Review: When I first saw this episode, I was terrified that Lwaxana Troi was back. But holy hell, her character can work if written correctly. Her time with Odo on the turbolift is fantastic TV. We learn a great deal about Odo’s personality, and for the first time, see him in a weak moment. And, for the first time, we see Lwaxana in a moment of strength, proving why she may have had the skills to become an ambassador despite her general obnoxiousness.
Review: Yet another mystery that involves the Cardassians, and once again they knock it out of the park. That Nerys may be a Cardassian who was a plant and doesn’t know it is a brilliant idea reminiscent of a Philip K. Dick story (in fact, Dick’s stories were an inspiration). Everyone is not who they seem in this episode, including Odo as a backpack. Garak’s character somehow gains even new heights of intrigue, as he’s no longer just a possible spy, he also shows he could be dangerous to his friends on DS9.
Review: ,Now this was the season 7 episode I was waiting for. Even though there’s not much here that isn’t predictable, it all feels right and a nice change of pace from “business as usual” Star Trek. Watching Damar’s struggle with his new role for the Cardassian people is awesome and leaving the viewer with hope that a mortal enemy for decades might just be willing to trust is a great journey. When the Klingons joined with the Federation, it happened off-screen prior to the timeline of TNG. Here we get to see it in action, which is much preferable.
Synopsis: Sisko, Jake, and O’Brien accidentally trigger an old Cardassian security system that believes the Occupation is still going on and the station has been taken in a Bajoran workers’ rebellion.
Review: Reminiscent of Disaster, but way more fun as it feels less contrived. Plus, you know, Garak and Dukat show up and have a spat. There’s something so haunting about the automated defense system of the space station as the crew feels increasingly helpless to stop it. Every time they think they are getting close to disabling the security system, they are set back. The climax of this episode is when Dukat arrives, and then tries to leave, but the security system assumes he’s running away from his post and keeps him there as well.
Synopsis: After receiving a minor dose of radiation poisoning, O’Brien inexplicably begins experiencing a series of jumps into the near future. Meanwhile, a Romulan delegation arrives on the station, expecting an intelligence report on the Dominion.
Review: I love most episodes that involve time travel, and this one has a unique twist I’ve never seen before (jumping into the future a short time, interacting with that environment, then jumping back with new info). It requires a ton of technobabble to make it work, and it barely squeaks by. Colm Meaney helps a great deal as it’s easy to connect with his struggle. There’s one joke “I hate temporal mechanics,” that is used to explain away the obvious paradoxes. It’s lame, but at least it acknowledges how confusing things get. The ride is really fun so I forgave it pretty easily.
Review: With DS9 I tend to prefer the episodes that are part of larger story arcs, but this is a one-off that I’m particularly fond of. The main crux of the story, that Federation peeps find an epidemic on a new planet, has been done many times before in one way or the other. However, this might be the first time I haven’t been annoyed by trumped up moralism or deus ex machina cures.
Synopsis: Convicted of espionage, Miles O’Brien is given the memories of twenty years in prison in a matter of hours. Returning to Deep Space 9, O’Brien finds he cannot shrug the memory of his awful experience or rid himself of the guilt he feels over the death of his cellmate.
Review: Pretty much any episode that features Colm Meaney is off to a strong start and this is no exception, especially because he suffers more than usual, up to contemplating suicide. There are so many things they did right with this story.
Synopsis: In the “mirror universe,” Sisko must persuade the alternate version of his dead wife to join the Terran Rebels, or he will watch her die a second time.
Review: If you can’t tell by now, it’s hard for me not to watch any episode of Star Trek and not compare it to something done on TNG. For the first half here, I kept thinking this was just a poor man’s version of Drumhead what with the abusive investigator with no evidence. But when it became clear that things weren’t what they seemed, I started to think it was derivative of Frame of Mind, but less suspenseful. And then in one fell swoop it became better than either episode.
Synopsis: Trapped three hundred years in the past, Sisko, Bashir, and Dax find themselves confronting one of the darkest hours in Earth’s history. With history itself at stake, Sisko must risk all to see that the Bell Riots reach their inevitable conclusion, even if it means sacrificing his life
Review: A very polarizing episode, as it gets political and preachy about the homelessness and mental illness in the early 21st century. As a social worker, I appreciate that they were willing to take this on directly. Treatment of those who are homeless is still very poor in this country. What bothered me about the episode is that Bashir makes it sound like fixing the problem is as easy as snapping your fingers. He whines about how there are medications that can fix mental illnesses in our time period. It also would have been nice for them to mention the real reason that the homeless don’t get much help: there’s no immediate profit in it.
Death By Troggles 
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