Star Trek DS9: The Search, Part II
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The problem with this episode directed by Jonathan Frakes is the following: The federation abandons the station after excluding the Romulans from the peace talks with the Dominion's Founders; I don't think the 'Founders' are the real thing (I wrote this statement before finding out who the real Dominion were towards the end of the episode, suffice to say that I was right in what I suspected); Major Kira screams out her plans to everyone in the 'garden', rather silly and implausible; Odo's behaviour - kidnapping persons was never his style and is out of character. Odo's homeworld - looked initially like it was Moonbase Alpha - a travelling moon or planet! |
Of course, apart from that, the drastic changes in this episode are breath-taking. Garak's comments were appropriate. At the start of the episode we are shown Sisko and Bashir in a shuttlecraft, but we are not told how they got there. On Odo's homeworld, there was a pedastal monument similar to the one seen in "The Alternate". The Romulans are angry that the Federation has kept them out from the peace talks with the Dominion. Admiral Necheyev in her usual nonsense manner explains to Sisko that "it's what the Founders want" - but WHY? Things become rough as T'Rul the Romulan is killed by the Jem'Hadar, and Sisko and company attempt to take a shuttlecraft to blow up the wormhole. Of course Constable Odo and Kira are still on the other side, in the Gamma Quadrant. Garak is killed, giving us a strong indication that this is not going on. In fact, this is all an illusion, Sisko, Bashir, Dax, O'Brien, T'Rul are all on Odo's Homeworld since the beginning of the episode and have been living an illusion played by the Dominion. And the Dominion are not the pointed ears race we have been told in the 'illusion' sequences, rather they are Odo's people, the Changelings! So no peace has been reached.
Conclusion: A good episode which is marred by bad character interactions and the worst cop-out: 'illusions'. I disliked it when X-Files did the same cop-out recently, and I disliked it here. It's an Elseworlds or What-If type of concept. Interesting, that's sure, but non-conclusive as the story goes. And the story was promising, but what we got was candy floss rather than something substantial. However the episode is on final counts quite satisfactory if not conclusive.
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Last updated on : 7th July 2005, 13:29