This is an episode that doesn't seem to know what it wants to do with itself. At one level it is all about Quark and his family causing a revolution of Ferenginar liberating women to go out in public and earn profit which is clearly a good thing. But to get there we have to go through a super sexist sex change farce to get there. I did a little background reading before this write up and it seems Armin Shimerman actually significantly toned down the sexism in the episode through his performance which really makes me dread what they had it mind.
The episode begins with Quark coercing sex out of one of his dabo girls but is interrupted by Rom, there is a problem on Ferenginar. Rom tried calling their moogie and couldn't get through so he tried everyone else that he knows there and got no answer. They rush to ops and tell Sisko that the Dominion has invaded but cooler heads prevail, especially when Zek arrives. With his is Ishka who arrives fully clothed. Zek tells Quark that he legalized women dressed outdoors and even earning profit. But he was deposed by Brunt who is now acting Grand Nagus. They have a plan though, they are going to try and convince the commissioners that it is profitable to allow females to earn profit but only one will talk to them. Ishka and Quark are fighting as usual when she collapses, which is especially bad since she is the one who was supposed to do the convincing. The only alternative they can come up with is to have Quark get a sex change and convince him in her place.
Things get pretty crazy sexist for a while as everyone tries to get Quark to be more female and all he can do is stare at his breasts. And of course Zek starts hitting on him immediately. Things get worse when the commissioner arrives early and insists on meeting instantly. Quark convinces him successfully but he is determined to get some sex out of the deal. Brunt shows up but Quark is female enough to keep the commissioner happy. In the end Quark goes back to being male but still is extra emotional. He even apologizes to the dabo girl from the opening before going back for some oo-mox.
Review: Not really successful as either a comedy or a drama. I can kinda see where they were going but it just doesn't work in this episode.
3 out of 10
Saturday, May 7, 2016
DS9: Valiant
On the surface this is an episode about youth stepping up in time of war to shoulder the burden left to them by their elders. But really it is mostly about a bro who let his ego get in the way leading first to treason and second to the deaths of all those who depended on him. They never explicitly state that "captain" Watters has gone rogue, but the fact that at the end of the episode we learn that the ship had been reported lost means he clearly wasn't checking in and was on his own person ego trip instead. The fact that he is hooked on space speed doesn't exactly make him a more sympathetic character. Side note, I led a night hike for a class of third graders and got home around midnight. I managed to watch the episode before work, but the summary is going to be a bit short due to it being late.
We begin with some hijinks on the station centering around Nog being gone on a mission. Cut to Jake and Nog in runabout on a mission to Ferenginar. But before they can get there they are attacked by a Jem'Hadar ship and only barely get rescued by a Defiant lookalike named Valiant. But when they get on board they find a crew of cadets, and wouldn't you know it, it is everyone's favorite academy frat bros, red squad. And sure enough they are bossing everybody around and ignoring the fact that they have been rogue for months with what is now essentially a stolen ship. Nog gets promoted to chief engineer and gets into things but Jake has some questions. He gets in trouble for talking to one of the cadets about home and is banned from talking to her. It seems "captain" Watters is in full Ahab mode over a new Dominion warship. They come up with a plan to destroy the ship by getting hella close but the pill popping captain instead gets everybody but Jake, Nog and the one cadet Jake got along with killed.
Review: I guess if there is a message to this episode it is don't blindly follow leaders, sometimes they are junkies with an ax to grind and will get you killed.
6 out of 10
We begin with some hijinks on the station centering around Nog being gone on a mission. Cut to Jake and Nog in runabout on a mission to Ferenginar. But before they can get there they are attacked by a Jem'Hadar ship and only barely get rescued by a Defiant lookalike named Valiant. But when they get on board they find a crew of cadets, and wouldn't you know it, it is everyone's favorite academy frat bros, red squad. And sure enough they are bossing everybody around and ignoring the fact that they have been rogue for months with what is now essentially a stolen ship. Nog gets promoted to chief engineer and gets into things but Jake has some questions. He gets in trouble for talking to one of the cadets about home and is banned from talking to her. It seems "captain" Watters is in full Ahab mode over a new Dominion warship. They come up with a plan to destroy the ship by getting hella close but the pill popping captain instead gets everybody but Jake, Nog and the one cadet Jake got along with killed.
Review: I guess if there is a message to this episode it is don't blindly follow leaders, sometimes they are junkies with an ax to grind and will get you killed.
6 out of 10
Thursday, May 5, 2016
DS9: The Reckoning
For a while in this episode I was totally floored, it almost looked like Kai Winn was going to do the right thing! But of course in the end my instincts/memories were right and she managed to mess it all up pretty badly. I am honestly not sure I understand what she did either. I know Kira is convinced it was because she couldn't stand to see a human have more faith than her, but I didn't really get that vibe at the time. The only other comment before getting to the summary is what the hell was with the "fight" between the prophet and the pah-wraith? It was like that part in a Dragonball Z fight where the two fighters shoot different colored blasts of energy at each other until one pushes past the other. In fact it was exactly like that other that the way disappointing ending.
The episode opens with a briefing on the Dominion war, things aren't going great, but the Romulans are really helping. Well, helping themselves to former Federation territory at least. Sisko though has been called down to Bajor. Archaeologists have found something and they want him to see it. Kira and Jake come along and they find a 25,000 year old tablet with a message on it for the Emissary, but of course it is too old for them to read the writing. He touches the tablet and is contacted by the prophets who tell him that the Reckoning is at hand. Sisko takes the tablet back to the station over the objections of Kai Winn. Dax manages to get part of the message translated and it isn't good. Sisko is especially worried about the part about the gateway to the temple burning, previous references to the gateway have been about DS9.
Things get worse when the wormhole starts opening and sending out pulses that rock the station. Kai Winn arrives at the station, the pulsing are causing damage on Bajor as well and she is sure the reason is that the tablet hasn't been returned. Sisko still isn't willing to do so. That night he can't sleep and goes to the lab where the tablet is being studied and suddenly smashes the tablet which releases two energy beings, one blue and one red. Dax is unable to find any trace of the beings though, but there is a sudden energy drain on the station. Winn is hella pissed that he smashed the tablet and promises to protest, but they are called to the promenade by Odo. They arrive to find Kira releasing energy bolts from her hands. She approaches Sisko exploding every bottle in Quark's along the way.
Kira tells them in the voice of a prophet that the reckoning is here and that she awaits Kosst Amojan who Kai Winn recognizes as a pah-wraith. Sisko evacuates the station but Kai Winn stays behind along with a few others. Dax comes up with a plan to use chroniton radiation to drive the prophet out of Kira, but Sisko refuses to let her try it. Sisko gets called to the promenade again this time for Bajorans refusing to leave. They are praying with the Kai but Sisko convinces her to send them away. Kosst Amojan arrives in the form of Jake and starts doing the energy fight thing with Kira. The station starts shaking and Dax insists they have to leave, but Sisko refuses. Winn and Dax decide it is time to go but at the last second Winn sneaks up to Ops and turns on the chronitons ending the fight before it was resolved.
Review: I remember really disliking the pah-wraith storyline, but it is fine so far. Not great, but better than I remembered certainly.
6 out of 10
The episode opens with a briefing on the Dominion war, things aren't going great, but the Romulans are really helping. Well, helping themselves to former Federation territory at least. Sisko though has been called down to Bajor. Archaeologists have found something and they want him to see it. Kira and Jake come along and they find a 25,000 year old tablet with a message on it for the Emissary, but of course it is too old for them to read the writing. He touches the tablet and is contacted by the prophets who tell him that the Reckoning is at hand. Sisko takes the tablet back to the station over the objections of Kai Winn. Dax manages to get part of the message translated and it isn't good. Sisko is especially worried about the part about the gateway to the temple burning, previous references to the gateway have been about DS9.
Things get worse when the wormhole starts opening and sending out pulses that rock the station. Kai Winn arrives at the station, the pulsing are causing damage on Bajor as well and she is sure the reason is that the tablet hasn't been returned. Sisko still isn't willing to do so. That night he can't sleep and goes to the lab where the tablet is being studied and suddenly smashes the tablet which releases two energy beings, one blue and one red. Dax is unable to find any trace of the beings though, but there is a sudden energy drain on the station. Winn is hella pissed that he smashed the tablet and promises to protest, but they are called to the promenade by Odo. They arrive to find Kira releasing energy bolts from her hands. She approaches Sisko exploding every bottle in Quark's along the way.
Kira tells them in the voice of a prophet that the reckoning is here and that she awaits Kosst Amojan who Kai Winn recognizes as a pah-wraith. Sisko evacuates the station but Kai Winn stays behind along with a few others. Dax comes up with a plan to use chroniton radiation to drive the prophet out of Kira, but Sisko refuses to let her try it. Sisko gets called to the promenade again this time for Bajorans refusing to leave. They are praying with the Kai but Sisko convinces her to send them away. Kosst Amojan arrives in the form of Jake and starts doing the energy fight thing with Kira. The station starts shaking and Dax insists they have to leave, but Sisko refuses. Winn and Dax decide it is time to go but at the last second Winn sneaks up to Ops and turns on the chronitons ending the fight before it was resolved.
Review: I remember really disliking the pah-wraith storyline, but it is fine so far. Not great, but better than I remembered certainly.
6 out of 10
Wednesday, May 4, 2016
DS9: His Way
Earlier today I listened to the Greatest Generation episode about Outrageous Okana and it is amazing how much better learning from a holodeck/suite character worked out for Odo than it did for Data. And it isn't like learning how to have the confidence to ask a woman out is any easier than learning to be funny. I guess going with a Frank Sinatra analog may have been better than Joe Piscopo, but to be fair they also had Whoopi Goldberg. After six seasons of dangling the prospect of Odo and Kira getting together in front of the audience we finally get some pay off, and unlike the Worf/Dax relationship these two seem to actually care about each other.
We begin on the Holosuite where Miles is introducing his friends to Vic Fontaine, the self aware holosuite character who instantly reads all of them. The one who seems most interested in what he has to say is Odo, especially since Vic seems to instantly see the tension between Odo and Kira. Odo talks Quark into letting him use to holosuite to talk to Vic about Kira. Vic starts by getting Odo's confidence up a bit by getting him to look good and getting him to pretend to play piano to start enjoying being on stage. He gets Odo to dance with some holosuite characters. The next day Odo is singing in Sisko's office and can't wait to get back to the holosuite, but he isn't as into it as before, he doesn't see Kira getting any closer, so Vin introduces something new, a copy of Kira he has created, but while Odo is very taken at first it isn't working for him.
The next day Vic shows up in Kira's holosuite program where she is meditating and talks her into a date with Odo in the holosuite that night. He then calls Odo and tells him he has a much more realistic version of Kira he wants him to meet so Odo agrees. Their date goes great since Odo doesn't realize it is real, but in the end he makes some awkward comments about her not being able to leave the holosuite and is then horrified and runs off. The next day Kira and Dax are talking about how Kira had a moment of clarity, and then she sees Odo and has another one. Kira walks up to Odo and despite his resistance insists on talking to him. She insists that they go out to dinner but he says, what's the point, we would only end up kissing and she says, why wait and they finally kiss!
Review: A pretty straightforward episode for this show, but a good one. I had forgotten how late in the series Vic gets introduced, in my memory he was a big part of the show so I can't wait to see what he does in the next month or some of episodes.
7 out of 10
We begin on the Holosuite where Miles is introducing his friends to Vic Fontaine, the self aware holosuite character who instantly reads all of them. The one who seems most interested in what he has to say is Odo, especially since Vic seems to instantly see the tension between Odo and Kira. Odo talks Quark into letting him use to holosuite to talk to Vic about Kira. Vic starts by getting Odo's confidence up a bit by getting him to look good and getting him to pretend to play piano to start enjoying being on stage. He gets Odo to dance with some holosuite characters. The next day Odo is singing in Sisko's office and can't wait to get back to the holosuite, but he isn't as into it as before, he doesn't see Kira getting any closer, so Vin introduces something new, a copy of Kira he has created, but while Odo is very taken at first it isn't working for him.
The next day Vic shows up in Kira's holosuite program where she is meditating and talks her into a date with Odo in the holosuite that night. He then calls Odo and tells him he has a much more realistic version of Kira he wants him to meet so Odo agrees. Their date goes great since Odo doesn't realize it is real, but in the end he makes some awkward comments about her not being able to leave the holosuite and is then horrified and runs off. The next day Kira and Dax are talking about how Kira had a moment of clarity, and then she sees Odo and has another one. Kira walks up to Odo and despite his resistance insists on talking to him. She insists that they go out to dinner but he says, what's the point, we would only end up kissing and she says, why wait and they finally kiss!
Review: A pretty straightforward episode for this show, but a good one. I had forgotten how late in the series Vic gets introduced, in my memory he was a big part of the show so I can't wait to see what he does in the next month or some of episodes.
7 out of 10
Tuesday, May 3, 2016
DS9: In the Pale Moonlight
While I totally understand the depths of questionable morality that Sisko is willing to go through in this episode, the stakes are at least high enough to make it make sense. I haven't watched Voyager in a long time, but I remember feeling like Janeway did even more questionable stuff with the sole justification of saving her tiny ship. Sisko is literally working to save the entire alpha quadrant from conquest by the Dominion. Betazed itself has been conquered, what else do you need to say?
The episode begins with Sisko making a log entry where he is going to try and make sense of the events of the past two weeks. We flash back to him putting up the casualty list like he does every Friday morning. They all look to see which friends they have lost and casually discuss how much better things would be in the Romulans were to join the war on their side. But as Dax points out, their non-aggression treaty puts them in a pretty good spot and they would need a hell of a reason to move from it. And that is when Sisko realized he had to do whatever it takes to get them into the war. Dax and Sisko have a mock debate where she plays the romulan and he plays himself and they argue to the point that she tells him she will need solid proof to break the current treaty which gives Sisko an idea.
He goes straight to Garak and tells him the situation. Garak agrees to help find the solid proof of betrayal needed to get the romulans into the fight, but the next day he tells Sisko that everyone he spoke to about it was dead within the day. Soon after Sisko learns of the fall of Betazed and that it puts the rest of the Federation in a vulnerable position. Garak says tells Sisko that since they can't find the proof they need, they will have to make it. He has a forger in mind and gets Sisko to release him from a klingon prison. He also arranges to have a romulan senator stop by the station while on his way to a conference. The forger arrives but is a lot of trouble, mostly at Quark's. Garak gets the special optical rod they need to write the program onto and with the forgers help they get it working.
The senator arrives in a cloaked shuttle and doesn't really want to listen to Sisko, but the evidence presented is too important. Unfortunately he also quickly realizes it is a fake and leaves quickly in his shuttle. But not before Garak can sneak on board and plant a bomb. And since no one else knew he was coming to the station when the debris is searched and the slightly damaged optical rod found it is taken as genuine and the Romulans join the war the next day. Oh, and the forger turns up dead too, no good leaving loose ends. The episode ends with Sisko erasing the log entry that he started with agreeing that while it may have been a deal with the devil, it was also pretty much the only choice.
Review: A solid episode about the things people are willing to do when there isn't much hope left. A solid performance all around and a well written story.
8 out of 10
The episode begins with Sisko making a log entry where he is going to try and make sense of the events of the past two weeks. We flash back to him putting up the casualty list like he does every Friday morning. They all look to see which friends they have lost and casually discuss how much better things would be in the Romulans were to join the war on their side. But as Dax points out, their non-aggression treaty puts them in a pretty good spot and they would need a hell of a reason to move from it. And that is when Sisko realized he had to do whatever it takes to get them into the war. Dax and Sisko have a mock debate where she plays the romulan and he plays himself and they argue to the point that she tells him she will need solid proof to break the current treaty which gives Sisko an idea.
He goes straight to Garak and tells him the situation. Garak agrees to help find the solid proof of betrayal needed to get the romulans into the fight, but the next day he tells Sisko that everyone he spoke to about it was dead within the day. Soon after Sisko learns of the fall of Betazed and that it puts the rest of the Federation in a vulnerable position. Garak says tells Sisko that since they can't find the proof they need, they will have to make it. He has a forger in mind and gets Sisko to release him from a klingon prison. He also arranges to have a romulan senator stop by the station while on his way to a conference. The forger arrives but is a lot of trouble, mostly at Quark's. Garak gets the special optical rod they need to write the program onto and with the forgers help they get it working.
The senator arrives in a cloaked shuttle and doesn't really want to listen to Sisko, but the evidence presented is too important. Unfortunately he also quickly realizes it is a fake and leaves quickly in his shuttle. But not before Garak can sneak on board and plant a bomb. And since no one else knew he was coming to the station when the debris is searched and the slightly damaged optical rod found it is taken as genuine and the Romulans join the war the next day. Oh, and the forger turns up dead too, no good leaving loose ends. The episode ends with Sisko erasing the log entry that he started with agreeing that while it may have been a deal with the devil, it was also pretty much the only choice.
Review: A solid episode about the things people are willing to do when there isn't much hope left. A solid performance all around and a well written story.
8 out of 10
Monday, May 2, 2016
DS9: Inquisition
In this episode we meet the least Gene Roddenberry thing to happen to Starfleet so far, Section 31. There have been dark forces that dominate Starfleet in the past, see TNG Conspiracy, but those were always created by an outside force attempting to control and circumvent all that makes the Federation so good. But in this case the forces of evil are from within and we are even told that they have always been there, but if so why didn't they stop the mind control bug plot a few years earlier? This is also the first entirely Julian-centric episode I recall so far and it works quite well.
We begin in the infirmary where Julian is working on finishing up some final tasks before departing for a few days for a medical conference. O'Brien stops by with a dislocated shoulder he got kayaking in the holosuite. Julian heads up and goes straight to bed but wakes up what seems like only a short time later. He confirms in is morning with the clock and gets ready to go. But before he can head to his shuttle he is called to Ops by the captain. When he arrives all the senior officers are there and Sisko tells them there has been a leak of information and that they are all confined to quarters until further notice. In his quarters Julian finds that the replicator isn't working. After some waiting Julian is called in for questioning but it is pretty light. Mostly it has to do with his time in the Dominion prison and with the genetically enhanced people who tried to sell them all out to the Dominion. He points out that the replicator isn't working but Director Sloan tells him it is on purpose and that he will have breakfast sent up. He heads back to his quarters afterwards and there are signs it has been messed with.
Breakfast arrives but it is a plate of gagh intended for Worf. A minute later he gets a call from Miles, he was questioned for hours and it was all about Bashir. Julian is taken in for questioning again and this time it is much more intense. He is accused of having been turned while in prison and that he is compartmentalizing it in his head. Julian objects and refuses to participate without being charged so he is taken away in handcuffs to a detention cell. Sisko comes to visit and insists on talking to him alone. Sloan objects but doesn't have the authority to stop him. Sisko also gets himself included in future interrogations. The next day they begin another round of questioning and after some pushing Sisko agrees that Bashir should have never lied about being enhanced and that it makes it hard to trust him.
That night Julian is woken up with the news that he is to be taken away to be interrogated on a starbase, but before they can cuff him he is transported onto a Cardassian ship and greeted by Weyoun. Weyoun insists that he is actually a spy and that it is always hard for him to remember at first, but Julian realizes that what he is claiming to too similar to what Sloan was saying. But he doesn't have time to argue, the Defiant arrives and "rescues" him, but the crew seem to all be convinced he is a spy now. He bumps into O'Brien and realizes his shoulder isn't hurt and that this is all an illusion. The holodeck turns off and Sloan, now in an unmarked black jacket tells him he is cleared of the charges and that he has been investigated by Section 31. He also offers Julian a job, which he declines. He meets with the other senior staff who have never heard of Section 31, but they all agree that to find out more he should agree to be recruited.
Review: Finally an episode about the dark side of Starfleet! As is pointed out literally every other civilization other than maybe the Klingons in Trek has some sort of secret police to keep things under control. Previously I would have said other than the Federation, but it turns out they do. A well told episode with enough clues to figure out something is going on, but not quite enough to ruin it.
8 out of 10
We begin in the infirmary where Julian is working on finishing up some final tasks before departing for a few days for a medical conference. O'Brien stops by with a dislocated shoulder he got kayaking in the holosuite. Julian heads up and goes straight to bed but wakes up what seems like only a short time later. He confirms in is morning with the clock and gets ready to go. But before he can head to his shuttle he is called to Ops by the captain. When he arrives all the senior officers are there and Sisko tells them there has been a leak of information and that they are all confined to quarters until further notice. In his quarters Julian finds that the replicator isn't working. After some waiting Julian is called in for questioning but it is pretty light. Mostly it has to do with his time in the Dominion prison and with the genetically enhanced people who tried to sell them all out to the Dominion. He points out that the replicator isn't working but Director Sloan tells him it is on purpose and that he will have breakfast sent up. He heads back to his quarters afterwards and there are signs it has been messed with.
Breakfast arrives but it is a plate of gagh intended for Worf. A minute later he gets a call from Miles, he was questioned for hours and it was all about Bashir. Julian is taken in for questioning again and this time it is much more intense. He is accused of having been turned while in prison and that he is compartmentalizing it in his head. Julian objects and refuses to participate without being charged so he is taken away in handcuffs to a detention cell. Sisko comes to visit and insists on talking to him alone. Sloan objects but doesn't have the authority to stop him. Sisko also gets himself included in future interrogations. The next day they begin another round of questioning and after some pushing Sisko agrees that Bashir should have never lied about being enhanced and that it makes it hard to trust him.
That night Julian is woken up with the news that he is to be taken away to be interrogated on a starbase, but before they can cuff him he is transported onto a Cardassian ship and greeted by Weyoun. Weyoun insists that he is actually a spy and that it is always hard for him to remember at first, but Julian realizes that what he is claiming to too similar to what Sloan was saying. But he doesn't have time to argue, the Defiant arrives and "rescues" him, but the crew seem to all be convinced he is a spy now. He bumps into O'Brien and realizes his shoulder isn't hurt and that this is all an illusion. The holodeck turns off and Sloan, now in an unmarked black jacket tells him he is cleared of the charges and that he has been investigated by Section 31. He also offers Julian a job, which he declines. He meets with the other senior staff who have never heard of Section 31, but they all agree that to find out more he should agree to be recruited.
Review: Finally an episode about the dark side of Starfleet! As is pointed out literally every other civilization other than maybe the Klingons in Trek has some sort of secret police to keep things under control. Previously I would have said other than the Federation, but it turns out they do. A well told episode with enough clues to figure out something is going on, but not quite enough to ruin it.
8 out of 10
Sunday, May 1, 2016
DS9: Wrongs Darker Than Death or Night
With a name like that you know this isn't going to be a light and or fun episode. And yeah, it delivers on the darkness and the wrongs pretty thoroughly. It is also in many ways a realistic story. Kira has lived her life assuming her mother was a martyr to the Cardassians so to learn that she was a somewhat willing collaborator is a really hard pill to swallow. Especially knowing that she was sleeping with Dukat makes it pretty much totally unbearable. It is always good to be reminded that life isn't black and white and that nothing is as simple as you think.
We begin with Dax and Worf fighting about having a party which of course means Dax ignores Worf and does just want she wants. Kira gets some flowers from Quark and after some pressing by Dax admits they are in memory of her mother, she always loved Bajoran lilacs. That night she gets a call from Dukat explaining that he can see clearly now and he just wanted to mention that Kira's mother didn't die like she thought, instead she was Dukats lover for many years. Kira refuses to believe it but he knew about the lilacs and a few other details so she can't not know. She goes to Sisko and convinces him to step in as the Emissary and get the Bajorans to let her use the orb of time to discover the truth.
Kira opens the orb and finds herself in a Bajoran refugee center. She meets her parents who are trying to figure out how to survive on half a cup of soup let alone feed their children. Some thugs show up to steal the soup but Kira manages to fight them off. Then some Cardassians arrive with a Bajoran collaborator. They are there to gather comfort women and take both Kira and her mother Meru. They are taken up to Terok Nor and given quarters and all the food they can eat. They are being told the rules with Dukat walks in and immediately takes an interest in Meru. After a night of keeping Cardassian soldiers at bay Kira returns to her quarters to find Meru gone, she has moved in with Dukat. Kira tries to fight the Cardassians and is sent to the Bajoran quarter as punishment.
A few weeks later Kira has joined the resistance on the station and hasn't heard from Meru since being thrown out of the Cardassian area. Kira is summoned though and goes to meet Meru. She is horrified to learn Meru has become comfortable with her new life and storms out straight to the resistance. She agrees to plant a bomb in Dukat's quarters saying she doesn't care if Meru lives. She tells the Cardassians she wants to apologize to Meru and gets taken in. Dukat tells the soldiers to give her new quarters and Kira plants the bomb. As she prepares to leave she watches Meru get a message from her father about how much better their lives are and that little Narys has gained weight finally. She has second thoughts about the bomb and pulls both Meru and Dukat to safety. Back in her own time she tells Sisko she isn't sure it was the right thing to do, but that she had to save her mother.
Review: A deep episode with lots of questionable morality going on. Stuff like this is why Kira is soooooo much more interesting as a character than say, Dax.
8 out of 10
We begin with Dax and Worf fighting about having a party which of course means Dax ignores Worf and does just want she wants. Kira gets some flowers from Quark and after some pressing by Dax admits they are in memory of her mother, she always loved Bajoran lilacs. That night she gets a call from Dukat explaining that he can see clearly now and he just wanted to mention that Kira's mother didn't die like she thought, instead she was Dukats lover for many years. Kira refuses to believe it but he knew about the lilacs and a few other details so she can't not know. She goes to Sisko and convinces him to step in as the Emissary and get the Bajorans to let her use the orb of time to discover the truth.
Kira opens the orb and finds herself in a Bajoran refugee center. She meets her parents who are trying to figure out how to survive on half a cup of soup let alone feed their children. Some thugs show up to steal the soup but Kira manages to fight them off. Then some Cardassians arrive with a Bajoran collaborator. They are there to gather comfort women and take both Kira and her mother Meru. They are taken up to Terok Nor and given quarters and all the food they can eat. They are being told the rules with Dukat walks in and immediately takes an interest in Meru. After a night of keeping Cardassian soldiers at bay Kira returns to her quarters to find Meru gone, she has moved in with Dukat. Kira tries to fight the Cardassians and is sent to the Bajoran quarter as punishment.
A few weeks later Kira has joined the resistance on the station and hasn't heard from Meru since being thrown out of the Cardassian area. Kira is summoned though and goes to meet Meru. She is horrified to learn Meru has become comfortable with her new life and storms out straight to the resistance. She agrees to plant a bomb in Dukat's quarters saying she doesn't care if Meru lives. She tells the Cardassians she wants to apologize to Meru and gets taken in. Dukat tells the soldiers to give her new quarters and Kira plants the bomb. As she prepares to leave she watches Meru get a message from her father about how much better their lives are and that little Narys has gained weight finally. She has second thoughts about the bomb and pulls both Meru and Dukat to safety. Back in her own time she tells Sisko she isn't sure it was the right thing to do, but that she had to save her mother.
Review: A deep episode with lots of questionable morality going on. Stuff like this is why Kira is soooooo much more interesting as a character than say, Dax.
8 out of 10
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