Kai Winn Adami, played by the marvelous Louise “Nurse Ratched” Fletcher, is the spiritual leader of the Bajorans. The Kai, which is the equivalent of the Pope, is a very powerful, influential figure. When DS9 begins, Winn is a Vedek (or a cardinal). She is ambitious, devious, and calculating. She is deeply resentful of Captain Sisko, who is the Emissary of the Prophets (Jesus, in other words). Winn has a very strong, very deep faith; she is a true believer, but her true nature keeps her from being the voice of the Prophets.
The first time she stepped foot on DS9, she started causing problems. She disagreed with the teaching of evolution in the Bajoran school and called for a boycott, which led to the school being bombed and Keiko (the teacher) losing her job. In actuality, the protest and bombing was designed to lure her greatest rival to the throne, Vedek Bareil, to the station to be assassinated. She manages to get out of this situation unscathed.
Major Kira openly disliked Vedek Winn. She doesn’t trust her, and she has reasons not to. Shortly after the bombing, Winn secretly backed the leader of a rebel faction called The Circle in order to force the Federation from Bajor. She agreed to bless Jaro (the leader of The Circle) in exchange for being made the next Kai. The coup fails and Winn managed to get out of this situation as well. The woman was made of Teflon.
When it was clear that she was going to lose to Vedek Bareil for the position as Kai, she came upon some information that led to him having to remove his name from the ballot and ensured her election. Kira is forced to accept her as the new Kai.
This opportunistic woman tried every trick in the book (and then some) to make sure she became the spiritual leader of the Bajorans. While Winn’s unswerving faith is commendable, the Prophets never spoke to her or guided her because of her true allegiance, which was to herself and not the Bajorans. As a result, she turned against them and began to worship the Pah-Wraiths (the enemy of the Prophets; or the Devil, as it were). Kai Winn is helped along this path by none other than Gul Dukat, who disguised himself as a Bajoran farmer to gain her trust. But her new faith in her new gods turns out to be a mistake, as she ends up being betrayed by them in favor of Dukat. At the end of her life, Kai Winn tries to redeem herself by destroying the book that called forth the Pah-Wraiths, the Kosst Amojan, but she dies at the hands of Gul Dukat, the physical embodiment of the devil.
Winn Summons the Pah-Wraiths
Winn Adami Dies
You may ask why I think such a horrid woman worthy of Boss Chick status. It’s simple: This woman did whatever she had to do in order to get what she wanted, fair or foul, while maintaining a false façade of goodness and honor. Talk about being boss? As far as I’m concerned, the Kai was one of the baddest chicks in the DS9 series. You gotta respect a woman who lives by the motto of Malcolm X: “By any means necessary.”
At first glance, the second season seems like a bit of a mixed bag. For good reason, though! The first season introduces you to the cast, the governments, and the societies of the show. The second season asks you to question your assumptions about them. Cowardly Bajorans, socially progressive Cardassians, brave Ferengi, and at one point Jake wears a good-looking jumpsuit.
LOL, j/k.
It’s gonna blow your mind.
2×01-03: The Homecoming, The Circle, and The Siege
Internet, I tried. I watched them again with an eye to “can I let the Internet skip these? Can I really?” And I couldn’t decide. I leave you to make your own choice, but I want it to be an informed decision.
The cons:
Garak isn’t in these episodes.
You have to watch Vedek Bareil, and he’s really boring. Plus he wears a lot of orange. He shouldn’t do that.
Bajoran politics and Bajoran religion are deeply intertwined, and Bajoran religion is insufferable.
The events in these episodes do not permanently affect the status quo on the station. Things end up pretty much where they began.
The pros:
There are some Cardassians.
Hollow folk heroes are the best folk heroes! I’m a big fan of the way these episodes deal with the willful misinterpretation of history.
The Siege is an actual siege, and a siege episode is always fun.
Choose wisely. If you only watch one of them, I’d say watch 1×03. It’s got the least yadda yadda and the most action.
2×04: Invasive Procedures
Also known as The One Where Lionel Luthor is a Trill. And if you don’t know what I’m talking about, then consider me duly embarrassed for admitting to you that I watched Smallville.
If you don’t have the benefit of years of Smallville knowledge and experience, then you may not realize that this episode establishes many of its themes and life lessons. Namely:
Don’t date a Luthor.
Don’t allow a Luthor to undergo any sort of medical procedure whatsoever.
Your friends will one day shoot you.
2×05: Cardassians
I swear I’m gonna skip some episodes soon, but come on. Come on. It’s called Cardassians. I’m constitutionally incapable of skipping it, and furthermore it’s rather worthwhile.
I want to point out two important things about this episode. First, the people who are milling around in the background during the opening scene.
This is why I love you, Star Trek.
The second is the fact that you should never, ever bite Elim Garak. There is an entire book written about why you should never do this.
In any case, this is the first of many episodes about why Garak is the best. He survives a biting, conducts political shenanigans, changes out of his watermelon outfit, does volunteer computer maintenance for an orphanage (what a guy!), surreptitiously trains Dr. Bashir to be a vicious political operative, and then he changes back into his watermelon outfit. It’s a busy day for him.
2×08: Necessary Evil
This is about how Odo got his job during the Cardassian occupation. I don’t consider it a particularly strong episode, but if you’re super into Odo (he has his puddingy appeal), then this is an episode for you. But, to be frank, you should really just skip to 2×12.
2×10: Sanctuary
The “Dominion”, you say? Why, that does sound menacing!
2×12: The Alternate
In case you didn’t guess this within one minute of meeting Odo, I’ll spoil it for you: Odo’s pseudo-dad is a creepy asshole. In this episode we meet creepy dad, and Odo’s distant cousin, Plant-Mold-Thing! Plant-Mold-Thing is reportedly silicon-based, canonically proving that Odo is related to the Horta.
Captain Kirk meets Mrs. Odo.
2×17: Playing God
You don’t absolutely have to watch this one, I just want you to know how cute Cardassian voles are.
?
Okay but for real, this is an episode about how Jadzia Dax would be the best, were it not for Garak. As it stands, she is a very, very close second best.
Oh, also the station adopts a baby. A baby universe. As you do.
2×18: Profit and Loss
You need to believe me when I tell you that Quark is the romantic lead of this series. The main event of this episode, however, is Cardassians.
Cardassians.
Because, while Bajoran politics are as much fun as single barrel of dead monkeys, Cardassian politics are twenty barrels of AMAZEBALLS.
Whatever, Garak, you know what I mean.
Romance! Dissidents! The threat of imminent interstellar war! Subterfuge! Garak hitting on Sisko! Betrayal! The longest, most stretched-thin fashion-as-politics metaphor you will ever witness! Garak doing things! Garak saying things! Garak standing around silently! Speaking of which…
2×22: The Wire
This episode is better than the entire television series of the same name. [Ed. note: Gabby has never seen the HBO series "The Wire".]
When beginning this post, I was aware of the danger of writing a thousand-word love letter to this episode. So I’m just going to tell you to focus on the way Andy Robinson (Garak) enunciates “stimulate”.
Stiiiiiiimulate.
Watch this or else, Internet.
2×23: Crossover
If you’re new to Star Trek, then you may not be familiar with something we locals call The Mirrorverse. It’s a lot like the universe you’re already familiar with, only with more dramatic lighting and orgies. Ever seen the episode(s) of Buffy: The Vampire Slayer in which they visit an alternate universe where everyone is really slutty? It’s like that. Everyone is really slutty in Mirrorverse.
Everyone.
2×25: Tribunal
I care about Miles O’Brien once a season. This episode is that once.
2×26: The Jem’Hadar
Second time I’m gonna say this: a strange choice for a season finale. I promise the third season finale makes more sense in tone. Except for Jake’s outfit.
Spoilers: nobody knows wtf is wrong with Jake.
Technically speaking, you should watch this episode. It explains some basic Gamma Quadrant stuff, and Sisko and Quark are forced to hang out together for an entire episode. There is some space battle, and you get to see ships shaped like beetles. It’s okay. It’s the gateway to the third season.
In the next post: Planet: Pudding! Quark’s wife! Species-swap! Sex pollen! Time travel! Dreamscape! Moar Mirrorverse! Garak’s daddy issues! Quark’s mommy issues! Jadzia’s Curzon issues!
It’s not by accident that many viewers of DS9 envisioned a relationship between these two long before the idea was conceived by the DS9 writing staff. From the series premiere “The Emissary”, Odo and Kira demonstrate a bond of trust and respect that only deepens as the series unfolds. Kira, fiercely loyal to her friends, goes to bat for Odo time and again. There a certain irony that in “A Man Alone,” when Odo is the prime suspect in the murder of the Bajoran Ibudon, the only two people who actively come to his defense are Kira and Quark. Likewise, Odo often acts as Kira’s mentor and adviser, perhaps even her alter-ego. He is her touchstone for burning away Kira’s internal conflicts, helping her to honestly evaluate her motives and actions. Their friendship has already survived a major breech of trust when Kira confesses that she lied to Odo about her guilt in the murder of the Bajoran chemist, Vaatrick (“Necessary Evil”).
Never is this bond more evident than in “The Search”. In an eerie parallel to the events a year earlier (“The Circle”) when Kira is removed as First Officer and Odo angrily lashes out at its gross injustice, so now Kira expresses her outrage at Starfleet’s idiocy. She contrives an implausible reason for Odo to accompany the Defiant crew as they prepare for their foray into the Gamma Quadrant. Odo sees through the fabrication but ultimately uses it as a convenient excuse to accompany the crew on its mission. Kira rants and raves to Sisko about Starfleet’s stupidity in its treatment of Odo and when Odo coolly defies Sisko’s order to take his station on the bridge and Sisko has finally had enough of the Constable’s surly insubordination, it’s Kira who offers to talk to Odo and smooth things over.
Odo’s distress is obvious and although initially reluctant to discuss the matter with Kira, he eventually admits to being drawn to a portion of the Gamma Quadrant called the Omarian Nebula, by forces he doesn’t understand and seemingly can’t control. It’s a big admission for Odo, for whom order and control are paramount. Kira tries to mollify her friend with the offer that she will help him, after they’ve completed their mission but that’s not good enough for Odo. He needs to leave now.
Their conversation is aborted by the Jem’Hadar attack on the Defiant and subsequent boarding of the ship. Odo and Kira fight their way out of Odo’s cabin but Kira is injured in the melee. She wakes up on board a shuttle with Odo and is dismayed when Odo tells her that the last he saw of the Defiant, she was dead in space and that they are not headed back towards the wormhole as she would have thought but instead towards the Omarian Nebula. They land on the only class M planet, a rogue planet and are greeted almost immediately by beings who form out of a pool of amber colored liquid. The “leader” of this small contingent addresses Odo with words he has longed to hear his whole life: “Welcome home”.
The Odo/Female Shapeshifter Link:
If I remember correctly, a few years ago, TVGuide equested an interview with Rene where in they asked him to provide THE defining moment for Odo. Rene in turn solicited the opinions of ORACLE and RAFL members. The overwhelming response was when Odo found his people. With the benefit of hindsight, we can look back to this moment and feel at least some ambivalence, knowing how this discovery will affect Odo, how he will be racked by his conflicting desires and the devastating decision he makes in the end. But those are for other reviews.
Odo’s life up to this point has been dominated by two things – his job and his obsession with finding out who he was, where he came from, if there were others like himself. By all accounts, this fixation began soon after he “awoke” in Mora’s lab and has been an ongoing quest ever since. So, imagine how Odo must feel when he hears those sweet, sweet words: “Welcome home”.
And his rejoinder is equally poignant: “You really are… just like me.”
Understandably, Odo is full of questions. Viewed critically and again with the benefit of hindsight, the answers seem just a little too vague. More on that later. The Female Shapeshifter offers Odo his first taste of the Link, over the objections of one of the other Changelings, all of whom subsequently disappear and do not appear again in the episode. The Link (a merging of their liquid forms together, in this case, only their arms) puts Odo into a trance. When he “comes to”, he tells a concerned Kira that he’s fine and then, breaking into a genuine smile of happiness, acknowledges that he really is home.
Odo’s next encounter with the Female Shapeshifter comes several hours later in an arboretum designed for a Shapeshifter’s pleasure. Kira is with him and here we get our first glimpse of the colossal arrogance common among Changelings (Odo notwithstanding). Kira questions the Female Shapeshifter’s use of the word “Solids”. Her reply is both condescending and disdainful: “Our word for monoforms like yourself who will never experience the joys for the Great Link”. She dismisses Kira both literally and figuratively and speaks directly to Odo – has he made use of the Shapeshifting opportunities offered by the arboretum?” Odo doesn’t know what she is talking about. She tries patiently to explain as though she is speaking to a child and finally concludes in another sideways slap at the “Solids”, that living among humanoids has done him serious damage. He must do more than simply “become a thing”, he must “know that thing, understand it’s existence”.
Evidently this skill is part of what Odo needs to learn in order to qualify for entry into the Great Link. She presses a rock into his hand and leaves him to contemplate her words. Odo eventually returns to the shuttlecraft to regenerate. He’s frustrated and depressed. He can mimic the various forms but he stills has no idea what being those forms “feels” like. Kira tries to be understanding but she is as confused as Odo.
After regenerating, Odo returns to the Changeling garden to hopefully learn more from the Female Shapeshifter. The beginning of this scene never made it to the final cut but is revealing of the evolving relationship between these two.
The Female Shape-shifter is seated before an ornate water fountain we haven’t seen before. She studies it carefully, pleased with what she’s seeing. She runs her hand through the water.
Female Shape-Shifter (addressing the fountain):
That’s very good, Odo. Now don’t worry about holding your shape… you will. Just let go. Allow yourself to feel the texture of the stone, the warmth of the water. Allow it to become real to you.
A beat then the fountain begins to MORPH back into Odo.
Female Shape-Shifter (watching Odo morph):
How do you feel?”
Odo (who has MORPHED back into his humanoid form):
Like a baby learning to walk
(off her look)
It’s a Solid’s expression.
Female Shape-Shifter:
You have lived among them too long.
(Is it my imagination or is there something decidedly sensual about the way the Female Shapeshifter interacts with Odo in the form of that water fountain? A scene I would love to have viewed!)
Odo commences with more questions, notably, why his people dislike Solids. Odo’s own experiences have been that many are kind, decent people. The Female Shapeshifter picks up on this immediately and asks if he is referring to Major Kira. Odo acknowledges that he is. This seems to confirm her suspicions that Kira is a potential rival for Odo’s affections.
More questions from Odo and more obscure, vague answers. Of interest in this conversation is that part way through, the Female Shapeshifter displays a significant change in her demeanor. Up to this point, she has been patient, serene and some would say almost maternal, in her interactions with Odo. But suddenly there is a shift. She goes all a twitter, tremulous, like a teenage girl about to go out on her first date. Her voice becomes elevated and slightly quavering and her mannerisms display a nervous flutter. When Odo says “It’s (referring to his homeworld)… different than I imagined it would be”, she responds with what can only be described as a bald faced come-one, riddled with sexual overtones: “Whatever you imagined… I promise, it will be better…”. She then initiates what will become a full-fledged Link, as their two bodies liquefy into one.
The running script described their “torsos undulating in liquid rhythm” as they melt together, becoming a “column of swaying shapeshifters…”. It doesn’t take too much imagination to see what’s going on here (canonical evidence for the sexual nature of this encounter can be found in “A Simple Investigation” where Odo tells Arissa, “Once on my homeworld, I had an experience you would consider sexual”.
The following scenes are pivotal in depicting the evolution of the relationship between Odo and Kira, as their friendship deepens, survives crises, hits rocky patches and generally follows the path many of us are familiar with as they find their way eventually to love.
It is, IMO, the most intelligently written, natural and believable relationship, not only in the world of Star Trek, but in television. The fact that their friendship and romance captivates us, 15+ years after the debut of DS9, is a testament to the enduring nature of their love.
Enjoy The
Journey!
Past Prologue
This scene from the second episode of DS9 gave viewers their first look at Odo and Kira’s relationship and was a harbinger of things to come. A troubled Kira comes to Odo for advice and we can see the bond of trust that exists between them. This scene also led many of us to suspect that there was ‘something more’ under the surface.
A Man Alone
When Odo is accused of the murder of a Bajoran man all the latent prejudices about the “Shapeshifter” bubble to the surface. Odo is vilified by the Bajoran population on the station. Sisko relives Odo of duty, his office is vandalized and he becomes a hunted man by the Bajorans who want to enact their own lynch mob brand of ‘justice.’ Only Kira (and Quark?!) come to Odo’s verbal and active defense, calling him “the most honorable man on this station.“ Another early example of their bond of trust.
Duet
Arguably the best episode of the series, played with power and conviction by Nana Visitor. Kira interrogates a Cardassian she believes to be the Commander of a death camp during the Occupation, causing her to relive the horror of those times on Bajor. In a touching scene that demonstrates support and understanding, Odo brings Kira a drink after a grueling session with the prisoner.
The Circle
Odo displays a rare moment of pure emotion as he passionately challenges Kira to fight for what she believes in when Kira is removed from DS9. Although nothing about Odo’s feelings for Kira had been hinted at, this scene now reveals how terrified Odo was at the prospect of losing the woman he would come to love. It is also further proof of how close Odo and Kira are in their sibling-like affection for each other.
Necessary Evil
.
One of the best episodes in the series, “Necessary Evil” provides the backstory for how Odo and Kira first met and how Odo found himself working for the Cardassians on Terek Nor (DS9), responsible for providing security on the Promenade. Tasked by Gul Dukat, the station’s prefect, with uncovering the murder of a Bajoran Chemist (Va’atrick), Odo at first suspects, and then dismisses Kira as the murderer. The pivotal moment in this episode takes place in the last scene, when Kira finally admits to Odo her guilt in the murder. Odo’s reaction, a mixture of disappointment, pain and ultimately, forgiveness is what first gave the writers the notion that Odo was in love with Kira.
The Search, Part 2
After a lifetime of searching, Odo has found his people. But in a cruel twist of fate, they turn out to be the Founders of the malevolent Dominion. Rejecting them, Odo chooses life among his adopted family and in the last scene, he and Kira prepare to beam up to the ship. Kira takes his hand in a powerful demonstration of support for her friend’s decision. Her eyes shine with compassion and fierce pride. I believe this is the moment when Kira fell in love with Odo, even though it took her three more years to realize it.
Heart of Stone
Thinking Kira is about to die, Odo refuses her order that he leave, and then speaks the words that only her imminent death can wrench from his lips. “I can’t leave you . . . because I’m in love you.” Racked by shame and guilt, Odo hunches over a rock, almost curled into the fetal position. For some of us, this scene is nearly impossible to watch, as Odo emotionally disintegrates before our eyes.
When Kira says she’s also in love with Odo, he stiffens and withdraws from her. His suspicions about her true identity (he knows Kira isn’t in love with him and he knows she wouldn’t lie to make him feel better, so he suspects she is an impostor) are confirmed when ‘Kira’ morphs into the Female Founder. Pouring salt into Odo’s already lacerated soul, she calmly tells him that “she (Kira) will never love you. You are a Changeling.”
A heart and gut-wrenching episode with a plot twist at the end that renders the story meaningless.
Odo and Kira find themselves on a remote moon in the Badlands. Kira is ‘caught’ in a living crystal that threatens to envelope her. Responding to her request, Odo tells her the story of how he got his name (Odo ital, the Cardassian word for ‘nothing’), and how that name shackled him “until I met you…“
The final knife to the heart – Odo finds the ‘real’ Kira and they return to DS9. When Kira inquires what made Odo believe she was being impersonated, he casually replies “Just a slip of the tongue . . . nothing important.” His voice is neutral, but for an instant, his face betrays him. Major angst moment!
While this episode confirms what the viewer already knows (that Odo is indeed in love with Kira), Kira remains clueless, which is why this episode lacks any real impact. But stellar performances, especially by Rene. (Note: Nana Visitor has often conformed that is this her single most hated episode because she was trapped in that crystal for up to 18 hours at a time.)
I have a confession to make: I love Deep Space Nine.
I don’t know what I was doing when I first saw Man Trap or Encounter at Farpoint or Wrath of Khan, but I can tell you exactly what I was doing when I saw Emissary. I was 12 years old sitting in my room huddled with my sisters and my Dad around a 13″ B&W tv, the only one we had that had an antenna.
Why did we need an antenna? Because the only station that was broadcasting Deep Space Nine on that January night was in Dallas, and it was a hell of a chore to line up those rabbit ears. Luckily the local CBS affiliate picked it up the next week so I got to see the Wormhole open up in all it’s glory.
From that point on, for seven years, every Saturday night at 10:35 I was hooked.
More than TOS, more than Next Generations, DS9 is Star Trek in my eyes.If has everything that I love about Science Fiction: Aliens, Social Allegory, Space Battles, Random Technobable (admittedly less so than in TNG)… and eventually I will go into great detail about Deep Space Nine, but today I’ll just go into the Nine best story arcs, in my opinion, of the whole seven season run:
These are presented in no particular order…
1. The Ferengi
This is probably better described as Quark’s Arc. It has been often reported that the Ferengi were meant to be a serious antagonist to the Federation in TNG, a race whose driving philosophy was diametrically opposed to Starfleet’s utopian ideals. An off hand remark in Encounter at Farpoint and a true introduction in The Last Outpost did set up conflict, but the characterization by Armin Shimerman is laughably sinister.
It’s a Bald Off, bring it Pee-card!
Probably the lamest enemy ever introduced in the history of television. – Wil Wheaton
And he’s right, the Ferengi of TNG were, for lack or a better word, lame.
But, that’s okay, they gave us the Borg as penance… until Voyager ruined them.
That could have been all there was for the Ferengi if it hadn’t been for a hole in the plot of DS9. The problem of setting you series on a space station that is… well stationary, is that you can’t go out and get your villains, they either have to come to you or be there already. This is where Ferengi greed really came into it’s own.
Armin Shimerman, one of the Ferengi from The Last Outpost was cast as the quintessential Ferengi as they would appear in all future incarnations: greedy, self serving and cowardly, but also strangely noble, and honest (in their own way) and above all prescient. Through-out DS9 the Ferengi are shown to be put down by everyone, detested and scorned, but also absolutely essential to galaxy.
The Ferengi start out as one dimensional rogues, cheats and scoundrels but as viewers move through the series we are introduced to a vibrant thriving culture thousands of years old with ideals as strongly held as any other race. The Rules of Acquisition are more binding to the Ferengi than logic to a Vulcan. Success in Business more important than Death in Battle for a Klingon. And the Grand Nagus more revered than the Bajoran Kai.
Other races may have gotten more screen time, and greater focus in the primary plots, but the Ferengi were always there, in the background. At times comic relief or minor antagonists, but ever-present.
I’d recommend (re)watching the entirety of Deep Space Nine, paying careful attention to the way the Ferengi interact with each other and other races. There are too many good moments hidden in otherwise unrelated episodes to make a specific list, but some good ones are: The Nagus, Rules of Acquisition, Necessary Evil, Rivals, Profit and Loss, The House of Quark, Prophet Motive, Family Business, Bar Association, Ferengi Love Songs, The Magnificent Ferengi and Profit and Lace. Wow that is a long list and it still leaves two of the best scenes from Quark out… so here they are:
At the beginning of the second season, DS9 did something that Star Trek hadn’t tried before, a three episode, fully contained story arc. It was a story that could only have been told by DS9 at the time. TNG’s style of story telling made long story arcs difficult to set up and the syndication deal meant that it was highly unlikely that beyond the first run broadcast the three episode would play together, leaving the viewers that caught the show on the second or third run could be lost or confused.
TNG was the Flagship series at the time, and that meant it had a higher burden to remain profitable in syndication. DS9 was never, even after TNG ended, the Flagship, as Voyager quickly filled that spot as a network show.
Real Actors!!!!
Without that burden DS9 could experiment, and do so wonderfully. The Story is set up in a variant of the three act structure, with each episode representing one act. The First episode, Homecoming, sets up the main players, those we know from the Main Cast and those that would play a leading role in the arc. Strong performances from Frank Langella, Louise Fletcher and Stephen Macht drive the story forward. Fletcher reprising her role from In the Hands of the Prophets as Winn would go on to be a recurring antagonist in later seasons. Homecoming would also introduce The Circle, xenophobic extremists, pursuing a campaign to purge non-Bajorans from Bajor. A sentiment that echoes the previous episode, Past Prologue.
The xenophobia is also presented in scenes where Jake is stood up by a Bajoran girl whose father will not allow her to date a non-Bajoran and when Quark is branded with the icon of The Circle.
In the second episode, The Circle, the rising conflict has Kira shipped off to Bajor, later to be kidnapped by The Circle, and Quark discovering that the extremist are buying up enough weapons to over through the Provisional Government. Weapons it is discovered are being supplied from an alien source.
While on Bajor, Kira has her first direct contact with the Prophets and begins her relationship with Vedek Bareil. The episode ends with Kira’s rescue from The Circle and assault ships headed to the Station.
I won’t spoil the last episode, though the title should tell you a great deal of what happens, The Siege.
I cannot recommend this story arc enough, in fact I would recommend skipping the first season until after watching this arc. Some events from the first season will be spoiled, but this is stronger than all but one episode from the first season, Duets.
This recommendation is actually very similar to the Ferengi, in that since Odo is a Changeling there is one in every episode, but the two races are handled in completely different ways.
At their best the Changelings are mysterious and insidious agents sowing chaos through out the Alpha Quadrant (Homefront, Paradise Lost, Apocalypse Rising). At their worst, their despotic conquerors (Call to Arms, A Time to Stand). Originally, I had titled this section The Dominion and then The Dominion War, before narrowing down to focus on just the Changelings. You can’t talk about the Vorta without spending days on Weyoun or the Jem’Hadar without their chemical dependencies.
The best episodes to focus on the Changelings are The Search Parts 1 & 2, Homefront, Paradise Lost, Apocalypse Rising and the entirety of season 7. This is probably going to the be the shortest section as there is far to much to say about the Changelings and the Dominion. From the third season forward everything was centered the Changelings.
The Bajorans are very, very religious, this is well established in Emissary and In the Hands of the Prophets. The Prophets, the Wormhole Aliens, are the gods of the Bajoran people. The Prophets are non-linear lifeforms that actually built and live in the wormhole. They also sent Orbs to the people of Bajor to guide the Bajorans in their worship if the Prophets.
Now here’s where everything takes a turn for the Judeo-Christian, the Prophets have enemies. Evil spirits called Pah Wraiths. The Pah Wraiths are just as powerful as the Prophets, though less numerous, and are just as willing to roll full steam over anyone that gets in their way.
Though the Pah Wraiths only appear in a handful of episodes, where they do it is made very clear that the Prophets have set in motion the majority of events in Sisko’s life to force him to battle the Pah Wraiths.
Pah Wraiths bringing the smack down.
Even possessing his mother so that he will be conceived. The Pah Wraiths are so hardcore the Prophets conceived a child so that he would grow up to find an Orb to release a trapped Prophet to defeat the Pah Wraiths in just one battle.
General Martok, as he was known throughout the majority of his appearances in DS9, was a lead General of the Klingon Defense Forces. He was introduced in the the fourth season episode Way of the Warrior. From the beginning he is presented as a bad-ass, even ready to slice his own hand open to prove he’s not a Changeling. He lead the invasion of Cardassia and pressed Chancellor Gowron to attack DS9.
And that was just the Changeling version of Martok, the real Martok was a much bigger BMF.
While the Changeling Martok was in the Beta Quadrant waging war, the real Martok was single-handedly beating the ketracel-white out of a company of Jem’Hadar, and doing it with one eye. He kept fighting until getting the Mick treatment when Worf arrived to take his place.
Even after escaping the detention asteroid and adopting Worf, he still felt the need to prove himself awesome, taking command of the worst ship in the Klingon Fleet, the Rotarran as his flagship. The Rotarran by simply being around Martok became unstoppable, even against the Breen Super Weapon.
It’s the ship with Bad Ass Mother***ker painted on the hull.
This is where Martok drinks on a Saturday night.
Commanding this ship throughout the rest of the Dominion War, all the way to Cardassia Prime.
After the defeat of the Dominion he was the only Commander Klingon enough to drink to the Victory.
Start with Martok’s first appearance in The Way of the Warrior, then skip to Apocalypse Rising, In Purgatory’s Shadow and By Inferno’s Light. These episodes form a good base for the Martok story line, after this he becomes a more recurring character and spreads his development out across 30+ episodes.
Soldiers of the Empire focuses on Martok taking command of the Rotarran. You Are Cordially Invited shows Martok’s relationship with his wife. Once More Unto the Breach has a bit of back story about Martok. Tacking Into the Wind Martok becomes Chancellor of the Klingon Empire.
The thing that I thought they did so well with Nog was that they didn’t make him perfect. He joined Starfleet with the determination and the tenacity to succeed, but he didn’t always make the right decision, but he always kept trying again. And I always felt that Nog was one of the most human characters on that show. – Aron Eisenberg
This is as good a time to address the elephant in the airlock, I do not think that all of DS9 is good. I do like the vast majority of the episodes, and more DS9 than the other series, but I have to admit the first season was not great. It was barely watchable. The lone exception being Duets, as mentioned before probably stands out so clearly because the rest of the season is lacking.
What does this have to do with Nog?
As with most things DS9, I do not often recommend watching the 1st season to get an idea of who Nog is or would become. As with almost every Star Trek Series the first 20 odd episodes are a tough slog and all that happens to Nog is he gets arrested, meets Jake and goes to school.
Really the story of Nog starts at the end of season two, in the episode The Jem’Hadar. This episode is used to introduce the Vorta and the eponymous Jem’Hadar of the Dominion. Nog is used, with Jake, as a sort of comic subplot, but the episode also starts the chain of events that present Nog, and to a lesser degree his father Rom, as a different kind of Ferengi.
In the episode Heart of Stone, Nog asks to join Starfleet, a first for the Ferengi. The reasons he gives at the end of the episode are a major departure for Nog’s character.
Until this point he is presented as trying to be a “Good” Ferengi. He attempts to make money in Progress, tries to woo a girl in the Ferengi fashion in Life Support and even in Heart of Stone he attempts to “buy” his apprenticeship from Sisko before proving that he has good reason to want to join Starfleet.
At this point Nog becomes the Starfleet Cadet they were not able to go with Wesley in TNG. He studies, and is shown having difficulty.
But he keeps trying and eventually succeeds on his first try, something Wesley and even Picard could not do.
Start with The Jem’Hadar and then skip to Heart of Stone and Facets. After that jump to Homefront and Paradise Lost this two episode art presents Nog at the Academy (as a side note to comicbook fans, Nog was also the lead in the Star Trek: Starfleet Academy book series, not a great book but it is a fun read).
At this point, like Martok, Nog became a more recurring character as the writers were able to inject him into the plot more frequently than Jake Sisko, and though the to remained friends Nog became closer with the Officers in the cast and was seen doing more with O’Brien. A few highlights are: Empok Nor, where Nog assists O’Brien on a salvage missing to a sister station to DS9; Rocks and Shoals a loose follow up to Empok Nor; The Magnificent Ferengi, a must for the Ferengi Marathon as well that includes and awesome Cameo by Iggy Pop (I am not joking); Valiant, a tie in to Paradise Lost where Nog takes a major role on a doom starship; The Siege of AR-558 and It’s Only a Paper Moon, essentially a two-parter focusing on Nog; and finally Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang the last stand alone episode of the series before the nine-part finale.
Nog was a great character on DS9, at least once he came out of Jake’s shadow. And that really happened when it became clear that Cirroc Lofton was not really going to grow up to be Tony Todd.
This one was very much a given for the DS9, much of the series hinged on Avery Brooks being awesome as Com./Capt. Ben Sisko. He was the first character we see, not counting Locutus, and the first to really show an emotion on screen. And “Girlfriend in the Fridge” allusions aside his introduction is very strong.
Part of the at strength was his evolving reaction to being the Emissary. The Emissary arc is separate from, but intertwined with, his arc as a character. He starts out casually dismissing it as an affectation of the Bajoran Religion, he is the Emissary, but not really.
Over time he begins to really connect with the Bajorans and the Prophets, partly because he has too, it’s his job, and partly because they are ever present and, fo rthe most part, good people trying to do good.
I can only point out a couple of episodes that really focused on Sisko’s role as the Emissary: Emissary, the pilot introduces the concept of the Emissary, the Prophets and the Bajoran religion; Accession, Sisko is replaced as Emissary but a Bajoran poet from the past; Rapture, Sisko discovers B’Hala and begins having prophetic visions of a danger to Bajor; The Reckoning, Sisko has to decide between following the Prophets and losing his Son and/or Kira; and the whole Last Season.
Section 31 in DS9 is focused in the specific, tangentially connected episodes: Inquisition, Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges and Extreme Measures. For me the main thrust of these episode is inconsequential to the presence of Section 31. From the beginning of Star Trek (or at least it’s first appearance in mid-season one of TOS) the Federation has been held aloft, as a paragon of virtue in an otherwise dangerous galaxy.
But there have always been hints at something darker in the back ground, Admirals Cartwright, Pressman and Leyton’s actions in response to outside pressures. The Bugs from season one of TNG and the conspiracy to steal the Romulan Cloaking device. All these events could be seen as random, or as a careful pattern of selectively addressing the specific threats by an uber-intelligence agency hiding in the background. DS9 tried to answer that by retconning the disjointed stories of dozens of writers into Section 31.
As with most things, I feel I have to explain my position on a couple of things. One, I am not a conspiracy nut. I know Lee Harvey Oswald killed Kennedy, Man landed on the Moon and the US Government is not clandestinely reading my email. Two, the government could not work that way, the very idea that 2 million Civil Servants would all agree to the Grand Conspiracy and actually maintain their secrets, especially in the information age, is ludicrous. It just couldn’t happen.
But, if it could happen, I’d want it run like Section 31. Contrary to what these episodes may try to imply, it is very clear that Section 31 is performing exactly as it was intended. The Federation is a vibrant, growing organization where the vast majority of people live free peaceful lives. Military service, if you can call Starfleet a military (they’re are more like the Merchant Marine or NOAA really), is completely voluntary and any pursuit is open to anyone. And, it seems, Section 31 quietly makes that happen, or at least greatly assists that in happening.
I have included a couple of clips of one character, Luther Sloane’s, explanation of Section 31:
Trust him or not, you can tell that this man believes what he is doing is right, and that may be enough to scare most people, but he is still working for the ideals of the Federation, and that is worth something in the long run.
At the end of Inquisition, after learning the nature of Section 31, Sisko, Odo and Bashir discuss this new “threat.”
The truth is, we have relied on men, and now women, to do just that for our survival. The Law in the United States is very clear, killing another human being and even animals in some cases is illegal.
However, we maintain five uniformed organizations whose best course for completing the primary mission of defending our freedoms is killing our enemies. Capture is an option, but not the preferred option in most cases. That is a direct contradiction of our laws. Those organizations swear an oath to defend the Laws and Constitution against all threats Foreign and Domestic, an oath they do not take lightly.
What’s my point? Simply that Great Ideals and $4.93 will get you a Vente White Chocolate Mocha with whole milk and not much else.
Oh, one more thing. The second episode is titled: Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges this is Latin for “In the face of arms, the law falls silent,” it is a quote from Cicero. It was wasted as a title of this episode and would have better suited one of the other episodes from the end of the series.
I do recommend watching all three episodes in one sitting and then thinking about the questions each raise in regard to their subject matter.
I lied earlier… this will be the shortest section since it will simply be a list of the episode to watch. There is not a great character arc as we had with Martok or Nog. It doesn’t progress the overall story of the series, the last of the episodes air in the last season, but was certainly more of a gift to the loyal fans, than a driver of plot. The entire arc could have ended the previous season without much fuss.
So, in order, and it won’t make sense other wise, the DS9 Mirror Saga:
Crossover
Bashir and Kira are thrown in the Mirror Universe by a glitch in the wormhole. The Klingon Cardassian Alliance has overthrown the tyrannical Terran Empire and has enslaved the Terrans and Vulcan… and quite a few other races as well.
This is an interesting episode because it introduced the update Mirror Universe along with The Intendant and Avery Brooks allowed to be a lot less reserved than he had been up to now. Nana Visitor and Alexander Siddig had probably started their relationship by this point and this is the first time the share a significant amount of screen time together.
Through the Looking Glass
A year later the Terran Resistance kidnaps Sisko to pose as him mirror self in order to keep the rebellion together. This time we get to see the mirror Bashir and Dax, as well as a very militant mirror Rom and still very Vulcan mirror Tuvok from Voyager.
Shattered Mirror
Another year has past and Sisko is once again lured into the Mirror Universe, this time to help complete the construction of a ISS Defiant. Most of the player from the previous year are returned as well as the introduction of the mirror Worf, the Regent of the Sector.
Michael Dorn had just recently joined the cast of DS9 from TNG and was a good fit for the much more Klingon Regent Worf.
Bonus clip:
Resurrection
This is by far one of the weakest episodes of DS9 outside the first season, but it does need to be watched to pick up on some references from the following episode. The episode also sees the return of Philip Anglim as the mirror Bareil Antos.
The one saving grace is that it is well directed by LeVar Burton, at least there’s that…
The Emperor’s New Cloak
This is a return to form for the Mirror Universe. The Grand Nagus has crossed over to the Mirror Universe to attempt to expand into new markets. He has been kidnapped but Regent Worf and is being ransomed for the Romulan Cloak from the Defiant. Only Quark and Rom can save him.
This is a very light hearted episode and was very much needed in the overbearing season seven. We are introduced to the mirror Ezri, Nicole de Boer had recently replaced Terry Farrell as Dax, and to mirror Brunt and mirror Vic Fontaine.
As Vic Fontaine in the regular universe is a holographic character, he was included probably as a meta-joke.
Well there they are, the nine best story arcs from Deep Space Nine, that is not to say these are the only story arcs. There is also the Marquis, the Dominion war, the Klingon/Federation War, the Shakaar story arc and about a hundred more.
Kai Winn Adami, played by the marvelous Louise “Nurse Ratched” Fletcher, is the spiritual leader of the Bajorans. The Kai, which is the equivalent of the Pope, is a very powerful, influential figure. When DS9 begins, Winn is a Vedek (or a cardinal). She is ambitious, devious, and calculating. She is deeply resentful of Captain Sisko, who is the Emissary of the Prophets (Jesus, in other words). Winn has a very strong, very deep faith; she is a true believer, but her true nature keeps her from being the voice of the Prophets.
having to remove his name from the ballot and ensured her election. Kira is forced to accept her as the new Kai.
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