Deep Space 9 Superior

[jelgate]

The Assignment always made me think. What kind of charges did Miles face for his crimes?

[nx01a]

The Assignment

I love this episode. Perhaps the best Keiko episode... perhaps because it isn't 'Keiko' for most of the episode. Very nice to introduce that chroniton radiation can kill a 'wormhole alien'... and a 'firecave alien', too.
The one thing I hate about the episode is the horrid puppy dog suck-up that Rom is. It's like he wants to be human. And it's really disgusting watching him ape human likes and dislikes. I suppose that, since he's not considered a good Ferengi, he's trying something else. I'm reminded of B'Elanna in 'Lineage', but I could at least begin to understand where she was coming from. Rom... Bah. He was always strange. His loyalty to Miles is admirable but strange, too.

[USS Defiant]

The Assignment always made me think. What kind of charges did Miles face for his crimes?

Interesting thought. I'll tell you brother jelgate - I have enjoyed this current DS9 rewatch quite a lot. I find something new and interesting every single time I go through these episodes no matter how many times I rewatch them. I hope you take your time through seasons 6 and 7.

[Spimman]

My wife and boys are at the in-laws for a few days so I had a bit of a marathon night with a break for W13. The reviews are short because I'm tired...not that mine are usually long

S2 E09 - "Second Sight"

This was a fun episode. I loved the teraformer guy and getting an insight into Sisko. Learning about his past and seeing him deal with some issues regarding his late wife.

S2 E10 - "Sanctuary"

This episode was a stinker. The males of that species were about as annoying as they get.

S2 E11 - "Rivals"

This episode was fun, seeing that guy getting burned at the end was pretty funny.

S2 E12 - "The Alternate"

I really enjoyed this episode. We got some real insight into Odo's backstory and I thought it was really cool how the doctor looked at Odo almost as a father would see a son, the end of the episode was touching.

S2 E13 - "Armageddon Game"

I liked this episode. We continue to see the Bashir/O'Brien friendship develop and the whole story was interesting. My only problem was how quickly they gave up at the end when the other ship got away, a little odd.

S2 E14 - "Whispers"

If I didn't know better I would think I was watching one of those marathons on TNG where they show all the weird episodes where people are paranoid and freaky, with O'Brien and all it kinda fit that mold. A fun episode, but there are parts where I was like...ok...lets wrap it up here. It does have a touching ending.

[USS Defiant]

I love this episode. Perhaps the best Keiko episode... perhaps because it isn't 'Keiko' for most of the episode. Very nice to introduce that chroniton radiation can kill a 'wormhole alien'... and a 'firecave alien', too.

I couldn't agree more. Keiko was down-right scary through a lot of The Assignment. The one scene that really hit home for me was rather subtle, yet it was played for great effect - was when the Keiko-alien calls Miles on the viewscreen while brushing Molly's hair (and pulls Molly's hair intentionally to send a message).

The one thing I hate about the episode is the horrid puppy dog suck-up that Rom is. It's like he wants to be human. And it's really disgusting watching him ape human likes and dislikes. I'm reminds of B'Elanna in 'Lineage', but I could at least begin to understand where she was coming from. Rom... Bah. He was always strange. His loyalty to Miles is admirable but strange, too.

lolol, a pretty good VOY analogy with B'Elanna. Rom is just plain strange to begin with. The worst came from him and Leeta hooking up, talk about hurl city.

[jelgate]

You keep going this fast you're going to surpass me Spinnman. I blame brother Fifth for wanting me to slow down

[jelgate]

lolol, a pretty good VOY analogy with B'Elanna. Rom is just plain strange to begin with. The worst came from him and Leeta hooking up, talk about hurl city.

The Risan wedding dress isn't too bad

[the Fifth Race]

The Assignment

Much of O'Brien's frustration mounts from the fact that the Keiko-alien constantly leaves him in the dark. She simply gives him an ultimatum and expects him to perform, without telling him what will happen next or explaining why he's doing what he's doing. She asks him to reconfigure some communications equipment. He does. Then she tells him it was all just a test to see if she could trust him. Hell, I'd be mad.

No, O'Brien's real task is a massive engineering feat. And after considering his options and deciding he can't risk carrying out the alien's demands, he reluctantly goes to see Sisko. But as he's walking down the promenade on his way to see the captain, the Keiko-alien promptly throws herself over the promenade's second level. Keiko's injuries are not life-threatening, but the implications are; the alien simply knows Miles too well to be fooled, and if he doesn't agree to be honest and conforming then Keiko will suffer the consequences. So the Keiko-alien gives O'Brien a 13-hour deadline to complete a 36-hour job.

An interesting dilemma seems to want to surface here - the idea of "how far would you go?" in order to protect a loved one. What if it meant putting the deaths of others on your hands? At first Miles tells the alien that he will not agree to anything that will jeopardize the lives of anyone one the station, but I'm not so sure. As the show progresses and O'Brien finds his back completely against the wall, it seems that he might be capable of anything to get this alien to surrender his wife. One interesting scene with Dax shows O'Brien trying to subtly talk himself into believing that what he's done isn't really sabotage, it's just "an unexplained variance" in the systems.

This could've been truly powerful material. O'Brien is a good, honest man, but who is to say what he could be capable of with his wife in such grave danger--or, for that matter, what any of us would be capable of? It's not an issue to be taken lightly. Unfortunately, The Assignment chooses not to follow through with this issue. Instead, it decides to slant away from character and go straight for plot.

[the Fifth Race]

I love this episode. Perhaps the best Keiko episode... perhaps because it isn't 'Keiko' for most of the episode. ].

LOL. A definite strong Keiko and Miles episode, and probably, like you stated brother nx, Rosalind Chao's best from DS9. But over-all The Assignment was just ok for me, not bad, but hardly great. Brother USS Defiant and Starbase enjoyed this one more than I did.

I blame brother Fifth for wanting me to slow down

Well if you did slow down I haven't noticed LOL. The pace of 4 or 5 epsidoe a week is not ideal for me personally, but I'm going with it and doing the best I can. I know brothers Starbase, USS Defiant and myself have really enjoyed reconnecting and hanging out to do the re-watch together. We have another scheduled re-watch session together tomorrow night.

[the Fifth Race]

S2 E14 - "Whispers" -- If I didn't know better I would think I was watching one of those marathons on TNG where they show all the weird episodes where people are paranoid and freaky, with O'Brien and all it kinda fit that mold. A fun episode, but there are parts where I was like...ok...lets wrap it up here. It does have a touching ending.

This episode delivers quite an original take on the paranoid thriller - The unexpected twists, turns, and revelations manage to plausibly build a sense that O'Brien is the only remaining individual who hasn't been "gotten to." The first-rate direction by Les Landau evokes a sense of altered reality in every scene, where characters seem to be only slightly different from what they should be, but different enough to seem threatening and to arouse our suspicions alongside O'Brien's. The way the clues play toward the two different perspectives (both the false O'Brien's and the rest of the crew's) is brilliant. Whispers is a creepy delight in my book.

[jelgate]

LOL. A definite strong Keiko and Miles episode, and probably, like you stated brother nx, Rosalind Chao's best from DS9. But over-all The Assignment was just ok for me, not bad, but hardly great. Brother USS Defiant and Starbase enjoyed this one more than I did.
Well if you did slow down I haven't noticed LOL. The pace of 4 or 5 epsidoe a week is not ideal for me personally, but I'm going with it and doing the best I can. I know brothers Starbase, USS Defiant and myself have really enjoyed reconnecting and hanging out to do the re-watch together. We have another scheduled re-watch session together tomorrow night.

I use to do 10 episodes a week.

[the Fifth Race]

I use to do 10 episodes a week.

True and I do appreciate the slow down to 4 or 5 a week. Look at the all the great conversations that have come about from this latest re-watch (^5 brother jelgate). These episodes never get old.

[Cold Fuzz]

Barely. Its like the country vs city example. Sure one is a little safer but it doesn't warrent forcing families to relocate to the country because the city can be more dangerous because danger is part of life

Have to agree with jelgate on this one. Though I live in a large suburb, I commute to work in a small town (just under 12,000 is considered small for the county I live in). Believe me when I say that being in a small town has its own kind of danger, particularly at night.

Just before the Dominion War broke out, DS9 was in a rather precarious position being on the edge of Federation space and 5 light years away from the Cardassian border. This was proven when the Dominion & the Cardassians finally attacked. But after Operation Return, despite its location, DS9 became one of the most heavily fortified positions in the entire quadrant. Why? Its weapons array, the Defiant, the runabouts, and the fact that DS9 became the official HQ for the Ninth Fleet. With all those Klingon and Federation ships (and later the Romulans) consolodated around the station and Bajor, that sector was buttoned up pretty tight. With so many allied resources and assets in the area, it really didn't make much sense for the Dominion to try and retake the wormhole with another frontal assault. Like any good strategist, the Founders and the Vorta changed their tactics and disposition towards the Bajoran sector and opted to strike elsewhere.

One would think that the Federation core worlds would be just as safe. The Dominion proved that notion wrong: Coridan's dilithium mines were attacked by the Jem'Hadar. Betazed was invaded and conquered, and the same with Benzar (though the Romulans finally drove them out). And of course, Earth was attacked by the Breen. Starfleet HQ and much of San Francisco were decimated.

The core worlds aren't exactly a safe haven.

As for Voyager, Janeway put it the best: "The Delta Quadrant is a death trap."

[nx01a]

Still safer.

[Cold Fuzz]

Still safer.

I'm sure the people on Betazed, Benzar, Coridan, and Earth were thinking the exact same thing as you before the first wave of Dominion ships...