is no threat to it and there is no honor in destroying it.

It's a dismissal that Kira and Dukat are determined to punish. But first Kira will have to teach the stubborn career military man a few things about fighting effectively against a stronger enemy...


CHARACTERS

Capt. Sisko: Barely present, though his reaction to Gul Dukat's arrival at Deep Space 9 is amusing.

Major Kira: She tells Ziyal that she can never forgive Dukat for his actions during the Occupation. Even if he regrets those deeds now, something Kira isn't particularly convinced of, she cannot forget how many innocents died at his hands or on his orders. She can put it to the side when they work together, as long as they are focused on the work. She even seems to enjoy having someone with a similar ability to solve problems on hand to push her to solutions that much faster. But then he'll say something to remind her of the Occupation, and she sees the devil who tormented her people once more. She does recognize that Dukat's love for Ziyal is real, however, and she respects that and his loyaey lty to his people. They will never be friends, but they are something other than enemies at this point.

Gul Dukat: "Everything I have lost, I will regain. It is only a matter of time." Dukat continues to be arguably the show's most compelling character (him or Garak - I go back and forth). On the one hand, he is genuine in his love for his daughter and in his loyalty to his people. He is also fierce in his ambitions, however. Having lost all his former influence, he sees all his actions against the Klingons through the prism of restoring his own lost glory. In quiet moments, he reflects on ways he might revenge himself on rival Cardassians - That is, when he isn't pursuing his futile (and more than slightly creepy) attempts to charm Kira. Much like a scorpion, his nature is such that Kira is right not to trust him, not even when he's an ally.


THOUGHTS

The season's second Kira/Dukat episode directy follows up on Indiscretion, showing that Kira's intervention did have consequences. Everything Dukat feared when he decided to kill Ziyal is borne out in the wake of his choice to spare her. This kind of use of continuity is one of the key elements that distinguishes DS9, for me, from its other Trek contemporaries.

I found this to be a better episode than Indiscretion. Though I enjoyed that episode, Kira was allowed to get too comfortable with Dukat, apparently forgetting all about their past in the middle part of the show. This episode is much stronger in balancing their current alliance against their bitter past, a past which is constantly present. This brings an extra level to their interactions, by keeping Kira uncomfortable even as she assists him in achieving his goals. That Dukat is right about them being a good team is evident, and it's equally clear that Kira hates how right he is about that.

The tension with the Klingons was established in The Way of the Warrior, but has since been relegated to a largely static background element. Return to Grace brings the tension back to the fore, showing that the Klingons are continuing to intrude on Cardassian space in a highly coordinated way. We don't know where this is going yet, but the events of this episode and the choice Dukat makes at the episode's end seem to indicate it will be going somewhere.

All told, I found this to be a fine episode, with excellent character interplay between Kira and Dukat and some real tension. Season Four continues to show DS9 at its best.


Overall Rating: 8/10

Previous Episode: Crossfire
Next Episode: Sons of Mogh

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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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