While rewatching through DS9 I have come to the realization that Jadzia isn't quite as interesting a character as I though the first time through. I can confirm I had a huge crush on her while watching the original airing and this may have effected my judgement on episodes in which she was the central character. And don't get me wrong, she still has a much richer character than over half the main TNG crew, but she just doesn't quite stand up to the rest of DS9. This episode is a great example of that, it literally breaks out different parts of her into other characters and seeing how the other characters play the roles is more interesting that the story of Jadzia having to confront Kurzon about her own doubts. The most memorable part of this episode is Quark embodying a female host and that only takes maybe 30 seconds.
As is becoming the standard the episode opens with it's B story, Nog is maneuvering a runabout to evade a Cardassian ship but we figure it is a simulation when Jake walks in and says hi through the windshield. He is practicing to apply to the Academy. Quark tries again to talk him out of it, but Nog isn't listening. The A story kicks off with Jadzia calling a meeting with Bashir, Leeta (who is now a main character apparently despite only appearing once before), O'Brien, Kira, Dax and Sisko. She is going to have her trill memory ceremony and has asked each of them to embody one of her previous hosts. They all agree except Quark, but she talks him into it despite it being a female host he will embody which should probably offend a super sexist Ferengi like him, but maybe he is more open minded than he lets people know. The trill psychic shows up to transfer the memories and montage style we go through all but two hosts. Kira starts off embodying a politician named Lela. O'Brien is the brilliant but nervous mathematician Tobin. Leeta embodies the gymnast Emony and Quark the motherly Audrid. Bashir embodies Torias who's only not worthy characteristic is that he liked to eat apparently.
Sisko gets the tougher job of embodying the murderer Joran. They are worried he will try to hurt Sisko or somebody else so he gets put in a holding cell. Joran turns out to be a pretty generic psychopath and first bashes Sisko's head against the field until Dax turns it off and then tries to choke her. He seems a lot more one note (hah) that the previous look we got at him. Eventually Sisko takes over again and I thought it was going to turn out to be about whether he was actually gone again, but no, nothing that interesting. Before we get to the final form we see Nog taking the initial test in the holosuite with O'Brien. He is super disappointed to not pass. The final embodiment is Curzon who merges with Odo and the two share a bond more direct than any of the others as Odo takes on many parts of Curzon's appearance.
Curzodo announces to everyone that he isn't going to give back Curzon's memories, the two of them are happier as one person. This annoys Jadzia, but she confronts him and he makes her feel bad about being kicked out of the program to get her to not argue with him about it too much. Jadzia talks to Sisko and he tells her to confront him and she does. He admits the reason he kicked her out was that he was in love with her and that he let her in because he realized it wasn't fair to deprive her of her life's ambition because he felt guilty for loving her. At some point earlier Rom learned Quark had rigged the test and made sure Nog failed and confronts him about it. After a second test we learn Nog has been admitted to the Academy.
Review: Not a super great episode. The focus on Curzon probably seemed like a much better idea in the writing room that it felt on screen. He is much more interesting as a mystery we don't know much about rather than as a person we get to meet.
4 out of 10
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