Live watch / Plot
Recap of previous episode.
Sisko and Jaro square off about the post reassignments. Sisko is unhappy about them. Jake calls Sisko to their quarters to observe more Circle graffiti. Dun dun dun!!!! Enjoying intro again.
Odo confronts Kira about her leaving the station. He’s angry because she’s not following her personal code over all others. Which one would think is something honorable, but it really amounts to “do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law.” Back in the day, I didn’t realize that.
What ensues is a sort of goodbye gathering. Kira is invited to stay at the monastery by Vedek Bariel.[1] Kira experiences the 3rd Orb st the monastery.
Quark and Odo discuss the arms that these Circle people are getting and start an investigation. Quark gets deputized. A coup is in the works, and I feel bored. I’m pretty sure this was more exciting back in the day. Lots of dialogue going on that is not as interesting as last episode. Vedek Winn shows up at the monastery and is her usual creepy conniving self replete with veiled threats.
Sisko goes down to Bajor to talk to the general in charge of defending the city, wherein the building has some designs that look Cardassian. I suppose some Cardassian construction would be the result of their occupation. Sisko gives the general the info about the arms suppliers and asks for Kira back, but it is out of the general’s control.
O’Brien smuggles Odo on board the Kressari ship, the ones who are doing the arms supplying. They didn’t find anything, so smuggling Odo is possibly plan B.
Sisko visits Kira at the monastery. This is a very slow moving episode. Kira is then kidnapped by the Circle.
Odo observers a transaction between a Cardassian and the Kressari.
Kira is taken to see minister Jaro, who is the head of The Circle, and just as I said in the review of the last episode, he’s not happy that a war hero could capture the attention of the people. His arguments against the Provisional Government aren’t wrong, though. It’s very interesting how my opinions towards this character have changed since I first watched it. This scene gives me a lot to think about that I can’t put into words very well, but this episode is finally getting interesting. Some of the politics don’t quite add up, but I can’t put my finger on it.
Quark finds out where the Circle’s head quarters are, so they can mount a rescue operation for Kira.
Jaro and Winn have their scheming meeting.
Admiral Chekote[2]. orders Sisko to evacuate DS9 and leave it to the Bajorans. This seems the right choice to me, to butt out, but I’d have expected the Federation to want to defend its occupation of the station. They kind of leave the personnel to fend for themselves, ouch! To be continued…
Final Grade C
This was was solid C territory but it got kind of interesting at the end. There’s really not a lot to say about this episode, it’s not great, but it’s a bit less skippable than the previous one.
1. It’s spelled Bariel in the opening credits, despite being listed as Bareil online.
2. An odd reference to Voyager?