It's not that having holodecks or Ferengi or alternate universe characters automatically ruins an episode. It's when the writers think those concepts are enough to carry the episode's plot all by themselves.
It's much more than that though. It's an "Almost" real portrayal of PTSD, and Eisenberg was amazing in it. My first year going to the convention in Vegas I saw him in the hallway and we chatted about this episode. It's a moment I will never forget.
Damn, I've been watching more than I thought. Lightning round! (And I'm not looking up spelling or character names!) The Emperor's New Cloak - Have I watched my last Grand Nagus episode? Please? AND my last Mirror U? Pleeeeease!?? Field of Fire - Not bad. Not great. Felt very season 1-2. As I get older I'm getting very tired of professionals in life or death situations keeping secrets because they are embarrassed. (A big part of why I stopped watching The Flash!) Strange New Worlds has fallen into this trope a couple of times. "I could lose my job and people won't like me!" "Yes, but otherwise everyone else will DIE!" Chimera - Mostly good. The Other Changeling was actually a really interesting character and really well played. Quark was in character but badly written. ("We need him to say prejudiced things!" "Do you know what they would be?" "Not really. Make some stuff up about genes!") Sisko was just out of character. I can see him taking all the actions he did but not not for any of the reasons he was given. He can be mean, he can be selfish, but he doesn't have to be stupid. I HATE badly written Sisko. Worf OTOH sometimes just has to Worf. A really interesting episode that was interesting enough to make lots of points beyond the metaphor it eventually got to. Oh! That ending with Kira! Bliss! Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang - ANOTHER holodeck episode I liked! It's really simple: Don't have the holodeck try to kill people or cause intergalactic incidents. Holodecks should not be life and death stakes. (Yes, this threaded the needle with stakes. OUR characters can't be killed but our character's characters can!) Two years BEFORE the Ocean's Eleven remake! Ben's objection to the program was a little too much 20th century pushing into a 24th century story. I would think that Kasidy's attitudes would be more usual. "That has nothing to do with us." That seems to be Star Trek 101. But the scene actually played great and then Ben got into the program like a boss. I'm at the end of seven seasons and my love of Avery Brooks and Ben Sisko still has room to grow! And he can SING! (I might start a thread on "Captains who can sing". Mulgrew is a maybe. Bakula is a startling yes.) Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges - "I shall endeavor to become more cynical with each passing day." Ahhhhh. I'll have to remember that one. I might want a t-shirt. Have we heard someone say UFP ("Ewe Eff Pee") before? I mean, WE always said it that way. Nice to see the Voyager sets. Too bad the TNG sets weren't available to play on. And thank you, Insurrection for the dress uniforms! I mentioned William Sadler's height in the last episode. This episode actually used it to make him appear boring and unassuming. Like, you know, a SPY. I was always bummed that Klingon culture and politics got so much attention and the Romulans did not. But, you know, I'm a Diane Duane fan. This is the best Section 31 episode so far. It's still a little bit "You can't handle the truth!" but it does a better job of making them the professional arm of "In the Pale Moonlight". (Really, what does normal Starfleet intelligence DO?) I did read that Beher was disappointed at how "clean" Bashir got to stay at the end of the episode. I have to concur. I also read that this was meant to come before Bada Bing. It feels like it should have. Bada Bing really felt like it was supposed to be the last "normal" episode. BBBB was almost a goodbye to this cast as we have known them. I'm assuming that we're not going to see Jadzia again. I've been spoiled enough from watching Picard and waiting 24 years to finish the show, so don't tell me. I like Ezri. Jadzia's death allowed us to experience the Trill lifecycle rather than just be told about it. But when you triumphantly wrap up seven seasons it's a bummer for one of the originals to not be there. I mean Tasha got to come back. (Seriously don't tell me.) I know I have nearly 7 seasons of Voyager to watch, if I choose. But that's almost all in the Delta Quadrant. I'm nine episodes away from the end of 24th century stories set in the Federation. Not counting Nemesis. (Shudder!) Or Lower Decks. (Wheeeee!) Hold on tight 'cause here we GOOOOOOO!
Am I getting myself in trouble again? Maybe this should be in the controversial opinions thread... I've only seen him in what I watched of Enterprise, so I know it might not be fair, but I found Archer just... boring.
Treat yourself and watch QUANTUM LEAP. He was really great there, and there are a LOT of episodes that tug at your heartstrings.
If anything, I think ENT is the only thing I've seen Bakula in where I felt he may have been ill-cast for the role. I was shocked when he appeared in Looking.
Penumbra - It's interesting to think that when this aired Buffy the Vampire Slayer was in the back half of it's third season. "Wedonisms" hadn't taken over genre TV quite yet. Angel will start this fall. Hell, we still only have three Star Wars movies. Keanu Reeves is best known for Speed for another few months. But here we are on the back nine plotting our Happy Ending for Ben Sisko, and if we're to believe the Prophets he doesn't get to go into the promised land. If this was a slightly different era of television it would be OBVIOUS that Happy can't be allowed. But even so, it doesn't feel very DS9 either. Going back to the original theme of "What was it like?" -- I KNOW that this is essentially a nine parter. A Niner, if you will. But I have NO idea where the Worf / Dax story is going. Both as the relationship or as the "They're still in jeopardy at the end of the episode." Hey, I just realized! I'm only eight episodes away from finally getting to watch What We Leave Behind! Nice to hear Terry, even if it was only in voice over flashback. I've got to think that Jadzia / Worf / Ezri's situation has to be rather unusual. For one thing Jadzia and Ezri are not that far apart in age. Jadzia had years on Ezri rather than decades. Also, she's living in the same place! I assume not the same quarters. I'm sure many of the Trill traditions make sense most of the time. Do they here? I guess I'll have to keep watching to find out. Hey look! Marc doesn't WANT to spend ages and ages in make up! Suck it, Casey Biggs! I'm going to watch 'Till Death Do Us Part now. Oh dear...
I was only 10 at the time but I have very distinct memories of watching DS9 brand new week to week and Call To Arms was one of those moments that blew me away. For me it was my Best of Both Worlds and I couldn’t believe I had to wait all of summer vacation to see what happens. It was also one of those episodes that solidified DS9 as my favorite Trek series- I was so used to the episodes nature of TOS/TNG I couldn’t imagine a Trek series not returning to status quo after each episode or at most each two parter. Contrast this with Voyager- week after week DS9 would shock and impress me, while Voyager would hit that reset button over and over again. Call To Arms was one of those episodes that really spoiled me and actually kinda ruined Voyager for me!
-- Strange Bedfellows Oh, General Martok. I will miss you so much. They seem to be pushing the Stupid button on some characters. I mean it's one thing for Weyoun to be callous and disrespectful. It's another thing for him to be openly favoring the Breen over the Cardasians. What does he THINK is going to happen? Don't they run an empire on the other side of the hole? Damar: "This deal is getting worse all the time." About Ezri and Worf in the cell together: Wow, Weyoun is really terrible. He can't carry a tune, but he likes to watch? Two officers captured and tortured: Hijinx! Ahhh, the 20th century. I'm trying to remember who has met who. Weyoun, Damar, Worf... I don't know if Jadzia met anyone other than, well, Dukat. They do seem to be rather cavalier about having captured officers from Deep Space Nine of all places. You know Winn was a lot less sympathetic as a conniving pretender before she was actively being misled by "the Prophets". You lose your Jerry Falwell / Medicis angle when the gods are actually talking to folk. Biggs seems to be having a very good time. OK! HOLD THE PHONE! Kira is an idiot here. This is BS! I mean, maybe it's just Kira being petty and stupid herself. Winn is being written as the smartest and truest character in this episode so far (other than maybe Damar). I realize that this is classic TV "Ohhhhh, they're SO CLOSE to everything going well! Ah ah ahhhh! NOT so fast!" I mean, Winn is having a genuine crisis of faith (again, "faith" is weird to use here when your gods and their enemies are demonstrably real.). And maybe this is genuine Kira. Just as Winn would throw everything away if she's not being treated the way that she wants to be maybe this is the Real Kira Nerys. Everything that is put in front of her and her very first reaction is "You have to step down as Kai because you SUCK!" I'm not saying she should have been playing chess and trying to get Winn to provide Kira with some sort of gain. But this is the FIRST thing you say? OTOH, Winn also takes this at face value. (So much for smart.) Suddenly because Kira has spoken this is now the choice: I must step down as Kai or I must join the Pa Wraiths. WTF, over? I know Nerys has been written as spiritually "with it" and all. But seriously? Worf: "I know how often I use that word." FINALLY. Six to go.
^I haven't seen the episode in a long time, but I recall feeling somewhat the same way regarding Kira. That Winn was in a crisis and that if Kira had been able to find it within her to be a bit more compassionate than maybe things would have turned out differently. But this is also Kira interacting with Kai Winn, and it's easy to understand why she handled it the way she did, if unfortunate.
That's why I'm cutting the writers slack. It was absolutely the wrong thing to do. It felt a little dumber than I wanted Kira to be. And it was 1000 percent in character. If I haven't said it before here, RIP Louise Fletcher. A tour de force performance to be sure. She's leaving poor Marc Alaimo in the dust a bit here.
TIME WARP! -- 'Till Death Do Us Part "Jake, you're not making me feel any better." Followed by "Captain Sisko, Kai Winn is here to see you." Now THAT'S writing! Ok, Damar and Dukat saying goodbye is actually touching. Look, cosmetic surgery is one thing, but doesn't converting a Cardassian to a Bajoran involve CARVING OFF rather a lot of things? Are they saving the originals in a jar? Worf: "Doctor Bashir is a Breen." Bwahahaha! Worf gotta Worf. Hmmm. I wrote this note and I don't remember what he said. Something stupid and terrible, no doubt. I'm not sure I'm crazy about this being setup for Ezri and Julian.
I was just a kid. But I spent that entire summer telling everyone who would so much as glance at me about that episode, and the repercussions, and how out-of-this-world it felt.
The Changing Face of Evil -- Lotta stuff going on. I'm not liking the Winn story. I don't see anything that she sees to gain that she'd be willing to tip over what she has. She's still not going to do what WE want her to do or even vaguely the right thing, fine. But there's no way in hell that she is going to let Dukat PLAY her like that. Just because she doesn't get along with Sisko doesn't mean she's a fan of Caradasia. I mean if she's gone full on "I hate the Prophets and I'm going to burn them down I don't care what it costs" but I don't see that here. Because what it will cost is she will not be number One. And she will not have that. Ever. "The Breen have attacked Earth." Oh boy. THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE!!! (They always go for the landmarks.) I'm worried for Damar. Who saw THAT coming? Good heavens, Marc Alaimo is really shaped like that? That wasn't just costume? Opening The Book: Did Winn say the words? ALL the words? Ben and Kasidy: See? Ben can be a twit AND stay in character. Is that so hard? (See above about Winn.) "He plays with toys." "It's a MODEL." "With little figures..." Why did it take them so long to figure out Worf? You have five episodes left. You cannot set up Ezri / Julian. You tried that with Worf and Deanna, remember? RIP Winn's lackey guy. I'm going to miss him. STOP BLOWING HOLES IN MY SHIP! I know it's not THE end, but it's almost and interesting bookend. We were introduced to Ben on a burning ship. "Legit Damar may be the key to saving the Alpha Quadrant." Chills! Five to go.