The War Begins

Story: Call to Arms
Written By: Ira Steven Behr and Robert Hewitt Wolfe
Series: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Year: 1997

What an incredible finale. It is epic from the word go. It has big sweeping themes, and brings many character arcs into the fold…the arcs don’t really end, but many get a new direction. It is a game changer. DS9 decided against repeating TNG’s standard cliffhangers, and went with the effective game change endings. The main arc of the season would be over, but they show you what is too come in a way.
Anyhow, the Dominion has been sending troops through the wormhole…attack seem imminent. It is decided by Starfleet and Sisko to mine the wormhole to keep anymore troops from coming through. This obviously pisses off the Dominion. So Weyoun and Sisko make some veiled attempts at compromise, but neither really buys it. Sisko lays the mines.

So much happens in this episode, Jake’s struggle with war and medicine from “Nor the Battle to the Strong”, Rom and Leeta get married, Bajor signs the non-aggression pact with the Dominion to ensure that planet’s safety, Klingons destroy Dominion fleetyards, all Starfleet members evacuate the station, the station becomes Terok Nor again – captured by the Dominion/Cardassians…Jake stay behind.

It’s a heavy episode, it is exciting and thrilling and dramatic and funny…it is one of the best episodes of the series…and the final moments where Dukat sees Sisko’s baseball (his message that he will be back)…and the Defiant and Rotarran meeting up with this GIANT fleet of Klingon and Federation ships…it is one of the most epic shots of the franchise.

NEXT TIME: DS9 Season 5 Recap