We deal with the aftermath of the Bajoran-Cardassian peace treaty in “Destiny”, as Kira starts making Sisko a little uncomfortable. Then, in “Prophet Motive”, Quark makes the Bajoran prophets uncomfortable. Plus! Richard doesn’t know who Tracy Scoggins is.
Trekabout Episode 178: Destiny/Prophet Motive
Jenny
-Yeesh, that Obsidian Order plotline in ‘Destiny’ is clumsy as hell. I feel like there’s two possible explanations one could come up with after-the-fact (though that’s not really a good thing):
1) This is that agent’s first mission outside Cardassian space, so it’s the first time that intimidation and fear aren’t sufficient for her to get the job done. (Mildly interesting from a character perspective?)
or
2) This was a cover; she was actually accomplishing some other mission, with the sabotage being incidental and meant to distract, rather than being the real goal. (Possibly interesting plot-wise if they pay it off down the line?)
I suppose it is … okay that we get a reminder that just because Cardassia made peace with Bajor, that doesn’t mean that the Cardassian State is any better? I had this rough notion of a subplot we could’ve seen in ‘Life Support’ with, like, Kira having started to quietly support the Cardassian dissidents, and with, like, the Bajoran government basically having to end that quiet support as a condition of peace … in which case, that might’ve mattered more?
I do like the cosmopolitan Cardassian scientists, though. I wonder how Garak would’ve gotten along with them?
Eric Brasure
-Now you’re making me miss that Garak had been in “Destiny”!
Mindy
-When I rewatched this, I realized that I had totally forgotten where the communications relay system had come from. How interesting in retrospect that it was the Cardassians who helped implement it.
This episode is actually kind of weird to watch in retrospect. It is strange that the deployment of such an important piece of technology is so underplayed. The Obsidian Order plotline is so tonally off from what we know about the Obsidian Order. Maybe this explains what happens with Obsidian Order leadership a few episodes from now?
I did greatly enjoy getting to meet civilian Cardassian women, though. I wish we had gotten more of that.
Eric Brasure
-I agree that something about the Obsidian Order seems off in this episode–she seems more like a Tal Shiar operative.
Jenny
-That is /harsh/.
But fair.