“SACRIFICE OF ANGELS”
“And this is what you get for leaving a crap review of my bar on Tripadvisor!”
This may be a controversial opinion, but controversy be damned—I loved this episode and consider it a satisfying conclusion to DS9’s ambitious and paradigm-shattering Occupied Station arc. Given Star Trek’s track record when it came to multi-part stories—namely concluding parts that invariably prove disappointing to varying degrees—I was very much apprehensive that the writers might mess up the ending here. Fortunately, I needn’t have worried. It’s not
entirely perfect, for some elements get a little lost in the mix, but “Sacrifice of Angels” is nevertheless a thrilling piece of television: immersive, rousing, action-packed and emotional; an episode which kicks ass and takes numbers while never once forgetting the characters at the heart of the action.
Writers Ira Behr and Hans Beimler deserve high kudos for their masterful job of juggling the various plot strands and character arcs which, in lesser hands, could easily have spiralled into an incoherent mess. Behr became a master of these “blockbuster” type episodes, and he excels with this brilliant blend of engaging, provocative characterisation and bold, high-stakes space opera, which, for me, ranks as one of DS9’s high watermarks. Of course, you can’t have a war storyline without some ferocious battle scenes; and this episode provides one on a scale Star Trek could only have ever dreamt of in the past. It’s breath-taking to watch, and the SFX, rendered entirely in CGI for the first time in Trek history, still look incredible well over two decades on (as evidenced by the remastering for the “What We Left Behind” documentary).
Sisko and Dukat were born to be adversaries and, for me, are right up there with Kirk and Khan Noonian Singh in the book of Trek nemeses. Even though they share only a single, brief scene toward the end, it’s a powerhouse, and Avery Brooks and Marc Alaimo are in fire throughout the episode, with Brooks’ passion igniting the screen and Alaimo delivering perhaps his finest performance of the series. Of course, it’s a momentous turn of events for the Cardassian despot, with a gut-wrenching twist as Dukat loses both the upper hand
and his tenuous grip on sanity.
Before that, we’re treated to a fascinating, if lengthy, scene between Dukat and Weyoun in the Captain’s office which truly reveals Dukat for the malignant narcissist he is (“a true victory is to make them see they were wrong to oppose you in the first place; to force them to acknowledge your greatness!”). The bigger the ego, the greater the fall, and Dukat’s eventual defeat shatters both his ego and his sanity. Ziyal’s shocking death is more powerful and affecting than I could have anticipated, and the directing, music and Alaimo’s brilliant performance render it a truly heartbreaking moment. For all that Dukat is a monster, it’s hard not to feel sorry for him as he cradles her body, and it would seem he had genuine love for her (although, being a narcissist, it may simply have been that Ziyal’s more or less unconditional love of him served his pathological need for approval and adulation).
Ah, Ziyal, we hardly knew ye. Although the character was harmed by the revolving door of actresses that played her, I liked her, even if her potential was sadly never realised in the series. Her relationship with Garak, which was kind of a cross between unrequited schoolgirl crush and puppydog adulation, never quite clicked for me, although Andrew Robinson does give a great job conveying Garak’s fondness for her and sense of loss upon her death. I wish we’d gotten to see more of her sister/mentor relationship with Kira and perhaps a friendship with Jake. Alas, it was not to be. It seems only right that not all of the crew survive this tumultuous stretch of episodes, so, realistically, someone had to bite the dust.
A number of other storylines converge during the course of forty-five eventual minutes, including Odo’s defection to the Dark Side. We still never quite learn WHY he turned against Kira and treated her as though she meant nothing to him in “Behind the Lines” when it’s clear that he’s still tormented by his feelings for her. I guess he was simply overcome by confusion and divided loyalty. I loved the final, subtle scene with the Founder in his quarters where he simply states he will stay in his quarters and she acquiesces; both characters know the subtext, yet nothing more is said. Rene Auberjonois and Salome Jens have done some fantastic work these past few episodes in one of the show’s more complicated and toxic relationships. In my mind, Odo has been the victim of psychological abuse and coercion and he temporarily lost his sense of self; all of which elicit my sympathy rather than condemnation. His act of redemption makes for an uplifting moment, although the lack of long term consequences (or any consequences whatsoever) definitely blunt the impact of this storyline in retrospect.
The “ticking clock” element of the episode—the race to prevent Dukat from taking down the minefield—works well, contributing to the episode’s mounting sense of tension. It also leads to one of my favourite moments of the entire seven years: Quark’s heroic jailbreak and rescue of Kira and company. What a long way our lovable Ferengi has come since the show’s early days. He displays a bravery and selflessness many probably never thought he had in him, including perhaps himself. The look on his face as he guns down the Jem’Hadar guards speaks volumes: fear, shock, indignation and horror (feel free to contradict me, but it’s likely Quark has never fired a weapon at someone in his life). It’s wonderful to behold and I love that, as a result, we see a notable softening of the crew’s attitude toward him in future episodes, notably Kira’s.
Right, I’ve saved the tough bit for last: namely the frequently lamented final twist involving the Prophets. I’m going to go against the grain and say that I thought it was a stroke of genius. Now, I know many people view it as a cop-out and a
dues ex machina—and, in a literal sense of the phrase, it is. That said, a true
dues ex machina incorporates a completely new, previously unused element into the story that solves the crisis through no agency of the primary characters. The Prophets, however, are
not a new story element; they’ve been an integral part of the show’s tapestry since the very first episode and they play a significant role in the show’s narrative, and Sisko has to fight hard to get them to intervene. (Although I do think less people would have complained if this had been foreshadowed in the last few episodes, perhaps with Sisko having a Prophet vision, or even mentioning them in passing). If anything, it’s only logical that Sisko would turn to them having exhausted all other options, and I kind of wish that had been his intent when he piloted the Defiant into the wormhole.
Now, while the Prophets do indeed agree to intervene and displace the Dominion fleet, they do so at a COST, and they make it clear that there will be consequences. This is something I think a lot of people overlook as they decry this twist as some kind of lame cheat. It’s not a cheat—it’s a pivotal moment that changes the direction of the series and the determines the fate of its lead character. Indeed, Sisko basically seals his own fate here. That’s why, although the Prophets agree to intervene, they tell Sisko that his destiny will follow another path and that while he is “off Bajor”, he will “find no rest there”. At the time, we had no idea what that meant and whether or not the writers would follow through on it.
This is actually a vital moment in the show’s run, because what Sisko does here is create a new timeline. By eradicating the Dominion reinforcements, the station is not only reclaimed by Starfleet, as Sisko intended, but it also had the unforeseen consequence of causing Dukat’s mental collapse. This breakdown will lead Dukat down a dark and twisted path in which he eventually becomes an instrument of the Pah Wraiths and will very nearly destroy both Bajor and the Prophets and who knows what else. I think it’s fairly safe to say that this would never have happened had the Prophets not intervened and stopped the Dominion fleet. Sisko “will find no rest” because he must atone for this change he initiated in the timeline and the unintended consequences it caused. Those who think this twist is just cheap cop-out storytelling aren’t looking at the bigger picture. Whether one likes the Pah Wraith storyline or not, this is still one of the key moments of the entire series, and the moment that seals Sisko’s fate in the final episode. We won’t see it for a while, but Sisko has basically sacrificed his life to save the Alpha Quadrant. The sacrifice of angels, indeed.
I could probably write pages more on this one. There’s just SO much going on, it’s almost overwhelming. Some elements get just a little fudged over (Odo’s redemption just gets a few simple beats) and some feel just a tad convenient (such as that old cliche of the Klingons appearing on the battlefield just in the nick of time), but I think it all comes together pretty darn brilliantly in an episode that certainly ranks among the show’s finest and most eminently rewatchable. Allan Kroeker’s directing is superb, the pace is electrifying, and the performances, music and visual effects are uniformly brilliant. What a ride.
Rating: 10
