Musical Accompaniment: Ambient Worlds presents: Laketown (a LOTR inspired track)
Interstellar News: This was a rough week and I’m pretty sure I saw someone trying to build an ark yesterday…
Favorite Quote:
Kira: Don’t forget, this is still your fault.
Bashir: My fault?
Kira: You performed the transfer from Keiko to me.
Super meta conversation, and hilarious bit back and forth, considering Visitor and Siddig (Kira and Bashir) knocked boots and created said baby.
So what had happenedwas…: Dax and Sisko come back from a meeting with Starfleet and the Federation and they’re sending Sisko, Worf, O’Brien, and Odo undercover to try and flush out the Gowron changeling. The three humans are made to look like Klingons and Dukat comes in his Bird of Prey ship to escort them to where Gowron will be while Worf tries to teach them how to be Klingons. Martok arrives, they put their mini golden Death Star destabilizes in place, wait a really long time to turn it on, and get caught before they can. Martok lets them out of jail because he believes Gowron is a changeling and he wants them to kill Gowron, but Odo’s brain is always working and he exposes Martok as the changeling. Martok is immediately shot by every Klingon in the place and explodes to death while Gowron is grateful but can’t stop the momentum of war just with a snap of his fingers.
Watch this on a loop, you will not be disappointed.
“Glory to you and your house.”: Okay so I was wrong, but I’m glad Odo got his mojo back and it was very satisfying to see how quickly the Klingons all rose to the occasion of obliterating the changeling. Sisko obviously had a hard time speaking with the teeth implants or flappers or whatever they used, you could hear a bit of a lisp and some of his normal tone and inflection was off but damn was he having fun as a Klingon. O’Brien was obviously uncomfortable but did the best he could and Odo was just a mess until he realized he still had “it”. I don’t understand why they waited so long to turn on the emitters or why Sisko had to stop when his fake Klingon name was called or, for that matter, how Martok knew it was Sisko. I’m also confused why they didn’t just chop off a hand or a finger or a leg or something that would prove Gowron was a changeling… hell you can probably tear off their clothes or something. Another thing that didn’t make sense to me is how no one notices when they go off to regenerate? One thing is clear, Gowron drank the changeling Kool Aid because it meant he could lead his people into glorious battle, even if they weren’t winning.
“It’s really not too bad, except for the taste.“
Last post I talked about the conversation I imagined Kira having with her boyfriend, but the one she had with Dukat was absolutely fabulous and delivered perfectly. Dukat, naturally, shows his true colors when he blows up the other Klingon ship instead of letting ONE OF THE FOUR KLINGONS ON BOARD talk when the holofilter stopped working. It’s a not-so-subtle way to remind us that Dukat is still a bad guy. Kira also is completely unafraid of Worf or O’Brien and clearly explains that their opinions are fine to express but it’s her orders that are to be followed and she’s not dealing with any of their shit. I also really liked that there was a female Klingon being inducted to the Order of the Bat’leth and they all cheered for her as they did the men that came before her, it was a nice touch.
Dukat, on the other hand, is totally a bad guy.
I very much liked this episode and the twist of who was really the bad guy but I still felt like things were missing and I can’t quite place it. I’ve noticed most of the season openers have not opened with a roar or a bang but more like a purr of a really loud cat. Using the “Louie” scale, this episode gets a 7.
Musical Accompaniment: Star Wars soundtracks, because I can.
Interstellar News: We are at the end of Season 4 and, as such, my Rankings page has been updated. Only two movies and three more seasons to go before I begin Voyager.
Favorite Quote from “The Quickening”:
Bashir: These people believed in me and look where it got them. Trevean was right. There is no cure. The Dominion made sure of that. But I was so arrogant I thought I could find one in a week.
Dax: Maybe it was arrogant to think that. But it’s even more arrogant to think there isn’t a cure just because you couldn’t find it.
Dax telling Bashir the truth he needs to hear.
So what had happened in “The Quickening”was…: Dax, Bashir, and Kira are in the Gamma Quadrant and respond to a distress signal on a very desolate planet. A woman is dying and asks to go to the hospital, but it’s really a place where a man named Trevean offers physician assisted suicide. 200 years ago the planet was ravaged by the Jem’Hadar and giving a blight that everyone eventually dies from one the spots on their face turn red. Bashir is horrified and they go to leave, but a pregnant woman wants their help and they decide to stay and try to find a cure. Unfortunately the first round has everyone die and Bashir is devastated. Dax leaves but Bashir decides to stay and eventually the woman gives birth to a child born without the blight, he created a vaccine.
“Well, I’d like to think it’s my bedside manner.”: This episode really followed the pattern of a lot of medically-driven episodes. Doctor wants to do a thing even if it seems impossible, stuff progresses well at first but they need more bodies, the people don’t want to until the doctor does “magic” and then they come around. Of course something terrible has to happen and it does twice, once when the first group dies because Bashir didn’t take into account the Dominion’s pettiness and again when the woman dies a minute after giving birth. I do hope they eventually sent a team to try to help the people still alive instead of just those who were going to be born soon, but I’m sure it will never be followed up on again.
“I ordered a glass of prune juice from the replicator in the Defiant’s mess. This is what it came in.”
There were some excellent bits: Bashir speaking jargon and Dax translating, the one rude guy turning around to show up to volunteer, Trevean looking hopeful instead of tired at the end, and Sisko getting to come in just to say “atta’ boy, Bashir” because he’s just that awesome. The opening bit, however, blew everything out of the water with Quark “advertising” and then Worf coming in with the mug, it was pure awesomeness. The rest of the episode, however, was nothing extraordinary and not as entertaining or inventive. I’ll offer this a number 6 with onion rings and a root beer, please.
Favorite Quotes from “Body Parts”:
Brunt: A weakness that makes me loath you, not for what you’ve done but for who you are, what you are.
Quark: A bartender?
Brunt: A philanthropist.
Quark: I am not!
Quark is soooooooo mature.
Kick-ass Kira: “Everything’s okay. The baby just had a change of address, that’s all.”
So what had happened in “Body Parts” was…: O’Brien is upset that Keiko, who is pregnant, went off with Kira and Bashir. The three return but Keiko’s in surgery and Kira is now carrying the O’Brien baby until he’s due. Keiko is sad about missing out on being pregnant and when Kira comes to visit they ask her to move in. Kira moves in and becomes “Aunt Nerys” and it’s the most adorable thing ever.
“Aunt Nerys, can I play in your room?”
Quark returns from Ferenginar and has been given a week to live so Rom encourages him to sell his desiccated remains per Ferengi tradition and Quark accepts a bid for 500 bars of gold-pressed latinum. Quark gets the news the doctor made a mistake but then Brunt comes to collect on his bid and threatens to ruin Quark if he doesn’t pay up. Quark asks Garak to kill him but dismisses every simulation because he wants to be surprised. He has a dream involving the first Nagus and Brunt and ultimately decides he’d rather live, so Brunt takes everything away. As Quark and Rom sit in an empty bar, the rest of the station comes to help reopen it with some ale, ugly drinking glasses, and “spare” furniture.
“Nah, she doesn’t like me that much.”: In real life Nana Visitor was pregnant so this was a fun way to incorporate her being suddenly pregnant by the First Minister – though I’m sure it was an interesting conversation to have with Shakaar. “Honey, I’m pregnant and it’s O’Brien’s”, yeah I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall during that conversation. What Kira did goes above and beyond the call of duty and the O’Briens do all they can to be accommodating, grateful, and not too clingy. An excellent way to Trek up surrogacy and I like it.
and Quark’s heart grew three sizes that day…
Quark’s face at the end reminded me of the Grinch and he’s the real (excuse my pun) heart of the story. He thinks he’s going to die but is being practical since he has only one week to put all of his affairs in order, while Rom is more emotional and doesn’t even say one thing about inheriting the bar. Quark wants to be the best Ferengi he can be, but he does everything he can (not consciously) to be at odds with that. He opened a bar on a Cardassian military station, not-so-secretly helped Bajorans during the war, stayed on the station after the turnover to Starfleet and has had to make several concessions to keep that relationship going. This leads him to be an outcast among his people despite his obvious longing to fit in, and it reminds me a lot of Worf. Worf, Quark, and even Odo want so much to be with their people but cannot for one reason or another (I’ll discuss Odo in the next episode). Their chosen family, however, comes through for them no matter what.
Favorite Quote from “Broken Link”:
Garak: But what are our lives compared to saving the entire Alpha Quadrant?
Worf: We are not here to wage war.
Garak: I’m not talking about war. What I’m proposing is wiping out every Founder on that planet. Obliterating the Great Link. Come now, Mr. Worf, you’re a Klingon. Don’t tell me you’d object to a little genocide in the name of self-defense?
Worf: I am a warrior, not a murderer.
Worf explaining the difference between Klingons and Nazis.
So what had happened in “Broken Link” was…: Garak attempts to play matchmaker with a Bajoran woman who likes Odo but Odo collapses and Dr. Bashir realizes Odo’s body is having a hard time keeping shape. They realize they need to go to the GQ, even Garak comes along, and eventually encounter the female changeling who explains that Odo needs to be judged by the Great Link. The two changelings plus Bashir and Sisko transport down to the new home world and wait for Odo’s judgement. On the ship, Garak tries to blow up the Founder’s planet due to the threat of the changeling against Cardassia and the AQ, as well as no survivors being reported from the last attack, but he is stopped by Worf. Odo is judged and turned into a human, Garak makes Odo a uniform and then will spend the next six months in a holding cell, and Gowron blasts a message to the quadrant. Odo, however, recognizes that Gowron is a changeling.
“If there’s one thing Cardassians excel at, it’s conversation.”: Let me get two things out of the way first. THEY CAN’T JUST MAKE HIM A SOLID, THAT’S NOT A THING THEY CAN DO… right? Sigh. Also, I FUCKING CALLED IT AND I have it in writing! Gowron makes a HUGE change in character from “House of Quark” to “The Way of the Warrior” and I asked if anyone had checked to see if he was a changeling. There’s absolutely no way Gowron risks a war in the AQ, he’s too keen for that.
“Staring at it isn’t going to make it change shape.”
There are some great moments: Odo being hit on (twice), Kira sneezing, Quark checking in on Odo before he leaves, Garak regaling Odo with his tales of past criminal activity, I mean gardening skills, and Bashir almost throwing a rock at the pool of changelings. Garak is truly the absolute best and I’m so glad he’s in the show. No matter who he interacts with he’s just so fantastic and can deliver a line like nobody’s business. Despite these awesome bits and the jaw-on-the-floor ending, there seemed to be a lot of filler in this episode and also a lot of missed opportunities. What happened during the judging, how do changeling communicate when they are in one big puddle of goo? How did the Founders infect Odo? I think this will be an important set up to the next season, but it certainly left me wanting. I give it a combination of 7 stuffed teddy bears, dragons, and tigers… oh my!
Musical Accompaniment: Inspired by a recent friend’s post, I’m listening to the Fallout 1 and 2 soundtracks.
Interstellar News: It was a long Tuesday, and then it was pointed out to me that it’s actually Wednesday.
Favorite Quote from “The Muse”:
Lwaxana: Well, just don’t go do what I did. Look for someone to fix your broken heart then end up pregnant and on the run.
Odo: I don’t think there’s too much danger of that happening.
Odo is super sassy and I absolutely love it.
So what had happened in “The Muse”was…: Jake is hit on by an older woman who can stimulate the brain of artists to increase their potential, but it takes a physical toll on him. She disappears, he recovers, and he has a first draft of his novel “Anselm“. Lwaxana Troi has run away from her husband because she’s pregnant and he wants to raise the baby alone for 16 years, per his traditions. Odo studies up on local law and figure out if he marries Lwaxana she can keep the baby, so they get married and he makes an impassioned speech during the process. Lwaxana, however, wants more than Odo can give her so she returns to Betazed to give birth but promises she’ll be back.
“I’ve never worked on paper before.”: The scenes with Jake and Onaya made me super uncomfortable because Jake is just a wee lad, okay maybe he’s 18 or 19 by now but he’s still a child in my eyes and it just felt wrong and awkward in some ways. I also knew she was trouble the first moment they laid eyes on each other. It’s an interesting story to see just how talented he is and just how far he is willing to go to be great.
Is it just me or does Onaya remind you of Jadis?
The Lwaxana story line was fantastic mostly for her and Odo interacting. Odo shows such compassion when she explains about her daughter, such joy when they’re playing “find the changeling”, and such vulnerability when he makes his wedding vows to her. I will say it looked like Kira was a little sad when Odo was making his profession of love for Lwaxana and I wonder if it means anything. Odo’s face is also super expressive during this episode, with great delight over feeling the baby kick and lots of love when Lwaxana decides to depart. I’m still sad for Odo because he wants to much to care for someone, but he also has zeroed in on Kira. I’m also sad for Lwaxana because she keeps finding men who love her almost, but not enough to let her be herself. I completely understand the feeling of being loved almost, but not quite what you were hoping for. It can be crushing at times. Unfortunately Jake’s story was super ick and I can’t get past that so everything balances out to 5 hours of head and neck massage for me.
Favorite Quote from “For the Cause”:
Quark: So, are you cancelling your date with Ziyal?
Garak: It’s not a date. And how do you know about that?
Quark: You’re a man, she’s a woman, it’s a date. And they are my holosuites, after all.
Quark being forgetful of other types of relationship and totally ignoring the creep factor in age difference, isn’t she only like 13? After the frontal lobe is fully developed it’s fine but before, just no.
So what had happened in “For the Cause” was…: Garak and Ziyal keep staring at each other to the chagrin of Bashir and Kira. Eventually Ziyal is able to win Garak over by pointing out they’re both outsiders and exiles. The Federation is providing replicators to Cardassia to help rebuild but there’s a rumored Maquis attack so everything’s hush hush, oh and there’s a smuggler on station. Odo and Eddington believe it’s Yates and they are correct, but it’s not that simple. Yates delivers medical supplies only but it’s really Eddington that’s the true mole as he steals the replicators and officially declares himself part of the Maquis.
“I’m afraid I need to take command of the station for the next few hours.”
“Anything else is an indulgence.”: So after the bullshit Eddington pulled they still kept him around and then they’re all surprised when he does this? He does make a good point about everyone drinking the Federation Kool-Aid and it might not be all it’s cracked up to be, as the Federation just wants everyone to be one big happy family after all – right? It’s an excellent show of character for Yates who realizes what they have is real and they could never pick it back up if she ran. It will, however, be hard for Sisko to trust her again as she lied to her face without breaking a sweat. It also shows Sisko doing the thing he does when he’s paranoid, like when he thought his dad was a changeling. Also paranoid is Garak, who is wonderful in every scene he’s in. He chastises Bashir for not paying attention, allows Kira to play the big sister, and verbally spars with Quark but the best is at the end where he realizes Ziyal just wants a friend that looks like her. I was very impressed with this episode and give it 8 shuttle runs to deliver me some chocolate cake.
Favorite Quotes from “To the Death”:
Sassy Sisko: “I’ve found nothing keeps me alert quite like a healthy fear of death.”
O’Brien: What makes you such an expert on children?
Bashir: First in my class in pediatric medicine.
Take that O’Brien!!
Dax, She’s Too Old For You Bro: “I stopped counting at 300.”
So what had happened in “To the Death” was…: The Defiant arrives at DS9 to see it has been attacked. Bashir stays behind to tend to the wounded while Odo accompanies everyone else into the GQ to chase after the Jem’Hadar that attacked the station. They find a damaged Jem’Hadar ship that has a Vorta named Weyoun and several soldiers that wants the help of the Defiant to destroy the “rebels” as well as the Iconian gateway. They do some battle drills and figure out how to work together, but their weapons don’t work when they land so they have to engage in hand to hand combat. The gateway is destroyed but the loyal Jem’Hadar kill Weyoun and stay to destroy those that were disloyal.
“Then receive this reward from the Founders. May it keep you strong.”
“A dead man can’t learn from his mistakes.”: The station is in complete disarray but we don’t get to know anything about that (does O’Brien know if Molly and Keiko are okay?) and this focuses only on the mission. Weyoun is delightful, he’s clearly over the rigidness of the Jem’Hadar and seems like he would get along well with Garak. It’s nice to have a callback to a TNG episode, especially one that Worf was present for. I thought it was humorous that the Jem’Hadar needed their fix in the same way my dog wakes up my husband at 3 or 4 in the morning because he’s hungry. The conversation between one of the Jem’Hadar and Dax about how they age, which wasn’t she around for “The Abandoned“, was hysterical. There’s an interesting mix of wonderful banter, clear cultural differences, and having to cooperate and trust those that it’s hardest to for a more beneficial cause. There’s also the great moments by both Dax and O’Brien, including the conversation they have about leaving a recorded message for their loved ones. My husband and I have had “the talk” several times before I fly somewhere and he knows my wishes, but I’ve never considered having something in writing before. My mother, who had a terminal illness, wrote out notes for her nearest and dearest to have for after she passed… but then again she had a lot of time on her hands to think about these things and a pending checkout date. I try to tell those I love what they mean to me on a daily basis, but sometimes I do think it would be nice to have something that lasts longer than a potato. In fact, I give this episode 8 potatoes of various size… but one has a picture on it.
This was the absolute sweetest thing ever and a very good ending to the episode.
So what had happened in “Hard Time”was…: It’s time for an “O’Brien must suffer” episode and boy is this a doozy. Old O’Brien gets booted from prison only to wake up and be told he was in a virtual reality correction program, the Argrathi arrested him for espionage because he was curious. The episode progresses with O’Brien adjusting to life back on the station with flashbacks from his “imprisonment”. O’Brien lies to Bashir about his cellmate Ee’Char and claims he was alone for 20 years, he snaps at Quark, and he is eventually taken off duty by Sisko and told to go to counseling. Bashir can’t wipe the memories but O’Brien remembers all of the tools and how to fix things, he just is absolutely abhorrent in his treatment of every humanoid on the station. O’Brien hulks out in a cargo bay, unlocks a phaser, and tries to kill himself but Bashir is able to talk him out of it and into admitting the harsh truth about Ee’Char.
“It’s real to me.”: The counselor in me is very happy about this episode. They get an actual doctor to talk O’Brien off the ledge, instead of his wife, and they enforce counseling until he’s in a better frame of mind. Trauma is trauma and talking about it helps, as long as you can find the right person. There’s also the bit about no matter how evolved we are, no matter how stalwart we are in our actions, under the most extreme circumstances human beings are capable of anything. Unless you are experiencing that exact same set of parameters any thoughts you have about what you would do in any given situation is purely academic. My brain works like this, I think about things all the time that are unlikely to ever happen. It’s an academic exercise my brain goes through because I’m a problem solver at heart, but even when I’ve planned for every eventuality, I don’t always know how I’m going to react.
“Sleep well, Miles. And if you feel like laughing in the middle of the night, go ahead. I’m a heavy sleeper.”
I also thought the correction method was an interesting way to save physical space but I’m not sure it has anything to do with rehabilitation, it could be so much better. I also am super confused why O’Brien, who was relieved of duty, still has active codes for the weapons locker?! In the end we find out that what O’Brien did was awful but it’s similar to Worf’s predicament last episode where no one was actually hurt in real life, but that doesn’t take the feeling of knowing what you did away. O’Brien and Worf also have very short tempers and are quick to anger, maybe O’Brien has some Klingon ancestry? Molly ending the episode was adorable and helped a heavy episode end in a hopeful way. 9 leg hugs for O’Brien and Keiko.
Favorite Quote from “Shattered Mirror”:
Garak: At least I was able to please her now and then.
Worf: You are not my type.
Garak: I never said I was.
Mirror Kira was such a flirt, giggidty.
So what had happened in “Shattered Mirror” was…: Jake returns to his room where Sisko is talking to Mirror Jennifer. Sisko leaves them to chat while he’s at a meeting but then comes back to find them gone and we’re off to the Mirror Universe for the fourth time (once on TOS, twice on DS9). The Terrans have taken Terok Nor from the Alliance but need help getting the Defiant ready for its upcoming battle with the Klingon Regent, Mirror Worf. Jake meets Mirror Nog, Mirror Garak is in chains at Mirror Worf’s feet, but alas not in a gold bikini, and Mirror Kira was taken prisoner. Sisko gets punched by Mirror Bashir, slapped by Mirror Dax, and hit on by Mirror Kira who is still really into BDSM. Mirror Nog breaks out Mirror Kira just to have her kill him and then she takes Mirror Jennifer and Jake hostage. The Klingons arrive, Sisko takes command of the Defiant, the Klingons retreat (blaming Mirror Kira of course), and Mirror Kira shoots Mirror Jennifer (who was defending Jake). Jake and Sisko watch her die and go home.
Harder.
“Kidnapped? An ugly word. But accurate.“: Last time Sisko got to have all the fun sexy time and this time he just got beat up… who says there aren’t super delayed consequences for actions? I find it quite funny that Mirror Nog mirrored Morn in the bar (with the dabo girls surrounding him) and then ironic that Mirror Kira went for the Ferengi hat trick and killed Quark, Rom, and Nog. Jake does a wonderful job soaking up as much Jennifer as possible because he’s still a boy who needs his mom, so it hurts extra when he has to watch her die again and even more because she saved his life. The best parts of the episode, though, are literally every interaction of Mirror Worf and Mirror Garak who are the absolute best in their exchange of lines. Also, we got a callback to TNG “make it so” and Darth Vader (Star Wars) so I am one happy gal. Mirror O’Brien is fantastic, as always, and his shock when they win is super fantastic. While there are pieces that don’t quite work for me, it was rather entertaining and deserves 7 slaps.
Interstellar News: We had to watch these episodes on DVD because there was an internet outage, which also explains why this is being posted a day late.
Favorite Quotes from “Accession”:
Today is a Good Day to Die: “Now?!” (Worf’s reaction to Keiko’s second pregnancy announcement)
Dax: So you’re off the hook. How does it feel?
Sisko: It feels good. No more ceremonies to attend, no more blessings to give, no more prophecies to fulfill. I’m just a Starfleet officer again. All I have to worry about are the Klingons, the Dominion and the Maquis. I feel like I’m on vacation.
This may sound sarcastic, but if you listen to how it’s delivered… it’s super sincere.
Sincere Sisko: “I don’t doubt I can find someone to fill your post. But to replace you?”
So what had happened in “Accession”was…: O’Brien and Bashir clean up because Keiko’s finally back and, surprise, she’s pregnant. O’Brien was hoping he and Keiko would have more alone time together and it’s hard for him to have to go home each night instead of gallivanting about the station with Bashir. Keiko, seeing how unhappy both men are, arranges for O’Brien and Bashir to spend some time while she is working and Molly is sleeping.
“It seems you’re right, Captain. A great deal has happened since I’ve been gone.”
Kira brings a newly wed couple to be blessed by the Emissary and Sisko complies, begrudgingly. A badly damaged ship comes through the wormhole carrying a Bajoran man named Akorem Laan, a famous poet from 200 years ago who claims to be the Emissary. Sisko stands aside but is shocked when Akorem wants Bajor to return to an enforced caste system, one that makes them ineligible for Federation membership. Bajorans meet this with a mixed response but many know it is not their place to question the Emissary. Sisko has a vision of Kai Opaka and, after a man is killed on the station, believes it’s time to visit the wormhole aliens. Akorem and Sisko go and the aliens verify Sisko is the true Emissary and agree to send Akorem back to his own time, just without his memory. A wormhole alien tells Sisko that not only are they of Bajor, but so is he.
“The Sisko is of Bajor”: I always talk about how I wear a lot of hats at work. Sometimes it’s my professor hat, other times it’s my advisor hat, and sometimes it’s my former student hat, and it reminds me of how Sisko has been and what he will continue to do as the Emissary. Sometimes he’s wearing his Starfleet hat and other times it’s his Emissary hat, but he makes sure that he doesn’t mix the two. I understand the fine line he has to walk for the Prime Directive, but to be honest I feel Starfleet’s orders to have him bring Bajor into the Federation is the biggest “fuck you” to the Prime Directive. I did think Sisko should have traveled to see the prophet’s earlier or hell, gone to visit an Orb or even Kai Opaka. I get that we wouldn’t have had an episode if they did that and Sisko was all too willing to find someone else to take the title, but there were three easy ways to tell and it took them 40 minutes of episode to figure it out, sigh. I was also curious how, after 200 years, all of the Bajorans suddenly knew who was in what caste. Also, what about all of the non-Bajorans on Bajor?
The internet is both a terrible and a wonderful place.
Odo and Kira talk just for a brief moment where Odo is trying to make sense of faith and Kira trying to explain everything away and it’s very much like my struggle with organized religion. If there is one entity out there that controls everything, how arrogant are we to think any one religion has figured it out? My thought is if you are a good personal and follow your own moral code (don’t kill people, don’t kick puppies, give when you can, treat others as you wish to be treated, tip well, and love more than you hate) then wherever you go or whoever you become after this life is over can’t be all that bad.
Favorite Quote from “Rules of Engagement”:
Worf: Life is a great deal more complicated in this red uniform.
Sisko: Wait till you get four pips on that collar. You’ll wish you had gone into botany.
Don’t let Keiko hear you say that!
So what had happened in “Rules of Engagement” was…: Worf has a nightmare and wakes up in a holding cell because there’s about to be an extradition trial between the Klingon Empire and the Federation with a Vulcan admiral as a judge. The episode is a mix of testimony mixed in with flashbacks and it’s Dax followed by Sisko and then Quark. Odo is trying to investigate on his end and then O’Brien testifies making things more clear. The Defiant was running protection for a Cardassian medical convoy when the Klingons attacked and Worf fired on a decloaking ship that was apparently filled with civilians. The Klingons want the medical convoys to stop and they believe that Worf was itching to fight and it’s their jurisdiction to try him for his crimes. Odo comes through, however, and the list of those who “died” in Worf’s attack is the same list of passengers that was lost in an accident three months earlier. The admiral dismisses the case, the Klingon advocate is stunned, and Sisko uses this as a teaching moment for Worf.
“This is a very unlucky group of people, wouldn’t you say?”
“There is nothing honorable about killing those who cannot defend themselves.”: I will say I think this is the first admiral that hasn’t completely sucked, but then again everyone else did the work for her. I loved the way they interspersed the flashbacks with the testimony, and Quark’s was clearly a moment of levity that was needed in such a heavy episode. Of course it’s front heavy looking like Worf is just a bloodthirsty Klingon but we all know he’s just not. No matter what the Klingon advocate did it was never going to be enough to prove that Worf just lost his temper… oh wait, there was the scene where Worf totally punched him out, whoopsies. I also loved the ending where Sisko uses this as a teachable moment to help Worf become a better officer. All that being said, I’m not sure I understand why this episode happened in the first place. Maybe the Federation was trying to get the Klingons back to their side by playing nice? I also don’t understand why Sisko yells at Worf for the decision he made, because in the heat of battle I can see Sisko or anyone making that same decision… but it is always good to check what you’re firing at I guess? I give 5 months of probation to Worf for this one.
To Boldly Go Where Everyone Has Gone Before 