My Trek through The Dominion War

[Cyke101]

Good point.

"Badda-bing-badda-bang" - I really enjoyed this episode. It seems the DS9 crew does so well in the "every day life" routine. It was cool seeing them in their 1960 casino attire helping out Vic. And Avery Brooks got to showcase his Broadway singing skill. I found this to be one of the best episodes of the season so far.. for entertainment at least.

"Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges" - I love all of the Section 31 episodes and this one was no different. I didn't like how they set up Senator Cretak though, she was a good guy! I mean yeah she is a patriot but she was the one who embraces the Federation alliance... but yeah.. those treacherous Romulans. Wasn't surprised that Admiral Ross was down with Section 31. I was more surprised that he chooses a dinky Intreprid class ship for his flagship (why not pick a Galaxy? :-P). Still, this was a good episode worthy of a few re-watches.

I think Badda-Bing-Badda-Bang is very underrated, and it provided a nice relief from the war. Plus, while any ensemble looks great in 1960s period clothes, nobody does it quite like the DS9 crew. They looked more Ocean's Eleven than Soderbergh's movies.

As for Inter Arma enim Silent Leges, I don't have enough of a memory to comment on this episode. But for Ross picking an Intrepid, they *are* supposed to be faster than a Galaxy class (despite LaForge's wishes), and it's definitely sleeker. Maybe Ross preferred a sports car over an SUV?

I'm reminded of the admirals in TNG that always seemed to pick Excelsiors over Ambassadors, Galaxies, and Nebulas. My guess is that Excelsiors, considering their age and legacy, are akin to Cadillacs over, again, a Galaxy/SUV.

 

[Sisko4Life]

Yeah, I heard that too... Admirals love Excelsiors... Personally, I'd pick an Akira so I can gun down enemies with all those torpedo launchers. Plus, it looks cooler than the other Starfleet ships (except the sexy Galaxy-X refit, and the Sovvy is a close 3rd).

Anyway guys, I just ordered Season 5 much to my fathers objections because I leave for college at the end of the week. So I guess I will include Season 5 in here too! I actually wanted to get 4 AND 5, but he would have been flipping out!

"Penumbra" - I still don't know what to make of the next string of episodes. This was exactly what it was supposed to be, a part to a long chain of episodes. The Ezri-Worf situation is a bit wierd and I don't know how I would have handled it. The Breen showing up was predictable... but where exactly is Breen space? They mention in the episode that it is a long way from Cardassian space... so how do the Breen get over there undetected?

"Til Death do us Part" - Sisko gets married.... yay! Again this is a continuation. I really think the episodes on this particular disc are impossible to watch individually... so on my initial viewing and rewatch... I had to watch all of them at once.

"Strange Bedfellows" - The alliance between the Breen and Dominion is official! Weyoun really acted like a **** (use your imagination) towards Damar. I tend to watch his death scene over and over because its the funniest thing I've seen... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA.

"Changing Face of Evil" - The Dukat-Winn stuff really aggrevated me for the rest of the show. I tend to fast forward through these pointless parts. The fleet battle was ok, but I think they made the Breen too powerful. How does a species launch a surprise attack on Earth, when it is in center of a territory that spans hundreds of light years? Shouldn't they reach Vulcan, Betazed, Andoria, or something else before they reach Earth? I wish we were given more about the Breen... I don't even know what direction they were coming from! The dampening weapon was a cool concept... but if it manhandled the allied fleet, then how did Starfleet Command manage to wipe them out on the surprise attack? *sigh* writers.... at least Damar rises up like a hero.

 

[Cyke101]

Yeah, I heard that too... Admirals love Excelsiors... Personally, I'd pick an Akira so I can gun down enemies with all those torpedo launchers. Plus, it looks cooler than the other Starfleet ships (except the sexy Galaxy-X refit, and the Sovvy is a close 3rd).

If you were an admiral, how often would you see battle?

I mean, Ross was an architect for AQ success, and he was only there for the final battle, IIRC.

 

[Sisko4Life]

Ross.... hmph. He was ok I guess...

"When It Rains" - these next two episodes are very closely linked like a 2-parter. I was more interested in the Cardassian Rebellion and the development of Damar than seeing Gowron again...Kira beat the stuffings out of Rusot which was fun, even if it wasn't one of her better handfights. Damar is really changing before our eyes... from the drunken "kill all enemies" patriot to the "Major Kira has certain skills and I do not have the luxury to hate her." Who are you and what have you done with Damar??? I never liked Gowron though, even since TNG. Hes too "sometimey" to call an ally. He's almost as much of an opportunist as Gul Dukat! All-in-all a good episode.

"Tacking Into the Wind"- This was the better of the two because a little more was going on. Worf finally steps up to the plate and deals with that patock (did I spell it right?) Gowron.. Hail Martok! Ruler of the Empire! Martok has always been my favorite Klingon.. hes a swell guy 95% of the time- even by human standards. With every episode in the final saga, I become more drawn to Damar and his rise to leadership. I say leadership because he was already technically in power, but every episode he kept surprising me more and more with his change. Killing Rusot was a BIG step for him... and was one of the most bone-chilling scenes (and lines) of the Season. I think Garak doesn't get enough credit... As much as he is a liar and a "traitor," there is such an air of loyalty about him- he always had his head straight, which is not something we can usually say about Cardassians. I see Garak and bridging the gap between the evil Cardassian and the guy thats trying to do the right thing. Rusot was the evil Cardassian clearly, and Damar gradually shifted to all-around good guy. I hope to explore more about Garak and Cardassians in Season 5, which should arrive in the next day or two (I'm slowly moving backwards through DS9! I wonder how far I should go!)

 

[Sisko4Life]

"Extreme Measures" - This was an odd episode but did have such a shocking secret. I enjoyed Bashir and O'Brien's creativity in capturing Sloan and finally wrestling the information out of his brain.

"The Dogs of War" - I could tell this was a big set-up episode. Damar and friends stranded in a cellar on Cardassia Prime... poor Seskel and the rest of his followers. It was good to see Damar finally rise to Legendary status though.

"What you Leave Behind" - Memory Alpha says that this episode is hailed as one of the highest rated shows of series. Part of me disagrees with that, and part of me concurs with that statement. I was a little disappointed by all the re-used footage in the battle scenes and the annoying but necessary scenes of Dukat and Winn. However, the majority of the action in the space battle and on Cardassia won me over. I loved the battle on the surface and there is just something so moving about the final hour of this episode. Cardassians rallying behind Damar pledging their lives. Cardassians charging the Dominion headquarters fearlessly yelling "FORRRRR CARDASSSSSSIAAAAAAA!!!!!!" I could watch it over and over again. Garak being reunited with his homeworld and working side-by-side with his race fighting the battle that no one would fight with him for so long. Theres just so much about the climatic parts of this episode that make it shine, despite its flaws. The memories at the end give a nice sense of closure and I enjoyed the extended resolution. Sisko becoming a God was kind of sad seeing Jake and Kassidy being left behind, but at the same time seemed right that he was with his real mother. There is just so much about the complexities that have been intertwined and how brilliantly they come together at the end. This will probably go down as one of my most re-watched episodes, if not the most.


Sooooo, Season 5 arrived in the mail today and I anxiously opened it. Because I'm having so much fun with this thread, I have to keep it going so I move on! My only question for all of you is... should I start at the top with "Apocalypse Rising" or start where I "left off" as in started, with Call of Arms and watch Season 5 backwards (maybe I will understand it better since I'm missing the earlier seasons)?

 

[Cyke101]

"Extreme Measures" - This was an odd episode but did have such a shocking secret. I enjoyed Bashir and O'Brien's creativity in capturing Sloan and finally wrestling the information out of his brain.

"The Dogs of War" - I could tell this was a big set-up episode. Damar and friends stranded in a cellar on Cardassia Prime... poor Seskel and the rest of his followers. It was good to see Damar finally rise to Legendary status though.

"What you Leave Behind" - Memory Alpha says that this episode is hailed as one of the highest rated shows of series. Part of me disagrees with that, and part of me concurs with that statement. I was a little disappointed by all the re-used footage in the battle scenes and the annoying but necessary scenes of Dukat and Winn. However, the majority of the action in the space battle and on Cardassia won me over. I loved the battle on the surface and there is just something so moving about the final hour of this episode. Cardassians rallying behind Damar pledging their lives. Cardassians charging the Dominion headquarters fearlessly yelling "FORRRRR CARDASSSSSSIAAAAAAA!!!!!!" I could watch it over and over again. Garak being reunited with his homeworld and working side-by-side with his race fighting the battle that no one would fight with him for so long. Theres just so much about the climatic parts of this episode that make it shine, despite its flaws. The memories at the end give a nice sense of closure and I enjoyed the extended resolution. Sisko becoming a God was kind of sad seeing Jake and Kassidy being left behind, but at the same time seemed right that he was with his real mother. There is just so much about the complexities that have been intertwined and how brilliantly they come together at the end. This will probably go down as one of my most re-watched episodes, if not the most.


Sooooo, Season 5 arrived in the mail today and I anxiously opened it. Because I'm having so much fun with this thread, I have to keep it going so I move on! My only question for all of you is... should I start at the top with "Apocalypse Rising" or start where I "left off" as in started, with Call of Arms and watch Season 5 backwards (maybe I will understand it better since I'm missing the earlier seasons)?

I think Memory Alpha meant "rated" as in the sheer number of viewers during its original broadcast, not the quality of the episode itself. Therefore, there's not much to disagree with on those terms.

But yeah, I'd say start with Apocalypse Rising. I feel S5 is pretty strong anyway, but knowing what you know about S6 and 7, it would be like watching one long (and enjoyable) prequel.

 

[Sisko4Life]

So finishing off was good. I will post about Season 5 in a bit because I just finished two episodes. Anyway, the analysis of Season 7 was that it was strong because of the long story-arcs. Their weren't as many individual episodes but they were more consistent than Season 6. Season 6 had some very good episodes, but also had some shockingly bad episodes in my opinion. So my top 5 Rewatches will probably be:

What You Leave Behind - first hour or so is fantastic until the crap with Dukat in the Fire Caves.
The Siege of AR-558 - Loved this episode, magnificent!
Badda Bing Badda Bang - This was by no means a filler...
Tacking Into the Wind - This was the most solid episode in the story arc, but the whole thing was good.
Treachery, Faith, and the Great River - Weyoun!

 

[Sisko4Life]

So I stared Season 5 Yesterday, and today I skipped ahead because a recent thread caught my interest.

"Apocalypse Rising" - This was a wierd way to start. The episode was very good, it was just wierd to see the Klingons and Federation slugging it out. Personally, I think if a war ever did break out in the late 24th century the Feddies would eventually beat the stuffing out of the Klingons were their new combat ships. The Klingons also have a tendancy to push too hard from the get-go and get demorlized after a single defeat. But anyway... the Changeling Martok acted stupid at the end. He basically told Odo he was a changeling... he couldn't have been more obvious. That kind of ruined it for me...

"Children of Time" - I skipped all the way ahed to this episode because of the thread about it a page back. It sounded like an interesting story so I popped it in. This was a phenominal episode for the first 30 minutes... everything was interesting and thought provoking. However, I really got turned off when all of a sudden Sisko and O'Brien change their minds. I can't even believe that Sisko would ever give such an order, knowing that he is the Emissary of the Prophets, a father, and a key player in the interestellar "conflict" with the Dominion (since the war didn't technically start yet). Didn't any of that count????? I ended up finishing the episode pissed off because I don't like when Star Trek portrays some of these themes of "for the greater good." Sisko and his crew are the reason I like this show and the decision they made was too much in the spirit of Janeway and Voyager. Sacrificing your life by choice to protect 8,000 individuals that you do not know is a good cause, but foolish considering that you do not know them and that you have families that depend on you (Sisko an entire religion). Not to mention they're decision is NOT classified as murder. In fact, I would like to see Starfleet Command's view on this for violating the Temporal Prime Directive Mr. Dax. Meh...

 

[Sisko4Life]

*hasn't updated because college started*

"The Ship" - This was a very good episode... really shows the treachery of those Vorta. Kilana talks about trust, etc. yada yada yada all episode and then loses the founder because she didn't trust... shame. O'Brien and Worf finally clashed... that was cool because theyre normally good friends.

 

[Sisko4Life]

"Looking for Par'Mach in all the Wrong Places" - Lots of love triangles going on here. I liked the episode though it was pretty funny. It was wierd seeing the Kira / O'Brien situation. Again... another thing I'm missing out by going backwards! That seemed like a wierd attraction though I would have never thought those two. So I guess this is where Worf and Dax finally become an item... awww.

 

[Sisko4Life]

Was out of town for a bit... but continuing on.

"Nor the Battle to the Strong" - This was a very moving episode, one of the best I've seen. Was also probably the only time Jake Sisko really contributed something to the series. I thought Bashir was pretty foolish for going there in the first place but it was a valuable plot device. Other than that... everything was excellent.

 

[Sisko4Life]

Have to get back on track... school is killing me though..

"The Assignment" - This was an interesting episode... I actually liked it quite a bit. There was something just soooo creepy about Keiko when she was trying to act "normal." Poor Miles... he's such a swell guy and then something like that happens. The ending was painfully predictable.. I mean who wouldn't target her? Rom is such a fun character though, he made me chuckle when he was refusing to give information. He's so gullable!

"Trials and Tribble-ations" - Instant classic. This was just one of those great episodes. I couldn't keep my eyes off of Dax!!!!

 

[Augustus]

"Looking for Par'Mach in all the Wrong Places" - Lots of love triangles going on here. I liked the episode though it was pretty funny. It was wierd seeing the Kira / O'Brien situation. Again... another thing I'm missing out by going backwards! That seemed like a wierd attraction though I would have never thought those two. So I guess this is where Worf and Dax finally become an item... awww.

I should go back and watch this episode again. But yeah Miles and Kira...
crazy!

But I have seen things like that happen in real life. You spend enough one on one time with anyone that you could be attracted to, you probably will after awhile...

 

[Temis the Vorta]

This is kinda an odd way for you to be watching DS9. I'll be back when you hit some of the more interesting eps, and there sure are a lot of them in S5!

Rapture will be particularly interesting. I have a theory that the ending of Sisko's story in WYLB could have been improved if this episode had been written differently.

 

[Sisko4Life]

It sure is. I guess I'll get Season 4 next.. I'm not sure if I will want to continue and get 3 though I think 4 may be my last one because the episodes seem to be good when I read their synopsis. I've seen Season 1 and 2 on Spike lately and its nothing special to me... and Season 3 I remember most of the episodes but only "The Die is Cast / Improbable Cause / The Search" really stood out in my memory as being good.

Anyway, I'm trying my best to keep up the watching.. but college isn't easy for an engineering student!

"Let He Who Is Without Sin" - This episode was very poor to me. The only perk was getting to see 95% of the episode showing either Chase Masterson, Vanessa Williams, or Terry Farrell.... beautiful ladies. But the idea for the episode was just... BAD. Risa? Really a swampy rainy planet? And then some guy tries to threaten the people on vacation to "protect" them... I'll pass on this episode in the future.

 

[ialfan]

I think you should give season 3 a chance. It really was a transitional season for the show. Highlight episodes of the season to me were "The Search 1 & 2", "Second Skin", "Civil Defense", "Defiant", "Past Tense 1 & 2", "Heart of Stone", "Through the Looking Glass", "Improbable Cause", "The Die is Cast", "Explorers", and "The Adversary".

13/26 standout episodes isn't too bad imo.

 

[Sisko4Life]

I shoulda just bought the whole series!!! Grrrrrr, it woulda been cheaper that way!

"Things Past" - I really enjoyed this episode. For some reason the Dukat Occupation stories are always good. Really a dark theme which was good in a way. So Odo's remains triggered all this? What the hell?

 

[Navaros]

The lower seasons have less masterpiece episodes in them, but they all still have some. Most of the episodes from Season 2 or later are at least medicore though; Season 1 is the only Season with more outright bad episodes than mediocre or good ones. However, every single Season has about 5 or 6 total crap episodes that are unwatchable IMO. But it gets complicated because a lot of the episodes with an unwatchable A-plot have amazing B-plots that make the episodes worthwhile in that regard.

Season 3's good-to-great episodes IMO are: The Search I, The Search II, The House of Quark, Second Skin, Civil Defense, Life Support, The Abandoned, The Die is Cast, Improbable Cause, Prophet Motive, Shakaar, Explorers, The Adversary.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

I shoulda just bought the whole series!!! Grrrrrr, it woulda been cheaper that way!

"Things Past" - I really enjoyed this episode. For some reason the Dukat Occupation stories are always good. Really a dark theme which was good in a way. So Odo's remains triggered all this? What the hell?

Ohhh yeah, that was definitely one of my favorites! Generally the Cardassian-focused episodes are great ones for me, but that one definitely sticks out.

I was amazed, though, at how Garak managed to NOT learn a lesson (or show any sign of it) from the position he was put in.

Ohh...and did anybody else think Odo appeared a little different, when finally shown, on Terok Nor? Was there something a little bit Cardassian going on with his neck, or was that just an optical illusion?

 

[Sisko4Life]

"The Ascent" - I'm going to start calling this the "Odo Arc"! I love the Odo-Quark relationship and its hilarious because I actually think they truly like each other. Odo may take a while to admit it, but he loves Quark (just like Quark says!). The episode wasn't spectacular, but the Quark - Odo interaction kept me going the whole time.