Season three isn't wasting time getting deep into the Dominion plot. They don't even get through the teaser before introducing the USS Defiant and soon after start the process of alienating Odo. I had forgotten that it was this early in the series that they introduce the Founders home planet and sea of changelings, definitely an interesting twist. Quark continues to be entertaining but other than him and Odo there isn't a ton of character stuff in this one. I do like that Sisko finally moves all his old stuff to the station from Earth making it really his home.
The episode opens with Kira in charge of a meeting in Ops to plan the defense of the station in the event of a Dominion attack, but things aren't looking good. Suddenly a possible cloaked ship is detected very close to the station but they are all relieved when it turns out to be a Starfleet ship, with Sisko in command! The Defiant like much of DS9 isn't quite in the character of other Trek series, but in this context I like it just fine. Also coming aboard the station are a Romulan T'Rul and a new security officer to be in charge of Federation security issues which Odo correctly interprets as the man getting his current job. Sisko tries to reassure him but there isn't much he can do. Apparently Sisko has been gone for months and now that he is back it is time to spring into action. The plan is to go through the wormhole and try to find the mythical founders of the Dominion and negotiate with them.
Since Quark is the only one on the station to actually negotiate with a member of the Dominion Sisko drafts him to come along. And a do mean draft, he convinces the Grand Nagus to order Quark to help. Kira tries to convince Odo to go along to represent the Bajorans, but he isn't interested. However just as they are preparing to depart O'Brien notices someone in an airlock, it is Odo and he has decided to come along. Unfortunately for both him and Quark they are forced to share quarters and Odo is already in a terrible mood. They arrive on the planet where Quark made his wine trade deal and convince the leader to give them some basic information on how to start looking to contact the dominion. He can only tell them where a subspace relay is located and points out that it is near the Omarion Nebula which seems to fascinate Odo. Quark manages to convince Sisko to leave him behind and the rest of them head to the relay.
At the relay Dax and O'Brien beam down and break into the computer no problem, but an alarm goes off and the a shield goes up trapping them. Just then the Jem'Hadar arrive and Sisko is forced to abandon them and flee. They seem to have escaped using their cloak. Odo leaves the bridge in a huff and Kira finds him in his quarters. He is mad that he can't take a shuttle to the Omarion nebula even though he can't quite say why. Just then the Jem'Hadar find them and open fire through the cloak. They destroy one of the Jem'Hadar ships but take serious damage and lose main power. The Jem'Hadar beam over and start trying to take over the ship. Kira gets knocked out and when she wakes up she is on a shuttle with Odo. They find a rogue planet in the nebula and land the shuttle. They are on an island in a sea of what appears to be other changelings. Several emerge and one welcomes Odo home.
Review: An action packed episode in a style the only DS9 ever really pulled off. The conflict with the Dominion is so much bigger and more fully realized than any other war in Star Trek and I can't wait to see it all come together. A solid episode, but also one without a full story.
6 out of 10
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