DS9: “The Search: Parts 1 & 2”

Date: June 28, 2020

Season 3, Episodes 1 and 2

Musical Accompaniment: Acoustic love songs via the guitar

Interstellar News: Today was both very good and very bad. Do with that what you will. The Sandlot is still amazing after all of these years and the Jay and Silent Bob Reboot gets better with each viewing.

Favorite Quotes:

Quark: Actually, my brother Rom did most of the talking. I think he’d be better suited for this mission.

Sisko: Not Rom, you.

Quark: But why? Rom only has a son to think about. I have a business.

Quark trying to throw his brother under the bus, but Sisko knows better.

Kick-ass Kira: “I don’t believe this. I’m talking to a tree.”

Shape-shifter: Ironic, isn’t it? The hunted now control the destinies of hundreds of other races.

Odo: But why control anyone?

Shape-shifter: Because what you control can’t hurt you. So, many years ago we set ourselves the task of imposing order on a chaotic universe.

Kira: Is that what you call it? Imposing order? I call it murder.

Odo and Kira not only asking the good questions, but spilling the tea.

Part 1, “Can I speak freely?”: After the events of the Season 2 finale, the DS9 crew does their best Doctor Strange impression and runs simulations to see if they could survive an attack by the Jem’Hadar when Sisko decloaks with the Defiant,,that was originally built as a warship to defeat the Borg, a Romulan named T’Rul, and a man from Starfleet security that Odo hates. Sisko’s mission is to head to the Gamma Quadrant, find the Founders, and make them understand the Federation comes in peace. Everyone, including Quark, comes along on the Defiant and reach out to the Karemma in order to find the Founders and the Dominion. On Callinon VII Dax and O’Brien get stuck in a trap at the outpost, Sisko has to leave them behind but ultimately they get attacked and boarded, and Odo gets him and Kira on a shuttlecraft and head for the Omarian Nebula because he just has a feeling. In the Nebula there’s a rogue planet and a whole host of Odo’s people.

Part 2, “You mean no one told you? You see, I pretend to be their friend and then I shoot you.”: Odo has a lot of questions for his people. He finds out about the Great Link and tries to learn more about his gifts as Kira is supportive and tries to contact anyone else. Sisko and Bashir have had to abandon the Defiant when O’Brien and Dax show up and they head back to DS9. Admiral Nechayev is there to work on a treaty with the Dominion but they’re left out the Romulans and of course Garak is suspicious. O’Brien gets beat up by a Jem’Hadar, Dax is set to be transferred, and Sisko is absolutely up in arms. Sisko finds out the terms of the treaty and it means abandoning the station and Bajor, so they decide to blow up the entrance of the wormhole. Odo finds out he was part of The Umbrella Academy, well that he was one of 100 infants sent out into the world but no one was expecting him back until 300 years from now, and he also gets to combine his goo with another shifter’s and it’s NSFW. Kira figures out the source of the interference and asks for Odo’s help to unlock the door. Behind the door it’s like Eureka and The Matrix all over again because Odo’s people are the Founders and everyone works for them. Odo wants nothing to do with it and everyone is set free.

My Thoughts and Impressions: There’s only one scene about Sisko and Jake realizing that DS9 is finally home but it’s a powerful one because they are the world’s more adorable father-son duo and it’s so refreshing to see such a loving bond. While Season 2 did not end on a cliffhanger, there were absolutely a lot of unresolved things and I’m glad that the opening bit did a good job to show no one was idle in between seasons. Sisko not only went to Earth and returned with renewed purpose and passion, but he also came back with a ship and the staff of the Nagus because he knew Quark would need convincing to come along. They make really good reasons for why EVERYONE has to go on this mission but I still wonder who was left in control of the station with the main cast gone. I was excited to see Odo finally getting to see where he came from was giggled when Kira told him to stop interrogating, but boy was she wrong as Odo was absolutely on the correct track.

As soon as Part 2 started, I had lots of questions. Where the hell did O’Brien and Dax magically come from? Why were all the Starfleet people obviously extra smitten with the Dominion? Why was no one asking about Odo, Quark, or Kira? Those kept me distracted enough to realize this was another “Future Imperfect” scenario, and I even did a double-take at the TV when the big reveal happened. I knew the Vorta weren’t the Founders but I was sure that they worked for them, thought I didn’t see Odo’s people being the Founders. I really enjoyed these two episodes and the story is compelling enough to keep me interested, I am really enjoying seeing where this story leads. I am also excited for O’Brien who has a new toy to tinker with and, seeing as I just watched “The Trouble With Tribbles” again today, I am reminded at how much O’Brien and Scotty are alike. For both parts, I think they earn a batch of 8 fried meatballs in some tasty marinara sauce.

TA Out!