Category: DS9 Season 4

We’ve made it to the end of the fourth season of DS9! It’s been Clay’s first “full” season of a Trek series (he missed only Rejoined and Starship Down) so we get his thoughts about watching 24 episodes of a single series. We also discuss a YouTube trailer for the fourth season, and try to determine how so much could have changed without us realizing it. The fourth season of DS9 has been the best single year of any Trek series to this point, so we wrap things up with a discussion of our favorite moments and memories!

Odo suddenly loses his ability to maintain a solid form, so the Defiant goes into Dominion territory in order to find a solution. Once there, the Founders explain that Odo must be judged for his previous murder of another Changeling and the penalty is yet another example of loss that has defined the season. Clay joins the show to discuss Changeling-Jem’Hadar interactions, everyone onboard the Defiant, and the stage fighting match of the century!

Quark is diagnosed with a terminal illness, and the O’Brien’s beam their unborn child into the fertile womb of Major Kira! Ferengi episodes have their pitfalls (goofy culture, uneven comedy), but Body Parts manages to work as an illuminating character piece for Quark. Meanwhile, the show takes another stab at meandering melodrama with the O’Brien/Kira story, which reminds Wes of when ‘Friends” jumped the shark. Clay joins the show to discuss talking without a cold, the Quark-Rom dynamic, and the guys debate whether or not Miles O’Brien is a “good” character!

Bashir and Dax discover a planet where the inhabitants have been punished by the Dominion – they’re cursed with an incurable plague that can strike you dead at any time. Bashir’s Trek-ian optimism is put to the test when he finds that a culture of death may prevent him from ever discovering a cure. It’s an old-fashioned “beam down to a planet and fix a problem” episode, but that’s a tried and true narrative device that worked very well on TNG – will it still work at this point in DS9? Clay joins me to discuss episodes with a slow burn, saving your makeup budget for a single scene, and not being impressed with 24th-century medicine!

The Dominion make a dramatic reappearance with a feisty group of Jem’Hadar and an oily Vorta named Weyoun! When DS9 is attacked by rogue Jem’Hadar, Sisko must make a deal with the devil to punish those responsible. It’s an episode designed to make the Jem’Hadar seem scary again, but To the Death also serves as an episode that redefines the Dominion and its member races. Clay joins me to discuss failing to make an impact, the technical mechanics of “the white”, and useless bags!

The politics of DS9 get even more topsy-turvy when Kasidy Yates is accused of being a Maquis smuggler. Also, a Starfleet officer plans to defect to the Maquis and prolong the Cardassian Empire’s suffering. For the Cause is a very modern piece of television writing, and it’s excellent script highlights subtext, character development, and different perspectives. Clay joins me to discuss the wink-wink-nudge-nudge of Jake Sisko, not being able to go to Risa, and revealing your plan through viewscreen!

In this very special ASMR episode of Star Trek: Deep Space 9, Jake gets the tingles while rustling some papers and Odo gets the tingles of love in the place where his heart should be! Jakes writing gets a bump from a very odd creative vampire, and Mrs. Troi returns to the station to teach Odo about bizarre alien childcare rituals. Clay joins the show to talk about being unfamiliar with Lwaxana on DS9, what Odo wants in a relationship, and Jake Sisko: F*** Machine!

Back to the Mirror Universe we go! When Jake is taken to the MU by the MU version of his dead mother, Sisko follows him there and becomes embroiled in the human resistance against the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance. People get slapped, people make dinner, and people fly spaceships! It’s all fun and games in DS9’s Mirror Universe, I guess. Clay joins me to discuss the sexual dynamism of Cirroc Lofton, the serialization of the MU, and cutting the legs out of a story!

After being falsely accused of a crime, O’Brien is punished by having to serve a 20-year prison sentence… but only in his mind! In a dark companion piece to TNG’s “Inner Light”, O’Brien has to deal with the aftermath of his brutal sentence. Can he put his life back together, or will he be shunned by his friends and family? Clay and patron Matt join me to discuss the problems with melodrama, how to yell at children, and what exactly was a part of O’Brien’s mind and what was a part of the punishment program?

After Worf accidentally destroys a Klingon transport carrying over 400 civilians, the Empire sends out their best lawyer to bring him back to Kronos for punishment! Trek usually misses the mark when it comes to courtroom drama (see Court Martial and Dax), but Rules of Engagement bucks that trend (sometimes) as it focuses on character work at the expense of logical judicial proceedings. Clay joins me to discuss the Klingon plan to discredit the Federation, breaking the fourth wall, and ineffective Vulcan judges!

Sisko relinquishes his role as the Emissary of the Bajoran people, and O’Brien tries to relinquish his family! A long-lost Bajoran poet tries to return Bajor to its past, and the O’Brien family is about to get even bigger. It’s time for the annual Bajoran episode: does it manage to do anything different? Clay joins me to discuss the O’Brien family’s hostility, Kira on the sidelines again, and returning without the other guy!

When Quark’s hostile management tactics send his brother to the infirmary, Rom decides to organize a labor union! The annual Ferengi episode reveals itself with an episode that takes a serious and complicated subject and explores it in a very unserious and simplistic way. And it’s not even all that bad! Plus, Worf gets another chance to mope around the station. Clay joins me to discuss the problem with Ferengi stories, Worf’s sparse quarters, and the magic of Jeffrey Combs!

Kurn arrives at DS9 and asks Worf to kill him! The breakdown of Klingon and Federation relations has caused the House of Mogh to enter some rough times, and Kurns appearance has Worf wondering if he’ll ever return home to the Homeworld. Meanwhile, some suspicious activity is happening just outside the border of Bajoran space. Clay joins me to discuss the Klingons in DS9, the Worf and Odo relationship, and the merits of a “sci-fi” ending!

Since the Cardassian Empire learned of his extramarital offspring, Gul Dukat has been commanding a small-time freighter and working to get back in the good grace of his planets leadership. After a Cardassian-Bajoran conference is attacked by the Klingons, he and Kira decide to hunt down the ship responsible. Dukat continues to be one of the more complicated characters on the show, and Wes and Clay try to decide if it’s a “good” complicated or a “bad” complicated. Plus, the allure of spring wine, Kira the romantic, and the definition of middle age!

Crossfire! You’ll get caught up in the… Crossfire! When Kira starts to become romantically interested in the visiting Shakaar, Odo begins to realize that he might have missed his chance to tell her his true feelings. Another superb character story from the skilled pen (typewriter?) of Rene Echevarria, and Rene Auberjonois wastes absolutely none of his screen time as the conflicted shapeshifter. But is the central conflict something that holds up, even after you’ve moved on from your teenage years? Clay and I discuss board games where the loser goes to Hell, acting through make-up, and writing for non-human races!

Admiral Leyton reveals his true intentions and Sisko is revealed to be a Changeling… maybe? “Paradise Lost” is the conclusion of the story that started in “Homefront” and it has a lot of the usual second-hour issues in Star Trek episodes. While Homefront had a lot of thematic weight to the narrative, Paradise Lost is in the unfortunate position of trying to wrap everything up with a neat bow. Clay joins me to discuss the generic bad guy, cramming everyone onto the Defiant, and how good ideas can save bad episodes!

The Changelings have infiltrated Earth, and a post 9/11 Star Trek universe with a pre-9/11 script shows a tremendous amount of insight into human nature. The Changeling attacks have startled the laid back Federation, and a small cadre of Starfleet personnel think the only way to secure the homefront is to lock it down. Sisko and Odo travel to Earth to provide assistance and get caught up in the political machinations of a terrorized institution. Clay joins the show to discuss the script pre and post 2001, the tangential Joe Sisko, and the terror of an unseen enemy!

Shaken, not stirred! When a transporter accident causes the signals of the senior staff to be saved to the station computer, Dr. Bashir’s secret agent holosuite program starts to act a bit funny. Bashir is developing nicely as DS9 moves into its fourth season, and Our Man Bashir gives us a tiny window into his innermost desires. We also learn a lot about Garak and his occupation! Sometimes, it’s just easiest if you run away. The “secret agent” genre is ripe for both homage and parody but is Our Man Bashir up to the task? Darren and Clay join me to discuss the cultural relevance of James Bond, the optimism of Julian Bashir, and the gastrointestinal fortitude of Avery Brooks!

Worf and Dax join the Klingon warrior Kor on his search for the mythical sword of Kahless! It’s been a while since we’ve had a deep dive into Klingon culture, and moving Worf to DS9 has opened up new paths to examine our favorite warrior race. The writing of DS9 allows Worf to expand as a character, while still remaining true to his earlier characterization, and here we learn a great deal about our favorite hipster! Plus, it’s got a great sword prop. Clay joins the show to discuss the splintered houses of the Klingon homeworld, the utility of a sword, and the problems with not being able to see a ledge!

Quark, Rom and Nog, while visiting Earth, travel back in time to 1947 and end up being at the center of the infamous Roswell Incident! It’s another Ferengi episode, but it features our three favorite Ferengi. We also get to check out some b-movie tropes while enjoying a smoke or two, and we learn that Odo can perfectly imitate a dog, even if his humanoid faces leave something to be desired. Clay joins me to discuss too much smoking, the storied history of time travel in Star Trek, and the strange simplicity of Jake and Nog’s goodbye!

When the Jem’Hadar trap the Defiant in the atmosphere of a gas giant, the crew must deal with various crises of both the technical and the personal! Another episode in the long line of “disaster” episodes of Star Trek, Starship Down puts a uniquely DS9 spin on the proceedings. A series of vignettes provide insight into a variety of characters, and they also provoke some questions. Iona joins the show to discuss why water is more terrifying than gas, the spiritual nature of Kira, and Worf learning how to boss people around!

Have you ever wondered what happens to romantic relationships on Trill? Well, Rejoined is here to answer your questions! Not only is it the best Dax episode to this point of the series, but it’s also a great piece of romance writing. However… does it make sense? Bob joins the show to discuss friendship versus romance, the problems with allegory, and the Trill rulebook!

Kira and Dukat go on a journey to find the wreckage of a lost Cardassian freighter. Meanwhile, Sisko weighs the pros and cons of having his girlfriend move onto the station. Dukat is already one of the more interesting DS9 characters, and Indiscretion places him at the forefront of a tough moral decision – will he murder his child to save his career? Plus, Quark gets to insult women and Dax and Bashir share a very fine joke. Clay and Andrew join me to discuss moving in together, the Garak and Dukat schism, and saving an episode with no time to spare!

Shades of Gray, the DS9 episode! In “Hippocratic Oath”, Bashir learns about the moral complexities of warfare, Worf learns about the moral complexities of the station, and we learn about the moral complexities of Sisko explaining moral complexities. We also learn quite a bit about the Jem’Hadar and the inner workings of the Dominion contingencies. I guess it’s worth repeating: this isn’t your grandfathers TNG anymore! Clay and I discuss forgetting about the Vorta, Bashir pulling rank, and Worf being the new guy in town!

When an accident aboard the Defiant apparently kills Captain Sisko, Jake is left alone to pick up the pieces of his life. However, his father might not be dead after all, and the truth might haunt Jake for the rest of his life. TV Guide once named The Visitor the “best” episode of Star Trek ever produced. It’s a heartbreaking story about the love between father and son, with tremendous performances, strong writing, and an emotional center that the franchise rarely portrays so powerfully. But does it hold up? Or is it shackled by a story structure that limits the impact of the narrative? Clay joins me to discuss old age make-up, swapping the grief, and Captain Nog!

In a feature-length season premiere, the Klingons enter the fray when they suspect a Changeling infiltration of the Cardassian government. Sisko needs help in dealing with those feisty Klingons, and who knows a Klingon better than another Klingon? Worf joins the show in “The Way of the Warrior” and immediately starts to kick some ass and pose for some kung fu pictures! DS9 is “rebooting” yet again, and Clay and Wes have a lot of thoughts about it. Join them as they discuss the upside of Worf, the downside of Spotify, and the pleasant equilibrium of Sisko’s shaved head.