I know I have spent a lot of time talking up how awesome I thought the mirror universe stuff was this time, but I am not going to be doing much of that tonight. This isn't an awful episode, but it is a good example of the writers being lazy and not wanting to have to create a new character to tell a story and instead using an actor whose character they killed off. The fact that Sisko talks to Kira about what it was like to be with Jennifer again just shows how derivative this episode is. And yes, this time it is a trap by the intendant, but it is still clearly a story about Kira getting back together with Bareil. Also, how rough must it be for Odo to again have to watch her fall for the guy of the week.
We begin in Ops with a sudden surge of energy from the transporter pad. There doesn't seem to be a source but suddenly Bareil appears on the pad, with a disruptor that he uses to take Kira hostage and demand a ship. She leads him to the runabout pad figuring out that he is from the mirror universe along the way. When they arrive she reveals that she knew his weapon had no power the entire time before beating him up and turning him over to Odo who was waiting with security in the airlock. In the holding cell Bareil begs Kira to destroy the device that will take him back to his own universe. He is only interested in escaping it. He also figures out that the version of him from the prime universe and Kira were involved romantically. Kira tells Sisko she doesn't want to press charges and that she wants him released. Sisko reluctantly agrees and she meets Bareil on the promenade. After some talk he joins her for a Bajoran religious ceremony and then for dinner with Worf and Dax that night. At dinner we learn among other things that he is an experience thief.
The next day the two wake up together. Kira is in love and he seems to be as well. Later they go to the temple and he has his first orb experience and it clearly moves him deeply. He heads home exhausted to be greeted by Indendant Kira. We learn from her that he is actually here to steal the orb and take it back to their universe so he can be a prophet and they can rule Bajor or something. He heads to Quark's next and gets drunk which shocks everyone used to the actual Bareil. Quark notices him casing the temple and mentions it to Kira later that day. That night the Indendant dresses up as the Major and the two put their plan into action. Bareil has almost stolen the orb when the Major shows up to stop him. But she is herself stopped by the Indendant. Fortunately Bareil was changed by the orb experience and stuns the Indendant before heading home with her.
Review: Not a bad episode overall other than feeling a bit cheap the way it pulled at Kira's emotions with someone from her past. Not as bad as I thought the first time through, but a little weak by DS9 standards.
5 out of 10
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