7x17 Penumbra

And so the end game begins. I'm very excited. Every time.

This episode can't be judged as a stand-alone episode. It's obvious to everybody that this is only the humble beginning of something bigger. As a stand-alone episode that's perhaps a 6/10. Some stories in this episode are not concluded and there's frankly not much happening. Or you could say "too much is happening". Namely, a lot of seemingly unrelated subplots without a clear direction (or so it seems) But it's almost masterful how they prepare the chessboard and the pieces. Seen as part of something bigger, it's a 7/10.

Ben's destiny is essential to the show's story. The show and the final season started with Ben's emissary story. And thus, this final last stretch of the show, starts with another vision (which in the end turns out to be true for reasons Ben nor Kasidy understand yet). It makes sense.

I'm also pretty impressed by Damar. From humble extra and cynical, power-hungry collaborator with an alcohol addiction, to freedom fighter (don't you see it yet? It's all too obvious).

I also like Ezri and Worf. That's much better than everything that they tried before. It's the first time I see it too: there's still some Jadzia left. After sex, everything seems to be said and explained [w/o actually talking about it on-screen]. Good, this needed to resolved at one point.

Plus, the Breen. It must have been hard to not use these fascinating people before more often. In earlier episodes, they introduced them just enough so that we take them serious. But that's why their sudden appearance on the chess board is that powerful. They were never over-used.

Here I am, entering the final stretch of episodes. I don't want it to end.

The ten hours starting here tell one continuous story to wrap up the show. It was a massive undertaking for Star Trek in a time when serialised television was still in the infant stages. The Sopranos had just begun by this point, Buffy the Vampire Slayer was entering its stride and The West Wing was around the corner - and of course, Babylon 5 had done its thing.

Star Trek was also a notoriously episodic franchise in world where episodic television was successful, and DS9 was daring to do something different, much as it had done all along. The six-episode experiment done at the start of season 6 had worked well so now we were ready for something much more ambitious.

'Penumbra' is a tentative start, very much focused on characters and setting up the direction for how things are going to end. All the events on the station are quite low key with the highlight being SIsko's general state of contentment. Wanting to move to Bajor and asking Kassidy to marry him feel like very natural steps for his journey by this point.

The real excitement comes from the fallout of the very complex relationship between Ezri and Worf as they are forced to spend time together and face their issues. Sparks fly in more ways than one and it's really enjoyable to see it all happen apart from the fact that Worf is being a big old jerk face. They are definitely not a good match in the way that Jadzia and Worf were, but it feels right that they finally sort this stuff out. I can see this focus on relationships being a turn off for the sci-fi fans who want to see wondrous technology, space battles and alien problems solved by human ingenuity, but the characters have always been the reason I watch anything.

Also, seeing Dukat as a Bajoran never fails to make me smile. A nice twist. However, I think the best part of the episode is Damar mocking Weyoun once he's left the room.