Another welcome surprise from an unexpected classic. However, it comes just short of being a great film.
First off, there is a vast cast of characters, yet somehow they are pretty well balanced for a film with a running time of just over an hour. While taking more time to flesh out some characters a la Seven Samurai would have made this more complete, it would have diminished the point of the film. Like most great westerns, this is less about the characters, and more about why they've been put in front of us (a welcome change from hiring who's hot in hollywood nowadays). While the plot itself wasn't all that original (should we take the law into our own hands), the places it takes us are unexpected, thrilling, and sometimes frightening.
The pacing is great, and for a short movie, it takes you to extremely different places for each act. Wellman makes a lot good decisions as director, and a handful of great ones. However, the greatness comes too far into the movie for me to classify this as an example of amazing directing. It's almost like he directed the first two acts to appeal to a broader audience, then directed the third act for aficionados who appreciate everything about a film that makes it great.
1 / 2 directing & technical aspect
1 / 2 story
1 / 1 acting
1 / 1 pacing
1 / 1 dialogue
1 / 1 living up to its genre
0 / 1 originality
1 / 1 lasting ability to make you think
.5 / 0 miscellaneous +/- point
7.5 out of 10
Denis Villenueve. A solid lineup. A different take on first contact. I loved Sicario but went in expecting a cerebral epic sci-fi.
That was a mistake.
Good things:
- Some really nice visual scenes
- Interesting aliens Calligraphy aliens!
- Clear theme of communication is omnipresent
- A neat score that might be awesome in a different movie
Bad things:
- The acting
- The lack of emotional reaction to ALIENS! The students asking to turn on the TV, all of the main characters
- Lack of useful characters Only the aliens and Louise actually did anything the entire movie.
- Supporting characters are very stupid in an attempt to foil the main character slightly
- Very clumsy exposition. Genre-typical news reports, voice-overs, dumb characters asking stupid questions.
- Very slow pacing. This worked in parts of Sicario, but didn't work in this movie because there was no tension. The main characters never seemed remotely threatened.
- Lousie showing up at school thinking everyone will be there after aliens arrive and there's a state of emergency
- Why can't you translate alien language like you can translate Farsi. This is a paraphrase but in the spirit of what Colonel Weber was saying.
- Useless love interest when the costars have no chemistry.
- Ultrasecure military base lets someone steal a ton of explosives and put it in an ALIEN SPACECRAFT without anyone noticing.
- Many unbelievable plot points
- Poor dialogue Let's make a baby - real quote
- Poor handling of the major plot points Looking through time seems to undermine the fact that the aliens need help. Why did one have to die if they could see the future? Why did only one die when they were right next to each other?
- Very heavy handed moral messaging that didn't align with the rest of the movie.
- Why couldn't Ian also see into the future as he studied the language, or any of the others?
Overall extremely disappointing. I'm honestly surprised critics or general moviegoers like this. The premise was very good. It's a real shame the execution failed so miserably.
I don't believe I've ever been so captivated by such a deeply flawed movie as I am with Arrival. What others have written about it—with far more insight than I could—is all too true, namely that the acting is hollow at best and the plot is nothing so much as a severely frayed thread in danger of completely unraveling. It's an utter waste of one of the most creative iterations of extra-terrestrial contact in cinematic history. And yet, despite all of these reasons to dismiss this lamentable execution of the cinematic arts, I can't help but admit…I love it.
When you strip away all of the trappings and examine this movie solely for the essential story being told, you are privy to something very profound, and genuinely uplifting: how humanity's manifold foibles, when put together, might just be redeeming after all. Through the protagonist, Louise, we see the unfolding of a series of personal tragedies and yet her response to them is tempered with unflinching dedication to the accomplishment of something worthwhile, and therein she finds her purpose. At the risk of sounding hyperbolic, I found in this story elements of the best of Disney's heroes, Shakespeare's tragic rulers, and religious texts' unwavering commitment to the belief that there is no such thing as a meaningless sacrifice. While they all could've been done greater justice, I believe their coexistence here is cause to sit up, take note, and eschew any demands for a greater polish and fidelity to realism.
I came away with a greater knowledge of myself and a more forgiving opinion of our species as a whole, and for both of those I am grateful beyond measure. Perhaps in time I'll come to see that the imperfections in its presentation actually work to clarify some or all of these laudable aspects of the narrative,...or perhaps the magic will fade under the weight of familiarity and I'll be unable to defend it again as I have here now. Either way, the two hours I devoted to watching this movie for the first time are ones that I won't ever regret, and perhaps that's the best praise any artistic work can receive, especially in light of this particular story.
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.
The first regular episode following the pilot is underwhelming, but still solid. I assume they blew most of their budget on the premiere, so had to stick to smaller stories for a while, but DS9 was always a show about the characters and it's not at all out of place that we dive into what makes these people tick.
The introduction of Garak, the Cardassian tailor/spy, is the big draw here. His first appearance isn't anything special, but Andrew Robinson brings charm to role and distinguishes himself clearly from other Cardassians. He's polite, happy and thoughtful - which in some ways makes him even more menacing. His description of himself as "plain, simple Garak" tells us that he's anything but. Right now we don't really understand why he's on DS9 or what his background is, and the show will continue to play with our expectations of him. It's also hard to believe that Dr. Bashir is so dense as to not understand what Garak is trying to tell him.
The episode is a good showcase for Major Kira as she has to fight against the person she's been all her life. The problem is, at this point we don't know who Kira was before, and her dilemma doesn't strike any chord.. It's easier to get a grip on things after knowing her character through watching the show previously, but for a new viewer I can imagine it's hard to care. For all that, Nana Visitor puts in a heartfelt performance and it's very clear that she cares. I like her conversation with Odo and the fact that he just makes a decision based on it. A lot of the details about her history with Tahna Los and the Kohn-Ma terrorist cell are provided in the Terok Nor novels, but of course they're not canon (however well they manage to fit in).
The Duras sisters were a fun addition, keeping the links to the TNG universe alive. It's also impressive that even this early, the writing is so much more mature than on that show.
If the internet had been as prevalent in 1993 as it is now, I feel sure that the phrase "I am Tosk" would have become a meme. This is a strong episode when taken within the context of DS9's first season, and an excellent exploration of O'Brien's character. This may be the first episode in the entire franchise that's been fully focused on him as a person and really lets us into his personality (I'd argue that various TNG episodes only ever gave us hints).
Turns out he's quite willing to throw away the Prime Directive and even his career for what he believes in, and he seemingly does it with a smile on his face. Maybe it's a bit too much to believe that the Chief has no hesitation or internal debate whatsoever to breaking the rules like this, but it makes for a decent episode. He gets annoyed pretty easily, as the scene with Quark demonstrates (as well as the previous 'Babel'); I think this is the first utterance of "hew-mon". We also get the first indication that he doesn't like Julian that much! But it also shows how kind and open he is quite beautifully.
Special mention does need to be given to the pretty amazing design job for Tosk. He looks amazing even to this day.
I'm always a sucker for a good courtroom drama, and while this isn't a stellar example of one the episode does however manage to represent a classic Trek philosophical conundrum: can a being who lives multiple lives be held responsible for the crimes of one of their past ones?
Someone disappointingly, it doesn't actually answer that question. Additionally, even though Kira is assigned to find out what the Trill law is in regards to that (they must have sorted this out many centuries in their past), we never hear about what she discovers. It weakens it somewhat that we are never really allowed to get into it or have our opinions swayed. Never mind, though, because the episode manages to succeed due to it's focus on the characters rather than the plot (something DS9 is going to consistently prove as one of its strengths).
It's great to finally find out about Jadzia Dax (even though the character herself does so little here) and get a better understanding of how the lives of Trills work. The friendship between her and Sisko works from the very beginning and Anne Haney is wonderful as the no-nonsense arbiter. Kira gets a superb scene as she tells Tandro that his actions "annoy us". But again, Dr. Bashir doesn't get presented in the best light as he goes all creepy and even a bit self-pitying over Jadzia. There's an annoying contrivance that the only suitable place on the station to hold the hearing is in Quark's bar (the station is huge and has all sorts of large rooms and areas, not to mention that they could have just used a holosuite).
Some dissonance in regards to the supposed harmonious future gender equality here too, as Bashir stops fighting when he suddenly realises his opponent is a woman, and Sisko laments that he can't punch Dax because she's not a man anymore.
Ugh. Where to start? I'm embarrassed to admit that, as a teenager, this was one of my favourite episodes when it first aired. I though the concept of being trapped inside a board game was really cool. And yes, the idea still is pretty great, but when it's executed like this it just makes you want to turn away in shame.
The concept of the episode isn't the problem, it's the poor writing and absolutely horrendous acting involved, from both guest stars and the main cast. Alexander Siddig again comes off the worst here, I can only assume that it's a mixture of him following direction and having very little experience. Falow is way too over the top, and the Wadi in general are a stupid design in all aspects. The less said about the hopscotch scene the better, you can almost feel the embarrassment the cast members were experiencing.
The only ones who come off well here are Quark and Odo. Odo gets a fantastic scene with Lt. Primmin (we won't be seeing him again), mocking him about Starfleet procedures. Quark has a funny grovelling scene in which Armin Shimmerman doesn't hold back chewing up the scenery. And the writing of the episode itself isn't a total loss, the opening scene with Sisko and Jake is just a beautiful father/son piece.
To make matters worse, the episode drags. The final sections in the cave just seem to go on endlessly. This is a really weak moment for the show, but for all that I think I still prefer it to the terrible previous episode ('The Passenger'). There's at least an element of silly fun to be found, but for God's sake don't show this to anyone you want to introduce to the show or sci-fi TV in general.
I'd confidently rate this as the strongest episode since the pilot. Encountering a planet of people who can't die while being embroiled in a constant war is a classic sci-fi concept, delivering a strong message on the pointlessness of war. The only thing that lets it down is how small-scale and cheap it all feels, as well as how non-violent the fight scenes are. Look past that and there's a fine story here. The addition of Jonathon Banks to the guest cast really elevates things (while he's mostly known these days for Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, he had a long career prior to those).
It's also notable to me for the decision to write Kai Opaka out of the show. True, she'd only been in one episode before this, but she felt like an important character (and I'd grant a lot of that to Camille Saviola's performance), enough that her "death" here makes an impact. I do wonder why the writers made the decision not to keep her around any longer but it's also going to be established on this show that even supporting characters can have a lot of depth and can meet their fate at any time.
It's also an important episode for Kira. She's still in full-on angry mode all the time, which can begin to feel over the top, so the Kai helping her realise that she needs to let go of it all is quite a touching moment. I did find her reaction to Gul Dukat's report on her at the start of the episode quite entertaining, though (side note: the Terok Nor novels suggest that Dukat purposely diminished her criminal records to make her look unimportant in an effort to protect her, given that he was in love with her mother).
An episode based around the theme of coming together, in some cases to work towards a goal or in some to just forge a friendship. This is the beginning of the fantastic O'Brien/Bashir pairing, and it's off to a rocky start. I love that O'Brien just doesn't like Julian, but I also love that Julian isn't oblivious to this. It seems the writers might have realised just how arrogant they were making the character and began the process of making the doctor more likeable.
The Jake/Nog friendship has also grown to the point where the two of them are becoming inseparable, and to where they now comfortably argue a lot. They behave as believable teenagers, far better than Wesley ever did over on TNG. I have to admit, when I watched this episode as kid I also had a massive crush on Varis Sul, and it's interesting that I had forgotten about her completely but the episode brought it all the memories back!
It's a notoriously cheesy moment within the first season of the show, though. The whole storyteller plot line in the village is really hard to take, mostly because of how stupid the villagers come across. Our first real visit down to Bajor presents a people who seem moronic among the galaxy's occupants, shouting at a cloud in the sky. We've been told repeatedly what an advanced and cultured civilisation they are. I always laugh at O'Brien's attempt to tell the story, though ("once upon a time...").
The ingredients are all here for a strong episode. It has a wonderful performance from guest star Brian Keith as Mullibok; it's an excellent dive into Kira's personality and what drives her; it creates lots of conflict, both for Kira herself and between her and a number of other characters; it gives us a good look at Bajoran life; and thematically it asks questions about the true value of what we've got.
And yet, I can't deny that I find the episode a bit plodding and edging on boring. No matter how much time Kira spends with Mullibok, it's like they just keep having the same conversation in different ways. Part of the problem is that I struggle to see Mullibok as anything but selfish.
I do think that the episode has a bold ending, though, and again feels like something that the characters on TNG would never have done (yes, I know that Data does essentially the same thing in 'The Ensigns of Command', but the motivations behind his decision are very different). Mostly, the reward here comes from seeing Major Kira's development - in many ways, this episode really defines her from this point forward.
The side plot with Jake and Nog is good fun, those two have become quite a delightful part of the show by this point. A shame they couldn't just Google an explanation for self-sealing stem bolts - but couldn't they have asked the computer?
Nothing else in season 1 quite prepares you for this. An absolute tour-de-force of writing and acting produces not only the best episode of the season, not only one of the best episodes of DS9, but one of the best of the entire Star Trek franchise. Screw it, it's among the best hours of television ever made.
The atrocities of the Cardassian Occupation of Bajor are brought into the light and we get our first real understanding of what went on. The fierce and judgemental nature of Kira makes a lot more sense after seeing this, and the first season of the show turns out to be very much about shaping her character going forward. She's full of hate, and as the season has progressed we've seen her discover more and more that it's something she needs to let go of. It also goes a long way towards finally humanising (for lack of a better word) Cardassians.
It plays to the strengths of the show at this point in time: it's a small scale story completely focused on character. The various dialogues between Major Kira and her Cardassian prisoner are the high points in that they overshadow everything else. Fortunately, there's no B-story here in the background to take away from it. Nana Visitor pulls out a very strong and nuanced performance, but it's really guest star Harris Yulin as Marritza/Dar'heel who grabs your attention. He manages to give us something that we just can't take our eyes away from, and his voice is mesmerising. There are lines here which have been stuck rattling around in my head for 20 years.
Surprisingly, this is the first appearance of Gul Dukat since the pilot episode. I'd forgotten how little he appears early on. But his part in this is great as ever, and his reminiscence of playing games with Odo is quite fun.
The ending might be a bit groan-inducing but that somehow doesn't take away from it's power at all, and I particularly like the surprise on Kira's own face when she says, "no, it's not." An essential piece of viewing and a clear indication of how powerful this show is going to become..
While season 1 closed with a look at Bajor's religion, season 2 begins with a dive into its politics. Trek's first three-part tale is a slow burning and thoughtful episode with a lot of moving parts. As with much of early DS9, it's more about intrigue and character rather than explosive storytelling (although that will certainly become a big part of the show too later).
Kira and O'Brien's rescue mission is an enjoyable adventure, and they work surprisingly well together with their various attempts to deceive the Cardassians - O'Brien trying to sell her services is particularly well done and they both play it up perfectly. The POW they resuce, Li Nalas, is a fascinating reluctant hero played very nicely by Twin Peak's Richard Beymer.
What I most appreciate is that there is a sense of DS9 really finding its own identity here and forging ahead with confidence. The father/son moments between Sisko and Jake remain strong and always feel genuine. You could possibly accuse this episode of being a bit flat, but then Frank Langella turns up and is a great mix of charming, smarmy, arrogant and friendly.
The sedate pacing is a far cry from the usual action of TNG (especially when you consider they had just aired the frantic and messy 'Descent' two-parter alongside this), but it allows far more depth to the storytelling. Action junkies will get their fix later, but for now the show's world is being expanded and given life.
There's a moment in this episode where Sisko interrupts Kira "daydreaming", and I have to admit I also found myself daydreaming a lot through this one. It's a slow paced and drawn out episode that takes a very long time just to inform us of something very simple: the Circle are ready to begin their coup, and are unknowingly getting their weapons from the Cardassians.
It would be okay if the episode didn't let our characters fall by the wayside. Kira is lost, floating about (being "useless") while Sisko is just reacting to all the developments coming his way. Frank Langella and Louise Fletcher provide a fantastic supporting cast, but everyone else doesn't really get much of a look in. Vedek Bareil is actually kind of creepy and Bashir is beyond rubbish at his attempt to rescue Kira.
This is just setting things up for the final part, and if it wasn't for the WONDERFUL scene at the start with everybody coming into Kira's quarters (finally realising that these are her friends, a big step) and the pretty good cliffhanger, it would be a complete loss.
Side note: Winn gets one of my favourite condescending lines of dialogue - "Please, feel free to stay as many days as you'd like... even a week if that's necessary."
One of the things I enjoy about this episode is how it shows the main characters isolated and working together, each of them playing to their own strengths. Terry Farrel has been given very little to do as Dax throughout the first seasons, and I would say that this is the first episode where she's actually been given the chance to act. She does a great job, too, especially once her symbiont is removed and the calm, confident personality allowed to her by Dax disappears and we see how scared and young Jadzia is. We are given a great look into how the Trill work, too.
The guest cast are excellent, too. Tim Russ is barely recognisable as a Klingon. John Glover gets to change from a timid character into a different person. It's remarkable to see how different he plays it once he's joined, laughing with Sisko about their past adventures. The commander himself works against Verad and his crew brilliantly, playing on their emotions and never backing down. Meanwhile, Bashir shows that he isn't easily intimidated and O'Brien... well, O'Brien gets shot and rolls around in pain.
I like this as a display of friendship between the characters, they've reached a point where they trust each other. The problem I have, though, is Quark. He does something absolutely despicable and is told several times through the episode that he's finished. None of these people will ever trust him again. And yet, the episode ends with zero repercussions for him and all is forgotten. That doesn't ring true at all.
This one went right over my head as a young teen. While there's nothing exciting or explosive on display here, this is a fascinating and fast moving journey full of intrigue and deception. Much like 'Duet', it's built on the fallout from the Occupation, but moves in a very different direction. It's absolutely wonderful, and it's no coincidence that it so prominently features Garak and Dukat. Surprisingly, this is the first appearance of Garak since we met him way back at the start of season 1. It's obvious why he's a fan favourite, and arguably the greatest character across the entire Trek franchise.
Racism and politics are brought to the forefront, and caught up in all of this is a young boy who is being taught to hate his own kind. It's evident that O'Brien's own racism hasn't completely disappeared, but he's able to work through it as he gets to know Rugal.
It turns out that this is a great showcase for Julian, too. He's finally moving far away from the arrogant blunder head we met him as, although his over-eagerness does get him in some trouble when he interrupts Sisko's talk with Gul Dukat - quite a funny scene as Sisko takes it all in stride while simultaneously expressing his annoyance. Kira's little reaction to it is also fun. But he's maturing considerably, and pretty much all his arguments in the episode end up being right on the money.
But it's Garak leads us on this journey and it's a real rollercoaster. His constant deceptions and "truths" are a joy, and half the fun is in figuring out what he's up to. It's also a telling scene when he encounters the Cardassians orphans and clearly feels the shame in the way his society abandons them as outcasts. We feel the beginnings of the long running conflict between him and Dukat, and find out for certain that Dukat is playing all sorts of games.
The odd part is the ending - it's not a happy one, but more than that is that it seems very arbitrary and not fully explained. Rugal's own feelings don't seem to be taken into account at all.
I did think Keiko was being a bit insensitive in serving Rugal some Cardassian food (made all the more odd after she admonishes Miles for his lack of tact). Also worth noting, this is first time we hear the name 'Terok Nor'. Which is an awesome name.
We've heard a lot about the Cardassian Occupation, but this is our first chance to see some of it thanks to some detailed flashbacks. The station looks like a very different place and it's a wonderful transition from the comfortable DS9 we're used to to the dirty and brutal Terok Nor. It's easy to forget that it was an ore refinery.
The changes in characters past and present are also a joy to see. Kira is a different person, younger and angrier and with a lot of reason to be scared. Odo is unsure of himself and we are shown a great contrast between his questioning skills in the past compared to how they are now (complete with a Columbo moment). We get to see what Dukat was like when he was in charge, with all the arrogance and power it brings. Even Quark is different, playing his part to fit in alongside the Cardassian's rule.
Besides giving us a solid crime investigation, this is an important character episode for Odo and Kira. Their friendship has been built on Kira covering up the murder she committed, and Odo seems to be able to forgive her for it. That seems out of character for him until later revelations (he's in love with Kira), but I doubt that storyline had been thought up at this point.
It's a reminder of what a dark place many of DS9's characters are coming from, and firmly guides the show along this path. There's even room for a little bit of comedy. Great stuff.
This has the distinction of being the final "new" DS9 episode I ever saw, as I managed to miss it during its first UK broadcast. I don't think I managed to see it until I got the series on DVD in 2003.
I wasn't missing anything particularly special, though. While the episode does have a compelling story, it's ruined by the fact that the Skrreeans are just incredibly annoying. Even that name is annoying to type. The worst culprit is the late Andrew Koenig as Tumak who is very difficult to enjoy watching and seemingly written to be nothing but an angry pest. Leland Orser is also present, but strangely is not really used at all - I guess this was early in his career.
Another issue is that there is never any proof that Bajor is the planet that the Skrreeans are looking for, and Haneek's reaction is unnecessarily over the top. The alternative they are being offered is better in every way, but some prophecy tells them they need to act like idiots.
But I do quite like the downbeat ending and the fact that Kira's relationship with Haneek is not mended, or even salvageable by the end. It's also interesting to see the universal translator not quite doing its job, and we get another foreboding mention of the Dominion. There's also a great moment for Quark as he defends his nephew, both against the Skrreeans and with Odo.
I do wonder why Bajor didn't allow a small contingent of Skrreeans down as a test of sorts, maybe a couple of thousand to see if they could farm the land and make it work. That would have seemed to be a sensible compromise.
It has a rocky start with some terrible expositional dialogue and it's hard not to laugh at the fact that the harvesters look like containers of Pringles, but I do enjoy this episode. The pairing of Miles and Julian was always one of the best parts of the show, and it's especially great here in the early days because Miles still just doesn't like the doctor very much - but he's starting to warm to him a little. O'Brien has a short fuse whenever they are together which makes me laugh, but I've always liked to think that Julian knew the Chief wasn't too fond of him and changed his ways a bit.
I really like the way that Sisko believes Keiko without any question when she demonstrates her reason for believing her husband is still alive. Maybe it's because our commander was married, and I couldn't picture Picard doing the same thing.
The rescue of Bashir and O'Brien is a bit too convenient, and Sisko and Dax's trick at the end is a bit too obvious but it's nice that the solution taken was a sensible one for once. The final moment with Keiko is just perfect.
Possibly gets the award for the worst alien haircuts ever.
Garak - perhaps the most intriguing character in all of Star Trek - gets a whole episode dedicated to his story for the first time. Andrew Robinson is absolute gold in the role and completely makes it his own, but this is also a great showcase for Dr. Bashir. We can see first hand how much he has changed from the early season 1 character he was, and yet he's still true to that initial set up. He's still got the arrogant and brash streaks, but he's far more mature.
As enjoyable as this episode is, it almost feels like it tries to do a bit too much. With Garak's overlapping lies and stories being delivered in a rush and then an abrupt slow down as Bashir attempts to help him, the pacing of this is very elastic. I also find that I don't enjoy the character of Enabran Tain at all - I don't know whether this is due to the writing, the actor or just the whole concept of him, but something about him makes my brain want to switch off.
I really like the little things that crop up in this episode, like the fact that Julian admits he knows that Chief O'Brien doesn't like him, that Sisko is being treated for a sore throat due to yelling at admirals, the discussions on Cardassian literature, or that Odo enters some very ethically wrong areas by monitoring all of Quark's communications. All this put together leaves an episode that throws a lot at you and it hinges on some excellent performances. And at the end, we feel like we still barely have learned a thing.
The mirror universe, established in The Original Series, is a place that really makes no sense, but I always looked forward to these crazy episodes. The cast get to play with their characters in extreme ways, sometimes being the complete opposite of what they usually are.
If you stop and think too much, then it seems ridiculous that the counterparts of all these people are in the same places doing similar things. It doesn't really make sense that any of them would have been born at all. But these episodes are meant to be fun, so just go with it.
DS9's first trip to the other side very briefly fills us in on some details. Kirk influenced Mirror Spock who eventually rose to take command of the Terran Empire and preached a message of peace. That allowed the Empire's enemies to destroy them and a Klingon-Cardassian Alliance has now enslaved humanity.
This would actually be nothing more than an okay episode if not for Nana Visitor. Her performance as the Intendent is irresistible, she dials everything up to 11 and just steals the show (her delivery of the line "QUI-ET!" to Bashir is a total joy), and the special effects in scenes with the two of her are a big step up from similar stuff seen on TNG, it's near flawless. Mirror Odo gets to be evil and happy, Sisko is a crazy but depressed pirate and O'Brien is... pretty much himself but just downtrodden.
Quark is one of the real surprises, he seems to be brave and kind of heart. The mirror universe also allows for main characters to be killed off, so he doesn't stick around too long. The opening scene seems to undo all the maturing that Doctor Bashir has done over the past season as he's arrogant and oblivious again, but it's funny.
A good return to this world, though a bit restrained and unimaginative.
O'Brien must suffer! The brutal Cardassian justice system we've heard mention of in recent episodes is shown to us in all its glory, and it's quite terrifying. The accused is always guilty and the trial is just there to demonstrate what they are guilty of. Leave it to Chief O'Brien to be the one caught up in all of it.
The episode is tense and uncomfortable and gives us our first look at Cardassia Prime, a totalitarian world in which propaganda broadcasts are relayed throughout the streets. The trial that Miles has to endure is almost funny in its ridiculousness, but serves as a stark reminder that things like this have happened on Earth, and indeed still do happen.
The episode builds up with very little light at the end of the tunnel and then ends abruptly and nonsensically. Sisko and co. just march in with their prisoner and that's the end of that. It's not satisfying and derails what could have been a stellar show. How did Sisko get in there? Why was fake Boone's plan so flawed as to just use a doctored recording of O'Brien's voice that was discovered almost instantly? Odo does very little but delay proceedings until just the right moment and doesn't inspire much confidence as a lawyer.
I can't help but feel a bit sorry for Kovat, who seems to think he'll now be executed!
A fantastic end to season 2 gives us a deceptively small episode that grows bigger as it continues and ends with events that will shape the course of the entire series to come. This has a little bit of everything, starting with some lovely father/son bonding between Jake and Commander Sisko, juxtaposed by the funnier relationship between Nog and his uncle Quark.
In many ways, Quark is the real star of this one. His arguments with Sikso culminate in quite a beautiful speech about the nature of Ferengi vs. humans, and it serves to demonstrate the casual racism that everyone, noble Starfleet officers included, show towards Quark and the rest of his species. It seems like Quark's words are strong enough to actually register with Sisko.
The camping trip is a really enjoyable part of the episode, both Quark and Nog providing some really good humour. More so, though, is the continuing and very genuine love between Jake and his father. Any time they end up reminiscing about Jennifer always results in some quite heartbreaking stuff, and both Cirroc Lofton and Avery Brooks always hit the right notes.
Things change with the arrival of Eris (who we will later learn is a Vorta) followed by our first look at the Jem'Hadar. These guys are just great, and at this point it's all about displaying how intimidating they are. They have personal cloaking devices, great strength and a highly aggressive attitude. One of the most powerful moments of the episode is the way that the soldier on the station just casually walks through the force field the crew think they have him contained in; it's done in such a nonchalant way and shot so well that it becomes kind of unsettling.
If we needed a less subtle demonstration, they destroy a Galaxy-class starship. That could easily have been the Enterprise, as it was thoroughly overwhelmed and had no defence. There's a few moments here which don't track with later developments - Eris has telepathic abilities that will never be seen again, and she doesn't recognise what Odo is - but they're small enough things that it's easy to forget.
The first episode of season 3 shakes things up a little. New combadges, new hairdos, a new cinematography style and some new sets with the wardroom on board the station and the various locations on the new starship Defiant. For all the newness, though, the story is picking up from right where we left things at the end of season 2: the threat from the Dominion.
Of course, there's also new faces behind the scenes. The brilliant Ronald D. Moore came over from TNG and joined the writing staff on this show, and made his mark with his first episode here.
Being the first part of a double episode, this one moves at a leisurely pace and allows for some calm character moments. Again, we're reminded of the deep bond between Sisko and Jake as they officially begin to think of Deep Space Nine as their "home". Far more electric is the scene between Quark and Odo, the latter becoming extremely forceful and feeling far more aggressive than we've ever seen him before. It's clear that something more is wrong that we've been told. Quark handles it pretty well.
The new ship, the Defiant, is a glorious creation. An overpowered little warship, it's going to give us a lot of fun. In an interesting twist it has a cloaking device which comes along with its own Romulan operator (not sure how long she'll be around). It's a bit of a let down when it seemingly gets utterly thrashed during its first battle. We also meet Michael Eddington who appears to be replacing Odo as the head of security on DS9, and causes a massive upset. Odo's on his own quest here, though, and it's causing him to act far more irrationally than usual.
It's always bugged me that, when Odo finally finds his own people, they all just happen to look exactly like he does. I know it's a contrivance of television storytelling to make things clear for the audience, but it makes absolutely no sense.
This would be a very grim episode if not for the lighter material provided by Quark. As a season opener it's intriguing and begins to take us in new directions.
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.
Dax is such an interesting character with the multitudes of lifetimes to explore, but somehow I thought that DS9 managed to make her the least developed character. Terry Farrel was great in the role and when the show gave her something really good, she flourished. This is not quite one of those stellar moments, however important it is to her character development.
The revelation that one of the past hosts was a murderer is a big one, but it doesn't feel like it's made as big a deal of as it should be. This should be a character-changing moment for Jadzia, but the effects of this episode seem to have zero bearing on her future. We see an angry and confrontational side of her personality develop here, but it will seemingly be kept under wraps from here on despite the revelations she has. DS9 was usually a bit better at allowing characters to change with big events (although, fair enough, it's not ignored entirely in future episodes).
The episode has some great moments, though. Odo stirring the souffle is quite charming and it's great to see that Bashir has matured enough to be a doctor rather than a womaniser, as demonstrated when Jadzia comes to sleep in his quarters. Also, how fantastic is it that Sisko has his entire senior staff over for dinner and cooks for them? Picard would never do that.
I think it's a great story and I love learning more about the Trill, it just falls a bit flat in the execution for me.
For all the Kira showcasing contained in this episode, somehow it's Garak who ends up making the largest impression on me. We get little bits revealed about him with every appearance, and even after 'The Wire', this is the one where we first realise how dangerous he potentially is. Andrew Robinson also has impeccable comic timing, so his line about overhearing the security code is really hilarious.
But all that aside, this is a Kira episode and quite a powerful one. It manages to create some genuine question about whether or not she really is a Cardassian agent and the relationship that builds between her and her "father" gives a beautiful arc to the story. It also furthers the proof that the species aren't all deserving of hate and even Kira, a Bajoran freedom fighter, is able to see that (a journey she begun back in 'Duet'). Nana Visitor also makes a pretty fantastic Cardassian.
There are shades of this being a repeat of the TNG episode 'Face of the Enemy', but this goes in quite a different direction. Entek is a pretty fantastic villain, too, and the sneaky use of Odo once the gang arrive at the end is really nicely done.
This is a pretty good one, most notably famous for having Jonathon Frakes guest star as Riker. The twist that he's not actually Will Riker is absolutely fantastic if you go into this without knowing (and the beard-removing moment is kind of funny in its epicness).
For all the good stuff, I do find this episode slightly disjointed. It's split into two very distinct parts, with the early acts being a nice ensemble piece on board the station, and then changing into something very different once Riker is on board the Defiant and Sisko is on Cardassia.
Those Cardassia scene are quite fantastic, though. Sisko is especially great and demonstrates his excellent tactical skills, as well as his ability to find a way to get what he needs. The scenes between him and Dukat are quite electric, thanks again in no small part to how great Marc Alaimo is in the role. The bonding moment they share over both being fathers is a real highlight - thought, a part of me does wonder how truthful Dukat was being. Given all that we discover later about his character, this doesn't quite ring true and feels more like a manipulation. However, I like to think that at this point in the series, the writers wanted to make him genuine, so it's nice.
The stuff on board the Defiant is a bit less enticing, and I find that the episode sort of slows to a crawl as it goes on. Jonathon Frakes' charm helps it, but there's a lot of staring at screens and characters trying to persuade each other to get through. Kira has some great dialogue, fortunately.
First mention of quantum torpedoes, and a nice mystery being set up about what's going on in the Orias system. It's a real shame that the Thomas Riker storyline was never followed up on screen, but it does get some continuation in the relaunch novels.
It's silly to the extreme, but I have a lot of fun with this one. Taking its cues from a Shakespearean style comedy, this is enjoyable but feels so very un-Star Trek. There's no real scientific aspect to the story, or exploration of human nature, or politics or even action. In fact, nothing really happens at all here. It's just a fun diversion with our characters getting to act a bit weird. But DS9 was far more about its characters than other Trek shows.
The acting is actually what always made this memorable for me, with Cirroc Loften (Jake) and Terry Farrell (Jadzia) in particular embracing the comedy aspects and really making them work. The creepy side of Bareil actually gets to work its way into the story, and that actually makes this one of his better appearances! (I LOVE it when he punches SIsko, and then Dax decks him.) Avery Brooks directs and does so beautifully, and there are some lovely epic camera movements spread throughout. The station looks bright and colourful.
I also like the O'Brien/Keiko marriage difficulties storyline, as it feels quite realistic (at points) here.
There's also Lwaxana Troi, who is a difficult character for some people to enjoy. I usually kind of enjoy her appearances, although they could be hit and miss. DS9 managed to use her well and bring out a more caring side to her personality, notable here for the great moment where she recognises Odo's feelings towards Kira.
I remembered this as being a strong two-parter, but rewatching here I was blown away. I'm not sure if there has ever been a Trek story so blunt or that feels quite as prescient as this does by today's standards. With Trump over in America, the "sanctuary cities" debate and Brexit happening here ("Europe is falling apart") among all sorts of other issues of homelessness and unenployment, the insanely high cost of living and excessive force used by police, this is absolutely chilling to watch. Maybe over the top in some ways, but this franchise was never really about subtlety.
This is pure Star Trek, and is overflowing with ideas and messages. From something as simple as Sisko and Bashir (two men of colour) being arrested and chucked in what is more-or-less a prison, and Jadzia (an attractive white woman) being treated like a princess who's done no wrong after being found in the exact same circumstances as them, this deals with so many issues that we have screaming in our faces today. Would Chris have been as quick to stop and help the commander and the doctor? This present a society where people don't want to deal with other people's problems and money is the more important factor, which sounds too familiar.
In fact, the most unrealistic things about this episode are the quaint 1990s style computer terminals being used and the fact that nobody seems to have mobile phones.
Side note: the first time I watched this was on the initial UK BBC2 broadcast. The channel showed it as a 90 minute movie, even though it was listed as a single episode in the Radio Times. I remember thinking "this seems long" and looking at the clock, realising over an hour had already past. Fantastic viewing experience.
I also love the way that Jadzia really quickly improvises and makes her explanations upon being found. She's got a lot of experience to draw on! PLUS, for once Star Trek did a time travel story that didn't just go back to our "contemporary" Earth, which became contrived very quickly.
