Character – Odo has become a right softie and optimism is the keyword of the day, even in the face of these bleak circumstances. Auberjonois is able to deliver his lines with a twinkle in his eye, given that Odo has found love after all these years and fate has handed him the thing he has most desired for so long. No wonder he’s happy.
On the other hand, Worf is suffering for the same reason; his love has been killed and he is mourning her loss. That leads him to lash out at people who don’t deserve it and to smash up holosuites. I like how rude he is to Vic, not because he is mourning but because he is a hologram that he has no connection to. Like most people who are hurting, he makes some poisonous decisions like indulging in the songs she loved and spending too much time alone thinking about his wife. I’m sure there is a contingent of the audience that are happy to see him smash up Vic’s (I’m not one of those people but it sure does make for a great scene). At least he’s getting it out of his system. The solution? Send in the Irishman with a bottle of Scotch.
The relationship between Admiral Ross and Sisko is established; personally, and professionally. His relationship with Kira is a completely unknown quantity and it introduces an element of authority and ruthlessness into the man that we haven’t seen before. Ross is often on the verge of being the beigest character on the show but put him in a room with Kira where he is using politics as a weapon to get what he wants and suddenly there is tension and rivalry afoot. That’s nothing compared to between Kira and Cretak, which looks to be a gentle co-operative one but soon kicks into high gear as the Romulans behave in a typically duplicitous way and get right under Kira’s skin. Before the episode is over, violence is being threatened. Whoever thought a Romulan presence on the station was a smart idea needs shooting but whichever of the writers thought the same thought is a genius. ‘Either you remove those weapons, or we will.’
The introduction of Sarah Sisko works a treat because it ties into the shows central narrative and makes sense of so many things that have happened over the years. Of course, Sisko has a greater connection to the Prophets than we previously realised but it is not until the final season that we are privy to the truth – his mother was a Prophet who had a relationship with his father to bring Sisko into being. What an extraordinary (in every meaning of the word) turn of events. So simple, so satisfying. It’s astonishing that this never devolves into the level of a soap opera because the twist is played so gently and so sensibly. It’s not a chance to create false drama (which many a Trek episode would do) but to pivot Sisko’s journey in a brand-new direction. And it is rooted in the very real performances of Brooks and Peters.
Bashir loved Jadzia and so he is going to go on the dangerous mission to get Jadzia into the Klingon afterlife. O’Brien loves Bashir and so he is going to go on the dangerous mission to get Jadzia into the Klingon afterlife. Quark refuses to be the odd man out and so he is going to go on the dangerous mission to get Jadzia into the Klingon afterlife. I really love this bunch.
Performance – I remember when they unveiled the Weyoun/Damar relationship in season six following Dukat’s downfall. It appeared that instead of having two strong vivid characters vying for attention that Weyoun was now dealing with a toady Cardassian slimeball who was completely under the thumb. I did not think it was a shift in the shows favour. Boy, how was I wrong. Combs and Biggs have a wonderful, dark chemistry when they are in a room together and it delivers great suspense because you are constantly waiting for the moment when Damar is going to snap the neck of the jeering, nasty little diplomat. When that moment comes later in the year it is one of the shows finest scenes. Here they are still working together; one is basking alcohol and strategic triumph and the other is looking down his nose at his Cardassian liaison and effectively controlling his every move. It’s a brilliant dynamic, and one of the highlights of the final season. Tell me another show that cosies up this much behind the lines with the villains of the piece to a point where we are practically watching Star Trek: Dominion.
The Sisko’s remain my favourite family unit on this show and on television in general. Some actors come together and pretend to be a family and you find yourself wondering who cast such a disparate and unconvincing bunch. With Brooks, Lofton and Peters it is an effortless chemistry. At times I have to remind myself that they are not a real family. When he comes down the stairs to see that his family are planning to come with him to Tyree to find his mother, Sisko is extremely touched. Even the new Dax wants to join in. I really, really love this bunch.
Production – If people thought that Kira’s spray on look was feminine in season four that is nothing compared to the new look she is touting in the final season. Here, though, it feels justified. She’s a woman who has found herself after battling with her inner demons, she has stumbled on true love and she is surrounded by family and friends on the station. She’s entitled to let her hair down. And truly, Nana Visitor looks absolutely stunning.
Once we move from DS9 to Earth and the urban location of Joe Sisko’s restaurant it reminds you of how antiseptic the aesthetic is on Star Trek.
Best moment – It’s strange because Star Trek dolls out scenes of people being stabbed all the time. I think I would lose count of the amount of Klingons and Jem H’adar who are greeted with a scythe to the gut. And yet when Sisko is attacked here it is a raw and powerful in a way that a lot of those other examples aren’t. Perhaps it is because he is wearing white which brings up the blood in a brilliant red. Perhaps it is because of years of history of the black man being hurt in the media. Perhaps it is because it such a quick, violent action.
I wish they hadn’t done that – The cult of the Pah-Wraiths was worth exploring (especially for the involvement of Dukat later) but I do feel that it was a step that could have been explored more. Given how devotion to the darker side of the Prophets is explored in the latter half of the season it seems extraordinary that the inclusion of the cult should not extend to those developments.
A reason to watch this episode again – Season seven takes the least obvious route and refuses to kick start in wham bang fashion (like The Search, Way of the Warrior and A Time to Stand) but instead give focus to all of the characters in the wake of the extraordinary and dramatic events of the previous episode. This is the meaty filling of a delicious sandwich that gives it an extra kick because it takes the time to help us to understand why everybody is motivated and why they make the decisions they do. All ready for the fireworks next week. Sisko has a mission to undertake to find the Prophets and his mother, there is a new Dax in town, Worf needs to win a glorious battle in Jadzia’s name and Kira is going head to head with the Romulans. This is a quiet episode of Deep Space Nine.
**** out of *****
Clue for the next episode:
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