The stage is set for the greatest Star Trek Show of that era. This double feature illustrates why it's great: from day one they seemed to have an idea of an overarching plot. It starts with the Sisko. The show will end when his destiny is about to materialize. This was well prepared in this back to back episode. I must confess that I was never overly fond of DS9's mystery elements. This episode has plenty of mystery. And yet I'll accept that Sisko's spiritual voyage laid out in these first 90 minutes, is important to the show and neatly bounds together all storylines. It's more than the standard mystery episode we know back from TNG. And that's great. I dare to say that this is the best show premiere of all Star Trek Shows of that era.
I can't bring back the feeling that I felt when I watched this show for the first time, but let me tell you: it's still exciting. I always forget in what poor state the station was in. (PS: the video quality is also appalling. Sadly, it can't be remastered in HQ). It's also a reminder that this aspires to be "dark Star Trek". Just like O'Brien it's time to say goodbye to classic Star Trek. And the show doesn't waste time: we exactly learn Sisko's motivation. We learn a lot about Kira. They settle on a role for Quark and (unlike Neelix) he will be a great community leader. And Jedzia's orb experience is great as much as astrobiology is concerned. Needles to say: Most characters are still very crude in this first episode. We realize that there's more to them than just their professional work personas though. And we already learn about some of the political intricacies in this sector.
PS: In Picard season three there's another Captain who hates Picard for what he was. Sisko is so much better. His encounter with Picard is tense.
Review by Alexander von LimbergBlockedParent2023-03-21T20:40:03Z
Genre: mystery
The stage is set for the greatest Star Trek Show of that era. This double feature illustrates why it's great: from day one they seemed to have an idea of an overarching plot. It starts with the Sisko. The show will end when his destiny is about to materialize. This was well prepared in this back to back episode. I must confess that I was never overly fond of DS9's mystery elements. This episode has plenty of mystery. And yet I'll accept that Sisko's spiritual voyage laid out in these first 90 minutes, is important to the show and neatly bounds together all storylines. It's more than the standard mystery episode we know back from TNG. And that's great. I dare to say that this is the best show premiere of all Star Trek Shows of that era.
I can't bring back the feeling that I felt when I watched this show for the first time, but let me tell you: it's still exciting. I always forget in what poor state the station was in. (PS: the video quality is also appalling. Sadly, it can't be remastered in HQ). It's also a reminder that this aspires to be "dark Star Trek". Just like O'Brien it's time to say goodbye to classic Star Trek. And the show doesn't waste time: we exactly learn Sisko's motivation. We learn a lot about Kira. They settle on a role for Quark and (unlike Neelix) he will be a great community leader. And Jedzia's orb experience is great as much as astrobiology is concerned. Needles to say: Most characters are still very crude in this first episode. We realize that there's more to them than just their professional work personas though. And we already learn about some of the political intricacies in this sector.
PS: In Picard season three there's another Captain who hates Picard for what he was. Sisko is so much better. His encounter with Picard is tense.