From MadCap's Couch - "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" (7 Favorite Episodes*)

So, I've mentioned it a few times before both here on the blog and on Twitter, but Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is my favorite Star Trek series. While I do have a massive appreciation for the Original Series and - of course - The Next Generation, DS9 took Star Trek in a new direction that developed not only Starfleet and the Federation, but also other alien races who had previously only really been in the background or had been black and white antagonists such as the Cardassians and the Ferengi. That doesn't mean I enjoy every single episode of it (I'm looking at you "He Who Is Without Sin"), but I do enjoy the emphasis on world building, the ways in which the main crew was developed in believable and enjoyable ways, and the epic scale of everything by the end.

Needless to say, after finishing another marathon, I decided to write out this list.

This isn't going to be an exhaustive or comprehensive overview of the entire series, as much as I would absolutely love to milk all those sweet, sweet views that I'm not getting. More to the point, there are other people who have already covered Trek far better and more in-depth than I ever could (I personally recommend SFDebris: All glory to Psycho Janeway!). This list will be nothing more than my seven favorite episodes from the seven seasons of Deep Space Nine - one episode for each of the seven seasons the show ran.

...likely with a few honorable mentions before we get to number one.

That being said, spoilers for various parts of the show will be given depending on where we are in the Series' overall arc. So, if you haven't watched the show yet and are interested, this is your final warning. Beneath the cut, anything goes.

Season 1: "Duet"

One part of Deep Space Nine, particularly in the early seasons, was dealing with the aftermath of the Cardassian occupation of the planet Bajor. Major Kira Nerys (played by the excellent Nina Visitor) was a member of the Bajoran resistance against them, the Resistance finally managing to drive the Cardassians off of Bajor after about fifty years. Basically, as far as historical analogies go - the Bajorans are the Jews while the Cardassians are Nazi Germany, and the Occupation is the Holocaust if it had gone on for almost two generations.

"Duet" concerns itself with Major Kira learning of a new arrival to the station who has a rare condition that could only have been contracted at a certain Bajoran labor camp during the Occupation. When she meets the person with the condition, who came to Deep Space Nine for treatment, she discovers that the person in question isn't a former prisoner of war as she believed - but a Cardassian. Believing him to be a terrible former overseer of the camp in question, she wants to have him arrested and tried for the crimes at the camp. However, a question of identity comes up where she cannot confirm if he was the former overseer at the labor camp or if he is merely a lowly file clerk.

Both Nana Visitor and actor Harris Yulin (who plays the Cardassian in question - you might remember him as the Judge in Ghostbusters II or Quentin Travers if you're a fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer) give absolutely sterling performances as Kira interrogates the Cardassian, going by the name of Marritza at first. The pair of them are the focus for most of the episode, and it is a bottle show, but it's one that's done so well that you almost don't notice. In particular, it isn't just Kira nailing the Cardassian for his crimes, but also Marritza turning it around on her and asking about the atrocities she committed as a Bajoran terrorist in the years leading the Cardassian withdraw. That is one of the strengths of DS9 in that it didn't just scream "CARDASSIANS BAD!", but took a more nuanced and developed approach to it's villains than TNG did.

"Duet" is a story of consequences, crime and punishment, regret, and the suffering endured by those on both sides of a conflict.. This story took big strides in adding dimensions to the Cardassians that had not been seen in The Next Generation, as I said before. It also ends on a more somber note, Kira learning that the Bajorans were not the only victims of the Occupation: the first people who suffered the wrath of the Cardassians were their own people, some of which could have done nothing to stop what happened.

And just because someone's of the race of their former oppressors, it doesn't make violent and hateful acts against them justified. Violence and hatred only beget more violence and hatred.

Season 2: "The Wire"

Speaking of the Cardassians, one of the most beloved characters on Deep Space Nine is the character of Elim Garak, played by the absolutely fantastic Andrew Robinson. When he first appeared in Season 1, Garak was nothing more than a tailor who seemingly had a shady past and is noteable for being the only Cardassian who remained on Deep Space Nine after the Occupation had ended. Season 2's "The Wire" was the first episode to really develop his character following his initial appearance.

While Garak only appeared in less than a quarter of Deep Space Nine's episodes, Andrew Robinson's portrayal of him was so beloved by the showrunners that he was kept on as a recurring guest character and ended up being developed more than some of the main cast, remaining one of the most beloved characters on the show and in the Star Trek franchise as a whole.

During his time on the show, Garak developed a rapport with Doctor Julian Bashir (played by Alexander Siddig). The pair have been having regular lunch dates as well, though on his particular day Garak leaves complaining of a headache. He refuses medical help, and he begins to rapidly degrade, even giving into madness at points. Soon enough, Bashir is able to discover the problem - a device installed in Garak's brain that was supposed to make him resistant to torture. Due to the stress of living on the station, surrounded by the Bajorans who hate him simply for being Cardassian and being unable to ever return home, Garak turned it on and simply let it run...and now his body is paying the price for it, the implant is breaking down and it's killing him.

Bashir attempts to find a replacement or a cure for Garak's condition, even turning to the former head of Cardassian's Obsidian Order - Enabran Tain - for help. Will Bashir be able to discover the true story behind Garak, if indeed there is any truth to be found?

This episode is driven almost entirely by Andrew Robinson's stellar performance. The man is an absolute gem, particularly in Deep Space Nine, and his only crime in playing the character of Garak was that we weren't given more of him. That is, of course, hardly his fault. The drama in this episode is not only Bashir's desire to save Garak's life, but also to discover the truth about his origins. Was Garak a Gul in the Cardassian infantry, having executed several of his fellow countrymen and the daughter of a prominent military official? Was he exiled for releasing a group of Bajoran children he was to interrogate? Was he framed for allowing prisoners to escape? Which stories are true and which are lies?

As Garak puts it at the end of this episode, they're all true - especially the lies. While we don't get any definitive facts about Garak in "The Wire" apart from the fact that Garak's first name is actually Elim and that he worked under Enabran Tain at some point in the past, I think that's enough. Garak is a very enigmatic character by design and, while DS9 goes far to develop him, we never really get the full picture of who he once was. Maybe, just maybe, that's the point.

If you really want to know more, Andrew Robinson wrote a novel in which many details were given about Garak's backstory, although the relationship it has to canon is dubious at best. Of course, it's important to remember what Garak once said: "The truth is just an excuse for a lack of imagination."

Season 3: "Distant Voices"

The aforementioned Doctor Julian Bashir is another of the mosaic of DS9's cast that got so well developed over the seven years the show went on (and yet another actor on this show who was robbed of an Emmy for some fantastic performances). Originally showing up as a brash, eager young man ready for his first taste of frontier medicine (as he puts it in the pilot episode and as Sisko puts it in a later episode), Julian developed over seven seasons into a complex figure who regularly struggled with morality, determined to see right done no matter the cost.

This, of course, paired him well with the dubious and pragmatic Garak, as we saw in "The Wire".

"Distant Voices" isn't the first episode centered around Julian, but it's certainly one of the best. A few days before his thirtieth birthday, Julian has an argument with an alien who wants to get his hands on some bio-mimetic gel, a substance that can be used for all sorts of horrifying genetic experiments and is heavily restricted by the Federation. When he refuses, Julian later finds him raiding the medical lab and gets attacked and rendered unconscious for his trouble. When he awakens, Julian finds the entire station in a state of disrepair and largely abandoned, his fellow crew members are at each other's throats on how to deal with the rampant alien, and Julian himself is aging rapidly.

All the while, he hears whispers...and he slowly begins to piece together what is happening to him, his friends, and the station. However, the alien is stalking about and taking out the rest of the senior staff one by one.

Is Julian able to sort everything out and save the day? Well, obviously, this is Season 3 and we have four more seasons to go through. "Distant Voices" is a great little one and done where Julian is able to reclaim his agency and learns that you still are who you are no matter your age. Also, he has a very Doctor Who-esque scene as he defeats the "alien". I'm not saying I agree with Diamanda Hagan's assessment that he'd be perfect for the role of the Doctor, but I'm not saying that you won't think that after seeing this episode.

Season 4: "The Way of the Warrior", Parts 1 and 2

The two part Season Premiere "The Way of the Warrior" was a turning point for DS9 in a lot of ways. It saw the emigration of Worf (Michael Dorn) from The Next Generation into the main cast of this show, as well as giving more prominence to the Klingons within the mythos of DS9 specifically. It also follows on from the plotlines started by The Next Generation in a lot of ways as well. Worf is once more conflicted between his duty to Starfleet and his Klingon heritage and his friendship with Chancellor Gowron (Robert O'Reilly) as it seems that the Klingon Empire is due to go to war with Cardassia over fears of the Dominion infiltrating them and thus the Alpha Quadrant.

The first part is largely based around Worf being called in by Sisko to investigate the reason why so many Klingons are docking at DS9, the second largely around the conflict that follows. It marks a massive development in the story arc - namely the Klingons ending their alliance with the Federation that has lasted since the time of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. It was a shift toward a tighter narrative focus and became the point where the message was clear - DS9 had come back hardcore in Season 4 and was going to be tackling big problems going forward that weren't going to be solved in 40 minutes capped off with a speech from the Captain. The world had gotten a little bigger, and the stakes would never be lowered again.

Also, Sisko shaved his head and started rocking the goatee. Good move.

Season 5: "Call to Arms"

While "Way of the Warrior" started off Season 4, "Call to Arms" wrapped up Season 5 with a bang. By this point in the series, a war with the Dominion seemed inevitable. They were sending troops and supplies through the Bajoran wormhole to the Gamma Quadrant, regularly violating Bajoran and Federation space. Sisko and his team try to work out a way to handle the situation, with it being Rom who eventually hits upon the idea of setting mines along the wormhole, which ends up leading to the Dominion attacking Deep Space Nine. It's all pretty much a hopeless cause, but the crew fights to the bitter end to see that the civilians are evacuated and do actually complete their task of mining the wormhole before Starfleet retreats.

This leaves a few of the cast still on the station for part of the next season, including Sisko's son Jake, but the battle is indeed won by the Dominion and they do manage to claim Deep Space Nine - Gul Dukat, one of the series' main antagonists, once more giving it the Cardassian designation of "Terok Nor". While it does have an overall desperate and crushing feel, it does end on an optimistic note. Gul Dukat (played by Marc Alaimo) and Weyoun (played by the legendary Jeffrey Combs) enter Sisko's office and find an item that he left behind - a baseball - that Dukat takes as a sign that Sisko will be back. The ending shows Sisko's ship, the Defiant, joining up with the joint Federation-Klingon fleet.

Needless to say, Sisko came back. Hard.

Season 6: "In the Pale Moonlight"

Season 6 is one of the best Seasons of the show, as evidenced by just how many entries in the honorable mentions I have for it. "In the Pale Moonlight", however, is my personal favorite of the Season. While this list isn't supposed to be a "Best Episodes" list, it is a front runner for my favorite episode of the series.

It's a bottle episode, like "Duet" back in Season 1 and "Distant Voices" back in Season 3, but it's again used for great effect as it was in those episodes. The entire episode is Captain Benjamin Sisko's flashbacks while attempting to record a personal log. He's done something terrible, and he has to justify it to himself. Over the episode, Sisko (Avery Brooks) reveals that he lied, cheated, committed fraud, became an accessory to murder to fulfill the goal of bringing the Federation-Klingon Alliance a new ally in the war against the Dominion all in the hopes of turning the tide of the war.

Terrible, loathsome actions that should not even enter the mind of a Starfleet captain, but for the greater good.

The Romulans had been set up in Season 5 as having signed a non-aggression pact with the Dominion. To convince them otherwise, Sisko works with Garak to manufacture an illicit recording of a Dominion plan to invade the Romulan homeworld, planning to put it in the hands of a pro-Dominion Romulan senator. To do this, he gets a criminal released from prison to work for him, ends up bribing Quark to prevent the criminal from having been known to be on the station, gets some amount of bio-mimetic gel sent off to some criminal (Bashir noting Federation restrictions on that in a bit of continuity from "Distant Voices"), attempts to deceive the Romulan senator into believing a falsified record is legitimate, and then is complicit in the murder of said senator by Garak bombing his shuttle.

However, this ultimately results in the Romulans joining the Federation and Klingons against the Dominion. So, Sisko wins...right? His ending monologue might have you thinking that Sisko believes that the ends justify the means. The people were dying out there by the thousands, and he could not put aside the finer points of morality to save lives...yet, at the end, he is clearly conflicted as he tells the computer to erase that entire personal log.

Is he pleased with himself for what he did? No. But, can he live with it? Perhaps this episode is him trying to justify it to himself as much as he is the audience.

By the way, that end monologue from Avery Brooks (linked above) is absolute dynamite. The fact that that man did not win an Emmy for it is just highway robbery of the highest caliber.

Honorable Mentions:

See? I had that little asterisk up there - (*) Rule of Acquisition 239: Never be afraid to mislabel a product. So, while this is again not a list of "the best episodes of Deep Space Nine", here are some episodes that didn't beat out the episodes in their respective seasons for the crown of being my favorite of the Season. Just because an episode isn't here doesn't mean I hated it or even disliked it, simply that it didn't beat out the others and I'll honestly be surprised if anyone actually reads this entire thing, much less all the way down to this part. So, with that in mind, let's get into episodes I wanted to bring up, but didn't make the cut.

Season 1 - "Battle Lines"

Like my Season 1 pick, this is a Kira episode. Kai Opaka, the spiritual leader of the Bajoran people, comes to Deep Space Nine and Sisko takes her on a trip through the wormhole, Major Kira and Dr. Bashir coming along for the ride. Pulled to a strange moon in the Gamma Quadrant, Opaka is killed when they crash land. Only for her to wake up and be up and moving again soon after as though nothing happened. It seems this is a common problem on the moon, as two warring armies battle to the death, but are unable to stay dead.

Kira wrestles with her own PTSD left over from the Bajoran Occupation, having spent so many years fighting the Cardassians that she knows little else and even gets to the point of seeing a bit of herself in those fighting the conflict on this planet. It is in this episode that we get one of the earliest examples of her outside of that context, rather than being the firebrand that she is often to the annoyance of the Bajoran Provisional Government. Her humanity shines through here, as she at one point completely breaks down in front of Kai Opaka, who encourages her to let go of her past as a fighter for the resistance.

The war is over. The time for healing has begun. At least for Kira, Kai Opaka has quite the task ahead of her...

This episode starts Kira on a path that we see her follow in "Duet" and in later episodes, going from the rebellious upstart to being an officer that is able to control and direct her passions without being completely overcome by them.

Season 1 - "The Forsaken"

Majel Barrett-Roddenberry was a jewel of a woman, may she rest in peace.

Deep Space Nine plays the host to a variety of ambassadors from across the Federation, much to the irritation of Dr. Julian Bashir, who is left on babysitting duty so Sisko doesn't have to deal with the problem. Say what you will about his approaches, but the man knows how to delegate.

One of those ambassadors is the fabulous Lwaxana Troi, who becomes rather smitten with a certain Changeling Head of Security. Odo, understandably, is as put off by her rather aggressive advances as Captain Picard was. However, an unrelated disturbance gets the station's power acting up and the two are stuck in a turbolift for several hours.

While he's at first reluctant, Lwaxana eventually wins through with Odo and gets him to talk with her to pass the time. Unfortunately, there's the problem of Odo's regeneration cycle - his need to revert to a liquid form every sixteen hours or so. In a scene of heartwarming vulnerability, when Odo insists that he has never been seen like this, Lwaxana surprises him by taking off her hair and revealing it to be a wig.

Odo, later in liquid form, is kept in Lwaxana's lap until they are rescued. The pair have much more appreciation for one another by the end.

It's just a cute little aside from the main plot, but it's noteable. I love Odo plots and Rene Auberjonois is always a delight to watch in the part, may he rest in peace.

Season 2 - "Rules of Acquisition"

Quark (played by Armin Shimmerman) is the resident Ferengi bartender on Deep Space Nine and one of the many characters that was developed over seven seasons (this is a recurring thing, I'm sure you already have figured out by now). "Rules of Acquisition" was one of the first episodes to develop the Ferengi beyond their two-dimensional nature in The Next Generation, where they were clear-cut villains that were a parody of excessive capitalism.

They were also what Roddenberry thought would stack up as a villain on par with the Romulans from the Original Series. You may now laugh.

While Quark certainly was as greedy as any Ferengi, he also served as a mouthpiece and a spotlight on the human condition - being an alien, he was able to look at them from a far less Starfleet-centric viewpoint than we usually see on Star Trek. This worked really well, although "Rules of Acquisition" wasn't much about that. In the early Seasons of DS9, the Ferengi were getting more development - including the titular Rules of Acquisition, codes and by-laws by which the Ferengi did their business. It also was one of the first episodes to bring up the rather misogynistic attitude Ferengi culture has.

In the episode, the Ferengi leader Grand Nagus Zek (Shawn Wallace) wants to expand Ferengi business interests into the Gamma Quadrant through the Bajoran Wormhole. He picks Quark as his representative, and Quark is aided by his seemingly male Ferengi employee named Pel...who it turns out is not at all male. Very much the opposite, in fact. Much of the episode's conflict is actually Pel's, rather than Quark's. She attempts to keep up her facade while developing feelings for Quark. Ultimately, while negotiating, the entire thing turns into a bit of a mess.

She eventually ends up leaving, going to start a new life in the Gamma Quadrant, leaving Quark behind. It's also notable in that it's either the first or one of the first episodes to directly reference the Dominion, who would become a much bigger player later on as you probably know by now if you've been reading this list.

It's an enjoyable one and one that starts the Ferengi on the road to being a bit more than just snake oil salesmen with funny ears.

Season 2 - "Blood Oath"

While "Way of the Warrior" saw the Klingons gain more prominence within the mythos of Deep Space Nine, it wasn't their first appearance on the show. Neither was "Blood Oath", but it was the first one to add more to the mythos of the Klingons.

It sees DS9's Trill science officer Jadzia Dax (Terry Farrell) have to take on the blood oath owed by the previous host of her symbiont, Curzon Dax. "Joined" Trill like Jadzia have a symbiont that they act as host to, giving them the knowledge, memories, and experiences of their previous hosts.

She reunites with Kor (John Colicos), Koloth (William Campbell), and Kang (Michael Ansara), three Klingon warriors who were blood brothers with Curzon...and all of whom had been opponents of one Captain James T. Kirk during the original Star Trek.

The three Klingons seek out a criminal known as the Albino, who had killed their firstborn sons with a deadly virus. Jadzia is determined to come along, even risking directly defying Sisko's orders to do so. While Kor is only too happy to accept Jadzia as though she were Curzon and have her along for their journey, Koloth is far less eager and Kang even outright denies her.

I'll make it no secret - Kor is my favorite Klingon. I know some people don't like his development in DS9 as opposed to how he was in the Original Series, but I absolutely love him to bits. He's like a whacky old uncle who could still drink you under the table and kick ass with the best of them, all the while still retaining that edge of guile that the Klingons had in the Original Series. An honorable and noble warrior, but without the need for the pomp and circumstance that most Klingons puff up their chests with.

Being that they're Klingons, Jadzia manages to convince them through her skill and their honor to join their quest. "Blood Oath" is a great little story that links the past of Star Trek with the then-present, as well as giving two Klingon warriors their last hurrah as they get their honorable battle and can go to the afterlife happy. Sadly, it is the last time that William Campbell and Michael Ansara took on the roles of Koloth and Kang before they passed away, but damn if they didn't go out with a hell of a bang!

Season 2 - "Crossover"

I'm an absolute fan of alternate universe stories (remember when I was reviewing Sliders? Good times!), and "Crossover" is no exception. The sequel to The Original Series episode "Mirror, Mirror", Julian and Kira find themselves at a very different Deep Space Nine than they remember...with a very different Kira Nerys in command of the Klingons and Cardassians occupying it.

"Crossover" is, like a lot of the episodes, a fun little side adventure. As I said before, I'm a big fan of alternate universe stories, and it's fun to see how characters would have been if their circumstances had been different, as well as seeing the consequences of actions taken for the better - as Kirk tried to do when he convinced Mirror Spock to dismantle or restructure the Terran Empire. This also wouldn't be the only adventure Deep Space Nine would have in the Mirror Universe, though it is the most enjoyable of them in my opinion.

Also, let's be real for a moment here, Nana Visitor rocking the silvery suit a full three years before Jeri Ryan did it ain't nothing to turn your nose up at.

Season 3 - "The House of Quark"

So "House of Quark" sees Quark end up the head of a Klingon Great House. Sounds crazy, right? After a drunken Klingon patron tries to kill him, and only ends up killing himself, Quark attempts to milk the experience for that most wholesome of all Ferengi virtues - profit! This lie gets him forcibly wed to the dead man's wife, who is desperate to save her House from an interloper who has been trying to claim their land and titles for years.

Oops!

Quark goes through a bit of character growth here, at first playing the cowardly Ferengi and trying to escape or back out, but ultimately standing his ground and accepting a fight to the death...though he wins it in the most Ferengi way imaginable. It's largely a comedic episode (as many of Quark's episodes are), but it's got a lot of heart, managing to balance the pathos and the comedy well.

Season 3 - "Heart of Stone"

One of my favorite aspects of Deep Space Nine is the relationship between Major Kira and the Station's Head of Security, Odo (the late, great Rene Auberjonis). Built up over the first six seasons to a spectacular payoff (and, ultimately, a bittersweet note in the seventh season), it was clear early on that Odo had deep feelings for Kira, though it seemed that she had no idea about it. When they're trapped on a remote world with Kira seemingly to soon be enveloped by a strange, crystalline structure, Odo is finally forced to admit his feelings to her...or is he?

The B-plot of the episode involves Quark's nephew Nog (the late Aron Eisenberg) becoming an adult in the eyes of Ferengi society. As tradition dictates, a Ferengi has to choose someone to apprentice under and Nog chooses Sisko - he wants to become the first Ferengi to join Starfleet. While you might think this is going to be comedic, given the nature of many Ferengi episodes, it's not. Nog is actually legitimately serious about his desire to join Starfleet. In a passionate speech to Sisko near the end of the episode, Nog lays it all out: He fears becoming like his father, Rom (Max Grodénchik). Rom, up to this point in Deep Space Nine, has been stuck working at Quark's bar because he doesn't have the brains for business like Quark does.

Nog wants to do something more with his life, something worthwhile. It is this, and only this, that convinces Sisko to recommend him to Starfleet (non-Federation citizens requiring a recommendation from a command officer to join). It starts his arc that will carry him through the rest of the show. "Heart of Stone" is a really good one for both Odo's story and Nog's.

Season 3 - "Facets"

Another Jadzia episode and one of the few that builds up on the mythos of the Trill. Jadzia undergoes a ritual in which the personalities of her previous hosts will be removed from her symbiont so that she can interact with them and thus learn more about herself. To do this, she enlists the help of her friends on DS9 to embody them. While it at first seems like the antagonist of the episode is going to be Joran, the Dax host who was a murderous psychopath, it takes quite a different turn. Odo becomes the embodiment of Curzon and, due to Odo's shapeshifting nature, they fuse together in a way that neither of them wants to give up. This means that Jadzia will essentially lose all of Curzon's memories forever if Curzon does not rejoin the symbiont.

All the while, Jadzia wonders at why Curzon had previously washed her out of the Trill Symbiont program, only to raise no protest when she rejoined the program shortly thereafter. At first, Curzon claims it was because he was sorry for her...but is it the truth? Jadzia is determined to get answers and, when she can't, she has to turn to the person who knows Curzon best for help...

Also, Rom threatens to burn down Quark's bar if he interferes with Nog's Starfleet placement tests again. Bad ass!

Season 3 - "Family Business"

Another Ferengi one here. Quark gets called back to the Ferengi homeworld, Ferenginar, to answer for a crime. Namely, that his mother (Andrea Martin) has committed the most terrible crime that a Ferengi female came commit - earning profit!

...wait, these guys are capitalists, right?

Quark has to convince her to sign a confession and return the money she made, or both of them will face the wrath of the Ferengi Commerce Authority's Liquidator Brunt (Jeffrey Combs in the second of his two main roles on Deep Space Nine).

We get an expansion on the Ferengi in this episode, such as their homeworld being seen for the first time. Quark's mother Ishka is hilarious and proves to be a more shrewd businesswoman than either of her sons or her late husband by the end. Jeffrey Combs manages to be both menacing and comedic as Brunt. In all, it's an enjoyable time.

There's also a great moment for Rom, who puts both Quark and Ishka in their place when he's finally fed up with them fighting...and then promptly goes to lie down. Classic Rom.

Also, this episode is where Sisko meets his future wife, Kassidy Yates (Penny Johnson Jerald) for the first time. She becomes much more important much later.

Season 4 - "The Sword of Kahless"

"The Sword of Kahless" concerns itself with Worf, Jadzia, and Kor seeking out the legendary titular weapon. Kahless, for those not in the know, is essentially Jesus for the Klingons. He is the patriarchal force that the Klingons revere, who taught them all they know of battle and honor and all the other things that makes Klingons Klingon. Kor, having gotten a shroud from some Vulcan archeologists, has learned that the mythical Sword of Kahless - supposedly the first ever bat'leth, the Klingon sword - actually does exist.

The three leave Deep Space Nine to try and retrieve it, though they aren't alone...and that may end up being the least of their problems by the end.

"The Sword of Kahless" deliberately goes for some Treasure of the Sierra Madre and Indiana Jones (in particular The Last Crusade) vibes, and it works very well to the episode's credit. While there are others who seek the Sword for their own ends, the Sword itself seems to have a profound effect on both Worf and Kor. They bicker and fight over it, each having their own ideas about what to do with such a weapon.

In the end, though, they come to a decision that its beneficial for all, beaming the Sword out into space until the Klingon Empire is ready for it. It's never made clear whether it's actually some mythical property of the Sword or if it's merely the differing viewpoints of Worf and Kor that cause them to quarrel over it, kind of leaving a bit of mystery hanging over the whole thing.

Season 4 - "Our Man Bashir"

Of many Bashir and Garak episodes, this one is probably my favorite other than "The Wire". It is pure cheese and it absolutely revels in it all from start to finish without even knowing what the distant cousin on it's mother's side that shame is.

And it is GLORIOUS!

Julian gets a new holodeck program that is essentially James Bond without any copyrighted material attached (not that this kept MGM from having a snit over it, apparently). Garak ends up trespassing into it, joining Julian along on an adventure (much to his chagrin). However, the trouble starts when an accident in a Runabout forces the staff of Deep Space Nine to transfer the transporter patterns of Sisko, Kira, Jadzia, Worf, and Chief O'Brien (Colm Meaney) into the holodeck to keep them alive...which sees them overwriting some of the characters in Julian's program.

If they die in the simulation...they could be lost for real. However, if the simulation is shut down, they could also lose their patterns forever.

So, while the crew of the station attempts to figure out a way to rejoin the minds and bodies of the crewmembers lost in the accident, Julian and Garak have to figure out a way to get through the simulation long enough to keep everyone alive...while also surviving themselves. It is, despite that handicap, a far more lighthearted episode.

Also, Garak gets shot in the neck at one point.

...and yet, still lighthearted.

Season 4 - "Bar Association"

Rom is my favorite Ferengi on Deep Space Nine (as if the rest of my praise of him wasn't enough of an indication).

While I appreciate Quark being both insightful and completely greed-happy as the plot dictates and while I think Nog's story is basically Wesley Crusher's story done with a far, far less annoying protagonist (and also far better) - Rom is very much the every man.

Counted as a buffoon in early episodes, Rom doesn't have the head for the Ferengi numbers game and instead is a mechanical genius and is far, far better equipped and more intelligent than most people give him credit for.

He also is willing to burn down Quark's if it means that Nog gets into Starfleet (Quark had been trying to dissuade him and even sabotaged one of Nog's tests in an earlier episode). So he's a good father as well as a brilliant engineer.

It is in this episode that Rom has a brush with death due to his business contract with Quark. He forms a union of Quark's employees. This doesn't get him in trouble with Quark so much as it does...Brunt, FCA. Yes, Jeffrey Combs comes back to be a little bit menace and a little bit comedic, but damn if he doesn't straddle that line well. The Union goes on strike, but Brunt is having none of it. Rom shows himself to be of stronger meddle than the average Ferengi, refusing bribes on principal and standing defiant even in the face of what Brunt might do it him or others.

In the end, an agreement is reached that benefits Quark's employees on the sly...and Rom finds a better way than slaving under his brother for the rest of his life. Good on you, Rom!

Season 4 - "To the Death"

The Dominion had been set up in Season 2, developed more in Season 3, and were a recurring force by Season 4. Such as it was in this episode, "To the Death", where the first joint operation between the Federation and the Dominion was set up to stop a group of rogue Jem'Hedar (the Dominion's choice foot soldiers) from taking control of an Iconian gateway. We get here the first appearance of Jeffrey Combs as Weyoun as well as some background on the Jem'Hedar. We get to see the conflicting styles of the Federation and the Dominion, in particular the Jem'Hedar's rather strict chain of command versus the Federation's far more (comparatively) lenient one.

We also get the first whispers of the oncoming Dominion War, although there were already those in Season 3. Still, this was the episode where it became clear what course that was headed on, with the First of the Jem'Hedar promising with absolute certainty that they next time they meet the Federation, they will be enemies.

Season 5 - "Apocalypse Rising"

At the beginning of Season 5, the war with the Dominion was just on the horizon. The Klingons had exited the Khitomer Accords and were swarming across much of the Alpha Quadrant. The reason for this, a recently humanoid Odo believes, is that Chancellor Gowron of the Klingon Empire has been replaced by a Changeling. In order to expose him and perhaps save the Alpha Quadrant, Sisko, O'Brien, Odo, and Worf all undertake a dangerous mission to enter Klingon space. The first three all get surgical alterations to appear Klingon, infiltrating a Klingon celebration in the hopes of getting close to Gowron and exposing him through some technobabble device of the week.

The trick becomes in surviving the Klingon ceremony long enough for Gowron to arrive, presided over by the Klingon General Martok (J.G. Hertzler), that goes long into the night before the arrival of the Chancellor. Will the four be able to expose the Changeling and save the Alpha Quadrant? Or is there something far more nefarious going on here?

 "Apocalypse Rising" being the premiere of Season 5 meant that it dealt with a lot of baggage from Season 4, in particular Odo being locked into his humanoid shape by the Founders. While he spends most of this episode doubting in himself and his ability to perform his duties now that he's limited as a solid, by the end he realizes that he can be just as useful as a solid as he was as a Changeling, when he discovers the truth behind everything through his deductive skills and saves the day.

Also, as you can tell by my choice of picture, we get the Gowron "Glory to you...and your hoooooooouse" meme, so that wins this episode a great many points.

Season 5 - "Looking for par'Mach in All the Wrong Places"

This episode is a sequel to "House of Quark" from Season 3. Quark is greeted on Deep Space Nine by his ex-wife Grilka (Mary Kay Adams) and their relationship lights up a few sparks on the station, in particular getting the ire of Worf and of Grilka's bodyguard. Worf, in particular, seems offended that such a highborn Klingon lady has any interest in a Ferengi bartender. He fails to notice Jadzia's hints of interest throughout the episode as well because he's amusingly thick.

When Grilka's bodyguard challenges Quark in a battle to the death, Quark enlists the aid of Worf and Dax to learn the ways of Klingons. When he fails to battle with any skill, the two use a device to allow Worf to temporarily control Quark's movements. With Worf's skill channeled through his body, Quark manages to actually win and he and Grilka ride off into the sunset...only for Quark to still be at the station next week and for Grilka to never be mentioned again.

As you do.

There's also a really awkward subplot where O'Brien and Kira start to feel attraction toward one another due to Kira carrying his baby (not for the reason you'd think) that goes nowhere and just serves to be "comedic", but it doesn't really work. It fits the overall theme of the episode, but it's just not that great. Mind you, I like Kira a hell of a lot more than I like Keiko, but props to O'Brien for the commitment to his wedding vows.

...yeah, not a fan of Keiko O'Brien, either.

The highlight here is the beginning of Worf and Jadzia's relationship, which is one of the more enjoyable aspects of the show...at least until Gul Dukat ruins it, but that's a bit off.

Season 5 - "Trials and Tribble-lations"

A time travel episode (which, if you read my Doctor Who reviews, you know I'm a fan of) where the crew of DS9 travels back to the time of the Original Series episode "The Trouble With Tribbles". It's plot runs alongside the plot of that episode, even helping out the Original Series crew at points. Interestingly, or rather thankfully in some cases, the crew of the Original Series doesn't appear with the crew of DS9 except via the use of stock footage that's been altered.

The only really ridiculous instance of this is that the very end where Sisko gets inserted into some footage from "Mirror, Mirror" to get Kirk's autograph.

Apart from that, it's a fun little time travel episode where all the loose ends are tied up and there's definitely nothing left unanswered by the end...

Cue Quark sighing as his bar is overrun with Tribbles.

Also, apparently Jadzia has a thing for Spock (let's be real, who doesn't?) and one of her previous hosts did the no-pants dance with Doctor McCoy. Not sure if that says more about her or about him.

Season 5 - "The Begotten"

Odo, still in his locked humanoid form, comes into the custody of a sick infant Changeling thanks to Quark. He attempts to care for it, nursing it back to health and attempting to teach it to speak and shapeshift. Dr. Mora (James Sloyan), the Bajoran scientist who discovered Odo, comes to his aid. Odo, however, wants nothing to do with him and only accepts his help once Starfleet makes it clear that they want some progress made with the Changeling...or they'll take it from him.

"The Begotten" is a story about forgiveness, compassion, parents, and children. The clear metaphor is there in the contentious relationship between Mora and Odo, Odo still blaming the scientist for the pains he endured as Mora tried to make him shapeshift (e.g., parent putting a child through the rigors of growing up, "you're not my real dad", etc.). Odo wants to be better to his "child" than Mora was to him, emphasized by Odo not wanting to put any negative pressure on the infant as Mora did to get him to shapeshifting. At the end, though Odo comes to realize that what Mora did was out of either ignorance or simply wanting what was best for him, as many children realize when they grow up.

The two part on much better terms by the end of the episode. While Mora does mention that Odo can still be a part of his life, and that he is referenced in later episodes, this is sadly the last time that we see Mora on the show. Also, the infant dies but gives Odo his ability to shapeshift again.

Also also, Kira finally has O'Brien's baby. I'm sure the two people who enjoyed that subplot caused by Nana Visitor's real life pregnancy were overjoyed.

Season 5 - "For the Uniform"

One of the recurring members of the cast in Deep Space Nine was Michael Eddington (Kenneth Marshall). He was an engineer in Starfleet, working closely with O'Brien and Sisko in particular. He left Starfleet and defected to a terrorist group known as the Maquis, which obviously drove a deep wedge between the latter two. "For the Uniform" is the culmination of the divide between them. While it's not Eddington's last appearance, it is pretty much the capstone on his relationship with Sisko.

Sisko has become obsessed with capturing Eddington, seeing that he pays for his crimes. When the Maquis under Eddington's command begin using bio-genic weapons against Cardassian targets as well as attacking Federation transports delivering supplies to them, Sisko realizes that he must appeal to Eddington's psychosis of believing himself to be some sort of folk hero like Jean Valjean by becoming Eddington's very own Javert.

In one of the first big instances of Sisko going full on dark side, Sisko does actually use a bio-genic weapon on a planet to make it completely uninhabitable to human life for fifty years, just as the Maquis had been doing to other worlds. He threatens to do this to every Maquis colony in Demilitarized Zone until they surrender. Eddington eventually does surrender himself to spare his people and is arrested. This episode takes a dark turn, very quickly when Sisko realizes the only way to take down Eddington is to become the villain, and I adore it for that. It doesn't really hit the same note for me that "Call to Arms" does, however, not feeling so grand in scale whether it's compared to that story or not. It is a more personal story to Sisko, and an effective one at that.

Season 5 - "In Purgatory's Shadow"/"By Inferno's Light"

A two-part episode that isn't listed as such, "In Purgatory's Shadow" and "By Inferno's Light" form a two-parter in which we see Worf and Garak journey to the Gamma Quadrant on the trail of a coded Cardassian message from Garak's old mentor - Enabran Tain. Their trail leads them to a prison camp where they discover not only Tain, but also General Martok...and Julian Bashir. Yes, it seems that the Bashir we've seen in Season 5 is a Changeling duplicate (although when the change took place is something DS9 fans seemingly still argue about to this day).

Worf and Garak managed to get a message back to DS9 before being captured. While it only comes through as heavily fragmented, the message is clear - the Dominion is massing to attack. Starfleet orders a plan to close the wormhole so as to keep Dominion reinforcements from traveling from the Gamma Quadrant to the Alpha Quadrant.

As Worf fights for his life against the Jem'Hedar, Garak deals with some leftover baggage from his life with Tain and works with Julian and Martok to orchestrate their escape. Meanwhile, on DS9, we get the reveal that Gul Dukat has finally and completely turned his back on his sort of enemies sort of friends in the Federation and signed the Cardassians up with the Dominion. The plan to close the wormhole also backfires and, when the Federation starts calling for allies against the massing Dominion fleet, the Julian Changeling prepares a bomb that will cause Bajor's sun to go supernova and take out the Federation, Klingon, and even Romulan fleets that are massing there.

It's a great pair of episodes for a lot of reasons. We get more of the backstory of Garak. We see Martok return as a character and able to be used again (to much greater effect than before). We see the Federation-Klingon alliance renewed. We get the first of a few instances where Federation, Klingon, and Romulans join together to fight against a common foe - although they never actually do any fighting in this episode at least.

We also get the answer to the question of how many Jem'Hedar that Worf can take on hand to hand and win.

The answer is all of them.

Season 5 - "Ferengi Love Songs"

In the middle of a massive war against the Dominion, it's only natural to have a few comedic episodes to counteract the overwhelmingly dark nature of it all.

That seems like the set up to a joke, but it really isn't. Quark, miserable after being blacklisted from the Ferengi Commerce Authority following the episode "Body Parts", decides to make a trip home to see his mother...only to discover that she has a surprise lover waiting in the wings - the Grand Nagus, Zek!

His initial joy at this is cut short when Zek refuses to reinstate Quark with the FCA. However, an opportunity comes from Brunt, who offers him his license back if he can break up Zek and Ishka. Quark does, gaining Zek's favor and even a position as the First Clerk...only to find out that Zek doesn't make the profits like he used to. He's getting older, and his mind is going with him. Ishka, it seemed, was the only person who was able to help him keep things afloat - and now, Quark may have brought down all of Ferengi civilization!

Like with other Ferengi episodes, this one is mostly lighthearted but with an edge or two. Ishka does legitimately love Zek in spite of Brunt's (and later Zek's) belief that she's merely trying to subvert Ferengi society and genuinely wants to help. Quark manipulates matters to his liking, but later does feel guilt (and his mother calls him out on this) and tries to make things right when he realizes he's completely destroyed all he stands for.

And, again, Jeffrey Combs as Brunt. Can't miss.

Season 5 - "Soldiers of the Empire"

Alright, I don't know if you've caught onto this by this point, but I love Klingon episodes. "Soldiers of the Empire" is no exception. Following their escape from the Dominion interment camp in "By Inferno's Light", Martok requests Worf to serve as his first officer on a Klingon Bird of Prey known as the Rotarran. The ship has a crew full of members with dishonorable conduct charges and, shockingly for a Klingon vessel, has never won a victory in battle...and, y'know...still exists.

...and didn't have it's entire crew executed for cowardice and the ship itself melted down to make baby's first bat'leth for the new generation of Klingons...

Along with Jadzia as the science officer, Worf takes his place as first officer and finds that the crew is very much what they were warned about. As they go on a routine mission to retrieve a missing vessel, Martok begins to display very un-Klingon behavior in not wishing to pursue and destroy a single enemy ship, which does not improve the morale of the crew. Mutiny stirs and it takes an actual violent outburst in the mess hall (and pressure from Jadzia) before Worf realizes what he must do to reignite Martok's warrior spirit: challenge him for command of the vessel.

People call "Soldiers of the Empire" an underdog story, and it's for good reason - these people are basically the worst by Klingon standards. By the end, though, Worf whips them into shape and manages to ignite their spirit as well as Martok's, the battle frenzy that follows leading the Rotarran to its first victory as it destroys a Jem'Hedar ship and rescues the ship they were sent after, returning to DS9 as heroes. It is after this, in a quiet moment, that a grateful Martok offers Worf a place in his House.

Season 6 - "Sacrifice of Angels"

Remember how I said that Sisko would come back after "Call to Arms"? This is where that happens.

Six episodes into Season Six, Kira, Odo, and the others remaining on DS9 have formed a mini-resistance against the Dominion. Dukat wants them arrested and executed. However, he has quite a few more problems as the Federation-Klingon Alliance is beating down the door to Bajor. While a group of Dominion reinforcements are coming through the wormhole, Sisko manages to implore the Prophets to intercede on Bajor's behalf.

They promise that a penalty will be exacted upon him, but the reinforcements suddenly vanish and never made it through.

...unless you play Star Trek Online (which I haven't), but never mind.

And yeah, it's a deus ex machima, but it's one of the few instances where I have actually seen it done well.

The Federation retakes the station, Dukat's daughter Ziyal is killed and he loses his mind as a result. The Dominion retreats to Cardassia and a captured and broken Dukat even gives Sisko back his baseball in a nice payoff to the scene from the end of Season 5.

Season 6 - "You Are Cordially Invited..."

Oh, c'mon, how could I not have this one on here?

The wedding of Worf and Jadzia. The event that has been built up to since Season 5. It doesn't end in tragedy, it doesn't end with one of them leaving the other at the altar. They get married and that's it. It's everything leading up to it that makes this episode so enjoyable. The planning, the arguments, the bachelor party, the bachelorette party, a ritual in which the bride to be balances two braziers while chanting in Klingon.

...okay, that last one is a little weird, I admit, but Terry Farrell sells it well.

We get some development of Klingon tradition beyond just battle and the importance of the female head of Houses. Martok has one of my favorite speeches about love in this episode, speaking of how glory and honor mean very little to a man who is alone in his home and in his heart. While Klingons are not particularly skilled with emotions that are not rage or joyous celebration, they do consider love a very important virtue.

Also, the Klingon wedding ceremony is kind of a beautiful thing, especially considering you hit the bride and groom with pain sticks at the end.

Season 6 - "The Magnificent Ferengi"

Another Quark episode, and what is basically the capstone for the Ferengi in the series. Or, as I like to call it "Avengers: Age of Ferengi". Quark and Rom's mother, Ishka, is kidnapped by the Dominion on her way from Vulcan back to Ferenginar. Hired by Zek with the promise of fifty bars of gold-pressed latinum, Quark gathers together an all-star team of Ferengi - Rom, Nog, his cousin Gaila, Brunt, and an Eliminator named Lek - to go and rescue her. When it becomes clear that combat is definitely not the way to go, they use the best method Ferengi have at their disposal - the art of the deal.

Meeting Dominion representative Vorta Iggy Pop (no, really, it's Iggy Pop) at a derelict Cardassian station, they plan to swap another Vorta for Ishka...but the Vorta ends up killed due to hijinks and they have to come up with a plan fast if they're to save Ishka.

It's a cute little episode with a few homages to The Magnificent Seven here and there as you might expect given the title.

Season 6 - "Waltz"

After losing his mind following the death of his daughter and being taken in by the Federation, Gul Dukat is being transported to his first hearing and then imprisonment to await his trial for war crimes. Sisko is in attendance, and it is because of that that Sisko ends up being marooned with Dukat on a desolate wasteland planet.

He tends to Sisko's broken arm and claims to have sent out a distress signal - although, in reality, he's just made the transmitter appear as though it's transmitting.

While there is a B-Plot with the crew trying to track and rescue Sisko, the main focus is solely on Sisko and Dukat. Marc Alaimo gives a stellar performance (as he does in all his appearances) as it quickly becomes clear that Dukat has not remotely recovered from his complete mental break down at the end of "Sacrifice of Angels". He is haunted by hallucinations of Weyoun, his former second-in-command Damar, and Major Kira, all of whom represent different pieces of his broken psyche.

He seeks Sisko's approval for who he is, and what he's done, and he tries to justify his actions against the Bajorans during the Occupation. Dukat seems genuine at first, but it starts to become clear that he is and has always been a self-deluded hypocrite. At the apex of his madness, after attacking the hallucination of Kira with a phaser (and putting Sisko at risk in the process), he finally makes the declaration that he absolutely hated the Bajorans and Sisko finally gets him to admit the truth that Dukat holds and has always held: that he should have killed every last one of them.

After a struggle, Dukat escapes on the shuttle craft, leaving Sisko to die. He promises that he will destroy Bajor and finish the work that he started - in particular stating that Bajor doesn't know what it means to be his enemy, but they will - the hallucinations of Weyoun, Damar, and Kira going with him.

When Sisko is found by his crew and, recovering in medical, he tells Jadzia that he did not believe in objective evil until he met Dukat. The next time they meet, Sisko will declares his intentions to beat Dukat and save Bajor.

And yes, for the record, this is the episode that proves - for me, at least - that Gul Dukat is pretty objectively evil. He has his love for his daughter Ziyal, but it's in a controlling way literally up until the moment she died. That was his one potentially redeeming quality. Everything else he's done...is pretty evil. As opposed to "Duet" back in Season 1, where it was clear that there were only victims that came out of that action. In many ways, Maritza is the counter-argument to Dukat, a victim who was crushed by the things he saw and wanted to see Cardassia have to admit it's guilt for what it had done. Dukat, on the other hand, denied the truth up until he finally and completely embraced it.

Much like Thanos, Dukat is an interesting villain and a great character, but deserves no benefit of any doubt what so ever beyond this point in the series, and Marc Alaimo's performance makes it all the more fantastic.

Season 6 - "His Way"

I mentioned in "Heart of Stone" that I loved the relationship between Odo and Kira and that it eventually had a spectacular payoff. This is that payoff.

Julian gets a new holoprogram of a 1960's Las Vegas lounge. A singer named Vic Fontaine, a sentient hologram, is able to pick up on tells the crew has and advise them. Such as realizing that Worf and Jadzia are married or that O'Brien is missing his wife. When he mentions Odo and Kira, though, Vic stops short. After Kira leaves on a trip to Bajor, Odo finds himself going back to Vic's for advice.

What follows is Vic helping Odo to work on himself, helping him to loosen up more and be less aloof. He even, to this end, reprograms a hologram of Kira (previously appearing in "Our Man Bashir") to appear in his program. This, however, doesn't have the same effect that Odo is hoping for...so Vic decides to get a little creative in his solution.

So after six years, Odo and Kira finally start a relationship. I know I'm underselling it a bit with that, but geez did it take them long enough or what?! Who doesn't love a happy ending?

Season 7 - "Treachery, Faith, and the Great River"

Odo gets a coded message from a Cardassian informant only to find...Weyoun. Weyoun has apparently decided to defect from the Dominion and has come to Odo for sanctuary. Unfortunately for him, he finds both himself and Odo pursued by another clone...Weyoun. It seems the Dominion has activated a Weyoun clone after the previous defected, and now is working with Damar to either capture or execute him...and may be willing to put Odo at mortal risk to do so. Even if that means defying the orders of the Female Changeling...

The B-Plot of the episode is also enjoyable for comedic reasons, where Chief O'Brien finds himself at the mercy of Nog as Nog attempts to teach him about the Ferengi "Great Material Continuum". Through a series of comedic barters that range from the mundane to the outrageous (such as stealing Captain Sisko's desk while he's away or stealing several cases of Klingon bloodwine from General Martok), Nog manages to barter for the things that Chief O'Brien needs...showing that Nog might have a bit more of a head for business than he was letting on.

Then again, maybe he's just outfoxing the humans.

"Treachery, Faith, and the Great River" is a great episode that balances the more dramatic A-Plot and the more comedic B-Plot well, able to be entertaining and even insightful in both. Nog tests O'Brien's faith (and his sanity) in the Ferengi concept of the Great Material Continuum and Weyoun reaffirms his faith in Odo as the only one who can save the Dominion, even to his dying breath. Odo giving him his blessing in his final moments is one of the most touching small moments in the entire show.

This almost won the spot for the Season 7 Favorite Episode if not for what managed to trounce it.

Season 7 - "Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges"

Julian Bashir gets tapped to go to a medical conference on Romulus following the sudden entry of the Romulans into the war on the side of the Federation Alliance. In doing so, he becomes a pawn of Starfleet's super secret black ops division - Section 31.

Introduced in DS9, Section 31 has been retconned into Trek canon in various places (depending on who you ask) between all the series, and their mission here is no different than their mission in several other places within the franchise. This even got to the point where they were mentioned in Star Trek Into Darkness.

...not exactly a glowing endorsement, but it's nice to see something that isn't from The Original Series or The Next Generation featured for a change.

Sloan, the representative of Section 31, seemingly wants Julian to make a diagnosis of a Romulan senator who they believe has a lethal affliction. That's all. Nothing involving Section 31 is ever so simple, however, and Julian finds himself embroiled in the chaos that is Romulan politics, all the while trying to stop an assassination attempt against the senator in question.

While I've already sung the praises of Alexander Siddig as Julian, it should be noted that the late Barry Jenner (no relation) has a great turn here as Admiral Ross and Adrienne Barbeau has a role as a prominent Romulan senator. Neat!

Season 7 - "Tacking into the Wind"/"Extreme Measures"

The last nine episodes of DS9 form an arc that leads into the end of the Dominion War and the Series itself. Both "Tacking into the Wind" and "Extreme Measures" are at the far end of that arc, "Extreme Measures" being right before the next to last episode "The Dogs of War".

Also, for the record, the entire arc is just absolute gold, I just like these two episodes the most out of the bunch.

"Tacking into the Wind" concerns itself with two major plotlines - the first being that of Gowron's growing paranoia and his continued attempts to kill or discredit Martok, which puts the Federation Alliance at risk at a crucial point in the War against the Dominion. The second involves Major Kira, having been sent to Cardassia to aid in Damar's resistance, having conflicts with her former oppressors as well as attempting to steal a Breen energy weapon that only the Klingon ships appear to be immune to.

Like most of the episodes leading up to the finale, "Tacking into the Wind" serves to do some clean up involving several plot threads that have been going on, some of them since the series began. In this case, Kira having to go from fighting the Cardassians as part of the Resistance on Bajor to helping the Cardassians fight to retake their world.

It also ends the arc for the Klingon race in DS9. Worf receives orders from Sisko to stop Gowron's mad grabs for power at any cost, with the safety of the Alpha Quadrant at stake they cannot afford it. This eventually leads to Worf having to challenge Gowron for the position of Chancellor due to Martok not wishing to. Though Worf does win, giving Gowron the proper rites as he was a Klingon warrior despite his flaws, he does not keep the position of Chancellor and instead gives it to Martok. Michael Dorn delivers one of his best lines in Star Trek as he tells Martok the words of Kahless - "Great men do not seek power, they have power thrust upon them".

Thus, Martok becomes the new Chancellor of the Klingon Empire. Martok! Leader of the Empire! Leader of Destiny!

Martok would later get back at Worf by making him the Federation Ambassador to Kronos, so it all worked out in the end.

Also Martok is deserving of the title, most certainly, but his noble nature shines through in that he puts honor before reason and refuses to challenge Gowron for control of the Empire. This causes Worf to take matters into his own hands, and while normally this would be a hindrance for getting the plot underway, it makes sense given Martok's character as has been presented to us.

"Extreme Measures" is just as tightly focused as "Tacking into the Wind", if not more so. During the later half of Season 7, Odo has begun to suffer from a virus that was given to him by Section 31 to further infect the Changelings, who are also dying from it as Odo learned back in "Treachery, Faith, and the Great River". Julian has been trying to develop a cure without success, and so he and O'Brien hit upon the idea of luring a Section 31 operative to Deep Space Nine.

Somehow, this actually works! Although I like to think it's a testament to Julian's skills in medicine that they believe the ruse rather than Section 31 being staffed by incompetent morons.

Capturing Sloan, Julian and O'Brien put to use Romulan mind probes to enter his mind and seek out the information about the cure within...though it may not be so easy as they think.

Kind of like "Distant Whispers", I like the whole concept of a battle within the mind or some sort of adversity to break free of a mental prison. It's probably the reason why I adore "Heaven Sent" from Doctor Who as much as I do (we'll be getting to it eventually).

Both of these episodes are really good, though neither of them reach the absolute heights that my Season 7 pick does. I think I've done enough gliding of the lily on this one and so, with no more adieu...

Season 7: "Once More Unto the Breach"

...I did mention I love Klingon episodes, right? Early in Deep Space Nine's final season, we had the third and final appearance of John Colicos as Kor. Out of his three appearances, this one is my favorite and they really did save the best for last. With the Dominion War in full swing, DS9 has been a harbor for Federation, Klingon, and Romulans alike. After having a conversation with Julian and O'Brien about the myth of Davy Crockett (particularly whether or not his exploits at the Alamo are to be believed), Worf is approached by Kor. It seems that Kor is not able to get a position on any ship in the Klingon Empire - he's become an old man with too few friends and far too many enemies.

Worf requests Martok's help in getting Kor a commission, but Martok very angrily refuses. It seems that Kor refused Martok's application into the ranks of a Klingon officer, which set him back many years until he could get a battlefield promotion. Kor doesn't even remember this having happened, but Martok holds the grudge nonetheless. Worf instead makes Kor the third officer on their mission, unaware that Kor's mind is starting to go in his advanced age.

What follows is an epic tale of pride, of growing old and the suffering that comes with it, and a warrior's one last epic battle. Kor, despite being taken off of active duty during a battle thanks to a senile episode, does find a way to make himself useful one last time and goes out in an epic battle against the Jem'Hedar. In what is one of the most touching scenes in the series, Kor manages to subdue Worf with a hypospray and tells him that he will reach Sto'Vo'Kor, find Jadzia, and remind her that her husband loves only her. His last lines, given defiant and proud and going out as a Klingon warrior should, proclaiming: "Long live the Empire!"

Kor then takes on the mission that Worf had intended to go on - using one ship to take on an entire wing of Jem'Hedar fighters so the others in their warband might escape. To the amazement of the crew, even Martok, Kor beats the odds and manages to hold off the Jem'Hedar long enough for the Klingons to escape. The episode ends with the Klingons drinking and singing songs in honor of Kor, the Dahar Master.

Even Martok, shocked and awed by the man he had so long hated, calls Kor "a noble warrior to the end!". Badass!

This one isn't my favorite of Season 7 because it furthers any particular story arc or anything. There are better episodes of the show, sure, but I just really enjoy this one. It's one of the episodes that, if you put a gun to my head and demanded I pick a favorite of the show, I'd list along with "In the Pale Moonlight". It's just absolute fun from start to finish.

So that's my seven* (remember, Rule of Acquisition #239) favorite episodes of Deep Space Nine. Did any of your favorites make the cut? Did I miss any that you thought should have been on here? Would you like to see other lists like this in the future? Let me know in the comments below. When we come back again, we're going to look into the 7 Worst Episodes of Deep Space Nine.

Because, yes, even in a series I love, there are some big clunkers. I've been going over a bunch of them in Doctor Who and Star Trek is no exception.

Star Trek and all its related spin-offs are the property of Paramount and CBS.

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