I realise that it's been some time since the war arc was aired in the US, though it's just recently been released over here, in the UK, on video. So, I do hope you'll bear with me as I share my thoughts on one of the most unique Star Trek stories that has ever been produced.

The other day, someone on usenet claimed that the DS9 producers "stole" the idea of a story arc from that other sci-fi show, the much-revered (perhaps equally overrated) Babylon 5. Well, it's true that the mere mention of the words "story arc" brings to mind B5. And I must admit that at first, I was a bit reticent myself. After all, a DS9 story arc? Isn't that treading dangerously near B5 territory, I asked myself? Why should DS9 be taking leaves out of B5's book, when if anything it should be vice versa?

Upon some thought, I decided that I was being unfair to DS9's creative team. Ever since it began nearly six years ago, the scope of the series has always been far more serialised than, say TNG. Part of what DS9 is about is facing the consequences of your actions, and obviously to dramatise that you need continuity and a lot of it. After all, the crew of DS9 can't simply fly off into the sunset at the end of the day. Now, the studio heads at Paramount were very wary of changing the Star Trek 'formula' in the slightest. After all, it had proven popular for twenty-five years, and as they say, "if it 'ain't broke, don't fix it". But the writers have slowly built the confidence to say "to hell with convention, we're going to do things our way".

DS9 is no watered-down imitation of TNG (now, Voyager on the other hand...but that's a different story! ;-) ). Despite some attempts to TNG-ise the show (consider the third season, and even the arrival of Worf), the writers have finally taken a leap and introduced ongoing story arcs -- a good number of them, such as the Bajor situation, the Klingon War, Sisko's role as Emissary, and now the Dominion War. None of that had anything to do with B5, this is DS9 and DS9's story. If B5 had any influence at all (and the DS9 writing staff claim they don't even watch the show) it's that the show's critically acclaimed format maybe assured DS9's writers that it was possible for them to be as bold as they could and get away with it! Any fears I had about the arc adversley affecting characterisation proved completely unfounded -- indeed, the arc has in fact strengthened a number of characters. More on that later. So, here we have DS9's tightest, most invested storyline yet. Forget B5 -- B5 has nothing to do with this. This is DS9...at its best. This is Star Trek par excellence!
 

Well, that introduction was an awful lot longer than I'd planned, so let's crash on! Here follows a short episode-by-episode critique, followed by some more generalised commentary...

I don't think Call to Arms is generally considered part of the war arc, but hell, it's the episode that sets the ball rolling, so I'll include it anyway! Let's not mince words, I liked it. A lot!

It seems to combine many of the elements that make DS9 what it is, weaving several of the show's ongoing plot threads all at once. We finally get our pay-off for all that build-up to war with the Dominion (you know its been coming all season, folks!), there's some important developments in the Bajoran side-of-things (following on from the previous episode, In the Cards, where we learn that the Dominion has approached Bajor to sign a non-aggression treaty), Sisko gets to momentarily "play Emissary" (grin) and there's also a lot of focus on character relationships - beautiful combination of plot and characterisation. It works a treat!

I haven't even mentioned the maginificent build-up to the dramatic finale, when Sisko is forced to abandon DS9 to the Dominion. Works wonderfully. The special effects -- stunning! The cliff-hangar -- breath-taking! Yup, no doubt, this is the best season finale we've had since In the Hands of the Prophets back in the first season, and for very different reasons. Very impressive. Rating: 10

And now we move onto the sixth season, picking up where we left off with:
 

This is the point where I suspect the producers get to say "hah hah!" to those naysayers that predicted they would wrap the story with a traditional Trek "reset button" conclusion. Well, they did it last season with Apocalypse Rising, so I guess it's certainly possible they could have done. But they didn't! A Time to Stand is a continuation of events from the previous episode, not a conclusion, and all the stronger for it. It does a deft job of picking up the threads, and weaving them seamlessly, leaving us with the overall impression that the whole war arc is gonna be very exciting!

The main plot (Sisko's mission to destroy the White depot) worked fine,  although the station plot was even more interesting. The Dominion occupation is a lot more insidious than the previous Cardassian one (as you might expect from the Dominion), but no less disturbing. The Dukat/Weyoun interaction works a treat - those pair are two really strong, interesting characters and their interaction is suitably compelling. I also enjoyed the Odo/Kira interaction, which rings true in spite of their "resolution" in Call to Arms. Perhaps its due to the chemistry of Rene Auberjonois and Nana Visitor, but their friendship feels real and genuine. Let's not forget the electrifying Dukat/Kira scene, which was perhaps the episode's most memorable, and certainly the most disturbing moment of the episode.

Other highlights include the touching conversation between Sisko and Grandpa Joe; the Weyoun/Jake scene - which was surprisingly disquieting; the witty banter between the crew before they set off on their mission. I appreciated the references to Bashir's genetic engineering, though they were a tad over-done. He sounds more like Data than the good doctor we're accustomed to. Oh, and the last act was really exciting! Rating: 9.5

Just when you thought things couldn't get any more exciting, the writers churn out what is probably the strongest episode of the entire arc. Sheesh, I don't even know where to begin. The teaser was absolutely stunning, the most exciting we've had for a long time. The episode proceeds smoothly along course, setting up the poignant chain of events that comprise the main plot. Basically it's a gritty "in the trenches" story, with both our Defiant crew and a Jem'Hadar crew stranded on the same planet.

The Jem'Hadar out-number the Defiant crew two-to-one, but Keevan, the Vorta on charge of the Jem'Hadar, has a wild card up his sleeve, and betrays his own men, realising that once they run out of Ketracel-white, his hold over the Jem'Hadar will be broken. Lack of the drug will turn them into "senseless, violent animals" and they will kill everyone in sight, before eventually turning on each other. The Jem'Hadar are going to attack Sisko's base camp, and Keevan gives him their precise plan of attack, so they can ambush and kill the Jem'Hadar. That way, the Starfleet crew will be saved, and so will Keevan.

Sisko is left with a tough dilemma - is it ethical to take up the dispicable Vorta's offer and kill the Jem'Hadar? The dilemma causes conflict of opinion among Sisko's men, but ultimately the Captain decides - "We are at war. And if it comes to a choice between them and us, there is no choice." Throughout the episode, we're given a look at things through the perspective of the Jem'Hadar, and you know what? You actually feel sorry for these guys! They have been genetically engineered to take orders without question from the Dominion. It's all hammered home in the final exchange between Sisko and Remat'Iklan, the unit leader. Sisko asks "are you really willing to sacrifice your life for the "order of things"?". Remat'Iklan somberly replies; "It's not my life to sacrifice...and it never was."

Well, I dunno about you, but that's a pretty poignant comment, and it all adds to the tragedy of the episode. Sisko is forced to gun down the Jem'Hadar, as their repulsive Vorta strolls across the corpses of his men, with a smirk on his face, having sold out his own men. Gads, I was really, really rooting for Sisko to shoot the slimey Vorta! The whole climax is actually painfully tragic to watch. Kudos to director Mike Vejar for some brilliant work (his use of slow motion was very effective) and all the cast were superb, particularly Avery Brooks, who did a very good job as the Captain forced to abandon his ethics in order to save his men.

Let's not forget the B-story, which is equally powerful. We see some strong character work for Kira, who slowly begins to realise that she's become the one thing she despises the most: a collaborator. Vedek Yassim is a protester against the Dominion; "the Dominion is evil, and the Prophets tell us that evil must be opposed." You don't understand the issues at stake, Kira tells her. "You are right," replies Yassim. "I do not. Perhaps tomorrow we will both understand." The next day, in one of the most shocking scenes I've ever seen on Star Trek, Yassim hangs herself on the promenade, screaming "evil must be opposed". Well, that's Kira's wake-up call, and she decides she must start a resistance against the Dominion.

This is an emotionally compelling, intelligent and provocate tale. Stylish, sophisticated and beautifully performed. And I could go on like this for another page! First rate.
Rating: 10
 

On the other hand, Sons and Daughters is perhaps the low point of the war arc. In fact, the story arc itself seems to take a back-seat to Worf's reunion with his son, Alexander. Not a bad episode by an means, it's reasonably entertaining despite some flaws - but it's painfully ill-timed, and has no significant place in the war arc.

I'm glad the writers finally addressed the "Alexander issue", however. I was not terribly enamoured by the moral implications of Worf having abandoned his son on the basis that "Alexander and I have never gotten along". This mentality doesn't particularly ring true for a Klingon warrior (bit defeatist, ain't it?) and it was part of the reason I simply didn't like Worf aboard DS9 (the other reason being plain and simply he's been a a moany git). Well, Alexander is back, and he's grown an awful lot since we saw him last. He's actually supposed to be about eight years old, but he now looks nearer sixteen. Issues of the Klingon maturation process aside, we never actually learn why Alexander is aboard the Rotarran, pretending he's a warrior, when clearly he ain't. His lack of motivation hurts the story a good deal, and so does Worf's lack of apology for having abandoned him. Still, their bickering occasionally has a tinge of poignancy to it, and is eventually resolved by Worf's pledge to be a better Daddy in future.

The sub-plot is slightly more interesting, and features the return of Ziyal, who has been sweet-talked by her charming but conniving father, Dukat. As charming as Dukat can be when he wants to, Ziyal comes across as hopelessly naive. Dear, oh dear. Rating: 6
 

This is more like it -- a nice, taut return to the war arc. This is the infamous episode where Odo is corrupted by the female Changeling, and betrays Kira. It's certainly fascinating to watch, and very bold, but in retrospect, now that we know that there will be no long-lasting consequences and that Odo will be back to his old self within a fortnight, somewhat dampens the shock factor.

We finally get to see Kira's Resistance cell in action, as they try to provoke the Cardassians and Jem'Hadar into fighting.The teaser, which features Rom and Kira relating how they set up a confrontation between Damar and a bunch of Jem'Hadar works beautifully. But Odo has reservations about their plans, prompting Kira to question his loyalty. Things are complicated further by the arrival of the female Changeling (you know, the one played by Salome Jens), who seems intent to convert Odo back to the Great Link. Surprisingly very little is made of the fact that last time her and Odo saw each other, she'd just turned him into a 'solid'. It is mentioned, though she doesn't seem at all surprised that he's a fully fledged Changeling again, which is interesting. Once again Salome Jens excels at making the Changeling enigmatic, seductive (for Odo at least! ;-) ) and more than a bit unnerving.

As her hold on Odo grows, Kira doesn't notice how dangerous their liaison is getting until it's too late. Odo was to have taken part in a vital plot to stop the Dominion from taking down the minefield, but instead he was "occupied" with the Changeling. Rom, who was attempting to disable the deflectors (or something) was caught and arrested, all because Odo failed to act. Kira storms into his quarters, and she doesn't look at all happy - and that's to put no fine a point on it. He's betrayed her, and the entire Alpha Quadrant. And Odo doesn't seem to care. In fact he's disturbingly disinterested. Ouch. There goes Odo and Kira's friendship. In fact, how can Odo ever be the same again? He's betrayed our people. He's turned the Alpha Quadrant over to the Dominion. Ummm...

The sub-plot nicely balances the main plot, as Sisko is relegated to a desk job at Starfleet HQ. The episode works wonderfully, but it was maybe just too ambitious. Either that or the writers chickened out after they set up the whole Odo/betrayal plot. Well, it lessens the impact of the episode in retrospect, quite considerably. A shame, because it's an otherwise splendid episode. Rating: 8.5 

Favor the Bold will be less memorable as a stand-alone episode than it will be as an episode that inter-weaves the various plots of the arc, culminating in a cliff-hangar ending that leads us into the final arc episode. If you haven't caught any of the earlier episodes this season, you're in trouble, but if you've been following the tale devoutly, then you'll probably enjoy this a great deal.

We can see the first signs of the "reset button" appearing in the horizon as far as the Odo story goes, and I for one cringed when I saw Odo and the female Changeling lying in bed together. For some reason the notion that they'd just had a three-day sex romp didn't exactly sit comfortably with me. And it's not just Changeling sex they've been having, either! Odo's been introducing her to how "solids" experience intimacy ("And, this is how Cardassians do it...this is how Romulans do it..."). Eeeeshk.

Still, we get some interesting insight on the Founders, and the Vorta as well. I think this is the first reference we've had that indicates that like the Jem'Hadar, the Vorta were also genetically engineered by the Founders. I wonder how many other races the Founders have been genetically tampering with. Remember the colony in The Quickening where the Founders had introduced a devastating AIDs-like virus to the populace by way of punishment. The Founder mentions "breaking" humans of certain qualities. This would indicate the Founders plan to genetically tamper with the "solids" once conquering the Alpha Quadrant. Bearing in mind the aforementioned colony, that's a very scary thought!

Ziyal starts to show some promise, and maybe even has a bit of brain after all, as she realises that maybe Dukat isn't Daddy Cool after all. He's planning to execute Rom for his futile attempt to sabotage the deflector and stop him from destroying the minefield. Oh, it's not long before they can take down the minefield, either, so Jake smuggles out a message to Sisko (via Morn) telling him to get a move on. Sisko, meantime, has a battle plan to re-take Deep Space Nine. It's all gripping stuff, although the best scene is where Kira gets to beat up the ever-so-smug Damar! Keep an eye on Ziyal's horrified face! Rating: 8.5
 

I couldn't help myself. I just had to take a peek at what they were saying about this episode when it aired in the States. And from what I read, I was expecting something rather disappointing. So, imagine my very pleasant surprise when, upon finally viewing the episode, I wasn't disappointed in the least!

Sacrifice of Angels is without doubt one of the most exciting episode of Trek we've had for quite some time, and when I say exciting, I mean exciting! It's not often that television has me literally on the edge of my seat, but I was here. The tension builds and builds, as Sisko leads a desperate attempt to try and fight his way through the Dominion fleet and get to DS9 before Dukat can removed the minefield (which will allow some 2, 800 Dominion ships into the Apha Quadrant!). The "clock is ticking" plot device works wonderfully in building the tension, and the whole episode builds up to what you know will be a catastrophic conclusion. Of course, anyone in doubt as to whether out good guys will win obviously needs their head checked, but the title alone, Sacrifice of Angels gives a tantalising sense of foreboding trouble.

Can I just say that the special effects were fan-bloody-tastic!! Truly, I don't think you can expect to see any better outside of a cinema. These are without doubt the most stunning visuals I have ever seen on Trek. Very impressive. Apart from being pretty to look at, they keep your attention from wavering, and along with the brilliant score, add to the episode apocalyptic ambience. Oh, the score! Dark, menacing and ominous, it's brilliant, and effective in the extreme. David Bell's distinctive tones are extremely well suited to heavy, involved stories like this.

Damar arresting Kira and co before they can stop them is a very logical move, and adds a nice twist to things. I absolutely adored Quark's angle in all this! We see another side to the Ferengi barkeep when he realises that he alone can save Kira and stop the Dominion from taking down the minefield. As Rom put it in the previous episode, "the fate of the entire Alpha Quadrant rests in your hands". Of course, Quark is no action hero and he doesn't want to die. But "if that's what's written, then that's what's written", and along with Ziyal, Quark displays great courage and bravery as he rescues Kira and Rom, while gunning down the Jem'Hadar guards. I'd love to see more of this "serious side" to Quark. Armin Shimmerman is terrific, and his delivery of the line "Now you've ruined it" to the guard who Ziyal sedates is absolutely sublime.

But Kira, Rom and co don't escape without the help of Odo, who redeems himself here. It's a rather low key conclusion to a plot development that promised more than it delivered, but at a crunch it worked. The final scene between Odo and the Changeling was notably underplayed, but as Auberjonois and Jens play it, more is said in a glance than a page of dialogue. I can understand why the resolution was down-played, as the writers had so much they had to resolve in the course of an hour. There's a hint of tragedy to the whole thing (Odo: "the Link was paradise, but maybe I'm not ready for paradise"), and the Changeling hints that she will be seeing Odo again real soon ("it's only a matter of time").

Anyway, there's a great build-up to Dukat deactivating the minefield, as the Defiant races toward the station to try and pevent this from happening, and Kira and Rom desperately trying to deactivate the station's weapons, thus stopping Dukat. But, in a very dramatic and commendable twist, all their efforts prove futile, and Dukat succeeds in destroying the minefield, and the gigantic fleet of Dominion ships is on its way into the Wormhole. Things just got a hundred times worse for the Alpha Quadrant!

Sisko takes the Defiant into the Wormhole in a potentially suicide mission to try and stop as many enemy ships as possible. It's then that the Wormhole aliens, or Prophets, make contact with Sisko. I must admit that the Prophets sequence wasn't as deftly written as it could have been. Whilst intriguing, one cannot help but wonder why it takes Sisko so long to get through to them. After all, in last season's Rapture he began receiving visions directly from the Prophets, so I'd have expected them to be at more of an...understanding. But Sisko pleading with the Prophets to stop the Dominion fleet was logical and made sense, although I don't think it was make especially clear why the Prophets needed to impose a "penance" on Sisko. He's told his "pagh will follow another path" and that he will find no rest on Bajor. Intriguing no doubt, but I'm still not sure why.

Which leads us into our final act, which is the most dramatic of all. The moment where Dukat and co realise that they have been defeated and must abandon the station ("time to start packing," as Weyoun notes. :-) ) is quite powerful, thanks largely to Marc Alaimo's brilliant performance. "Victory was within our grasp...it's all lost!" Alaimo really conveyed a sense of loss, and it became obvious that Dukat was starting to lose the plot, as he ran off to find his daughter, Ziyal. As he runs through the coridors, it becomes increasingly obvious that Dukat has gone more than a bit insane, and you just know that something terrible is going to happen.

I must admit that the final Dukat/Ziyal scenes had a fair bit of resonance. In spite of whatever he may have done, he deeply loves his daughter, and this adds another layer of complexity to one of Star Trek's most three-dimensional, fascinating characters. When he tells her that she means everything to him, you believe it. Which makes it all the more tragic when Damar kills Ziyal, proclaiming her a traitor for assisting in the jail-break. Dukat, on the verge of madness cradles his daughter in his arms as she dies. It's one of the show's saddest moments, and Alaimo's powerful performance had me on the verge of tears. Dukat's final fate, huddled in a security cell, dazed and muttering to his dead daughter was quite heart-wrenching. He's the bad guy, he's nuts, but you can't help but feel sorry for him. After all, he's lost everything -- his status as head of Cardassia (presumably), his "victory against the Federation" he was so obsessed about, and of course, his beloved daughter.

Oh, and Sisko and crew arrive back aboard DS9 to cheery applause, and families are reunited, although the episode ends on a sombre, bittersweet note in the aftermath of Ziyal's death. Despite one or two problems (the Odo situation and my qualms about the Prophet sequence being foremost), Sacrifice of Angels is a stunning, exciting and moving episode and a fitting end to the war arc. Rating: 9.5
 

... Well, that about covers the episodes themselves. I had meant to make the commentary shorter, but somewhere along the line slipped into full-blown essay-writing mode! Oops. :-) Anyway, here's some more generalised commentary about the arc as a whole.

Another weak point of the arc was the episode Sons and Daughters. The Worf/Alexander reunion could have, and should have waited til after the arc was over. A couple of plot threads set up in Call to Arms also went largely undeveloped, such as Jake-the-reporter, which was rather wasted, as was Rom-the-spy. I don't think we saw any indication that Rom was actually spying for Starfleet. Buuut, I'm a writer and I know that sometimes, as you develop a story, certain threads may or may not have to be dropped, depending on how the overall story is shaping up. Thought I should mention them, though. Another thing was the minefield. In Call to Arms, Dukat claimed he'd have it down very soon (I can't remember his exact words, but he implied it wouldn't take long). Well, took him a lot longer than he must have thought. Three months plus from A Time to Stand through to Sacrifice of Angels. Hmmm.

Anyways, onto the positive side of things. Yup, my glass is now half full. :-) First of all, the first Pro is that the whole thing is just so damned good! Sure, there were missteps (see above), but I eagerly awaited each new episode and thoroughly enjoyed the whole thing. Kudos to the writers, and indeed the cast and production people for that. I bow my hat!

Character-wise, the arc was very good, for some more than others. It was wonderful to see Kira back on fine form, having removed the last traces of her "refurbishment" back in the fourth season (excepting the uniform and the HEELS, which remain!). Back is the woman of determination, inner strength and gusto that I knew and loved from DS9's earlier seasons. There's some very powerful development for Kira, particularly when she decides she can't just stand by without acting against the Dominion. Nana Visitor stole the show on more than one occassion, too!

I'll say no more about Odo (sigh of relief!), but although not much in the way of character development (so what else is knew), I enjoyed seeing Dax displaying she can be just as tough as any guy! As a Dax fan I got a kick out of seeing her in the command of the Defiant, and getting called "Captain"! But I must admit Sisko delivered that speech in Behind the Lines ("this says something about us - that we will fight, and keep on fighting 'til we can't fight anymore!") better than Dax did.

Speaking of Sisko, we got some great character work for Sisko in Rocks and Shoals, and once again he's presented as a tough Starfleet Captain forced to make tough decisions. However, they seemed to down-play the Sisko/Jake separation, with Sisko barely mentioning Jake. That didn't ring true. But his quiet frustration at being stuck in a desk job while the Defiant goes off into the Front line did have a ring of truth to it. I loved the scene in Favor the Bold where he admitted that "when I go home, it will be to Bajor". But, as we learn in Sacrifice, he "will find no rest on Bajor". Niggles about the Prophets sequence in that episode aside, I'll be intrigued to find out what path Sisko is to follow by way of punishment by the Prophets. Sisko's role as the Emissary always fascinates me.

The writers succeeded tremendously well in developing the characters of Dukat, Weyoun and Damar, particularly Dukat and Weyoun. I look forward to see what direction they plan in taking Dukat. One thing's for sure, I think we'll be seeing a lot more of him. As for Ziyal, well, the trouble with this character is that she's been played by so many different actresses (three, within a year!) that it's taken a long time to get any real feel for her. It wasn't really helped by Sons and Daughters where she appeared naive to the point of being simple. Ironically, it was during her final two appearances that she started to grow some teeth. However, just as they finally start to flesh out her character - they kill her! Her death actually had resonance (which I hadn't expected) and whilst I won't miss her that much - she's only been in a handful of episodes, anyway - I think the character could have had a lot of potential. Ah well, goodbye Ziyal, we hardly knew ye.

Quark and Rom both played fairly important parts in the story, while the rest of the characters, including Bashir, O'Brien, Nog, Garak and Worf, were just kind of there, but not unappreciated. I've been enjoying Martok's appearances a great deal, and relish J.G. Hertzler's rambunctious performances. In Sons and Daughters, however, he comes out with one of his "sharpest" lines yet: "When a father and son do not talk, it means there is trouble between them". Come on, General, you didn't need to be Hercule Poirot to figure that one out!

Well, I guess all that's left is the question; where to now? Whilst the crew are back on the station, the story arc does leave number of interesting threads dangling, which I'm sure will be picked up on. The Federation is still at war, for a start. I'll be interested to see where that goes (though I fully expect a few "fluff" episodes first! :-p). I'm also keenly looking forward to our next outing with Dukat (Waltz is bound to be interesting), and by virtue of the fact that both Dax and Worf have survived the war intact (so far, anyway...) I guess that means we've a wedding to look forward to...

There we go, on the whole I really enjoyed the arc, and if you haven't figured that out by now then I'm obviously hopeless at writing reviews! One or two niggly-bits kept it from being quite stellar, but we did find out one thing; with reference to writers, Fortune most certainly does Favor the Bold! Keep that in mind, DS9 writers, keep that in mind! And for heaven's sake, you might want to pass that on to the writing staff over on Voyager!

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