Question of the Day

In our most recent Questions of the Day, we discussed our favorite episodes of classic Star Trek and The Next Generation. To conclude the topic, let's talk about Deep Space Nine.

I thought that this series was a bit boring until the Dominion War got rolling in Season 4. Deep Space Nine broke with the episodic tradition to present a long, serialized story arc -- a risky venture, as the broadcasting experience of Babylon 5 illustrates.

Nonetheless, my favorite episode is Season 1's "Duet", not a story from the Dominion War narrative. A Cardassian war criminal passes through the station and is promptly locked up by Major Kira. Gul Darhe'el does not deny his actions, but joyfully boasts of slaughtering Bajorans during his world's occupation of Bajor. Yet as the investigation continues, his story begins to unravel. This is not Gul Darhe'el, but a mere military filing clerk who, overcome with guilt about his participation in war crimes, is pretending to to be Darhe'el. Aamin Marritza's hope is that by going on trial on Bajor, he will force the Cardassian people to come to terms with the atrocities they committed.

Kira wants to hate this Cardassian -- all Cardassians, actually -- but she can't. She can't help but sympathize with Marritza and his misguided attempt to heal the wounds of war.

This episode was a glorious piece of writing. Harris Yulin, a veteran actor of vast experience, executed the role of Marritza masterfully. I can watch it again and again.

What's your favorite episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine?

Image: Paramount

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Newest 3 Comments

@steph -- I thought that that episode was technically cool and fun, but it didn't really grab me. Although it was fun to watch the dialogue about how Klingons looked different.

@claytonwerner -- that's pretty much my assessment, too. And my favorite lighthearted episodes were those involving the Ferengi. They're one of the most interesting cultures in Trek.

@daikoneklectik -- did you have to take off the earring, like Ensign Ro did?

@Kevin R -- I first "Far Beyond the Stars" in its novel form during summer job graveyard shifts. It's one of the better novelizations, and the episode was great, too.

The producers of DS9 briefly considered ending the series by making the final shot one of Benny Russell reading a script entitled "Star Trek".

@JoeyJoeJoe -- "The Visitor" certainly ranks highly. I find it so heart-wrenching that it's almost painful to watch. I guess that's a sign about how good it is.

@elnots -- yes, absolutely. One of the great things about DS9 was its depiction of massive, spectacular battles. For the first time, the Federation was faced with national destruction by a foe that was powerful, but not god-like. The battle scenes were glorious (real war, of course, is just awful).

@Bill -- I watched some B5 in college, but it's only the past two years that I've been able to really get caught up on science fiction. I was always working two jobs or otherwise occupied during potential free time. So a few months ago, I watched Babylon 5 from start to finish over about a month.
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I'm going with JoeyJoeJoe... The Visitor is my favorite Trek episode from any series. An incredibly moving story, and Tony Todd is brilliant in it.
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