What a fun mini-crossover episode. I had completely forgotten it and had no idea where it was all going. On top of the strong mystery (which keeps escalating in a fantastic manner) we also have the welcome return of some previous faces with Cadman, Novak, Agent Barrett and Dr. Kavanagh. This episode really has a little bit of everything and I love the way things just keep getting more difficult. The only part of the story which didn't work for me was Teyla and her old lady friend which brought the narrative to a screeching halt each time. Teyla just isn't a very interesting character.
But then there's the song. The music itself is nice enough and Rachel Luttrell has a great singing voice, but it's presence in the episode is SO out of place to the point where it ventures into full cringe territory. If the Athosians had just done a simple, realistic sounding musical piece to accompany the funeral ritual then fine, but this overblown fully produced modern-sounding song with huge instrumentation and reverb effects on the vocals was such a bizarre choice. Not to mention the ridiculous nature of having it take place during the middle of a massive crisis situation.
Otherwise, one of the best Atlantis episodes.
Absolutely superb, and a fantastic follow up the equally great 'Touchstone' from season 2. This episode takes you on a ride and manages to make you question whether your really knew O'Neill at all. I loved it when Stargate went full intrigue because the characters were set up well enough to take it to all sorts of unexpected places.
And again, this uses the shows history to build a new story from existing parts, which is so cool. We go right back to Tollana from a few episodes back and use their "no technology" stance to take us down a completely different path. Maybourne and his secrets that were laid in 'Touchstone' begin to be revealed and Jack is even able to use the events of '100 Days' as a reason to help him with his plans.
It manages to keep O'Neill's intentions pretty well hidden, even going as far as to potentially hurt his friendship with Daniel in quite a harsh scene. One thing that always stuck out to me was that in his conversation with Carter about "now I'm acting like myself", his performance really brought me back to the original Kurt Russell version from the movie. Nice.
So much to enjoy here. It feels like the show has found its groove, and if the rest of the season is going to be like this then we are really in for a treat.
The second episode does bring the action with an extremely impressive space battle, though fortunately not entirely at the expense of character. I was particularly intrigued by the flashbacks to Burnham's Vulcan upbringing and her initial arrival on board the Shenzhou (finally answered my question about the weird "lateral" transporters, too!). I loved the sneaky tactic of beaming a warhead onto a dead body, and the resulting explosion was great.
I wasn't quite expecting the deaths of what seemed to be main characters (although honestly, I wasn't completely expecting Michelle Yeoh to hang around all that long), so seeing T'Kumva meet his end this early was surprising. It didn't really feel like Burnham did much to try and capture him, as was the initial plan - couldn't she have stunned him and then beamed back with him as her prisoner?
Her interactions with the computer in the brig felt like something we've never seen before on Trek, as typically when a character tries to engage the computer in some kind of speculation or discussion it ends up getting confused. But I liked it. I'm a little bit sad, though, that the computer voice isn't provided by Majel Barret, as there were so many rumours going around that she recorded a vocal library before passing away which could be used to synthesise her voice.
The Klingons feel like the weak point to me. The redesign bugs me a little bit, but not enough to ruin things. More problematic is if they insist on speaking Klingon all the time then it really slows scenes down due to how stilted the actor's dialogue becomes. However, I quite like that they've given them much more of a culture and meaning, as opposed to the drunken "honourable" warrior caricatures that '90s Trek reduced them to.
I'm impressed that the show has done enough this early to make Captain Georgiou's death have an impact. I must admit, thought, that I'm quite surprised that we still haven't seen the USS Discovery.
Another episode full of unexpected twists and revelations. After being introduced last week to the Tardigrade ("Ripper") as a rampaging monster that will slice you up, I found myself quite delighted to discover that it's actually a cuddly creature who seems to be depressed. Michael figuring this out has warmed to to her a lot more, and I really like her being in science mode rather than "I'm-going-to-act-rashly-because-I'm-clever" mode. It's also our first hint that she does has some empathy once she sees how the Tardigrade is hurting. Her approach to learning about it was delightful and so in-keeping with what so many of us love about Trek.
I think it's time to address the characters on this show. There's a lot of talk in various forums about how they are not true to the spirit of what Star Trek has shown us before. That's just not true. People seem to be forgetting that it wasn't really until The Next Generation that Roddenberry imposed his rules about humans having overcome petty feelings like jealousy and animosity, with no conflict allowed between Starfleet crew members. And then people also seem to forget that the rule was disregarded more times than I can count, with all of the writers (correctly) pushing against it as much as they could. It was a noble concept but a terrible one for telling stories.
Lt. Stamets does seem to be overly critical and confrontational, but I find myself enjoying seeing a human being acting like a human being rather than some sanitised idea of what one should be. And this is certainly not a new concept within Trek if you remember any number of human scientists who appeared on the various shows before. Off the top of my head, in TNG Dr. Leah Brahms was a stone cold bitch to Geordi when she discovered how he was modifying her engine designs. If we go closer to the era of Discovery, then we have Dr. Richard Daystrom from TOS who was was crippled by feelings of resentment and endangered people's lives.
A bit more troublesome is (was) security chief Landry. She seemed to be downright hostile and condescending. Again, we have seen examples of other security officers acting this way across TNG, DS9, etc. but I was finding her a bit much to handle (and I had a similar issue with Rekha Sharma's performance on Battlestar Galactica), and I can't say I'm sorry to see her go. She was the most un-Trek like character on the show, almost malevolent.
The return of the Klingons to the main story had me a bit worried, as they were by far the worst thing about the opening episodes. I'm glad to say I was more impressed with them here, despite many of the fundamental issues still hovering in the background. I was immediately intrigued by the relationship between Voq and L'Rell which came through even though the makeup barely allows the actors to emote. I wish we had gotten a better look at the Birds of Prey, though, they were little more than blurry shapes.
If this episode revealed anything, it seems that Captain Lorca and Michael are going to end up severely at odds. Michael could see that the Tardigrade was in distress and is clearly not comfortable with the moral dilemma - but there's no way that Lorca is going to take that as any kind of consideration. Someone like Captain Picard would certainly not allow one creature's suffering at the expense of other's safety to continue, but Lorca is very different. Stamet's summary of him last episode as a "warmonger" is beginning to fit. I think that where the true Star Trek spirit is going to appear is with her desire to end the war through more peaceful means while pushing against Lorca's more bloodthirsty ways.
Also, finally we see why there's a gap in the ship's saucer and I LOVE it!
My favourite episode so far, and the first truly strong episode of Voyager. This is thanks to a powerful plot that allows characters to act very genuinely, and allows viewers to become truly invested. And best of all, NO NEELIX!
Janeway and Kim are the heart of this episode, both of them being very eager for things to work out. It allows us to see the deep longing they have to just get back home, with Harry especially prepared to throw caution to the wind. The captain is more level headed but we can see how much it hurts her that things don't work out. The b-plot with the Doctor is equally as strong, finally acknowledging that he's a member of the crew. It was probably a good (and very deliberate) decision for the show to treat the Doctor as a real person, because if we really stop and think about it, it's ridiculous that the Doctor has any emotions or feelings. He isn't there, he's just a light projection and isn't a person at all, but it's very important that we all believe he's real.
And "things not working out" is what we have to expect: this is a 1990s television show, so it's obvious that any hope that the crew have of getting back home before the series finale is never going to work out. The episode allows us to suspend our disbelief by letting us get caught up in the emotions of the moment, the hope that everyone begins to feel.
And what a great twist: that the Romulan scientist they've been communicating with is actually from 20 years in the past! It adds yet another layer to this wonderfully flowing tale.
Now, this is classic Star Trek! Despite a few problems, this is a delight to watch from start to finish and is Discovery's first foray into the tried-and-tested 'bottle show'. These episodes often end up being my favourites, we are given a situation and really get to dive into it. They often reveal a lot about our characters and usually have fun doing it. Great examples of this include 'Civil Defense' (DS9), 'Disaster' (TNG), 'Explorers' (DS9) and of course the other classic Trek time-loop show, 'Cause and Effect' (TNG).
If I had any doubts about Rainn Wilson's portrayal of Harry Mudd, this episode easily washed them away. He's a lot of fun and full of energy, as well as managing to come off as a fairly complex person. It was interesting the way he was quite cruel to the crew of the Discovery, and then shrivels up at the sight of Stella and her father. I think there was a missed opportunity to make her a bit more like the shrew seen in The Original Series, but it's important to remember that what we saw there was Mudd's own vision of her rather than the actual person. The various deaths were quite mean spirited, despite being somewhat offset due to the fact that they weren't permanent A couple were also pretty funny, although I never quite got the impression that those little purple balls caused an "agonising" death.
Mostly, I think I enjoyed that this episode showed us the characters in more relaxed and natural states. Captain Lorca's apathy at finding a space whale is quite funny and even endearing, as he tells his crew to just get on with it (loved that he's finally sitting in the chair, too). Tilly continues to just delight me, and drunk Tilly is even better. It seems to me that she's hiding a lot of confidence under a socially awkward front. Stamets possibly emerged as the best part for me, this new happy version of him is charming and fun to spend time with (again, PLEASE let us get back to that mirror image thing from a couple of episodes ago).
The Burnham/Tyler pairing is maybe not my favourite thing. I don't feel a huge amount of chemistry between them, but then again Michael's standoffish nature means that she doesn't really have chemistry with anybody. I think it's more down to me not really clicking with the character of Tyler, as I talked about in my review for the previous episode. He feels like he's fit in too easily and his personality is a bare minimum.
Where the episode could have done a slightly better job is with the various time loop escapades. The movement through them became a bit too quick, and we are supposed to understand that Stamets explains things to Burnham who explains things to Tyler who explains things to Lorca, etc. every time, and everyone just accepts what they're being told and gets to action? That took me out of things a bit, and I would have been perfectly happy to have longer scenes that established things better. It's also hard to ignore the fact that the episode should have been all from Stamet's point-of-view, as he's the one dealing with it all.
Overall though, damn this was fantastic. The use of the introductory log and mostly self-contained nature of the episode made this feel so much like it was a part of the franchise I love. Mostly, though, it let us get a grip on these new characters and let them just get on with things as opposed to being dragged along by plot mechanics.
A joy of an episode to watch despite not really being all that special. Maybe it's just because season 7 is so uninspired that this one really manages to stand out. Interesting to note, though, that plot-wise very little actually happens here - there's no reason behind Worf's dimension-jumping other than an accident, so we don't get any alien conspiracy or vendetta against him. The solution to the problem is also incredibly straight forward and devoid of problems, and in that respect it could be seen as quite disappointing in terms of jeopardy because there really is none.
No, the fun here just comes from following Worf through the different dimensions and spotting all the differences. It's hard not to enjoy seeing Wesley back on the bridge, or more subtle things like the colour of Data's eyes. If anything, I end up wishing that they did more with it and showed us some really insane alternatives (how about one where Data is a female android? Or Dr. Crusher has cybernetic implants? Or where Worf, Alexander and K'Ehyleyr live as a happy family? What if Worf had ended up in a dimension that he DIDN'T want to leave?).
The episode also references events from several previous episodes in a nice (and rare) use of continuity. The big set up here is the pairing of Worf and Deanna, though. It's a strange one, but I have to admit to always thinking that they made a pretty good couple, and the show will run with it for a little while.
Special mention for the nightmare Enterprise that comes from the Borg dimension, Jonathon Frakes does a great job as the manic, crazy bearded Riker!
Well, that's a bit more like it. While I didn't hate seasons 1 and 2 as much as a vocal minority seem to enjoy screaming, I must admit that I was always hoping for something a bit more akin to TNG 2.0. This might be it, although at this point its too early to say with any certainty.
The characters feel more alive, more energetic. There is a powerful chemistry between Patrick Stewart and Jonathon Frakes and their happiness at working together again comes flowing out of the screen. It helps also that the words they are saying feel much more like the characters we used to know. The script reflects the friendship and bond that grew between the original cast over the course of 7 years of storytelling (plus four films), allowing for a playful tone. It's got me excited to see what's going to happen when all of the original cast are reassembled.
Speaking of which, we got some wonderful stuff from Gates McFadden as Beverly Crusher, who seemingly hasn't missed a beat. Her voice was there, and it was Beverly. Jeri Ryan was on fire and felt like she was channelling aspects of the Seven of old while continuing the evolution of her character. It was also remarkable at how much the Titan's new captain set me on edge, not least by essentially deadnaming Seven; he seems to have a chip of his shoulder over the Borg and I wonder if there's going to be some interesting revelations there.
But the real magic may have been the gorgeous musical score recalling older themes and styles - I can't understate what that added to the overall vibe. It was like a warm blanket of reassurance, and the way the soundtrack flowed between styles and motifs was absolutely beautiful.
The only complaint I have is the dark, dreary lighting for the Starfleet ships. But I can live with it if the story and characters deliver. I hope this is the start of a truly exceptional season. At this point I'm optimistic, but we shall see. Also, did anybody else think, "ah, so the bad guys have played Portal"?
This is setting up a strong ending for the show. What I particularly got from this one was how Star Trekky it all felt. The giant flowers in space were such an Original Series concept. From the moment our crew arrived down on the planet it immediately felt like The Next Generation, from the rocky setting to the beautiful (and chintzy) android compound. Even the tone of the dialogue between everyone. I'm was very impressed with how good Isa Briones was here in multiple roles, and actually found her super creepy.
"That's unexpected," followed by the emergence of the Cube was a genuine WOW moment.
I found the emotional scene between Picard and Raffi particularly touching, and a great demonstration of the evolution of Picard's character from the heyday of TNG. He's still awkward but so much more open to expressing and feeling emotions. And again, I have to say that I have absolutely fallen in love with the crew of the La Sirena and I want much more of them.
The surprise appearance of Brent Spiner as another Soong relative (which was spoiled for me thanks to a website publishing articles before the episode has been broadcast worldwide) felt a little too contrived and yet was very welcome.
This show is going to become a highlight of my week. Even better than the first episode. It's so clear that the writers here understand and love Star Trek, and everything on screen is true to the core of what Trek is about. And what really elevated this one was how genuinely funny it was. The humour plays with Trek cliches and that makes it extremely rewarding for any of us who get the references, but it also works as general comedy. And most importantly it's never laughing AT Star Trek.
This one also slowed down the pacing a bit to feel more natural. I can't tell you how happy I am that this actually feels like it belongs with classic '90s Trek. The characters all hold to the the ideals of Starfleet, and again it's Mariner who surprises and delights me the most. She's the outcast, rebellious rule breaker but she also knows and understands the rules better than anyone else and she's probably the characters who cares the most.
Creative and enjoyable, with a pleasantly weird alternate-universe/time-shift aspect that never becomes too complicated to follow. It leaves you with the odd feeling of having seen the Voyager crew die, but never really being sure if they were our original crew, or whether that even matters. The exact same thing happens to Harry that happens to O'Brien in DS9's 'Visionary', in that we are left with a version of the character who isn't exactly our own one.
It was also good to see the Vidiians back to being pretty decent bad guys again. There was something chilling about the way they just assessed unconscious people by which organs they could harvest from them. Janeway was a bit of a badass in regards to the solution to getting rid of them.
Having the duplicate Janeways standing so close to each other during their scenes made it look like they were about to kiss, and really made me aware of how shows had to work within the 4:3 aspect ratio back then. I felt a bit more let down that the two versions of Kes didn't really interact with each other at all.
I got quite wrapped up in the ordeal of Ensign Wildman finally having her baby, which certainly ran through a gamut of emotions! Chakotay was as useless as ever, and I noticed that Voyager didn't require his authorisation to concur with setting the self-destruct - I guess Janeway changed that because she knows he'd just mess it up.
How delightful it is to come across an episode of your favourite TV show that you had almost forgotten. As it went on, more of it came back to me, but at the start I really couldn't recall where it was all going.
Gul Dukat has been a presence on the show since the beginning, but he's slowly received more and more development over time. Despite previous episodes spent with him ('The Maquis', 'Defiant') which gave us titbits, this is probably one of the first truly deep dives into what makes him tick. A large reason for it feeling so much more satisfying here is because he's paired up with Kira, and the two of them together really bring out a more truthful side to both of them. For Dukat, family does really seem to be the most important thing (and family will heavily influence his actions later in the series), but you can't help but wonder how much he's really in it for himself.
The show has also gotten me invested in the relationship of these two due to how much we've learned about their backgrounds. By all rights, Kira and Dukat should more or less despise each other but they've both learned that things are never quite as clear cut as that. Kira certainly has more right to feel hatred but she knows that all Cardassians are not the same. The scene in which Dukat sits on a thorn (?) and they both end up laughing is genuinely great and beautifully natural. It occurred to me here that I really want these two characters to get along.
Things get much more serious towards the end as we learn that Dukat has a half-Bajoran daughter, Ziyal. This is one of my favourite plot points of the series, but it also had the added issue (as it went on) of making Dukat very sympathetic. Whether that's a good or bad thing is different for every viewer, but for me I think it's always amazing if you end up feeling something for the "bad" guy and is only a sign of good writing. For all that, it still feels like a mistake to trust him and you always get the feeling that he has something else going on, and that something is probably not good. His charm can make you forget that he's a mass murderer, and it's easy to be disarmed because he believes that what he did was right. Just one of the best characters in the entire franchise.
Apart from that, meeting the Breen for the first time is a bit underwhelming. The Sisko/Kassidy relationship is a pleasant background story, with the best scene being the informal chat with Jadzia and Julian. Sisko's admission to Kassidy about his fears is excellent, and it seems like their relationship is about to proceed to a deeper level.
I had completely forgotten that Barclay turns up in Voyager! This is great fun, a mind-twisting episode hearkening back to 'Frame of Mind' over on TNG, although nowhere near as complex as that one. Doctor episodes are, at least at this point, unfortunately restrained to "holodeck-gone-wrong" stories which have by this point really begun to wear themselves thin, but this one at least manages to put a unique spin on things.
If there are any issues with this, a big one is that it's painfully obvious that none of it is real. We know that the Doctor is really a hologram and what Barclay's saying isn't true. The episode manages to get away with it because we are having fun following along. Not to mention what a great team the Doctor and Barclay make, it's difficult not to watch with a big smile. I have to admit, I was caught out by the fake-out ending, something I usually always expect! I guess that means that this episode did a good job.
Of course, all of Voyager being a holographic simulation would explain why so few of the characters have much in the way of a personality :p
Geek mode: I'm technically still treating this as a part of season 1, along with a few of the other early season 2 episodes. They were produced as a part of season 1 and their stardates begins with "48xxx", making them a part of the stories set in 2371 (DS9 season 3/VOY season 1). This is just because I'm trying to follow a chronological order here and reading relaunch novels/short stories alongside.
The finale to season 1 may be low key, but it's a very strong episode. The religious aspects that the show will come to be known for are fully introduced here, and they're handled maturely. I've always found the Bajoran faith to be fascinating and one of my favourite parts of this show, even though I consider myself agnostic and have a low opinion of organised religion. DS9 manages to successfully intertwine the beliefs of science and faith, and figure out how its characters can learn to keep those two points of view while still respecting each other. It's not an easy journey, as this episode demonstrates.
It's worth noting that this is the first time since the pilot that Sisko's role as the Emissary has been referred to in any significant way. The episode introduces a couple of major recurring characters in Vedek Bareil and Vedek Winn - the latter being played wonderfully by Louise Fletcher and managing to inspire an incredible amount of hate in the viewer! If you despise her, as most do, that only means that she did her job extremely well. And it's going to get much, much more intense from here on!
I like the O'Brien subplot, it's just a shame that Neela hadn't had more of a presence throughout the season up to this point. That would have made her reveal much more powerful. It's also great to see Odo being the excellent investigator that he is. Dax is still relegated to not much more than a background science person at this point, I hadn't realised just how little the first season had used her.
An overall great episode and powerful end to the first season, really showing that Sisko and Kira have worked through things to find common ground and respect for each other. The only real weak point for me was the slow motion "noooooooo!" at the end which was a bit cheesy. It is redeemed somewhat by - for once - a gorgeous accompanying musical score.
NOTE: Reviewing both parts as a feature-length TV movie.
"It is the unknown that defines our existence."
I have to confess to a bit of excitement here, as I begin a re-watch of not only my favourite Star Trek series, but my favourite television series of all time. And it's been quite a while since I last saw it. Deep Space Nine was a show that did not fit into the presets established by what had come before, and while it began as a companion show to The Next Generation, it nevertheless forges its own identity from the very start.
This is defined almost immediately by a stunning opening sequence that Trek had never attempted before. The Battle of Wolf 359 is shown and the special effects are such a step up in quality over what we'd been seeing on TNG. As things continue, the visual identity of the show is clearly going in a very different direction with harsher lighting and dark shadows, a smoky atmosphere and a general sense of gritty damage all around.
It's more than just the way the show looks, though, because the characters reflect much of the same qualities. These are misfits, and in many cases damaged people who might not get along that well with each other. There's more conflict here than we could ever get on another Star Trek show, and along with that comes a lot more emotion. Commander Ben Sisko is a broken man who has lost his wife and is trying to raise a son by himself, and as we find out he simply can't move on from the pain of his past. Add to this Avery Brooks fairly quirky acting style (I came to love it) which relies far more on emotional reaction than Trek usually allows and I find myself instantly able to connect to the character. It was a bold move to include a scene in which Sisko confronts Picard with barely restrained anger, because at the point this show was broadcast viewers absolutely LOVE Picard. Seeing a new character bringing him down by reminded him of the worst experience of his life was a risky move, because we could begin to hate Sisko from the off. Fortunately, the writing is good enough to help steer us on a journey with this new commander.
It's an episode with far more depth in its ideas than TNG was doing at this point. These feel like real people, reacting to their situations with real feelings. Even Chief O'Brien seems more relaxed and natural as he curses and kicks the equipment around him. Yes, you could argue that Alexander Siddig is hamming it up a bit much right now, but it's a small complaint. Gul Dukat swaggers on to the scene feeling like in instantly formed character (and knowing what comes later for him, it's quite amazing how much of the character's essence is already present here). For the first time we see a Ferengi who isn't a ridiculous caricature of silliness in Quark, a first step in making them a far more interesting species.
The sequences with the wormhole aliens are masterfully written and constructed pieces that are edited together wonderfully, and again feel far more creative and fluid than the rigid structure of TNG would have allowed for. It's a genuinely heartbreaking moment as we see Sikso confront the past he's been refusing to let go of. It's also interesting that the sequences help define a major theme for the show, and that is that ACTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES. With Star Trek being an episodic franchise, this is something that has literally rarely had any meaning to it; you watch an episode and the story is wrapped up in 45 minutes, never to be referred to again. While DS9 won't kick in with heavy serialisation for a while, the characters are going to be shaped by their experiences throughout and actions will certainly have consequences.
While not a perfect episode (it's restrained, but there's still a bit too much technobabble at points), this remains the only good pilot for a Trek series and I'm pleased at how well it still holds up by today's standards - we will see if Discovery can challenge it later this year!
Creepy and mysterious, building up to a thrilling and fun conclusion. Seeing Wesley back is divisive for many as it does seem that people generally hate his character, but I find him to be a welcome return. Wil Wheaton was definitely better in the role from season 3 onward, and the older he got the better he seemed to fit.
The story is pure silly entertainment, but it's seeing the characters I know acting so differently to usual which creates a sort of fascination as I watch. And it's a really subtle thing, as they just carry on as if nothing is wrong... although of course it's always going to be uncomfortable when the actors are essentially pretending to have orgasms throughout the episode. It's also unforgivable that the game itself looks so laughably bad, even for 1991 standards.
Ashley Judd is rather charming, a shame she never comes back again, and I like the fact that the geeks work together to save the day. The Lefler Laws are pretty dumb, though. It would have been interesting to see what effect the game would have had on Guinan who is usually wise to things, but she's conveniently absent for this one.
Between this episode and last season's 'The Wounded' we are given the essential building blocks of what would become Deep Space Nine. While that previous episode gave us an introduction to the Cardassians, 'Ensign Ro' shows us the Bajorans and their long bloody history having to deal with their world being annexed. At this point, all the details weren't in place and there is no reference to the Occupation, but the seeds are all here.
I think it's my love for DS9 that colours my opinion of this episode, because taken by itself it's not all that special. But taken in the context of what it helps to set up later, I find so much here to dig into. DS9 is my favourite TV show ever, and the Bajoran/Cardassian conflict was a big part of the reason I fell in love with it so much. So, because of that I come pretty close to adoring this episode.
Looking at this by itself, though, there's no denying that Michelle Forbes gives a great performance as Ro Laren. The character is such a contrast to what we expect of Starfleet officers, very difficult to work with, but I somehow find myself really warming to her. I think that's largely in part to Guinan's role here as she befriends her in a couple of gorgeous scenes. There's great chemistry also between Forbes and Patrick Stewart.
Additionally, I've been reading the Terok Nor novels and they build on some characters here, so that added to my enjoyment. Seeing Keeve Falor after reading all about him was pretty cool. Part of me is a bit sad that Michelle Forbes didn't want to bring the character over to DS9.
Considerably more interesting than the first part, Redemption, Part 2 is a complex and intriguing episode full of big ideas and, for the most part, it executes them very well. The Klingon culture is firmly established as an entity with history, personality and rules. We feel a sense of an expanded universe portrayed well perhaps for the first time in the show's history through the intertwining of the Klingon and Romulan stories, plus the use of spreading our main characters out into different arenas (notably, Data commanding the Sutherland).
Additionally, we find out that that events of 'Yesterday's Enterprise' have had far-reaching consequences with the proper introduction of Sela. It's a bit of an out-there concept, but makes sense within the show's design and feels to me like the writers were willing to acknowledge that the audience can follow along with deeply threaded plot lines. Denise Crosby does a fine job as Sela, making her feel quite different from Tasha but showing that her mother had an effect on her.
I particularly enjoyed Data's adventures on the Sutherland as he has to constantly battle his first officer (who it's hard not to see as a jerk). The Duras sisters are also delightfully over-the-top and just plain fun to have around.
A strong and effective send off for Daniel that does hit the right emotional spots. It's handled with care. Of course, even back in 2002 it was widely reported that Michael Shanks was going to be leaving the show, so there wasn't a surprise factor here. But that didn't diminish how sad it was to watch.
While the episode does remove his character, it has the foresight to not "kill" him off as such, leaving the possibility open for appearances in the future. But even so, this manages to feel final. The farewell between him and Jack is played very nicely, and it was the right choice that Daniel selects him to say goodbye to. Their friendship has been rough along the way (even as recently as a couple of episodes ago with the ending of 'Meridian'), but it's really grown into one of the most solid relationships here. The tears in Michael Shanks eyes feel genuine which is a testament to his acting abilities.
Whether you agree with Daniel's reasons for leaving is another matter. He seems to almost be giving up, despite his protestations that he's not. He claims to feel useless and that he's done all he can; I'm not sure I quite feel the same. The episode attempts to justify his state of mind, but the fact that it's not been built up kind of makes it not ring entirely true for me. He and SG-1 have accomplished a LOT over the past few years.
Other than that, this introduces us to the naquadria element and also Jonas Quinn. I like Jonas and I think this episode helps to establish his morals quite well.
I remember a lot of online discussion back in the day about Carter's goodbye scene with Daniel where she's talking about "why do we always wait to tell people how we really feel?". This was misinterpreted by a lot of people, myself included, as her declaring some romantic feelings towards him. I think it's an easy mistake to make given the words she chooses, but it's definitely not meant that way.
Getting things back on track after some iffy storytelling in previous episodes.
Another strong offering from Jonathon Frakes, however this one is not entirely without its flaws. It shines in the character interactions but seems to stumble over some of the plot points.
Much better. This manages to be weird and quirky without being silly, and successfully celebrates the best traditions of classic Star Trek. The episode scored a winner by getting Jason Alexander to play Kurros. He walks the line between friendly and extremely creepy and makes a very memorable villain who, in many ways, you want to like.
It's another strong episode for Seven, who still is getting a lot of episodes devoted to her (the producers clearly wanted to make her the face of the show, if not the entire franchise at this time). She finally feels like a natural part of the crew, willing to help them out and trust them. She's also able to say no when she feels like it, a luxury not afforded to the rest of the crew who have to follow the chain of command. In this case, it makes sense. I can imagine Harry or Chakotay would have willingly given themselves to the Think Tank when first asked if it meant saving Voyager given the sense of duty that's been hammered into them; Seven doesn't want to and has no qualms about saying it.
While I will say the episode was mostly predictable, with a "twist" you see coming fairly early on, it was a very fun watch made better by the performances and interesting character writing.
The Think Tank themselves are a villain finally worthy of the screen time, after an endless stream of meaningless aliens that I've mostly forgotten. We do unfortunately get another bland antagonist species here, too, with the Hazari. Ah well, at least they don't just look human like so many Delta Quadrant races.
Here's a prime example of how good Voyager can be when it tells a story that's all about its characters rather than the plot-driven pieces that we're usually given. I'm also a big fan of strong continuity in my storytelling, so this ticks a lot of the right boxes.
I love that the emotion of receiving letters from home was allowed to be the main focus of this episode, and the Hirogen part was just a background plot that doesn't really take effect until the end. We see the characters reacting in all sorts of different ways and then having to deal with the contents of what their letters say. Both Chakotay and B'Elanna find out about the end of the Maquis (from the DS9 episode 'Blaze of Glory') and it gives their characters - especially Chakotay - something to actually motivate their choices and personalities for once.
It also lead to a quite excellent scene between B'Elanna and Tom as their differing views on receiving letters from home let them learn more about each other.
The Hirogen themselves are kind of cheesy but a far more intimidating and interesting villain than the show has given us so far. I look forward to seeing more of them. Seven handled them extremely well and got some great dialogue.
I'm reading the relaunch tie-in novels chronologically alongside watching these shows, and there's a short story from the Voyager book 'Distant Shores' which leads into this episode very nicely (as well as following up elements of the semi-canon novel 'Mosaic'). Having just read about Janeway's fiancé Mark and how he dealt with her disappearance, then finding out she's still alive and having to write her a letter, made this episode all the more powerful. I really hope there's going to be more Starfleet contact in the future.
Now, this is a difficult episode to write about. On the one hand its an acting tour-de-force and pushes characters in new directions. On the other hand it sometimes tips into really silly territory and turns Dukat into a comic book villain instead of the nuanced, multifaceted character he's been up until this point.
I can't help but feel that it's trying to evoke a similar feeling to the amazing episode 'Duet', which was way back in season 1. It doesn't come close to that overall, but it does achieve a very satisfying back-and-forth between two strong characters. Sisko and Dukat get to really go at it and explore all the aspects of their relationship, finally letting the truth burst out. The actors both give it their all and along with the script they manage to create some truly captivating viewing.
But it's sprinkled throughout the episode rather than being consistent. The lulls are made up for by the excellent scenes with Dukat and his "demons", those being the exaggerated imagined versions of Damar, Kira and Weyoun. These three really move the episode along and provide gorgeously over-the-top caricatures of the real characters - and so much of what they say is true to the real ones while being far more honest and direct.
The episode fumbles things a bit with an unsatisfactory ending in which Dukat just becomes unhinged and accepts his new evil ways. It's hard to not see it as Benjamin pushing him towards that rather than trying to reign him in. At the same time, the truth is liberating and there's a morbid fascination in seeing Dukat admit that he should have killed every single Bajoran when he could.
The scenes on board the Defiant are also troublesome, notably from Bashir and O'Brien who seem to think that Sisko is more important than the thousands of Federation troops their supposed to be protecting. O'Brien even looks disappointed when the find two survivors and they aren't people he knows. It does all lead to a great moment when Worf gets to casually, and authoritatively, put Bashir in his place.
An episode that was aiming higher than it managed to reach, but is still quite captivating. On a side note, I'm watching Voyager alongside this and I can't imagine it ever producing something of this ambition or substance. The writing and characters on that show are just laughable in comparison to the complexity that has developed here.
What a conclusion. Up to this point, Star Trek has mostly been fumbling with the second halves of the two-part episodes, but this one manages to be satisfying in every way. The shock of Cardassia joining the Dominion is a brilliant moment, prophecised nicely back in 'Rapture' with Sisko's vision of the locusts. It's almost sad to see how Gul Dukat can't understand how he and his planet are being used.
The prison break stuff might be my favourite parts of the episode, though. Worf gets to be extremely Klingon and manages to gain the respect of a Jem'Hadar, which is no small feat. I love that he keeps getting back up even though he's clearly not in any fit state, and that he really can't shrug off the injuries he's sustaining. Meanwhile, Garak gets to shine too when we find out that he's claustrophobic - in his case, he manages to gain the respect of the Klingons, who again are a pretty tough crowd to please.
If the episode feels weak in any areas, it might be the conclusion of the Bashir-Changeling situation. He's going to blow up Bajor's sun by just flying there and sacrificing himself, in the process wiping out significant Federation, Klingon and Romulan fleets. It's a sneaky and very clever tactic by the Dominion that would have worked, but it's execution on screen is a little hard to take seriously. Maybe if Bashir-Changeling had some more dialogue or realisation about how his plan had failed it would have worked better. I'm a bit curious as to why going to warp inside a solar system is a no-no, too.
Nice to see the Klingons finally back on our side. They just feel better as allies.
I go back and forth on this show as we get childish standalone nonsense (like the previous episode) and pretty exciting storytelling that dives into the Star Wars mythos. 'Rebel Assault' (titled the same as one of the fun Star Wars PC games I grew up with) might be the first episode of Star Wars Rebels that has kept me enraptured from start to finish.
From the stunning X-Wing assault to Hera's fantastic escape attempt, this felt completely imbued with the spirit of Star Wars. Plus, as somebody who grew up with the EU books and games in the 1990s, it makes it all the more special to see characters like Thrawn and Rukh, as well as ships like the TIE Defender.
Alongside the exciting action, I finally have started feeling some connection towards the characters. While Ezra feels like he's becoming less and less important, both Kanan and Hera have finally started to leap off the screen. If I have a gripe it's that the formulaic structure of episodes is still really holding things back (as well as the child-friendly nature of the show - see Hera stunning stormtroopers instead of killing them outright), but when it's wrapped up in a package as good as this I can let it slide.
When Voyager tackles big story lines, it can take me by surprise. This is a gorgeously twisty episode that doesn't worry about how much it tries to fit in, starting in one place and taking us on a winding path to get somewhere new. I have to congratulate the writers on handling it all so well.
I'm really glad to see that the Maquis are still not entirely comfortable on board the ship, because they do tend to blend into the background in most episodes. It's just a shame that any time we meet one it has to be a new character and actor. The show would have been so much better if there were all people that we had been seeing since the start.
The death and funeral scene at the start really didn't work for me at all for exactly the reason that we don't know or care about the character who died. All of our main cast were talking about how well they knew him, how he had saved their lives and it falls flat. Chakotay especially fails here as he gives one of the most underwhelming and unemotional funeral eulogies - I don't really think that guy truly cares about anyone, or else Robert Beltran was just bored out of his mind.
Always happy to see Seska back, and her interactions with Maje Cullah were a bit more nuanced here, less evil villain. The Trabe kind of suckered me in, I was hoping they would actually be good guys. Nice nod to The Godfather Part III with the big mass execution.
The ending is a bit of a letdown with Janeway realising that the Starfleet way is the only way (it really shouldn't be), and giving a cheesy motivational speech.
O'Brien must suffer! A fairly unique time-travel episode with a cool idea behind it. It stumbles a little bit because as it goes on, more and more it bugs me that things don't quite make sense. Especially once O'Brien travels ahead for the final time, why hasn't the Miles he meets already done the same thing? "I hate temporal mechanics" indeed!
It's most memorable for doing a very non-Star Trek thing, and that's killing the main character! It somehow feels quite daring that they decided to kill of "our" O'Brien and use the future O'Brien for the rest of the series (this echoes back to the original plan with Thomas and Will Riker, which the producers eventually thought went too far). Even though there's no real difference between them, the script does reflect the viewer's own thoughts in that somehow it's like he doesn't belong here. I wonder if he ever told Keiko and Molly about it?
The Miles/Julian friendship is pretty firmly established now, through their dartboard being set up in the bar and the amusing argument they have about letting Miles die. The show made this friendship grow very naturally across the past seasons, and I love it.
The Romulan stuff is surprisingly boring. Kira's outrage feels a bit stale, and why they even bother to interview Quark I don't know. Odo's stuff is much better and he's quite funny all the way through - I especially like his fake indignation in regards to what Kira tells him. It does seem more than a little obvious that the singularity orbiting the station is a cloaked Romulan ship, though, why did none of the crew think of that?
A really fun episode that demonstrates what the writing staff changes behind the scenes brought to the show. Quark has always been far from a typical Ferengi and was used a means to change our perception of the race, but this episode really lets us see what he can be capable of. Mixing Klingons and Ferengis isn't an obvious choice, and it inevitably leads to some really funny stuff (I love seeing Gowron and the High Council flicking through financial documents with confused looks on their faces).
This was also an opportunity to finally give Keiko something to actually do. She's been kind of underused and her character's potential squandered, so it's nice to see an attempt to get things back on track for her. I like the genuine feel that her marriage has, at least at this point in the show, and both she and Miles make quite an adorable couple. I also found it quite cute the way that people were giving him advice and seemed to know all about his problems; the Julian/Miles friendship is beginning to feel like a friendship here, although you'll notice they're still not quite on first name terms.
Grilka is a joy to watch, and there's some hilarious stuff between her and Quark ("get your hand off my thigh"). The final scenes with him in the council chamber are excellent, and Armin Shimmerman really knocks it out of the park. Because TNG had finished, the Klingon storylines from there transitioned to this show, and they were always something to look forward to.
