DS9: “Favor the Bold” and “Sacrifice of Angels”

Date: August 12, 2020

Season 6, Episodes 5 and 6

Musical Accompaniment: It’s been a while since I’ve done some good cello covers.

Interstellar News: My brain stopped working around 4 pm, but a nap helped. We also had to watch the second episode tonight on DVD because our internet dipped and Netflix wasn’t working for a bit.

Favorite Quote from “Favor the Bold”:

Ziyal: I am telling you the truth. The question is, have you been telling me the truth.

Dukat: About what?

Ziyal: That the Bajorans are wrong about you. That you regret the horrible things you had to do during the occupation.

Dukat: I do regret them, Ziyal. Deeply.

Ziyal: Then this is your chance to prove it to everyone, including me. Show us that you’re capable of mercy.

Ziyal hitting her father where it hurts.

So what had happened in “Favor the Bold” was…: Sisko comes up with a plan to retake DS9 while Martok and Worf go to get Gowron on board. Sisko dreams of building a house on Bajor, Nog is promoted to Ensign, and Sisko is back in charge of the Defiant as a Dominion fleet approaches. On the station, Rom is still in a holding cell and Odo has been knocking changeling boots for three days unaware of the passage of time. Weyoun is preparing to execute Rom but Rom only cares about stopping the deflector array. They use Morn to send a message to Starfleet, Kira kicks Damar’s ass, Dukat moves to protect Terok Nor, and Odo tries to apologize to Kira.

“Gods don’t make mistakes.”: Sisko has really drunk the Bajoran Kool Aid and it shows in his presentation to the other admirals as well as during his conversation with Ross. What started as an assignment to him, he has really taken to heart and he is of Bajor. He continually has to remind the higher ups that DS9 is super important because of the wormhole, because they’re all worried about their own planets. To be fair, Gowron is worried too though he’s always been like that. Martok continues to be awesome and he’s one of the best things that could have happened to Worf, well Martok and Dax that is.

On the station there were so many bits that I loved. Weyoun trying to understand art, Ziyal playing to Dukat’s ego, Rom worrying about the entire AQ, Leeta and Quark haggling over how long she’ll work for free if he can get Rom out of jail, and Damar confiding in Quark over drinks were all just little bits of awesome. Jake figuring out how to smuggle a message out of Terok Nor and the “adults” finally realizing how enterprising Jake can be was a great moment for his character. We also finally see Odo snapping out of his “Great Link high” but it’s too little too late and Kira needs actions not words. This is a great set up for what’s to come, but it’s mostly setup so there’s no real sense of finality. 6 gifts for Morn’s mother.

Favorite Quote from “Sacrifice of Angels”:

Weyoun: The Captain is a very clever man.

Dukat: You do see it, don’t you?

Weyoun: Of course I do.

Dukat: Well then, perhaps you’d like to explain Captain Sisko’s strategy to the Founder yourself.

Weyoun: I could never hope to match your eloquence.

Weyoun buttering up Dukat so he doesn’t embarrass himself.

So what had happened in “Sacrifice of Angels” was…: The Defiant leads a big ass fleet to try to take back DS9 and they are met by an even bigger Dominion force. Dukat is overconfident and is relying on the minefield being taken down in a matter of hours while he also has Damar arrest Kira, Leeta, and Jake. Quark and Ziyal break them out of jail so Rom can turn off power to the station, or at least the weapons. Odo, who finally realized what an ass he was being, comes to the rescue with the Bajoran security force but Rom is just a few seconds too slow and the minefield comes down. The Defiant, having been the only ship to make it to DS9, heads into the wormhole to sacrifice themselves by blowing it up (or something) when the wormhole aliens ask Sisko why he is there. He gets them to try to see reason and eventually they make the incoming Dominion ships disappear. As the Defiant exits the wormhole, the Dominion evacuates but Dukat looks for Ziyal. He finds her though she wants to stay and admits she helped Kira escape jail. Out of nowhere Damar shoots her and she dies, much to the sadness of Kira and Garak. As Starfleet returns to DS9, Sisko reunites with Jake, Bashir and O’Brien are stoked about the holosuites, Rom is a proud dad, and Dukat has remained on the station in a catatonic state over the loss of his daughter.

“His pagh will follow another path.”: So much to unpack here. I’m not surprised that the Defiant was the only ship to make it through, because well that’s what happens in a TV show. The attack patterns reminded me of when I played football in high school and we had our own patterns for different plays. I still remember a 4 was a button hook and a 7 was sharp turn a few yards up, but I never was able to really jump high so I couldn’t ever run an 8. I absolutely loved when Quark shot the two Jem’Hadar soldiers, it totally reminded me of when Smecker shoots the guy in Boondock Saints, and then Quark just stands there totally in shock. I was shocked that Ziyal was shot and that Sisko didn’t go purposefully into the wormhole to talk with the wormhole aliens. Seriously, only my husband was around to see my shocked HOLY SHIT DAMAR KILLED ZIYAL face… I gasped quite audibly. I wasn’t thrilled with the ending because it seemed all swish-and-flick the Dominion reinforcements are gone, but I am interested to see what consequences arrive for Sisko in the future. 6 cheers for getting the band back together again and a few more minutes of silence for Ziyal.

TA Out!