Sisko takes his new ship, the Defiant, to find the Founders. While on the mission, Odo is drawn to a planet where he finds his people.
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Level-Up: USS Defiant introduced, new combadge design
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First Contact: The Founders
Vice-Admiral Pips: Pips are awarded to episodes that are the most stand-out, representative examples of the series as a whole.
Watch Recommendation: The introduction of the Defiant and Odo finding his people are clearly important plot points, easily giving these two episodes a rating of "Must Watch". They are also the 3rd and 4th on the "Bare Minimum" list.
Quark lies about killing a Klingon; the widow kidnaps Quark and marries him.
B-plot: O'Brien tries to cheer up Keiko after she had to close the school.
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I really am very grateful for all you have done, Quark. That is why I'm going to let you take your hand off my thigh, instead of shattering every bone in your body. - Grilka
Watch Recommendation: While it isn't really important to the overall Deep Space Nine story, it's a pretty decent episode with a fine interaction between Quark and guest character Grilka, who will return for a second episode in a later season. If you want to see those two stories, they are both rated as "Optional."
Kira is kidnapped by Cardassians who say she's really one of them.
Watch Recommendation: This episode is rated "Recommended" because it adds to Kira's experiences with the Cardassians. It also introduces Tekeny Ghemor who will later reappear in the episode DS9 5x19: Ties of Blood and Water.
Sisko, Jake, and O'Brien trigger an old Cardassian security system which summons Dukat to the station.
Nitpickery: I don't know why, but I get annoyed every time I hear Avery Brooks (Sisko) deliver his line, "Well, it sounds like the program is going to wait for Cardassian security to enter the all-clear protocol" because he puts emphasis on the word "Cardassian" which doesn't make sense in this context. The statement isn't made to differentiate from some other security force.
Thoughts: Where is all this deadly neurocine gas coming from? Why is Kira's solution to everything just to shoot it? Why does one phaser blast to a console in ops destroy life support for the entire station? That seems like a pretty big design flaw.
Watch Recommendation: The episode is rated "Recommended" because it's pretty good and it gives some insight into how things used to be on the station. Despite my nitpicking, it's an enjoyable story.
Dax falls for a man who lives on a planet that only appears every 60 years.
B-plot: Quark tries to obtain a holo-image of Kira for a wealthy client.
Thoughts: Everyone seems to hate this episode, and don't get me wrong, it's not great... but that's partly because it's a non-sequitur with a weak story. Still, I'd rather watch this than The Storyteller. There are much worse episodes to take issue with, so I gave this 2 out of 5 stars.
Watch Recommendation: It's definitely a story-of-the-week that has no consequences on the show's storyline. No recommendation.
Thoughts: It's a good episode, but I think there's a big plot hole... when Sisko negotiates with Dukat, he offers the Defiant's sensor logs. Are Starfleet's sensors that superior to Cardassian sensors? There are plenty of Cardassian ships around, what is so terrible about their own sensors that makes the Defiant's sensor logs so valuable to Dukat?
Watch Recommendation: This episode is rated "Must Watch" not only because it's a fun crossover, but it hints at something very fishy going on that will be important when it's explained in a later episode.
Thoughts: Ratings for this episode are very low, and I get it. It's silly, unimportant, even annoying at times. But I love it. I love it for all its corniness and its lighthearted story and its relaxed pace.
Watch Recommendation: No recommendation. Most people don't like it and it's definitely not important to the rest of the series. For me, it's just a cute little diversion.
Sisko, Bashir, and Dax accidentally travel back in time to 2024, where they play a part in an event known as the Bell Riots.
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Time travel episode
► S H O W
T I M E L I N E ►
◄ H I D E
T I M E L I N E ◄
Universe Timeline
2021
2022
<< SNW: Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow
2023
2024
<< PIC: Season 2 (April)
Bell Riots (September 1st-3rd)
<< DS9: Past Tense
Ireland unites
2025
2026
WWIII ⇓
2027
2028
2029
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Episode takes place on Earth
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Annoying Bashir Moment: Totally failing to blend in.
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Check YOUR e-mail, buddy! - Vin
Thoughts: This episode takes place in the year 2024, but it was written in 1994. The writers had to image what life might be like on Earth 30 years into their future. It was a bit dystopian but, interestingly, it doesn't feel that far off from reality. The computer technology they imagined was clunkier than what we actually had in 2024, but they did get one other thing right: the nuisance advertisements on the computers. Still, it's hilarious that they thought a possible slang phrase in 2024 might be, "Check your e‑mail, buddy!"
Watch Recommendation: Strictly speaking, this two-parter is self-contained and doesn't affect the rest of the series, so I can't make it a "Must Watch," but it's a good time travel story that's worth your time, so I'm marking it as "Highly Recommended."
Odo can't free Kira from a growing crystal; Nog wants to join Starfleet.
Watch Recommendation: It's "Optional," if you'd like to see more interaction between Kira and Odo, and/or the origins of Nog's desire to join Starfleet.
An ancient Bajoran prophecy overshadows a collaborative scientific effort.
Watch Recommendation: I'm recommending this episode because it shines a light on the fact that some Cardassians are just "people" and they aren't all warmongers. The interactions among Kira, O'Brien, and the Cardassians shape and change their views about each other.
O'Brien experiences glimpses of the future while the Romulans visit the station demanding more intel on the Dominion.
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Time Travel/Hijinks
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...either the Romulans are going to put a device in the bulkhead themselves, or someone else will... - Sisko coming to an obvious conclusion via logical tautology.
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Annoying Bashir Moment: "Would you like to see the results of your own autopsy?!"
Thoughts: "There was nothing to indicate that it was today, tomorrow, next week." ... if only we had clocks or watches or literally any time-telling devices on the station! I know it's tough to put clocks on set because it would cause a bunch of continuity issues, but I feel like they could have come up with a better solution here. And the one clock that we do see is just a box with a bunch of flashing lights on it! I know, I know, I'm nitpicking. So while I'm at it, there is definitely some dubious science at work here. As O'Brien starts getting glimpses of the future, at first it seems like it's just his consciousness that time-travels; meanwhile, in the present, his body sort of just blacks out and then faints. He must be manifesting some sort of physical form in the future, though, because others can see and interact with him. But during the last jump, after they spouted some really questionable technobabble, O'Brien physically transfers a device to the other O'Brien who uses it to somehow travel back... so when O'Brien jumps, he must be physically disappearing from the present but this is never really portrayed and no one seems surprised about O'Brien vanishing... ugh, it's a fine episode, but it really could have used some polishing.
Watch Recommendation: If you want to watch an okay time-hijinks episode, go for it, but I'm not giving this one a recommendation because the lack of clocks frustrates me.
After being attacked, Bashir investigates an abandoned station while he seems to be rapidly aging.
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Scary-ish Episode
Thoughts: Oof. This is not a great episode. It's slow. For example, Spoiler » once it's revealed that we're actually "inside Julian's mind," it takes an excruciating 3 minutes and 20 seconds for the characters to explain what is going on, just to be sure the audience understands. And don't get me started on the Captain Kangaroo-style tennis ball gag. I will say, however, that I think Alexander Siddig (Dr. Bashir) did an impressive job in what was probably a significant acting challenge.
Watch Recommendation: It provides a tiny amount of insight into Julian Bashir, but not enough to overcome the tedium of this episode. No recommendation.
Odo opens an investigation into a bomb that destroys Garak's shop.
Part 1 of a two-part story
Admiral Pips: Pips are awarded to episodes that are the most stand-out, representative examples of the series as a whole.
Watch Recommendation: This is the first half of a two-part story that is very important to the story of Deep Space Nine, and thus it is rated "Must Watch".
Garak rejoins his mentor, Enabran Tain, in an assault on the Founders.
Part 2 of a two-part story
Admiral Pips: Pips are awarded to episodes that are the most stand-out, representative examples of the series as a whole.
Yes, I know this picture is technically from the previous episode. Please forgive me!
Watch Recommendation: This is the second half of a two-part story that is very important to the story of Deep Space Nine, and thus it is rated "Must Watch".
Quark's mother violates Ferengi law by earning profit.
B-plot: Jake sets up his father with a freighter captain named Kasidy Yates.
Watch Recommendation: This is the first of seven episodes to feature Brunt, and the first of five episodes to feature Ishka, mother to Quark and Rom. If you want to learn more about them, or if you want to see Sisko's first time meeting Kasidy, go for it. Otherwise, I'm not making a recommendation here.
Shakaar's refusal to turn over farming equipment nearly starts a Bajoran civil war.
B-plot: Chief O'Brien is on a winning streak in darts; Quark starts a betting pool.
Watch Recommendation: While not highly rated, this episode introduces some new characters and important themes that help to shape the overall story of this show. Thus, it's rated "Must Watch."
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