March 29 2024

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The Jem´Hadar

By Michelle Erica Green
Posted at January 12, 2004 - 10:57 PM GMT

See Also: 'The Jem'Hadar' Episode Guide

Sisko and Quark take Jake and Nog on an exploratory trip to the Gamma Quadrant, but the trip turns deadly when the two adults are siezed by Jem'Hadar soldiers from the Dominion. Informed that Federation incursions into the Gamma Quadrant will no longer be tolerated, they escape with the help of a telekinetic Dominion operative who used them to spy on Starfleet.

Analysis:

Ben and Quark should go camping together more often. I thoroughly enjoyed this episode, which is not to say that I thought it was really good...it's fun when all the major characters get into the action, but soon the Federation should warn the Big 6 that when a big crisis arises, one of them has to stay behind to run the station, just in case! Good points:

  • They went through the wormhole!
  • Jake and Nog's subplot finally got some nontrivial airtime.
  • I loved Mom's, um, monologue.
  • Any episode in which Kira and Odo get to exchange a Meaningful Look automatically gets bonus rating. Bad Points:
  • The Big Bang: Are there any Galaxy-class starships left, other than the Enterprise?
  • Telekinetic powers just seem like such a gimmick. (Actually The Dominion is headed by the people from TOS's "Plato's Stepchildren," after they found their way into the Gamma Quadrant...)
  • Sisko didn't have any plan for Jake to be able to pilot them home if he had a heart attack or something? Stoopid!

    But I thought they left a lot of nice openings for next year -- and I'm glad it wasn't a cliffhanger. Call me shallow, but I can't wait for those studly lizards to take on the Cardassians. Still, the Founders are illogical. Eris could have faked the fight, begged asylum, and gone back to DS9 without ever letting Starfleet see what the lizards looked like. As for the starship's destruction, why would the Dominion want the Federation to know how much gumption they have in advance of a real battle, since they obviously expect retaliation for New Bajor?

    The character development was good for Jake and Rom, but Quark's speech about Ferengi virtues makes me cringe: maybe the Ferengi had no concentration camps, but their treatment of women is pretty execrable. At least Kira and Dax got to run the station, she and Odo got to sort of profess their love, she got to have her life flash before her eyes while flying a ship...this is a better Kira episode than I first thought, with all the comedy and the subplots distracting me. They sure got everyone involved in this satisfying season ender.

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    Find more episode info in the Episode Guide.


    Michelle Erica Green reviews 'Enterprise' episodes for the Trek Nation, for which she is also a news writer. An archive of her work can be found at The Little Review.

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