Amazon.com video review:
Original airdate: 6-21-93. Stardate: Unknown. Federation-Bajoran
tensions run high in DS9's emotionally charged first-season finale, which
introduces the antagonistic Bajoran spiritual leader Vedek Winn (played by
Oscar®-winning actress Louise Fletcher), whose self-serving political
intrigues would carry into subsequent episodes "The Circle" and "The Siege."
When Keiko O'Brien refuses to include Bajoran spiritual beliefs in her classroom
curriculum, Vedek Winn threatens to take action, and an act of terrorism
escalates into a plot to assassinate the leading candidate to become Bajor's new
spiritual leader (Philip Anglim). This exceptional episode plays up the
political conflicts that constantly simmer on DS9 and also serves as a
showcase for Fletcher's self-righteous villainy, a test of Major Kira's loyalty
to Sisko, and a closer look at Bajoran vulnerability to splinter groups and
fanaticism. The separation of church and state is an obvious theme, but it's
handled with intelligence and suspense, setting the stage for the secret agendas
that would emerge at the beginning of DS9's second season. --Jeff
Shannon
Amazon.com video review:
The Wadi are an interesting people. They obviously don't give a hoot
about Federation First Contact formalities. In fact, when greeted by an
uptight Captain Sisko and his officers decked out in full dress uniform,
Master Surchid Falow (Joel Brooks) demands to be taken to Quark's Bar.
To play games. Now. Not one to argue in the face of warped
logic, Sisko wisely obliges. The Wadi may come from the Gamma Quadrant,
but they prefer to reside in Wacky Land. Although it owes its
existence to the famous "Checkmate" episode of British TV's The
Prisoner, "Move Along Home" is also a tight, well-crafted piece of science
fiction writing. The story is deceptively simple. The Wadi turn out to be
excellent game players. They win a lot. Ferengi Quark goes gonzo and
resorts to cheating in order to salvage his profit margin. The Wadi, who are no
fools, catch him and decide he must be punished. They "invite"
Quark to play one of their games. So much for Sisko's precious
First Contact folderol.
Joel Brooks is maniacally perfect as Falow. Not to be
outdone, gifted Armin Shimmerman manages to imbue Quark with poignant
smarm. Watch for truly great Ferengi groveling. Listen for the best
upper-level-management line of the entire series ("I'm a Bajoran
administrator. This is not what I signed up for!") and cool role-playing
game in-jokes. "Move Along Home" may be simple, but it's also a whole lot
of surreal fun. --Kayla Rigney
Amazon.com video review:
While trivia buffs may focus on the guest-starring appearance of Tim
Russ (later cast as Voyager's Vulcan, Tuvok) as a hot-blooded
Klingon, this episode is also a favorite for Jadzia Dax (and Terry Farrell)
fans, in which DS9's resident Trill is forced to sacrifice her symbiont
to a weak-willed Trill named Verad (John Glover), who failed to qualify for a
Trill symbiont through legitimate channels. DS9 is operating with a
skeleton crew due to its close proximity to a violent plasma storm, and Verad
invades the station with a gang of accomplices including the aforementioned
Klingon and Mareel (Megan Gallagher). Glover gives a superb performance, and
DS9's regular cast is allowed to shine. There's a tender scene between
Jadzia and Bashir, and Armin Shimerman (as Quark) injects some delicious comic
relief, such as when Quark can barely conceal his delight when Odo is sealed in
a stasis chamber! Well-rounded episodes like this made the series's second
season particularly strong. --Jeff Shannon
Amazon.com video review:
The Ferengi evoke a strong reaction from fans, who either love them or
hate them--mostly, they hate them. (Retail managers particularly
hate them for some reason.) The Ferengi were the oo-mox-starved failed
villains of the Next Generation universe. As villains, they
were pretty pathetic and tended to shriek a lot for no reason. Then
DS9 came along and changed all that. DS9 gave us Quark and the
Rules of Acquisition. Sure Quark still craved oo-mox, but at least he shrieked
only when it was absolutely necessary to the plot. More importantly, the actor
playing Quark (Armin Shimerman) imbued him with intelligence, wit, and
guile--and a strong dose of heart.
"The House of Quark" is a major hoot. The person who came up with the idea
of pitting Quark against the Klingon High Council deserves some sort of
medal. The plot is so absurd that it actually makes sense. Mary
Kay Adams is fabulous as Grilka, the honored widow. Robert O'Reilly
returns as Gowron, honored head of the High Council, and Carlos Carrasco
is menacing as D'Ghor, Klingon without honor. Kudos all around for the
scene where Quark baffles the High Council with Basic Accounting 101.
Great ensemble acting. Great line: "A brave Ferengi... who would have
thought it possible?" The annoying B story features equally annoying Keiko,
but that's why fast-forward buttons were invented. "The House of Quark" is
a delight and a must-own for all Quark fans. Klingon fans will get a
kick out of it, too. --Kayla Rigney
Amazon.com video review:
Kira Nerys (Nana Visitor) is a good person. She often serves as the
series' voice of reason, because she can
always be trusted to do the right thing. This trust is hard
earned because Kira also has one very particular prejudice, and
everybody knows it: Kira Nerys does not like Cardassians. Her
prejudice elevates "Second Skin" from just ironic to deliciously creepy.
Imagine waking up in a strange place in the middle of your own worst
nightmare. All the people around you insist that this is reality
and everything you hold to be true is a lie. Now imagine that when you
look in the mirror, the reflection of your mortal enemy stares back at
you...
In this episode, nothing is what it seems. The viewer is forced to
peel away layer after layer to finally reveal the answer. And that
answer isn't black or white. It's gray--like the Cardassian skin in
which Kira finds herself encased. Nana Visitor is given good, solid
material here, and she runs with it. Cardassian kudos to Lawrence
Pressman as Legate Ghemor and to Andrew Robinson as the ever mysterious
Garak. Great line: "Anything worth doing in a holosuite can be done
better in the real world." Great scene: Sisko gleefully blackmailing
Garak into submission. "Second Skin" is a puzzle within a puzzle--there
may be only one solution, but getting there is half the fun. --Kayla
Rigney
Amazon.com video review:
A pivotal episode in the development of security chief Odo (Rene
Auberjonois) as a complex and sympathetic character, "The Forsaken" follows its
central theme--the isolation of outcasts--on parallel plot lines. One involves
Odo's comedic interplay with the aggressively amorous Lwaxana Troi (Trek
veteran Majel Barrett, making the first of three DS9 appearances), and
the other focuses on O'Brien's challenge when an alien probe wreaks havoc on the
station's Cardassian computers. The exceptional teleplay (by Don Carlos Dunaway
and series cocreator Michael Piller) handles Odo's intimate dilemma with good
humor and touching emotion, allowing Auberjonois and Barrett to craft memorable
scenes that broaden the horizons of their popular characters. As we learn more
about them, DS9 continues to capitalize on its dramatic
potential. --Jeff Shannon
