Great Star Trek DS9 episodes

[Sandor 459]

Seeing Stefan's recent avatar made me think back about the days when I would watch DS9 on a daily basis. I started to remember the greatest episodes of the series and frankly, some of the finest television ever made. My favorite DS9 episodes:

The Visitor

The second episode of season 4. The most beautiful episode of all Trek (followed closely by TNG's The Inner Light). Great acting by Tony "Candyman" Todd.

Duet

The best episode from season 1. I even watched this in my class at one point. Go figure.

Children Of Time

Season 5 was a great season and this was the greatest moment. An episode worthy of classic Trek. If anyone ever doubts that DS9 was never as good as TNG; watch this one.

Hard Time

Quintessential episode. In some ways an expansion of the concepts introduced in The Inner Light. Unforgettable.

What You Leave Behind

The series finale. Nowhere near as good as TNG's All Good Things, but this one made me cry nonetheless.

And there was so much more... Visionary, Past Tense (part 1 and 2), The Ship, Trials and Tribblelations, In The Cards...

Characters like Odo, Sisko, Garak, ..., fantastic storytelling! Even secondary characters like Gul Dukat, The Nagus, etc.

Writing this makes me realise DS9 may be the most underrated series of all time. Only those who saw all 7 seasons probably share my sentiments.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,251]

I have to disagree with you regarding What You Leave Behind. It felt like a proper ending to a series, people leaving, moving on to different things.

The TNG series final did not have that at all, it was just keeping everything the same for the upcoming movie.

I should point out that IMO the DS9 series finale is actually the entire second half of season 7, not just the last 2 episodes.

Stefancos- engaged in the latter episodes of season 2. next up Crossover, with Intendant Kira...hmmmm....

[ST-321 4]

I am not up on all my episode tittles, but I'll admit that DS9 was by far the greatest Trek series. I loved it! When I get the chance I need to wade through my DVDs again and re-watch the whole thing.

[John Crichton 4]

I've actually been re-watching DS9 myself the past several months, I'm about halfway through season 6 right now. By far and away the best Trek, and in my opinion is was the precursor to what has been to me the Golden Age of sci-fi TV the last several years (the Joss Whedon shows, Farscape, Galactica). And in fitting with my preference for heavy serialization, my favorite eps are mostly those ones that dealt with the big arcs. And Garak, my favorite character. Some that come to mind:

Improbable Cause/The Die is Cast

In Purgatory's Shadow/By Inferno's Light

A Call to Arms

And of course the two fully serialized stretches, the first 6 eps of season 6 and the last 10, inlcuding the perfect finale.

[Danielle 0]

Improbable Cause/The Die is Cast

In Purgatory's Shadow/By Inferno's Light

A Call to Arms

Nail on the head. A Call to Arms is awesome, it had all been building to this one moment for 5 years, and it doesn't disappoint.

In the Pale Moonlight just goes so beyond good, it's untrue. One of the strongest episodes of any series I've ever seen.

[Trent B 317]

I haven't seen any of DS9 in a long time. If I can I plan on buying all 7 seasons on DVD next month.

Personally DS9 is my second favorite Star Trek TV series. I did love it when it was on but a lot of episodes from the first three or four seasons I don't remember. So when I get all 7 seasons I'll definitely be watching from pilot to series finale so I remember everything.

As far as favorite episodes go... there are quite a few I thought were personal favorites. However 98% of the Dominion War episodes I really enjoyed the most.

[Greg1138 2]

Weird Timing! I am doing a DS9 Marathon at the moment, watching the whole lot in sequence....since I have never seen much of it chronologically.....have got as far as the Past Tense 2-parter (one week in to the marathon) - fantastic writing and anchored by some great performances....

...but I feel "Emissary" is very underrated!

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,251]

Emissary makes me cry.

[John Crichton 4]

Emissary is a wonderful pilot, it's just too bad it took them 4 years to really adress the main point of it, that Sisko is The Emissary.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,251]

Yes, apart from a few comments from Vedek Winn, that particular plot point was pretty much ignored.

[John Crichton 4]

I'm sure Rick Berman was nervous about doing something like that with the character. He didn't even want Sisko to be a captain. Good thing he stopped paying attention once someone gave him a nice new set of Voyager action figures.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,251]

Ahhh...Berman bashing again.

These days people tend to forget that HE basically saved TNG and created DS9.

He ran out of ideas for Voyager and Enterprise, but he's not the devil.

[BLUMENKOHL 1,064]

1. In The Pale Moonlight - Amazing. From the first sentence uttered from Sisko's mouth, it grabbed me and didn't let go until the end credits. David Bell's magnificent subtle yet sinister underscore worked marvelously in setting the great tone of the story. One of the finest hours of telivision.

1(TIE). The Visitor - Once more amazing, grabbed me from start to finish, and the only hour of telivision to get me more than just teary eyed. This one is just beautiful story telling.

2. Call to Arms - The greatest season finale in Star Trek, excellent pace, multiple storylines that all contribute to a final plot, and a hell of a cliffhanger...with a WHOAAAAA last shot.

3. Improbable Cause/The Die is Cast - Garak, Odo, Romulans, the Dominion, the most energetic and fantastic FX shot in Star Trek (The Defiant tearing through the Jem'Hadar bug)....all = the greatest two parter in Star Trek.

These days people tend to forget that HE basically saved TNG and created DS9.

Michael Piller saved TNG come season 3 and Michael Piller was the creative force behind the creation of DS9. Berman was busy with wrapping up TNG, Generations, and Voyager.

Berman did initially help open Star Trek to modern story telling, but it wasn't him that brough us the modern stories.

[John Crichton 4]

Ahhh...Berman bashing again.

These days people tend to forget that HE basically saved TNG and created DS9.

He ran out of ideas for Voyager and Enterprise, but he's not the devil.

Michael Piller saved TNG come season 3 and Michael Piller was the creative force behind the creation of DS9. Berman was busy with wrapping up TNG, Generations, and Voyager.

Berman did initially help open Star Trek to modern story telling, but it wasn't him that brough us the modern stories.

I think Ron Moore deserves some credit there too. But I'm no TNG expert and I'll go ahead and lay off Berman,...for now. (Though there's no doubt that DS9 was at its best after Ira Steven Behr got de facto total control )

But my point is still valid that after creating the idea of Sisko being a religous icon within the show, the Powers-That-Be showed a lot of recluctance on fully pulling the trigger on it.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,251]

The Defiant.

It's always good to see Jonathan Frakes, he's a fine actor and alsways a bit underused in TNG. I love the scene were he pulls of his sideburns, did he really think the DS9 crew would not believe who he was without them?

The other good thing about it is Dukat, at this point in the series he could go either way, at times he's up to his old tricks (Civil Defense) but here's he's actually one of the more reasonable people in the episode.

Past Tense.

Ok this is a great 2 parter, a well crafted story, with a message, without becoming preachy. Avery Brooks gets to do some acting, which is always good.

The whole reason how the transporter accident happened is of course totally unfattimable and is solved by copious amounts of techno babble, but the way it's written, or the actors handle it, it's seems like they aren't trying to hide the fact that it's all a lot of crock, but instead have fun with it.

This story treats changes to the timeline unlike any other Trek episode or film upto that point.

the crew in the Defiant, still in the 24th Century do not notice the changes to the timeline till after the real Bell is killed, which is over a day after Sisko, Dax and Bashir travel back in time. (in First Contact and The City On The Edge Of Forever, the change to the timeline happens the moment the Borg or McCoy travel in time.

It's nice to see Balok has traveled through time as well, and become a vagrant <_<

[Morn 7]

Who Mourns for Morn?

The crew is shocked to learn that Morn has been killed in an ion storm.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,251]

It will be a long time before I reach that episode. weeks maybe.

But in the mean time:

Through the Looking Glass.

Sisko has a nice time here, he get's to shag both Dax and Kira, meet his dead wife and beat up Bashir.

Good Mirror Universe episode.

Improbable Cause / The Die Is Cast.

Great 2 parter, what starts out as a simple criminal investigation on the station slowly turns into a full fledged space battle.

The pairing of Odo and Garak is a masterstroke. Those both characters seem to be almost polar oposites of each other, Odo a strong silent type, seeking truth and order at all times, and Garak, who is nearly incapable of telling any kind of truth without turning it into an enigma.

However both are outcast, both are looked on with distrust, and both secretly desire to return home.

This relationship sits in the middle of a story wich is the next step in the Dominion wars. It's becoming harder and harder to know who to trust.

Some impressive special effects.

Explorers.

A delightfull little father/son story. Avery Brooks fake goatee for this episode looks kinda weird.

The Bajoran craft looks beautiful, the cribbed it's design for the Collector ship in Insurrection, a few years later.

The subplot has a nice scene with the Chief and Bashir both drunk and talking about their feelings

Even Dukat is almost a nice guy here.

[Sandor 459]

Stefan, I do not really agree on your statements concerning All Good Things.

While the TNG series finale didn't send the crew 'into different directions' and all (like What You Leave Behind did in a fantastic way - with great music!), All Good Things was a brilliant continuation to the pilot episode, Encounter At Farpoint.

Yes, there was a movie on the horizon, a "status quo" had to be established to bridge the series into Generations, but Encounter At Farpoint and All Good Things are perfect book-ends to The Next Generation TV series.

And it's great two-parter that works equally well on it's own.

What You Leave Behind is also good, and had a brilliant final 30 minutes that truly moved me to tears. But the fact that it re-used some special effects material from earlier episodes like The Sacrifice Of Angels always gave me the feeling that it wasn't as well executed as it could have been. Basically, it had two stories to tell. First; the ending of the Dominion War, second; the departure of all the characters. EDIT: Come to think of it; the finale could also be regarded as a conclusion to the themes brought up in the very first episode, Emmisary. In a sense, Babylon 5's Sleeping In Light was more focussed as season finale.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,251]

Stefan, I do not really agree on your statements concerning All Good Things.

Why am I not surprised?

While the TNG series finale didn't send the crew 'into different directions' and all (like What You Leave Behind did in a fantastic way - with great music!), All Good Things was a brilliant continuation to the pilot episode, Encounter At Farpoint.

The problem with that being that Encounter at Farpoint was a really poor episode.

All Good Things has a few problems, Geordie suddenly grows eyes, but nothing is done with that, something similar happens with Nurse Ogawa...

The plot is also to convoluted and there are some serious problems with this whole bussiness of Anti-time, as shown in this episode.

Yes, there was a movie on the horizon, a "status quo" had to be established to bridge the series into Generations, but Encounter At Farpoint and All Good Things are perfect book-ends to The Next Generation TV series.

It's a good series finale, but TNG has seen better shows, I'm afraid (the last scene though is fantastic)

And it's great two-parter that works equally well on it's own.

The great strength of DS9 is that many episodes do not work on their own.

What You Leave Behind is also good, and had a brilliant final 30 minutes that truly moved me to tears. But the fact that it re-used some special effects material from earlier episodes like The Sacrifice Of Angels always gave me the feeling that it wasn't as well executed as it could have been. Basically, it had two stories to tell. First; the ending of the Dominion War, second; the departure of all the characters. EDIT: Come to think of it; the finale could also be regarded as a conclusion to the themes brought up in the very first episode, Emmisary.

The Pah-Wraith finale with the final confrontation in the caves is not as epic as I think they planned it, but Sisko's ultimate fate is just so sad that it really brought a few tears in my eyes.

I also agree that the last scenes with all the flashbacks (and the suppurb music) is very effective (though there's no sign of Jadzia in them, which is a bit...odd.)

All in all both series had flawed, but very effective closure's, TNG's finale was spot on for TNG, and the finale DS9 had could not have worked for any other Trek.

Stefan Cosman- nearly arrived as Season four, and the amazing Way Of The Warrior.

In a sense, Babylon 5's Sleeping In Light was more focussed as season finale.

Babylon what????

[Sandor 459]

All in all both series had flawed, but very effective closure's, TNG's finale was spot on for TNG, and the finale DS9 had could not have worked for any other Trek.

Stefan Cosman- nearly arrived as Season four, and the amazing Way Of The Warrior.

I agree.

And Season 4 is really amazing and The Way Of The Warrior couldn't have been a better opener. Happy watching!

[Maraquesh 0]

The problem with that being that Encounter at Farpoint was a really poor episode.

All Good Things has a few problems, Geordie suddenly grows eyes, but nothing is done with that, something similar happens with Nurse Ogawa...

'Encounter' may not have been the best episode indeed, but Q quickly became one of TNG's most succesful characters, so seeing him return with his fascination for humanity gives 'All Good Things...' definitely a sense of closure.

As for Geordi's newly grown eyes and Ogawa losing her baby; this all happened in a timeframe where the Enterprise is close to the anti-time anomaly. Since the anomaly is collapsed at the end of the episode, it's rather logical nothing is done with Geordi's eyes since it never happened...

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,251]

It's logical, but it's a timewaster. This episode was cramped already, why waste time on giving Geordi sight if he's just gonna lose it for Generations.

Also with Anti-time, how come Picard cannot see the anomaly when he first arrives at the location were it's supposed to form, but can a few minutes later. It's supposed to be anti-time, forming into the past?

That was really a big screw up.

[Danielle 0]

I also agree that the last scenes with all the flashbacks (and the suppurb music) is very effective (though there's no sign of Jadzia in them, which is a bit...odd.)

You think that's odd? Worf remembers being a hologram in his flashback.

I find What You Leave Behind to be emotionally satisfying but also deeply flawed. The two plot elements - The wrap ups of the Dominion war, and the final confrontation with Dukat - are completely disconnected, with the Dukat/Winn stuff not integrated well at all and feeling tacked on, and it is totally unforgivable that the very last episode should rely on footage nabbed from Sacrifice of Angels and Tears of the Prophets. We're supposed to be watching the final battle of the Dominion war, but what we get instead is a cheap and obvious replay of previous events. It pulls me out of the drama every time.

Plus points: Kira, Garak and Damar breaking into hysterics when they realise they can't get inside the command centre... Damar leading the rebels on with cries of "For Cardassia!"... Sisko, Martok and Admiral Ross standing in the ruins of central command... Kai Winn getting what she deserves... The Cardassian fleet switching sides in the midst of battle... Quark's goodbye to Odo ("That man loves me! It's written all over his back")... lots more besides. The final shot is beautiful and heartbreaking.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,251]

The Adversary.

Basically Star Trek does John Carpenter's The Thing. But they do it very well.

This episode creates a real paranoid tension, and set's up for a creepy season closure "they're everywere!"

I love the way Odo's act in this episode comes back to haunt him later in the series.

Pro's.

Sisko get's a rank befitting his goatee.

Captain Sisko sure sounds better then Commander

Cons.

The Defiant is on a Starfleet mission, yet both Odo and Kira are on board. this doesn't make sense at all, Odo is security chief, he has no function on The Defiant (the story needs him, but that's not a good enough reason, now it it. )

The Way Of The Warrior.

Without a doubt the best season opener yet (even better then the overrated Best Of Both Worlds part II).

Instead of focusing on the Founders, or the Dominion, like you would except, the writers find a whole new angle. They also introuce the one thing the station has been lacking, an moody Klingon.

No other character from TNG would have worked on DS9 better then Worf, but they aren't kind to him. In TNG Worf spend 7 years starting as an orphaned Klingon to someone who has build a reputation amognst his people. In DS9 the creators strip that away from him as soon as possible

The 2 battle scenes still look amazing even today, and there's is real tension (I love Sisko's moment hesitance when he realizes he's going to have to fire on the Klingon ships to save Dukat). Robert O'Reilly's eyes bulge out bigger then ever as Gowron, and General Martok is introduced to us. The rest of the episode is filled in with the delightfull character moments that give DS9 it's particular flavor. (Quark & Odo, Quark & Garak & root beer, Garag & Dukat, Dax & Kira, Sisko as Captain Yates)

Dennis McCarthy's score drives everything along nicely (fans may reconize a few lifts from his Generations score though )

All in all a great rip roaring, adrenaline fuelled way to open a season.

[Maraquesh 0]

Also with Anti-time, how come Picard cannot see the anomaly when he first arrives at the location were it's supposed to form, but can a few minutes later. It's supposed to be anti-time, forming into the past?

That was really a big screw up.

I don't really see a screw up there. Three pulses from three different time periods formed the anomaly. When Picard first arrives in the Devron system (in the future timeline), the anomaly isn't there 'cause they haven't used the pulse yet. It's only until after the pulse is initiated, the anomaly starts to form.

The only screw ups I see are when Picard says something like: 'Three pulses from three different Enterprises caused the anomaly!', when in fact there were only two Enterprises and one USS Pasteur. Also, when Picard is in the 'Encounter At Farpoint' timeline, he says: 'Then it IS larger in the past...', as if the audience would understand this remark, but there wasn't anything in the episode up unto that point that had indicated the anomaly to be larger in the past.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,251]

I don't really see a screw up there. Three pulses from three different time periods formed the anomaly. When Picard first arrives in the Devron system (in the future timeline), the anomaly isn't there 'cause they haven't used the pulse yet. It's only until after the pulse is initiated, the anomaly starts to form.

I'm sorry but you are wrong.

The anomaly grows in opposite direction of time, so when Picard arrives it should actually already be bigger then when he spots it a few moments later.

It makes good drama for Picard not to see it at first, but it's not correct.

[Maraquesh 0]

I don't really see a screw up there. Three pulses from three different time periods formed the anomaly. When Picard first arrives in the Devron system (in the future timeline), the anomaly isn't there 'cause they haven't used the pulse yet. It's only until after the pulse is initiated, the anomaly starts to form.

I'm sorry but you are wrong.

The anomaly grows in opposite direction of time, so when Picard arrives it should actually already be bigger then when he spots it a few moments later.

It makes good drama for Picard not to see it at first, but it's not correct.

As with all time travel stories, there's really so much confusion going on that I don't think anyone is right or wrong. In this particular case, I don't think the anomaly was there when Picard entered the Devron system. In that specific timeline, it couldn't have existed, just like there once was an 'Encounter At Farpoint' timeline where the Enterprise was actually sent to Farpoint station instead of a reassignment to the Devron system. By your logic, the original 'Farpoint' story is a screw up, 'cause the anomaly should have been there. I think Q manipulated the timelines to a certain extend as well.

But like I said, disect any timetravel story and you're bound to stumble upon 'screw ups'...

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,251]

That's why i'm glad later seasons of DS9 pretty much abandoned temporal logic in favor for something that works on TV.

Say hi to your brother from me.

[BLUMENKOHL 1,064]

DS9 was great storytelling because there wasn't a grand reset button at the end of each episode.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,251]

That's what gave it something even the often outstanding TNG didn't have.

They attempted serialised storytelling on Voyager too, but for some reason it never really worked.

[BLUMENKOHL 1,064]

That's what gave it something even the often outstanding TNG didn't have.

They attempted serialised storytelling on Voyager too, but for some reason it never really worked.

Yeah, Braga became a big proponent of doing a year long arc, which was going to be based around "Year of Hell."  

It was shot down by everyone higher up than him.  And instead, we got a year of hell in 41 minutes.

I think it would have been very cool.  At the very least, it would give some run-of-the-mill stories that they were going to tell anyway, a not-so-run-of-the-mill backdrop.    

To quote you Steef, "IDIOTS!"

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,251]

As a 2 parter, I like Year Of Hell, unfortunatly after the episode is over it never happened.

The problem with Voyager is that they really seemed to have it pretty easy 70.000 lightyears from home. Life Support pretty much always worked, so did the replicators, and even the holodeck. The ship was shot at hundreds of times in 7 years, but even when totally out of reach from The Federation, it kept looking prestine and....Starfleet like.

[John Crichton 4]

Tears of the Prophets

It gets overshadowed by the finales in the seasons before and after, but this is a great one in its own right. The Battle of Chintaka is spectacular, the Sisko/Dukat/Prophets arc is both a good payoff for what was developed during the year and sets up the final year well. And Jadzia's death, something the producers and writers were forced into rather than by choice, was handled extremely well. The final 10 minutes after her death and the apparent destruction of the wormhole is just dripping with emotion.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,251]

I love the final scenes with Sisko, saying goodbye to the already dead Jadzia, devastated, confused, shattered. And then the final shot of him, Captain Sisko, Emissary of the Prophets shelling clams in some back alley in New Orleans, with sad blues music signing of the season.

That was a long wait....

[John Crichton 4]

Take Me Out to the Holosuite

There was tons of fun had making this episode, and it shows on screen. They even got pretty much all of the baseball stuff right. Sikso's speech about why he hates Solok is superbly written and played. And only DS9 would have the guts to actually make Vulcans the bad guys for an episode.

[Greg1138 2]

I don't really see a screw up there. Three pulses from three different time periods formed the anomaly. When Picard first arrives in the Devron system (in the future timeline), the anomaly isn't there 'cause they haven't used the pulse yet. It's only until after the pulse is initiated, the anomaly starts to form.

I'm sorry but you are wrong.

The anomaly grows in opposite direction of time, so when Picard arrives it should actually already be bigger then when he spots it a few moments later.

It makes good drama for Picard not to see it at first, but it's not correct.

Thank's Steef!!! I've hated that plot-hole with a vengeance for years!!!!!!! Glad I'm not the only one.......though of course I should point out that the future Picard should see the anomaly on approaching the Devron system, but not really when he arrives - and definitely not after he's used the pulse!! Really, really bad writing.....but it's still a cool episode.....

Greg - who has just watched the "Improbable Cause/The Die Is Cast" 2-parter in his own marathon.....very, very, very cool.....this is what I missed in DS9 first time round, and boy am I glad I took the trouble this time.....

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,251]

The Visitor. Wondefull episode, well written, well acted, especially by Brooks and Todd (though I really can't see Corroc Lofton growing up into him wink.gif )

Hippocratic Oath.

The second episode to deal with the Jem Hadar as possible "good guys' without emasculating the entire species (something Voyager was never able to do).

Interesting dilemma for Bashar, but the eventual outcome is a bit too easy. O'Brien say that Bashir can have him court marshalled for disobeying orders. Really? Basically Bashir was aiding the enemy, I would think it's Bashir who will have some explaining to do. the turmoil in the Bashir/O'Brien relationship is fixed just a little bit too easily.

Indiscretion.

Starts out looking like a Kira episode, but becomes the first real Dukat episode.

I like the way Kira get's somekind of regard for him as a person before he discloses his intentions with Zyal.

Marc Alaimo once again does a great job in keeping you guessing about what Dukat really feels.

Cardassians are the most intesredting of the new races concieved in TNG (yes even moreso then the Borg) because they like to talk, and are rather intelligent and articulate (I like Klingons, but they mostly just grunt)

The subplot consists of Sisko screwing up with Kasidy, it's harmless.

Rejoined.

Trek's sewcond attempt at a "gay-themed" show after TNG's rather tepid The Outcast.

While this is a brave show, well written and well acted for it's first half our, or so. It pretty much takes a nisedive after Jadzia's latter scene with Sisko.

There's a real feeling of uncomfortability, yet something familiar between Dax and Kahn, and the builf up to the kiss is very well done. But ofter that the episode pretty much grinds to a halt with overacting and poor scripting.

Since we can pretty much guess Dax is not gonna leave the station anyway, the only tension was in getting to the kiss, after that, the magic's gone.

Also in both the gay-themes shows Trek did the outcome is that these people should not be together and bury their feelings.

Starship Down.

The Defiant pretends to be a sub-marine. wink.gif

Not nearly as nailbiting as The Adversary (not even close actually), but there are things to like. James Cromwell has a lot of fun in his supporting role with Shimerman, the Sisko/Kira part is interesting, and this is the first appearence of Ensign Muniz, who will be of some inportance later in the series.

Little Green Men.

Wonderfull comedy episode. Quark looks greedier then ever when he discovers how stupid primitive earthlings are.

Charles Napier once played a Space Hippie on TOS' awfull Return To Eden, here's he's a lot more convincing as the sigarchewing General.

Megan Gallagher as Nurse Garland looks likes she gives a decent Ooh'ma, and both the effects and music are wonderfully cheesy.

The Sword of Kahless.

Kor from Bloodoath returns to DS9 to find the Sword of Kahless, unfortunatly they find a whole lot else when he and Worf start behaving like they found the treasure of the Sierra Madre.

Solid episode, not classic, but good.

Our Man Bashir.

Basically the first Holodeck gone haywire episode of DS9, remember TNG were the Holodeck treatened to kill the crew 3 or 4 times a season.

The Bond films are spoofed very well here, and I love Garak, the real spy, commenting on how stupid it all is.

Worf, Dax and O'Brien really don't get much to do here, but Sisko get's to ham up the Bond supervillian, and Kira's fake Russian accent is hillarious.

Jay Chattaway's music was nominated for an Emmy I think, but it really was not al that memorable.

Homefront.

From silly to serious.

This episode plays differently now then it did when I saw it in 97 or 98.

If it were made today, one would draw are kinds of comparison's to 9/11 and how America's leadership handled this crisis.

(actually when Worf shows the security clip of the explosion at Antwerpen he starts at timeindex Five-Nine-Eleven)

But since this was made in 1996 it would be irrelevant to bring all that to bear.

This episode presents 2 idiologies, one from Odo, who believes that Earth is vulnerable from an attack from the Changelings and it would be foolish not to do anything....anything possible to try and track them down and stop further Dominion incurions on Earth, no matter what the price.

The other is from Joseph Sisko, a stubborn old New Orleans restaurant owner in poor health who believes that you cannot save paradise, if it means destroying it.

Paradise Lost.

And part II shows us that sometimes you must listen to stubborn old men. Especially when played by the delightfull Brock Peters.

In the previous episode Sisko's actions seemed perfectly reasonable. Now we see that he has (once again) been manipulted by a friend, but also by his own fears. Robert Foxworthy is rather good as Admiral Layton. But Brock Peters is the fine new addition to this series.

Overall this episode is perhaps a bit to talky, and the few shots they show of The Defiant versus the USS Lakota makes me want more.

Still a fine 2 parter that effectively works your mind.

Return to Grace.

This episode should have been called "Dukat Talks". Alaimo has more lines of dialogue here in this episode I think then he's had in the series so far.

Fortunetly all of it is very good, his insistant and rather futile flirtation with Kira is actually a bit creepy.

this episode also debutes Damar.

Sons of Mogh.

This episode continues with stripping Worf from the few things he has left in his life.

Tony Todd is good as always as Kurn.

The ending seems a bit of a compromise though, Kurn lives, but Worf still looses him.

You have to wonder about Starfleet medical ethics for Bashir to be able to erase Kurns memory without his apparent consent.

Bar Association.

Bashir & O'Brien teach Rom more insidious and misguided human values and gets him to form a union against Quark.

Fun, as most Ferengi episodes are.

Hard Time.

Fantastic episode, the writers love giving the Chief a hard time, and he goes through hell in this one.

O'Brien is probably the most normal guy in the Trek Universe, just a regular human being, hardworking, flawed, but a good man.

His marriage with Keiko is probably the only romantic relationship that resembles a relationship that we normal people have.

O'Brien's break down and confession brought a few tears to my eyes.

Shattered Mirror.

Garak put in chains by Worf, Jake inamored by his dead mother, evil-Kira with here best line yet:

Prison guard- "You execute my wife!"

Evil-Kira- "Really, I was hoping you were single."

This combined with the best looking space battle of the series so far. makes this a delightfull romp.

The Muse.

Jake encounters a creature resembling the salt craving creature from The Man Trap, sucking the juice out of his brain while he's writing a masterpiece. This story is actually a bit weird.

Meg Foster is both creepy and sensual as the life-sucking alien.

The second story features Lwaxana, which is always a worry, but the character has actually grown from a annoying meddling busy body into someone with a bit of wisdom. Majel Barret and Auberjonois work very well together.

[Sandor 459]

I really enjoy reading your episode comments!

Glad you like Hard Time as well!

[John Crichton 4]

The Siege of AR-558

There are tons of reasons to love this episode, but there's one in particular I want to point out after seeing it again: has there ever been a greater score written for an episode of TV?

[Sandor 459]

John, I totally agree! The Seige at AR-558 has a FANTASTIC score!

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,251]

Have not seen it for years, but I seem to remember the music getting awfully close to the Stargate Theme at one point.

Stefan Cosman - who hopes to end season 4 tonight.

[Greg1138 2]

You're a season ahead of me Steef.....I have had a break for a night or two, but continue with "Facets" tonight....

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,251]

I've had 2 weeks off, and used it well

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,251]

For the Cause.

After worf, and O'Brien, this time it's Sisko's turn to take a pounding.

Up to now The Maquis were rather boring in this series (not to mention Voyager) A bunch of faceless forgettable humans who felt neither very dangerous or interesting, a mere nuisance compared to the Cardassians, Klingons, Dominion and Quark

But with Edington's betrayal, and they way he used Kasidy and her loyaties to get what he wants, things are now personal for Sisko.

Ben's attempt to get Kasidy to come to Risa with him, and Kasidy understanding why he asks this, but chosing not to is very well crafted.

To the Death.

For the first time we encounter a normal troop of Jem Hadar, in service of the Dominion.

We also meet Weyoun, played to perfection by Jeffrey Combs. (he dies in this episode, and I think the only reason they made The Vorta clones is so they could make him a recurring character)

The Jem Hadar's warrior philoposhy make even the Klingons seem tame by comparison, but as characters they are rather limited, and the thick layers of make-up probably explains why this series never really had a recurring Jem Hadar character.

The big knife-to-knive fight is pretty well staged for Trek standards (which is never really remembered for it's stunning fight scenes) I understand they had to cut over 30 seconds of bloodletting out before this was allowed to be aired.

The Quickening.

Joins The Visitor and Hard Times as the seasons most emotional episode. What could have been an average alien of the week episode turns into a harrowing attempt by Bashir to stop a population from dying.

Michael Sarrazin is very good as a man who has seen so mych death that he has lost all hope.

The ending, were the disease is cured, but not instantly, and at a terrible price is a masterstroke.

Well directed by Rene Auberjonois.

Body parts.

This time Quark takes a beating. Does he die, or does he loose everything he has and become a paria in the eyes of his people?

Jeffrey Combs who was Weyoun only 2 episodes ago returns in his other recurring role as Brunt. The characters are so completely different that it's not in the least bit disturbing, or even noticable. Combs is great in his utter disgust for Quark.

Did I mention that Rom is just...a really sweet guy

The subplot of Kira getting pregnant with Keiko and the Chiefs baby is of course a thinly veiled attempt to write Nana Visitor's pregnancy into the series, but it's done with a good dose of humor. You gotta love O'Brien's predicament...

Broken Link. The end to season 4, a season which went about wreaking havoc amongst certain characters, and now it's Odo's turn.

Worf and Quark were stripped of their honor, their possesions, their people. Sisko was betrayed by the women he loved and one of his officers, O'Brien was robbed of his humanity, and now Odo has humanity forced upon him.

I love the way the line "No Changeling has ever harmed another" which seemed to be mostly a gimmick to get the crew released in The Search Part II ultimatly leads to this. Odo, who's lived his life upholding justice, faces the consequences of his actions and becomes, what TNG's Data has always dreamed of becoming, and hates it.

Little charecter moments elevate this episode. Quark's goodbye to Odo, Garak's attempt of keeping Odo ocupied during the journey to the Founders with stories on murder and intrigue and finally Bashir, on the Changeling homeworld, nearly trowing a pebble in the Great Link.

The cliffhanger, Gowron is a shapeshifter is a damn good way to close a season!

[John Crichton 4]

We also meet Weyoun, played to perfection by Jeffrey Combs. (he dies in this episode, and I think the only reason they made The Vorta clones is so they could make him a recurring character)

I think you're right. Also, notice how during the first half of season 5 they make an effort to have a different Vorta every time they're involved, only to have them pale in comparison to Mr. Combs. By the middle of Season 5 they figured it out: Weyoun, Weyoun, and more Weyoun.

John- a few eps away from starting the amazing Final 10

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,251]

Apocalypse Rising.

Good season opening. Avery Brooks has fun being a Klinon and the story is really tense. Odo's skills as an investigator are better then mine, since I didn't see the plot twist coming. J.G. Hertzler is back as Martok.

The Ship.

This one is even better. Tension mounts when Sisko, Dax, Worf, O'Brien and a guy with a yellow shirt are trapped in a Jem Hadar cruiser, surrounded by the enemy.

Munez death is not just another anonymous Star Fleet guy dying, his crew mates care for him, and they manage to make us care.

Sisko battles wits with a female Vorta who is not as interesting as Weyoun.

Looking for par'Mach in All the Wrong Places

After 2 tense episodes, we are treated to The Love Boat, on a space station.

Kira and O'Brien become a bit confuseed. (but thankfully it stops just at the right moment).

Quark and Worf finally disciver they have something in common when they both desire Quark's Klingon ex-wife Grilka.

I love the way Worf is insulted by the notion that he knows nothing of Knlingon women and even helps the Ferengi that he loads to prove otherwise.

The Worf/Dax relationship begins in a hilarious fasion. . I prefer it to the Worf/Troi relationship that never got anywere except in alternate universes and alterate timelines.

...Nor the Battle to the Strong

Cirroc Lofton proves he can handle tougher storylines when Jake experiences first hand the horrors of the Klingon/Federation conflict.

Good one.

The Assignment.

Keiko O'Brien goes Linda Blair.

Rosalind Chao gives a creepy and disturbing performance as a Pah Wraith inhabiting Keiko's body so O'Brien will have to do it's bidding. At one point Miles asks it why it doesn't take over his body instead, since it would be more efficient and...logical. The Pah Wraith never answers that question, because it's a majot flaw in the episode's plot.

Still a good one though, and Rom saves the day once more.

Trials and Tribble-ations

Deep Space Nine's tribute to The Original Series. The crew of the Defiant meet Kirk and his crew during the Tribble episode.

Clever script that isn't just content to put the crew in the era of TOS but also lets them have fun in it (something the Voyager tribute episode failed to do). Terry Farrel's eyes twinkle when she remembers a particular rendez vous with a very young Dr. McCoy, Bashir meets his great, great grandmother, or so he thinks, O'Brien to Kirk and Sisko gets to meet his hero and Worf is confronted by a mortal enemy of his people, the Tribble, in a episode that dismisses temporal logic and other boring sci-fi stuff and just wants to be entertaining. The recreation of the old Enterprise is perfect and old footage and new fit together incredibly well. The most stand-out difference is the mono-ish sounding dialogue of the old crew compared to the modern sound quality of the DS-niners.

45 minutes of good fun.

Things Past.

A good episode that unfortunatly could have been a lot better. Sisko, Dax, Garak and Odo are stick in a mind link together, forcing them to share a particulary bad memory of Odo.

They don't know this is going on (they suspect soms sort of time travel). But since we, the viewer can see them lying in Bashir's infirmary, we know more then they do, and that undermines tension in this episode. Kirkwood Smith plasys, basically Odo and does a good job. at one point Dukat selects Dax to be a 'companion" for him. I've always though that Dax should have been exchanged with Kira here, since they already have some sort of relationship going, givong this part of the episode an extra element.

The ending, with Kira confronting Odo often the mistake that he has made and how he's kept the truth from her is basically a response to a similar scene in season two's Necessary Evil, were Odo does the same to Kira.

This is the best scene of the episode, which is flawed, but has good stuff in it.

The Ascent.

I think this is the fist time Odo and Quark share so much time in an episode together. Basically they insult, annoy and feed of each others hate almost into death. Quark and Odo's rivalry with each other was the first thing in the series that really worked 100% and Shimerman and Auberjonois know the routine very well. Highlights are when they are panically fighting each other while Quark screaming FASCIST...FASCIST at Odo (it makes no sense, but it's hilarious) And Quark telling Odo that the only reason why he's carrying him up the mountain is so he can eat him

The rest of the episode consists of Jake and Nog playing The Odd couple, harmless, but nothing more then episode filler.

Rapture. Two big changes in this episode. The first is that the crew has now changed to the new Star Trek: First Contact style uniforms. The second is Sisko.

Up untill now he's never embraced his position as Emissary, he's gotten used to it a little bit, and used it when it served his purpose, but he was never a believer.

Strong acting by Avery Brooks as he slowly sucombs to visions that endager the future between Bajor and the Federation and his own life. Kai Winn seems distrurbibgly reasonable in this episode, almost moreso then the visiting Starfleet Admiral.

Kasidy Yates fortunatly returns after being put in the slammer by the man she still loves (isn't love great)

The Darkness and the Light.

We get to know more of Kira and the darker side of her nature in this incredibly dark and moody episode (even the station seems more swamped in darkness then usual). Someone is killing her friends and former resistance member to get to her. Highlights are Kira's account to Odo about how she Joined the Shakaar resistance cell and the ending with the crazed Cardassian mumbling insane sentences and wants to cut Kira's baby out of her to save it from Kira's evil.

Excellent acting by Nana Visitor.

The Begotten.

This episode was basically put together to bring two plotlines to a close and move on.

Like Things Past an episode with 2 similar storylines. (I wish they stopped doing that)

Kira giving birth is pretty much the end of a a storyline that prevented Visitor from being shot from chesthight or conceal her belly behind computer consoles for an entire season. I like the way O'Brien and Shakaar bicker over Kira.

The best part is the main story though. Odo gets his hands on a baby-Changeling (from Quark...yeah, right) and comes to see of it as his child. James Sloyan returns as Odo's mentor. Like they did in season 2, Auberjonois and Sloyan work well together, though you will basically have to forget that their former episode together never happened.

In the end Odo gets his shapeshifting abilities back, this was probably done because the Odo is now human storyline had run it's course, but the moment Odo changes into a hawk and flies over the Promenade is really wonderfull.

For the Uniform.

Captain Sisko at his most basic. He trusted Michael Eddington, and feels humiliated and betrayed and now wants Edington's head on a platter.

Brooks sweats and grunts even more then usual when he is outwitted several times by The Maquis, now personified by Edington.

Strong story. This episode introduces a new feature to Star Ships that did mot catch on and was abondoned after only 2 episodes. Instead of a viewscreen a holo-imaging device now makes it look like the person on the other ship you are talking too is standing before you on the bridge. For this episode, it kinda works because it puts Sisko and Edington face to face, but I really didn't miss it once it was phased out.

[Greg1138 2]

I'm catching up......in the middle of "Looking for Par Mach etc etc" at the mo....enjoying the ride.....

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,251]

In Purgatory's Shadow.

The hostilities with the Dominion heat up a bit.

This episode ends part of the Garak storyline. His final confrontation with Tain answers many questions, and yet many still remain. We know the true nature of their relationship, yet it's still a mystery what Garak did to deserve his excile.

Here we finally meet the real General Martok, a fine addition to DS9's ever growing cast of supporting characters.

Dukat, who had sort of become an usefull ally to Sisko, and become a bit more likeble, shows his true nature, I like it.

Pretty tense cliffhanger with a Dominion fleet coming out of the workhole and the fake Bashir.

By Inferno's Light.

Strong follow up.

Just when you think we were finally gonna get the Dominion attack on DS9 that you would think they'd give us in the first episode of season 3 (most series would), the political intrigue (and subsequent tension) is upped another notch.

Nice touch that the real Bashir, captured by the Dominion still wears the old style uniform.

The segment in the POW cap is very well done, especially how the relationship between Worf, the Klingon dispised by his people, and General Martok begins to develop.

I have one major beef with the plot. The fake Bashir plans to detinate a protomatter device into the Bajoran sun to make it go supernova and destor DS9 and the Klingon/Federation taskforce, right?

Would this supernova not also destroy the wormhole? Which the Dominion need to keep their ships coming?

Doctor Bashir, I Presume?

Doctor Bashir is genetically enhanced (interestingly both him and Khan have a tan...hmmm...)

As silly as this sounds it is actually well handled. I liked the waO'Brien could not really care less (except when it comes to playing darts)

Joe Picardo has fun in his role as the creator of Voyager's medical Hologram. Chase Masterson is fetching as ever as Leeta and Rom is a very lucky Ferengi. Nice, charming episode.

A Simple Investigation.

Odo pops his cherry.

The story is structured like an old Bogart film (which I suppose makes sense). The mysterious women comes to the lonely detective asking help, but not all is what it seems. Dey Young is good as the object of Odo's affection.

The end, were Odo looses the women he loves, gives Auberjonois a chance to shine. Odo is actually this series most vulnerable character. When his heart is broken his head bows in defeat, the shoulders sag and he lets out a sad grunt to express his heartache. Writing this down it sounds ridiculous, but everytime Auberjonois does this, it gets to me.

Business as Usual.

Quark grows a conscience. Having doubts about joining the arms bizz with his cousing Gaila (the one with the moon) and Steven Berkoff (the wild eyed villian from Beverly Hills cop and Rambo II) he sets about entraping them and saves the lives of some 28 million people.

Decent Ferengi ep, nothing more, nothing less.

Ties of Blood and Water.

Kira cares for the dying Cardassian who is...like a father to her.

In the mean time Dukat, the leader of the renewed Cardassia visits the station and brings a new friend.

Weyoun is now a regular and this episode gives us a bit of a sample of the Dukat/Weyoun relationship (which makes the Quark/Odo one seems almost amicable by comparison) Nana Visitor is as good as ever in her portayal as Kira, caring for the closest thing she has to a father, but shying away from the fact that he is going to die, and that she will have to deal with that.

Ferengi Love Songs

The Grand Nagus is shagging Quarks Moogie, and Quark uses the oppurtunity to get his stature in Ferengi society back.

Jeffrey Combs , who was Weyoung just one episode ago is back as brunt.

Cecily Adams replaces Andrea Martin as Moogie but isn't quite as good. (though certainly exceptable)

I wonder if the budget for this episode was really low. Not only was there not a single new setpiece in the show, they even saved costs on special effects by having Brunt beaming into Quarks closet. (WHY??)

Still...enjoyable episode.

Soldiers of the Empire.

Basically Star Trek: Klingon, which is always good.

DS9 may seem dark and despressing at times but a Klingon ship looks like a pirate ship, gone green.

The Worf/Martok relationship solidifies. Oddly enough this is done by having Worf accuse Martok of cowardly behaviour and Martok stabbing Worf. (you gotta love Klingon customs)

I also like the way Jadzia seems more in tune with Klingon behaviour then Worf.

Good one!

While I've enjoyed all of season 5's episodes so far, here comes one that is not only top of the season, but ranks with top of the series AND top of the now 40 + year old franchise.

Children of Time.

A truly heartbreaking episode.

The DS9 crew discover a small colony on a remote world that was originally populated by them 200 years earlier due to a time-travel accident with the Defiant. The current colonists lives depend on making sure that accident happens again, even though they've now forwarned the crew that it will happen. Each crew member needs to decide if they are willing to give up their lives on DS9 in order to preserve the history of the colony.

The writing on this episode is spot on.

Jadzia's guilt over causing the Defiant mishap that will kill Kira, O'Brien's reluctance to accept the colonists because even that feels to him like an act of betrayal against Keiko and his children. Bashir's fascination with the fact that his own descendents rather worship him, and Worf who sees how his descendants have upheld Klingon honor and tradition, and feels pride.

The center of the story lies in the Kira/Odo relationship. Odo's secret love for Kira was pretty much put to bed last season. (I suppose the writers could not find a way to go furter with it).

This is certainly a way to bring it back. Odo basically kills 800 people all of whom he's seem struggle to build a new life on a new planet and all of them who he has known from since they were a child, out of love for Kira.

This is the third time I've seen this episode and knewing what was gonna happen, slowly my eyes started to get when in the final 15 minutes, during the planting scene.

This is a timetravel episode, in a way, so logivally speaking, since the colony never excisted, the Defiant crew should never have known what happened. (like Yesterday's Enterprise)

But I liked the fact that they do, and that the writers once again abondoned temporal logic, for sound emotional resonance.

Brilliant....brilliant episode.

Blaze of Glory.

Michael Edington returns for one last time. Sisko seems to have calm down a bit since their last encounter (when he made an entire Maquis colony uninhabitable just to get Edington, and was not even proscecuted for that )

He and Eddington still finds ways to get on each others nerves when trying to find a Maquis base that supposedly launched some weapons to destroy Carsassian colonies.

Kenneth Marshall is good in his final performance as Edington. The Maquis never really worked, not on TNG, certainly not on Voyager, and not on DS9. But with Edington, they got closer then ever.

The upgraded special effects for The Badlands are a vast inprovement, finally it looks like a swirling hell-hole of fire and brimstone instead of a collection of computer animated hurricanes in a big cloud.

Empok Nor.

Deep Space Nine's abondoned sister station is seem from exterior shots as being tilted, which is completely ridiculous, since there is no up and down in space.

Tense thriller episode with a few genuine scares as O'Brien, Garak, Nog and an engineering crew scrounge for spare parts in a station with 2 Cardassians gone psycho, and Garak soon joining them.

Andrew Robinson has always done a great job in suggestion more beneath Garak's pleasant smile and evasive conversation.

We like him for the same reason we like Hannibal Lecter, he's done inexcusable things, probaly with great ease and personal satisfaction, yet you feel drawn to him.

Here's he's very convincing as a viable threat to O'Brien and Nog.

In the Cards.

Jake wants to get his father a 1950's Willy May rookie card, and gets himself and Nog into a lot of trouble to get it. Kai Winn seems more reasonable then ever as she asks her Emissary for advise. (I loved her aside to Sisko, after he told her that the Dominion are specialists in political intrigue)

This episode is more memorable because it sets up the season finale, then the actual content of this one. Basically a nice, feelgood series filler.

Call to Arms.

Once again tension mounts as a Dominion/Cardassian attack on DS9 seems imminent.

And finally, after 2 years it happens. The special effect are even better then The Way Of The Warrior.

Plenty of good scenes. Sisko and Weyoun promising each other to end hostilities while both know they are lying to each other.

Odo and Kira coming to terms with his feelings for her, for the time being. A short scene were Quark finally doesn't treat Rom like just an idiot.

Sisko's speech at the Bajoran shrine, promising to return. Gul Dukat's eagerness and his understanding od Sisko's message (Sisko left the baseball on his desk, he he ain't gone for good )

Brilliant way to end the season, by having the crew basically abandon the station they lived and fought in for 5 years.

The final shot of The Defiant joining a huge armada of Starships is bone chilling.

So to sum up. Season 5 was even better then the outstanding season 4. One notable thing is the huge increase in newly created special effects.

The stock footage, as good as it was, was looking a bit....familiar at times.

For the first time it's actually not an exception to see ships docked at DS9. ( I suppose the budget went up, and CGI became more common in the series, and after 10 years, most of it still looks impressive.)

Overall the show feels bigger, more substantial, which is a good thing, since the stories have gotten almost epic now, and the series needs to be able to carry that. That was one area were TNG was flawed. For instance the Klingon civil war in Redemption part II is nothing more then a dozen Klingons fighting and head butting each other in a bar)

Can't wait for the 6 episode opener of season...6. (Actually the wait will not be very long

I'm catching up......

Not likely dude!

[John Crichton 4]

I have one major beef with the plot. The fake Bashir plans to detinate a protomatter device into the Bajoran sun to make it go supernova and destor DS9 and the Klingon/Federation taskforce, right?

Would this supernova not also destroy the wormhole? Which the Dominion need to keep their ships coming?

I don't think it's beyond feasibility that the wormhole would survive, it's a tough little bastard. It was made by gods, after all.

John- who's watching the finale tonight

[Greg1138 2]

Bah - you've leapt ahead - still on "Darkness and the Light"....