Star Trek 457: When It Rains...

457. When It Rains...

FORMULA: Broken Link + Return to Grace

WHY WE LIKE IT: Kira throws in with Damar.

WHY WE DON'T: Three's Company, starring Bashir, O'Brien and Ezri.

REVIEW: Time to send Kira and Odo (oh and Garak) out for some good parts after keeping them in the shadows for the first half of the "final chapter". Damar's need for a different perspective could have been set up better (with a big loss, for example), but sending him Kira as adviser is inspired either way. Turns out, he's a bigger man than we gave him credit for, or at least his pragmatism is a stronger drive than his vindictiveness. Not so his fellow officers, Rusot in particular, who need at the very least a Starfleet uniform on Kira not to feel insulted. If you were a fan of the tempermental Kira of old, she's back. All she really needed was a cocky Cardassian around. The whole situation is very tense, and my favorite thread to follow from here to the end.

Though Odo is in Kira's team, he's about to become less than useful thanks to the changeling disease. Not only is it revealed that he's got it, but also that Section 31 infected him and used him as a carrier during Homefront/Paradise Lost. Seems like the Great Link was infected when they "judged" Odo in Broken Link. Oh, and sorry Laas. So sorry. The disease sets up, among other things of course, Bashir and O'Brien's last adventure together. Speaking of Bashir, he fails to make proper contact with Ezri, as their subplot idles at the comedic misunderstandings phase.

Gowron's back to honor Martok as a war hero, but also to take the reins away from him and reap some glory for himself. Seems like his confidence may just border on incompetence, but it's Gowron, and he's always been a political animal. A way to give the Klingons their due before the series comes to a close. For those still looking for reasons why I don't like Admiral Ross, this is the one where he appears to be squeamish about Klingon rituals, and is ready to give up as soon as the Cardassians object to help from a Bajoran Colonel. Desk jockey...

Much less for the villains this time around, though Dukat gets blinded by the text of the Kosst Amojan and sent into the streets by Kai Winn to learn a lesson in humility. It's sweet revenge for her, and plot-wise, a way to get rid of these characters for a little bit. Their story has advanced too quickly for the finale schedule.

LESSON: ...it pours?

REWATCHABILITY - High: Though essentially a set-up for the second half of the final chapter, it's got some tense scenes and plenty of twists as things go from bad to worse.

Comments

Stephen said…
i always thought that a great nem for this epsiode would have been when the shit hits the fan
LiamKav said…
Seeing Kira in a Starfleet uniform made me realise how... tight her Bajoran uniform had become. It wasn't completely in your face sleezy, but the fairly loose two piece of "The Emissary" had gradually become slinkier and slinkier.

Starfleet: Less explotative then Bajorans.

(To be fair, the First Contact uniforms were very flattering to both men and women. They were always my joing favourite, along with the Wrath of Kahn uniforms.)