Star Trek: Deep Space Nine-"What You Leave Behind"

I am still mourning the loss of AgonyBooth.com (as well as the apparent loss of the gentleman who ran the blog). One idea I had for an article is a review of the series finale of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, as the other (so far) Trek finales had already been reviewed on the site. So here now is my review of that episode.

The show's final episode begins, perhaps inevitably with Bashir and Ezri Dax sleeping together, as it was pretty much hammered into our skulls all season long that they would. At least this show gave Bashir a chance at lasting romance, unlike Voyager with Harry Kim.

Elsewhere on the station, O'Brien is being reminded by Keiko and their kids that he needs to tell Bashir about the new teaching job he was offered at Starfleet Academy.

But it's not all fun and romance as Sisko gets another vision from his mother about his journey's end just as he's preparing for a new life with his pregnant wife Kasidy.

As he begins leading the Federation/Klingon/Romulan fleet to Cardassia for a battle that they hope will end the war with the Dominion, Kira, Garak, and Damar (who are also on Cardassia) manage to take out the planet's power grid, causing a break down of the Dominion's communication network.

The trio is captured by Jem'Hadar, who prepare to execute them until their Cardassian allies turn on them in retaliation for the Founders ordering the destruction of a Cardassian city. This turnaround continues as Cardassian ships suddenly fight alongside the Federation and their allies. The female Founder orders all Cardassians exterminated, but Kira and her group infiltrate her command center and take her prisoner, although Damar is killed in the assault. The Founder, who is dying of the Changeling disease crated by Section 31, refuses to give up until Odo arrives and cures her. Apparently this is enough for her to order her forces to stand down (wonder why we didn't try that with Hitler?). Odo later tells Kira that the Founder agreed to surrender if Odo returned to the Changeling homeworld with her so he can cure the other Founders.

After the armistice is signed aboard the U.S.S. Missouri (named for the ship on which Japan signed an armistice to end World War II), Worf agrees to return to the Klingon homeworld with Martok as an ambassador (a development Nemesis would later piss on). The crew celebrate one last time at Vic Fontaine's holosuite lounge. During the party, though, Sisko gets another vision, which leads him to go to Bajor, where he finds Dukat and Winn in the Fire Caves attempting to reach the Pah-wraiths. A fight breaks out in which Winn is killed and Sisko rushes Dukat, sending both of them into a fiery chasm.

Sisko finds himself talking to Sarah, who tells him that he's defeated the Pah-wraiths. But he must remain with them for a time before he can return to his family. He subsequently tells Kasidy about this, who tearfully tells Sisko that she'll wait for him.

After grudgingly wishing Quark well, Odo is accompanied by Kira to the Founders' planet, where they bid each other goodbye.

The series ends with Worf and O'Brien departing. Kira, now in command, stares out into space with Jake.

Two things made DS9 unique among the Trek series: its space station setting & its story arcs, which remain the most concentrated of all the Trek shows. For the most part, the series managed to deliver great drama utilizing a wonderful cast. But, the serialization approach the series took all but said that the show's final season, more so than those of the original series or TNG, would really have to deliver-and overall that final season didn't! TNG's first season is understandably regarded as that series's worst because, with some exceptions, the episodes which comprised that season were simply rehashes of things the original series had already done. DS9's final season, however, is that show's worst because it the ending to this two-year war arc was not as involving as we were expecting. Fluff episodes like "Take Me Out to the Holosuite," "The Emperor's New Cloak," and "Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang" certainly didn't help. There was also the issue of new character Ezri Dax (Nicole DeBoer) who was added after Terry Ferrell left (or was dismissed according to some sources) the series at the end of the 6th season. Nothing against DeBoer, but the fact that we only got one season to know her character, gave things in the final season a rushed feeling. Not to mention the fact that Worf does essentially nothing to avenge the death of Jadzia, whom he was married to. People have also understandably derided the flashbacks we see from the regulars at the end of the episode. Not only is Jadzia not seen in them, but the flashbacks unfortunately make the episode drag even more. Finally, I want to discuss Sisko's fate. Some have said he should have either died heroically or remained on the station, but not ambiguously disappear as the episode presents. Personally, I think the final shot of the series should've been Jake looking out that window with his old man. At the beginning of the series ("Emissary"), they both arrive at the station viewing it as a temporary home. But they both view the station as their true home by the last season, and having father and son stare into the sky, and by extension the future, having emerged triumphant from war would've been the perfect ending for the series.