What a tense episode! I mean, I know the show goes on since this isn't the final episode, but how exactly they were going to get out of this mess made for quite and adventure. I also really enjoyed Dukat coming to gloat over them only to get caught in his own trap and forced to work to save them all. Of course it had to come down to the last ten seconds before the station exploded to be saved, but that is pretty typical for most television shows. And being DS9 they managed to sneak some good character bits in as well, especially between Quark and Odo.
The episode opens with Jake and O'Brien working to delete old files from the station computer to start the process of replacing the old ore processing plant. Sisko drops by to get Jake for dinner but Jake wants to finish up first. He finds an unlabeled file and attempts to delete it, but it doesn't work. Miles gives it a shot and it works for him, but also sets off a Cardassian anti-insurgency protocol. The ore processing area is shut down and a message from Dukat appears warning them to surrender to their Cardassian supervisors. In Ops Kira tries to contact Sisko but comms are being jammed. Quark stops by Odo's office to try and be reassured and ends up trapped there the rest of the episode. Jake manages to crawl through an ore duct and open a hatch letting them escape as poison gas is released, but unfortunately the computer detects him doing this and sets off the next level of protocol sealing the entire station.
Sisko, Jake and O'Brien get to work first trying to ram their way out and then trying to blow up the door while Dax, Kira and Bashir work in Ops to disable the system. Dax gets her hand hurt and a few minutes later Garak walks in. He can apparently get through forcefields but can do little else. They start working on a plan to fake Dukat's access codes but when they do a phaser device appears in the replicator and starts killing everyone in sight and the reactor is set to destroy the station. Dukat himself then shows up, it seems the station notified him as well. He offers to turn off the protocol in exchange for allowing a detachment of Cardassian soldiers to be deployed in the station. Kira says no so he tries to leave, but there is a protocol to stop him from retreating and it disables his ability to stop the destruction of the station.
Dukat starts working to blow out the power to the forcefields while O'Brien has set up the explosives they need and they blow the door. However they are still trapped behind the forcefields. Dukat manages to blow the power grid and they can finally all talk to each other. Sisko and O'Brien head to the reactor through a burning conduit and Jake has to save O'Brien. Sisko makes it just in time and manages to vent the energy from the reactor overload into the shields or something saving the day just in time.
Review: A very 70's disaster movie style episode and a well executed one at that. Not one that moves much main story forward much, but a very entertaining diversion episode.
7 out of 10
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