Sisko makes a deal with the devil in order to keep the Federation alive.
Sisko holding someone against a wall saying “I’m making a new agreement” is one of the most chilling moments Star Trek has managed from the main cast. The triumph of the episode is that every step along the way to that point makes sense. Sisko has always had a dark side, here it’s used to tell a great story.
Oh how far we’ve come from Roddenberry’s perfect future. But this is better science fiction, maybe not as hopeful – but the people are real, and the story telling much more interesting.
The only bit of this episode I didn’t like was the framing – I don’t like flashback narration. And the soul searching rang a little false – Sisko normally gets to where he is by the end of the episode a bit quicker than that.
519 down, 218 to go.