Deep Space Nine

On more than one action, when Deep Space Nine was brought up in conversation, people have told me that the first couple of seasons are a bit rough, and then it gets good. Like, really good. Well, I have to say, I thought the first season was pretty solid, so that bodes well!

One of the key complaints I hear is that the conflict between the Cardashians and the Bajorans takes up too much time and is a little bit dull, so I've been surprised at how few of the first season episodes are really devoted to it. Sure, there are a good number which are focused around the repercussions of the Cardashian occupation, or the uncertain treaty that the Federation has brokered, but for the most part these are used for either solid character development or specific meta-analysis of real world debates happening around the same time, such as the fairly solid finale, that is an entirely unsubtle commentary on the whole "evolution in schools" debate that, sadly, is still ongoing two decades later.

The only area that I feel could have been a little less clunky was the discovery of the wormhole, and the subsequent religious implications, but even this feels quite interesting – though I do wish that there would be some mention of what the "Prophets" are doing now. I mean, I understand that they have granted use of the wormhole, but they were also pretty clear that ships passing through their little pocket dimension cause them harm, and yet now it's a major trade route? Just seems inconsistent, and could have been explained in a couple of sentences with hand wavy space magic 🤷‍♂️

There are some other criticisms. Whilst I'm a big fan of the diversity of species that make up the DS9 cast and crew – which feels very right, for a space station so far from the Federation's core, and certainly from Earth – they are a rather odd mix, and the acting can be a bit clunky at times. Still, it's never as bad as first-season The Next Generation, and we all now how that developed, so I'm not too concerned. The actors are finding their characters and their feet in this weird, alien world; I can forgive the occasional stilted line of dialogue or bizarre facial expression. And, as with TNG before it, this is saved by the rather remarkable acting of one or two cast members, in this case Rene Auberjonois as Constable Odo and Armin Shimerman's Quark. If for nothing else, DS9 has won me over with how much focus they're paying the Ferengi! In fact, between Dax, Quark, and various other recurring characters, I'm really enjoying the fact that several of the races introduced in TNG are being more fleshed out in the spin-off.

I also find it funny that the whole wormhole premise is directly ripped from an episode of the parent show, though the other overlaps are a little better done. Indeed, it's clear that they were banking on the popularity of TNG in this first season, with constant cameos of side characters from that show, as well as the occasional "big name" drop in. Picard in the opening episode was fine, but personally I've had far more fun with Lwazana Troi and Q (even though I feel they made poor use Vash, who remains a woefully underutilised character). All in all, though, I enjoyed the first season. I've enjoyed a more grounded look into the Star Trek universe, with more long-term repercussions for character actions, and a greater focus on the society that these people inhabit. And if this is as bad as the show gets, then I have high hopes for whats to come.

Once again, I have to say: I don't understand the complaints about the early seasons of DS9 focusing too much on the Bajoran/Cardassian war and ongoing tensions. Season two starts with a three part episode looking at more of the ramifications of that invasion, including a plot by the Cardassians to undermine the Bajoran interim government, and I thought it was great. Ditto the introduction of the Maquis, and pretty much any episode that focuses on Garak, who I'm very glad to see returning to much more prominence this season – he's a fantastic character and incredibly well played!

That said, I am enjoying the stories out of the Gamma quadrant a little more. The Dominion were an interestingly built antagonist; the refugee episode with the displaced farmers of Skrreea was a cleverly written insight into the lasting impacts of war and the current Bajoran healing process (which took a surprisingly frustrating but realistic path); and Odo's continued origin arc remains intriguing. There are also more Starfleet-focused episodes, and again, these are largely well done and interesting. The characters continue to develop and the overall picture is one of a show that has really started to find its feet. Sisko, in particular, seems to have had a lot of character development. Between the fleeting romance with the psychic projection (now there's a sentence 😂) and his steadfast determination in the face of torture on the lost "Luddite" colony, he's becoming a lot less robotic.

The Mirror Universe episode was less interesting, and whilst I enjoyed the narrative of O'Brien's arrest and trial on Cardassia, that episode didn't quite go anywhere 🤷‍♀️ I'd hoped that it would cause a little bit of a rethink on the whole idiocy of Cardassian justice, but no, it was just another plot to seed doubt and reignite the war. Which is to say that the season is far from perfect, but does feel like it's steadily improving.

(Also, do the show runners have it in for O'Brien? Over the course of the season he's shot, imprisoned, stranded (twice!), threatened with torture, and forced to think he's going insane/paranoid! Give the man a break 😂)

Ah, so this is the season where the show flips from being predominantly about the sociopolitical situation on Bajor and really begins to explore the other side of the wormhole. It starts out strong, with the discovery of Odo's people neatly coinciding with the answer to the mystery of the Founders. I also enjoyed the further explorations of the Jem'Hadar we get across the season, and the Defiant continues to be a useful (and believable) crutch for getting out of sticky situations.

We also get plenty of solid character development. Odo is continuing to feel like a more rounded, interesting individual – though I could do without the romantic subplot with Kira. Quark has some great episodes, particularly the time he ends up marrying into a Klingon family, and I thought the episode with his mother was brilliant (and continues to hint at an evolution of Ferengi society). Similarly, I continue to enjoy how Rom and Nog are evolving as much more complex and multifaceted examples of Ferengi cultlure. (And I don't hate that the Grand Magus was largely absent, with a single episode that was actually kinda fun, given his sudden switch to socialist principles.)

In fact, pretty much all of the characters get solid episodes. Bashir's fight against his own subconscious as he ages rapidly is fascinating; O'Brien's time skipping episode is good fun; I really enjoyed Dax's ritual where she gets to meet all of her past incarnations; and Garak continues to be a wonderful enigma. Classic Trek episodes with the mirror universe, time travel to a past Earth, the recurrence of Ryker's transporter clone, and a few more cameos help round it out.

There are some duds. Dax's sudden infatuation with a multidimensional love interest was a weird episode. I'm not entirely happy with Vedek Bareil's death, nor that they appear to be setting up Kira with a new powerful love interest already. Lwaxana's "love bomb" episode was just a bit boring (and obvious). And the show ends on a bit of a weak note, trying to hunt down a Changeling spy.

But those are minor niggles, and are easily offset with one of the best episodes of the show so far: Second Skin. A mind-bending episode that practically plays out as a What If..? style story, with the Cardassian Black Order attempting to convince Kira that she was an undercover Cardassian spy all along. It's trippy, well written, and extremely well acted. That the whole think is a fake-out trying to capture a Cardassian underground sympathiser is just another excellent story beat in that societies own evolution.

As a result, the season is more defined by its high notes than its low ones, yet again, and continues to be a solid, more nuanced look at the Trek universe, with much better world building than many of the other shows managed.

If the third season laid some excellent foundations, it is the fourth that truly reaped the rewards. Here, Deep Space Nine finally seems to hit its stride. Right out of the gate we get some interesting internal twists, as the Klingons appear to renege on the Federation treaty and invade Kardassia, nicely flipping the old villains into unwilling allies. The Klingon plot is interesting enough – and plays into the overarching Dominion narrative well, especially with the finale revelation – but it does feel a little forced at times, and a little too transparently a reason to clarify Worf's presence, which I feel could have been explained in dozens of other ways.

Thankfully, deus ex Klingon is used sparingly, and when the war does crop back up it's generally used in more interesting ways. Gul Dukat, in particular, really begins to shine. He's played an interesting foil in the past, but his joint outings, first to recover his lost half-Bajoran daughter (a phenomenal episode for all involved), then again in a banal escort mission that evolves into a fascinating "how the tables have turned" tale for Dukat and Kira, are both highlights in the season. Elsewhere, Worf's trial is an average courtroom Trek episode, but a fun angle to approach from, whilst most of the other Klingon episodes are more Worf-specific: the impact of his banishment on his brother, and a general bond forming between him and Dax that allows for some recurring old friends.

As for the Dominion, they continue to play the role of "big threat" well. Episodes involving multiple Jem'Hadar attacks, as well as an unlikely team up, serve to begin fleshing out these alien races and planting the seeds that may, one day, result in friendlier relations. Though, by far the best related plot involves almost no Gamma Quadrant involvement at all, but instead takes an insightful look into how easily even the most utopian vision of humanity can be corrupted from the inside-out through fear and "righteous" honour, in a strong two-parter that forces Sisko to uncover an internal military coup seeking to overthrow the Federation's civilian branches. It's a decent analysis of the rapid descent into fascism and how even the best-meaning of individuals can find themselves swept along for the ride, blinded by friendship and misplaced loyalty, or poisoned by ideology, fear, or distrust. Less interesting is the finale, which sees Odo turned into a "solid", a move that I'm sure will lead to some interesting explorations, but does somewhat compromise both his character and the very concept of his species – and seems to have some much larger implications for determining who is or isn't a Founder, now we know they can (albeit permanently) perfectly replicate any other species.

But as with most seasons of Trek, it is the one-off episodes that truly shine. There's less individual character work for some of the cast this season – Dax, in particular, gets little specific plot threads – but there are still plenty to pick from. Top of my list are Jake's lifetime journey as he tries to save his father from some kind of time slip, only to realise that by dying in his dad's presence, he can revert them both. It's a fun mystery and a great way to rapidly expand his character, with some very serious philosophical implications and a lot of uncertainty over how much information Jake himself retains. It helps that old-Jake is wonderfully cast and gives both Sisko men a very heartfelt series of interactions.

Similarly, O'Brien continues to be the show's narrative punching bag, this time throwing him into a brilliantly horrific storyline where he is convicted of espionage by a race whose penal system happens entirely in virtual reality. The result is that the Chief undergoes decades of isolation, imprisonment, and cognitive torture, ultimately killing his own cellmate and friend in a hunger-fueled rage, only to discover that a mere hour or two have actually passed and he can pick up his life with his family – who he expected to have long since died or moved on – having only missed him for a day or two. It's one of the best episodes of the show so far; they both are!

Though speaking of punching bags, Sisko is once again not allowed to have positive romantic plotlines 😅 Not only do we have a return to the Mirrorverse, just to ensure he's present for his alternate ex-wife to die, but he then returns to his own universe to discover a few episodes later that his growing love interest there is, in fact, a Maquis spy and smuggler. She does at least profess her love and accept prison over never getting to see him again, but she's also looking down a long stretch with little hope for parole, so the result is about the same.

Oh, and the Odo/Kira thing appears to have been dealt with, in a moment that is initially poignant (in that it seems to suggest Odo is becoming more and more emotionally balanced) but then undercut by his conversion at the end of the season 🤷‍♀️

Still, the end result is that the fourth season is easily the most intriguing, nuanced, and consistently solid of the show's run so far. It advances all of the key narratives well, ties them together with strong solo outings, and expands the lore of the key factions nicely. The finale's cliffhanger also helps explain the most inconsistent and confusing aspects of the season's plots, and hopefully sets us up for a more interesting approach to the Dominion (with less stalling) in the season to come.