Category: DS9

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.

Another season of DS9 is in the can, and that means it’s time for Wes to ramble about what went right and what went wrong. This time, he’s discussing the third season of DS9. A transitional season of the show, season three had some tremendous highs but also an extended low. Was it an improvement over season two, and what could be done to improve things going forward? Before we move on to Way of the Warrior, let’s break down an interesting season of DS9 and try to catch our breath before we move onward. We also give out some awards and discuss the 5 best episodes and the 5 worst episodes of this past year!

John Carpenter meets Star Trek when a single Changeling boards the USS Defiant and tries to kickstart a war between the Federation and… some aliens we’ve never heard about before! Paranoia is the name of the game, and The Adversary does a good job at wrapping up season three while examining how effective the Changelings can be. It might not be the ambitious two-parter that was originally planned, but sometimes it’s nice to end the year with a smaller story that fleshes out Odo, provides some insight into Eddington, and sees Sisko finally attain the rank of captain. Clay joins me to discuss the size of the Defiant, the unusual nature of travel in DS9, and what happens when one Changeling harms another!

It’s actor play-time when a Trill ceremony requires the crew to become joined with previous hosts of the Dax symbiote. We meet most of the previous hosts, and Odo gets very familiar with Curzon. Plus, DS9 has its #MeToo moment! There’s also a subplot about Nog taking a test. Clay joins me to discuss the TNG episode “An Alien Psychopath Runs Riot on DS9”, 10 minutes of greatness, and the Curzon we expected!

Some Bajorans are not sharing their farming equipment, so Kira is sent down to negotiate a solution. She ends up meeting her old friend “Shakaar” and things get topsy-turvy when Kai Winn decides to burn the whole place down. Bajor returns to the podcast with a western-style adventure that has Kira filling the Bariel sized hole in her heart with a Shakaar shaped peg. Also, O’Brien plays darts. And his arm falls off! Clay joins me to discuss the return of the Sub Rosa candle ghost, the thematic possibilities of darts, and the ineptitude of Kai Winn!

Quark heads home when he learns that his mother has been charged with making a profit, and Sisko dips his toe into the 24th-century dating scene. It’s yet another Ferengi themed episode, so you might come into this one with prejudice. Wes certainly has a hard time avoiding that problem, but join him as he gives his thoughts about the Ferengi as a culture and as the leads of an episode! Also discussed: Jeffrey Combs as Brunt, the growth of Quark, and deciding if a date is bad or not!

Sisko and Jake build an ancient Bajoran spacecraft in order to prove that the Bajorans visited Cardassia 800 years ago, and Bashir begins to doubt himself when an old medical school rival appears on DS9. After the intensity of The Die is Cast, the show settles down with a small character piece. While it might be lacking in conflict, it makes up for it with some good old-fashioned character development. Plus, CGI spaceships! We’re living in the future now. Clay joins me to discuss Rene Echevarria as Bashir, the upside to no conflict, and Cardassian fireworks!

The Cardassian-Romulan fleet attacks the Founders homeworld, and Garak is forced to torture Odo for information. In wrapping up the story of “Improbable Cause”, DS9 re-boots its central premise by kicking the Dominion conflict into high gear, As Starfleet watches from the sidelines, the Cardassian-Romulan fleet is obliterated by the Jem’Hadar. The Obsidian Order and the Tal Shiar took a tremendous gamble, and now that “The Die is Cast” we’ll have to see how our heroes pick up the pieces. Clay and Darren join me to discuss the problem with the “epic”, the problem with pacifism, and the problem with not writing an episode where Odo pulls a “Quantum Leap”!

In “Improbable Cause”, Odo tries to find the truth behind a bombing at Garak’s tailor shop. However, the ever-vigilant detective instead finds himself digging up a plan that could alter the balance of power in the Alpha Quadrant! Romulans working with Cardassians? Obsidian Order assassinations? Perfume bombs? A wonderful piece of character work for both Odo and Garak, “Improbable Cause” is the start of a new direction for the series. Darren and Clay join me to discuss Odo and Garak as frenemies, meeting up in caves, and the clash of cultures in the Alpha Quadrant!

DS9 returns to the Mirror Universe! Sisko is kidnapped by “Smiley” O’Brien and realizes that, to save the Mirror Universe’s Terran Rebellion, he has to come to terms with his wife’s death. Or, at least, that should have been the plot. Instead, Sisko gets to act like a pirate and have sex with MU versions of his prime universe co-workers! The Mirror Universe is a location of diminishing returns, but let’s step “Through the Looking Glass” and see if we can’t wring some interest from it. Clay joins me to discuss the disgusting sexuality of DS9, Sisko buying into the Mirror Universe, and not being affected by meeting your dead wife!

Bashir is attacked by a psychic alien, and left to wander a barren dreamscape where all he hears are “Distant Voices”. In our first Bashir-centric episode of the third season, the good doctor gives us little reason to be excited. Sledgehammer symbolism is the name of the game! Plus, the villain is a rip-off of Freddy Krueger, except not as cool. Clay joins me to discuss tennis in the 24th century, having the villain explain everything, and growing old!

O’Brien gets a dose of radiation that has him jumping into the future. Meanwhile, a Romulan delegation arrives at DS9 to discuss the Dominion threat. One of Wes’ favorite style of Trek show is the sci-fi mystery, and “Visionary” covers all the bases for that kind of episode. DS9 is also starting to mix in the overarching Dominion plot, and patron Neil joins the show to explain why he’s finding that factor so enjoyable. The guys also discuss Odo being good at his job, conflict in the Alpha Quadrant, and falling asleep when you know the future!

When Grand Nagus Zek tries to completely change Ferengi culture, Quark heads into the wormhole to obtain answers from the Prophets. DS9 might have tried to move the Ferengi away from their characterization as one-note jokes, but Ferengi episodes still tend to serve as the “comedy” episodes of Star Trek: DS9. And yes, putting “comedy” in quotes was entirely intentional. We get reacquainted with the Prophets, and it might not be for the best. Also, Bashir embarks on a weirdly pointless story that takes a subtle dig at the TNG production! Wes flies solo in this podcast, so listen as he wonders about the depth of the Ferengi, the best aspects of the Prophets, and the not so subtle references to sex that DS9 really enjoys!

The vipers are upon us, the gates are a-burning, and Clay is a-snoring! Destiny is an interesting episode of DS9. It revisits the Bajoran religion in a way we haven’t seen since season one. Unfortunately, it’s not really interesting in any other way. Featuring a trifecta of half-baked plots that include some poorly thought out Gamma Quadrant exploration, Destiny is an episode that tries to do too much and ultimately accomplishes nothing. Clay joins me to discuss Kira’s new haircut, the weaknesses of the Bajoran/Emissary plotline, and the peculiarities of Cardassian make-up!

Returning to the theme of identity, “Heart of Stone” examines what will happen when Odo and Nog follow their hearts. Odo must confront his feelings about Kira when the two are stuck between a rock and a hard place on an isolated planet, while Nog decides to make a big change in his life and join Starfleet. Isaac stops by the podcast to discuss the loss of agency for Kira, thematic B plots, and the plans of the Changelings!

After an accident aboard a Bajoran transport, Vedek Bariel is seriously injured. As a Cardassian-Bajoran peace treaty hangs in the balance, Bashir becomes mired in a medical quandary. As the show says farewell to Kira’s lover (seriously!), it also spends some time doing all the things that DS9 isn’t particularly good at doing. In a solo podcast, Wes tries to determine where it all went wrong, and if it ever had a chance to go right. Also discussed: Bariel with a robot brain, episodes featuring Bashir, and episodes with ending they don’t deserve!

Sisko, Bashir, and Dax are transported back to the early 21st century where they discover that they will become a part of the Bell Riots, a violent event that shaped the future of humanity. It’s an episode that features a lot of shotguns, some terrible headwear, and some soapboxing about the upside of humanity. So, just a regular Trek episode then, right? Clay joins me to discuss the most optimistic episode from season three of DS9, how Ray Bradbury could have fixed things, and parodies of rich people!