#DS91sttime: Season 4, Episode 18, “Rules of Engagement”

July 21, 2014 in #DS91sttime, General Topics

Rules of Engagement, Deep Space NIne

So bored. DS9, Series Four, Ep. 18, “Rules of Engagement”

What’s big, brooding, and looks confused all over? If you said Michael Dorn during his tenure (as of this episode) on Deep Space Nine, you wouldn’t be half wrong. And he doesn’t seem to be the only one that’s a little lost. After an electric presence in the season’s opener, and somewhat slipping importance since then, Dorn’s Worf is now subjected to “Rules of Engagement”. The plot is, essentially, that Worf is accused of being too Klingon to belong in the Federation and on DS9. One wonders if this is a kind of Freudian slip; a reflection of the showrunners pondering if Dorn’s character belongs in the series at all.

I know, I know. Meta discussion is bad. But if there’s one character on Deep Space Nine that just keeps inviting it, it’s our favorite Klingon. I just can’t help but draw comparisons to the way O’Brien has managed to gel with the show from day one, whereas everytime Worf is on screen, he just screams “I was brought in because the show was on the rocks!”. Read the rest of this entry →

#DS91sttime: Season 4, Episode 16, “Bar Association”

May 4, 2014 in #DS91sttime, General Topics

Deep Space Nine, Season 4, Episode 16, "Bar Association"

Workers of the bar, unite. Season Four, Ep. 16: “Bar Association”

One aspect of Deep Space Nine that makes it different from the other Treks is its vast ensemble cast of characters. The fact that this isn’t the adventures of the station’s main officers every week is both its strength and a point of contention many have with it. Personally, I find that uniqueness gives the show a special place in Trek canon.

The show’s fourth season has been one of relationship-mending, of resolving loose ends (or, in some cases, making some), arranging the characters for what’s going to be the main Dominion War dish that will be served later on. It’s interesting that as part of this, we’re given two back-to-back episodes that examine brotherhood, allegiances to societal systems, and the tough decisions one sibling must make when pushed by both his people and his family. Worf and Kurn parted ways (regrettably) in “Sons of Mogh”. It’s ironic that “Bar Association”–even with its almost-campy premise–does a better job with its family-centered conflict. Read the rest of this entry →

#DS91sttime: Season 4, Episode 15, “Sons of Mogh”

April 7, 2014 in #DS91sttime, General Topics

Kurn from Deep Space Nine: "Sons of Mogh"

Family problems. Kurn from DS9, Season Four, Ep 15: “Sons of Mogh”

By the very nature of all the writing that I do, and how busy I stay, I usually only get the chance to post one of these episode reviews weeks after I’ve seen the subject. That’s usually a good thing, because I have time for any initial emotional reaction to settle and can be more objective about what I did or did not like about the latest installment.

This time, when I came back to write another review, I realized that I’d forgotten I’d watched “Sons of Mogh”. If you think that means I wasn’t engaged with this entry in the series; that I might have seen significant problems with it–well, you’re right. Read the rest of this entry →

#DS91sttime: Season 4, Episode 13, “Crossfire”

February 13, 2014 in #DS91sttime, General Topics

Odo spends a lot of time having that look. Season Four, Ep 13, "Crossfire".

Odo spends a lot of time having that look. Season Four, Ep 13, “Crossfire”.

Everyone’s been there before: a time when the demands of career and personal life collide in a way that leads to a sense of unraveling. Odo experiences just such a period in “Crossfire”, when First Minister Shakaar visits the station and Kira falls head-over-heels for him.

There’s a background plot that sets this all up. Shakaar’s arrival is marked by suspicions that a terrorist faction might be out to get him. Not everyone is wild about the idea of Cardassian\Bajoran reconciliation, and they might just send a message about it by killing the First Minister. Read the rest of this entry →

#DS91sttime: Season 4, Episode 12, “Paradise Lost”

January 19, 2014 in #DS91sttime, General Topics

Twitter hastag: #DS91sttimeTalk about missed chances. If you hadn’t told me this episode concluded a midseason two-parter, I would have thought it was one of Trek’s many botched wrap-around season opener/cliffhanger duos. It left a taste in my mouth like that of “Time’s Arrow, Part II”, from The Next Generation. “Homefront” was intriguing, the sense of dread steadily escalated, but “Paradise Lost” just couldn’t stick the landing.

As might be suspected from “Homeworld”, “Paradise Lost” further explores Sisko’s hunch that something just isn’t right with the recent acts that have been perpetrated against Earth, in particular the sabotage of the entire planet’s power grid (which, kids, I’m still struggling to see as possible in the 21st century, to say nothing of DS9’s setting). Read the rest of this entry →