Probably my favorite part of watching through all the Star Treks is getting to come upon an episode like this one. I am sure I saw it when it aired, but coming near the end of the final season it is having to compete for air with some heavy hitting episodes. At the same time, from what I have seen so far this season this may be my favorite episode other than All Good Things. I know there are more really good episodes coming up, but it is going to be hard to match Lower Decks ability to make me care as much as I do about these four young crew who other than Ogawa are previously unknown. All those lame first season episodes suddenly seem worth it if they led to such an amazing concluding season.
The episode opens with Troi and Riker working on crew evaluations in Ten Forward. The waiter named Ben stops by to see if Deanna wants some dessert, but also to listen in a minute. We cut across the room to Sam, Sito, Taurik and nurse Alyssa Ogawa (I am almost certain this episode introduced Ogawa's first name) and Sam is stressing out. He is worried about promotion he is hoping for and only gets more stressed when Ben walks over and tells them all that Sito and Sam are up for the same position. Then we see Sam at conn and Sito at tactical for a training drill. Sito doesn't get things done fast enough for Riker, but instead of chewing her out he offers advice for how to do it better the next time. Picard interrupts coming out of his ready room to order them towards Cardassian space at maximum warp. In sickbay Crusher is talking to Ogawa about possibly promoting her, but also asking about how things are going with her and her boyfriend.
When they arrive at the border they start searching for an escape pod and with Tauriks help they are able to beam the occupant of the pod directly to sickbay. Before he arrives Ogawa is ordered out of sickbay and finds Sito standing guard outside. Picard enters sickbay and when he leaves he orders Sito to follow him. In his ready room Picard informs Sito that she has been recommended for conn but that he doesn't believe she should be allowed to take the position due to her involvement with the Nova Squad incident at the academy. She is clearly shaken and leaves. Next we see Taurik working with Geordi to blast a shuttle with a phaser. Taurik correctly figures they are trying to fake damage that would occur while being chase, but Geordi won't tell him why. Next there is a great inter cut seen of the officers and the four friends in this episode all playing poker at the same time. I can't possibly do justice to this well shot scene so just go watch it!
Next we see Sito in Worf's self defense class. After the class is over he offers to let her into the advanced class if she can pass his challenge. He blindfolds her and tells her to defend herself while he continually throws her to the floor. Eventually she removes the blindfold and says it isn't fair at which point he tells her she has passed. The test was to see if she would stand up for herself when something totally unfair happened. She goes right to the captain and tells him she doesn't think it is fair to judge her for something she has already paid the price for. Picard then congratulates her on having passed his test, now it is time for her secret mission. She meets the senior staff and the Cardassian spy that was in the pod in the observation lounge. She is offered a mission to fly the spy back to Cardassian space pretending to be a Bajoran prisoner and then escape back to the Federation in an escape pod just like he did. It will be dangerous, but she agrees to go.
Sito heads to the shuttle Taurik was shooting earlier and Worf is there. He even stays to watch her shuttle fly away. The last thing we see of her is the Cardassian putting her in handcuffs just before the patrol ship stops them. In Ten Forward Sam, Taurik and Ogawa are meeting and it takes a few minutes, but eventually Sam figures out the other two know something but aren't telling him. After searching Picard risks violating the treaty to send a probe to look for the escape pod. All it finds is the debris and they intercept a report that the Bajoran prisoner was killed trying to escape. Picard makes an announcement and the three surviving friends are devastated. That evening Taurik and Ogawa are sitting together in Ten Forward when Sam walks in. He got the promotion he wanted, but he can't help but think that he got it because Sito was killed. Worf is mourning at his own table but Ben talks him into joining the three friends who you can tell appreciate him coming to sit with them.
Review: This is a very well told tale with a ton of emotional impact. It really makes me look forward to DS9 when there are important characters who never go on the bridge (err ops).
10 out of 10
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