The Homecoming Stardate not given: Synopsis in main DS9 listing

This second season opener is also the first of many three-part episodes. I love plot arcs, but "to be continued" drives me nuts. That being said, this episode finally makes good on DS9's promise of consequences. Especially in TOS and for most of TNG you could say that "what happens in an episode stays in an episode". With the notable exception of Q, the Borg and the Traveler no TNG episode had any consequences and very little learning. In this episode of DS9 several things happen that we will be reminded of again many times later in the series. But that was the point of DS9, I'm glad to finally see it happen since season one was all about learning about the characters.
Oddly enough, a long lost friend of Quark shows up to give him a Bajoran earring which he hands over to Major Kira. This is our first hint that Quark isn't your typical Ferengi. This earring belongs one of Bajor's greatest heroes, an occupation era resistance leader, Li Nalas. Kira takes it upon herself to rescue him from a POW war camp on Cardassia IV.
As if the Cardassian POW camp weren't enough, "The Circle" (or as Sisko calls it, "The Alliance for Global Unity") makes their way on to the station for some good old 20th century graffitiing. Don't worry, beyond this arc, we don't hear from the Circle again.
Chief O'Brien and Kira head off to Cardassia IV to rescue Li Nalas. Unsurprisingly, they have little trouble getting past the Cardassians and manage to rescue Li along with several other Bajoran prisoners.
Immediately upon Kira's return to the station, Gul Dukat calls the station to offer a formal apology, and to say the remaining prisoners are being returned to Bajor.
Li Nalas seems unimpressed, if not upset, at the attention he gets on the station. After he's caught trying to stow away on a ship heading to the gamma quadrant, he confides in Sisko that he's not really a hero, that his famed battle with Gul Zurale was really just an accident. He's never seen again beyond this three episode arc.
Overall, I did not care for this episode much. Almost nothing happens. The fact that Li is never seen again is evidence (at least to me) of how unimportant this story is.
It ends with a cliffhanger, Li replaces Kira on the station and she's sent back to Bajor.
Remarkable dialogue: "It's probably just a routine scan." - "We're being hailed." - "Then again we could be in serious trouble." (Kira and O'Brien)
Rating: 5 (Holland Rhodes)

The Circle Stardate not given: Synopsis in main DS9 listing

The second part of the three part opening of season two is a let down. It starts out with a very monotone argument between Sisko and Blehu. It's far too political, and delves in to problems that simply don't matter to the series. The episode as a whole didn't bother me too much.
Kira is also in an especially bad mood. As every one of her friends visits her quarters, she becomes less tempered. Bareil enters, and Kira seems to have a moment of clarity, where she declares that Odo, O'Brien, Bashir, Quark and Dax are her friends. This is important, because Kira relies on her friends, and Quark to be sure, for solutions to many problems in the future.
Li Nalas shows up, to essentially relieve Kira of her duties. He does an excellent job of it. Ultimately he goes his own way. In the mean time, Kira is spending most of her time on Bajor, does a lot and learns nothing. We never hear of this experience again.
This show drags on, much like the past. Kira has an "orb experience" that I consider remarkable. As in previous shows, this shows the non-corporeal existence of the wormhole aliens. It does so in a very good way, and Nana Visitor proves her prowess as an actress..
For some stupid reason, Odo makes Quark a deputy. Li is extremely uncomfortable in his position. And Winn offers up her own anger for Kira's presence on Bajor.
All in all, this episode tries to bridge a gap from what could easily have been a two-part, but drags it to three.
Rating: 3 (Holland Rhodes)

The Siege Stardate not given: Synopsis in main DS9 listing

Finally, this arc comes to an end. I was quite disappointed with the first two parts, but this episode makes it worth it.
Starfleet has Sisko evacuate all non-Bajorans from DS9 and let the Bajorans run it. However, Sisko and most of the bridge crew stay behind to retake the station. Quark sells seats (that he doesn't have) on the escape runabouts. However, that plan backfires when Rom gives Quark's ticket to a dabo girl. Quark is forced to stay on the station. Kira and Dax head to a Bajoran moon to look for a derelict fighter ship. Back on the station, the crew has hidden themselves. Although the station looks completely deserted the Bajoran invasion force suspects that it hasn't really been abandon. They go out in search of Starfleet still on the station. In several small skirmishes that remind me of "Home Alone" the remaining officers manage to capture most of the Bajoran forces.
Minister Jaro is making promises of grandeur about taking over the Vedek Assembly and the Chamber of Ministers then promoting Winn to Kai. Meanwhile, Kira and Dax are battling their way to the Chamber of Ministers with proof that Cardassians are responsible for supplying weapons. They are shot down and left stranded in the jungle. Luckily they are rescued by Vedek Bareil and with his help they make it to the Chamber of Ministers. Once Winn in presented with the proof that Cardassians are involved in supplying weapons to "The Circle" she agrees to return the station to the Federation.
What I liked most about this episode are the two story lines, one on the station and the one with Kira and Dax. Both were well done, and cut together nicely. It also seemed to resolve some of the distrust Bajor had of the Federation.
I was a bit disappointed with the fighter ship design. It reminded me too much of Star Wars. And later when they're in battle, I was again reminded of Star Wars. There were a few other things about this episode that reminded me of Star Wars, but that didn't really hurt the story any.
Nitpicking: The station houses about 7,000 people, yet quark says hundreds of people need to evacuate. We could assume he's right and that the bulk of the population is Bajoran, except that the invasion force finds the station completely deserted.
Remarkable quote: "With your eyes lieutenant, not your pants." (Kira, to Dax who mentioned "seat-of-the-pants" aiming)
Remarkable fact: Trills are allergic to spiders.
Rating: 7 (Holland Rhodes)

Invasive Procedures Stardate not given: Synopsis in main DS9 listing

Once again the station has been evacuated, this time due to a plasma storm. A seemingly distressed ship is allowed to dock. Bad move. Two Klingons, a Trill, Verad, and some woman of unknown origin board the ship with the intent of taking the Dax symbiont. Odo is placed in stasis. Quark is involved in this. He has a deal with the Klingon to sell some liquid data chains. It's never mentioned why Quark has to sell these liquid data chains to Klingons during this storm. I would have thought Quark wouldn't hang around during a dangerous storm to sell something he could easily sell any other time.
Verad tells his sad story of how he tried so hard to be approved for joining and was never chosen. Dax tries to explain to Verad what a terrible idea it is to take the symbiont. Obviously Bashir wants no part in removing the symbiont from Dax to put in Verad. Dax tells him to do it so that no one else will get hurt. Even Sisko tells him to do it. I didn't find it very plausible. Bashir performs the operation, and we see a Trill symbiont for the first time. It's quite different from the one shown in TNG: "The Host". The show drags on with pointless dialog about Jadzia dying. I think it's supposed to be heartfelt and touching, but it's really rather boring.
Quark in a sudden act of bravery or stupidity jumps on one of the Klingons and is injured. He's taken to the infirmary where he acts like he's in severe pain, but it's part of a rouse to help save Dax. I've always wondered about his motive. My best guesses are a) he felt guilty for allowing the Klingons on the station, b) he was mad at the Klingon for not completing the deal, c) he likes Dax and doesn't want her to die, d) he doesn't want to lose his bar.
Again, more slow moving dialog, with the eventual outcome that Dax is put back in Jadzia. Overall, this is a boring, slow and uncomfortable episode.
Rating: 1 (Holland Rhodes)

Necessary Evil Stardate not given: Synopsis in main DS9 listing

This show starts out when a friend of Quark's asks him to Bajor to request a favor. I'm always a little surprised when Quark has a friend that asks a favor. I would figure no one would want to deal with Quark more than once or twice, certainly not long enough to become his friend. Through several flashbacks to when the Cardassians ran the station, the episode deals with two crimes. A murder in the flashbacks and several murders of people whose name is on a list found by Quark and Rom. It gives us a very interesting look at how Odo became involved with the Cardassians and Bajorans, and gained the trust of both.
We also learn a little bit of Rom's dubious side when he breaks in to a shop on the promenade to help Quark get the list. He also tells some tales of breaking in to Quarks and once Quark is shot and may be dead, Rom seems almost gleeful about the prospect of owning the bar.
In the flashback scenes Odo suspects Kira of the murder. Of course, at the time she's just a visiting Bajoran, not the Major. Kira is later dropped as a suspect, and the case goes unsolved. In the present day scenes a little more happens. Eventually the names are figured out, and then they start dropping like flies. Odo tries to solve those murders, and ends up solving the original murder in the process. Kira ends up being guilty after all. Odo seems shattered by this. It's hard to tell if he's more shattered that Kira who he now considers a close friend lied to him for so long, or that he wasn't able to figure it out sooner.
I found the story rather intriguing. It gave us a lot of insight in to the station's past, and especially the relationship between the Cardassians (especially Dukat), Odo and Kira.
Remarkable quote: "What do you see?" - "The Bar." - "Yes?" - "With my name on it!" - "The past Rom, not the future." (Odo and Rom when Odo is questioning him about the names on the list)
Remarkable fact: Odo is given the "Constable" title in this episode (By Kira during a flashback scene).
Rating: 7 (Holland Rhodes)

Rivals Stardate not given: Synopsis in main DS9 listing

Rivals deals with two small competitions. One between O'Brien and Bashir playing racquetball, and another between Quark and an El-Aurian con artist named Mazur who opens a casino on the promenade.
Bashir is an excellent player. O'Brien can't win any matches against him. Bashir seems to take great delight in it, whereas O'Brien feels like he has something to prove by beating Bashir. Although Bashir really seems to be bragging about beating O'Brien, he tries hard to get him to stop playing. Their behavior felt odd to me, very out of character.
Odo imprisons the El-Aurian, and while there he picks up a small gambling device from his cellmate. Mazur is released from prison when the elderly couple that accused him of scamming them drops the charges. Out of prison, and luck on his side thanks to the gambling toy, Mazur opens up his casino. I was rather surprised Odo would allow someone he suspects of being a con artist open a casino. I'm not positive, but I believe the casino's location is sometimes the Bajoran temple, and for a while served as the station's school.
The gambling toy is much more than a toy as it turns out. It affects probability. Quark ends up with a lot of bad luck, while Mazur has nothing but good luck. Other odd things are happening all over the station. Quark comes up with a scheme to get people back in his bar, he arranges a match between Bashir and O'Brien. Quark gets them to agree to the match by promising a donation to Bajoran orphans. Thanks to the gambling toy, O'Brien is at the top of his game and is easily beating Bashir. It's an interesting match to be sure.
It's a pretty funny episode, especially Quark. I laughed several times. As fun and entertaining as it was, it was also unbelievable. Of course with Star Trek we're expected to buy in to a lot of advanced cultures and technologies. This one doesn't even seem possible, a gaming device some how changing probability? I don't buy it. I would have rated the show higher if he had a more believable premise.
Remarkable Dialogue: "I can listen. I can list as well as anyone. What happened?" - "I fell down." - "See? I'm listening. Nothing to it." - "How did you fall down?" - "Playing raquetball with Bashir." - "Where?" - "At the court? Where do you think?" - "What was the score?" - "Who cares?" - "I care, I’m listening. Tell me your problems, all of them." (O'Brien and Quark)
Rating: 5 (Holland Rhodes)

Second Sight Stardate not given: Synopsis in main DS9 listing

I like this episode for its entertainment value, but truth be told I was disappointed by the story. Essentially nothing happens that affects the characters, and very little is learned of their past. The b-story is also pretty weak. 
The main story is that Sisko meets a mysterious woman named Fenna on the station who keeps disappearing. He ends up falling in love with her. She turns out to look identical to the woman in the b-story, but of course they each claim not to know each other. The woman in the b-story is Nidell, the wife of a terraformer Dr. Seyetik that is visiting the station. As it turns out, she has psychokinetic abilities and Fenna is merely a mental projection. Her species is never seen again in DS9, so why even bother? It seems a bit odd that she's married to a famous terraformer whom Sisko admires, yet he had never heard of Nidell's species or abilities. In fact, he seems unaware that's she's even aboard Seyetiks ship or that he's even married. Nidell is creating the projection because of her dissatisfaction in her marriage to Seyetik. She seems to be in a coma, and the only way Seyetik can see to get her out of it is to commit suicide.
This was incredibly disappointing to say the least. This is the second suicide this season. Li Nalas jumps in the line of fire to save Sisko in DS9: "The Siege", essentially committing suicide. Suicide seems to be a recurring theme, especially in TNG. I don't think a single season went by without a suicide episode, and I can think of three other DS9 episodes off the top of my head dealing with suicide (DS9: "Life Support", Bareil takes drugs that he knows will kill him in order to stay alive long enough to complete negotiations; DS9: "Covenant", Dukat arranges a mass-suicide of his followers; DS9: "Hard Time", O'Brien attempts suicide due to being imprisoned for 20 years).
Rating: 4 (Holland Rhodes)

Cardassians Stardate not given: Synopsis in main DS9 listing

The show seems to be about an orphaned Cardassian boy, but it turns out to be about much more. It is about Cardassians in general, their family structure and some of the finer points about the occupation, and the political system.
O'Brien's feelings towards Cardassians are fleshed out a bit more when Rugal, the orphaned boy, is sent to stay with the O'Briens while his status is investigated. Bashir takes an interest in the boy and wants to get to the bottom of it. Garek offers to help Bashir. You can see them start to trust each other more; eventually they'll form a friendship. Dukat takes a keen interest in Rugal as well. He turns out to be the center of a controversy. On one hand, the Bajorans who raised him love them like their own son, and on the other he turns out to be son of a politician on Cardassia.
I'm not sure if the truth is ever revealed, it's always hard to tell with Garak and Dukat who's telling the truth. That's one thing that makes them great characters, you're always left wondering.
Remarkable quote: "I believe in coincidences. Coincidences happen every day. But I don't trust coincidences." (Garek)
Remarkable fact: over 10 million Bajorans were killed by Cardassians during the occupation.
Rating: 8 (Holland Rhodes)

Cardassians Stardate not given: Synopsis in main DS9 listing

"Cardassians" exemplifies what is best about the first two seasons of DS9; it is a interesting, well thought-out look at an issue that does not try to hammer you over the head with the 'message' of the story. The set-up is simple; when a Cardassian war orphan brought up by Bajorans assaults plain, simple Garak, questions rise: Is the boy being raised to hate his own kind? Is he being mistreated by his hard-faced adopted parents? And should he be returned to his adopted parents (as he says he wants), or should he be sent back to his birth father against his will? The best part of the show is simply the fact that there is no one simple answer, and the episode does not try to say there is. It presents both sides of the issue equally well, and, when a decision is made, the episode does not try to prove that it is the right one, as most of TNG's moral-message episodes do. By doing this, it avoids any controversy, because it KNOWS that there are counterarguments. My only complaint with this episode involves the final choice; it happens off-camera, and we are simply told about it via a Captain's Log Narration. This is a missed opportunity for a great scene.
All together, an exemplary effort
Rating: 9 (Nathan)

Sanctuary Stardate not given: Synopsis in main DS9 listing

A ship unexpectedly comes through the wormhole carrying four Skrreea. Unfortunately the universal translators aren't able to translate their language. I found this odd. In fact, I can think of only two other times this has happened. It happened in TNG: "Darmok" when Picard is actually able to figure out some of their language but the universal translator cannot, and in DS9: "Little Green Men" when the Ferengi's universal translators are damaged during time travel. Eventually the station's universal translator is able to translate the Skrreean language.
The Skrreea social structure seems to be a bit odd. It's not just female-dominant, but the males are immature and subservient. Not only that, they seem shocked to even see males of another species in a leadership role.
The Dominion is once again mentioned by the first Skrreean woman to come through the wormhole, Haneek. So far, I'm pretty pleased with the subtle introduction of the Dominion. The Skrreean are looking for Kentanna, and Haneek identifies Bajor as Kentanna. The Bajoran government turns them away, and Kira agrees. This pits Kira against her new friend, Haneek. With the Skrreeans so interested in finding Kentanna, and believing that it's Bajor, I expected them to make another appearance during the war with the Dominion. Of course, if Kentanna is their fabled homeland, shouldn't they be willing to fight for it?
I did feel the Bajoran government made the right choice to turn away 3 million Skrreeans. Although, given that the Federation helped them resettle, they should be seen again, unfortunately, they're not.
Remarkable Quote: "I monitor my gross income hourly. My hourly figures become my indicators. My indicators become my projections. ... If my projections hold true in a month I'll be out of business." (Quark)
Remarkable Fact: Kentanna may be another name for Bajor.
Rating: 5 (Holland Rhodes)

The Alternate Stardate not given: Synopsis in main DS9 listing

Dr. Mora arrives on the station with a possibility of helping Odo find his origins. In my opinion, Odo has too much animosity towards Mora which dominates the episode. But since the prospect of finding his people is so appealing, Odo agrees to go with Mora to the Gamma Quadrant.
Odo becomes infected by something on the Gamma Quadrant planet. The infection causes Odo to become a "Jekyll and Hyde" type. He transforms himself and randomly attacks people and things on the station. Odo is essentially investigating himself. I found the premise plain silly. In fact, people doing things that they are unaware of is a recurring theme in Star Trek. In TNG: "The Mind's Eye" Geordi is committing acts that he's unaware of and investigating himself. In DS9: "The Assignment" O'Brien is forced to investigate himself (knowingly) and in DS9: "Inquisition" Bashir is accused of being a double-agent for Romulans and not knowing it.
Back to the story. Apparently Odo is doing all these things to strike out against Mora. And of course, Mora is the only one who can stop Odo. In the final scene, where Mora saves Odo is more than a little cliché. I didn't care for this episode very much. In general, I don't like Odo episodes, he's not a very fun or likable person.
Remarkable fact: The Ferengi Plegg invented holosuites.
Nitpicking: Sisko tells a story about his father in such a way that it seems like his father had died. Perhaps the writers forgot about this when they wrote the character of Sisko's father, or perhaps the point of the story isn't that Sisko's father died.
Rating: 3 (Holland Rhodes)

Armageddon Game Stardate not given: Synopsis in main DS9 listing

This episode is primarily an O'Brien and Bashir show. They are given the task to work with two warring worlds, the T'Lani and Kellerun, to help them destroy a biogenic weapon called a "harvester". The episode builds the friendship between O'Brien and Bashir. In reality, I think it would be more likely for Dax and Bashir to be doing this. You'll often see her helping out in the infirmary, but you rarely see O'Brien there.
The moral basis of the show is questionable at best. The T'Lani and Kellerun want peace between each other but don't mind asking the Federation for help, then killing them. Wouldn't they realize if the plan is found out that they'd just end up in a war with the Federation instead? The Federation response is also a bit of a surprise. Any other time someone is killed, or assumed dead, the Federation response is not less than a full investigation. In this case, Sisko is satisfied with a video clip of the incident and it's not until Keiko O'Brien notices an oddity that Sisko and Dax do some investigating.
Although there are more than a few plot holes, it's still a fun episode. Having O'Brien and Bashir come closer worked out great for later episodes. I'm always impressed with Rosalind Chao's performances. Her part may have been small but she was still an excellent part of this episode. The little stand off towards the end of the show was fun to watch too.
Nitpicking: The data clip contains a spectroscopic analysis of what O'Brien was drinking? Is that a joke? The whole clip was a fake, why would they go to the trouble of adding a coffee analysis to it? A more plausible and quicker way for Keiko to notice O'Brien drinking coffee would be for him to say so, "Ack! This coffee is still too hot" or something like that.
Remarkable quote: "To our dear, departed comrades. We may have had our differences, bull I'll say this for them – and it's the highest tribute I can think of. They were good customers – they always paid their bar bills on time." (Quark)
Rating: 5 (Holland Rhodes)

 

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