Cerritos goes to DS9. Spoilers.
This is, I believe, the first time DS9 has been the setting of an episode since 1999. DS9 is an important part of my Trek history, so I had high expectations about this episode. Despite that it still exceeded them. I thought this was possibly the strongest episode to date.
There are so many plots in this episode. We have:
– Freeman negotiating a treaty
– Tendi and the other Orion
– Boimler playing Dabo
– Mariner meeting Jennifer’s friends.
– Kira and Shaxs fighting about who saved who
– Quark stealing technology
And with the exception of Boimler (who is really having a bit of an episode off) all of the plots weaved together nicely. There was surprisingly little fan service really – only three DS9 characters on screen, and only half a dozen references to DS9 episodes. There was plenty of time to tell a story that felt like both a Lower Decks story and a DS9 story, which is an impressive feat.
On the character development front it’s a big episode for the Mariner/Jennifer relationship (which I would like to see more) and Tendi coming to terms with her past. I like that her normal timid personality is actually her suppressing her instincts, and it was fun to see her go full pirate. Hopefully the writers can find a way to bring this back without changing her too much.
Quick hits:
– “Pretend we’re in awe of the pylons” together with the theme music is such a wonderful fan-service joke.
– OK, I get that Shaxs has feelings about Cardassians. But he better not say that about DS9 too loudly.
– Morn on the bar.
– Something feels a bit off about Armin Shimmerman’s Quark voice.
– Have we seen the ‘RITOS’ sweat shirts before? Regardless, I need one.
869 down.