Deep Space 9 Superior

[Starbase]

Our Man Bashir

Ah yes, Bashir plays Bond, James Bond, in a holosuite program with trusty sidekick Garak. This episode features a rather cliched holosuite malfunction, but the implementation is very original and funny. Characters with names like Mona Luvsitt and Professor Honey Bare and great tributes to the James Bond movies. Kira does a great job with her accent. Worf as Sisko's thug is equally convincing. But my favorite performance is Sisko himself. He makes such a fantastic villain! The ending is fantastic. Bashir ultimately takes Garak's advice, opting to destroy the world and join the bad guy just to keep the holosuite program running a little longer. Doing so saves the lives of the senior officers. A fine show.

[Starbase]

Homefront

So the wormhole is opening and closing at random. Then there's a bombing on Earth caused by a Changeling. Then Odo discovers a Changeling trying to impersonate an admiral on Earth. Yep, it all adds up. Changelings are indeed "everywhere." Or so this episode leads us to believe.

This storyline is credibly presented, but there is something about it that seems off. While it's an enjoyable episode, I personally would have rather seen the time spent on something else. I agree entirely with Odo's objections for coming. What's the point? They already submitted very thorough reports. One thing I did like was the alien president of the Federation, something that was featured in TOS as well. I also enjoyed getting a chance to see Sisko's father for the first time, as well as the restaurant he kept talking about. A decent enough episode.

[Weyoun]

Our Man Bashir

If you thought 'Little Green Men' was fluffy and lightweight wait till you see this one. Probably one of most silliest episodes yet, it is one outrageous joke stretched out for 45 minutes, but in typical DS9 fashion it all goes smoothly. An obvious parody on James Bond this is actually more Austin Powers in its approach as we see Sisko and co become ridiculous characters with equally ridiculous of names. But the whole cast pulls it off and everyone seemed to have alot of fun. With Bashir and Garak constantly making fun of it all, this is just another fine and fun example of DS9 not taking itself too seriously.

[the Fifth Race]

Homefront

This is both a strong character story and a plausible intrigue outing. IMO it's the best episode since "The Visitor," and considering how good the season has been, that is saying quite a bit.

There's a very effective scene where Sisko convinces the President how serious the Dominion threat really is by walking into his office with a briefcase for a meeting. The briefcase is really Odo, who morphs into his humanoid form much to the President's surprise. I'm amazed I didn't identify the briefcase as Odo right away, but the scene does such a good job of sidetracking us that it's as much of a surprise to us as to the President.

"Homefront," however, is not just another Dominion intrigue story like "The Adversary." This episode is about people, and how being in constant fear of an invisible invasion affects their lives. Earth is supposed to be paradise, but it never feels like it in this episode. Everybody is scared and paranoid. Tensions haven't been as high on the planet since the Borg incident. Present here, which wasn't in "Adversary," is a very strong character undercurrent. The episode's best scenes are those between Ben and his father. Early scenes do a wonderful job of establishing Joseph and his famous New Orleans' restaurant. The restaurant is a convincing set with pleasing details that go a long way in establishing a welcome, homey tone in spite of Earth's present crisis. Brock Peters turns in an impressive portrayal of the stubborn, elderly Sisko, whose health problems have both his son and grandson getting on his case to take better care of himself. The writers are very accurate in their portrayal of Joseph being old and inflexible. When Ben asks him why he never visits Deep Space Nine, Joseph replies "Who would run the restaurant?" Anyone with elderly relatives has heard this line before. At the same time, Peters seems perfectly cast as Ben's father; there's an aura of natural charisma between him and Avery Brooks.

[Saquist]

I like Homefront and Paradise Lost but I have one complaint.
There just wasn't enough action. Not necessarily starship combat but something else could have been going on as well. It was just a bit on the slow side and needed a break up.

This is often my complaint with two parters. Sometimes there is enough doing...too much talking.

[USS Defiant]

"Homefront," however, is not just another Dominion intrigue story like "The Adversary." This episode is about people, and how being in constant fear of an invisible invasion affects their lives. Earth is supposed to be paradise, but it never feels like it in this episode. Everybody is scared and paranoid. Tensions haven't been as high on the planet since the Borg incident. Present here, which wasn't in "Adversary," is a very strong character undercurrent. The episode's best scenes are those between Ben and his father. Early scenes do a wonderful job of establishing Joseph and his famous New Orleans' restaurant. The restaurant is a convincing set with pleasing details that go a long way in establishing a welcome, homey tone in spite of Earth's present crisis. Brock Peters turns in an impressive portrayal of the stubborn, elderly Sisko, whose health problems have both his son and grandson getting on his case to take better care of himself. The writers are very accurate in their portrayal of Joseph being old and inflexible. When Ben asks him why he never visits Deep Space Nine, Joseph replies "Who would run the restaurant?" Anyone with elderly relatives has heard this line before. At the same time, Peters seems perfectly cast as Ben's father; there's an aura of natural charisma between him and Avery Brooks.

Well said brother Fifth. For me the most powerful scene in the entire episode was the one where Sisko confronts his father Joseph about not wanting to take a blood test - This highlights the episode's theme, which at the moment is probably the most relevant theme in the series. To quote Odo's very precise words, "That's why my people came here; to undermine the trust and mutual understanding the Federation is built on." The funny thing about this whole scene is that I was actually half-expecting Joseph's blood to morph into Changeling liquid. Homefront allows us to truly understand Ben's fear and paranoia, because it has a way of making the threat seem extremely real. This is very, very well done. I haven't felt this engrossed in a Star Trek threat since TNG's "Best of Both Worlds."

The last two acts step away from this theme somewhat in order to continue developing a plot to leave us hanging until part two. Suddenly, there's a massive power outage (the entire planet, if you can swallow that), knocking out the entire planetary defense network and leaving Earth defenseless. Suspecting this sabotage is the first step of a Dominion strike, Sisko and Leyton ask the President to declare a state of emergency - something that, aside from the Borg emergency, hasn't happened in over 100 years. This way they can put armed officers on the streets to resist a possible Jem'Hadar invasion force.

President Jaresh-Inyo is reluctant to do this - he doesn't want to be remembered as the president who put arms on every street of Planet Paradise, but he ultimately agrees. There is no other option. If the Dominion attack without encountering some sort of resistance, Paradise will be more than lost, it will be destroyed.

[Starbase]

Paradise Lost

This episode was good Trek and mediocre DS9 (which is IMO a much higher standard), but as sequels go, it clicked even when it was predictable. Once again I had the uncanny feeling that I was watching ST6: The Undiscovered Country, with a little bit of some of the TNG conspiracy episodes thrown in.

Nothing about Paradise Lost from the title on down could be called subtle, but it had a ring of earnestness to it that I liked. DS9 sometimes feels so far removed from the Federation - as we've seen it in films and on TNG - that it was interesting to see its problems come home to roost on Earth. Four changelings, hmm, and one of them sure knew a lot about O'Brien's life on DS9...nice little thread to leave dangling, but I'm glad that the Dominion were not what this episode was about.

Interesting to see O'Brien out of context and out of character, as he seemed so loose and cheerful as a shapeshifter (they should let him use that big laugh on the station once in awhile!) I was pleased to see that Kira was the one Sisko called in a crunch...although it was probably only because all messages on Bajoran channels get relayed to her.

This episode did demonstrate most of the reasons that Sisko (and Avery Brooks) are indispensable to DS9. He was scary when he was grilling that all-American cadet type, and before that when he barked at Nog about not recognizing an order -- His various responses to chain of command bull speech by Admiral Layton reminded me a lot of Riker in "The Pegasus," when the similarly paranoid Admiral Pressman tried to use Will's loyalty to bolster an illegal scheme to protect the Federation. Over-all a decent episode.

[jelgate]

Return to Grace

After strongly disliking Indiscretion I was all ready to hate this episode because the Kira and Dukat interaction just comes off as creepy. But I just can't help myself. This is a fun episode to watch. For one it tells us how the Klingion-Cardassian War is going. Its something thats in the background in S4 but a lot of times we don't upfront see how the war is going. From this episode it seems like the Cardassians are on the losing side but maybe that is because Dukat is a frieghter captain.

Speaking of Dukat that is who the episode is about.Yes Kira is there as an achor for the audience but this episode is all about Dukat to see how far he has sunk and just how he will go to get what he wants. After all at the heart Dukat is a megalomanic. The plot of Dukat wanting revenge on the Klingions for destroying a Cardassian station and the hijacking of the Bird of Prey is a fun action one. But that is not the point. The point is Dukat's desire to regain his status and doing whatever it takes to gain that and how far he is willing to go. That much is obvious at the end when he says he wants to take his new prize out and take hit and run against the Klingions.

Its hard to believe this is the first episode to feature Damar. He seems like a one time character in this episode but as we know he is quite crucial in future. Not to mention how this changes Ziyal know that she is one the station. But overall this episode is about Dukat and how much he is willing to go and how much he is willing to gamble to get what he wants. Sure he says its for Cardassia but I know better

The Sons of Mough

What is it wth Klingions and suicide? It seems like half their rituals are for suicide reasons. I have no problem with Worf tackling with the moral issues of killing his brother for cultural reasons and trying to find a way for him to fit in on DS9 but the end result of them wiping Kurin's memory and giving him to a friends of the family seems such a cop out. It seems like such a reset button to have the whole moral problems being avoided. Its a small thing but I liked seeing the crew objections to what Worf did at the beginnig.

Even know I really don't like the A story was solved I did like how they incorportated it into the B story of the Klingions mining the border of the Bajoran system. It shows their more warlike nature that has been sorely missed for a long time. Its also fun seeing DS9 trying solve this mystery and then see Worf and Kurin gain the access the code for the mine field. Its a nice to intergrate the two stories together. And it shows the Klingions aren't just fighting the Cardassians. They are also probably preparing for a war with the Federation.

[USS Defiant]

Please slow down the reviews brother jelgate. I'm trying to keep up, I wish you would only post 1 or 2 a week, this way we can break them down in even more depth.

[USS Defiant]

Paradise Lost

"Paradise Lost" is exactly what I expected it to be. It's a good episode, but hardly an event of astounding magnitude that would, in retrospect, make "Homefront's" setup seem as truly frightening as it appears to want to be. I mean, let's face it. If the Dominion actually attacked during the blackout, the repercussions would be so unfathomable that I can't even begin to imagine such an episode. The writers will not begin to take such risks with the series, because if there's one constant in the Star Trek universe, it's that there will always be peace on Earth, and the Federation will remain intact.

It's kind of like "The Best of Both Worlds." It had one hell of a setup, yet the outcome was inevitable. It posed the question: Are the Borg really going to assimilate Earth? Well, of course not. Things that bad by definition can't happen on Star Trek, even if the story would be more realistic, disturbing, and/or dramatic if they did happen.

Consider last season's two-part "Past Tense," where Sisko and the others got stuck in Earth's past. Part one ends with Sisko deciding to take the place of the martyr Gabriel Bell. In dramatic terms, the best way to have ended part two would have been to have Sisko give his life in Bell's place to preserve the time line. Instead, there's a very convenient but necessary contrivance that allows Sisko to live, but have the same effect on history. Why? Simply because writers can't make big changes in history or kill off the leading character of the series. It's as simple as that - My point? In essence, the writers' hands are tied. They need a resolution, but it probably can't be something that's going to have a profound effect on the Star Trek universe.

"Paradise Lost" also has this quality. Obviously, the Dominion is not going to destroy Earth.
So, what instead? The episode is about Leyton's power play to declare martial law - a story that does indeed work, despite some foregone conclusions. On a character level, this is about Sisko's choice of having to confront a friend and former-mentor who is undermining the best interests of Earth and the Federation. (And I'll have to admit, though it's satisfactory, this can't compare to part one's story of living a life amid confusion and paranoia.)

Still, Sisko carrying a story about duty and loyalty is a good idea. When Sisko tells Leyton that he isn't going to support the initiative to take Earth under military rule, Leyton orders Sisko back to DS9, which, naturally, Sisko refuses. He instead begins gathering evidence against Leyton to present to the President. Subsequently, Leyton fakes Sisko's blood test and tells the President that Sisko is a shapeshifter. They throw Sisko into a cell - Noteworthy is the scene where Leyton visits Sisko in his cell. He reveals a subtle guilt for doing what he did to his friend. He seems to genuinely care about Sisko's welfare. It's nice to see that the writers don't throw characterization out the window just to make Leyton less sympathetic.

[Lieutenant Colonel Davis]

LOL, sure we remember you brother Davis (a fellow Star Trek ringer), good to see you again. I hope life is treating you and your family well my friend.

Lifes been good, right now I'm just relaxing, playing videogames, watching Star Trek, and eating chips.

[the Fifth Race]

Sisko carrying a story about duty and loyalty is a good idea. When Sisko tells Leyton that he isn't going to support the initiative to take Earth under military rule, Leyton orders Sisko back to DS9, which, naturally, Sisko refuses. He instead begins gathering evidence against Leyton to present to the President. Subsequently, Leyton fakes Sisko's blood test and tells the President that Sisko is a shapeshifter. They throw Sisko into a cell - Noteworthy is the scene where Leyton visits Sisko in his cell. He reveals a subtle guilt for doing what he did to his friend. He seems to genuinely care about Sisko's welfare. It's nice to see that the writers don't throw characterization out the window just to make Leyton less sympathetic.

Paradise Lost basically rides on this conclusion, in which Odo breaks Sisko out of jail and the honorable Starfleet captain goes to Leyton's office to try to talk some sense into him. Sisko has a speech or two, delivered with perhaps too much passion, as Avery Brooks tends to overact here.

With the Defiant on its way to Earth to prove that the mysterious wormhole activity was indeed not a cloaked Dominion fleet, but a ruse orchestrated by Leyton's informant on DS9, Leyton sends his right hand officer, Captain Benteen of the USS Lakota to intercept the Defiant which is "not to reach Earth under any circumstances!" under the pretense that everyone on board has been replaced by shapeshifters. With the situation out of his hands, all Sisko can do is wait, while the Defiant and the Lakota face off.

This brings up a rather unique situation - two Starfleet ships shooting at each other. After a brief phaser battle, Worf and Benteen realize they have to ignore their superiors and make some field choices. Benteen abandons Leyton's increasingly outlandish procedures. With no one to back him up, Leyton realizes that he's lost his initiative. His approach is wrong, he's ruined, he decides to resign, etc., etc. This is all basically by-the-numbers, but the presentation is what makes the show work. Reza Badiyi's direction, while not particularly gripping, keeps the momentum up to a satisfactory pace.

[Weyoun]

Paradise Lost -- IMHO this sequel is a bit better episode than the first part. While crazy power hungry idiotic admirals have been a Star Trek cliche since TOS, it was fun to watch in this episode. The battle between the Defiant and the Lakota to me seemed a little too short, but other than that it was spectacular. Other than that, the episode reminded me somewhat of TNG: The Drumhead, though without most of the offensiveness. Overall, a decent two part episode. It could have been done a lot better, but it was acceptable.

[Weyoun]

Crossfire -- There's talk about Bajor's push to join the Federation, which is something I always liked. This episode also featured a few nice scenes between Odo and Worf. Though the episode was more about Odo than anyone else. Odo of course is in love with Kira is too afraid to tell her.

There are some good scenes between Odo and Quark. Their half adversarial/half friendship relationship is one of the best character developments of the whole series, and this episode contributes heavily to it. My favorite moment between them in this episode is Odo installing sound proofing in his quarters to make Quark happy, then denying all knowledge of the whole operation to Quark's face. It was a great ending to this otherwise unremarkable episode. Literally, nothing happens in it except we get to watch Odo go through some social pain. Boring in some spots, but also a lot of brilliant writing going on in Crossfire.

[jelgate]

Crossfire -- There's talk about Bajor's push to join the Federation, which is something I always liked. This episode also featured a few nice scenes between Odo and Worf. Though the episode was more about Odo than anyone else. Odo of course is in love with Kira is too afraid to tell her.

There are some good scenes between Odo and Quark. Their half adversarial/half friendship relationship is one of the best character developments of the whole series, and this episode contributes heavily to it. My favorite moment between them in this episode is Odo installing sound proofing in his quarters to make Quark happy, then denying all knowledge of the whole operation to Quark's face. It was a great ending to this otherwise unremarkable episode. Literally, nothing happens in it except we get to watch Odo go through some social pain. Boring in some spots, but also a lot of brilliant writing going on in Crossfire.

Doesn't that technically qualify as something?