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Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Season 7 Episode 2

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AIRED: 10/7/98

Stardate: Unknown Worf attempts to win a battle by destroying a Dominion shipyard to guarantee Jadzia's spirit a place in Sto-vo-kor, the Klingon afterlife. Ezri wishes to join Ben, Joseph and Jake Sisko on their hunt for the Bajoran Orb of the Emissary. After discovering the Orb, and opening the case, the Wormhole is re-opened and the Orbs are reactivated. Sisko learns that a Prophet, to ensure his birth and guarantee his destiny, possessed his mother. Kira must find a way of preventing the Romulans from building weapons on the Bajoran moon where they claim they are building a hospital.

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Fan Episode Reviews (3)

The Siskos and a new Dax (TInkertrill) search for an orb on a desert planet. Kira squares off with a Romulan when they try to install weapons instead of a hospital on a Bajoran moon. Worf tries to ensure Jadzia an honorable afterlife.moreless

6.3

By dogyamissedit, Jan 26, 2011

Worf is being typically Klingon (sort of) while trying to get Jadzia into the Klingon afterlife (can Trills get into the Klingon afterlife?).

Kira's encounter with the Romulans is an attempt to further empower an already powerful character. Seems like it was a bit overkill to have dissention in the ranks of the alliance so early on though.

Now onto the real problem I have with this episode. Sisko as a prophet. They turned a starfleet officer into Jesus. One of the things I always loved about Star Trek has been it's more or less pure devotion to science-having a deeply religious culture is one thing but having the captain as a messiah is something completely different.moreless
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Welcome back Dax

9.0

By intimidationcap, Jan 22, 2011

After a brief absence we get another full dose of Dax. And somehow, it really is good to see her. I like the character of Ezri. I know she gets on peoples nerves a bit but I think she was well cast and the aspects of how split her personality is is an interesting twist of sorts. There is a lot going on here, three missions, if you will. When the episode started I must admit I feared that there was too much going on, that they wouldn't be able to fully develop each ark. But I must say they did a nice job. All three stories were told well and developed nicely. They all ended convincingly as well.

To conclude I'd like to spend a brief moment discussing what the other two reviews have also discussed, what is undoubtedly the controversial part of this episode. And that is Sisko's true background. I completely understand and agree with wanting to keep religion out of Star Trek to focus on science, but in my opinion this episode doesn't make Sisko into a sort of Jesus. He's not the son of the prophets. They interfered in his life to make sure that he was born but he is not their son. In addition, he doesn't save anyone. He essentially just does what he is told, following the prophets bidding, and they do all the work. I also don't think that the prophets are really presented as gods per say. We often hear them called "wormhole aliens" and in many respects this name is more fitting. I think they have done convincing job in DS9 showing how otherwise regular life forms (the prophets, the changelings) can become gods to one people, while remaining their true "alien" self to everyone else. But that's just my opinion.

Overall, I thought this was a good episode. A nice mixture of some more 'fun' and some 'darker' moments. A good beginning for the final season.moreless
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The final episode of three. Tension and drama is excellently built up across all the story fronts towards a dramatic and satisfying conclusion.

9.0

By AvatarBlue, Mar 24, 2009

An excellent conclusion to a multi-part storyline that encompasses several interesting plots across the duration of threes episodes. It certainly provides an excellent change in style from the normal 1 story/1 sub-story episodic format. Or the two-parter format. I think that overall it worked very well. Each story is probably strong enough to have been cast in its own episode. Yet combined they present a great combination of varying amounts of emotional drama, intrigue and action. However, I didn't feel any of the stories were exceptional. The trick with this episode was to get the timing right. To that end, it succeeds in building up the stakes and tension across all three episodes. Whats more, the scenes flitter effortlessly from one to another, without ruining the onscreen experience.

The plots consisted of Sissiko's spiritual quest to reconnect to the Prophets. While also bonding with Dax. The visions in the desert, is an allusion to the experience of Jesus in the desert as his faith is tested. I thought the connection with the alternate relatity of the isolation ward brought an extra 'dimension' to this story, which the other stories don't possess.

The Kira storyline to stop the Romulans clandestine expansion into the starsystem, the blockade and game bluff, build up a good amount of tension also.

While Worf's mission to ensure Jadhzia's entrance to Stovokor provided a much needed element of action. The short battle and dangerous element was palatable as the solar flare finally rises from the stars surface. This was augmented by Worf's xenophobia of the Jadhzia's non-Klingon friends who also wanted to do right by her.

There are a few scenes between Dumar and Weyoun's showing the continuing strain of their relationship, as the war effort takes another turn for the worse.

All in all, you'll have to watch this episode, if you watched the previous two, if only to know how it all ends. I disagree with the previous reviewer. I can see his point about liking ST to deleve into religion notions and dogma. But given Sissko's character arc, its hard to see what else could have happened. Its all just another step towards his character's ultimate ascendancy. As for myself, I actually liked this different approach to the ST universe and find it one of Sissko's appealing qualities, compared to other ST captains.

I recommend all three episodes to anyone who wants to watch some very enjoyable storylines.moreless
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Cast & Crew: STARS

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Armin Shimerman	Quark
Michael Dorn	Lt. Commander Worf (Season 4-7)
Rene Auberjonois	Constable Odo
Nana Visitor	Major/Colonel/Commander Kira Nerys
Avery Brooks	Commander/Captain Benjamin Sisko
Alexander Siddig	Dr. Julian Bashir

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

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Megan Cole	Cretak	Guest Star
Lori Lively	Siana	Guest Star
Deborah Lacey	Sarah Alien	Recurring Role
Jeffrey Combs	Weyoun	Recurring Role
Casey Biggs	Damar	Recurring Role

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (5)
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- When Admiral Ross signals that the Romulans are withdrawing, he tells Colonel Kira to remind him never to play poker with her. This exchange is similar to the request Chief O'Brien makes during the series pilot, "Emissary," when he asks Kira not to play Roladan Wild Draw with him.
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- When the Klingons cut their hands during the ritual for Dax, they bleed red. It was previously established in Star Trek VI - The Undiscovered Country that Klingons bleed pink.
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- As soon as the group beams down to Tyree, you'll notice that Captain Sisko already has sweat soaking through his shirt on the lower right hand side of his chest. Having only been on the planet for a few seconds, it's highly improbable that he would already be sweating to the point that his shirt would be soaked through.
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- When they are on Tyree, Ezri tells Ben that he promised Jadzia he would make things right. But when he made this promise, in "Tears Of The Prophets", Jadzia was already dead and the Dax symbiont had been removed from her body to be taken back to Trill. It is not possible the symbiote remembers this, unless Sisko confided it to Ezri en route.
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- In the second-to-last shot of Captain Sisko with the Orb of the Emissary, you can see another figure walking over the dunes in the distance, on the right-hand side of the screen.
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QUOTES (15)
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- Jake: (talking about Ezri) She is so cute.
  Sisko: She's also about 300 years to old for you.
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- Quark: Why all the cutlery?
  Martok: We shed our blood to prove we are not frightened of death.
  Quark: Can't you just take my word for it?
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- Ezri: Hi, Jake.
  Jake: Hi.
  Ezri: You seem taller, or am I shorter?
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- Ezri: Ben, maybe my memory is playing tricks on me, but have you gotten stranger?
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- Damar: Weyoun, this is Siana. We met last night at the dinner honoring Legate Hovat.
  Weyoun: Damar, you and I have things to discuss. Things your "guest" doesn't want to hear.
  Damar: And why's that?
  Weyoun: Because if she does, I'll be forced to have her executed.
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- Ezri: (talking about how she came to be joined) Oh... You know, none of this was my idea. I never wanted to be joined.
  Jake: Then how did you get the symbiont?
  Ezri: It was an accident.
  Joseph: Some accident.
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- Sisko: Dax? I can't believe it.
  Ezri: I can hardly believe it myself. But I'm Dax... I mean, I'm not Jadzia Dax. I'm Ezri Dax. But I have all of Jadzia's memories. Not to mention Lela's, Tobin's, Emony's, Audrid's, Joran's, Curzon's. Am I forgetting anyone?
  Sisko: Torias?
  Ezri: Right. You're probably asking yourself: 'Who is this person? How did she get the symbiont? Do I even want another Dax in my life? Does she always talk this much?' These are all good questions, and I wish I had good answers for you.
  Sisko: The answers can wait. Right now, I'm just glad to see you.
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- Ezri: Odo! Nerys, Julian, it's so good to see you. Worf, we need to talk.
  Bashir: Who's that?
  Jake: Dax.
  Worf: Dax?
  Jake: That's right. Ezri Dax. Incredible, isn't it?
  Worf: It cannot be.
  (walks away)
  Quark: She's so much... shorter.
  Odo: Just when you thought things couldn't get more interesting.
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- Sarah: The Sisko has completed his task. The Kosst Amojan no longer threatens us.
  Sisko: You mean the Pah-Wraith? It is no longer in the wormhole?
  Sarah: I have cast it out.
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- Ezri: No!
  Sisko: Get out of my way!
  Ezri: Ben, you came here to find the Prophets, remember?
  Sisko: Move!
  Ezri: No! Listen to me! You promised Jadzia you would make things right. Well, now is your chance. Open the box, Ben.
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- Sisko: That way.
  (continues walking)
  Jake: The Prophets have spoken.
  Ezri: I hope he heard them right.
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- Kira: We're just not as important to the war effort as the Romulans.
  Ross: That's a harsh way to put it.
  Kira: The truth often is.
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- Ezri: When do we leave?
  Sisko: Today.
  Ezri: Great. It'll be like old times... except different.
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- Sisko: But why me? Why did it have to be me?
  Sarah: Because it could be no one else.
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- Quark: Is it so hard to say thank you?
  O'Brien: Don't do this, Quark.
  Quark: Do what? All I'm asking for is two little words.
  Worf: Be quiet!!
  Quark: That's two words, all right - just not the two I was hoping for.
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NOTES (4)
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- The writing covering Benny Russell's walls took a long time to work out. First the art department tried using computers, but according to Mike Okuda "It just didn't look right." Then, they took a sample of Avery Brooks' handwriting and tried to match it. Eventually they gave up and wrote regularly, hoping it would look OK. The writing was in fact Ben Sisko's story. It was synopses of episodes taken from a rough draft of the Deep Space Nine Companion.
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- Casey Biggs, who plays Damar, also plays the psychiatric ward doctor who tries to get "Benny" to stop writing his story on the walls in the Pah-wraith's false vision.
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- This episode marks Brock Peters' last appearance as Joseph Sisko.
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- Sisko's alternate self is Benny Russell the writer. We first saw Benny Russell last season in "Far Beyond The Stars". In that episode, the Prophets gave Sisko that positive vision to help guide him. In this episode, the Pah-Wratihs gave him this negative vision to misguide him.
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ALLUSIONS (1)
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- Martok: You're a bartender, not a warrior. This is a reference to Dr. McCoy's signature line from The Original Series.
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