Re-Watching DS9
- Thread starter Lord Garth
- Start date
I re-watched Alien last night and watched Alien: Romulus today. Without going into spoilers, I think Romulus was one of the better ones. So, I was in Alien Mode for the last day-plus.
Reorienting myself back towards DS9, and before I dive into Season 2 starting tomorrow, here were...
My Favorite Episodes of DS9 Season 1:
"Emissary"
"Dax"
"The Nagus"
"Duet"
"In the Hands of the Prophets"
What do all of these episodes have in common? They're all episodes that wouldn't have been done on TNG. Or would've been a lot harder to pull off.
Each one brings something different to the table. Sisko coming to grips with his past in order to move forward. Dukat making his presence known to Sisko. Jadzia Dax having to wrestle with having previously been a deeply flawed person as Curzon Dax. A deep look at the Ferengi culture, how it's different, their looking toward the Gamma Quadrant for business opportunities, and how Jake and Nog's friendship shows a possible future Human/Ferengi relations can take. An in-depth look at the atrocities committed during the Occupation and the full extent to which it scarred everyone involved. A look at conflicting approaches to Bajoran faith. Then, finally, the debate about the Federation's presence on station and whether or not Bajor needs their aid.
All of these things will come back in the second season in a big way. I think the writers looked at what worked in the best episodes and used that to build the backbone of Season 2, so it could be expanded upon and the second season would move from strength-to-strength.
Can't wait for tomorrow night!
EDITED TO ADD: Looking up when DS9 Season 2 and B5 Season 1 start to overlap...
1/26/94 --> "Midnight on the Firing Line" (B5)
1/31/94 --> "Armageddon Game" (DS9)
Reorienting myself back towards DS9, and before I dive into Season 2 starting tomorrow, here were...
My Favorite Episodes of DS9 Season 1:
"Emissary"
"Dax"
"The Nagus"
"Duet"
"In the Hands of the Prophets"
What do all of these episodes have in common? They're all episodes that wouldn't have been done on TNG. Or would've been a lot harder to pull off.
Each one brings something different to the table. Sisko coming to grips with his past in order to move forward. Dukat making his presence known to Sisko. Jadzia Dax having to wrestle with having previously been a deeply flawed person as Curzon Dax. A deep look at the Ferengi culture, how it's different, their looking toward the Gamma Quadrant for business opportunities, and how Jake and Nog's friendship shows a possible future Human/Ferengi relations can take. An in-depth look at the atrocities committed during the Occupation and the full extent to which it scarred everyone involved. A look at conflicting approaches to Bajoran faith. Then, finally, the debate about the Federation's presence on station and whether or not Bajor needs their aid.
All of these things will come back in the second season in a big way. I think the writers looked at what worked in the best episodes and used that to build the backbone of Season 2, so it could be expanded upon and the second season would move from strength-to-strength.
Can't wait for tomorrow night!
EDITED TO ADD: Looking up when DS9 Season 2 and B5 Season 1 start to overlap...
1/26/94 --> "Midnight on the Firing Line" (B5)
1/31/94 --> "Armageddon Game" (DS9)
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Deep Space Nine Season 2! Grabbing some garlic-flavored Naan bread (I should probably have some whenever I'm watching a Discovery episode with Nhan in it too!), finishing off the Fucking Good Wine, and I'm going to party like it's... 2370! Except I'm watching in 2024 while pretending it's 1993... 
Before we start, a little anecdote. I was in my freshman year of high school when TNG Season 7 and DS9 Season 2 were airing. And right before the school year started, my uncle told me he thought I shouldn't be watching Star Trek. I'm sure we all have stories about Non-Trekkie family members. Who wants to watch that geeky, nerdy show, right? So, he decided to show me an episode of Beverly Hills, 90210 to show me what high school was like. Yes, you read that fucking right. Even back then, I was rolling my eyes at it. And rolling my eyes at him about it!
Give me Star Trek instead of that crap any day. Then or now.
I'm doing something different for Season 2. For any reviews that go longer, I'm going to break things up by category and put in bold whenever I switch to a different aspect of the episode.
"The Homecoming"
Set Design & Lighting: First, I have to start with the new sets, set redresses, costuming, and lighting. They expanded the set for Quark's this season and they showed it off in the opening scene, facing upwards where we get to see this exotic female alien with purple hair. The lighting seems more noir-ish, which does better justice to the series being darker. If it's supposed to be a darker show, then I believe they should light it darker, and make it more atmospheric. So I definitely agree with making Deep Space Nine look more Neo-Noir. And, to top it off, the purple-haired alien is like a 24th Century femme fatale who gives Quark a Bajoran earring from Cardassia IV, telling him that whoever Bajoran he shows it to will know what it is.
Story Setup: Quark goes straight to Kira's, we get to see her quarters for the first time, it looks appropriately adorned, and Kira wants him to get the Hell out of there, before he shows her the ring. Quark's really working the charm this episode. Trying to throw off Odo by helping him, and now helping Kira.
They do a pretty good job on updating us about the situation on Bajor, how things have gone from bad-to-worse, there's all kinds of fighting between different factions since the loss of Kai Winn, and they need someone to unite the Bajorans. The smuggled Bajoran earring is from Li Nalas, a renowned leader from the Resistance who they thought was long-dead, but has spent the past 10 years imprisoned in a labor camp on Cardassia IV. Sisko, as well as the Bajoran government, don't want to risk a war with Cardassia by breaking Li Nalas out, even though Kira pushes for it. Sisko says he'll think about it.
Enter the Circle. O'Brien informs Sisko and Odo about vandalism on the station. A Bajoran extremist group known has The Circle have spray-painted their symbol on one of the hallways in the station. The vandalism really shows off how unsafe Deep Space Nine can be. Not only is there turmoil on Bajor, but the station is also at risk. DS9 is symbolic of a crime-ridden city, with graffiti. Adds to the neo-noir feeling. Adds to Deep Space Nine not only being science-fiction but also a crime-drama and a political thriller. All kinds of genres converging into one.
Because of the threat of the Circle, and after Sisko talks to Dax, he comes around to rescuing Li Nalas, especially the Cardassians said they'd released all the Bajoran prisoners. I like that Sisko is consulting Dax, he respects her wisdom, and it's something Kira respects too. Between "Dramatis Personae" and this episode, it looks like Kira sees Dax as a bridge to Sisko.
Cardassia IV: I'd love to know where they shot the Labor Camp. It looks almost like ruins at the end of the 1968 Planet of the Apes. The prisoners look like they've been at it for years. The prison guards look sick of everything. It looks and feels real. Kudos to the makeup artists and set designers for making this look like Hell. When O'Brien and Kira meet with the guard, all I have to say is O'Brien makes for a great pimp and Kira makes for a great hooker! A sentence I never thought I'd type.
Then the Guard says to Kira, "Show me why you're worth two strips of gold-pressed latinum," and Kira punches him to the ground. Then Kira and O'Brien fight the other Cardassian guards, then rescue Li Nalas along with the other Bajoran prisoners. Everyone escaping from the Cardassians looks as visceral as TV Trek in the '90s gets. If I didn't already know what happens, I'd be on the edge of my seat. And, course Kira, O'Brien, Li Nalas, and the others make it back to the station, which brings us to...
Dukat: He's quick to apologize about there being prisoners on Cardassia IV. He says the Cardassians didn't know (yeah right!) and says he hopes the quick response proves Cardassia is no longer Bajor's enemy. Sisko and Kira aren't sure what to make of this. But I think Dukat is doing what Quark did with Odo at the beginning of the episode: "Every once in a while, declare peace. It confuses the Hell out of your enemies." And Sisko and Kira sure are confused.
Li Nalas: Everyone regards Li Nalas as a hero and he just wants to be left alone. He's glad to be rescued and wants that to be the end of it. He's sick of everything, but everyone is excited to see him. When the Bajorans want him to speak, he tersely says, "It's good to be free."
Minister Jaro: He comes across like a typical politician. When he boards the station to meet with Li Nalas, but he sees Kira first. He opposed Kira rescuing Li Nalas because he didn't want to risk a war with Cardassia, and threatens Kira if she ever does it again, but then acts two-faced and says that as a private citizen, he's pleased at what Kira did. You can tell that what he thought would happen didn't, so now he's thinking about how he can turn the new situation to his advantage. When he meets with Li Nalas face-to-face he even says, "You can't expect a politician to give up an opportunity like this." He really rubs it in when he says their children and grandchildren will ask them what it was like when Li Nalas returned to Bajor.
Bajoran Politics: Sisko tells Li Nalas that he can bring stability to Bajor. "The Homecoming" picks up on something from "Emissary" where, back then, Kira and Quark both said the Provisional Government would fall apart quickly. Kira, at the time, said less than a week. Fortunately, the Provisional Government has lasted longer than that but, here in "The Homecoming", Kira says The Circle as more organized than the Provisional Government. The Circle escalate the threat they represent. They've gone from spray-painting on the station to branding Quark with their symbol. They're xenophobes who want all Non-Bajorans off of Bajor.
As is usual with prejudice and bigotry, extremists represent the worst examples, but milder versions of such prejudice exist within the more common population. Jake was looking forward to a date with a Bajoran girl at the beginning of the episode, he was excited about it. By the end of the episode, we find out the date was cancelled. The girl's father doesn't want her going out with Jake because he isn't Bajoran. Sisko says, "That isn't much of a reason." So, not only does this episode deal with prejudice on multiple levels, it affects Sisko on multiple levels: both in his professional life and in his family life.
And the one person who Sisko thinks can help him wants to escape and leave for the Gamma Quadrant. Li Nalas. Who tells Sisko that the stories of his genius, his prowess, and everything about him has been exaggerated by the Bajorans. Li Nalas isn't who the Bajorans have made him out to be. He became a hero not due to strategy, but due to pure, dumb luck, shooting a Caradassian during the Occupation who was bathing and it just so happened to be a Cardassian Gul in a pivotal position. Then they made out Li Nalas to be a brilliant war hero and stories about him grew larger than life, wilder and wilder. Li Nalas tells Sisko that's not who he really is. Sisko tells him that Bajoran doesn't need a man, it needs a legend. Somone who represents the best in what they see in themselves. At the end of the scene between Sisko and Li Nalas, the actor who plays Li Nalas, Richard Beymer, has a real look of resignation on his face that tells us what the character is thinking better than any dialogue ever could. "I hate this. I have to do this, but I fucking hate this."
And where does being what Bajor needs Li Nalas to be take him? Minister Jaro tells him they've created a new rank especially for him, Navark, and Navark Li has been assigned to take Kira's place. Kira's been recalled to Bajor. To be continued... Even at this point, people had to know something would happen to Li Nalas, because Kira's not being written off the show.
Summing Up: This was a very dense episode, a lot of chess pieces were moved around, a lot of mystery behind some motivations while other motives couldn't be clearer. What do I give this episode? I give it a 9.
I love how many levels this episode works on. Sorry for the late review/reaction. Some things in Real Life slowed everything else down, but now I'm back in the swing of it.
Before we start, a little anecdote. I was in my freshman year of high school when TNG Season 7 and DS9 Season 2 were airing. And right before the school year started, my uncle told me he thought I shouldn't be watching Star Trek. I'm sure we all have stories about Non-Trekkie family members. Who wants to watch that geeky, nerdy show, right? So, he decided to show me an episode of Beverly Hills, 90210 to show me what high school was like. Yes, you read that fucking right. Even back then, I was rolling my eyes at it. And rolling my eyes at him about it!
Give me Star Trek instead of that crap any day. Then or now.
I'm doing something different for Season 2. For any reviews that go longer, I'm going to break things up by category and put in bold whenever I switch to a different aspect of the episode.
"The Homecoming"
Set Design & Lighting: First, I have to start with the new sets, set redresses, costuming, and lighting. They expanded the set for Quark's this season and they showed it off in the opening scene, facing upwards where we get to see this exotic female alien with purple hair. The lighting seems more noir-ish, which does better justice to the series being darker. If it's supposed to be a darker show, then I believe they should light it darker, and make it more atmospheric. So I definitely agree with making Deep Space Nine look more Neo-Noir. And, to top it off, the purple-haired alien is like a 24th Century femme fatale who gives Quark a Bajoran earring from Cardassia IV, telling him that whoever Bajoran he shows it to will know what it is.
Story Setup: Quark goes straight to Kira's, we get to see her quarters for the first time, it looks appropriately adorned, and Kira wants him to get the Hell out of there, before he shows her the ring. Quark's really working the charm this episode. Trying to throw off Odo by helping him, and now helping Kira.
They do a pretty good job on updating us about the situation on Bajor, how things have gone from bad-to-worse, there's all kinds of fighting between different factions since the loss of Kai Winn, and they need someone to unite the Bajorans. The smuggled Bajoran earring is from Li Nalas, a renowned leader from the Resistance who they thought was long-dead, but has spent the past 10 years imprisoned in a labor camp on Cardassia IV. Sisko, as well as the Bajoran government, don't want to risk a war with Cardassia by breaking Li Nalas out, even though Kira pushes for it. Sisko says he'll think about it.
Enter the Circle. O'Brien informs Sisko and Odo about vandalism on the station. A Bajoran extremist group known has The Circle have spray-painted their symbol on one of the hallways in the station. The vandalism really shows off how unsafe Deep Space Nine can be. Not only is there turmoil on Bajor, but the station is also at risk. DS9 is symbolic of a crime-ridden city, with graffiti. Adds to the neo-noir feeling. Adds to Deep Space Nine not only being science-fiction but also a crime-drama and a political thriller. All kinds of genres converging into one.
Because of the threat of the Circle, and after Sisko talks to Dax, he comes around to rescuing Li Nalas, especially the Cardassians said they'd released all the Bajoran prisoners. I like that Sisko is consulting Dax, he respects her wisdom, and it's something Kira respects too. Between "Dramatis Personae" and this episode, it looks like Kira sees Dax as a bridge to Sisko.
Cardassia IV: I'd love to know where they shot the Labor Camp. It looks almost like ruins at the end of the 1968 Planet of the Apes. The prisoners look like they've been at it for years. The prison guards look sick of everything. It looks and feels real. Kudos to the makeup artists and set designers for making this look like Hell. When O'Brien and Kira meet with the guard, all I have to say is O'Brien makes for a great pimp and Kira makes for a great hooker! A sentence I never thought I'd type.
Then the Guard says to Kira, "Show me why you're worth two strips of gold-pressed latinum," and Kira punches him to the ground. Then Kira and O'Brien fight the other Cardassian guards, then rescue Li Nalas along with the other Bajoran prisoners. Everyone escaping from the Cardassians looks as visceral as TV Trek in the '90s gets. If I didn't already know what happens, I'd be on the edge of my seat. And, course Kira, O'Brien, Li Nalas, and the others make it back to the station, which brings us to...
Dukat: He's quick to apologize about there being prisoners on Cardassia IV. He says the Cardassians didn't know (yeah right!) and says he hopes the quick response proves Cardassia is no longer Bajor's enemy. Sisko and Kira aren't sure what to make of this. But I think Dukat is doing what Quark did with Odo at the beginning of the episode: "Every once in a while, declare peace. It confuses the Hell out of your enemies." And Sisko and Kira sure are confused.
Li Nalas: Everyone regards Li Nalas as a hero and he just wants to be left alone. He's glad to be rescued and wants that to be the end of it. He's sick of everything, but everyone is excited to see him. When the Bajorans want him to speak, he tersely says, "It's good to be free."
Minister Jaro: He comes across like a typical politician. When he boards the station to meet with Li Nalas, but he sees Kira first. He opposed Kira rescuing Li Nalas because he didn't want to risk a war with Cardassia, and threatens Kira if she ever does it again, but then acts two-faced and says that as a private citizen, he's pleased at what Kira did. You can tell that what he thought would happen didn't, so now he's thinking about how he can turn the new situation to his advantage. When he meets with Li Nalas face-to-face he even says, "You can't expect a politician to give up an opportunity like this." He really rubs it in when he says their children and grandchildren will ask them what it was like when Li Nalas returned to Bajor.
Bajoran Politics: Sisko tells Li Nalas that he can bring stability to Bajor. "The Homecoming" picks up on something from "Emissary" where, back then, Kira and Quark both said the Provisional Government would fall apart quickly. Kira, at the time, said less than a week. Fortunately, the Provisional Government has lasted longer than that but, here in "The Homecoming", Kira says The Circle as more organized than the Provisional Government. The Circle escalate the threat they represent. They've gone from spray-painting on the station to branding Quark with their symbol. They're xenophobes who want all Non-Bajorans off of Bajor.
As is usual with prejudice and bigotry, extremists represent the worst examples, but milder versions of such prejudice exist within the more common population. Jake was looking forward to a date with a Bajoran girl at the beginning of the episode, he was excited about it. By the end of the episode, we find out the date was cancelled. The girl's father doesn't want her going out with Jake because he isn't Bajoran. Sisko says, "That isn't much of a reason." So, not only does this episode deal with prejudice on multiple levels, it affects Sisko on multiple levels: both in his professional life and in his family life.
And the one person who Sisko thinks can help him wants to escape and leave for the Gamma Quadrant. Li Nalas. Who tells Sisko that the stories of his genius, his prowess, and everything about him has been exaggerated by the Bajorans. Li Nalas isn't who the Bajorans have made him out to be. He became a hero not due to strategy, but due to pure, dumb luck, shooting a Caradassian during the Occupation who was bathing and it just so happened to be a Cardassian Gul in a pivotal position. Then they made out Li Nalas to be a brilliant war hero and stories about him grew larger than life, wilder and wilder. Li Nalas tells Sisko that's not who he really is. Sisko tells him that Bajoran doesn't need a man, it needs a legend. Somone who represents the best in what they see in themselves. At the end of the scene between Sisko and Li Nalas, the actor who plays Li Nalas, Richard Beymer, has a real look of resignation on his face that tells us what the character is thinking better than any dialogue ever could. "I hate this. I have to do this, but I fucking hate this."
And where does being what Bajor needs Li Nalas to be take him? Minister Jaro tells him they've created a new rank especially for him, Navark, and Navark Li has been assigned to take Kira's place. Kira's been recalled to Bajor. To be continued... Even at this point, people had to know something would happen to Li Nalas, because Kira's not being written off the show.
Summing Up: This was a very dense episode, a lot of chess pieces were moved around, a lot of mystery behind some motivations while other motives couldn't be clearer. What do I give this episode? I give it a 9.
I love how many levels this episode works on. Sorry for the late review/reaction. Some things in Real Life slowed everything else down, but now I'm back in the swing of it.
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LHWIWS is probably the pitiful episode of Trek I have watched most. I'm a big fan of season 5, or rather the span of episodes between For the Uniform and You are Cordially Invited, which has only two bad episode. It's the best run of the franchise. An assessment of the Dax-Worf relationship needed to happen at this point. Dax's familiarity with Klingon culture shouldn't be sufficient to explain this odd couple, and why Worf follows a vision of Klingon ways that no Klingons follow is a question unanswered since TNG. These aren't holes in canon, but they are huge issues of emotional development that deserved to be addressed. Among all the posturing politics and silly free love moments, there is a decent attempt to make sense of this relationship. I think it is satisfying when watching episode by episode. It's a useful, if cringe-inducing, story.
"Let He Who Is Without Sin" is the one and only DS9 episode I haven't watched since its First Airing. I haven't seen it since 1996. It left that bad of an impression on me. So, it'll be interesting to see what I think of that episode when I get to it. If nothing else, I don't think it's an episode that should've come out the very next week after "Trials and Tribble-ations". I'm sure T&T had more eyeballs on the series than usual, and they could've chosen a better episode to keep some of the momentum going.
"Profit and Lace" is another episode I already didn't like back in 1998. And I didn't have the same sensibilities back then that I have today. I wasn't really thinking about the LGBTQIA+ Community. Sorry, but I just wasn't. But that's not the point. The point is this: If I already didn't like the episode at the time, I'll have a much worse opinion of it now. Guaranteed.
It'll also be interesting to see which one I'll think is worse when I re-watch them: "Let He Who Is Without Sin" or "Profit and Lace"?
"Profit and Lace" is another episode I already didn't like back in 1998. And I didn't have the same sensibilities back then that I have today. I wasn't really thinking about the LGBTQIA+ Community. Sorry, but I just wasn't. But that's not the point. The point is this: If I already didn't like the episode at the time, I'll have a much worse opinion of it now. Guaranteed.
It'll also be interesting to see which one I'll think is worse when I re-watch them: "Let He Who Is Without Sin" or "Profit and Lace"?
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"LET HE WHO IS WITHOUT SIN...", to me, is unquestionably better than "PROFIT AND LACE" for one reason... it had a great with Worf and Dax that explained why he is the way he is.
"PROFIT AND LACE" didn't have a great character scene like that.
"PROFIT AND LACE" didn't have a great character scene like that.
I had an inspired thought. Right before "Profit and Lace", I'll review Some Like It Hot. Yes, you read that right. I want to do a direct comparison. Because even though it was cross-dressing instead of an outright sex-change, I think that film handled the subject better in the '50s than DS9 handled it in the '90s. Right down to a lustful man chasing after Jack Lemmon's character.
Extra bonus: Marilyn Monroe is in Some Like It Hot.
Extra bonus: Marilyn Monroe is in Some Like It Hot.
I don't think that P&L really involves the LGBTQ community. It's about a cishet man pretending to be a woman for reasons that don't involve sex or identity. And I don't think he even learned a lasting lesson from the experience.
As I said, LHWIWS isn't great. But there are a few good giggles in it. Such as Dax's "Trust me... he died happy". And Bashir and Quark's reaction to Leeta's revelation. If you haven't seen it since the 90's, I think it's worth 43 minutes of your time.
Also, Some Like It Hot is FUNNY.
The Mob and the Ferengi should get along - they both hate taxes!
"The Circle"
The second episode of this three-parter, Star Trek's first ever three-parter, is a very nuts-and-bolts episode that moves all the pieces into place for Part III with a ton of precision and nuance. Like "The Homecoming", this episode is also extremely dense. So much so, that I had to watch several portions of this episode twice for the review.
Shakeup at the Station
Minister Jaro makes it sound like a great thing that Navark Li is Sisko's new First Officer. He really sells it that Sisko can't have a better liaison to Bajor. Which is technically the truth, and something Sisko can't argue with. More on Minister Jaro later.
When Kira is preparing to leave the station, everyone individually and coincidentally decides to visit Kira at the same time. "Was this planned?!" "No one could've planned this!" One of my favorite scenes of DS9 up to this point. Then Vedek Bariel arrives. It means a lot when Kira introduces the other characters to Bariel and says, "These are my friends." Something she wouldn't have said a year ago, except in Odo's case. Bariel offers for Kira to spend time in his Monastery while she awaits her next assignment, and she accepts his offer.
The Monastery
When Kira arrives at the Monastery, she has an Orb Experience. I loved how it showed everything on Kira's mind. I was able to notice a pattern of they use the Orbs so a character can interact with the Prophets at least once per season. Sisko in Season 1, Kira in Season 2, I think it'll be Quark or Zek in Season 3 (I don't remember which one), and Sisko again in Season 4. I don't remember any Orb Experiences in Season 5. I know Sisko has more regular interactions with the Prophets in Season 6 and especially Season 7. But that's getting ahead of myself. Anyway...
After the Orb experience, while Kira and Bariel are outside, Vedek Winn shows up. Every single word that comes out of her mouth makes her sound like an asshole. Pretending not to know Kira's name, even though she knows all about her background. Saying Bariel has Kira over for "recreation". After Bariel says that's not the case, she tells Kira to spend as much time as she likes. "A few days or even a week." So, not as much time as she likes. "A week then get the Hell out," is the way I read it.
Odo's Investigation
An old contact informs Odo that The Circle have help to mobilize and avoid detection. Then Quark informs Odo that The Circle are being armed to the teeth by the Krissari. Odo blackmails Quark into finding out where the Krissari are sending the weapons on Bajor while Odo investigates who's providing the weapons to the Krissari for them to deliver, since the Krissari aren't known to be weapons dealers.
When Odo makes Quark a deputy, that's Odo making Quark's offers to help work to his advantage and allows him to take control of the situation, putting him back on top in their power dynamic. It'll make Quark think twice about using that Rule of Aquisition again where it says "Every once in a while, declare peace, it confuses the Hell out of your enemies."
General Krim
Sisko approaches General Krim, head of the Bajoran militia, and says he's noticed that the troops have fallen back whenever The Circle has gotten close to the Bajoran Capital. It seems as if the military won't actually fight The Circle. Sisko tells Krim that The Circle are getting their weapons from the Krissari. Krim says he didn't know that, but he takes no action, and simply tells Sisko to keep him updated on what they find out. Then Sisko tells Krim that he would like for Kira to be reassigned to DS9. Krim tells Sisko that he could've withheld the information he had in order to get Kira back, but he didn't, and that he'd remember that about Sisko.
What this tells me about Krim is that even though he doesn't agree with Sisko about anything, and nominally seems to be on the opposite end of Sisko's positions, he finds Sisko to be honorable and to have integrity, which tells me that Krim also has integrity. He'd even gone out of his way to say Sisko presented his arguments well last year at a summit, even though he didn't have to say that. Jaro might be an antagonist who's a schemer with no integrity and no morals, but Krim is just an antagonist a different point-of-view. We're getting to see different shades of opposition and different levels of opposition.
Kira's Kidnapping
After Sisko's meeting with Krim, he tells Kira that he's not sure if the Bajoran Military will stop the coup attempt by The Circle.
I don't even know if it's a coincidence or not if Kira was attacked and captured by the Circle immediately after Sisko left, but they must've followed Sisko after they got wind that he might be suspicious.
Odo's Findings
O'Brien can't find anything on the Krissari vessel docked at DS9, and O'Brien's thoroughness makes for some great comic relief as the Krissari Captain becomes frustrated. When the Krissari vessel is finally cleared the leave the station, Odo secretly stays aboard, disguised as objects on the ship and as a mouse to move around. I think it's the first time we've seen this type of spying from Odo since "Emissary".
Then Odo finds what he's looking for. He seems the Cardassians providing the weapons to the Krissari in order to deliver them to The Circle.
Minister Jaro
In a surprise twist, it turns out that Jaro is the head of the Circle. Or, to quote Jaro, "I am The Circle." Jaro demands to know from Kira what Sisko will do if The Circle overthrows the Provisional Government. When she refuses to answer, Jaro tortures her to try to get the information out of her. In other words, The Circle is just as bad as the Cardassians.
Kira's Rescue
This is where Quark's working as Odo's deputy pays off. He tells Sisko where to find The Circle's hideout, which is also where Kira is being held. Sisko immediately comes up with a plan to rescue Kira and takes a runabout. He takes Bashir as well. Li comes along too, and says he owes it to Kira to help rescue her. The rescue in "The Circle" is a parallel to the rescue in "The Homecoming". Sisko wants O'Brien along as well, because once Sisko and Li find Kira, they want to beam her out of there as fast as possible, as well as himself. Sisko mentions O'Briens famous transporter skills, giving a nod to TNG.
The rescue in "The Circle" is quicker and higher-octane than the one in "The Homecoming", but not as dynamic or as visceral looking. Bashir finds Kira fast and rescues her while the others fight off The Circle. Then they're beamed up to the Runabout. Quick in-and-out.
The Ramifications of Odo's Findings
Once Odo is back on DS9, he tells Sisko that The Circle doesn't know the Krissari are getting their weapons from the Cardassians. Li asks why the Cardassisans would help The Circle, Bashir says it's gets the Cardassians what they want, and Sisko says, "Rid of us." Then Li realizes with Starfleet gone, the Cardassians come back. Li wants to address the Bajoran Chamber of Ministers, but transmissions from DS9 to Bajor are being jammed. Sisko wants to report to Admiral Chokatey about the situation. I'm trying so hard NOT to think of Chakotay from Voyager!
Jaro & Winn
And of course Jaro wants Vedek Winn's support! Jaro tries to manipulate Winn and wants her to tell the Bajorans that the Prophets want him to lead the Bajoran Government.
Jaro specifically said he wanted Winn's public support, which means he must already have her private support. Which makes me wonder if Winn knew about Jaro's connection to The Circle. I like that they keep it vague, so you can't tell if Winn knows about it or not. It would be to Jaro's advantage if she didn't know, because then Winn can't expose them if she ever finds it to her advantage to do so. Even the politics have their own politics. Speaking of which...
To Evacuate or Not Evacuate?
O'Brien warns Sisko that the Bajorans are sending two assault vessels to DS9 and they'll reach the station in seven hours. Admiral Chakotey -- not to be confused with Commander Chakotay! -- tells Sisko if there's a coup occurring internal to Bajor, then the Federation can't interfere, and Starfleet has to evacuate the station. The Admiral doesn't like this meaning they'll lose the station and the wormhole to the Cardassians, but that they'd deal with the political ramifications later.
Sisko brilliantly finds a loophole by saying they'll need to clean out everything Starfleet has from the station. Everything. O'Brien says that could take a week, and Sisko says that means not everyone will be off the station by the time the Bajoran Military arrives.
To be continued...
Some More General Thoughts
This is an episode where Sisko really shines. We see him as a man of action in the rescue of Kira. We see him as a man of diplomacy when approaching General Krim. We see him as a man of strategy when trying to figure out how to defend the station from a takeover. This is the best Non-Sisko Sisko Episode so far. I didn't realize that before this re-watch.
Li Nalas didn't have much to do in this episode, which is a little disappointing after his introduction last episode, but this episode had so much going on and so many moving parts that I'll forgive it.
While "The Homecoming" had great location-shooting, "The Circle" has great set design. I loved the interior design of Krim's facilities. The interior of Vedek Winn's ministry feels like you're inside some sort of church. And I forgot to mention location-shooting within "The Circle" itself, with Bariel's monastery. The caves that The Circle were in didn't do much for me, but they're not supposed to. It's just a hide-out.
That's all I have for this episode. Like I said, I love how intricate it was. I can't do any less than give it a 9.
EDITED TO ADD: I might as well say this now: I'm the type of DS9 Fan who really likes Early-DS9. The Bajoran Politics interest me quite a bit.
The second episode of this three-parter, Star Trek's first ever three-parter, is a very nuts-and-bolts episode that moves all the pieces into place for Part III with a ton of precision and nuance. Like "The Homecoming", this episode is also extremely dense. So much so, that I had to watch several portions of this episode twice for the review.
Shakeup at the Station
Minister Jaro makes it sound like a great thing that Navark Li is Sisko's new First Officer. He really sells it that Sisko can't have a better liaison to Bajor. Which is technically the truth, and something Sisko can't argue with. More on Minister Jaro later.
When Kira is preparing to leave the station, everyone individually and coincidentally decides to visit Kira at the same time. "Was this planned?!" "No one could've planned this!" One of my favorite scenes of DS9 up to this point. Then Vedek Bariel arrives. It means a lot when Kira introduces the other characters to Bariel and says, "These are my friends." Something she wouldn't have said a year ago, except in Odo's case. Bariel offers for Kira to spend time in his Monastery while she awaits her next assignment, and she accepts his offer.
The Monastery
When Kira arrives at the Monastery, she has an Orb Experience. I loved how it showed everything on Kira's mind. I was able to notice a pattern of they use the Orbs so a character can interact with the Prophets at least once per season. Sisko in Season 1, Kira in Season 2, I think it'll be Quark or Zek in Season 3 (I don't remember which one), and Sisko again in Season 4. I don't remember any Orb Experiences in Season 5. I know Sisko has more regular interactions with the Prophets in Season 6 and especially Season 7. But that's getting ahead of myself. Anyway...
After the Orb experience, while Kira and Bariel are outside, Vedek Winn shows up. Every single word that comes out of her mouth makes her sound like an asshole. Pretending not to know Kira's name, even though she knows all about her background. Saying Bariel has Kira over for "recreation". After Bariel says that's not the case, she tells Kira to spend as much time as she likes. "A few days or even a week." So, not as much time as she likes. "A week then get the Hell out," is the way I read it.
Odo's Investigation
An old contact informs Odo that The Circle have help to mobilize and avoid detection. Then Quark informs Odo that The Circle are being armed to the teeth by the Krissari. Odo blackmails Quark into finding out where the Krissari are sending the weapons on Bajor while Odo investigates who's providing the weapons to the Krissari for them to deliver, since the Krissari aren't known to be weapons dealers.
When Odo makes Quark a deputy, that's Odo making Quark's offers to help work to his advantage and allows him to take control of the situation, putting him back on top in their power dynamic. It'll make Quark think twice about using that Rule of Aquisition again where it says "Every once in a while, declare peace, it confuses the Hell out of your enemies."
General Krim
Sisko approaches General Krim, head of the Bajoran militia, and says he's noticed that the troops have fallen back whenever The Circle has gotten close to the Bajoran Capital. It seems as if the military won't actually fight The Circle. Sisko tells Krim that The Circle are getting their weapons from the Krissari. Krim says he didn't know that, but he takes no action, and simply tells Sisko to keep him updated on what they find out. Then Sisko tells Krim that he would like for Kira to be reassigned to DS9. Krim tells Sisko that he could've withheld the information he had in order to get Kira back, but he didn't, and that he'd remember that about Sisko.
What this tells me about Krim is that even though he doesn't agree with Sisko about anything, and nominally seems to be on the opposite end of Sisko's positions, he finds Sisko to be honorable and to have integrity, which tells me that Krim also has integrity. He'd even gone out of his way to say Sisko presented his arguments well last year at a summit, even though he didn't have to say that. Jaro might be an antagonist who's a schemer with no integrity and no morals, but Krim is just an antagonist a different point-of-view. We're getting to see different shades of opposition and different levels of opposition.
Kira's Kidnapping
After Sisko's meeting with Krim, he tells Kira that he's not sure if the Bajoran Military will stop the coup attempt by The Circle.
I don't even know if it's a coincidence or not if Kira was attacked and captured by the Circle immediately after Sisko left, but they must've followed Sisko after they got wind that he might be suspicious.
Odo's Findings
O'Brien can't find anything on the Krissari vessel docked at DS9, and O'Brien's thoroughness makes for some great comic relief as the Krissari Captain becomes frustrated. When the Krissari vessel is finally cleared the leave the station, Odo secretly stays aboard, disguised as objects on the ship and as a mouse to move around. I think it's the first time we've seen this type of spying from Odo since "Emissary".
Then Odo finds what he's looking for. He seems the Cardassians providing the weapons to the Krissari in order to deliver them to The Circle.
Minister Jaro
In a surprise twist, it turns out that Jaro is the head of the Circle. Or, to quote Jaro, "I am The Circle." Jaro demands to know from Kira what Sisko will do if The Circle overthrows the Provisional Government. When she refuses to answer, Jaro tortures her to try to get the information out of her. In other words, The Circle is just as bad as the Cardassians.
Kira's Rescue
This is where Quark's working as Odo's deputy pays off. He tells Sisko where to find The Circle's hideout, which is also where Kira is being held. Sisko immediately comes up with a plan to rescue Kira and takes a runabout. He takes Bashir as well. Li comes along too, and says he owes it to Kira to help rescue her. The rescue in "The Circle" is a parallel to the rescue in "The Homecoming". Sisko wants O'Brien along as well, because once Sisko and Li find Kira, they want to beam her out of there as fast as possible, as well as himself. Sisko mentions O'Briens famous transporter skills, giving a nod to TNG.
The rescue in "The Circle" is quicker and higher-octane than the one in "The Homecoming", but not as dynamic or as visceral looking. Bashir finds Kira fast and rescues her while the others fight off The Circle. Then they're beamed up to the Runabout. Quick in-and-out.
The Ramifications of Odo's Findings
Once Odo is back on DS9, he tells Sisko that The Circle doesn't know the Krissari are getting their weapons from the Cardassians. Li asks why the Cardassisans would help The Circle, Bashir says it's gets the Cardassians what they want, and Sisko says, "Rid of us." Then Li realizes with Starfleet gone, the Cardassians come back. Li wants to address the Bajoran Chamber of Ministers, but transmissions from DS9 to Bajor are being jammed. Sisko wants to report to Admiral Chokatey about the situation. I'm trying so hard NOT to think of Chakotay from Voyager!
Jaro & Winn
And of course Jaro wants Vedek Winn's support! Jaro tries to manipulate Winn and wants her to tell the Bajorans that the Prophets want him to lead the Bajoran Government.
Jaro specifically said he wanted Winn's public support, which means he must already have her private support. Which makes me wonder if Winn knew about Jaro's connection to The Circle. I like that they keep it vague, so you can't tell if Winn knows about it or not. It would be to Jaro's advantage if she didn't know, because then Winn can't expose them if she ever finds it to her advantage to do so. Even the politics have their own politics. Speaking of which...
To Evacuate or Not Evacuate?
O'Brien warns Sisko that the Bajorans are sending two assault vessels to DS9 and they'll reach the station in seven hours. Admiral Chakotey -- not to be confused with Commander Chakotay! -- tells Sisko if there's a coup occurring internal to Bajor, then the Federation can't interfere, and Starfleet has to evacuate the station. The Admiral doesn't like this meaning they'll lose the station and the wormhole to the Cardassians, but that they'd deal with the political ramifications later.
Sisko brilliantly finds a loophole by saying they'll need to clean out everything Starfleet has from the station. Everything. O'Brien says that could take a week, and Sisko says that means not everyone will be off the station by the time the Bajoran Military arrives.
To be continued...
Some More General Thoughts
This is an episode where Sisko really shines. We see him as a man of action in the rescue of Kira. We see him as a man of diplomacy when approaching General Krim. We see him as a man of strategy when trying to figure out how to defend the station from a takeover. This is the best Non-Sisko Sisko Episode so far. I didn't realize that before this re-watch.
Li Nalas didn't have much to do in this episode, which is a little disappointing after his introduction last episode, but this episode had so much going on and so many moving parts that I'll forgive it.
While "The Homecoming" had great location-shooting, "The Circle" has great set design. I loved the interior design of Krim's facilities. The interior of Vedek Winn's ministry feels like you're inside some sort of church. And I forgot to mention location-shooting within "The Circle" itself, with Bariel's monastery. The caves that The Circle were in didn't do much for me, but they're not supposed to. It's just a hide-out.
That's all I have for this episode. Like I said, I love how intricate it was. I can't do any less than give it a 9.
EDITED TO ADD: I might as well say this now: I'm the type of DS9 Fan who really likes Early-DS9. The Bajoran Politics interest me quite a bit.
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Regarding Orb experiences..."The Circle"
The second episode of this three-parter, Star Trek's first ever three-parter, is a very nuts-and-bolts episode that moves all the pieces into place for Part III with a ton of precision and nuance. Like "The Homecoming", this episode is also extremely dense. So much so, that I had to watch several portions of this episode twice for the review.
Shakeup at the Station
Minister Jaro makes it sound like a great thing that Navark Li is Sisko's new First Officer. He really sells it that Sisko can't have a better liaison to Bajor. Which is technically the truth, and something Sisko can't argue with. More on Minister Jaro later.
When Kira is preparing to leave the station, everyone individually and coincidentally decides to visit Kira at the same time. "Was this planned?!" "No one could've planned this!" One of my favorite scenes of DS9 up to this point. Then Vedek Bariel arrives. It means a lot when Kira introduces the other characters to Bariel and says, "These are my friends." Something she wouldn't have said a year ago, except in Odo's case. Bariel offers for Kira to spend time in his Ministery while she awaits her next assignment, and she accepts his offer.
The Monastery
When Kira arrives at the Monastery, she has an Orb Experience. I loved how it showed everything on Kira's mind. I was able to notice a pattern of they use the Orbs so a character can interact with the Prophets at least once per season. Sisko in Season 1, Kira in Season 2, I think it'll be Quark or Zek in Season 3 (I don't remember which one), and Sisko again in Season 4. I don't remember any Orb Experiences in Season 5. I know Sisko has more regular interactions with the Prophets in Season 6 and especially Season 7. But that's getting ahead of myself. Anyway...
After the Orb experience, while Kira and Bariel are outside, Vedek Winn shows up. Every single word that comes out of her mouth makes her sound like an asshole. Pretending not to know Kira's name, even though she knows all about her background. Saying Bariel has Kira over for "recreation". After Bariel says that's not the case, she tells Kira to spend as much time as she likes. "A few days or even a week." So, not as much time as she likes. "A week then get the Hell out," is the way I read it.
Odo's Investigation
An old contact informs Odo that The Circle have help to mobilize and avoid detection. Then Quark informs Odo that The Circle are being armed to the teeth by the Krissari. Odo blackmails Quark into finding out where the Krissari are sending the weapons on Bajor while Odo investigates who's providing the weapons to the Krissari for them to deliver, since the Krissari aren't known to be weapons dealers.
When Odo makes Quark a deputy, that's Odo making Quark's offers to help work to his advantage and allows him to take control of the situation, putting him back on top in their power dynamic. It'll make Quark think twice about using that Rule of Aquisition again where it says "Every once in a while, declare peace, it confuses the Hell out of your enemies."
General Krim
Sisko approaches General Krim, head of the Bajoran militia, and says he's noticed that the troops have fallen back whenever The Circle has gotten close to the Bajoran Capital. It seems as if the military won't actually fight The Circle. Sisko tells Krim that The Circle are getting their weapons from the Krissari. Krim says he didn't know that, but he takes no action, and simply tells Sisko to keep him updated on what they find out. Then Sisko tells Krim that he would like for Kira to be reassigned to DS9. Krim tells Sisko that he could've withheld the information he had in order to get Kira back, but he didn't, and that he'd remember that about Sisko.
What this tells me about Krim is that even though he doesn't agree with Sisko about anything, and nominally seems to be on the opposite end of Sisko's positions, he finds Sisko to be honorable and to have integrity, which tells me that Krim also has integrity. He'd even gone out of his way to say Sisko presented his arguments well last year at a summit, even though he didn't have to say that. Jaro might be an antagonist who's a schemer with no integrity and no morals, but Krim is just an antagonist a different point-of-view. We're getting to see different shades of opposition and different levels of opposition.
Kira's Kidnapping
After Sisko's meeting with Krim, he tells Kira that he's not sure if the Bajoran Military will stop the coup attempt by The Circle.
I don't even know if it's a coincidence or not if Kira was attacked and captured by the Circle immediately after Sisko left, but they must've followed Sisko after they got wind that he might be suspicious.
Odo's Findings
O'Brien can't find anything on the Krissari vessel docked at DS9, and O'Brien's thoroughness makes for some great comic relief as the Krissari Captain becomes frustrated. When the Krissari vessel is finally cleared the leave the station, Odo secretly stays aboard, disguised as objects on the ship and as a mouse to move around. I think it's the first time we've seen this type of spying from Odo since "Emissary".
Then Odo finds what he's looking for. He seems the Cardassians providing the weapons to the Krissari in order to deliver them to The Circle.
Minister Jaro
In a surprise twist, it turns out that Jaro is the head of the Circle. Or, to quote Jaro, "I am The Circle." Jaro demands to know from Kira what Sisko will do if The Circle overthrows the Provisional Government. When she refuses to answer, Jaro tortures her to try to get the information out of her. In other words, The Circle is just as bad as the Cardassians.
Kira's Rescue
This is where Quark's working as Odo's deputy pays off. He tells Sisko where to find The Circle's hideout, which is also where Kira is being held. Sisko immediately comes up with a plan to rescue Kira and takes a runabout. He takes Bashir as well. Li comes along too, and says he owes it to Kira to help rescue her. The rescue in "The Circle" is a parallel to the rescue in "The Homecoming". Sisko wants O'Brien along as well, because once Sisko and Li find Kira, they want to beam her out of there as fast as possible, as well as himself. Sisko mentions O'Briens famous transporter skills, giving a nod to TNG.
The rescue in "The Circle" is quicker and higher-octane than the one in "The Homecoming", but not as dynamic or as visceral looking. Bashir finds Kira fast and rescues her while the others fight off The Circle. Then they're beamed up to the Runabout. Quick in-and-out.
The Ramifications of Odo's Findings
Once Odo is back on DS9, he tells Sisko that The Circle doesn't know the Krissari are getting their weapons from the Cardassians. Li asks why the Cardassisans would help The Circle, Bashir says it's gets the Cardassians what they want, and Sisko says, "Rid of us." Then Li realizes with Starfleet gone, the Cardassians come back. Li wants to address the Bajoran Chamber of Ministers, but transmissions from DS9 to Bajor are being jammed. Sisko wants to report to Admiral Chokatey about the situation. I'm trying so hard NOT to think of Chakotay from Voyager!
Jaro & Winn
And of course Jaro wants Kai Winn's support! Jaro tries to manipulate Winn and wants her to tell the Bajorans that Prophets want him to lead the Bajoran Government.
Jaro specifically said he wanted Winn's public support, which means he must've already her private support. Which makes me wonder if Winn knew about Jaro's connection to The Circle. I like that they keep it vague, so you can't tell if Winn knows about it or not. It would be to Jaro's advantage if she didn't know, because then Winn can't expose them if she ever finds it to her advantage to do so. Even the politics have their own politics. Speaking of which...
To Evacuate or Not Evacuate?
O'Brien warns Sisko that the Bajorans are sending two assault vessels to DS9 and they'll reach the station in seven hours. Admiral Chakotey -- not to be confused with Commander Chakotay! -- tells Sisko if there's a coup occurring internal to Bajor, then the Federation can't interfere, and Starfleet has to evacuate the station. The Admiral doesn't like this meaning they'll lose the station and the wormhole to the Cardassians, but that they'd deal with the political ramifications later.
Sisko brilliantly finds a loophole by saying they'll need to clean out everything Starfleet has from the station. Everything. O'Brien says that could take a week, and Sisko says that means not everyone will be off the station by the time the Bajoran Military arrives.
To be continued...
Some More General Thoughts
This is an episode where Sisko really shines. We see him as a man of action in the rescue of Kira. We see him as a man of diplomacy when approaching General Krim. We see him as a man of strategy when trying to figure out how to defend the station from a takeover. This is the best Non-Sisko Sisko Episode so far. I didn't realize that before this re-watch.
Li Nalas didn't have much to do in this episode, which is a little disappointing after his introduction last episode, but this episode had so much going on and so many moving parts that I'll forgive it.
While "The Homecoming" had great location-shooting, "The Circle" has great set design. I loved the interior design of Krim's facilities. The interior of Vedek Winn's ministry feels like you're inside some sort of church. And I forgot to mention location-shooting within "The Circle" itself, with Bariel's monastery. The caves that The Circle were in didn't do much for me, but they're not supposed to. It's just a hide-out.
That's all I have for this episode. Like I said, I love how intricate it was. I can't do any less than give it a 9.
EDITED TO ADD: I might as well say this now: I'm the type of DS9 Fan who really likes Early-DS9. The Bajoran Politics interest me quite a bit.
Kira did consult the Orb of Time to figure out how to get themselves back to the 24th century in season 5, "TRIALS AND TRIBBLE-ATIONS". (The scene only shows her opening and closing the Orb box while Sisko does the voiceover, but this counts as someone getting Orbed.) It's interesting to note that the only leads who get Orbed are Sisko, Kira, Jadzia (only in "EMISSARY" when she is examining it in the lab), and Quark (only in "PROPHET MOTIVE"). The fact so few people do this helps underscore how special an experience this is. But yes, every season had an Orb experience happen.
I also have a theory about the placement of people, their dialogue, and who says what in what room during an Orb experience. I started to keep track of them during rewatches, and I wonder if I am seeing a pattern that might not actually be there. (Mostly the scenes I was tracking were while someone was speaking directly to the Prophets instead of just through the Orbs.)
Considering your editing background, I'd be interested to read your thoughts on the Orb scenes during the rewatch and if you see a pattern regarding the location of each person in the vision and who says what. (For example, in "SACRIFICE OF ANGELS", Prophet Jake says, "A penance must be exacted." Or words to that effect. Later that year, Jake gets possessed by a Pah-wraith and Sisko would be forced to choose to save his son or let the battle happen. I also think that where each Prophet stands or sits is important in the vision, too... like Prophet Damar at the Defiant's helm.. But I'll go further into my thoughts later if you see some kind of pattern.)
Thanks for the suggestion! After "The Siege", I'll go back and look at the Orb Scenes from "Emissary" piece-by-piece, do the same for "The Circle", and then do the same for scenes involving interaction with the Prophets in subsequent episodes as I get to them.
The Delta Flyers analysis of The Circle was one I was really looking forward to because if the ensemble scene in Kira's quarters and because this was the first use of the baseball as a scenic device. I was not disappointed. However, it was the discussion of the baseball that surprised me. Jaro picking up the ball and Sisko freaking out was the first use of the baseball, but it wasn't in the script
As someone who watched this when it aired, I was so used to Star Trek never doing more than a two-parter that as this episode neared its final few minutes I was very at a loss as to how they were going to wrap things up with a pretty bow (though if Sisko had been able to warn the Bajorans that The Circle's weapons were being provided by the Cardassians, who knows how things might have evolved...).
"The Siege"
Far fewer moving parts in this episode, since everything's already been set up in the previous two parts. "The Siege" is far more straight-forward than "The Circle" which added layer upon layer upon complication.
In screenwriting, Act I sets up the conflict, Act II is the conflict, and Act III resolves the conflict. Converting that to the three-parter it makes sense that "The Circle" would be even thicker than "The Homecoming" and "The Siege". Not now here we are at the end. Or, as Majel Barrett would say, "And now, the conclusion."
Evacuation
The first 10 minutes focus on the DS9 families and civilians evacuating the station probably some of the crew as well. And Quark wanting to take advantage of manipulates the situation to his advantage since so many people are leaving on only three Runabouts. I'm glad they actually took the time to show the evacuation process instead of just skipping over it. It shows how many people's lives The Circle's coup-d'état are affecting.
Li Nalas gets a chance to shine after not getting much to do last episode. When the Bajorans want to flee the station and it causes a ruckus, Li gets them to understand the Runabouts transporting people away are for Non-Bajorans who aren't safe on the station anymore. Then he encourages said Bajorans not to flee because this is their home. The only person who could've done that was Li.
Quark comes off as pretty smug when he's scheming and brokering passages off the station. But the joke's on him when Rom leaves and takes a Dabo Girl with him. The Dabo Girl's seat would've been Quark's. So now Quark is still going to be on the station when the Bajoran assault vessels arrive.
Because the Runabouts are all being used, and all transmissions from DS9 to Bajor have been cut off, Kira and Dax have to find an old Bajoran Resistance Era fighter craft and deliver a message to the Chamber of Ministers that the Cardassians are the ones who've been supplying the weapons to the Krissari to provide The Circle. One of the main advantages of not having the Defiant in the series yet, is seeing how much the crew has to improvise without a Hero Ship of their own.
Tactics
When General Krim's forces finally arrive on the station, I have to say that it just feels wrong to see the Bajorans turning on the DS9 crew. Thinking back to "Emissary", when Kira and Quark thought the Provisional Government would be gone within a week, I feel like the writers wanted to play that exact scenario out in the opening episodes of Season 2, to see what it would be like. The Circle, IMO, were created so there could be a group to start a coup and be able to coerce the military.
Krim is smart. He anticipates that Sisko, Li Nalas, the Starfleet Officers, and the Bajorans who work with Starfleet wouldn't be so quick to abandon everything. He truly doesn't believe Sisko would just leave. So Krim is still on the look-out. This callbacks to when Krim expressed a high opinion of Sisko in the previous episode.
When Krim sits in Ops, he sees Sisko's baseball and holds it. He believes that Sisko is still around, even though his arrogant Colonel doesn't. This parallels what will come later when in "Call to Arms", Sisko actually does leave the station but leaves his baseball behind and Dukat says it's a message from Sisko that he'll be back. I think that moment in "Call to Arms" was a callback to this.
"The Siege" emphasizes fighting smarter rather than harder. Krim's forces equally match Sisko's on the station while The Circle's assault vessels outmatch Kira and Dax in their old Bajoran fighter craft. Sisko takes advantage of the fact that he and his crew know the station a LOT better than Krim and his troops; while Kira takes the Bajoran fighter craft into Bajor's atmosphere, taking away the advantage The Circle's vessels had while in space. It's like when the American were fighting the British during the Revolution, where the Americans had the homefield advantage. On the flip side, it's also similar to the Vietnam War in the Americans had a hard time fighting the Vietcong.
When Kira and Dax are fighting the two Circle vessels, it feels to like they're in a fighter-pilot videogame at the arcade.
Reception to Facts vs. Resistance
Sometimes you want to believe in things so badly that you ignore or don't care about any facts or any information at all that would contradict such beliefs. When Sisko is able to tell Colonel Day that the Cardassians have been indirectly supplying weapons to The Circle, he doesn't believe him. When General Krim rescues Day, he doesn't tell Krim anything of what Sisko says. Either he refuses the believe what Sisko said, doesn't want Krim even know about the possibility, or both. Unphased, Krim is happy Sisko didn't abandon DS9.
Unsure of Kira and Dax made it to the Chamber of Ministers, Sisko wants Li to reach out to Krim. The argument Sisko tells Li would be hard for Krim to argue with: "Would you rather follow Bajor's greatest war hero or a politician?" On a tangent, things like this are what helped Ulysses S. Grant and Dwight Eisenhower to become Presidents. It didn't hurt Theodore Roosevelt either. But anyway...
Kira and Dax are rescued by Bariel and dressed up as Bajoran Monks, so they can make it to the Bajoran Chamber of Ministers. I loved Dax asking about how the Bajoran nose looked. I also got a kick out of seeing them dressed in full Bajoran relgious gear. When they make it to the Chamber, Kira then delivers the proof the Cardassians' involvement and says the pad has a Cardassian Gul's signature. Jaro objects and says it isn't true. Then, credit where credit is due, Vedek Winn has her moment to shine when she tells Jaro that if there was no Cardassian involvement, then he should have no objections to their examining the evidence. Jaro plays it straight and says he intends to cooperate.
Meanwhile on DS9, in Ops, Li approaches Krim and tells him what's going on. Krim is able to verify this and when the Colonel reaches Ops, Krim tells him he was withholding important information. The Colonel says it was just lies, but the tide has turned against him. The Cardassians have been exposed and everyone knows what's going on. And then it comes down: Do you want to believe this new evidence or keep clining to your old beliefs because that's more important to you?
General Krim returns command of the station to Sisko. But Day won't have it and as soon as he fires, Li jumps into the line of fire and saves everyone. Kira is saddened, and Sisko will remember Li as The Hero of Bajor.
Random Thoughts
When Bashir mentioned he invented a candy bar that was potent in all kinds of nutrients, it made me think of protein bars and meal repacement bars that are on sale in stores today.
I know that Quark was meant to be comic relief, but I don't think it really added anything.
Colonel Day was a weak point in this episode. It's like he was there so we'd still have some sort of threat once General Krim saw the light. He was most two-dimensional character in the Circle Trilogy.
I loved the dark lighting in this episode. It made the interior of the station look like how I think it would look in either a Star Trek Movie or New Trek.
When the Chamber of Ministers wouldn't initially stand for the disruption of the transfer of power, I couldn't NOT think of January 6th when they said it!
Closing Thoughts
I now feel like I know a lot more about Bajoran Politics, the military, the different factions, the religion, the different opinions, and where the divisions are. If you want to include "In the Hands of the Prophets" as well, these four episodes really opened up Bajor.
One of the benefits of having a three-parter was how much more developed they could make the characters and how much more intricate they could make the storyline. There was no way this story could be done justice two parts. What makes this bonafied three-parter different from The Borg Trilogy in TNG ("Q Who" and both parts of the "The Best of Both Worlds") and the Klingon Quadrilogy ("Sins of the Father", "Reunion", and both parts of "Redemption") is that each of those installments, not including the two-parters, had their own beginning, middle, and end. Whereas, structually, the beginning, middle, and end of The Circle Trilogy covered the entire span of episodes. It's really literally the half-way step before they eventually open with a six-parter in Season 6.
As far as "The Siege": What do I give this episode? I think it's a slight step down from the previous two episodes, but still pretty good. I give it an 8.
Far fewer moving parts in this episode, since everything's already been set up in the previous two parts. "The Siege" is far more straight-forward than "The Circle" which added layer upon layer upon complication.
In screenwriting, Act I sets up the conflict, Act II is the conflict, and Act III resolves the conflict. Converting that to the three-parter it makes sense that "The Circle" would be even thicker than "The Homecoming" and "The Siege". Not now here we are at the end. Or, as Majel Barrett would say, "And now, the conclusion."
Evacuation
The first 10 minutes focus on the DS9 families and civilians evacuating the station probably some of the crew as well. And Quark wanting to take advantage of manipulates the situation to his advantage since so many people are leaving on only three Runabouts. I'm glad they actually took the time to show the evacuation process instead of just skipping over it. It shows how many people's lives The Circle's coup-d'état are affecting.
Li Nalas gets a chance to shine after not getting much to do last episode. When the Bajorans want to flee the station and it causes a ruckus, Li gets them to understand the Runabouts transporting people away are for Non-Bajorans who aren't safe on the station anymore. Then he encourages said Bajorans not to flee because this is their home. The only person who could've done that was Li.
Quark comes off as pretty smug when he's scheming and brokering passages off the station. But the joke's on him when Rom leaves and takes a Dabo Girl with him. The Dabo Girl's seat would've been Quark's. So now Quark is still going to be on the station when the Bajoran assault vessels arrive.
Because the Runabouts are all being used, and all transmissions from DS9 to Bajor have been cut off, Kira and Dax have to find an old Bajoran Resistance Era fighter craft and deliver a message to the Chamber of Ministers that the Cardassians are the ones who've been supplying the weapons to the Krissari to provide The Circle. One of the main advantages of not having the Defiant in the series yet, is seeing how much the crew has to improvise without a Hero Ship of their own.
Tactics
When General Krim's forces finally arrive on the station, I have to say that it just feels wrong to see the Bajorans turning on the DS9 crew. Thinking back to "Emissary", when Kira and Quark thought the Provisional Government would be gone within a week, I feel like the writers wanted to play that exact scenario out in the opening episodes of Season 2, to see what it would be like. The Circle, IMO, were created so there could be a group to start a coup and be able to coerce the military.
Krim is smart. He anticipates that Sisko, Li Nalas, the Starfleet Officers, and the Bajorans who work with Starfleet wouldn't be so quick to abandon everything. He truly doesn't believe Sisko would just leave. So Krim is still on the look-out. This callbacks to when Krim expressed a high opinion of Sisko in the previous episode.
When Krim sits in Ops, he sees Sisko's baseball and holds it. He believes that Sisko is still around, even though his arrogant Colonel doesn't. This parallels what will come later when in "Call to Arms", Sisko actually does leave the station but leaves his baseball behind and Dukat says it's a message from Sisko that he'll be back. I think that moment in "Call to Arms" was a callback to this.
"The Siege" emphasizes fighting smarter rather than harder. Krim's forces equally match Sisko's on the station while The Circle's assault vessels outmatch Kira and Dax in their old Bajoran fighter craft. Sisko takes advantage of the fact that he and his crew know the station a LOT better than Krim and his troops; while Kira takes the Bajoran fighter craft into Bajor's atmosphere, taking away the advantage The Circle's vessels had while in space. It's like when the American were fighting the British during the Revolution, where the Americans had the homefield advantage. On the flip side, it's also similar to the Vietnam War in the Americans had a hard time fighting the Vietcong.
When Kira and Dax are fighting the two Circle vessels, it feels to like they're in a fighter-pilot videogame at the arcade.
Reception to Facts vs. Resistance
Sometimes you want to believe in things so badly that you ignore or don't care about any facts or any information at all that would contradict such beliefs. When Sisko is able to tell Colonel Day that the Cardassians have been indirectly supplying weapons to The Circle, he doesn't believe him. When General Krim rescues Day, he doesn't tell Krim anything of what Sisko says. Either he refuses the believe what Sisko said, doesn't want Krim even know about the possibility, or both. Unphased, Krim is happy Sisko didn't abandon DS9.
Unsure of Kira and Dax made it to the Chamber of Ministers, Sisko wants Li to reach out to Krim. The argument Sisko tells Li would be hard for Krim to argue with: "Would you rather follow Bajor's greatest war hero or a politician?" On a tangent, things like this are what helped Ulysses S. Grant and Dwight Eisenhower to become Presidents. It didn't hurt Theodore Roosevelt either. But anyway...
Kira and Dax are rescued by Bariel and dressed up as Bajoran Monks, so they can make it to the Bajoran Chamber of Ministers. I loved Dax asking about how the Bajoran nose looked. I also got a kick out of seeing them dressed in full Bajoran relgious gear. When they make it to the Chamber, Kira then delivers the proof the Cardassians' involvement and says the pad has a Cardassian Gul's signature. Jaro objects and says it isn't true. Then, credit where credit is due, Vedek Winn has her moment to shine when she tells Jaro that if there was no Cardassian involvement, then he should have no objections to their examining the evidence. Jaro plays it straight and says he intends to cooperate.
Meanwhile on DS9, in Ops, Li approaches Krim and tells him what's going on. Krim is able to verify this and when the Colonel reaches Ops, Krim tells him he was withholding important information. The Colonel says it was just lies, but the tide has turned against him. The Cardassians have been exposed and everyone knows what's going on. And then it comes down: Do you want to believe this new evidence or keep clining to your old beliefs because that's more important to you?
General Krim returns command of the station to Sisko. But Day won't have it and as soon as he fires, Li jumps into the line of fire and saves everyone. Kira is saddened, and Sisko will remember Li as The Hero of Bajor.
Random Thoughts
When Bashir mentioned he invented a candy bar that was potent in all kinds of nutrients, it made me think of protein bars and meal repacement bars that are on sale in stores today.
I know that Quark was meant to be comic relief, but I don't think it really added anything.
Colonel Day was a weak point in this episode. It's like he was there so we'd still have some sort of threat once General Krim saw the light. He was most two-dimensional character in the Circle Trilogy.
I loved the dark lighting in this episode. It made the interior of the station look like how I think it would look in either a Star Trek Movie or New Trek.
When the Chamber of Ministers wouldn't initially stand for the disruption of the transfer of power, I couldn't NOT think of January 6th when they said it!
Closing Thoughts
I now feel like I know a lot more about Bajoran Politics, the military, the different factions, the religion, the different opinions, and where the divisions are. If you want to include "In the Hands of the Prophets" as well, these four episodes really opened up Bajor.
One of the benefits of having a three-parter was how much more developed they could make the characters and how much more intricate they could make the storyline. There was no way this story could be done justice two parts. What makes this bonafied three-parter different from The Borg Trilogy in TNG ("Q Who" and both parts of the "The Best of Both Worlds") and the Klingon Quadrilogy ("Sins of the Father", "Reunion", and both parts of "Redemption") is that each of those installments, not including the two-parters, had their own beginning, middle, and end. Whereas, structually, the beginning, middle, and end of The Circle Trilogy covered the entire span of episodes. It's really literally the half-way step before they eventually open with a six-parter in Season 6.
As far as "The Siege": What do I give this episode? I think it's a slight step down from the previous two episodes, but still pretty good. I give it an 8.
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