Since everybody seems to be starting to count at zero instead of one the first decade of this century and millennium is now over. So it’s time to recap these past ten years and take a look at the TV Shows it has given us.

Let me give my résumé at the beginning: Of the four decades I know TV Shows from (70s – 00s) this was without question the best decade for us TV junkies. When you read my review you might say in the end “Hey what about <insert your favourite here>?” (e.g. The Sopranos, Dexter, The Wire, Six Feet Under, …) but that’s exactly my point. This decade has given us so many outstanding shows that it was impossible to watch them all. Also, everybody has a different set of favourite genres but I’d say that every genre got their fair share of excellent series in the last years.

But let’s face it: There’s rarely any series (if there’s one at all) that could keep up the quality and its appeal for its entire run. Some had a bad year in between, some fell short at the end. But even in these “bad years” they had more quality episodes in it than entire shows from previous decades. So all the shows I am going to name have of course aspects that can be criticized and I invite you to do so.

For me the most outstanding characteristic of this past decade’s shows is that they are more often than not more about the “journey” of the character(s) than the actual events. It’s not the character who shines a light upon the unfolding events but it’s the events that shine a light upon the character and his development. I have to say that shows (hereby excluding comedy shows that work with stereo- and archetypes) that don’t have a real character development don’t interest me at all. But if the character development is interesting I might even watch shows from genres that usually don’t interest me at all.

If the character development is interesting enough I might even set the fact aside that my second favourite characteristic is missing: A real story-arc. The first TV Show in my TV universe that had a real story-arc, was Babylon 5. Later Star Trek: DS9 did the same albeit not in that quality and complexity. But these shows were two of the rare exception in the 90s (another famous exception would be Twin Peaks, but I never watched it). It seemed that viewers weren’t interested in either developing characters or story-arcs.

This drastically changed in this decade and one show had an early start to this:

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003)

I believe Buffy is one of the most studied TV Shows there is, possibly only surpassed by the Star Trek universe and comparing the age of both franchises one sees how truly amazing that is. Just take a look at Slayage Online to get a glimpse.
I had of course heard of Buffy but ignorant as I was I did not watch a single episode during its original run. It was only in the year 2007, three years after the show had ended, that I discovered it for me and it swept me of my feet. This show does not deal in black & white, every character is flawed and yet tries to contribute in the ultimate fight against evil.
For me there’s not one season I’d qualify as “bad” even though some of them are very different than the others.

Angel (1999-2004)

On the dawn of the new millennium Angel relocated from Sunnydale to Los Angeles and opened a second front against the apocalypse. The show was different from Buffy but the characters were still wonderfully drawn and the story was very good. The show had its down during the fourth season which I didn’t like that much but got better again only to get cancelled. But it went out with a BOOM. “Let them fight the good fight. Someone has to fight the war.”

And then the new millennium began.

24 (2001-)

“All Events Occur in Real-Time.” This show introduces a whole lot of concepts in a TV Show. Since everything happens “live” they depend heavily on split-screens to show multiple events in different places. It’s also one of the first shows that uses technology to a sometimes ludicrous extend. But its compact and thrilling story-telling totally makes up for it.
There have been years where the story absolutely jumps the shark, especially the fourth and fifth season. But then the writers manage to refresh it again end they’ve delivered a real highlight with the seventh season and I truly hope they can keep it up in the soon-to-begin eighth year.

Alias (2001-2006)

The show surely declined during its five-year run but overall it’s a fascinating piece of television, with its elaborate Rambaldi-arc and its shifting allies and enemies. It especially wins it fascination from all these grey characters where it isn’t certain on which side they’re on (for now) and what their hidden agenda is. It also uses a remarkable amount of plot locations all over the world that coincides with the number of wigs the main character Sydney Bristow seems to have.

Smallville (2001-)

Smallville is a complicated topic. The label says “How Clark Kent became Superman”. On its face it’s a show about teenage drama mixed with some action pieces. Many don’t like it because it often breaks with the official Superman canon (whatever that means in a comic universe that retcons itself all the time…). Others have problems with Clark himself who is not yet the iconic character he’s supposed to become. Still others had problems with the prolonged presence of Lana Lang and the very existence of the not-in-the-comic character Chloe Sullivan. And they are supported in their criticism by the often kitschy storylines and the Freak-of-the-Week episodes in the early seasons. The show also lacks a mastermind who has a clear idea of where the journey is supposed to end up. This was painfully obvious during the seventh and eighth season that fell flat on every aspect of story-telling.
But still, the show has something that draws me in – even though I never read a single Superman comic. Despite their problems the characters are really enjoyable and most of them undergo a real development. If I had to name a favourite character (excepting Clark) it would be Allison Mack’s Chloe Sullivan even though they heavily damaged the character in the last two years. The second one is Erica Durance’s Lois Lane who is slowly taking the place that is rightfully hers.
I have to admit I was nearly giving up on the show but the ninth season is developing really great so far – let’s just hope they can keep it up this time.

Firefly (2002)

Maybe it was so good because it was so short-lived but the 14 episodes of this series showed a potential worthy of a Joss Whedon (Buffy, Angel) show. This show literally brought the wild west into space. One has to wonder what this show could have achieved if it would have had a reasonable lifetime.

Two and a Half Men (2003-)

Sitcoms have always been era-bound for me. I’ve watched many sitcoms during their original run. When I watched them again years later I didn’t find them as funny as the first time or don’t find them really funny at all anymore. Maybe all the sitcoms in this list will fare the same fate. But for now I really enjoy the two brothers, their house-keeper, their mother and their son/nephew very much.

Battlestar Galactica (2003-2009)

Most sci-fi shows are plot-oriented. The spaceship that flies from planet to planet to go where no one has gone before. The station that is the last hope for peace. The team that searches for technology to protect Earth from the Evil Overlords. The fleet around the Galactica also has a goal: to find Earth. But the story is about the crew of these ships and about their robotic enemies who are as diverse as the Humans. In the end it’s not as simple as in the beginning: Humans vs. Cylons. The journey will re-shape all of them in a way none of them could have anticipated.
Unfortunately the end was a bit disappointing because the writers thought too late about where the journey is supposed to be going.

House M.D. (2004-)

House is a typical Procedural. Basically every episode has the same general plot. If that were everything to it, I would not bother to watch it. But it is more. All the other characters sum up to a counter-balance to House, to keep him in check. While House spirals down in his medication addiction they try to pull him up again and they manifest as a wall when he tries to go too far. Every one of them is necessary and due to recent events in the sixth season I fear that one element will be sorely missed in future episodes: Humanity. They have to find a way to restore the balance. House doesn’t work with just House.

LOST (2004-2010)

A great mystery show that will hopefully have an end this year that is worthy of it. For me the entire appeal of the show depends now on if they manage to give satisfying answers to all (or at least most of) the riddles they produced over the last five years. Otherwise it might have the same fate as Battlestar Galactica. They promised that they would have a satisfying end in mind – let’s hope they can keep this promise. If they do this will be one of the most memorable shows of this decade.

Veronica Mars (2004-2007)

After the 80s I was never to much into private investigation stories but this show was highly praised – even though German television dump-aired it in the middle of the night. And it rightfully got the praise. It combines teenage drama and crime/PI stories to an excellent mix and has an excellent cast, especially the ones of the Mars family. Unfortunately the third season deviated from the way the story was told in the first two seasons and the show never got a fourth season. But these three seasons are absolutely worth checking out.

Bones (2005-)

Another Procedural that combines technological overdose and a relatively strict plot pattern. But it has a fascinating set of characters who complement each other (both at work as well as emotionally). Just with House I do not watch it for the case of the week but to see how the characters grow and how they struggle with their past and try to find their future.

Doctor Who (2005-)

The Brits are different. But that doesn’t make them less interesting. The Doctor is a national institution just like the Queen. The show as a whole has been running since 1963 with a big break during the nineties. In 2005 they revived the show and the Ninth Doctor and his companion Rose took the TARDIS and travelled to the end of the Earth. The Tenth Doctor even took it to the end of the universe itself. And in 2010 the Eleventh Doctor will take command of ship and he too will travel to places and times one can hardly imagine.
In order to like Doctor Who one has to like a certain kind of humour and has to appreciate weird stories and ideas. To give you an idea: If you like/disliked the The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy book series by Douglas Adams or the “Thursday Next” book series by Jasper Fforde or the Australian TV Show Farscape you’re probably going to like/dislike Doctor Who.

How I Met Your Mother (2005-)

In one regard sitcoms are like all other shows: There are those that are episode-based and those that are arc-based and then there are those in the middle. While Two and a Half Men and The Big Bang Theory are more (though not strictly) episode-based, so is HIMYM more arc-based. The very title points to it. In this regard HIMYM is the successor of Friends; the life of the characters is actually changing and not a (relative) constant.
Although, now that the show is in its fifth year I feel that it is time that Ted actually meets his future wife. I don’t have the desire to drag out every show endlessly. I prefer a good closure over a never-ending story.

Supernatural (2005-2010?)

Two things brought me to Supernatural: Firstly my disappointment of Smallville over the last two years. While reading and writing in the KryptonSite.com forums I often read good comments about this show that otherwise totally went below my radar. Secondly my getting closer to the horror genre by watching Buffy and Angel. I’ve never been a great friend of the horror genre and probably never will be – but this show intrigued me. At first it looked like a standard Monster-of-the-Week show but soon it developed its own story-arc that is culminating in this year’s battle against the apocalypse and Lucifer himself.
According to the show runner, this will be the last year of Dean’s and Sam’s journey and I really like that idea because then the show has managed something many shows fail to do: To tell one big story and to bring that story to a defined end.

Heroes (2006-)

Heroes is now in its fourth year and it’s doubtful whether there will be a fifth. It started with great promise and the first year was really great. But then basically everyone lost their way and the characters started to act uncharacteristically and erratically and unpredictably and it all went down the drain. I am still watching it because I like the characters but it’s not nearly as much fun as in the beginning.
If you’re new to this show, buy the first season and probably leave it that.

The Big Bang Theory (2007-)

The best sitcom there currently is. The four geeks and their hot neighbour are a really great ensemble and the hilariousness goes up to eleven when Penny and Sheldon clash into each other. There’s nothing I can laugh more about than these five.

Burn Notice (2007-)

I don’t even remember how I stumbled across this show but Michael Westen is basically James Bond and Q in one person. He’s the spy who builds his gadgets himself. His entourage is also great: The trigger-happy ex-IRA ex-girlfriend, the now retired former spy and friend – and his mother. Since he can’t work as spy anymore he has become the local MacGyver / Michael Knight / A-Team of Miami, Florida. He still tries to get his old “job” back but there is someone who does not want him back and Michael has no idea, why.

Chuck (2007-)

Chuck is an action comedy about a guy who accidentally gets all the secrets of the CIA and NSA uploaded into his brain. What makes things worse: His knowledge is now the only copy in existence. He gets two personal bodyguards: The CIA agent Sarah Walker and the NSA Major John Casey. The three of them try to use Chuck’s knowledge to protect the country while hiding the fact that he knows what he knows and without getting exposed as spies by enemies and family.
This show is pure fun and I am really glad that they got a third season. The three main characters are great but all the supporting characters from Chuck’s family and the Buy More superstore form a great ensemble.

True Blood (2008-)

There are Vampires in the world and they live openly among us. But not only Vampires, but also mind-readers and shape-shifters and others. And in Bon Temps, Louisiana the waitress Sookie Stackhouse meets Bill – the very first Vampire in their small town. But mankind has still getting used to the idea that Vampires actually exist and there are quite a few animosities between both groups, especially when people get killed and it looks like Vampires were behind it.
This is a very graphic show based on the “Sookie Stackhouse” book series by Charlotte Harris. But it’s quite fascinating to watch all these different people and how they deal with life (and death).

Being Human (2009-)

A Vampire, a Werewolf and a Ghost are moving in together. What sounds like a joke is basically the question that what it means to be Human. All three struggle with themselves and their fate. The Vampire is the oldest one; he’s fought as a young man in the First World War. The other two have only recently become “different”. This British series is not a comedy although it is funny at times and as most British series relatively short (the first season has only six episodes). But the story it’s telling is really worth watching.

So, that’s it. Let’s hope that this new decade can at least hold the quality bar if not even outshine the last decade since the producers should have learned by now that high-quality television is something viewers do appreciate.

Homecoming

Synopsis: Buffy has decided to run for Homecoming Queen in order to prove that “she’s still got it”. But she runs against Cordy and it won’t be easy since both Willow and Xander are helping Cordy out of a feeling of guilt for kissing one another. But Mr. Trick has also something planned: He creates “SlayerFest ‘98″, a hunt where both Humans and demons are the hunters and the Slayers are the hunted.

My Opinion: I liked the assortment of hunters because everyone hunted in his own way (but naturally they all lost), especially the mix of the types “Daniel Boone” and the german high-tech hunters. And I loved it when the “second Slayer” (Cordy) scared the Vampire off just by threatening him. It’s a talent she will use in Angel again.

Band Candy

Synopsis: Principal Snyder forces everyone to sell candy bars to finance new uniforms for the school band. But suddenly all the adults start to behave like teenagers and don’t acknowledge their proper age. As it turns out, Ethan Rayne is the producer of the bars – but he’s only a subcontractor for Mr. Trick who works for the mayor now.

My Opinion: Ethan is back and the episode is fun. Snyder reminded me a lot of Quark (Star Trek DS9) when he tried to chase after the women and couldn’t be discouraged in any way. And Giles and Joyce were also great in reliving their youth. What we’ve learned so far about the mayor also explains some of the put-it-under-the-rug events of the second season.

Revelations

Synopsis: Faith has gotten a new Watcher, a stiff english woman who expects nothing less than the best. And Buffy is still hiding the fact that Angel has returned. And a new demon is in town and he wants the Glove of Myhnegon, a very powerful artefact. In the end, all their paths will cross in Angel’s hideout place. And Xander and Willow have a hard time denying their feelings or refrain from showing affection to each other.

My Opinion: Xander has never really liked Angel, even before he knew that he was a Vampire. But in episodes like this he shows pure hatred towards the guy and except for the Angel-Buffy thing I never understood why his emotions towards Angel are that strong. But it was great to once again see a real Slayer vs. Slayer fight. They both kicked ass!

Lovers Walk

Synopsis: Spike is back in town, but he’s a wreck. Dru has left him for a chaos demon and he wants her back. Buy chance he runs into Willow who is just buying ingredients for an anti-love spell for Xander and her and he considers the general idea of a love spell a good one. So he kidnaps her and Xander and forces her to make one for him and Dru. Meanwhile the rest of the Scooby gang is looking for them.

My Opinion: Spike – Phase II has just begun. First he was the villain, now he will be the comic relief for quite some time. But in the end, he will take his rightful place as one of the heroes. Too bad this will be his only appearance in this season. And from a retrospective POV I liked Xander’s and Willow’s little affair. First of all because it didn’t feel forced, there have been hints towards this since the pilot. And second of all it ultimately leads to the introduction of Anyanka in the next episode. I also liked how Spike could look right through Angel’s and Buffy’s we-are-only-friends charade.

Season 3: Disc 3

And I love to see so many known guest actors in it:

Robin Curtis (Star Trek 3 & 4), Peter Jurassik (Babylon 5, Sliders), Nana Visitor (Star Trek DS9), Robert Englund (Nightmare on Elm Street, V), Stephen Williams (The Blues Brothers, 21 Jump Street), Teri Hatcher (Lois & Clark, Desperate Housewives), John de Lancie (Star Trek TNG, DS9, VOY, Stargate SG-1), …

Disc 1

Welcome to the Hellmouth

Synopsis: Buffy and her mom have just moved to Sunnydale, California. She was thrown out of her old school in Los Angeles because she burned down the gym (it was full of Vampires). But she hopes that this part of her life lays behind her – how wrong she was. A very old Vampire – the Master – tries to free himself from the Hellmouth that is directly under the town. And she can’t even keep it a secret that she is the Slayer. Everyone seems to know: The librarian Giles, her classmate Xander and even some mysterious guy in the dark alleys.

My Opinion: I’ve seen this pilot for the first time on DVD on November 22th, 2007. And I have watched it 10 times in the past 16 months. I know all the lines by heart by now. “It’s dated?” – “It’s carbon-dated!” I have to say I liked it that the whole gang knew from the beginning. It separates it from other superhero shows (*cough* Smallville *cough*). That makes for a great foundation of their friendship even though each and every one will have secrets of their own over the years.

Shortly before Buffy killed her first Vampire on the show she made a remark that rang a bell – I had heard a similar remark spoken in a similar tone elsewhere.

Buffy: Now, we can do this the hard way, or … well, actually, there’s just the hard way.
Darla: That’s fine with me.
Buffy: Are you sure? Now this is not gonna be pretty. We’re talking violence, strong language, adult content …

Jack O’Neill: Assuming – of course – you are the Tok’ra.
Cordesh: And if we’re not?
Jack O’Neill: Well, I guess we all start shooting. There’s blood, death, hard feelings. It’d suck.

The Harvest

Synopsis: She may have saved Willow and Xander, but she has lost trace of Jesse. But she won’t give up that easily and she has help: Giles is her new Watcher and Willow is a computer nerd who can find anything as long as it’s on the net. And she will need that help because the time of the Harvest is close and then the Master will rise if she can’t prevent it. Unfortunately there’s nothing they can do for Jesse: He’s already worse than dead: A Vampire.

My Opinion: I know that life had to go on, but I found the end a little bit cheap. All these victims at the Bronze should have been in terror and should be screaming instead of simply getting slaughtered one by one. And then the aftermath where everyone chose to ignore what had happened. But I don’t know a better solution either. And I loved how she outwitted Luke / the Vessel and then dusted him.

Witch

Synopsis: Buffy decides to try out for the cheerleading team. She has been a cheerleader back in LA and she wants to live a normal life here, too – as far as this is possible. But mysterious accidents seem to happen to the cheerleaders of this school and soon there’s no doubt that witchcraft is behind it.

My Opinion: The story of that episode wasn’t that interesting, but I liked certain aspects of it. For example Buffy singing “Macho Man” or her cheerleading tryouts. I also liked that they made their first magic potion with bio and chem class equipment (scalpel, test tube, …).

Teacher’s Pet

Synopsis: After their biology teacher had been found dead in a refrigerator, Buffy, Xander and Willow get a new substitute teacher – and she’s hot. Xander and all other guys totally fall for her and she obviously likes it. But what kind of woman is she really when even a Vampire is scared by her?

My Opinion: This is one of these episodes with the obvious storylines. There’s a new teacher when the old one was killed onscreen. You automatically know that she’s somehow involved. She’s insulted when someone calls an insect “ugly”. You automatically know she’s one, too. All the guys instantly fall for her? You automatically know pheromones or some other stuff is involved. Didn’t like it very much.

Disc 2

Never Kill a Boy on the First Date

Synopsis: Giles has found a new prophecy that heralds the arrival of a new enemy. But Buffy doesn’t really take it that seriously because she tries to have a social life besides her Slayer duties. And then she finds Owen, a quiet yet profound guy who is also interested in her. But can she really have a social life without endangering people (that are close to her)?

My Opinion: “Clark Kent has a job!” This episode was about the basic dilemma every superhero has to face: How much time is one allowed to have in which one doesn’t protect other people. And Buffy made the same decision Clark made in Smallville more than one time and Peter Parker made in Spider-Man (“I will never forget these words: ‘With great power comes great responsibility.’ This is my gift. My curse. Who am I? I am Spider-Man!”). And yet Buffy is different. She has friends that know her secret. Friends that stand by her and fight with her. They are her foundation, otherwise she would be just another Slayer and her life span would probably much shorter.
But I wander from the subject. I never cared much for the “Anointed One” (or “Annoying One” as Spike will put it) because he basically does nothing while he’s on the show except for being a wise-ass. So I liked the episode more for its underlying topic than its main topic.

The Pack

Synopsis: During a visit to the city zoo something happens to a high school gang – and Xander. They get possessed by the spirit of a hyena and henceforth they behave like a pack of hyenas. They are cruel, nasty and prey on the weak. And they eat the school mascot. But it gets even worse and Buffy, Willow and Giles try to get the old Xander back.

My Opinion: This is one of the rare episodes where the focus is on Xander. And he’s also allowed to be one of the bad guys. I think they played the pack very well. But even though Buffy didn’t kill that zoo guy directly she threw him into the cage. Granted it was in a fight but I am quite certain that in later episodes they draw a fine line between killing monsters and killing Humans.
I also liked it that they played the “forgetfulness” card just to show that it was a bluff. This joker was played far too often on Smallville.

Angel

Synopsis: Buffy and Angel (a mysterious man that drops in and out of her life to warn her about impending doom) get attacked by a group of Vampire warriors and Angel gets hurt. Buffy invites him to her home and tends to his wounds. But then the unthinkable happens: When they kiss, Angel turns into a Vampire himself! He flees but returns and has apparently attacked Buffy’s mom. Now Buffy’s out for a kill.

My Opinion: One of my favourite episodes of the season. I really liked Darla’s more practical approach of using firearms against a Human. Luckily her death isn’t the end of her story – as it rarely is in the Buffyverse. And while (until now) Xander might have been jealous of Angel, now his new philosophy is: Only a dead Angel is a good Angel. It’s basically the dark side of Xander’s character and one day his philosophy will include Spike, too.
What bothered me about the first season was that there were too many “special Vampires” in comparison to later seasons. First the “Aurelius” guys from two episodes ago, now these warrior types. They are famous enough to appear in some ancient books yet they are not good enough to survive at least one episode and it’s not even Buffy’s “fault”.

I Robot, You Jane

Synopsis: Ms. Calendar teaches computer class at Sunnydale High and she has started a project to scan all the library books. Unfortunately they also scan Giles’s more “exotic” books and they release a demon into the internet that was spell-bound in one of the books. But before Buffy realizes this the demon Moloch has already some of the students under his spell – especially Willow. She believes that Malcolm is a nice guy and that Buffy is jealous of her. Fortunately Giles, Xander and Buffy don’t have to fight alone: Ms. Calendar is not only a teacher, but also a techno-pagan.

My Opinion: The story is a bit ridiculous yet fun to watch. The whole idea of an ancient demon who uses the internet and builds himself a new body. But I loved the exorcism scene where Ms. Calendar was typing the counter-curse into the computer and Giles was spellchecking her. And the episode ended in a real whedony fashion when the three sat in front of the school and looked upon their past love lives and then concluded they are doomed.

And while I don’t exactly share his sentiment, I really liked Giles’s statement about books:

Ms. Calendar: Honestly, what is it about [computers] that bothers you so much?
Giles: The smell.
Ms. Calendar: Computers don’t smell, Rupert.
Giles: I know. Smell is the most powerful trigger to the memory there is. A certain flower or a whiff of smoke can bring up experiences long forgotten. Books smell. Musty and, and, and, and rich. The knowledge gained from a computer, is, it … it has no texture, no context. It’s there and then it’s gone. If it’s to last, then the getting of knowledge should be tangible, it should be, um… smelly.

Disc 3

The Puppet Show

Synopsis: The gang is ordered to participate in the annual talent show while Giles is in charge of the organization. But then a student is murdered and the killer cuts out his heart. And the worst thing is: This was most likely a Human and not a demon. And all points to the weird guy and his ventriloquy dummy. But which one controls the other?

My Opinion: While I liked the whole dummy part and his sacrifice I didn’t like that they showed no pointers whatsoever to the real killer. Sure, they laid a lot of false trails (e.g. to the new principal) but they didn’t hide some to the real one. I also liked that they had to consider that this could be very well a “normal murder”, that not everything bad in this world is the fault of a demon. And I like the new evil yet human principal Snyder (Armin Shimerman, Quark in DS9) – he will become a real PITA for Buffy.

Nightmares

Synopsis: Buffy has regular nightmares at night now but that’s nothing compared to what happens next: Some people’s nightmares become reality at day and suddenly spiders are crawling through the school and a perplexed Xander stands in front of the class – naked. And a mysterious child and a monster appear every time at the school when something like this happens. But this boy is in a coma, how can he be seen in the school?

My Opinion: Does everyone have that nudity nightmare? It is a common theme on TV shows but I can’t remember having such a dream. But I can relate to the clown thingy. I can’t remember it but I must have had a bad experience because I also had a number of bad clown dreams when I was young (and no, it was not It ). I also liked what was done to Cordelia.  And I am with Xander: Buffy still looks good as a Vampire.

Out of Mind, Out of Sight

Synopsis: Strange accidents seem to be happening to the people around Cordelia. First her boyfriend gets clubbed down in the locker rooms. Then Harmony gets thrown down the stairs – by an invisible girl. Cordelia is scared and seeks refuge and help in the library. But Giles has another problem: He needs a lost book that contains prophecies regarding the Slayer. But luckily for him there’s an undead guy that can help him.

My Opinion: It was an OK episode but I would have liked to see Clea DuVall more onscreen – but that would have defeated the purpose of this episode. I’ve known her from The Faculty and later from Heroes before I’ve seen her here in this episode. I also liked that Cordelia becomes more involved in the group even though she offends them at the same time she’s asking for help. Something along the lines of “I need help and I thought you were in a gang or something” She may not be three-dimensional yet, but she’s managed to reach 2.1 dimensions.
I thought that it was an interesting twist to let the government being involved in this case. Wolfram & Hart might have been interested, too (if they had been invented at this point).

Prophecy Girl

Synopsis: Xander finally finds the courage to ask Buffy out but she turns him down. And then his rebound girl – Willow, – also turns him down. But from there the day turns from bad to worse – for everyone. Giles and Angel have discovered a prophecy that without a doubt heralds Buffy’s death. She will face the Master and he will kill her. That makes it easy for her: She quits. She stops being the Slayer. But every choice has consequences: Vampires have entered the school and killed several students. For a hero there’s actually no choice. She has to face him, even if it means that she dies. But what are friends for?

My Opinion: Up until now Angel might have jumped in on a street fight but when it became really dangerous he was nowhere to be seen (The Harvest, Prophecy Girl). It’s ironic that it’s Xander of all people who forces him to stand up and fight a real fight. From one moment to the next the size of the gang has nearly doubled. From now on Ms. Calendar, Cordelia and Angel will have a much greater role in the fight between good and evil – on one side or the other. I also liked how Buffy reacted to her prophesied death – it makes the character more human. But in the end she accepts her fate, as she will always do in the coming years and she will do what’s right, no matter the cost.

The Season – My Opinion: A good first season, although not the best Buffy season. The basics are established (regular Monsters-of-the-Week with an overall season arc and a “Big Bad”) and the universe is pretty much set. Luckily they will loosen the corset of prophecies and rituals and they will portray Vampires much more “normal”.

Season 2

Disc 1

Image in the Sand

Synopsis: The Siskos have gone back to Earth where Ben works in his father’s restaurant. He’s still hoping to get an inspiration on how to re-open the wormhole. And then he finally gets a vision about a human female that’s somehow linked to his father. In the meantime Kira (who has been promotoed to Colonel) has to deal with the Romulans who want to open a hospital on one of Bajor’s uninhabited moons. And Worfs seeks a way to ensure that his wife passes the gates of Sto’Vo’Kor (the klingon heaven).

My Opinion: So Sisko’s mother wasn’t Sisko’s mother? This is a bit of a last-minute revelation, isn’t it? Apart from that this was basically just a prelude to the next episode.

Shadows and Symbols

Synopsis: Just as he was about to embark to Tyree where he hopes to find an answer to his vision, Sisko finds himself in front of Dax – Ezri Dax. Ezri never intended to get joined but the Dax symbiont was dying and she was its only hope. So she joins Ben, Jake and Joseph Sisko on their journey to Tyree. And Miles, Julian and Quark have joined a dangerous mission to honour their memory of Jadzia Dax. Worf and Martok plan to take the Rotarran deep into enemy territory where they intend to destroy a ship yard.

My Opinion: So Dax is back. Why? Why did they feel the need to introduce a new character (and that’s basically what she is) in the last season? She’s a babbling irritant and it will barely get better. And Sisko was conceived by a woman that was inhabited by a Prophet at that time? And he re-opened the wormhole. Hallelujah! Praise the Emissary!
But I liked how Kira took a stand with her wing of impulse fighters agains a group of romulan Warbirds after they deceived her. And I liked the destruction of the ship yard – that should ensure Jadzia’s entrance into Sto’Vo’Kor.

But it was nice to see that they took the chance to show Casey Biggs (Damar) without a mask:

Afterimage

Synopsis: Ezri, who is a counsellor in training, has a hard time. She has to deal with all the memories of her previous hosts (especially Jadzia’s). But she also has to deal with all her – or Jadzia’s – friends aboard DS9 and of course with Worf. But she gets distracted when Garak’s claustrophobia panic attacks worsen and he nearly jumps out of an airlock “to get some fresh air”.

My Opinion: I liked Garak’s inner conflict about “betraying” his own people at the same time as I disliked the entire Ezri plot. And Garaks plot was basically written as a story device for her. If this would have been an exception I could live with it but we will see quite a number of Ezri episodes this season. They wanted to give her a proper profile and background but it feels forced. Ezri here. Ezri there.

Take Me Out to the Holosuite

Synopsis: The USS T’Kumbra (an all-Vulcan ship) comes to DS9 and its captain and Sisko have a history. He challenges Sisko on Sisko’s very own playing field – baseball. Sisko accepts of course and builds his very own baseball team and two weeks later the holo crowd is looking forward to a game of “Logicians” versus “Niners”.

My Opinion: I never cared for baseball but just as Major League this was fun to watch. The huge baseball cap to fit on a Ferengi head or Odo as the umpire or O’Brien’s scotch-flavoured bubble gum: great. But I would have expected more of Worf. He’s a skilled klingon warrior and he can’t even hit the ball once?

Disc 2

Chrysalis

Synopsis: By impersonating Starfleet officers and Patrick playing “Admiral Patrick” the four genetically enhanced patients come back to the station. Bashir tries to free Sarina from her catalepsy in which she’s been since she was a child. And when Sarina finally awakes she turns out to be a beautiful young woman and Bashir immediately falls in love with her. But will her improvement be permanent?

My Opinion: I really liked the Sarina’s blossoming. It was so nicely done how the other tried to help her with her voice training. That was beautiful. And their attempt of trying to find a way to stop the universe from collapsing in 70 trillion years was also funny to watch.

Treachery, Faith and the Great River

Synopsis: Odo is contacted by a cardassian informant he has known for years. But when he arrives at the secret meeting point he only finds Weyoun. But this isn’t the Weyoun who led the war against the Federation. The fifth Weyoun clone was killed in a transporter accident a month ago. And this Weyoun 6 wants to defect and serve Odo. Odo and Weyoun 6 fly back to DS9 aboard a runabout but Weyoun 7 and Damar are willing to stop them at any cost. Meanwhile Nog is once again a sailor on the river of the Great Material Continuum and tries to acquire a graviton stabilizer for Chief O’Brien.

My Opinion: It was an OK episode. What I really liked about this episode was Nog’s explanation of the Ferengi believe that there is actually something like the Great Material Continuum where those meet who have too little of one thing and too much of another and that the river brings these people together.

Once More Unto the Breach

Synopsis: Kor hasn’t been able to get a command of his own in the current war and he asks Worf for help. As it turns out Kor once prevented Martok from becoming an officer in the klingon military and now Martok is “returning the favor”. But Worf secures him a position as third officer in a dangerous mission Martok and Worf are about to embark on.

My Opinion: A nice farewell for Kor. He was allowed to die as a warrior, as it should be. And he died a death worty of a Dahar Master. Songs will be sung about this deed. And unfortunately also one of the last appearances of John Colicos who also died two years later. I loved him both in the role of Kor but especially as the diabolical Baltar in the original Battlestar Galactica. “To Kor, a noble warrior to the end!” – Martok

The Siege of AR-558

Synopsis: The Defiant brings supplies to a group of Federation soldiers who defend a Dominion communications relay. And the Jem’Hadar want it back badly. The unit has lost many people and Sisko decides to stay until reinforcements arrive. And it’s the first ground assault experience for both Nog and Ezri.
My Opinion: A very dark episode (literally and metaphorically). I think such episodes are important when you show war in a TV show. It’s easy to forget or dismiss the dead when it’s “just” starships that get blown to pieces. But to see them die one by one in close combat makes it much more real, especially when you have a connection to the characters.

Disc 3

Covenant

Synopsis: The cult of the Pah-Wraith believers grows and even a Vedek and a friend of Kira’s is now one. He abducts Kira from DS9 and brings her to Empok Nor where Dukat has become the leader of a group of that cult. They want to show her that the Pah-Wraiths are actually the good gods because they wanted to guide the Bajorans and that they would have never allowed to occupation to happen. And Kira has to learn that some Bajorans believe so strong in their former oppressor that they would give their life for him.

My Opinion: Now Dukat’s religious phase begins. I don’t like that story.

It’s Only a Paper Moon

Synopsis: Two months ago, Nog has lost his leg in the Battle of AR-558 and now he’s returning to DS9 with a new biosynthetic leg. But he’s still on medical leave and he choses to avoid real life and become a permanent guest in Vic Fontaine’s Las Vegas hotel. Ezri tries to reach out to him but the only one who can connect to Nog is Vic.

My Opinion: This was a decent episode. It reminded me a bit of Reginald Barclay III who also tried to escape reality back on the Enterprise. And I have to say that Vic is a better counsellor than Ezri. . But I also liked that Ezri could convince Vic that it was time for Nog to return into the real world and how Vic threw him out of his program. And I found it amusing when Nog complained about the realism in Shane when Shane didn’t bleed after he got shot.

Prodigal Daughter

Synopsis: O’Brien who was looking for a missing woman on New Sydney has gone missing, too. An involvement of the Orion Syndicate is very likely since both are directly connected to O’Brien’s undercover mission in the last year. Sisko sends Ezri home to her family who has some influence in the system since they are the sixth-biggest mining operation company in the sector. But Ezri and her mother have some unresolved issues.

My Opinion: Hmm. Maybe I am prejudiced and I don’t want to like her but I couldn’t care less about Ezri’s family.

The Emperor’s New Cloak

Synopsis: Mirror-Ezri comes to DS9 and “convinces” Quark and Rom to steal a klingon cloaking device. Zek tried to open negotiations in the mirror universe and became prisoner to the Regent. But neither Quark nor Rom trust Mirror-Ezri and go with her to the other side. There they find not only a pleasant and kind Brunt, but also a real Vic Fontaine.

My Opinion: Oh c’mon, really? A real Vic – are you kidding me? And of course a Mirror-Ezri. They couldn’t resist. And they even killed Jadzia in the mirror universe, too, instead of simply not showing her.

Disc 4

Field of Fire

Synopsis: Someone kills seemingly random Starfleet officers aboard DS9 and he or she uses an old-fashioned gun instead of an energy weapon. The killer seems to be shooting at point-blank range yet there are none of the expected powder burns on the body. Ezri uses an Trill ritual to call forth the memories of Joran Dax, the murderer. She hopes that his insight can help her catch the current killer.

My Opinion: Actually, this was an interesting episode. I liked it how Joran pushed her to solve the case but I also liked how she resisted him in the end. To use a Vulcan as killer was a surprising choice, but because of that it was a good one. It seemed logical ( ) from a script POV not to use one of the usual suspects.

Chimera

Synopsis: When O’Brien and Odo return from a mission their runabout is followed by some sort of space being. It enters the ship and turns out to be a shapeshifter. But it’s not a Founder. He’s one of the hundred like Odo that were sent into space to explore and experience. Odo tries to convince him to live on the station, but Laas is older than Odo and he’s developed a certain dislike for “monoforms”.

My Opinion: While I found the special effects and the idea that a shapeshifter could turn into fire or fog interesting, the rest of the episode was rather boring.

Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang

Synopsis: Vic’s program contains a hidden Jack-in-the-box component which allows the gangster Frankie Eyes to overtake the hotel and turn it into a casino. Vic is thrown out. But the crew of DS9 can’t simply reset and restart the program because that would mean that Vic would lose all his memories about them. They need to find an ingame solution and soon after the senior staff of DS9 is planning a robbery of a 1960s Las Vegas casino.

My Opinion: The last fun and also the last holodeck episode of the show. I enjoyed it very much. It’s a bit like Ocean’s Eleven (the original one, the one without all the computer stuff). And I liked the general idea that they were unwilling to reset the program and lose Vic as they know him. Basically Vic is to them what fictional characters are to us and I love my fictional characters the way they are.

Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges

Synopsis: Shortly before Bashir departs for a conference on Romulus he’s contacted by Sloan from Section 31. Sloan gives him an additional job: To evaluate the health condition of certain members of the romulan Continuing Committee. Sisko and Admiral Ross order him to play along to find out what Section 31 is up to. But when it becomes clear that someone is about to kill the chairman of the romulan intelligence service Tal Shiar, Bashir reveals this information to the romulan liason officer, Senator Cretak.

My Opinion: “Inter arma enim silent leges.” – “In times of war, the law falls silent.” The theme of this episode was similar to the one in In the Pale Moonlight. What is allowed in times of war to win that war? Garak did the dirty work in the former episode and now Section 31 has done it. But this time it happened with the approval of a Starfleet admiral and not just a station captain. When does the price become to high to pay? What good are principles if you lose and become enslaved? But what good are principles if you only life by them when it’s an easy choice?

Disc 5

Penumbra

Synopsis: Worf is missing in action after his ship was destroyed near the Badlands. The Defiant searches for him but has to abort when the Jem’Hadar are closing in on her. Ezri takes matters into her own hand and continues the search in a runabout. Meanwhile Benjamin proposes to Kasidy and she accepts. And on Cardassia the Founder gets more and more ill due to the plague that has infected the Great Link a few months ago. And Dukat reappears and asks Damar for a favour.

My Opinion: Now the story is marching toward the end and these ten episodes form one continuous arc. There are now multiple parallel storylines and some of them are more interesting than others.
Even though it puts Ezri in the center agin, I mostly enjoyed this episode. It was a good start to this conclusion of the series.

‘Til Death Do Us Part

Synopsis: Sisko takes the warning of the Prophets seriously and isn’t sure anymore that he really should marry Kasidy. He beasically un-proposes to her and she doesn’t take it lightly. Worf and Ezri – who had crashed on a planet and were captured by the Breen – are on a Breen ship and are being brought to an unknown destination. And Dukat – now surgically altered to look like a Bajoran – meets with Kai Winn who got a vision from the Prophets in which they instructed her to work with him (although she doesn’t know who he really is).

My Opinion: These Prophets and their prophecy. They are a bit of a PITA. But I am glad that Ben made up his own mind and married Kasidy. They are a nice couple and they deserved it. I didn’t care much about Worf’s and Ezri’s argument though. But it didn’t bother me either. What did bother me was the Winn/Dukat storyline. Dukat was a brilliant villain character before they made up this religious storyline. I guess it’s a bit like with The Lord of the Rings. In order to watch the great battles and the interesting characters around Aragorn you have to endure Frodo’s march to Mount Doom.

Strange Bedfellows

Synopsis: The Dominion and the Breen have signed a treaty that makes the latter part of the Dominion. Ezri and Worf are now prisoners on Cardassia. Damar becomes more and more uneasy and when Weyoun sacrifices half a million cardassian soldiers in a pointless battle he finally comes around and decides to do something about it. Meanwhile Kai Winn learns that the vision was not sent by the Prophets but by the Pah-Wraiths but when she seeks forgiveness the Prophets don’t answer her.

My Opinion: I really liked it that Worf and Ezri talked things out. They couldn’t behave awkwardly around each other forever. And I liked it how Worf snapped Weyoun 7’s neck and how Damar enjoyed seeing this even though he knew that there would be a Weyoun 8. And I loved it when Martok and Sisko dicussed marriage and Martok compared it to wars and battles. He’s a typical Klingon.

The Changing Face of Evil

Synopsis: Ezri and Worf are back on DS9 and they bring the news about the Breen with them. But they didn’t have to. The Breen have just launched an orbital attack on the Starfleet Headquarters in San Francisco. And now they try to re-take the Chin’toka system. A combined fleet tries to prevent that but it ends in disaster. Meanwhile Winn and Dukat (still disguised as Anjohl Tennan) study the old books about the Pah-Wraiths in order to find a way to release them in order to bring restauration to Bajor.

My Opinion: Damar’s troops destroyed the cloning facilities of the Dominion. It seems that Weyoun is going to be OOP. What I liked about this episode was that they didn’t show only fighting and war but also that all these people still have a private life, that life goes on despite the war. And I loved that huge “The Alamo” model of Miles’s. Too bad they had to give up the Defiant. She was a fine ship.

Disc 6

When It Rains…

Synopsis: Only one ship was able to withstand the Breen energy dampening weapon in the lost Battle of Chin’toka. Unfortunately this adjustment works only on klingon ships so they have to carry the burden of holding the line. Unfortunately Chancellor Gowron has decided to take a more active role in this war and he takes supreme command of all klingon forces. Meanwhile Damar has lost many of his men and as a cardassian officer he has no idea how to lead a resistance. But someone does: Kira. She, Odo and Garak depart for Cardassia to help Damar, because his rebellion is vital for the survival of the AQ. And Dukat and Winn are still studying the Book of the Kosst Amojan, to release the Pah-Wraiths. And Bashir finds out that Odo is also infected with the Founder’s disease and that was actually he who infected them not the other way around. And it was Section 31 who infected him 3 years ago.

My Opinion: Wow, what a synopsis. But so much is happening in these last episodes. Even though I have just watched it, I have to check with Memory Alpha to remember what happened in which episode. But it’s cool, I like it. I love the idea of Damar leading a rebellion against the Dominion because for him it has always been “Cardassia first” and now Cardassia is only a second-class underling in the Dominion. And I loved to see Dukat get blinded by the book. That puts a pause on their storyline.

Tacking Into the Wind

Synopsis: Kira and Garak instruct Damar on how to build a resistance, including the use of small cells independent from each other, sabotage and other “terroristic” activities. Odo uses his shapeshifting to achieve their plans but that worsens his condition. Their next plan is to steal a ship with a dampening weapon to bring it to the Federation for studying. But not every Cardassian feels comfortably around Kira. Meanwhile Gowron is wasting ships and troops on futile attacks against the Dominion. But Martok won’t go against his chancellor in times of war.

My Opinion: Worf basically installed Gowron on the throne eight years previously and now he literally uninstalled him and he also installed the next chancellor. Not bad for a man who is considered an outsider in the klingon society. And I liked that Damar finally begins to understand that the old ways are over.

Extreme Measures

Synopsis: O’Brien and Bashir have managed to lure Sloan to the station by pretending that Bashir has found a cure for the Founder’s disease. But they want to retrieve that knowledge from him and for that they (illegally) probe his mind. To prevent that Sloan bites on a suicide capsule that destroys his brain. Bashir can slow down the process but Sloan is in a coma now and will be dead within the hour. Bashir uses a device to perform something similar as a Vulcan mind-melting to enter Sloans thoughts. But Sloan’s mind is twisted.

My Opinion: It was an OK closure to the Sloan storyline. But I’ve seen better mind-walking episodes on this and other shows. But at least they have found the cure.

The Dogs of War

Synopsis: Damar was betrayed by an assumed ally. Most of his co-conspirators are killed, all the restistance cells are wiped out by the Dominion. Garak, Kira and Damar have to flee and to hide in the house were Garak grew up. Meanwhile Zek calls Quark and announces that he will retire and come to DS9 to name him as his successor. And Starfleet gives Sisko a new ship: The USS São Paulo, Defiant-class. But they decided to rename it to USS Defiant, designation NCC-75633.

My Opinion: While it may have been funny, I don’t think it was a good idea to make Rom the next Great Nagus. Granted, Zek and Ishka have been changing the Ferengi society for quite some time now, but Rom has no ear for business, he admitted that himself. And even with all those changes a race doesn’t change overnight and they only accepted Zek’s and Ishka’s changes because both of them had an ear for business.
But loved to see how Damar has become a legend after he was allegedly killed by the Dominion. It reminded me of the rumors about William Wallace after he lost the Battle of Falkirk in Braveheart.

Disc 7

What You Leave Behind

Synopsis: The combined fleet attacks the Dominion. It’s a brutal battle with many losses but the Dominion has made a fatal mistake. In retaliation for Damar’s sabotages the Jem’Hadar destroyed an entire cardassian city and now the cardassian ships on the front switch sides. The Dominion has no choice but to retreat to Cardassia Prime but they are followed and they have nowhere else to go. On the ground the rebels around Damar, Kira and Garak decide to storm the Dominion Headquarters and after a bloody struggle they manage to capture the female Founder. But the ships in orbit will fight until the bitter end. Or they would if Odo wouldn’t have made an offer the Founder couldn’t resist. He offers the cure for an unconditional surrender. The war is over.
But not on all fronts. Winn and Dukat have managed to awake the Pah-Wraiths in the fire caves and they will bring destruction to the galaxy if Sisko doesn’t stop them. And he will.

And that’s the end of the story: Martok is the klingon chancellor. Rom is the Great Nagus. Damar has fallen in battle. Garak has killed the last Weyoun and has finally ended his exile. The Founder will stand trial for her crimes. Odo will return home and join and heal the Great Link. Worf will become the Federation ambassador on Qo’noS. O’Brien and his family return home to Earth where he will teach at Starfleet Academy. Julian and Ezri are finally a couple. Winn was killed by Dukat who in turn was sent to the Pah-Wraiths by Sisko. Sisko’s journey is now over, he has joined the Prophets. And Morn? Morn sits at Quark’s bar.

My Opinion: It is a good conclusion to the series although not perfect. There are some thing that bothered me. For example: Even though Weyoun sent out most of the guards, it should be impossible for half a dozen people to storm the headquarters of the Dominion in the Alpha Quadrant. And I wished that Damar would have survived. Cardassia has suffered so much (the Dominion killed 800 million Cardassians in retaliation for their betrayal on the front line) and they need a strong leader now who’s willing to rebuild their society and bring change to it. I also didn’t like that so many people left the station at the same time: O’Brien, Worf, Odo and Sisko. It really felt like an end and not like “life goes on…”. What I really disliked was that Worf wasn’t allowed to remember any moment with Jadzia when he recollected his memories about the past four years.
But enough complaining. It was still a good conclusion with many emotional moments (especially the flashbacks).

The Season – My Opinion: This season was not as good as the seasons before but it wasn’t as bad as I remembered. One gets used to Ezri over time and the final arc was very thrilling. I just wish they had cut back on that entire Prophets storyline both on Sisko’s and on Dukat’s side. There should have been a better solution.

But it was fun to watch the entire show again. The characters and the story are great even though the special effects may not be up2date anymore. But the TV world has changed since the mid-90s. Story arc series aren’t the exception anymore, they are the rule. Let’s see what else is out there…

The End.

Disc 1

A Time to Stand

Synopsis: The war has been going on for three months and the Federation had to take heavy losses. But the minefield is still in place and seemingly unbreachable. Starfleet developes a plan to destroy the Ketracel-White supplies of the Dominion. Without the drug the Jem’Hadar won’t be able to fight anymore. Sisko takes a commandeered Jem’Hadar ship behind enemy lines to accomplish the task.

My Opinion: This is the beginning of a six-part arc, it’s the first time on Star Trek that they did something longer than a two-parter. While Sisko’s mission was interesting it also was “just another mission”. I found it more interesting to observe how the different characters on the station behaved. And I liked how Jake tried to be a reporter and how he and Weyoun discussed the “freedom of the press” in times like these.

Rocks and Shoals

Synopsis: Sisko’s heavily damaged ship crashes on a planet in an uncharted nebula. Most of the crew survives but now they are stranded with no means of communication. And they have another problem: They are not the first to crash there. A group of Jem’Hadar and their Vorta leader are also there and the Jem’Hadar are running low on White which makes them all the more dangerous. On DS9 Terok Nor life goes on. Kira works within the military hierarchy of the Dominion (Dukat has taken command of the station again) and Odo is a member of the ruling council. But that all changes when some Bajorans begin to demonstrate against (what they feel is) the occupation.

My Opinion: It’s seems that you can’t genetically engineer certain attributes together in the same DNA. The Vorta are cunning and shifty and good negotiators but at the same time they aren’t as nearly as loyal to the Dominion as the Jem’Hadar. I liked it how Sisko tried to prevent the bloodshed and although they are the enemy it was a bit sad that the Jem’Hadar had to be slaughtered. But Keevan (the Vorta) will get was he deserves in a later episode.

Sons and Daughters

Synopsis: Alexander Rozhenko – Worf’s son – starts as crew member abourd the IKS Rotarran and Worf has to deal with him, since he is the XO of that ship. But Alexander and Worf have never been close and until now Alexander denied his heritage as a klingon warrior. So why is he there? Meanwhile Dukat has brought Ziyal back from Bajor and to the station.

My Opinion: It was nice to see Alexander again whom we haven’t seen in nearly four years. And I also liked that they didn’t make him suddenly into the perfect warrior. I also liked how Ziyal tried to re-create the triangle relation between her, her father and Kira. But this time it had to fail and it was good that Kira didn’t continue this absurd charade.

This was the second episode that was cut due to the BBFC. About 20 seconds are missing at the end where the three Klingons conducted their hand cutting ritual.

Behind the Lines

Synopsis: Quark learns that Damar (Dukat’s second) has found a way to disable the minefield and Rom (who designed it) confirms that this could work. The resistance cell (consisting of Kira, Odo, Rom, Leeta & Jake) plans to sabotage the station. But then the female founder comes to the station and that changes everything. Meanwhile Sisko was promoted to Admiral Ross’s assistant and Dax takes over the command of the Defiant and she takes it to a very dangerous mission.

My Opinion: This episode was an average one until short before the end. When I first watched it I expected that maybe not everything was going as planned but that they would succeed eventually. It really surprised me that Odo let them down just to get into a link with the other shapeshifter. But that makes the situation aboard the station all the more interesting.

Disc 2

Favor the Bold

Synopsis: Starfleet is fighting the battles and has to retreat all the time. But Sisko has developed a plan to re-take DS9 and thus re-taking control of the wormhole. He assembles huge parts of three fleets to hit the bajoran system in a decisive strike. But he’s also running out of time, Damar will take down the minefield within a week and Dukat has a fleet to intercept Sisko.

My Opinion: Finally they strike back! And they use an appropiate number of ships. 650 Starfleet ships versus 1254 Dominion ships! That’s how fleets are supposed to look like in space. Let’s get ready to rumble!

Sacrifice of Angels

Synopsis: The battle has begun and Sisko tries to punch holes in the Dominion line to get through to DS9 but both the Jem’Hadar as well as the Cardassians hold their line. Sisko needs a miracle to save the Alpha Quadrant and he even gets two of them. Finally the Klingons show up and they show why they call their spaceships “Bird of Prey”. But against the 28,000 ships on the other side of the wormhole only divine intervention will help.

My Opinion: As much as I liked this entire arc since the end of season 5 and as much as I liked these last two episodes I felt that the conclusion was very dissatisfactory. “Deus ex machina” means literally “god from the machine” and that’s exactly what they did. They invented a fleet of 28,000 Dominion ships and suddenly had no clue how to resolve that problem so they used the Prophets/wormhole beings to get rid of them.
But I liked the twist that Dukat went insane after he was so sure to already be the master of the AQ and after losing his daughter. This will give the character yet again a new direction and is the basis for a number of good episodes.

A while back I found this fan-made trailer about Favor the Bold and Sacrifice of Angels and I think it’s very well done:

You Are Cordially Invited

Synopsis: Worf and Dax decide not to marry after the war but within a week. For this Worf invites Martok, Alexander, Sisko, O’Brien and Bashir to his “klingon bachelor party” while Dax must get the approval of Martok’s wife to get invited into the House of Martok. And of course she has her own kind of bachelor party…

My Opinion: After all these fighting that was a nice change of pace. I found it so funny how everyone imagined a “klingon bachelor party” and how it really was. Especially O’Brien should have known better because he had been to some of Worf’s rituals and they were never fun. And I really liked the wedding ceremony and the legend about the two klingon hearts – it sounded like real klingon mythology.

Resurrection

Synopsis: Mirror-Barail beams onto the station and Kira is quite shocked to see him. But that Barail is nothing like her Barail – and he is a thief. Kira tries to help him find his way on this side of the “mirror” and she can’t resist being attracted to him. He is seemingly willing to change but even though Kira might be blinded by his appearance, Quark can see right through him and suddenly Kira finds herself in front of … Kira.

My Opinion: This episode was not so interesting even with the appearance of Mirror-Kira.

Disc 3

Statistical Probabilities

Synopsis: A doctor from a mental institution brings four of her patients to the station. All had been genetically anhanced when they were children but they weren’t as lucky as Julian and something went wrong. The doctor hopes that Bashir can create a form of bond to them and is able to help them. He actually manages to establish a relation with them and together they analyze a holo recording of the current negotiations between the Federation and the Dominion and they are able to help. But then they discover something horrible.

My Opinion: This was a great episode. The actors played their eccentric characters very well and it was a joy to watch all these different characters. And I really liked it how Bashir showed that statistics can’t predict every turn of events and how one person can change the course of history. In Germany we have a saying: “Don’t trust a statistic you haven’t faked yourself.” And I look forward to see these guys and gals again.

The Magnificent Ferengi

Synopsis: Quark’s and Rom’s mother has become a prisoner of the Dominion. Quark wants to free her with a Ferengi-only group to prove that Ferengies are just as good warriors as – let’s say – Klingons. But his team (consisting of himself, Rom, Nog, cousin Gaila, Brunt [formerly FCA] and the mercenary Leck) doesn’t even pass the holodeck simulation. So they fall back on what they can do: They offer a trade: Ishka in exchange for the Vorta Keevan.

My Opinion: Yet another great episode. Except for the Nagus every Ferengi who had a guest appearance on DS9 was in this episode. It was so funny to watch them which was a good break from the war episodes. Too bad they couldn’t find a seventh Ferengi – it would have been the perfect number for this episode.

BTW: The Vorta in the episode picture is Iggy Pop!

Waltz

Synopsis: Dukat, whose condition hase been improved, is to be brought to a POW facility and Sisko escorts him there on the USS Honshu . But then the ship is attacked by the Dominion. Some people can escape in pods. Somehow Dukat has managed to get aboard a shuttle and he saves the unconscious Sisko. But they crash-land on a planet. From there they try to send a distress signal and have a “nice”, long chat.

My Opinion: This disc is already my favourite disc of the season. The acting of Marc Alaimo (Dukat) was awesome. He played the insane and yet evil Dukat who tries to justifiy his actions by blaming everyone else perfectly. Even though Sisko was there this entire episode was carried by Dukat and his discussions with his hallucinations (and Sisko). “I wanted only the best for Bajor but these terrorists gave me no choice!” – Excellent.

Who Mourns for Morn?

Synopsis: Morn – one of Quark’s regular guests – has died in an accident and he has made Quark his legal heir. His personal stuff isn’t worth anything and he has quite an outstanding bill at the bar. But then his ex-wife shows up and implies that Morn was quite rich and she wouldn’t fight Quark over the money as long as she gets a share. Now the treasure hunt for a thousand bricks in gold-pressed latinum begins. But with every day there are more people who want their share of it.

My Opinion: Morn has been a customer of the bar since the pilot episode. It has become a running gag on the show to claim that Morn is quite the chatterbox while the actor has never uttered a single word on screen (and he never will, not even in this episode). Up until now he has just been an extra but an extra that made the entire show more real because he is the prove that there is a regular station life outside the focus on the main characters. And luckily for us he isn’t dead after all but will be there until the end of the show.

Disc 4

Far Beyond the Stars

Synopsis: Sisko receives a vision of the Prophets and he suddenly finds himself in another time and space. He’s Benny Russell, a “coloured” science-fiction autor in the 1950s United States. He works for a monthly magazine but it must never come out that he is black – or that K.C. Hunter (Kira) is a woman. When their illustrator shows him a picture of a space station, Benny devlopes the idea of a black captain and a space station called “Deep Space Nine”.

My Opinion: I liked this episode a lot, it felt really like the fifties and Brooks played the role of Benny very well. But the others were great, too: Jake as this young crook, Worf as this baseball player who’s only acepted because he can play, Dukat and Weyoun as the white, racist cops and Quark and Odo always on one another’s throat. Great.

And I also liked to see the main characters without masks for once:

Brunt, FCA

Dukat

Martok

Nog

Odo

Quark

Weyoun

Worf

One Little Ship

Synopsis: To explore the possibilites of transwarp technology the crew of the Defiant uses a natural phenomenon to shrink a runabout and its crew to matchbox size. But then the Defiant is taken over by the Jem’Hadar and Dax, Bashir and O’Brien try to help them as “the fly on the wall”.

My Opinion: This was an OK episode with all the gags and puns that miniaturization brings along. The funniest scene was O’Brien and Bashir crawling inside a computer terminal with huge chips and optical cables and O’Brien trying to re-route them.

Honor Among Thieves

Synopsis: O’Brien goes undercover as a “tinkerer” who’s had bad luck in recent years. Her infiltrates the Orion Syndicate by repairing some items for them. His objective is to find out who the person is that sells Starfleet internal information to the syndicate. But he also has to learn that the syndicate and the Dominion have become partners.

My Opinion: Yet another OK episode. But it was a chlichéd episode. “Even in the Mafia the bad guys are normal people with family and they aren’t all totally evil” so that you can sympathize with them.

Change of Heart

Synopsis: The Defiant is patrolling when Kira receives a new order. Dax and Worf take a runabout to fly deep into cardassian space to extract a defector who has vital inside information. To get to him they have to march through 20 kilometers of jungle to avoid detection. And when Jadzia gets severely hurt Worf has to make a choice.

My Opinion: This one I liked again because they took the time to focus on Jadzia and Worf and their marriage. And I am in the same position as Sisko: Officially it was a really bad choice to abandon the mission. The information from that man could have saved countless lifes. But I can also understand that Worf couldn’t leave his wife behind. But such things also explain why Worf was never promoted to commander or above.

Disc 5

Wrongs Darker Than Death or Night

Synopsis: It’s the birthday of Kira’s mother who died during the occupation when Nerys was 3 years old. But then Dukat contacts her from an unknown location and claims to have known her mother and that they even were lovers. That unnerves Kira so much that she uses the Orb of Time to look into events that happened nearly 30 years ago. And there she finds a Kira Meru she didn’t expect.

My Opinion: It must be hard to have an idealistic image of someone that gets not only crumbled to ashes but turns into an perverted inversion of that image. She was a collaborator and I believe that’s the one thing Nerys can’t forgive. Unfortunately they will never pick up on that topic again, it was a “one gig only” kinda thing.

Inquisition

Synopsis: A security breach has happened, someone transmitted secret information from the station to the Dominion. Deputy Director Sloan from Starfleet Security investigates all of the senior staff. Soon his prime supsect becomes Bashir who has quite an impresive number of “coincidences” in his history.

My Opinion: Ah, Sloan and “Section 31″ (the Federation’s secret intelligence service). Finally. It was interesting to see how Sloan tried to trick Bashir into admitting that he was a collaborator and how Bashir dismissed it out of hand despite the presented “evidence” and even after “Weyoun” “rescued” him.

In the Pale Moonlight

Synopsis: The war gets worse with every week. Even Betazed has fallen to the Dominion’s advance. Sisko and Starfleet devlop a plan to convince the Romulans to join the war. But for this they need Garak and Garak has his won ways in doing things and these ways are most certainly not in accordance with the self-perception of the Federation.

My Opinion: This was certainly one of most interesting episodes of the entire show because everything was so morally ambiguous. Garak hit the spot as he explained to Sisko why Sisko came to him. “The first victim of war is the truth.” This sentences matches perfectly to this episode. And I really liked how hard it was for Sisko to bend the truth so much. But there was nothing to be gained by telling the truth after Garak had killed the Romulan.
To every critic of this episode out there: Yes, this episode had nothing to do with Roddenberry’s vision of a Federation full of perfect people who will do always the right thing bud sadly there will always be a “necessary evil”.

His Way

Synopsis: Bashir has brought a new holosuite program to the station: Vic Fontaine. Vic is more than your run-of-the-mill program, for starters he’s aware of being a program and he has basic computer access – he can end his own program, can communicate with people outside the holodeck. And he’s a ballroom singer.

My Opinion: I said I have no interest in Odo’s love life but I still liked this episode a lot because it was so lovely how Vic played the “matchmaker” (I have a weaknes for romance movies you know). And Vic has a nice singing voice, too.
Vic Fontaine is a homage to Frank Sinatra and was played by James Darren (T.J. Hooker) who’s a good friend of Frank Sinatra jr. and he will re-appear in that role from now on.

Disc 6

The Reckoning

Synopsis: Monks have found a 25,000 year old tablet under the ruins of the city Sisko once found. And that tablet mentions the Emissary and an upcoming Reckoning on which the future of Bajor will be decided. Sisko takes that tablet back to DS9 for studying but Kai Winn interfers and demands its return. But that tablet contains more than just a vague prophecy.

My Opinion: Have I mentioned that I hate Kai Winn? And it won’t get better in the seventh season. Unfortunately the number of “Emissary” and the “Winn” episodes will increase towards the end of the end of the show. Too bad.

Valiant

Synopsis: Nog – the only Ferengi in Starfleet – has been assigned to deliver treaty proposal to the Great Nagus and Jake accompanies him. But they run into a group of Jem’Hadar ships and have to evade. But this leads them directly into Dominion space where they meet the USS Valiant. The Valiant was presumed lost eight months ago but it’s still there and the crew – Starfleet Academy’s cadet corps “Red Squad” – is fighting the war behind enemy lines.

My Opinion: Eight months ago the war had already started and it’s very unlikely that a real Starfleet would give a Defiant-class ship to a bunch of cadets instead of using it on the front lines. But the overestimation of one’s own capabilities is exatcly what I would expect of “Red Squad” cadets. And its easy to get sucked into a group that is very self-assured. It was interesting to watch this group and seeing Jake as the voice of reason or rather as Cassandra since no one listened to him.

Profit and Lace

Synopsis: Brunt has dethroned Zek and installed himself as acting Grand Nagus after Zek has issued an amendment to the Ferengi Bill of Opportunities that allows women to wear clothes. Zek tries to assemble the other FCA commissioners on DS9 to prove to them how profitable his move could be and to convince him to reinstate him. But when Quark’s mother has a hard attack he needs another women to speak on their behalf.

My Opinion: I’ve seen better Ferengi episodes. But I have to say I am surprised that it had been so many of them. I knew there were quite a number of them but I had forgotten that it had been so many Ferengi shows over the course of DS9. But if memory serves, this was the last one.

Time’s Orphan

Synopsis: The O’Briens go on vacation to a lovely planet. But then Molly wanders off on her own and falls into a cave and through an ancient time portal – 300 years into the past. But when O’Brien and Dax find a way to beam her through that portal and through time she comes out as an 18-year-old. She’s spent 10 years on that planet alone and she’s changed. While Worf and Dax are babysitting Kirayoshi, Miles and Keiko try to reconnect to their daughter.

My Opinion: Again the main plot wasn’t as interesting as the side plot. I liked to watch Worf babysit and him trying to prove to Dax that he could be a good father. But the most interesting thing was the fact that abandoned time portals just seem to stand around on every other planet.

Disc 7

The Sound of Her Voice

Synopsis: The Defiant follows a distress signal of a woman whose ship was destroyed. Her escape pod made it to a planet but it can barely sustain life. The Defiant has six days to reach her before she dies. While they try to reach her the crew of the Defiant talks to her because she’s alone out there and scared. Meanwhile Quark tries to pursuade Odo to celebrate his and Kira’s first month anniversary in order to sell some illegal goods when Odo is distracted.

My Opinion: This was a well-told episode. I really liked the idea that everyone got the chance to talk about the things that were laying heavily on their mind. And I also really liked how Odo let Quark get away with his scheme because Quark has helped him with Kira.

Tears of the Prophets

Synopsis: Starfleet has decided to abandon their defensive strategy and strike back against the Dominion. Sisko develops a plan in which a combined fleet of Starfleet, the Klingons and the Romulans attack the Chin’toka system on cardassian soil. But Sisko also gets a warning from the Prophets that he shouldn’t leave DS9 in this critical time. And right they were: Dukat is back and he has found a way to attack the wormhole beings directly.

My Opinion: They killed Jadzia! I find it often hard to see someone leaving a show. I can accept it when it’s due to dramaturgical reasons, because it was necessary. But I hate it when it’s due to financial issues. And while the battle scenes were great again I also hated the author’s decision that it was an error on Sisko’s side to be a Starfleet officer instead of the Emissary.

The Season – My Opinion: All in all this was a great season. The number of episodes I didn’t care for is on an all-time low. Unfortunately it won’t go on this way. The death of Jadzia marked a turning point for me and from now on it will go downhill. There are just too many developments in the seventh season I don’t like.

Season 7

Disc 1

Apocalypse Rising

Synopsis: Starfleet has developed a plan to expose Chancellor Gowron as a changeling. For this Sisko has to borrow Dukat’s Bird of Prey and fly deep into the klingon territory. There O’Brien, Odo and he poses as Klingons – or at least Worf tries to teach them how to do that. And of course it’s not that easy for a random klingon warrior to get close to his ruler.

My Opinion: It was great to see Brooks, Auberjonois and Meaney in klingon masks and costume, especially Brooks. And it was funny to see how they tred to behave like Klingons. But I have to admit I think it was a dangerous choice to take Odo, given his current state of mind. Even if it wasn’t voiced in the episode the reason was obviously to challenge Odo, to show him that he can do his job even as a “solid” but he could as well blown it. But in the end it worked out ok and I liked the twist that it wasn’t Gowron at all.

The Ship

Synopsis: Sisko leads an expidition to a planet in the GQ where they want to determine whether it’s suitable for a mining operation. But then a Jem’Hadar warship crashes on that planet – there are no survivors. But while they are inspecting the wreckage yet another Dominion ship arrives and in the following fight Sisko’s people get trapped in the wreck. Surprisingly the Vorta offers safe conduct if they’d leave the ship. But now Sisko has become curious about what’s so important about a crashed ship (and of course he doesn’t trust her to keep her word).

My Opinion: OK, I was tired, but I dozed off during the episode, what does that tell you?

Looking for par’Mach in All the Wrong Places

Synopsis: Grillka, Quark’s klingon ex-wife, comes to the station because the war had some heavy impacts on her financial situation. And while Quark is happy to see her again, he’s not the only one who finds her fascinating. Worf tries to impress her but doesn’t succeed due to his dishonoured status within the empire. In the end he agrees to help Quark courting her.

My Opinion: The beginning of a beautiful romance. No, not Quark and Grillka, but Dax and Worf. “par’Mach” is klingon for “love”, just a lot tougher than its human counterpart. It was great to see Quark courting Grillka and fighting his challenger while Worf and Dax were secretly helping him to survive. And of course the best part was where the two pairs came into the infirmary at the end of the episode.

Nor the Battle to the Strong

Synopsis: Bashir and Jake (who’s writing an article about Bashir) return from a medical conference when they receive an emergency call. They change course and land on a planet where a Federation force tries to hold the line against klingon ground troops. And while Dr. Bashir works in the clinic Jakes tries to help and not to stand in someone’s way. But he also has to learn about the horrors of war.

My Opinion: I thought this was a really good episode. Once again DS9 has shown Humans much more human and not as perfect as they had been portrayed in TNG. I liked the idea of hearing Jakes notes as voiceover, to hear what he was feeling right now when he meet all these different kind of people. And that he didn’t consider himself a hero just because he saved the day by accident even though everyone else does – that was great.

Disc 2

The Assignment

Synopsis: When Keiko O’Brien returns from an expedition to the Fire Caves on Bajor she’s changed. She claims that she’s possessed by a Pah-wraith and it will kill her if O’Brien doesn’t do what she says. In the next days O’Brien is forced to modify the quipment of the station but he has no idea to what end, he just knows it’s harmless for biological lifeforms. But luckily there is someone who discovers the plan of the Pah-wraith.

My Opinion: I liked this episode because it’s one of the rare episodes where Rom has a major role and where he could show that he isn’t dumb at all and that he’s loyal if asked to. And he subsequently earned his promotion to the day shift.

Trials and Tribble-ations

Synopsis: Lucsly and Dulmer from Temporal Investigations arrive on DS9 to investigate a time travel that the Defiant and its crew has done. Caused by the Orb of Time the Defiant was moved back in time to the year 2268 and they appear directly in front of the space station K-7 and the Enterprise – NCC-1701, Kirk’s Enterprise. As it turns out they had an old enemy of Kirk’s on board and he tries to rewrite history. Sisko and his crew have to find him and to prevent any change in the timeline.

My Opinion: This was Star Trek’s 30th anniversary episode and it was great. They used the original footage of the original series and inserted the DS9 characters digitally into it.

(Sisko & Dax)

(O’Brien & Bashir)

And they had a lot of fun with it, from the agents, which are anagrams of Mulder and Scully, to the classical uniform and equipment. And of course the question why the Klingons looked different back then and of course the Tribbles.

Let He Who Is Without Sin…

Synopsis: Jadzia and Worf are going on vacation, to Risa, THE vacation planet within the Federation. As it so happens they are accompanied by Julian and Leeta – and Quark. Only Worf doesn’t seem to be able to relax – but despite being fearsome warriors, Klingons are also well known for their celebrations where a lot of Blood Wine is consumed. Soon after their arrival Worf joins a radical group of New Essentialists who are convinced that the Federation and its people have become to soft.

My Opinion: This was an OK episode but if I had to argue with Worf, I’d say that most people like peace and quit but the Federation has proven more than once that it’s willing to defend their way of living with the force of arms and that the people stand up for what they believe in. But I liked the explanation of why Worf is mostly so self-possessed, so rigid with himself. It must be a traumatizing event to accidentally kill someone because you hadn’t control over your klingon nature.

Things Past

Synopsis: The runabout arrives on the station on auto-pilot. The four occupants – Sisko, Odo, Garak and Dax – are in some kind of coma. When they wake up they are on DS9, but it’s Terok Nor and it’s nine years ago. And nobody recognizes them for who they are but they seem to be bajoran workers. Odo’s predecessor is in charge of security but something doesn’t add up – the unfolding events had taken place only seven years ago when Odo was already in charge.

My Opinion: I liked this episode because it became very quickly evident that the entire time shift was somehow connected to Odo but it wasn’t clear why and how and they managed to lay down false trails like the assumption that the Founders could have somehow created this. I also liked the conversation between Kira and Odo at the end, it reminded me of another flashback episode (Necessary Evil) only this time Kira and Odo had switched roles.

Disc 3

The Ascent

Synopsis: Odo is ordered to bring Quark before a Federation grand jury and he does this with joy. But their travel doesn’t go as expected, they crash on a planet that is barely capable of supporting life and they have to find a way to send a distress signal. Meanwhile Jake moves into his own quarters and Nog, who’s in his sophomore year at Starfleet Academy, moves in with him during his practical training aboard the station.

My Opinion: This was a great Odo/Quark episode. They were bickering like an old couple and they basically are. I liked it how they voiced their anger and “hatred” and yet neither one gave up on the other. Episode like this one convinced me that it was a good idea to make Odo solid (at least for a while).
But I also liked the Jake/Nog part. Nog has definitely changed due to his training and they have grown apart, but they are still very good friends.

Rapture

Synopsis: Sisko scans a picture of an ancient – an lost – city on Bajor into the holographic computer when he’s hit by an electrical discharge. When he awakes he starts to have visions that help him to find that city. But that visions also tell him that he mustn’t allow Bajor to join the Federation or it will be Bajor’s undoing.

My Opinion: This was a typical “Sisko as religious figure” episode and I told you I feel uneasy about them. Even Q, surely a god-like figure, was never treated with that much reverence in the Star Trek universe.

The Darkness and the Light

Synopsis: Kira’s past is catching up with her. Someone is killing the members of the Shakaar resistance cell one by one and he seems to have special plans for Kira. While Odo tries to find whoever is behind this, Kira tries to keep her friends alive albeit with little success.

My Opinion: The world is grey, not black and white. This episode proved that point very well. And I really liked that Kira didn’t start to apologize for what she did because I never believed she did regret it. He was the enemy and she fought against the enemy with all her might. There’s no such thing as a clean war and she is no hypocrite claiming there was.

The Begotten

Synopsis: Quark sells Odo an infant shapeshifter who has been badly injured by radiation poisoning. Dr. Bashir can treat him and now Odo tries to teach the glass of jelly how to become a real shapeshifter and how to communicate with its environment. But it’s only when Dr. Mora Pol helps him that they have some success.

My Opinion: This episode is great for two reasons. The first one is that a lot of scenes of this episode were about Rene Auberjonois talking to goo in variably-shaped glass bowls. And I loved watching him at that. I also liked how he argued with Mora and that they finally ended their quarrel about how Mora treated Odo when Odo was the goo in the bowl.
The second reason is that Odo can finally shapeshift again. It was a great gift from the dying infant and I loved the scene where he transformed into that hawk and flew around the promenade.

Disc 4

For the Uniform

Synopsis: Sisko has been on the hunt for Eddington for over eight months now and he has always escaped. Now Starfleet is assigning another starship to the case. But then Eddington and the Maquis start to poison the atmosphere of cardassian-inhabited planets within the demilitarized zone and he disables the other ship and that brings Sisko back on the playing field.

My Opinion: This episode has been widely discussed due to Sisko’s decision to use the same methods as Eddington did (he poisened a Maquis planet). I am not really comfortable with his choice but on the other hand he knew exactly that he would get Eddington and the bio weapons this way and it was predictable for him that chances of casualties were slim.
Sadly in a few episodes nothing of this will have any meaning anymore, when the Dominion crushes the Maquis and the great war starts.

In Purgatory’s Shadow

Synopsis: Garak receives a signal from the missing Enabran Tain (former head of the Obsidian Order and missing since he tried to wipe out the Founders) and Sisko sends him and Worf to investigate the source of the signal. But in their attempt to avoid any contact with the Dominion they run directly into a fleet hidden in a nebula near the wormhole. They can warn the station but become prisoners.

My Opinion: If I had to name an episode where the Dominion War starts, I’d name this two-parter. I really liked the scenes between Worf and Garak in the shuttle and I liked to see Martok again who will play a much larger role from now on.

By Inferno’s Light

Synopsis: In the internment camp they find Tain and General Martok – and Dr. Bashir. Martok has been here for over two years, Bashir for a month. And the Bashir on the station is a changeling who sabotages any attempt to prevent the Dominion fleet from coming through the wormhole. But the fleet doesn’t attack, it takes course to Cardassia, the newest member in the Dominion. And Bashir, Worf, Garak and Martok try to escape their prison.

My Opinion: When I saw that episode for the first time, it came as a surprise to me that Dukat had switched sides again. But then again, it has been in his character since the first episode. Always trying to be on the winning side. I also liked that the Khitomer Accords have been revived – the Klingons and the Federation are allies again. And even the Romulans helped defend the station.
To quote Gandalf: “The board is set. The pieces are moving. We come to it at last, the great battle of our time.”

Doctor Bashir, I Presume

Synopsis: The inventor of the Emergency Medical Hologram “EMH” (the most famous instance of that program is running on the USS Voyager in the Delta Quadrant) Dr. Zimmerman comes to DS9. He wants to create a longterm version of that hologram and Dr. Bashir was selected to be the human template. But when Dr. Zimmerman interviews the people in Bashirs life it comes out that Bashir has been genetically enhanced by his parents and that is forbidden under Federation law since the days of Khan Noonien Singh.

My Opinion: Although I doubt that they had the idea of Bashir being genetically enhanced before they wrote this script, it doesn’t contradict what we know about Bashir. Later he even explains that he choose to become only Salutatorian in his class instead of Valedictorian. He wanted to be good but not that good to get too much attention. But except for a few selected episodes his changed history has basically no impact on his further character developement.
But the episode itself was good, I liked Zimmerman’s appearance and the whole interview and creating the LMH part. I also liked the reference to Khan and the Eugenics Wars.

Disc 5

A Simple Investigation

Synopsis: A woman tried to contact a man on the station to purchase something from him, but he gets killed before they can meet. When she tries to steal it, Odo catches her and starts an investigation. The woman is wanted by the Orion Syndicate, the most powerful criminal organization in the quadrant, and Odo tries to protect her and to help her. But he also falls in love with her.

My Opinion: Odo’s love life. Not interested in I am.

Business as Usual

Synopsis: Since his business license has been revoked, Quark is almost broke and now another deal has gone down. His knight in shining armor is his cousin Gaila (who once tried to kill Quark), but the business he’s in is illegal: He’s a weapons dealer and he wants Quark to join him. At first that seems like a good idea, but then he loses his Federation friends on the station and later he might lose his life.

My Opinion: Quark has always been a crook and he probably will always be one. He has purchased and sold illegal goods all his life. But it’s good to see that even he has a moral line where he says “till here and no further”. And I liked it how he played the leaders of this bloody struggle against each other.
Somehow I feel the urge to watch Lord of War again.

Ties of Blood and Water

Synopsis: Once, Kira was surgically altered to look like a Cardassian. She was supposedly the daughter of a high ranking cardassian officer in the Central Command. Now this man, her “father”, comes to the station. He’s dying and he’s alone and he wants her to know all his secrets to use it as leverage – a cardassian tradition when one is dying. But seeing him die reminds Kira of the death of her own father back in the days of the occupation.

My Opinion: Five years ago it was unimagenable that Kira would care so deeply for a Cardassian. I liked it how they switched between the current timeline and here memories of the death of her father and I liked it that she buried Ghemor beside her real father. I know exactly how she must have felt. One year ago my grandfather died and I often sat beside him in the hospital and saw the diminishing sparkle of light in his eyes.

Ferengi Love Songs

Synopsis: Quark is depressed and Rom wants to marry Leeta, one of the bajoran Dabo-Girls in Quark’s bar. But when Quark returns home to Ferenginar, to visit his mother, he learns the she and the Grand Nagus Zek are a couple. Brunt (FCA) wants to break them up and he needs Quarks help. Meanwhile Leeta and Rom break up because she doesn’t want to sign a standard Ferengi marriage contract (which of course leaves her with no rights and no money during and after the marriage).

My Opinion: This was a fun episode. It’s funny how Quark’s family breaks with all traditions: Ishka wears clothes, does business and even acts as first financial advisor to the Grand Nagus (secretly of course) and Rom gives all his savings (ok, it wasn’t that much) away because he loves Leeta. And Quark stands in the middle of it and just wants to be a normal Ferengi – but at least he’s got his business license back.

Disc 6

Soldiers of the Empire

Synopsis: Martok takes command of the IKS Rotarran, a Bird of Prey whose crew has not achieved a victory in months. Worf joins the crew as first officer for this mission, while Dax takes the post of science officer. But Martok has changed in the two years of his imprisonment, he is cautious and unwilling to take any risk – but that’s unworthy of a Klingon. Worf has to do something or the morale will break down completely.

My Opinion: I love the Klingons, especially in DS9. And this was a great episode in my opinion. How Martok wavered and how Worf helped him and risked his own life – I loved that part. I especially liked that this was an all-klingon episode – except for Dax, but Dax is highly honoured in the Klingon Empire.

And for what do we need Esperanto, when we have Klingon? It sounds far better.

Children of Time

Synopsis: After passing a giant energy field surrounding an entire planet the crew of the Defiant finds a colony of 8000 people – their descendants. The Defiant tried to escape the barrier and travelled 200 years back in time and crashed. The survivors built the colony and lived their lifes there. Only the Dax symbiont and Odo are still around from the original crew. The question is: Can the crew escape this time but what happens then to the colonists?

My Opinion: The episode was good – until the end, I hated the end. To see all these different people wiped out from existance because one man wanted to save his secret love and Odo of all people, the man who despises injustice above all else. It just didn’t fit.

Blaze of Glory

Synopsis: The Maquis has been destroyed, most of its members were killed by Dominion forces. But they have one last ace in the sleeve. They have launched cloaked missiles to Cardassia. These missiles are loaded with bioloical and chemical weapons and will cause the death of millions and they will cause a retaliation strike against the Federation. Sisko needs Eddington to stop these missiles.

My Opinion: This was a good closure to the Eddington storyline. He finally got what he wanted, to die in an heroic act, “for the cause”. I thought that it was a good idea that he didn’t simply went to prison and was forgotten. But I also liked the part where Nog tried to get respected by the Klingons, Martok in particular.

Empok Nor

Synopsis: The station needs to be repaired but it’s unlikely that they will get spare parts from the Cardassians. Chief O’Brien leads a salvage team to the abandoned cardassian station Empok Nor which is of identical design as DS9. They take Garak with them because it’s likely to be booby-trapped. But there are unexpected guards on the station…

My Opinion: Even though there is no up and down in the universe drifting ships and abandoned stations are always portrayed as if they had keeled over. The episode was really good, it was dark, the enemies were dangerous and we’ve seen what Garak is capable of. We’ve seen him before doing terrible things but these happened in the “comfy” surroundings of an interrogation cell. This was a combat situation but I guess when one was in the Obsidian Order one needs such skills to survive.

Disc 7

In the Cards

Synopsis: The cargo of a wrecked ship is auctioned at Quark’s and Jake discovers a mid-20th-century Willie Mays baseball card and tries to bid for it. But he loses against a very weird guy. Jake and Nog try to negotiate for the card and have to acquire some items in exchange for the card. And for that they have to deal with both Kai Winn and Weyoun.

My Opinion: This episode was virtually the calm before the storm and they wrote it as such. And the episode reminded me of former days when Nog and Jake turned a lot of useless Yamok sauce into 5 bars of gold-pressed Latinum back in the first season (Progress). I also liked how Weyoun was portrayed. From now on they will give the character more depth which he will need as a major player in this war.

Call to Arms

Synopsis: For weeks the Dominion has send ships and troops through the wormhole to Cardassia. The Federation can’t allow this anymore or the war is lost before it even begins. They decide to mine the wormhole and stop all traffic through it. But the Dominion won’t allow this and as soon as they learn of the mining process they dispatch a fleet to take DS9.

My Opinion: While the mines are a bit of an “eierlegende Wollmilchsau” (a self-sustaining, self-replicating & cloaked minefield) I liked the decisions of this episode, such as retreating from DS9 to bring another perspective to the show or the deciscion to let Bajor remaining neutral or Jake staying behind. It will make for an interesting start of the sixth season.

The Season – My Opinion: This was a good season with a lot of interesting episodes of all kinds. Along with the fourth and sixth season these are my favourite years of DS9. This show took a long time to get into motion, I’d say way more time that any show would get if it were produced in this decade. But these three years (and parts of the seventh and third season) make totally up for it, especially the episodes that will come now.

Season 6

Disc 1

The Way of the Warrior

Synopsis: A rather large fleet of klingon ships under the command of General Martok arrives at the station and their true intentions remain unclear. But then they start to search ships that try to leave the bajoran sector to look for changelings. Sisko needs a Klingon to shed some light into this: Lt. Cmdr. Worf, son of Mogh. But when the fleet departs for an attack on Cardassia (that is infiltrated by Founders – or so do the Klingons believe), Worf has to make a choice: To stay with Starfleet or to rejoin his people.

My Opinion: Hawk is back! This was a great start to the season. Worf and Martok are great additions to the show and I like how fluent the concept of good and bad guys is. Except for Babylon 5 in other shows of that time the good guys remain good and the bad guys remain the bad guys. There’s rarely a grey area. Yes, the Klingons have been the bad guys once, but since the start of TNG they basically belonged to the good guys and that didn’t change – until now. It also often happened that a race was portrayed in a certain way and there were only a few exceptions to that general portrayal. Only Humans had been shown in all variations of grey. That is also due to the fact that TNG has shown a certain race rarely twice (except for the Klingons). DS9 with it’s “port of call” concept has broken with that and has shown all kinds of Bajorans, Klingons, Cardassians and will continue to do so.

The Visitor

Synopsis: An accident happens aboard the Defiant and Sisko gets vaporized and his son is shocked. But a few months later Ben Sisko reappears in Jake’s quarters and disappears again. Then a year later it happens again. Ben is caught in some kind of subspace bubble and Jake (who was involved in the original accident) is his anchor to this world. While his life goes on, he spends his time either with writing or studying subspace mechanics and after fifty years, Jake has figured out how to save his father.

My Opinion: In general, I liked this episode and (again) the relationship between Jake and his father. The story is very emotional and very well told. What bugs me is the fact that the Dominion war didn’t seem to have happened in that timeline. Firstly this contradicts the things we have learned so far about the Dominion infiltration of the AQ (e.g. in The Adversary) and secondly because that would mean that Sisko’s survival would lead to the greatest war in the history of the AQ with its millions of deaths.

Hippocratic Oath

Synopsis: O’Brien and Bashir detect a crash-landed ship along a trading route in the GQ. But when they approach the planet they get shot down and have to face a group of Jem’Hadar. But these are not regular Jem’Hadar, these one want to be free and for this they need to free themselves from the Ketracel-white drug. Bashir doesn’t believe this is possible due to his experiences with the Jem’Hadar infant in the previous year.

My Opinion: For the first time since the start of their friendship a rift has been created between Miles and Julian. Although it was sad to see, their behaviour was very fitting to each character. Miles has fought in the cardassian border wars and seen what an ruthless enemy is capable of and Julian is still a very enthusiastic doctor who values life above all else. But I am glad that their friendship will survive things like that.
And now we’ve seen Jem’Hadar who can think and act outside their genetically programmed pattern. Again a race has been shown more than one-dimensional and it will happen again.

Disc 2

Indiscretion

Synopsis: Kira is informed that someone has found wreckage parts of a ships she has been looking for. It disappeared six years ago during the occupation. On that ship was a former member of her resistance cell. But when she departs for her search she has an unexpected companion: Dukat.

My Opinion: Once again it has been shown that Dukat isn’t a one-dimensional character but he’s also never been portrayed as a “good guy”. I liked the introduction of Dukat’s “half-breed” daughter Tora Ziyal because she brought out another aspect of Dukat’s character, a side we will see again. I also liked the general idea to put Kira and Dukat on a joined mission without any other character interfering.

Rejoined

Synopsis: Dr. Lenara Kahn comes to the station and she wants to create an artificial wormhole. The problem is: Lenara Kahn was once Nilani Kahn and Nilani was married to Torias Dax two lifetimes ago. In the Trill society it’s strictly forbidden to romantically “re-associate” with a former lover.

My Opinion: Interestingly many people saw this episode as a statement about homosexuality which it was not. I found it very interesting because one had to try to imagine what it would be like to live several hundred years always merge with a new host and thus creating a different personality yet not forgetting the feelings for past loves. It’s even harder to imagine than with the Tok’ra (Stargate SG-1) because there the consciousnesses of host and symbiont were still a bit separated.

Little Green Men

Synopsis: Quark wants to bring Nog to Earth personally and he takes his new shuttle “Quark’s Treasure”. But he is smuggling Kemocite at the same time and due to sabotage the ship has an accident and travels through time. And when Quark, Rom and Nog wake up they find themselves in a military facility near a town called Roswell in the year 1947.

My Opinion: This was a funny episode. It was great to see how Quark imagined to make business with these kinds of humans who are nothing like the Federation humans of his time. But even he was appalled about some aspects of human society (smoking, atom bomb tests, …). I enjoyed this episode very much.

Starship Down

Synopsis: Business with the Karemma isn’t going so well because it can only be conducted through the Ferengi (The Karemma wouldn’t dare to oppose the Dominion). When Sisko tries to negotiate with them they are attacked by Jem’Hadar fighters and have to hide in a gas giant. From there things get worse.

My Opinion: It was an OK episode. It was interesting to see how Worf had the interact with the engineering crew because that was new territory to him. We mustn’t forget that he has been a command crew officer only for a few months. But I was surprised when O’Brien mentioned that most the engineering crew hasn’t been to Starfleet academy. It seems logical but until now I always thought that everyone who wore the uniform had been to the academy. I think that falls into the same category as we’ve never seen enlisted personnel in TNG – even O’Brien wore the insignia of a Lieutenant.

Disc 3

The Sword of Kahless

Synopsis: Kor believes to have learned where the sword of the first klingon emperor Kahless has disappeared to. It was stolen by the Hur’q over a thousand years ago and now it seems to be in the GQ. He wants Dax to join him and he also invites Worf to come with them. And destiny wanted them to find it. But they have an argument about what they should do with it because the sword is a symbol of power and can be used as such.

My Opinion: I liked this episode. They were on the hunt for an (religious) icon and they behaved accordingly, including the attempt to oust each other. But in the end Kor and Worf came to their senses and did what was best for the empire. They have kept their honour. Qapla’!

Our Man Bashir

Synopsis: Garak has broken into the Holosuite where Bashir was just playing a spy of the british government during the cold war. But then a transporter accident happens and the neurological patterns can be stored into the station’s computers the only place to save their body patterns is the running Holosuite program. And suddenly it’s important not only to win the game but also not to kill any of the characters.

My Opinion: Having watched Casino Royale and Quantum Of Solace recently I enjoyed this episode very much. Sisko/Dr. Noah was a much better adversary to Bashir than Le Chiffre was to Bond. And O’Brien was great as Falcon The fun episodes of DS9 are always worth watching.

Homefront

Synopsis: Sisko and Odo are called back to Earth after an explosion has killed 27 conference members including some Romulans. And the wormhole is opening at random intervals, too. On Earth Sisko gets promoted to acting Chief of Starfleet Security and he implements some security measures to ensure the safety of Federation President Jaresh-Inyo and all Starfleet facilities. But it doesn’t help. The Founders attack Earth’s power grid and disable it. An attack by a cloaked fleet seems imminent.

My Opinion: And now to rather serious business. Benjamin Franklin once said “Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.” Yet, since 9/11 we’ve seem to have forgotten those words and basically every western country is taking away civil rights and enforces a harder security policy. In the EU every phone call ever made, every connection to the internet is to be logged and stored. In the UK the Interception Modernisation Programme even wants to store every e-Mail ever sent (including spam). In Germany our Minister of the Interior wants the right to secretly go into our houses and install trojan horses on our computers and he wants to use the Bundeswehr within our country (which is strictly forbidden by our constitution). Al-Qaeda despises our way of living and what do we do? We destroy our way of living. It’s like committing suicide because we fear death.

Paradise Lost

Synopsis: The President has declared martial law and the streets are guarded by armed Starfleet troops. But things don’t add up. Earth’s security has tightened yet no Dominion fleet is attacking. The attack on the power grid wasn’t the doing of any Founder – Admiral Leyton did it “for the greater good”.

My Opinion: That episode proves the point I made above. Only four changelings on Earth caused all the havocs and they didn’t even had to do it themselves. I am just glad that Sisko has seen the error in his way. But would he have seen it if it hadn’t been the coup of a Starfleet admiral?

Disc 4

Crossfire

Synopsis: First Minister Shakaar is coming to the station to negotiate Bajor’s joining of the Federation. But a cardassian terror group wants to assassinate him and Odo and Worf are trying to protect him. But Odo has also to deal with the fact that Kira is falling in love with Shakaar while he’s also in love with her.

My Opinion: It’s the same old story. He loves her but doesn’t tell her and she runs off with another guy. But I liked how Quark could see right through Odo’s mask and how he helped him and how Odo thanked him. They both like each other more than they dare to admit (in a total ungayish way ).

Return to Grace

Synopsis: After he has brought Ziyal home, Dukat has been demoted to freighter captain and he is to bring Major Kira to a conference in cardassian space. But the conference is attacked by a klingon Bird of Prey and the freighter isn’t a match for it. Even when Dukat attacks the BoP doesn’t return fire but simply leaves. There isn’t a worse thing you could have done to Dukat’s pride and he plans to retaliate.

My Opinion: Although I found it a bit unrealistic that the freighter’s disrupters couldn’t penetrate the BoP’s hull even when the shields were down this was a very good episode. I liked it how Kira taught Dukat how to think outside the box and use things in an unconventional way to defeat a superior enemy.

Sons of Mogh

Synopsis: Worf’s (younger) brother Kurn comes to the station and asks Worf to kill him so that he may have an honourable death. Due to previous events, Worf has become an outcast and he was stripped of lands and titles. Kurn, who had a seat on the klingon High Council, is also dishonoured. But Dax interferes and Kurn survives and has to adjust to a life outside the klingon society.

My Opinion: And once again human and klingon cultures have clashed. And once again Worf had to decide whether he wants to be a klingon warrior or a Starfleet officer. But it was a bit sad that Kurn had to “die” and that Worf has now lost his brother forever. He’s alone again.

Bar Association

Synopsis: Due to the bajoran cleansing ritual, the turnover of the bar is minimal. Quark decides to cut wages by 1/3 but now he’s gone to far. Even his brother revolts against him and they found a union. But unions and strikes are strictly forbidden by Ferengi law. Soon after the beginning of the strike Brunt arrives on the station and he makes it clear that the strike has to end or they will make an example of Quark and Rom.

My Opinion: Finally Rom has emancipated himself from his brother. This episode was a nice reminder of why the first unions were founded and what often happened to “union mans”. But one thing a Ferengi said is still true in our society: We don’t want to overcome exploitation, we just want to become the exploiters.

Disc 5

Accession

Synopsis: Captain Sisko has still a hard time accepting that he’s the Emissary of the Prophets when his replacement comes out of the wormhole. The Bajoran Akorem Laan has been in the celestial temple for over 200 years and he believes to be the real Emissary. Sisko has no problem with that until Akorem tries to reinstall the D’jarras, the bajoran caste system in which birth decides what profession one takes as an adult.

My Opinion: This was an OK episode to convince Sisko to keep the role as Emissary. He was willing to give it up but it was good that he fought that decision when he noticed how much power lies in that role and how it can be used to force wrong developements. But it’s no favourite of mine.

Rules of Engagement

Synopsis: The Klingon Empire demands the extradition of Worf after he’s destroyed a barely armed passenger ship in a battle. The facts of what happened aren’t questioned by either side but the Klingons question Worf state of mind, his motives when he destroyed that ship and killed over 400 civilians. But are the facts as clear as they are supposed to be?

My Opinion: I liked how they mixed the scenes in the court room with the “footage” of the actual events and how they seemlessly switched between both timelines. And it was interesting to see a Klingon that wasn’t a warrior in the classical sense. We see that very rarely even though the idea of an antire race of warriors (who are not genetically engineered) is rather unlikely.

Hard Time

Synopsis: Miles O’Brien has been charged with espionage on Argratha and he has been sentenced to 20 years. But these twenty years happen only in his mind, they are a mixture of memory implants and that what Miles adds to these. Unfortunately they are irremovable and now Miles has to reintegrate himself into his former life on the station but the memories haunt him.

My Opinion: This was a great episode in my opinion. It was interessting to see how Miles struggled with his “past” and to learn why he never mentioned his imaginary friend. But I have to admit that his reacclimatization went a bit fast for me, they should have made that process go over more than just one episode. Imagine you go to prison today for twenty years and then you get released. Could you continue your work tomorrow where you left off yesterday? But since they are implanted memories maybe the actual ones from yesterday aren’t forgotten as they would have been if it would have been actual twenty years.

Shattered Mirror

Synopsis: Mirror-Jennifer comes to DS9 to visit Ben and to see Jake for the first time. But when Ben returns to his quarters Jennifer has taken Jake to the other side and Sisko follows. The terran rebels have taken Terok Nor but now they fear the wrath of the Alliance. When “Smiley” O’Brien was on our side he stole the plans for the Defiant and it’s nearly ready. They just need Ben to finish her. But the Regent and his fleet will be here in two days.

My Opinion: Although I like mirror episodes I thought it a bit too cheap to introduce the Defiant and Worf to the other side just because they’ve entered the show in general. But it was another OK episode. I especially liked that Dax slapped him for sleeping with her under false pretenses.
And I noticed once again the flexibility of things: Have you ever noticed on Smallville that Metropolis was just as far away as the writers needed it to be? Sometimes it’s a three-hours drive, sometimes they seemed to be glued together. It’s the same with the fire and shield power of Star Trek ships. Sometimes it takes one shot by the Defiant to take out a Bird of Prey and sometimes they have to shoot half their arsenal at one. And sometimes it takes only one shot to make the Defiant’s bridge explode and sometimes they fight an entire fleet by themselves with just a few scratches afterwards.

Disc 6

The Muse

Synopsis: Jakes observes the new arrivals on the station to get ideas for his stories when his sight falls upon a very interesting woman who also notices him. Later she approaches him and somehow she can help him to write the best story of his life. But there’s a price tag attached. Meanwhile Lwaxana comes to DS9 again – and she’s pregnant. She’s hiding from her husband who wants to take their son when he’s born as it is custom in his culture.

My Opinion: The part about Jake was ok, I really liked to see Meg Foster again, she has so fascinating eyes. But what I really liked was Lwaxanas part. This was unfortunately the last appearance of both Majel Barrett-Roddenberry as well as Lwaxana Troi on any Star Trek series (except for her role as “Federation computer voice”). Once again Lwaxana managed to get Odo out of his brooding skin, they had much fun together. And I liked how Odo pledged his love to her in the fake wedding ceremony when it was clear that his pledge wasn’t at all fake.

For the Cause

Synopsis: The klingon attacks on the Cardassian Union had devastating effects on its economy and the Federation agrees to deliver industry-size replicators to the Cardassians. But Cmdr. Eddington and Starfleet Security fears that the Maquis could intercept them and Sisko and his crew try to prevent that. But there’s another problem: Captain Kasidy Yates, Sisko’s girlfriend, may be a smuggler for the Maquis.

My Opinion: It was the ideal plot to get Sisko distracted, especially because it was true. And I must say, when I watched it for the first time, I was surprised that Eddington was the traitor. Until the revelation he behaved in this episode as he has always done since his introduction in the third season and thus his mask was perfect. But I am also glad that we are going to see Penny Johnson again, it’s good to see that at least some officers can have a releationship beside their duty.

To the Death

Synopsis: When the Defiant returns they find that the station has been attacked and one of the upper pylons has been destroyed. It was an attack by Jem’Hadar but they didn’t bother to destroy the station because they were searching for some technical equipment. The Defiant pursuits them and encounters yet another Dominion vessel under the command of the Vorta Weyoun. The other Jem’Hadar have gone rogue and try to activate an iconian gateway. The iconian star empire was destroyed over 200,000 years ago. But they had a means of traveling across the galaxy without the use of spaceships. Such a gateway mustn’t fall into the hands of renegade Jem’Hadar or every planet within the Federation would be in danger and even the Dominion could come crashing down. So Weyoun and Sisko forge an alliance to destroy the gateway.

My Opinion: This episode was good to show the contrast between the philosophy of Jem’Hadar warriors and Starfleet personnel. And of course I liked the introduction of Weyoun even though they killed him in the end and then had to find a way to bring him back in future episodes. Luckily other producers aren’t as quick with killing people. Imagine Joss Whedon would have actually killed Spike on his first appearance in School Hard!
What bothered me a bit was that the writers outnumbered the heros by quite a number (10:1 was it?) and then neither showed that many enemies nor presented a solution how they did actually win against such a force. 2:1 or 3:1 would have been more realistic without compromising the plot.

Unfortunatley this episode was cut in Europe because the british BBFC demanded a cut when the Jem’Hadar First broke the neck of the Second as punishment because he disobeyed an order.

The Quickening

Synopsis: Bashir and Dax beam down on a planet where the entire population is infected by a disease that has been there for over two centuries. The Dominion engineered this virus as a punishment, it marks its victoms with lesions and it’s always deadly when the Quickening comes. Bashir tries to help and to find a cure.

My Opinion: This episode was without any action or any fights in it and I thought it was a good change of pace. It’s obviously very Bashir-centered but I really like his dedication, his unwillingness to give up even if the task seems impossible. But I also thought that it was a good decision that he didn’t find a cure, just a vaccine for unborn children. It becomes unrealistic when doctor X in series Y goes to planet Z and always finds a cure where others have failed for ages. This way it was half a happy end and the perfect closing scene was that he still hasn’t given up.

Disc 7

Body Parts

Synopsis: Quark learns that he has a fatal illness and will die within the next week. As it is custom he tries to auction his vacuum-desiccated remains on the Ferengi Futures Exchange. And there’s actually a buyer who wants to pay a lot. It’s only after that Quark learns he isn’t ill at all. But Brunt – who was the buyer – insists on the deal (Rule of Acquisition #17: “A contract is a contract is a contract… but only between Ferengi”) and now Quark tries to find a way to not to break the contract, even if that means that Garak must kill him. Meanwhile the Runabout “Volga” has an accident in which the pregnant Keiko O’Brien is injured. Dr. Bashir has no choice but to transfer the baby into Major Kira, the only other woman aboard.

My Opinion: Both storylines were very interesting. The latter one was necessary due to Nana Visitor’s real pregnancy. But it was nice to see how the O’Brien’s invited her to live with them until the birth and so on. But Quark’s storyline was really great. How he tried to remain true to the Ferengi ways even if that would result in his death. But also how he saw that the price would be ultimately to high even though Brunt subsequently stripped him of everything he owned. And it was nice to see how all the people on the station helped him to re-equip the bar with drinks, glasses and furniture. They are like a big family with many different members, but a family nonetheless and that’s what I like about the show.

Broken Link

Synopsis: Odo has suddenly become ill and Dr. Bashir has no way of helping him. Sisko decides to bring him to the Founders, maybe they can help him. But it was the Founders who made him ill, to force him to come home, to judge him. Never before has a changeling harmed another until Odo killed one last year.

My Opinion: Minbari do not kill Minbari. Never has a changeling harmed another. It’s highly unlikely that species who wage wars and kill other species would actually have such a strict view regarding their own kind. It doesn’t really add up. But be that as it may I thought it to be an interesting judgement, to make him “solid”. I also thought that Garak’s actions were also fitting for his character, that he would actually try to do something like this.

The Season – My Opinion: I thought the season had a lot of interesting episodes, especially the growing conflict with the Klingons and Worf’s role in it, but also Dukat’s developement. He remains an interesting character. The conflict with the Dominion is growing but it’s not yet the main focus of the show – but that will change next year. I think it was a good idea that they didn’t start the war yet, even the Dominion needs time to prepare (= to infiltrate the AQ) and it gave the Federation the time to get paranoid.
After the winter break it was a bit hard to restart this marathon, I wanted to watch other stuff like House M.D., but now I am totally hooked again.

Season 5

Disc 1

The Search, Part I

Synopsis: During his stay at the Utopia Planitia ship yards (prior to his assignment to DS9), Sisko has helped designing and building a ship whose sole purpose was to fight the Borg: The Defiant. It’s over-powered and over-gunned for a ship this size but now DS9 needs it. And the feature list has been updated. In the hope to find the Founders of the Dominion without having to engage in battle the Defiant has got a cloaking system – sponsored by the Romulan Empire. Sisko hopes to contact the Founders and show them that the Federation is no enemy of them.

My Opinion: From a diplomatic and tactical POV this was a stupid idea. If you’d want to negotiate with the leaders of an enemy force, would you take your biggest gunship and try to sneak into enemy territory? It would be like taking a B-2 Spirit, landing it on the Red Square and trying to talk to Khrushchev. But I liked the general idea of the Defiant from the beginning. The Star Trekian universe has never been a very peaceful one and the Federation is surrounded mostly by hostile forces. I wonder how many Starfleet ships have been destroyed in the cardassian border wars because they weren’t really equipped to fight in a war.

The Search, Part II

Synopsis: Unfortunately the cloaking system didn’t help in the end and when the crew returns to DS9, the Vorta are already there and they negotiate with Starfleet. But Sisko and the others become more and more uneasy because of where these negotiations are going. Meanwhile Kira and Odo are still in the GQ because Odo has finally found his people.

My Opinion: I remember that – when I watched it for the first time – I didn’t see it coming that the changelings are the Founders. But this episode also made clear that the Dominion isn’t interested in being left alone. Now that they know of the wormhole they want to impose their idea of ‘order’ in the AQ and there isn’t much Sisko or Starfleet could do about it, short of actually blowing up the wormhole. Or as Aragorn said to Théoden: “Open war is upon you, whether you would risk it or not.”

The House of Quark

Synopsis: A drunken Klingon attacks Quark in his bar but accidentally kills himself. But Quark tells a story how he heroically killed the warrior in a battle of life and death. And ironically, some Klingons actually want that he sticks to that story, although for different reasons. And suddenly Quark finds himself as the head of a klingon house.

My Opinion: I loved this episode. Quark and Grillka were great together and the clashing of ferengi and klingon culture was also fun to watch. But divorce seems to be painful. And it was nice to see chancellor Gowron again although I have to admit the more klingon episodes I watch the less I can wait for Martok to make his appearance.

Equilibrium

Synopsis: Dax begins to behave irrationally and aggressively. Additionally she has hallucinations. Bashir fears that the symbiosis is breaking apart and that they may lose Jadzia. Sisko and Bashir return with her to Trill but the mystery is getting bigger instead of being solved. Something isn’t right with one of Dax’s previous hosts.

My Opinion: This was an average episode. The ‘revelation’ wasn’t that interesting and the episode hadn’t much plot at all.

Disc 2

Second Skin

Synopsis: Kira is being abducted from Bajor and brought to Cardassia. When she awakes there she looks like a Cardassian. She is told that the real Kira died during the occupation and that she is an operative of the Obsidian Order who has replaced the real Kira. But why would the Cardassians go to such great lengths to convince her of that ridiculous story?

My Opinion: This was a very good story. I liked it how she became friends with “her father” despite him being a Cardassian. Kira has certainly grown since her early days on the station. And it’s again fascinating to watch “the simple tailor” Garak and how simply orders two cardassian warships to stand down and “forget” their encounter with the Defiant.

The Abandoned

Synopsis: Quark buys some salvaged wreck parts. But then he finds a stasis chamber which contains an infant of an unknown species. Dr. Bashir finds soon out that there’s something wrong with that (extremely fast growing) child. He seems to be genetically engineered yet there is an obvious flaw that makes him dependent of a non-replicatable drug.

My Opinion: The concealing of the true identity of the alien was well done, I liked that. Too bad that the Jem’Hadar has been portrayed very one-dimensional in this episode. But since I know that we’ll see more deeper characterizations in the future I will argue that he was to young and has seen too few of the world to oppose his genetical programming.

Civil Defense

Synopsis: When O’Brien and Jake Sisko try to purge a program from the ore processing centre computers they accidentally activate a security program. It was designed to prevent bajoran workers from taking over DS9. And every time they can break through another barrier more parts of the station get locked down until the program initiates the self-destruct.

My Opinion: This episode I enjoyed. Every time “Gul Dukat” announced another containment level I was like “Oh no, what now?” And it became even more interesting when the real Dukat entrapped himself on the station, too. The drawback of such episodes is that main characters rarely die on most shows. Thus you aren’t really worried about them. It’s no coincidence that Star Trek coined the term “redshirt“.

Meridian

Synopsis: Despite the threat that the Dominion represents the Defiant is on a survey mission in the GQ. There they discover a planet that shifts into our dimension every sixty years. But the time it remains here grows shorter with every cycle. Jadzia falls in love with one of the citizens there and thinks about staying.

My Opinion: I really like Jadzia. But this is the second episode in this season centered on her and the second I didn’t find that interesting. The side-plot of Quark trying to get a holographic image of Kira was much more interesting. And especially what Kira and Odo were doing about Quark’s attempts.

Disc 3

Defiant

Synopsis: Cmdr. Riker from the Enterprise visits the station but then he hijacks the Defiant by faking a warp core breach. This man isn’t really William T. Riker. He’s his identical copy, created by a transporter accident several years ago: Lt. Thomas Riker. And Thomas is a member of the Maquis now and he intends to use the Defiant against the Cardassians.

My Opinion: It’s interesting how certain organizations are supposed to report to someone else but have developed a life of their own and begin to exist outside of any hierarchy. In this case both Central Command (the military) and the Obsidian Order (intelligence) are supposed to report to the Detapa Council (the civilian government) but neither of them does anymore. I think some real intelligence services behave pretty much the same way. On the other hand: Do we really and honestly want to know what they are doing or do we simply feel safer because they are there?

Fascination

Synopsis: Peldor joy, my friends! The bajoran gratitude festival is coming up and the station prepares for it. Vedek Barail comes to the station, as well as Keiko – who’s currently on a botanical expedition on Bajor – and the Betazoid ambassador: Lwaxana Troi. But something is happening. As if someone slipped a love potion in the punch people are starting to chase one another – but of course in the wildest combinations.

My Opinion: Although it wasn’t actually a love potion the plot of this episode is quite common throughout the TV show landscape and wasn’t that fascinating.

Past Tense, Part I

Synopsis: Sisko, Bashir and Dax have to report back to Earth and they take the Defiant. But when they beam down, they don’t land exactly where (or better when) they were supposed to land. It’s the year 2024 and while Dax manages to meet a nice industrialist, Bashir and Sisko are brought to Sanctuary District A, a slum without the possibility to leave it.

My Opinion: Although the timeline/time travel logic wasn’t logical at all (to explain it here would take than more than a few lines) I liked this episode. But it was scary at the same time. To use concentration camps (although not in the Nazi meaning) for home- and jobless people – a few years back I wouldn’t have thought it possible. But if we really slide into a larger depression now, I wouldn’t it put past some politicians, who are always looking for simple solutions to complex problems.

Past Tense, Part II

Synopsis: The uprising in the sanctuary was one of the turning points in the 21st century but unfortunately the important leader, Gabriel Bell, was just killed protecting Bashir. History is about to be changed, but Sisko mustn’t allow that, since it could jeopardize the existence of the Federation itself. He becomes Gabriel Bell. Meanwhile the Defiant’s crew tries to re-create the accident and tries to find the three.

My Opinion: This was a good conclusion to the episode, the storming of the district reminded me of the ending of Gangs of New York and O’Brien’s and Kira’s trips into other eras brought a light touch to this very dark episode without destroying the intended effect.
But I have to make one remark regarding the timeline: The alteration of the timeline was a bit too blatant. No Federation? No space travel at all? Because of the outcome of one revolt that happened even before the third world war? A bit much, don’t you think? But as I said the main story was interesting and scary at the same time.

Disc 4

Life Support

Synopsis: Kai Winn and Vedek Barail have secretly negotiated a real peace treaty with the Cardassians. But on their way to a meeting a shuttle accident happens and Barail is nearly killed. Bashir tries to save him but he has to make a choice. For a real healing he has to put him in stasis. But both Barail and Winn insist that he remains conscious to conclude the negotiations. But this could mean his death.

My Opinion: Too bad Barail had to die but his story was pretty much told after he didn’t become Kai. But this episode showed again Winn’s real face.

Heart of Stone

Synopsis: Kira and Odo are returning from a bajoran colony near the cardassian border when they encounter a Maquis and decide to follow him. But after they’ve landed Kira’s foot gets stuck in a crystalline rock and that rock is growing. Meanwhile Nog tries to bribe Cmdr. Sisko so that Sisko will write a letter of recommendation for Nog’s attempt to enter Starfleet Academy.

My Opinion: The main story didn’t interest me much, Odo’s love interest in Kira never held much interest for me. But I really like this developing story-line, of Nog becoming the first Ferengi in Starfleet and thus following in Spock’s and Worf’s footsteps. And his reasons are quite reasonable and honest. I also liked how they integrated it in the Ferengi culture with Nog trying to bribe Sisko.

Destiny

Synopsis: Three cardassian scientists want to accomplish what Starfleet hasn’t managed to do: To create a permanent means of communication to the GQ even when the wormhole is closed. But some Bajorans are really worried. The prophets (the wormhole aliens) have given them a prophecy over 3000 years ago: That three vipers will return to their nest in the sky (DS9?) and that they will peer through the celestial temple’s (the wormhole) gates and that they will burn down the temple.

My Opinion: Nowadays I always get uneasy when it comes to Sisko’s role as “Emissary” due to events that will unfold in the seventh season. But until now they solved the conflict religion vs. science very well and the origins of the prophecies are very well explained in the concept of the Prophets – aliens who live outside our concept/perception of time, a fact that was established in the pilot. And I liked it how the prophecy turned out – in opposition to the original interpretation.

Prophet Motive

Synopsis: When the Grand Nagus comes to the station again, he has changed. And he has rewritten the Rules of Acquisition. Instead of “Greed is eternal.” (10th RoA) it says now “Greed is dead.” or “No good deed ever goes unpunished.” (285th) it’s now “A good deed is its own reward.”. Quark is horrified and wants to find out what has happened.

My Opinion: This was a fun episode with Zak having gone “mad” and Quark trying to restore the foundation of the Ferengi Alliance.

Disc 5

Visionary

Synopsis: After having been exposed to radiation poisoning, O’Brien is being thrust forward five hours in time and then back again. This happens at a regular intervals and O’Brien sees his own death as well as the destruction of DS9 in that future. And he plans to prevent both from happening.

My Opinion: Despite once again having some flaws in the time travel logic, I liked this episode, especially the parts where there were two O’Briens and one helped or protected the other. And they’ve finally installed the Darts board in Quark’s bar. I like all of O’Brien’s and Bashir’s recreation time activities.

Distant Voices

Synopsis: After Bashir has been attacked by an alien, he awakes at the infirmary. But except for him, Quark and Garak and that alien the station seems to be abandoned. He wanders through the place, trying to figure out, what has happened and why he is hearing distant voices.

My Opinion: This one was an OK episode but since it didn’t happen much in it, there’s also not much to say about it.

Through the Looking Glass

Synopsis: O’Brien threatens Sisko with a phaser and beams them both off the station. It’s “Smiley”, the O’Brien from the mirror universe and he needs Sisko to help him. Sisko’s wife on the other side – Jennifer (who died at Wolf 359 on this side of the mirror) – is building a sensor array that would crush the Terran resistance.

My Opinion: This one I liked again. Out-of-character-episode. What can I say. The only thing that bugged me a bit was that Sisko slept with Mirror-Dax just to maintain his cover. It’s basically the same as Faith being in Buffy’s body and sleeping with Riley or Bizarro pretending to be Clark and sleeping with Lana. It’s just not right.

Improbable Cause

Synopsis: Garak’s shop gets blown up and Garak is hurt. Odo starts to investigate and soon discovers that the Romulans might have something to do with it. When Garak learns that five of his former associates were killed on the same day, he tries to contact Enabran Tain – the former head of the Obsidian Order – because he fears for Tain’s life.

My Opinion: This was a great Garak episode. His interpretation of the “cry wolf” fable (“Never tell the same lie twice.”), it being him who had blown up the shop, him rejoining with Tain – it fitted the character and helped shape it even more. I also thought that this plan was indeed something the Obsidian Order and the Tal Shiar (romulan intelligence) would come up with.

Disc 6

The Die is Cast

Synopsis: Garak has joined in on the operation to attack the Founder’s home world. The fleet of romulan Warbirds and cardassian warships is taking course to the Omarion Nebula. Now it’s his job to interrogate Odo whether he knows something he didn’t put into his report to Starfleet. Sisko takes the Defiant against explicit orders and follows them to get his chief of security back.

My Opinion: Now the numbers start to increase and become more realistic. With the Federation the Klingons, the Romulans and the Cardassians we know races that occupy the space of at least one entire quadrant of our galaxy. This space is approx. 4 billion square light years and that doesn’t even acknowledge that space has a third dimension. Yet the greatest battle known to Star Trek was the one of Wolf 359: 39 Starfleet ships vs. one Borg cube.
Now we’ve seen a battle between 20 and 150 ships. 150 ships, that’s a dimension we haven’t seen before and the Dominion war will provide us with even greater numbers and as I said, that seems only realistic given the vastness of space.
As for the other aspects of that episode: It was a good conclusion to this story and I found it interesting how Tain was still analyzing the situation even though he was about to die.

Explorers

Synopsis: While on Bajor, Sisko has found the plans for a bajoran solar sail spacecraft. The Bajorans claim to have reached Cardassia with these kind of ships and Sisko wants to build one just to prove that it is actually space-worthy. And his son thinks about leaving for Earth, to do an internship to study writing.

My Opinion: When Jake was introduced in the pilot I thought that it was a good idea to see that a Starfleet officer has a family. But I also thought that he would have a minor role, to appear once in a while and then disappear again. But I like Jake’s friendship with Nog and I like how he has developed. The kind of interaction between Jake and his father in this episode, as well as the interaction between O’Brien and Bashir makes me like DS9 more than TNG.

Family Business

Synopsis: Brunt. FCA. (Ferengi Commerce Authority). He comes to the station and closes Quark’s bar. Why? Because Quark’s mother Ishka is conduction businesses and she’s making profit! Quark and Rom return home and Quark wants her to sign the confession. Meanwhile Jakes tries fix up his father with a certain freighter captain: Kassidy Yates.

My Opinion: Brunt is the IRS guy from hell. I like him. He is a guarantee for a good story. And I like his actor (Jeffrey Combs) who will play both Brunt as well as (in later seasons) Weyoun – in one episode even both IIRC. And I like Kassidy. Her role here is much more likeable than the one Penny Johnson will play on 24: President David Palmer’s (ex-)wife Sherry. And I liked how the writers tried to argue against the upkeep of outdated traditions and roles.

Shakaar

Synopsis: The First Minister has died and Kai Winn is temporarily holding both offices but she plans on running for the First Minister’s office, too. But she has a problem: Shakaar, former head of Kira’s resistance cell, is unwilling to return farming equipment. He was promised that he could have it for a year but Winn wants it back – now. She sends Kira to negotiate.

My Opinion: Yet another good story. I like all stories where Winn loses a fight. And I also liked that all the former resistance fighters refused to fight one another.

Disc 7

Facets

Synopsis: Jadzia undergoes the zhian’tara, a Trill ritual where the memories of her former hosts are removed and transfered into another person so that she can learn where certain aspects of her come from and so that she can talk to the former host from face to face. Every of her friends is willing to be a host for one of Dax’s former host with Kira being Lela, Dax’s first host to Odo who gets the memories of the “old man”, Curzon. But the merge of Curzon and Odo has an unexpected result.

My Opinion: Although the fact that all species basically look alike (head, two arms, two legs) has been explained once in TNG (The Chase) I still find it sometimes unbelievable how compatible everything in Star Trek is. It’s rather the exception that something is not compatible, e.g. Betazoids cannot read the minds of Ferengi. And in this episode you can even join the memories of a Trill host with the mind (that is placed where exactly?) of a non-humanoid jelly being. Yes I know, I am nitpicking, but once again it’s a Dax episode and once again it wasn’t that interesting.

The Adversary

Synopsis: Sisko has just been promoted to Captain when there’s trouble at the Tzenkethi border and the Defiant goes there to investigate. But suddenly they lose control over the ship and it cloaks and readies the weapons for an attack on a Tzenkethi settlement.

My Opinion: Life at DS9 must be really dull when it is possible that the entire command stuff of that station – including the chief of security – can simply depart for a few days. While Odo was needed for the story, it could have been arranged that Kira stays behind, she isn’t even a Starfleet officer. But the plot that the changeling/Founder was scheming was really clever (from a Dominion’s POV) and it was a nice hide-and-seek episode.

The Season – My Opinion: The show has definitively picked up speed and especially the three two-parters were interesting. The Defiant was a very good addition to the show in much the same way as the White Star was a very good addition to Babylon 5. The characters are not “trapped” on the station anymore or have to use the small runabouts. I also think that it was a good idea that it wasn’t an exploration ship like the Enterprise because that would have ended in pretty much the same stories as TNG has shown us. Diversity is a good thing, trust me.

Season 4

Disc 1

The Homecoming

Synopsis: A new movement is growing on Bajor. They call themselves “The Circle” and they want “Bajor to the Bajorans”, i.e. all out-worlders should leave the bajoran system. Meanwhile Kira learns that Li Nalas – a hero of the resistance – is still alive and he’s being held prisoner on a cardassian planet. She and O’Brien disguise themselves as traders and try to rescue him.

My Opinion: I remembered this three-part season opener to be somewhat uninteresting but I really enjoyed it this time. It’s “funny” to see how something that happened almost only by accident can develop into a legend and how the protagonist becomes a hero. Although they are nothing alike the story of Li Nalas becoming a hero reminded me of the Firefly episode Jaynestown.

The Circle

Synopsis: Li Nalas has become the new liasion officer aboard DS9 and Kira has been recalled to Bajor. But there fights have broken out. The Circle has acquired a lot of weapons and is now openly moving against the provisional government. What they don’t know: The weapons were delivered by the Cardassians (although not directly) who are hoping that The Circle drives the Federation away and thus opening the system for another cardassian invasion.

My Opinion: That was an interesting turn of events with Frank Langella (Skeletor in Masters of the Universe) once again in the role of the bad guy. But I like him in these roles. Interesting thing – especially in comparison to later seasons and later shows – is that you only had to hear the distant rumbling of war to believe that there is one, without seeing it. I don’t condemn special effects scenes, I really like them, but if a movie or series relies to heavy on them the actual storytelling moves into the background or is forgotten at all. That’s the reason the Star Wars Episodes I – III didn’t work for me.

The Siege

Synopsis: All non-bajoran civilians have been evacuated with the help of the runabouts Ganges, Orinoco and Rio Grande. But Sisko and his Starfleet crew remains in the hope that he can delay the surrender of the station until Kira presents the evidence of the cardassian involvement in the Chamber of Ministers.

My Opinion: A good conclusion but I hated to see Vedek Winn squirm herself out again. As I said I like good bad characters. I’Ve always liked Gul Dukat or (later) Weyoun, but I never liked Winn (Louise Fletcher; Nurse Ratched in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest). But at least life is going back to normal on the station – for now.

Invasive Procedures

Synopsis: During a plasma storm the station is running only with a skeleton crew when a nearby ship declares an emergency and has to be pulled in. But the mayday was a fake, the ship’s crew takes control over DS9. Why? To get the Dax symbiont and transplant it into the group’s leader who feels that he deserves to be blended with a Trill symbiont. But that will kill Jadzia and Sisko won’t let that happen.

My Opinion:I didn’t pay attention to the credits but when I saw Verad (Dax) I instantly knew I knew him. But it took me a while to figure it out. I assumed that – since he had not much of a mask – he usually wears one. But then it came to me. The beard and the long hair was missing: John Glover a.k.a. Lionel Luthor from Smallville.
I liked this episode because here we saw how a person can change when he/she is blending with a symbiont. This is one of the rare before/after moments since we’ve never known Jadzia without Dax.

Disc 2

Cardassians

Synopsis: When a bajoran man and his adopted – cardassian – son come to the station, Garak becomes interested in the two of them. The boy was raised to hate all Cardassians and to hate all that is cardassian. But he is also not really a war orphan, he’s the son an important cardassian politician and enemy of Gul Dukat’s, the former prefect on Terok Nor/Deep Space Nine.

My Opinion: The end was a bit unsatisfying. While the main scheme was revealed and Dukat was exposed the writers didn’t really manage to explain why Sisko chose to return the son to his biological father. Sure, he mentions it in his log entry but as I said – a bit unsatisfying. But I really liked the way Bashir and Garak have been working together and Garak’s “explanation” of why he knows the things he knows.

Melora

Synopsis: DS9 gets a new crew member, Ensign Melora Pazlar. She comes from a low-gravity world and needs to use a wheelchair unless she’s alone and can lower the artificial gravity. She calls it “the Melora problem” that everybody but she creates and she reacts very hostile to any attempt to help her.

My Opinion: This was an interesting mix of two different problems. The first would be the interaction with disabled persons, especially when they don’t want any help. I really liked Paul Hogan’s character’s solution to that problem in Almost an Angel. But I found the second problem more interesting: Am I willing to make a change that will prevent me from ever going home again? It’s a hard choice and I couldn’t say now what I would have done.

Rules of Acquisition

Synopsis: The Grand Nagus Zek assigns a task to Quark: He is to purchase 10,000 vats of tulaberry wine from the GQ-based Dosi. The negotiations are already hard but suddenly Zak wants not only 10,000 vats but 100,000. Luckily for Quark, one of his new waiters has an ear for business. But Pel isn’t what he appears to be.

My Opinion: I like Ferengi episodes (have I said that already?) and I think it’s funny that things like unknowingly working with a Ferengi female always happen to the more conservative Quark who only tries do earn an (dis-)honest living. This was also the first time that there was a new force in the GQ mentioned: The Dominion.

Necessary Evil

Synopsis: After Quark has been attacked and nearly killed, Odo has to re-open a five-year old murder case. Back then he was an arbitrator for minor differences between the bajoran workers aboard Terok Nor. But Gul Dukat gave him the task of solving this murder and he encounters a certain Ferengi barkeep and a young bajoran woman by the name of Kira Nerys during that investigation.

My Opinion: This was a very noir episode with a lot of flashbacks to the time of the occupation. It was also the first time that we learn that Quark’s brother Rom might not be as dumb as he seems to be. I really liked it, especially when Quark learned that his brother had access to his money vault.

Disc 3

Second Sight

Synopsis: It has been four years since Sisko’s wife had been killed at the Wolf 359 massacre. But now Sisko meets a fascinating woman by the name of Fenna. But she keeps disappearing and Sisko has a hard time finding her again. Meanwhile the foremost expert on terra-forming has come to the station and he is about to complete his greatest project: the re-ignition of a dead sun.

My Opinion: This was an OK episode, not great though. The terraformer was a self-involved, arrogant man and thus I didn’t care for his death at all. He may have done it for a noble reason and although the one conversation he had with Sisko before his death gave him a more human face, it didn’t help in the end. But I liked the idea that might not end up alone ’til the end of days.

Sanctuary

Synopsis: A ship full of refugees comes through “the great eye of the universe” and they are searching for their new home world, Kentanna. According to their legends, Bajor is Kentanna and they want to settle there – all three million Skrreeans. But Bajor has already enough problems of its own…

My Opinion: Another episode I didn’t care for much, because I didn’t care much for the Skrreeans. But I found the end interesting, because they didn’t make it into a happy end, which (not a happy end) will happen more often in DS9 than it did in TNG.
BTW: Here we’ve learned that the Dominion is a conquering force or at least a waring force in the GQ.

Rivals

Synopsis: An El-Aurian con man comes to the station but isn’t that successful until he gets his hands on an unknown gambling device. From now on, luck is on his side and he establishes a second casino on the Promenade. But soon very unlikely events begin to occur on a regular basis and the odds for chance and probability have shifted.

My Opinion: This episode I enjoyed a lot. The only other El-Aurian we’ve ever met was Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg) aboard the Enterprise. And while their main characteristic is maintained (they are good listeners), I liked it that they – as every other people – have dubious guys in their midst. I also liked the matches between Bashir and O’Brien.

The Alternate

Synopsis: Dr. Mora Pol is a scientist who worked with Odo from the beginning, long before anyone knew that Odo was sentient life form. Now he believes, that he may have discovered others of Odo’s kind on a planet in the GQ, He, Odo and Dax fly there to discover something that could be a distant relative to Odo. But after their return the being escapes and threatens the station.

My Opinion: This was another good episode. It gave us an insight about Odo’s early years and especially his relation to Mora. On the surface he doesn’t like him that much but we can also see that he cares for even even though he wouldn’t admit it. And Mora obviously cares for him. It was good to see that there’s something beneath that cynical surface of Odo’s.

Disc 4

Armageddon Game

Synopsis: Dr. Bashir and O’Brien are helping two formerly waring races to dispose of their biological weapons. But then one side is breaking the treaty and they kill all the scientists and try to kill O’Brien and Bashir who can barely escape. The crew of DS9 is informed that they’ve died in an accident while they have to hide out and try to contact either Starfleet or the other fraction.

My Opinion: As a general rule, I happen to like most of the Bashir/O’Brien episodes. And while their previous pairing in The Storyteller wasn’t that interesting, I really liked this one. To put them together in a dangerous situation without any other characters around them was a really good decision.

Whispers

Synopsis: When Miles returns to DS9 he notices that something is different. Most of the command staff and even his wife is acting weird. And since important negotiations are coming up and he’s cut off from the security preparations, he suspects that someone tries to sabotage these negotiations.

My Opinion: We have seen so many unfriendly takeovers of bodies during the history of Star Trek that O’Brien’s suspicions weren’t that far fetched. Another episode I really liked, especially with O’Briens sympathy he’s shown to his copy and the copy’s declared love for Keiko at the end.

Paradise

Synopsis: Sisko and O’Brien beam down to a planet that doesn’t lie along the usual trading routes. But as soon as they arrive they find out that none of their technology is working and they can’t contact their runabout. But they find a village full of people who have crashed here a decade ago. They have gotten used to the situation but Sisko doesn’t give up that easily.

My Opinion: This episode reminded me a lot of the former socialistic countries. “Hey we have a good idea and now you have to live in that “ideal” whether you like it or not.” I really liked it when Sisko went back into the box, not bowing to Alixus’s rule. And I also liked how he interrupted her speech pointing out that she let people die for her dream to come true.

Shadowplay

Synopsis: Again looking for signs of his people, Dax and Odo are following a strange radiation signature. At the end of it they find a device in a small village, which seems to be the only settlement on the planet. But something is going on in that village: People are disappearing without leaving a trace and Odo tries to help.

My Opinion: This was a rather quiet episode and it only became interesting when the holographic generator had been disabled and we learn about the true nature of the relation between the people of that village and the only real person.

Disc 5

Playing God

Synopsis: A Trill host candidate comes to the station. Jadzia has to evaluate whether he is suited to be blended with a symbiont. The candidate isn’t very thrilled since it is widely known that Dax has declared 57 candidates as “unsuited” over the last 200 years and the worst of them all was Curzon Dax. But Jadzia is not Curzon.

My Opinion: The candidate had no real plans for the future and I have already forgotten most things about the character. The only interesting thing were some insights into Jadzia’s training who ironically also was evaluated by Curzon – and failed.

Profit and Loss

Synopsis: A cardassian professor and two of her ’students’ come to the station. They are well aware that they aren’t overly welcome on a bajoran space station but it gets worse when they learn that there’s still a Cardassian aboard: Garak. They are fugitives, the cardassian Central Command has declared them as ‘terrorists’. But the Cardassian Union hasn’t anticipated the involvement of a certain bartender.

My Opinion: This episode on the other hand was very interesting. Quark has broken out of his usual deceiving scheme plotting and has shown real affection towards a person/a woman. Strangely though, Quark always seems to be most interested in non-Ferengi and clothed(!) women, most of them being stronger than him, too. I wonder what he would think about Buffy – ah, yes, I remember, he expelled her from Sunnydale High.

Blood Oath

Synopsis: Kang, Koloth and Kor have come to the station. They are all klingon Dahar Masters and they look for Curzon Dax. Eight decades ago the four of them have sworn a Blood Oath to kill the murderer of the first borns of the Klingons. Kang wants to release Jadzia from that oath but she has no intentions of bailing out.

My Opinion: This is one episode I’ve been waiting for. I always thought that it was a great idea to bring the three klingon commanders Kirk faced in the original series once again on screen. While I didn’t care much for the Klingons – or any other alien race except the Vulcans – in the original series, the Klingons have grown on me during TNG and especially DS9. Ironically Jadzia now had the very same problem Worf always had when he took off to do something very klingon-y and very un-Starfleet-y. But at least Kor survived and we will see him again.

The Maquis, Part I

Synopsis: Soon after a cardassian freighter has left DS9, it explodes. Shortly after that cardassian fighters try attack a merchant ship, but get shot down by another ship. And all that in the demilitarized zone between the Federation and the Cardassian Union. The peace treaty had moved the border an now some formerly Federation colonies are within cardassian space and vice versa. And especially the former Federation colonies feel abandoned and try to arm themselves.

My Opinion: As always when borders are moved some people are waking up on the wrong side of the fence. But to start a shooting war against a vastly superior enemy is stupid at best. And they aren’t risking just their lives and those of their families. If they manage to start another full blown war, then billions of other lives get endangered, too. Do I sound like someone who hasn’t much sympathy for the Maquis? Then you heard right.

Disc 6

The Maquis, Part II

Synopsis: The Cardassians have indeed been smuggling weapons into the DMZ and the Maquis is planning to attack their secret depots. Unfortunately these depots are hidden within cardassian colonies and an attack on these colonies would force cardassian Central Command to retaliate. Commander Sisko and Gul Dukat try to prevent a new war.

My Opinion: As I said, they don’t want peace, the Maquis wants that war and that I’ll never understand.

The Wire

Synopsis: Garak has serious headaches but he is not willing to have Dr. Bashir examine him until he collapses. Garak has a chip in his head that causes him that pain. Dr. Bashir tries to help him by contacting the former head of the Obsidian Order – the cardassian intelligence – who has implanted the chip when Garak was his personal protégé.

My Opinion: This was a great episode. The variations of Garak’s stories about his past reminded me of the way The Joker was talking about his scars in The Dark Knight. We’ll probably never find out which one/part was true. And I believe it wouldn’t have been good for the mystery of either character (Garak/Joker) if we would have ever found out, what really happened. Hence I really liked the closing dialogue:

Dr. Bashir: You know, I still have a lot of questions to ask you about your past.
Garak: I have given you all the answers I’m capable of.
Dr. Bashir: You have given me answers, all right. But they were all different. What I want to know, out of all the stories you’ve told me, which ones were true and which ones weren’t?
Garak: My dear doctor, they’re all true.
Dr. Bashir: Even the lies?
Garak: Especially the lies.

Crossover

Synopsis: About a century ago, Captain James T. Kirk had a transporter accident and he found himself in an alternate reality, a mirror universe. Luckily he managed to come back. And when Kira and Bashir fly through the wormhole with a defect impulse engine they find themselves in the very same mirror universe. But things have changed since Kirk’s days.

My Opinion: Yet another good episode. Being a single episode in the original series, we’ve seen the mirror universe here again and from now on there will be more crossovers. As I’ve often stated, I like out-of-character episodes and the Intendant (Kira) and Sisko were really great.

The Collaborator

Synopsis: The election for the next Kai is close and Vedek Barail – as the chosen one of Kai Opaka – is most likely to become the next Kai. But Vedek Winn doesn’t give up that easily. She is going to proof that Barail was a collaborator during the occupation and that he’s revealed the position of a resistance cell to the Cardassians.

My Opinion: This is a sad day. Winn has become Kai and that means nothing good for the people of Bajor. And I must admit, I don’t really like the episodes that are about bajoran politics. Too much intrigue and scheme is involved when it comes to Winn.

Disc 7

Tribunal

Synopsis: While on a holiday trip with his wife, O’Brien is being abducted by the Cardassians. Back on Cardassia he is charged with aiding the Maquis and delivering photon torpedos to them. In the cardassian justice system the verdict is always the same: guilty. The tribunal is just to show why he’s guilty.

My Opinion: I liked that episode. Despite the seriousness it was funny to see how O’Brien’s “defense attorney” became more and more despaired. Why would his client be so unreasonable? Why doesn’t O’Brien simply confess and thus proves the effectiveness of the cardassian justice system? And the face he made when he realized that his client was free to go…

The Jem’Hadar

Synopsis: Sisko invites his son to do a science project in the GQ who in turn invites Nog. And Quark is accompanying them as well. But they are caught by the Jem’Hadar, warriors of the Dominion. A message is brought to DS9, declaring their capture and the destruction of several ships as well as the destruction of the bajoran colony in the GQ.

My Opinion: And so it begins. The Dominion in shape of the Vorta and the Jem’Hadar has entered entered the chess board. And although they’ve only stated that they do not want any more AQ ships in their territory they’ve also made it clear that they’ve gathered intel about the races of the AQ. Now the show gets really interesting.

The Season – My Opinion: This season was half’n'half. There were a number of very interesting and great episodes mixed with rather uninteresting ones. I especially liked the character-driven episodes like Armageddon Game, Blood Oath and Crossover. And now let us see the Defiant!

Season 3