Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Season Two DVD review

Posted by Scott Rutherford on 11.26.2008

The show that keeps getting better.

Welcome back to my season two review of Deep Space Nine. Thank you for all the feedback that was left on my season one go around. It’s actually been more fun than I thought going back over these old episodes because I forgot just how well put together this show was. I picked up so many future storyline threads from season one I don’t know if it was good planning, dumb luck or providence.

Season two is perhaps the season I have watched the least. Primarily because my local video store never got that season on VHS when it was release and secondly because I just thought it was lame compared to what came after. However in hindsight it was the key to what the show became. While most of season one had nice tied off endings to each show, this season had murkier waters to travel and bigger questions to ask making it harder to moralize. Don’t get me wrong, this has Star Trek fingerprints all over it, just not the usual ones.

We also saw the introduction of The Dominion and while we never really find out who they are, the long shadow of what they brought this show stretch way back to season two and the groundwork that was put in place.

While I have written this before I have watched the bulk of the season, I’m really keen to get through it because I feel that I have maybe forgotten some hidden gems in this season.

To set up this season, The Federation is settled on the station but large parts of Bajor are still not happy. A group called The Circle have started to rattle the cages demanding that all non-Bajorans leave Bajor and any of its territories. Violent episodes are becoming common on Bajor and it’s starting to now spread to DS9.


The Homecoming
Kira receives a Bajoran earring that belonged to the long thought dead war hero, Li Nalas. She finds out that he is still alive but being held on Cardassia 4. Kira wants to go rescue him and Sisko lets her because he believe Bajor needs a symbol that can unit its people and stop the infighting. Kira, with an assist from O’Brien breaks out Nalas as well as other Bajoran prisoners. Upon his return to DS9, he hailed as a returning hero, the Provisional Government creates a new rank in the militia for him and assign him as liaison officer to DS9 usurping Kira from her position. Nalas for his part confides to Sisko he’s a fraud and that the legendary fight he had with a Cardassian Gul was completely taken out of context but Sisko tells him that doesn’t matter anymore because Bajor needs a new symbol of hope and he can be that man, even if Nalas doesn’t want it. (8.5/10)

Great opening episode as this is actually the beginning of a multi-episode arch, a device the writers of DS9 would use to stunning effect in the seasons to come. For this particular episode, you could break it down into three parts, Kira’s search for Nalas, his rescue and then internal crisis at maybe being found out as being a fraud. Strong writing, good acting and a compelling story.


The Circle
Carrying on from last episode, Kira goes down to Bajor after being replaced on DS9 as Li Nalas takes on the liaison position. Sisko is PISSED at Kira being replaced without his authority and smells a rat after visiting Bajor and believing members of the military and government may be behind The Circle. Kira herself goes for a stay at a monastery to refocus herself and Vedek Bariel takes her for her first Orb encounter. They run into Vedek Winn who makes small talk but generally acts like a bitch. We soon find out that she is aware of The Circle and who is in charge and promises to lend her support to Minister Jaro if his coup succeeds. Onboard DS9, Quark comes up with the information on who is supplying The Circle with arms and it turns out its the Cardassians through an intermediary are supplying the unwitting Jaro and The Circle hoping the coup succeeds and drives The Federation away and leaving Bajor vulnerable to another attack and take over.(8/10)

Great second instalment which hit all points well. The best thing about this arch is that Jaro isn’t really a bad man. All he wants is for Bajor to stand on its own two feet and dissolve what has been a weak government up to now. His only problem is his goals blind him to obvious flaws with The Federation being pushed out and is so focused he doesn’t question here the weapons used to arm The Circle are really coming from.


The Siege
The last of this three episode arch...after The Circle start a bombing campaign on the capital, the provisional government easily fold. However, Sisko wants to let everyone know about the Cardassian involvement but he’s hamstrung by orders from Starfleet invoking the Prime Directive that he does not get involved. So when The Circle come to DS9 and order all-non Bajorans off, he ditches the uniform and goes rogue with most of the station staff following hm. Kira and Dax take the responsibility of getting the Cardassian information to the government in hopes of ending the coup. Li Nalas stays onboard to help the resistance and buy enough time of Kira and Dax to get through, which they manage with some help from Bariel. Back on the station, Sisko, Nalas and the rest overpower The Circle but not before Nalas takes a phaser hit to protect Benjamin and gets killed. On Bajor, Jaro suddenly is out of favour as Winn turns on him in light of the evidence Kira presents and the Provisional Government is re-instated. (8/10)

Great wrap-up to an excellent story. So much was weaved into the plot as everyone had their moments. In particular Dax was changed from the wise-old-owl character in season one, to the smart-assed mischief maker that really came to be realised later on. Julian also managed some fine moments in the final battle scenes as writers seemed to get a handle on what characters suited which traits. The stuff with Winn showing her hunger for power sets up her character nicely from here on in. Terrific stuff.


Invasive Procedures
During a plasma storm that leaves the station with only the command crew aboard, a ship docks at the station and quickly takes everyone hostage. It seems one of the hostage takers is a Trill, Verad, who believes he should have been joined with the Dax symbiont and is here to claim what is his, which will leave Jadzia dead after Dax is removed. After Julian changes over the symbiont, he manages to keep Jadzia alive long enough for Sisko to gets into Verads ear and start eating into his conscious. Finally, after some quick thinking by Quark (in the shit house for taking down the security net and letting in Verad in the first place) and a pissed off Sisko, Dax is returned to Jadzia. (7.5/10)

If you can get past the convenient plasma storm and how easily Quark got to take down the security, this was a tense piece of business. Even though Jadzia is at the heart of the story she perhaps is almost inconsequential to the themes involved. This is more about the command crew protecting one of their own and Ben going feral to look after his crew.


Cardassian
A Cardassian orphan comes aboard DS9 with his Bajoran adoptive father. Garak tries to talk to the orphan and promptly gets bitten for his troubles and from their all hell breaks loose. Gul Dukat communicates from Cardassia that he wants this child returned to Cardassia but Julian, with Garak pulling the strings, smells a rat. Turns out the orphan, Rugel, is the son of a prominent civilian politician and was taken by the underlings of Dukat after an attack on the politician’s home during the occupation and taken to an orphanage in the hopes Dukat could use this against the politician in the future. Rugel for his part is caught between his biological father and his Bajoran farther and who he really belongs to. Sisko decides that Rugel should go back to Cardassia much to Rugels dismay.(6.5/10)

Interesting premise for this show but I couldn’t get past the whole, Dukat sets up a politician over 2 years before in the hopes he can use this against him down the road. However, the stuff involving Garak is pure gold as the duplicitous nature of the character works well off the Doctors gullibility. But even this is slowly changing as Julian learns more about the nature of man through Garak and his smoke and mirrors act. Great acting, great character development not so great plot.


Melora
Ensign Melora comes to DS9. She is from the planet Elysian which has an almost zero gravity environment. She has a special exoskeleton that helps her get around. She’s head strong, independent and has more than a little chip on her shoulder. Julian is fascinated about her and tries to get close but Melora has a permanent FUCK OFF! sign flashing above her head which makes it hard. Julian however is not deterred and finally gets some zero-g love. He also finds a way to adjust Melora’s physiology so she can live normally outside her home world but she would never be able to go back to Elysian. She chooses family over freedom and that’s about it. (4.5/10)

Not really impressed with this episode. It was nice giving the Doctor some face time but the whole plot is just a bunch of who-ee. Melora for her part is perhaps one of the most uninviting characters this show has thrown up as the writers really missed the mark between making her tenacious as opposed to selfish and ungracious.


The Rules of Acquisition
Grand Nagus Zek is back and entrusts negotiations with a Gamma Quadrant race called the Dosi to Quark. Things don’t really go to plan as the Dosi reject doing business with the Ferengi because Quark is demanding too much from them. Quark follows them back to the GQ and promptly finds out that the reason Dosi can’t do business is because The Dominion would need to be involved. Back on DS9 Quark confronts Zeke and finds out Zeke knew about the Dominion all along and used Quark as the tool to find out more information. We also have a sub-plot of a female Ferengi Pel, impersonating a male and working in Quarks bar. Quark is more than a little confused when she reveals herself.(4/10)

Quite the oddity here as normally a Ferengi episode is a home run for laughs but the writers tried to tack the Pel sub-plot onto a more serious storyline and it failed. Really, the only worthwhile moment of the show was the first reveal of the Dominion as the power in the Gamma Quadrant which revamped the whole show come season three.


Necessary Evil
An attempt is made on Quark’s life and during the investigation Odo uncovers information about a 5 year old murder back when the station was under Cardassian control. The widow of the dead man killed 5 years ago claimed Kira was responsible and claims that they were having an affair. Kira said she only shared a cup of tea with the victim and no more. Odo digs further and finds out that the murdered man and others contained in the list Quark was shot for, have been/or will be targeted for collaborating with the Cardassians during the occupation. Odo then realises Kira did indeed kill the man years ago and is unsure how to deal with it now.(8.5/10)

After a string of crappy shows we come roaring back into the type of story the show would become most well known for. Told in part flashback we get to see Odo, Quark and Kira during the occupation and how the friendship initially was started between Kira and Odo and how Quark is only in it for the money. Overlapping the investigation into the present gave the show a great scope and the finale of Kira confessing to Odo she was the murderer and him unsure how to react was powerful stuff. This is what I would call the first really classic DS9 episode that is all about the darker end of the story and everything being rougher and less obvious. I especially LOVED the end because Kira is unrepentant and the usually straight laced Odo is unsure about himself because he knows Kira was probably right to do what she did. The fact he didn’t charge her at the end spoke volumes even if it wasn’t mentioned as such.


Second Sight
Professor Seyetik comes to DS9 as he believes he can reactivate a dead sun. He’s pretty pompous and full of himself, but with good cause because he’s brilliant. If he succeeds he will call it the greatest achievement of his career and believes there will not be many more worlds to conquer. Meanwhile, Sisko suddenly finds himself attracted to a woman for the first time since his wife’s death. She is perfect in every way and manages to say the right things at the right time but does have one flaw…she constantly disappears into thin air. I mean, she just vanishes right in the middle of a conversation! Turns out she is the mental projection of Seyetik’s wife who manifests this duplicate because she feels trapped in her marriage but cannot leave him because her species mates for life. Seyetik knows the drill as he’s been through a few wives and kills himself re-igniting the dead sun to free his wife.(3/10)

Blah. Just…blah. One of the greatest things about sci-fi is that you can do anything, it’s just sometimes that can be a burden. In this case the whole “disappearing woman” and how she was created was bad sci-fi and the resolution reeked of “reset button” storytelling. Any good sci-fi show becomes that way because they aren’t afraid of to challenge and bruise a few common storyline arcs. This show called for Ben to fight for the freedom of his brand new love from the egotistical scientist who can’t see past himself. That would have been great drama but instead we got dribble with a side of crap.



Sanctuary
A race called the Skrreeans come hurtling out of the wormhole having been displaced from their home planet. There are three million of them and they believe that Bajor is the world that they have seeking. Bajor still fucked up from the occupation, denies the Skrreeans request to settle on part of the land that’s considered all but inhospitable. Ben finds the Skrreeans a more than better alternative home planet but they hold strong that they must settle on Bajor and the Bajoran government holds just as strong in denying them refuge. Things end sourly when the son of the Skrreeans leader gets himself killed while trying to crash land on Bajor. (2.5/10)

I have no idea what the writers were going for here. I think they were trying to portray the Bajorans as a little xenophobic and as bad people for not letting the Skrreeans settle but really, would you blame them? I mean, after 50 years of Cardassian rule and having The Federation currently as babysitters. They’re hardly going to open themselves up MORE to complete strangers. For their part, the Skrreeans were completely unreasonable for not looking for alternatives. I mean, there fucking homeless and there are 3 million of them. They really can’t be choosey when they have nowhere else to go.


Rivals
Quark has competition in the form of snake-oil salesman Martus who starts a bar in direct competition and suddenly attracts everyone and leaves quark with no-one. It seems he used the stations replicators to make copies of a small gambling device. The unfortunate side effect is that these devices change all the laws of probability on the station making some unlikely to ever happen events magically happen. Martus gets what’s coming to him when the swindler gets swindled. We also get a sub-plot of Julian and Miles playing racquetball but the games getting influenced by the changing probabilities on the station.


This episode is supposed to be fluff and it delivers it in spades. While the writers really didn’t nail it perfectly, we got enough out of the story to really help flesh out Quark as being vulnerable and how much he values his lone-bar status on the station. However, the b-plot of Miles and Julian pays off in spades as we see O’Brien really getting pissed at Julian and the Doc getting uncomfortable with Miles not letting a sleeping dog lay. It showed Julian’s respect for the Chief even though the Miles never repays it and how Julian would have to build up his trust. Overall, quit a fun gear change but I would have loved to have seen some real anarchy happen with the laws of probability just completely go out the window.


The Alternate
The scientist that helped study Odo when he was found comes to DS9. It seems Dr. Mora has founds signs on a planet in the Gamma Quadrant that my help solve the mystery of where Odo came from. The only problem is Odo practically hates Mora because of what Mora would do to him back in the early days of Odo’s discovery and feels a great deal of discomfort in his presence. On the plant they discover a substance that has properties like Odo and bring it back to the station. The sample ends up escaping and terrorising the station in particular Mora but in a plot twist we find it’s actually Odo subconsciously and unknowingly doing the chasing. (6/10)

I have mixed feelings about this episode. I loved the new facets of Odo we got to see based on the presence of what is basically his father on the station. It was fascinating to see the complete lack of empathy Mora showed for Odo, who basically believes he was mistreated and abused at the Doctors hands. Why I liked the idea of Odo subconsciously stalking Mora they WAY they got there was really quite stupid and more than a little crappy. I mean, I was with it right up until the sample that manages to escape that isn’t really the culprit but somehow Odo was? Maybe I was missing some key plot point but there was some terrible narration in this storyline and it’s all the more glaring because the writing and its attention to details is usually pretty spot on. So this episode is great by halves, anything Odo/Mora is gold but once you get into this other worldly “sample” business…you’re best to hit fast forward.


Armageddon Game
Bashir and O’Brien are assisting two once at war races, the T’Lani and the Kellerun, in destroying the last of Harvesters which were the main biological weapons used to kill people from both sides. Once they accomplish their goal a group of T’Lani try to kill them and any of the other scientists that had any knowledge of the weapons. They both escape to a nearby planet and hide out while trying to contact the Kellerun to inform them of the double cross. Back on the station word is received that Bashir and O’Brien have perished in the form of an accident but Keiko buys none of it. Eventually we find out that both sides planned the ambush and faked the circumstances of the deaths and Sisko manages to get O’Brien and Bashir out of harms way and back on the station. (7/10)

The episode sorta snuck up on me. I usually don’t like the “opposites trapped in one location” type episodes but this show I liked. Hearing Bashir and O’Brien go at it was tremendous stuff and they really started sowing the seeds of the eventual friendship. In fact, I would say at this time the verbal between these two is the most developed and fun out of anyone. While that changes in the future, for now it’s a highlight of the show. As for the episode itself, good suspense and drama although anything with Keiko shits me to tears because she’s an annoying cow.


Whispers
The show opens with Miles making a break through the wormhole. He’s narrating a log saying “they” did not want him to warn the Paradas although he’s not sure who they are. It started when Miles came back on the station from an away security mission for the future visiting Paradas and finding everyone acting very suspicious. Little by little his world unravels as his wife and child are stand-offish, he’s re-assigned new duties, gets reduced access to ships systems and everyone around him almost openly acting like he is an outcast. When he can’t take anymore he heads back to the wormhole and we quickly discover that the Miles we have been watching this episode is a clone sent to DS9 as an assassin meant to be activated during Paradasian peace talks. The clone is quickly killed always believing he is Miles Edward O’Brien. (8/10)

Home run episode and a definite season two highlight. Colm Meany shows serious chops as O’Brien in this story as a man trying to keep it together. I also dug the twist that O’Brien was right but for the wrong reason. Not knowing he was a clone made him the bad guy but since the story was told from his perspective it made him a sympathetic character in our eyes.


Paradise
O’Brien and Sisko beam down to a planet from a runabout when they scan and find human life signs. When they get to the surface they release all their technology is useless because of a duonetic field. They soon find a human colony thriving that arrived via a stranded cargo ship 10 years prior. They find that the colonists have happily adapted to life on the planet. The darker side emerges when the colony leader Alixus rules with extreme measures which O’Brien and especially Sisko think is beyond acceptable. Sisko wants to leave but Alixus is more than a little pushy in making sure they stay and it’s discovered she is in fact responsible for the field that causes technology not to work and also purposely crashed the ship in the first place 10 years ago. When Ben and Miles get rescued they take Alixus and her son into custody but the rest of the settlement stays because they believe their lives are better now than before. (7.5/10)


I don’t recall liking this episode much when I first saw it but it really has aged well. I think my first viewing was a little tempered by the fact that the Alixus character was written so gung-ho you just knew how the story was going to turn out. Luckily we have Sisko and his steadfast belief in wanting to be rescued and not talking her shit to keep the story going. When Ben marches himself back to the hotbox (which is used for punishment by the colony) because he won’t bend to Alixus’s ways was great dramatic stuff. Good effort all round.


Shadowplay
Odo and Dax beam down to a planet and find that the colony is slowly disappearing one person at a time. Odo, being the slinky sleuth he is, is intrigued but things go a little pear-shaped when they discover the reason people are missing is because they are holograms being projected by the town square monument. Dax can fix the problem and when the folks agree to let her do the repairs, she shuts to the emitter only to discover one of the towns folk is in fact a real person. He created the colony years ago when they Dominion destroyed life as he knew it on his home planet. The emitter is restored and life continues for the village.(6.5/10)

What I liked about this episode (as opposed to anything Voyager did with holograms) is that DS9 made the reveal and then everyone just kept on with the story at hand. No big debate about holograms being sentient and all that crap. I also liked the tender nature of the story, one man’s wish for when life was better and Odo’s relationship with a recently orphaned girl and him wanting to find her mother. We also see a subplot of Kira starting a romance with Vedek Bariel and Jake telling Sisko that he doesn’t want to join Star Fleet. This was a character heavy episode that furthered along many things in the “DS9-iverse” while showing a softer side to Ben and Odo. However, I must say the actual story is pretty soft but is more than covered by the storylines progression.


Playing God
Dax is joined on DS9 by Trill initiate Arjin (an initiate is someone who wants to be a joined Trill and is going through the selection process.) The two don’t exactly get along as Arjin has a hard time distinguishing the difference between “Dax” and “Jadzia”. He also thinks Jadzia is far too care-free and light hearted to be a joined Trill while for her part, Jadzia thinks Arjin wants to be joined more for what others want and not because he wants. She even sights the fact Arjin doesn’t have any real goals for himself. The b-plot involves the two accidently bring back a proto-universe from a trip into the Gamma Quadrant and them having to take it back before it destroys the station and maybe the whole Alpha Quadrant.(6/10)

This was a show in halves. Anything to do with Dax/Arjin is interesting; anything to do with the proto-universe is blah. The story of the two Trills was interesting because each held a mirror to the other showing those things about themselves that maybe they didn’t realise. Arjin himself was an interesting study and it’s a pity he never came back for more story time. As for the sci-fi stuff, I’ll explain my dislike in the form of a question...if this proto-universe is so dangerous what difference does it make if they take it back to the Gamma Quadrant? Wouldn’t it just swallow up that space just as easily as it would in the Alpha Quad?


Profit & Loss
Quarks old Cardassian girlfriend Natima arrives on the station with two students in tow. It seems the shuttle she claimed was damaged in a storm was actually damaged by Cardassian fire. She tells Sisko that the two people she is caring for are a new wave of radical thinkers and are considered dangerous by the current Cardassian government. Garak takes an interest and soon he’s approached by the government to take out Natima and the two radicals and if successful his exile from his home world will end. Quark managed to convince Odo to turn a blind eye as he tries to get her off the station and Garak pulls a double cross and lets them go because he believes they are the future of Cardassia.(3/10)

A trend for the season continues as the good episodes are pretty spot on but the bad really bite the big one. This episode falls flat in many ways and is only redeemed by Garak and his “will he/won’t he” arc. His talks with Quark are also a highlight as he tries to warm the Ferengi away from Natima by discussing woman fashion. Overall a bud and maybe the worst of the season.


Blood Oath
Back when Dax was hosted by Curzon he took a blood oath to avenge the deaths of three Klingons whose firstborns were killed by a virus released by a man only known as The Albino. The three Klingons (and TOS bring over’s) Kor, Kang and Koloth come to DS9 looking for Dax as they have finally found the Albino. Things don’t go as planned when they realise that Curzon is dead and Jadzia is in his place. She wants in on the kill and heatedly clashes with Ben over whether she should do it. She consults Kira about what it’s like to kill and Kira tells her not to go. She ends up going on the revenge kill as Koloth and Kang both die as Kor and Jadzia stand tall.(9/10)

WHOO DILLLY! This episode fucking rocks. I keep on going on about how this show mines deeper themes and leaves things a little messy instead of nice and neat and this shows that perfectly. The whole dilemma about whether Jadzia should go is handled well and her talk with Kira is just so uncomfortable to watch as Kira squirms at Jadzia’s probing. The exchanges with Ben also work because it’s about raw emotion and the whole vibe as Jadzia comes back to the station after the kill and Ben and Kira silently scold her is a raw boned payoff for her actions. The other great surprise is the three Klingons coming back nearly 30 years after getting screen time on The Original Series and the action sequences are top notch for low budget sci-fi. A personal favourite DS9 episode that works on every level.


The Marquis Part I & II
A Cardassian ship is sabotaged and destroyed as it’s leaving DS9. Ben’s old friend Cal who is a Commander in the newly minted de-militarised zone saying everything is in chaos as formally Federation colonies feel abandoned as they now exist under Cardassian rule. Everyone on board DS9 is clueless about the Cardy ship exploding but it soon becomes apparent they someone within the federation is involved. Out of nowhere Gul Dukat appears in Bens quarters and says he needs to show him some things in the de-militarised zone. Ben is shocked to find things are at a near war-like state and Cal has actually thrown away his Federation commission as he now joins The Marquis, a group of out casted settlers fighting against the Cardassian and Federation governments who only want to be left in peace. The Federation gets on Ben’s back to control the situation but it soon become apparent that The Marquis are not going to go away.(8/10)

Another terrific episode (I’m counting both parts as one) that introduced a new element to Trek lore (The Marquis) and showed a massive amount about Sisko the character. His emotion tug of war between knowing that the colonists have every right to be aggrieved yet him still being a loyal officer in the Federation is great push and pull stuff. His
thinking out loud rant against Starfleet Admirals who live in paradise on Earth and have no concept of what is really going on at the frontier is a perfect character moment that defines what the Ben Sisko character is all about. The final shots of two old friends, Ster Fleet Commanders, firing at each other because they both stand up for what they believe is a powerful image.


The Wire
Garak is not quit being himself and when he starts to fit out, Julian discovers a device in his brain that’s causing the damage. The Doctor believes it’s a torture device but Garak sets him straight and explains he let the device be implanted when he was part of the Obsidian Order (the KGB/CIA types of the Cardassian Empire) as a way of resisting interrogations. However, since he’s been exiled on DS9 he has been using it to deal with his surroundings (bright lights, cold temps, the people) but now it’s causing the decay in Garak’s brain functions and even if it’s switched off, Garak will die. Bashir’s only hope is to contact the former head of the Obsidian Order Enabran Tain to see if he knows how to reverse the effects. Of course, he does know and he manages to set the Doctor straight on a few Garak home truths which only serve to muddy the waters around Garaks past even more. (9.5/10)

An absolute cracker of an episode. Garak finally pops-up out of his shadowy box and only serves to make himself even more of an enigma. All the time he was struggling and he was telling Bashir about his friend Elim whom he betrayed or was betrayed by and then to have all the exposition thrown out because Tain sets Bashir straight....Elim is Garaks first name. It just says so much about Garak the character...tasty stuff. What really made it work however was the “straight” man, Julian. Watching him change as the episode wore on was interesting because he so badly wanted to believe the man he thought he was beginning to know yet finding out he knew nothing but still fighting to save Garaks life. It’s funny, for a character that was initially hated by viewers, Bashir turned out to be the catalyst for many of the great buddy storylines (Miles, Garak, Dax) and the show would have been the poorer without him.


Crossover
The DVD’s that I have been watching these episodes on, well this episode is not working. Can’t say that I’m that concerned because I’m not a fan of the early mirror universe episodes. But for the sake of continuity, I am including a review by Jamahl Epsicokhan from JammersReviews. So don’t be alarmed by the sudden increase in review quality…

Kira and Bashir cross into a parallel universe (the same one that Kirk crossed into in the TOS outing "Mirror, Mirror") to find humanity enslaved by the allied Klingons, Cardassians, and Bajorans--ironically enough, because Kirk led the "Terrans" to give up their violent ways, thus leaving them defenseless to the chaos of their neighbors. Kira finds herself face to face with her own counterpart, the evil Intendant Kira, who commands the station. "Crossover" is a superb episode of unique style and attitude. The extremely neat-looking sets and lighting are dark and brooding. And David Livingston's first-rate direction utilizes freedom with some fresh perspectives; canted camera and low-angle shots add a welcome sense of unreality. The characterizations can best be described as "brilliant." Nana Visitor's take on the mirror Kira creates a sexy, venomous persona with a healthy dose of narcissism and an intriguing subtext of lesbianism. She's spoiled, ruthless, and fearsome, but still has a respect for life and no love for violence. Meanwhile, Garak is the station's first officer--vindictive and power-hungry. Odo is absolutely hateful and brutal (with "Rules of Obedience" that can earn one a slap in the face for disobeying). Quark turns out to be noble (!), but is executed for helping Terrans escape the slave station. Then there's Avery Brooks' astounding performance as the alternate Sisko--an apathetic, self-serving, charismatic scumbag of a pirate who curries favor with the Intendant by running errands for her (among other things). Mirror Sisko is so watchable for all the wrong reasons; he's truly an antithesis of the real Sisko. The plot to "Crossover" is fairly simple (Kira and Bashir must escape this universe before they're destroyed by its chaos), with a few interesting plots twists. It's meaty and involving, plunging humanity into the depths of despair. The mirror O'Brien gives the episode a full sense of credibility with a scene that says it all: If history had been just a little bit different, how would he--and all of humanity--have turned out? That's what makes "Crossover" a real winner. Ask yourself: Based on the way the characters are played in this episode, isn't it possible that the real DS9 characters we know could've been capable of what their counterparts are here--provided history gave them the unlucky draw? Rating: ****


The Collaborator
Kira is forced into investigating Vedek Bariel on the eve of the Kai elections which he’s an almost certainty to win. It seems Vedek Winn has come across information that suggests Bariel was a Cardassian collaborator during the Occupation. Kira does find information that proves his duplicity and when confronted, he pulls out of the election giving Winn the position of spiritual leader of Bajor. However, Kira does further digging and uncovers that Bariel was covering for the former Kai, Opaka, who gave away the position of Bajoran rebels to the Cardassians, killing 48 people including her son, to save the thousands of other who would have been killed in the Cardassian search of the rebels. Bariel is willing to take the fall to protect the name of Opaka because the people of Bajor needs symbols like her in these hard times. (8.5/10)

Another great episode. The whole story of Bariel is well told and while the extra twist of him covering for Opaka was probably a touch too much, I can forgive it. However, the real show highlight in Kai Winn, they way she is written is so well done. You can never tell if she is serving herself or Bajor even when the evidence suggests she only is concerned about her career path. This duplicity is a strong story point that’s often revisited through the history of the show and her relationship with Sisko, as the Prophets Emissary, is prickly at the best of times.


Tribunal
O’Brien’s long overdue vacation is suddenly cut short as he arrested by the Cardassians for unknown reasons, He is quickly processed and informed he is found guilty and will be executed within the week even though he is yet to stand trial. On DS9 they quickly discover why Miles has been arrested, it seems the Marquis has set him up as a mule for a weapons exchange but the Cardassian courts will not hear this new evidence. Luckily, Sisko pulls a rabbit out of his hat and Miles becomes the first person ever in Cardassian legal history to win his trial.(7.5/10)

Bar the ending (which I will get too soon) this was another strong outing giving an unseen insight into the Cardassian set-up. The whole formula of a prison being found guilty before the trial is novel and the way it’s presented (in the context of Cardassian arrogance) is entirely believable and has overtones of a Third Reich-type regime. However the ending…pure dues ex machine and reeks of writers not knowing any better way to tie off what is others a great episode.


The Jem’Hadar
Sisko takes Jake and Nog through the wormhole to explore a planet in the Gamma Quadrant with Quark in tow who is wanting to suck up to Ben. Once there they come across a woman who is being hunted by the Jem’Hadar, the ass kickers for The Dominion. They are all quickly taken prisoner while back on the station a Jem’Hadar soldier appears providing a list of vessels and settlements they have destroyed for coming through into their space. He also informs DS9 he has Sisko prisoner and will be made example of for those who dare come into Dominion space. Back in the prison camp, Sisko and co escapes but not before the Federation starship USS Odyssey is destroy by a kamikaze Jem’Hadar ship out to prove they will take all force necessary to keep people away. Back on DS9, they soon discover the woman they saved from the Jem’Hadar is actually part of the Dominion as well who was spying on everyone at close quarters. She informs them that interesting time lay ahead.(8/10)

Strong season finale as they finally pull the trigger on the much built up Dominion by introducing the Jem’Hadar and a yet unnamed other associated race. This hit all the right notes as it establishes the Dominion as being technically superior and the muscle, The Jem’Hadar, as seriously nasty ass-kickers. No complaints from me.


Wrap Up
Season 2 is an interesting thing to watch in a whole run. Not as consistent as Season 1, it does have much better high moments but counters it with some terrible clunkers. That being said, the slow build of the Dominion was very well handled as the writers showed their hand a little but haven’t really given way all that much. Season 3 will start to really get into the meat of the Dominion story and the platform for all that goodness was laid here. There were also a huge helping of character episodes although the whole “these two DS9 crew members are off doing this” set-up starts getting repetitive quick.

Overall, a much stronger season than I originally remembered with The Marquis storyline also getting its run here and hanging around for most of the next three years giving up many good episodes to come. I cannot complain about much at all.

The 411: If you want to know what the show is built on, you need to watch this season. Surprisingly, it holds up better with time than on original viewing and offering some good sci-fi. 7.5/10.

Final Score:  7.5   [ Good ]