Great Star Trek DS9 episodes

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What You Leave Behind.

All good things....must come to an end.

Let's start with the weak point, since this 90 minute episode does a couple.

The Pah-Wraith plot, after being carefully constructed in the second part of Season 7, is really rushed here.

So much attention was payed to it in earlier episode that you were really set up for an epic battle between the 2 Emissary's of Good and evil, Sisko and Dukat.

There is no battle, Winn basically distracts Dukat and Sisko then hurls himself, Dukat and the book of the Kosst Amojan into the ravine of fire. THE END

To be honest, it's a real let down. (the Prophet vs Pah-Wraith battle in The Reckoning was a lot more exciting)

The flashbacks. A few nits. Not a single shot of Jadzia, not sure if Terry Farrel did not want her footage to be used, or the producers did not want to put her in this, but it's a silly oversight.

Other then that, I really do not have many complaints.

Yes some of the battle footage is recycled from previous episodes, but this is hardly new for any Star Trek series or film. (I also noticed they reused footage from one of the films of the Klingons being consumed in a big fireball before the Bird Of Prey blows up)

Strong points!

As mentioned by Roald, the moment when Damar's troops head for the Dominion base, shouting the name of their homeworld is a stirring moment.

Even better is Garak's confession to Bashir that Cardassia itself is in part guilty of nearly a billion of it's preople being killed. The end of Garak's exile is a bitter return home for him. (BTW we never find out exactly why he was exiled)

The exchanges between the female changeling an Weyoun, for the first time there's actually some warmth in the way she regards him.

Martok drinking to their victory, surrounded by corpses, but Sisko and Admiral Ross being unwilling too.

Winn poisening Dukat as a sacrifice to the Pah-Wraiths. (she really is a bitch!)

Kira revealing herself in the Breen uniform. (seems like a major wink to Leia in ROTJ )

During the scene in Vics, you can see several supporting actors out of make up sitting in the audience (Hertzler, Combs etc...) Not to mention behind the scenes members of the production team (Ira Steven Berh is the guy with the sunglasses and goatte)

Sisko saying goodbye to Kasidy in the Celestial Temple. very moving. (BTW the music is identical to the final scene old man Jake and Sisko have in The Visitor)

Odo's sacrifice. After finally getting the women he wanted for years, he gives her up to cure his people, and to re-educate them.

The farewell scenes between Kira & odo brought a few tears in these eyes (though they really were not dry for the last 15 minutes or so anyway)

Odo refusing to say goodbye to Quark, and Quark realizing why and raise his glass to him anyway.

The music during the flashback scenes and the final shot, just beautiful.

The final shot itself, just beautiful.

The fact that, unlike All Good Things, this series finale is not bogged down by any complicated plots concerning temporal anomalies or stuff like that.

It focuses mainly on the characters.

The baseball.

The fact that it really feels like a proper farewell, some people are leaving, some are staying.

Quark's final line. "The more things change, the more they stay the same."

It's been a fantastic seven years, would not have missed it for anything!