In some ways I’m actually glad for this episode. One of the biggest problems with most Trek is a tendency to have characters start perfect and just get more perfecter with every episode. I like things like Sisko being a bit unsure about stepping away from regs, or Bashir being an insufferable little snot. It makes it more interesting when they start to grow.

As for this being an excellent showcase for O’Brien, I couldn’t agree more. One of the things that I liked well enough about his appearences on TNG and loved about him on DS9, was that it showed that by the 24th century there was clearly a return to the old fashioned idea of respecting someone who knows things and applies that knowledge effectively, regardless of how they come by that knowledge (so long as it’s moral). There’s never a moment in either series where O’Brien is looked down upon because he isn’t an Academy graduate. Instead he is valued and respected for his skills, and his work ethic. In many ways I view O’Brien as the face of the working class in the 24th century and I’m always delighted anytime he is focused upon.