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DS9 4-13

DS9 4x13
"Crossfire"

Original airdate: 1/29/1996
Rewatch date: 2/27/2014


Bajoran First Minister Shakaar comes to the station for a diplomatic meeting, but Odo must be on guard due to a credible threat on his life.

Spoiler-free notes:

They do a good job coming up with a new way to lead us into the story. Granted, having Odo brief Kira on the day's security matters is still pretty bland, but it's an organic way to explain to us that Shakaar is coming to the station, that some Bajorans have a problem with that, and that Odo is clearly trying to ingratiate himself to the Major, which sets up both the political conflict and the interpersonal one to come.

Whoa, they actually mention Eddington, even though he's "on leave" again. How such a seemingly important character is always missing is beyond me.

I love the scene between Odo and Worf where they talk about needing stability and order and not letting people "feel welcome" in their quarters. After the events of "Hippocratic Oath," it's nice to see that Odo has earned Worf's respect, if not admiration, and that Odo is capable of seeing the similarities between them.

The scene between Odo and Shakaar talking about Shakaar maybe having feelings for Kira and has she said anything to Odo about him... Ugh. This is some of the most soapy, insipidly melodramatic vomit ever put into a Star Trek episode. And then following it up with Quark's "you're falling in love with her" intervention only makes it worse.

And then the "Did you make a wish?" scene... Jesus, was this written by a teenage girl?!

Using his shapeshifting ability to stop the falling turbolift was kinda cool.

The only real saving grace of this episode is how it evolves the relationship between Quark and Odo, but it is hardly worth the other forty minutes of unresolved soap opera that deliberately goes backwards in the natural progression of the Kira/Odo romance. The writers knew when to pull the plug on Bareil, but now they've just replaced him with Shakaar, who is almost as uninteresting as a character. It's safe to say I really dislike this episode, and that I have no desire to ever watch it again.





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