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Star Trek: Deep Space Nine turns a corner this week, as we go into some very dark territory in “Duet”. Later, “In the Hands of the Prophets” reveals that there are some deep problems on Bajor.
Trekabout Episode 157: Duet/In the Hands of the Prophets
Seth Heasley
-I need to go back and watch it again, but on first viewing I’d easily put Duet in my Top 10 TNG/DS9 episodes. And this from somebody who didn’t like Kira much at the beginning.
Eric Brasure
-On a purely TV level it’s just so compelling. Probably one of the finest episodes of TV ever. The ending is a little pat, but that’s really a matter of taste.
Jonas Kyratzes
-"Duet" is the show at its best, I think. Sometimes I wonder what might’ve happened if the entire show had focused on the scars of the occupation and the process of Bajor joining the Federation. Really show us Bajoran and Cardassian culture in detail, show us the history (personal as well as political), the atrocities… and then show us some way of slowly, painfully finding a way forward for both peoples.
In many ways the show gets more exciting later on, but I wish it had brought the energy that it later finds to a more intimate portrayal.
Eric Brasure
-Yeah, they really do drop the Bajoran focus pretty quickly–but I don’t know that that should be all that surprising, since Star Trek has always first and foremost been about new life and new civilizations through the eyes of Starfleet.
Aslak Cornelis
-Is the “shocking and controversial” episode you mentioned in this episode “In The Pale Moonlight”? I haven’t actually seen it but it’s freaking famous for being dark.
Eric Brasure
-I don’t remember, but it’s very likely!