Starting out with some light couple interaction between O’Brien and Keiko. Then to Keiko’s class, a Bajoran religious personage (Vedek Wynn) comes in and states that what Keiko is teaching is blasphemy, and she cannot permit it to continue. Hmm, I think I remember this episode was kinda dumb. I don’t think I’m going to enjoy it.
So O’Brien is working with the new hire Bajoran “wonder girl” technician, and an important security screwdriver has gone missing.
Keiko is talking with Sisko about the incident at school, and Sisko says how difficult it will be to find the common ground needed to bring Bejor into the Federation. Spoiler, you can’t, at least not in real life. Back then I was probably naive enough to think you could. Well, I like Kira’s approach so far. I’m remembering this wasn’t great but it touched on a few interesting concepts. Eh, it was 30 years ago I should stop trying to remember or speculate on what I think I remember and just watch the show. Anyway, I think this is like some sort of Scopes monkey trial thing going on here. Sisko goes to talk with Vedek Wynn… Hmm, there is wisdom in what Vedek Wynn says.
O’Brien and “wonder girl” find the “interlock” (security screwdriver) melted in a plasma conduit. Ensign Akino apparently was trying to repair something with it and got melted.
Keiko and O’Brien have an encounter with Vedek Wynn, they really go out of their way to slam religion as some backwards, anti-enlightenment thing. Keiko takes to teaching about Galileo for the few kids who remain in school, using his example of “persecution” to illustrate her own situation, never mind the fact the Galileo got in trouble more for being an ass than for teaching “forbidden knowledge.” Jake complains to his dad about how “dumb” this religion is, and Sisko at least understands its value. Why can’t the aliens in the wormhole be prophets? Of course they can, and none of it is at odds with the “science” either.
Sisko goes down to Bajor for something and meets Vedek Bareil. Heh, I like the ear grabbing thing. Ah, I see, Vedek Bareil is the new “liberal” Vedek and has the inside track to become elected the new Kai, so Sisko was trying to get him to tell her to butt out or something, but he gets no where.
Kira reports to Sisko that 3 Bajorans have reported sick, like a “blue flu.” He rightly doesn’t take kindly to that and tell her to get them back on duty or they’ll be discharged.
Dr. Bashir reports that Ensign Akino was killed by a phaser before being placed in the energy conduit, presumably to hide the evidence after he was murdered. Sigh, I’m being quite bored by this.
O’Brien and “wonder girl” have an awkward conversation while they are looking for forensic information about the murder.
Here comes Quark, among a gaggle of Bajorans. He’s kind of right with his Dabo girl remarks. Odo is asking about the murder, of which Quark knows nothing, but Odo says “keep your ears open.” Which is a hilarious thing to say to a Ferengi, and we get to learn another rule of acquisition, #7, YAY! That’s pretty much the only thing this episode has going for it. O’Brien and Odo do some more sleuthing when the school blows up. Sisko has some rhetoric with Vedek Wynne. It’s very difficult for me to unpack, as I’d have had a different attitude about it back then than I do now, and even now I have ambivalent opinions on it. this is basically not a fun episode, and I think the problem was more Vedek Wynne’s politics than her religion. So we find out that “wonder girl” is behind this with Vedek Wynne, and we get treated to an encryption breaking sequence. Vedek Bareil arrives on the station. Hero O’Brien lets Sisko know that something is up so he can come to dramatic rescue.
Final Grade F+
This is snoozefest episode with annoying conversations missing the point. It only gets the plus because some of the bits were kind of OK, but mostly because we got another rule of acquisition.