Deep Space 9 Superior

[Jeff O'Connor]

2x07
"Rules of Acquisition"

"They're greedy, misogynistic, untrustworthy little trolls, and I wouldn't turn my back on one of them for a second."
"Neither would I. But once you accept that, you'll find they can be a lot of fun."
-Kira and Jadzia

In the second of what I'm well-aware will become quite a few Ferengi-focused episodes, their love-hate status among fandom as loud and sometimes shrill as the Grand Nagus himself, we're treated to a comedic adventure at last tackling that nagging blatant sexism thing head-on. Zek contacts Quark about a profitable business opportunity while a new bartender of Quark's is not all they seem, and various shenanigans ensue. The proceedings are often enjoyable, the handling of bartender Pel's little secret is amusing, and... I'm sorry, I can't go any further in this review without mentioning something far more important than the entire rest of the episode combined -- hello, Dominion, nice to hear you referenced for the first time.

I love how it was referenced, too. The dialogue suggests importance, but as Memory Alpha (ever-glorious, that site) mentions, they were purposefully mentioned for the first time here because few fans would expect an episode-for-laughs to bring up anything of actual significance, so the producers expected we'd all throw it away as irrelevant by hour's end. This kind of thinking is just brilliant to behold; the intentional clash of a script making them sound important and a fan reaction of shrugged shoulders is seriously one of the greatest television executions I've ever heard of. And the retrospective laughter I burst into when Zek said 'Dominion' in a scheming, we-can-be-buddies-with-these-guys sort of way really made my night.

Alright, fine, the rest of the episode.

I liked seeing Jadzia playing tongo with all the Ferengi in the beginning. (Actually, this is apparently the first time we ever see tongo in general, so the sweep around the table was kind of cool since it was an introduction to the game.) I've read since joining TrekBBS that there are some who prefer the Spock-like Dax we see in the first season, but frankly, I'm not one of them. As you'll note in previous reviews, it's not that I hated the character or anything, but I often felt Terry Farrell didn't have a firm grasp. Now that I'm seeing the beginnings of a more lax Dax (oh man, shoot me for that one) I see Farrell emerging as a strong actress and a joy to watch. When I saw Pel for the first time here, it didn't dawn on me that this was the episode I'd recalled from childhood which featured a female Ferengi cross-dressing as a male, so I was genuinely surprised when it was revealed.

I think Zek is better-acted here than in "The Nagus"; Wallace Shawn is a terrific character actor, but he seemed a little too shrill in his debut. Here, he's got just the right tone. He's also a completely sexist, selfish-to-the-max jackass of all trades, but I find much of it funny as intended by the writers, so no complaints there.

Kira and Jadzia share a great moment in Ops (the source of this episode's quote, in fact) and Kira's inability to see where her friend is coming from is a highlight of the episode. When she threatens Zek for his lascivious behavior, it's quite reminiscent of a similar threat to Quark early in the first season. I do find it slightly odd, though, that so very few of the station's inhabitants seem to bat a lash at the ruler of the entire Ferengi Alliance walking around; with Kira I think it's quite understandable given her character -- to hell with leadership when it's crude and oppressive -- but you'd think some of the supernumeraries would be directed to stop and stare, at least. I admit it's possible I missed a shot where that complaint is dealt with, but I don't think so.

Quark and Pel and their Quadrant-crossing, gender-defying misadventures are satisfying and true-to-form with what the episode is obviously going for: a comedy through and through, but one that candidly addressed the social customs of the Ferengi people. It's not exactly unheard of throughout history for women to have feigned membership of the opposite gender to attempt to carve out their own destinies, rather than being given them on a (sparse) silver platter. Given the relative equality of genders seen elsewhere in the Alpha Quadrant, it's quite believable that some Ferengi women would do the same; no matter how all-encompassing their world's beliefs may be, the fact that there are so many races out there beyond that rim that feel quite differently has to be irresistible.

The episode's title is fitting; there are a whopping seven references to Rules of Acquisition to be found here. It wasn't so long ago Quark had referenced 'an old Ferengi saying'; I take it the writers soon decided to give those sayings an official designation, then realized the goldmine they'd stumbled on.

I would have been less than impressed with the Dosi's presentation as a culture -- rather one-dimensional and, well, they looked like they were late to a tailgate party or something -- had I not quickly realized they were brutish and physical to sharply contrast the Ferengi's shrewd and... psychological? Besides, Zyree, one of the tow main Dosi shown, wasn't completely one-dimensional, plus she had the rather important honor of mentioning the Dominion for the first time in the series... not bad for a one-off.

I haven't really discussed "Rules of Acquisition" in a play-by-play format like I've done with several other episodes, and I don't really intend to. It isn't the sort of episode I feel like dedicating a volley of words on, but that's not to say it isn't quality entertainment. It's got some real delights -- Quark realizing how to do business with the Dosi and getting aggressive is a treat, and Pel's actress does a noble job playing the love-stricken, equality-seeking Ferengi -- but when it's over, I can't say I was at the edge of my seat. Then again, I don't think we were supposed to be, and so I'd say that Ira Steven Behr penned a good script and David Livingston shot it well, and I salute them for another example of why Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is a classic.

Rating: 7.5/10

[SaberBlade]

Who was more defective, Weyoun 6 or 7.

So 5 dies in an "accidental" transporter accident, 6 is created and eventually learns about the Founder disease. He defects to Odo and by association the Federation, which is the enemy of the Dominion. So now we get the A-Story of the episode how 6 is defective, is a danger to the Dominion and as a loyal subject of the Dominion should kill himself.

Yet ultimately the actions of Weyoun 6 wasn't to destroy the Dominion, but to save the Dominion by making sure that Odo, the only healthy Founder known to exist took over and helped make sure the Dominion continued.

Weyoun 7 on the other hand was willing to kill Odo despite 6 saying 7 would never do it. He ordered the Jem Hadar to jam the communications because they'd never knowingly do it (and as we have seen, would kill themselves if they failed to protect a Founder) and First Omlette'Klan (I'm not even going to pretend to know how to spell it) also said Jem Hadar were more loyal and the white wasn't needed. He also lied directly to the female Founder about what was going on.

So what do people think, was the war on the Dominion side being run by a defective clone?

[Starbase]

Who Mourns for Morn

This episode is at its best when everyone is mourning for Morn. Early in the episode Quark holds a service in his bar which is good for some affecting, low-key laughs. And the notion that "Morn's bar stool must never be empty" was particularly appropriate and thus reasonably amusing. Quark walking the line between sincere grief and melodramatic speeches for the sake of inducing his profits seemed pretty real, and even pretty sincere in a Quark kind of way. Similarly, hearing the bogus stories about Morn's secret lives from his old partners also was cool, we find out that Morn might have been a prince as well.

Did anyone watching this episode really believed Morn was dead? (not muah). You simply don't kill off your resident in-joke symbol of permanence for a comedy plot involving a bunch of greedy people holding out for a treasure. Since Morn is obviously not a guy who just goes away, most opf us die-hard fans knew the plot was a con from the outset. Ultimately, this episode could have benefited from more analysis of Morn as a symbol/mascot/whatever he is.

So, while "Who Mourns for Morn?" scores points for its likability, there's just really no surprise that comes along with it. The Quark angle is absolutely nothing new, and as for Morn, I wouldn't make this show out to be character development for him, because Morn isn't really a character. He's an icon, or maybe just a mascot.

[Starbase]

Weyoun 7 on the other hand was willing to kill Odo despite 6 saying 7 would never do it. He ordered the Jem Hadar to jam the communications because they'd never knowingly do it (and as we have seen, would kill themselves if they failed to protect a Founder) and First Omlette'Klan (I'm not even going to pretend to know how to spell it) also said Jem Hadar were more loyal and the white wasn't needed. He also lied directly to the female Founder about what was going on. So what do people think, was the war on the Dominion side being run by a defective clone?

Interesting thoughts brother SB. This may be a little off the wall - But could it be that they tweaked the Weyoun 7 clone to be more harder lets say. They knew full well that Weyoun 6 was defective (at least towards the Dominions way of thinking) - he was sympathetic like you stated. Maybe they added a little more meanness to Weyoun 7 to make sure he showed no sympathy, which he didn't, and was by far the most brutal of the Weyoun clones.

[the Fifth Race]

So what do people think, was the war on the Dominion side being run by a defective clone?

You ask a great question brother SB. After reading brother Starbases take - I tend to agree with the point that maybe they did "tweak" the Weyoun VII clone so he would be less sympathetic and even more subservient than past Weyoun clones.

Weyoun VII did seem to have more of an edge to him than the other Weyoun clones. Although it could be that the other clones (Weyoun V in particular) had more time to get to know us solids and learn to appreciate us - and they were around long enough to see that there beloved Founders were not the God's they were bred to believe they were. So many grey area's with Weyoun.

[somme]

I find DS9 utterly boring. It's not for a lack of trying to like it either. I mean it's still better than a lot of other shows. Just rather dull.

[Weyoun]

At this point Kira was all for joining the Federation. Yeah at first she was opposed to it. But after working with Sisko and gaining many StarFleet friends she saw that the Federation what it was and that it was more cooperative then oppressive like the Cardassians

I wonder if Kira would have warmed up to Sisko as fast (or at all) if he wasn't the Emissary. Kira was very resistant to anyone interfering with Bajor, even if they were a friendly contact, like the Federation. IMO I think Kira would have eventually learned to trust Sisko (the person), and eventually Starfleet and Federation even if Sisko was not the Emissary. We saw Kira grow as a person after her ordeal in the resistance. She was fiery and angry that first season.

[Weyoun]

Anyone else catch William Shatner on the CBS show Late Night with Graig Ferguson the other night?. It was surprisingly hilarious! I always expect a good time with Shatner in any interview or whatever, but he and Ferguson were dynamite together. As a matter of fact his segment ran the entire length of show so they didn't even bring out the 2 other guests slated that night lol. Anyway, for those who might be interested, try and Hulu or Google it so you can give it a looksie.

[jelgate]

I wonder if Kira would have warmed up to Sisko as fast (or at all) if he wasn't the Emissary. Kira was very resistant to anyone interfering with Bajor, even if they were a friendly contact, like the Federation. IMO I think Kira would have eventually learned to trust Sisko (the person), and eventually Starfleet and Federation even if Sisko was not the Emissary. We saw Kira grow as a person after her ordeal in the resistance. She was fiery and angry that first season.

I say yes. Most Bajorans followed him because he is the Emiassary but Kira is the exception. She resesnted him the same after being the Emissary like Past Prolouge for example. I thought the respect for Sisko has to do with respecting who him as a person

Anyone else catch William Shatner on the CBS show Late Night with Graig Ferguson the other night?. It was surprisingly hilarious! I always expect a good time with Shatner in any interview or whatever, but he and Ferguson were dynamite together. As a matter of fact his segment ran the entire length of show so they didn't even bring out the 2 other guests slated that night lol. Anyway, for those who might be interested, try and Hulu or Google it so you can give it a looksie.

CBS usually streams that show on their website. You won't find it on Hulu.

[Jeff O'Connor]

2x08
"Necessary Evil"

"I misjudged you, Major. You were a better liar than I gave you credit for."
-Odo

What words of inspiration can I muster to start this one off? The review was postponed because it was the first episode I really felt I needed to watch twice in addition to doing all my homework via various research sites afterward. It's brilliantly directed, features a strong musical score, shows off the best acting since the Bajoran trilogy, the writing is crisp and introspective... rest assured, "Necessary Evil" is a winner.

As the episode begins, we see a woman whose hairstyle and attire appear strangely dated; her stance beside a window during a thunderstorm all seems a bit old-school in execution. At first glance I thought it underwhelming, but as the hour progressed I steadily began to realize that so very much of the production form used here is 40's noir at its finest. In the first of many proclamations that she is innocent of a murder -- something I'd like to note is very relevant to the plot and execution, and clever -- we hear a haunting melody played in the background, something else we'll be exposed to routinely. We soon learn she's holding a conversation with Quark, who is tasked with the retrieval of a box from the spot on Deep Space Nine where her husband once ran a shop, five years ago when the station was known instead as Terok Nor...

The first act opens to something quite entertaining: Commander Sisko has requested that Constable Odo begin a daily log of law enforcement affairs. Odo spends the majority of the short message explaining his views on why Sisko sees it as necessary despite his objections, and the dialogue here is really quite funny. When Odo gets to the part in which he'd actually begin recording, a very simple 'everything's under control' is all he mentions. Not only does this set something up that will be recurring throughout the episode -- the security chief (detective) running a log (musing to himself during a case) in another nod to noir, but it's also a fine scene on its own.

As the lights go out for the day on the Promenade, Quark and Rom stealthily go about searching for the box Quark had been requested to retrieve. This scene is rather important in the grand scheme of things: it's the first time we're ever fully exposed to the notion that Rom may be significantly more intelligent than he lets on. It's also regarding mechanical contraptions and expertise, too, so it fits in perfectly with the development of his character throughout the seasons. Quark is thoroughly stupefied by his brother's know-how, and responds the only way he knows how to: threateningly. The box is successfully taken out, and ever-the-schemer, Quark opens it with the intent of resealing it before delivery. A list of eight Bajoran names on a piece of paper; hardly compelling merchandise for a Ferengi. Rom is sent to fetch something, and a man emerges from the shadows; sent by the woman from the teaser, Vaatrik Pallra, he'd been ordered to kill Quark if he opened the box. Quark is soon shot, the box's list is taken by the man, and Rom is flipping out.

Things progress routinely for a time, and a fount of good dialogue continues. Odo accuses Rom of being smarter than he looks, for example, but Rom vehemently refuses; this is the kind of stuff that gets me going, but only when surrounded by a more serious, gripping overarching plot. Soon enough, Rom is pressured into divulging the nature of the brothers' goings-on, and when he mentions the list was 'found' in what used to be the chemist's shop during the Occupation, Odo is visibly moved. Rom takes Odo to the spot, and the first of several flashbacks hits us.

These flashbacks are largely the hallmark of "Necessary Evil", and for good reason. Everything about them is handled superbly and altogether, they flesh out a new layer of depth in the show, letting us eager viewers glimpse into the station's past and the first meetings between various characters who had already been there before the time of "Emissary" the previous year. The dark, brooding environment that is Terok Nor comes through flawlessly, its harsh treatment of the Bajoran slave workers under one Gul Dukat enough to send a shivers down spines. Immediately into the first flashback, it's apparent that a separate filming style is used here: a silvery blue hue seems to saturate the imagery slightly, and it's a great touch. The noir continues.

It's five years ago, and Odo is an outsider here on Terok Nor. Far from the cunning constable, his eyes dart to and fro nervously. He's settled minor disputes between Bajoran workers since running away from the lab he was kept in on Bajor, his keen sense of justice without bias almost as well-known among certain circles as the 'Cardassian neck trick' he's been made to perform is among Cardassians. In short, he's not at all like the Odo we as viewers are accustomed to, and I write this all here for one simple reason: it's conveyed beautifully throughout the flashback. Gul Dukat would speak with him of enlistment in solving a recent murder, his personality seemingly rather unchanged in the years since the scene. Odo is quite hesitant to get involved, but made to do so when Dukat reveals the alleged fact that his superiors would have him round up ten Bajorans and kill them instead of find out who murdered the man, and that he's offering Odo a chance to get around that. It's a chilling line and Alaimo nails it. Odo's meeting with the dead man's widow reveals a man completely unsure with himself in this first of many investigations, who nevertheless manages to do a better job than most humanoids. The woman believes another female her late husband had been having an affair with is responsible, points her out, and it's... Kira.

There's a lot to like as the episodes moves forward, but once again I find myself skipping by necessity for brevity's sake. The investigation continues, and then another, much-welcomed flashback: Odo and Kira at first meeting. Kira immediately accuses the shapeshifter of attempting to solicit sexual relations; even now, ragged and dire, the young woman is fierce and bold. The direction by James Conway shines; the close-ups are well-shot and the atmosphere of the Bajoran ghetto is appropriately grim.

[Jeff O'Connor]

The investigation in present-time also continues. Through an entertaining 'think back, come on now' kind of sequence, Rom remembers the first name on the list he and his brother retrieved. The name isn't exactly right, but close: Kira manages to get it right rather quickly indeed. Meanwhile, Odo presses Vaatrik Pallra for further information, but she's not particularly forthcoming. The web of intrigue grows ever-tangled as Kira informs Odo the man they'd gotten a positive ID on has recently died. Something doesn't add up, though. Kira was awfully quick in bringing forward such information, and making the leap from an incorrect name to a proper one; it all seems a bit suspicious. It's worth noting that no lines of dialogue directly hammer that over our heads, though. This is as good a time as any to bring up what is so commendable about this script: it doesn't treat its viewers like children. Picture, if you will, the average script making its point here:

Average script: Kira is caught off-guard and stumbles for words when Odo asks her how she acquired this information so fast and how her 'connections' she mentions came through for her. She makes something up on the fly, the camera races to Nana Visitor's face and eerie music plays in the background. The viewer now knows something crucial. The episode continues as per normal.

The script for "Necessary Evil": Rene Auberjonois makes a slight eye motion at the sight of Kira's ease of access to such information and in such a timely manner. The episode continues as per normal.

Subtlety. Subtlety, subtlety, subtlety. Perceptive viewers are now alerted to something devious; imperceptive viewers will not be. Some television scriptwriters wouldn't know subtlety if it were hit upside their heads; Peter Allan Fields is not one of them, and I have a feeling I'm going to miss him when he departs the show at the end of this second season.

Another flashback! It's Odo and Quark. Anyone who's followed my reviews up until this point knows I can't resist every opportunity to bring up their terrific dynamic, so it should come as no surprise that when Quark's first words to Odo inquire if the 'owner of this establishment owes him money', and doesn't reveal that he is, in fact, said owner, I was giggling madly. What's great here is that going into the scene, Odo is treating Quark with a neutral fairness, yet within moments he's grabbing the Ferengi by his shirt threateningly. Ah, the beginnings. On that note, there's a strong link as the flashback ends; Quark is laughing (so is Dukat, for that matter, but I only bring this up because it's funny) and then we're brought back to the present, and Dax sees Odo and proclaims that it looks like he just lost his best friend. The implication is Quark, and the desire to ensure he's still among the living. What a relationship those two do have.

We soon learn the eight Bajoran names are those of collaborators. These people sold vital information about resistance networks and the like to the Cardassians during the Occupation in exchange for comfort and coin. As Odo plans to bring Pallra in for questioning, his logs continue. The private, introspective musings continue. The noir continues. And then another flashback. And during this decisive scene between the Kira and Odo of five years past -- Kira's alibi cracked when Quark had revealed she hadn't been with him the previous night as she'd claimed -- I suddenly forget all the good acting Nana Visitor has brought to the table up until now, because she's never been better. Odo claims she's a bad liar, and Visitor's Kira visibly shatters, utters a meager 'thanks' and it's damn good acting. The kind I only hope I can get within miles of if I pursue a career in it. And a recurring statement from the younger Kira -- that regardless of his self-proclaimed neutrality during these proceedings, he'd have to choose sides, Cardassian or Bajoran -- is made once more. Kira now states the so-called 'truth' Odo would believe for the next five years, that she was responsible for a sub-nucleonic strike on an ore-mining facility the previous evening, and that's why she'd lied before, and though in retrospect she's lying even now, she's doing a much better job of it. Dukat enters, and Odo chooses sides. He won't let her be taken by the Cardassians. He lets her go.

More shenanigans in real-time. Trazko, the man who had been sent to shoot Quark when this all began, returns to finish the job before the Ferengi awakens. Thankfully, Rom is on the scene this time, and his absolutely hilarious screeching alerts Odo in time to apprehend the intruder. There's yet another awesome bit here and anyone who has recently seen the episode knows where I'm going with this: Rom stops screeching when he's told he's a hero, then Max Grodenchik's excellent acting shows us a sudden change in expression as he realizes this means he doesn't get the bar, and then he screeches again. Silly? Yes. Superfluous? Maybe. Hilarious? Oh yes. And Vaatrik Pallra makes her arrival, feigns ignorance to Trazko's presence, and remains adamant she didn't kill her husband five years ago. She stares at Kira; another hint instead of mallet concerning the true killer. Odo surprises the both of them. He says he knows that now. Kira is shocked.

And the last scene begins. No doubt my longest review thus far concludes on the most memorable part of an episode that stands up to close scrutiny. Kira asks Odo when he figured it out; Odo explains that when she had acquired information on the first name on the list so fast, the possibility had occurred to him. Here, the payoff for the observant viewer, and the eye-opener for the less so. He goes on; once he knew the eight names were collaborators, the murder made perfect sense. Kira is floored. She's accused of having been sent to murder him; that isn't true. She murdered him, alright, but she did so because he walked in on her searching for the list as she'd been sent to do. And Dukat? Dukat had Odo get involved because he couldn't risk doing so, himself: the man Vaatrik was his direct link to the collaborators. Kira solemnly, quietly, distantly asks Odo if he'll ever be able to trust her the same way again. In a better answer than any real answer could have provided, Odo simply does not give her one. And we fade out.

Nothing more needs be said.

Rating: 10/10

[USS Defiant]

Who Mourns for Morn?

This episode is really a Quark story surrounding the plot device of Morn's death, and as Quark stories go, it's more or less routine. There's just nothing here worth getting excited about. Quark finds out that Morn had 1,000 bricks of latinum stashed away somewhere (he's not sure where, so the hunt begins), but things get complicated when others show up on the station staking claim to part of the loot.

The plot itself is predictable, and so are the various characters' actions: Larell - who claims to be Morn's ex-wife. As with all female seductresses, she makes an appeal to Quark's libido, hoping to con him out of a substantial part of the latinum (how predictable). It's pretty obvious that she's lying through her teeth (and even Quark has his suspicions about her), but he plays along because there's a chance he might get laid. Yipee. The plot makes another predictable turn with the introduction of the two "heavies", a couple of brothers: Krit and Nahsk - who tell Quark that Morn owed them money, and that Quark has now inherited the debt. These two were substantially more interesting than Larell, mostly because they were portrayed with more amusing quirkiness. I particularly liked Nahsk, the "slower" of the two, who makes Quark "wear" Morn's favorite painting, and then later tells him how "sorry" he was for doing so. The other guest character: Hain - shows up claiming to be a security officer who intends to seize the latinum in the name of a distant royal government, to which Morn was apparently connected in unfathomable ways.

Their plotting against Quark and each other put's together a series of watchable if not completely engaging cons. Quark plays the role he has played a dozen times before: the guy who has gotten himself in over his head, and just wants to get out while hopefully turning a respectable profit in the meantime. Shimerman plays this personality with his typically brilliant performance.

[USS Defiant]

2x08"Necessary Evil"
What words of inspiration can I muster to start this one off? The review was postponed because it was the first episode I really felt I needed to watch twice in addition to doing all my homework via various research sites afterward. It's brilliantly directed, features a strong musical score, shows off the best acting since the Bajoran trilogy, the writing is crisp and introspective... rest assured, "Necessary Evil" is a winner.

Welcome to my world brother Jeff. I learned my writing review skills brother Fifth Race - which means you watch each episode with subtitles on (for proper spelling and reference quoting) - you use the pause and rewind button more times than I want to remember so you can write down thoughts and ideas while there fresh in your mind - and for the really good episodes you watch it over again before posting a review to make sure you got the details right. And IMHO Necessary Evil is definitely worth a double viewing while reviewing.

Necessary Evil is such a truly great scifi episode (Trek or otherwise) - I particularly liked the running commentary we got from Odo's dialogue and security log throughout the entire episode. We also find out just how good Odo's investigating techniques are (very intelligent, patient, and thorough). I loved the noir look and feel of Terok Nor. I also enjoyed the way the writers used Pallra (the murdered man's widow). It was interesting and not very surprising to find that Kira was a brutal resistance fighter who killed many people (Cardassian and Bajoran via collateral damage). Great review Jeff.

[SaberBlade]

CBS usually streams that show on their website. You won't find it on Hulu.

I saw it on youtube. I'd not be surprised if it wasn't legit as these were high quality videos rather than the low res crap on the main CBS youtube account. The interview for me proved why there will only ever be on James T. Kirk, as Shatner is just too awesome for anyone to replace.

[jelgate]

One Little Ship

This episode is silly and serious at the same time if that makes any sense. And despite its predictablity I like it. It pulls off a lot things well like showing us since Sacrifice of Angels how the war has developed. Its something in the background in importance but a lot of time doesn't get prime focus until this episode.

The shrinking the runabout to microscopic size so that it can travel through the Defiant is far fetched and glossed over quite fast. The writers spend very little time explaining how it happened just that it did and now Dax, O'Brien, and Bashir are of microscopic size. Like I said its glossed over to add to almost a Star Trek cliche. That is their primary starship has been taking over by hostile aliens.

And that is basiclly what this episode develops into. A little tiny ship trying to help Sisko retake the Defiant. Its not a serious episode and it never intends to be. Its about the adventure of watching them trying to get back the Defiant and how things changes when a person is small. Like when Bashir and O'Brien are in the computer trying to reroute access with isolinear chips.

Another important aspect is the discrimination between Jem'Hadar. That is what allowed Sisko to retake the ship. It was the mistrust between the Alphas and Gammas. And I like this story element. It makes sense that the Founders would grow different kind of Jem'Hadar for combating the Federation and Klingions. Also the bickering among one another makes sense. The Jem'Hadar might worship the Founders but we know they are capable of indvidualistic thinking. So the distrust between the groups make rational sense. If this episode has one fault its that the concept of Alphas and Gammas was never brought up in further episodes. That and the little emphasis on how the Runabout shrunk and returned to normal size.

Honor Among Thieves

I suppose their is so such thing as a perfect season. This episode is proof of that. It comes off as nothing more then one of those O'Brien must suffer episodes and that is not enought to keep me interested.

The episode is just boring pure and simple. It aims to show you through Miles eyes to be sympathic towards Bilby. That deep down he is a good person who made bad choices. And while this is true I'm less then sympathic. He did his crime and no matter the reasons its no excuse for what Bilby has done. Even the Dominion getting involved with the Orion Syndicate is boring for me. Do I really care they got involved? No because its obvious the Dominion would get involved with something like this. The crutch is Bilby. If you like his character then its a good episode. If not like its weak. THe episode serves very little point in plot or characterization.