The least disliked episode of DS9 - Season Seven

Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges is an episode that, on paper, I would expect to love. Bashir, Romulans, Section 31, Starfleet's moral ambiguity, all these things are great -- yet somehow the final result is dramatically inert -- the ingredients are excellent, but the recipe is off.

I think sometimes they should have just not gone back to Section 31 after "Inquisition." It was a compelling addition to the Trek mythos, but with everything else going on they didn't have time to develop it properly, and it would have made perfect sense to never hear from this super secret organization again. Or if they didn't step away from it entirely, they should have leaned into it harder (when the Dax symbiont takes a turn for the worse on the way back home, imagine the only Trill on the ship was not a naive counselor ensign, but a crewmember who was also a secret Section 31 operative -- after the joining, her devotion to that cause is challenged by all the new influences from Dax -- and now we have a more direct way to access that story and give Ezri war-related things to do)

The Siege of AR-558
It's Only a Paper Moon
Til Death Do Us Part
Strange Bedfellows
The Changing Face of Evil
When It Rains...
Tacking Into the Wind
What You Leave Behind

 

Well, continuing my dislike for Vic Fontaine stuff, I'm ditching It's Only a Paper Moon.

The Siege of AR-558
Til Death Do Us Part
Strange Bedfellows
The Changing Face of Evil
When It Rains...
Tacking Into the Wind
What You Leave Behind

 

Is anyone else amused that all of the episodes left are essentially the finale except for "Siege"?

My memory of what happens when in those episodes is faded enough that I would have a fair bit of trouble picking at this point.

 

Like Ned Stark riding to Storm's End, I'm lifting The Siege of AR-558. A popular episode that I always found overrated, plodding and dull.

Til Death Do Us Part
Strange Bedfellows
The Changing Face of Evil
When It Rains...
Tacking Into the Wind
What You Leave Behind

 

More of my favourites have fallen by the wayside. Now it's time for Til Death Do Us Part, mostly for the Ezri/Worf portion.

Strange Bedfellows
The Changing Face of Evil
When It Rains...
Tacking Into the Wind
What You Leave Behind

 

All great episodes left behind. However, one must go. "WHEN IT RAINS...", it pours. It was a great episode, a great setup for the next phase of the final arc, but it's greatest strength is being the setup instead of just being great.

Strange Bedfellows
The Changing Face of Evil
Tacking Into the Wind
What You Leave Behind

 

I'll kick Strange Bedfellows out of the bed. Another case of an otherwise solid episode that's primarily set-up for the major event episode that follows; the remaining three, by contrast, all stand by themselves much better.

The Changing Face of Evil
Tacking Into the Wind
What You Leave Behind

 

What You Leave Behind. Sixty thrilling minutes packed into two hours. The episode has emotional highs,but also great lulls,through which the Defiant crew shakes, Dukat and Winn walk, and silly CG fire comes to life. Great, but there is greater.

The Changing Face of Evil
Tacking Into the Wind

 

And I'll make Tacking Into The Wind the winner.

Obviously Extreme Measures and Dogs Of War are deeply flawed episodes, and I cannot deny What You Leave Behind has some significant mistakes, but for the first 6 parts of this arc, I think each one is better than the one before -- which makes this the most perfect ep in the final run.

The Klingon resolution has to pay off not only everything they did with them on DS9, but TNG as well, and they actually manage that. The bit where Ezri comes in and punctures 12 years of Klingon self-delusion in a single scene is particularly delightful ("And how many times have you had to cover up the crimes of Klingon leaders because you were told it was for the good of the Empire?" So many times!!!)

The Cardassian resistance plot in this one also manages to be exquisitely tense and deeply emotional throughout. All around, it's just an exceptionally well written and acted hour of television.

It also helps that Winn and Dukat are benched in this one.

 

Excellent episode and what I would have picked.

 

I completely agree. It deserves to win. And seeing the Defiant destroyed was so heartbreaking... to me, that was the reason why it shouldn't win, despite the fact I understand why it was done and it being an excellent episode.

 

I love that "Changing Face" goes from the demoralized crew returning from the five-second loss of Defiant to Damar's kindling of new hope. I daresay that was Casey Biggs' finest moment in the series.

 

I feel like that always happens... I think it's just easier to remember something you dislike about one of the discrete episodes from the first 16, because it seems pretty much everyone has overall positive feelings about the final arc, and it can be hard to immediately recall what story points landed where.

 

It's Only a Paper Moon was my favourite of the season... ah Well, not my year I guess.

 

^I was a little disappointed that that one was axed on the basis of "It's another Vic episode", because I thought it was a standout Nog episode. Oh well.

It's not necessarily one of my favorites, but only because, much like "The Quickening" I get uncomfortable watching it.

 

It's also interesting to me that "Paper Moon" is always discussed in the context of being about two guest stars, since it's all Vic and Nog, but I never see the same observation made about "Once More Onto The Breach", which is all about Kor and Martok. (Worf is present for a lot of this, but does nothing... he's not involved in the story in any meaningful way)

(For the record, I'm a big fan of both episodes)

 

Honestly, if by S7 one still considers Nog a guest star in anything beyond the technical sense, I don't think one really understands what DS9 was going for. He's been in the show since the beginning and how he's credited by this point should be immaterial to the larger role he serves in the story. Hell, I probably remember more of his than Jake's role in the series, in the end.

 

Only squares dislike Vic Fontaine.

 

I thought he was alright actually. Using Ezri too much annoyed me more really.

 

I thought Vic had good moments like It's Only A Paper Moon but for me it was suspension of disbelief breaking to have the entire crew so obsessed with him. One crew member obsessed with him, okay. Julian gets really into him and the rest of the crew humors him about it or tease him about it, fine. The entire crew liking the magical hologram that much, just never believed it. Even Worf was into him.

I think if you eliminate the finale and treat the first sixteen episodes as one season, it would be the weakest overall season of DS9 including the first. Siege was good, Paper Moon as good. Field of Fire, Badda Bing and Holosuite are 3 of the 10 series worst, and half the remaining episodes were trying to force a square Ezri into a round Dax.