Deep Space Nine: Seasons 4-6
Voyager: Seasons 2-4
First Contact
Note: These are from brief, unedited comments posted on Facebook. Some of the grammar may be a little clunky – I hadn’t intended on archiving these anywhere, but I’ve popped them here as some people enjoyed them!
Episode 400: Return to Grace (DS9)
Straight up after Crossfire, another tour de force for a single character – in this case Dukat. Marc Alaimo gives it his all with a wonderful script – his flirtations with Kira seem completely in character, as does his response to his demotion. Amazing.
Episode 401: Dreadnought (VOY)
So so on this one. Nice idea which doesn’t stretch for 45 mins easily. Also a bit odd having another B’Elanna episode so soon after Prototype. I do like the stuff it starts setting up with Tom though, and Dawson does a brilliant job playing against herself (again).
Episodes 402: Sons of Mogh (DS9)
Some Worf stories really don’t connect with me. This is one of them. Good to see Tony Todd back but generally quite meh.
Episode 403: Death Wish (VOY)
Yay, Q’s back! And much more fun than the last time we saw him outside TNG. Not sure why he’s got purple lips all of a sudden. This is a really thought provoking story, well told, with solid performances all round.
Episode 404: Bar Association (DS9)
Rom really gets a chance to shine here – the writers have been giving him a lot of good material of late, and this is no exception. Worf stuff is a bit uninteresting and seems odd coming so late into the season – has it taken him this long to realise DS9 isn’t the Enterprise?
Episode 405: Accession (DS9)
Half way through DS9 now! Good development stuff for Sisko and his continued acceptance of his role in Bajoran lore. And this time round I’m finding much more in the story of someone tied to the past convinced that things were better in the good old days and that the best way to fix the present is in the past.
Episode 406: Lifesigns (VOY)
As a QL fan, it’s fab to see Susan Diol in another moving role. Robert Picardo focussed episodes are also always a highlight, and more of the ongoing Tom storyline. Early Voyager gets a bad reputation, and while this isn’t an amazing episode, it’s a solid entry.
Episode 407: Investigations (VOY)
This is the sort of balance of story arc-ing I like. The last half dozen episodes all completely stand alone, but also have a running throughline (mostly surrounding Tom having a scruffy fringe) we can enjoy. And this is a great climax to it. I even love the awful Neelix stuff!
(I can’t believe in my write up of Accession I forgot to highlight the amazing Worf moment: “Keiko’s having a baby”. “NOW?!”)
Episode 408: Deadlock (VOY)
Cool concept. Fairly standard Voyager fair – something wobbly-wibbly in space causes tension and action. The Vidiians arriving on the bridge to find a countdown totally reminds me of TSFS.
Episode 409: Innocence (VOY)
Urgh. Haven’t we learned yet that episodes about kids aren’t good? I have no idea what just happened here. Yawn.
Episode 410: Rules of Engagement (DS9)
Oooh DS9 has another go at a trial episode and damn it rocks. I feel ashamed for being so harsh on Brooks in the first season – his closing arguments in particular, and subsequent dressing down of Worf, are fantastic. I couldn’t remember what the twist was, so when Sisko danced around it and finally revealed it, I was entranced. Bravo Avery! The 4th wall breaking is pretty cool too.
Episode 411: Hard Time (DS9)
Bloody hell this is a tough watch. Amazing concept, really difficult viewing. Every actor – Colm, Siddig and Rosalind in particular – are absolutely on form.
Episode 412 of 824: Shattered Mirror (DS9)
(At the half way mark through Trek so far!)
A fun entry into the mirror universe saga, although at this point it’s all starting to get a bit overused. The way they easily shift between one and the other just makes it feel like mirror DS9 is some place in another solar system. Plus I find it very hard to believe that Jake would attach himself to mirror Jennifer quite so much, just because she looks and sounds like his mother. But, as always, plenty of action and fun to distract.
Episode 413: The Thaw (VOY)
I like this one, although someone recently said this was the episode that stopped them watching. Michael McKean is bloody marvellous, and it’s a really nice idea, with some clever twists.
Episode 414: The Muse (DS9)
The plot the episode is named after is completely uninteresting and slow. Conversely, the b-plot, Lwaxanna’s marriage to Odo, is fantastic and I could have happily spent more time there.
Episode 415: Tuvix (VOY)
Another one that Allison spent time picking apart (link below) but I think gets an unfair reputation. Tom Wright does a great job of being Tuvix, and the moral dilemma at the end is heavy. It’s a silly concept, and basically smacks of “hey, we’ve seen transporters split people in two before, what if…?” but it works well.
Episode 416: For the Cause (DS9)
Proving once again it’s position as the grown up Trek, this episode uses shades of grey to present some genuine surprises and twists. Not one I always remember, but it’s a stonking good one, following up on the “Starfleet as paradise” themes introduced earlier. The Garak subplot and romance with Ziyal is interesting. I can’t remember where it leads…
Episode 417: Resolutions (VOY)
I remember in the 90s ‘shipping Janeway and Chakotay. Now I look back I realise it’s just because they were members of the opposite sex in command positions. There’s NOTHING going on there. And as such this episode really doesn’t have anything to “resolve”. But what the heck, it’s quite fun and the romance that DOES start to bloom in this one seems plausible, albeit comes out of nowhere. Good character pieces for both, and really interesting stuff for the crew left behind.
Episode 418: To the Death (DS9)
As with the Borg after a while, the Jem’Hadar have started needing excuses to become more interesting. It’s an OK episode and reminds us just how intense they are, but I feel we could have skipped it. Does introduce a new recurring character for the fabulous Jeffrey Combs though!
Episode 419: Basics, Part I (VOY)
Episode 423: Basics, Part II (VOY)
Wow, kickass season cliffhanger! I remember when I said in Meld that Brad Dourif was underused – THIS is his moment to shine. His reaction after killing a Kazon was fabulous. The Doctor is also brilliant against Seska, there’s some good action down on the planet too, and it’s one of those real “damn, they’ll never get out of this” cliffhangers like BOBW. Yes yes yes!
Episode 420: The Quickening (DS9)
Woah. Very heavy viewing and an amazing performance from Alexander Siddig here. Considering recent events, I didn’t even see this as the AIDS metaphor it was meant to be. I didn’t even see it as an unintentional COVID metaphor. It was just life, ripped out of today’s events. Terrifying and moving.
Episode 421: Body Parts (DS9)
Brunt is turning out to be a real highlight of DS9. Fab comedy episode. The b-plot about Keiko and Miles is OK – as a parent I was able to connect to it somewhat, but it was just clearly a way to work with Visitor’s real life pregnancy.
Episode 422: Broken Link (DS9)
Cool season finale. Big old action plot with a great cliffhanger as Odo gets made into a human (even if being an outcast from their own race is becoming a cliche for DS9). And the Klingon plot FINALLY gets tied back into the ongoing storyline, as we discover Gowron is a Changeling.
Episode 424: Flashback (VOY)
What wonderful fun! Imaginative way to pay homage to TOS from a show on the other side of the galaxy. And the age I was when I saw this first, TUC was a lifetime ago, so amazing to see the “old” sets rebuilt so well. Fab!
Episode 425: The Chute (VOY)
Meh. Nice idea but I never quite connect with it. Just a lot of shouting and aggression.
Episode 426: The Swarm (VOY)
Tough viewing. They try and add some humour (“should I use it on the sick man?”) but as I get older and become more aware of some of the struggles of old age, this just hits home a bit too much. Brave concept.
Episode 427: Apocalypse Rising (DS9)
Strong series opener, and nice that they tie in the Klingon s4 diversion into the ongoing plotline.
Episode 428: False Profits (VOY)
The sequel that we never needed but was sort of inevitable. Some funny bits.
Episode 429: The Ship (DS9)
Ah, DS9 goes full on “this is a war story, ok?”, setting the tone for much of the rest of the run. The O’Brien/Worf/Enrique stuff is great, and Kaitlin Hopkins is a fab villain.
Episode 430: Remember (VOY)
One of those ones I kinda drift off in. Shame as I like B’Elanna but this one leaves me cold. Just a lot of dream sequence type stuff.
Episode 431: Looking for par’Mach in All the Wrong Places (DS9)
Trek does Cyrano de Bergerac! I want to dislike it as it’s a plot cliche that’s done to death and I find comedy Worf a bit tiresome, but it’s a goodie that really examines how love is rarely straightforward and often downright complex and inconvenient. The O’Brien/Kira stuff is especially interesting, and brave for a “fun” sci-fi show like Trek.
Episode 432: Nor the Battle to the Strong (DS9)
Following The Ship as a real gritty war story episode. Let down a bit by the fact that Cirroc Lofton just doesn’t have the acting chops to pull off all the stuff he has to (although he does admirably for his age) but Siddig is amazing and the overall storyline is heavy but intriguing.
Episode 433: The Assignment (DS9)
Oh wow, Rosalind Chao is absolutely outstanding in this, being perfectly lovely but also absolutely damn creepy. Great material for Colm of course, and good to see some Rom development.
Episode 434: Sacred Ground (VOY)
Bit meandering and dreary. Explores some interesting topics but I feel we’ve sent Janeway here before – we already get that she’s quite open to spiritual stuff. I like my Trek thought-provoking, but that shouldn’t be at the expense of pace.
Episode 435: Trials and Tribble-ations (DS9)
Wow! Yay! Exciting! Can’t even summarise my feelings on this awesome, fun, hilarious, campy tribute to the parent series!
Episode 436: Future’s End (VOY)
Episode 438: Future’s End, Part II (VOY)
Who doesn’t love a time travel story bringing our crew to present day Earth! Up there with… well, all the other times this has happened. It’s a silly romp, with great turns from Begley and Silverman. Comfort viewing.
Episode 437: Let He Who Is Without Sin… (DS9)
Oh Lordy, bit of a misfire. Worf is a total dick (and out of character) and the stuff between Bashir and Leeta is a bit flat. Prettt scenery though.
Episode 439: Things Past (DS9)
Ooh, another time travel (sorta) episode so soon after Voyager’s one. This one’s much darker (literally as well as in terms of the plot) and although it feels like the Odo/Kira stuff has been done before, it’s all very good.
Episode 440: Warlord (VOY)
The concept seems ripped straight out of TNG s2. Jennifer Lien struggles but does her best. And we seem to have broken up Kes and Neelix without a real breakup. So that’s weird.
“Episode” 441: First Contact (TNG)
Wait, is this the month of time travel? That’s all three current crews now! This film pissed me off for years for being not very TNGey but seen by everyone as the pinnacle of TNG. Probably like TOS fans may have felt about TWOK? It’s exciting and pretty and has some fun bits though, and overall probably IS the best of the TNG movies, and it’s the one I might be tempted to show a non-fan, so OK, I’ll accept it.
Episode 442: The Ascent (DS9)
Good solid Quark/Odo stuff, just when you thought there wasn’t more to be mined from their relationship. Gorgeous location shooting. Nog/Jake stuff that comes across as padding.
Episode 443: The Q and the Grey (VOY)
I find civil war stuff in scifi tiresome, mainly as it’s so “local” to American history, it always feels so out of place when it appears in a space show. Silly premise too, about Q trying to have a baby with Janeway. DeLancie is of course great value, and Suzie Plakson is fun – “what are you doing with that dog?”
Episode 444: Macrocosm (VOY)
Two great plots jammed together. I love the sweaty action hero Janeway stuff, and I love the creepy clever Doctor/virus stuff. Sure it turns out to be the same story, via some oddly paced flashback plotting, but it’s a solid one for me.
Episode 445: Rapture (DS9)
Yeah, I’m not a huge fan of the ongoing Emissary plotline but Avery does fine here. Not much more to say!
Episode 446: The Darkness and the Light (DS9)
Some very creepy dark stuff here. The climax where Prin attempts to extract the baby is horrible. Not one I enjoy watching but I think it sets out what it’s intending to do!
Episode 447: Fair Trade (VOY)
Nice development for Neelix, as we leave the area of space he’s familiar with, which was bound to happen eventually. Philips does some great work here, adding some depth and bravery. And hey, here’s a random Vulcan called Vorik that looks just like Taurik *eyeroll*
Episode 448: Alter Ego (VOY)
Kind of an interesting insight into Vulcan society as Tuvok falls in love. Although “an insight into Vulcan society” does not in itself an exciting episode make. Vaguely different kind of holodeck story I guess.
Episode 449: The Begotten (DS9)
Odo meets a baby Changeling. Nice to see Dr Mora back. Kira giving birth has all the lols you’d expect from sci-fi pregnancy (for better or worse). Odo as a solid arc given up far too quickly IMO – it’s been 12 episodes, man!
Episode 450: Coda (VOY)
We really do like exploring spiritual stuff, don’t we, Voyager? Janeway nearly enters the afterlife, maybe. Some good thoughtful stuff for Janeway and fun to see her killed off in various different ways – it’s a different approach to parallel universe type plotting, with the same vibe as Parallels delivered in a totally different way.
Episode 451: For the Uniform (DS9)
Eddington’s back, and proving himself an interesting and different adversary for Sisko. We go more sci-fi war story vibe with even things like the holo-communicators just making everything a bit more immediate and action-packed than traditional view screens (even if it doesn’t come back very often). Love the new look Badlands!
Episode 452: Blood Fever (VOY)
Taurik gets the horn and shared it with B’elanna. Honestly I have very little else to say about this episode. That summary says it all. Ooh also, Borg!
Episode 453: In Purgatory’s Shadow (DS9)
Episode 455: By Inferno’s Light (DS9)
Fabulous pair of episodes. So exciting. The Bashir Changeling reveal, all the stuff in the prison with Garak being The Bravest Man Ever while Worf just kicks arse, plus plenty of small personal moments. Yep, very strong.
Episode 454: Unity (VOY)
The Borg showing up was inevitable. After the samey-samey of the TNG appearances, VOY had to do something different didn’t it? And it sure does here. I don’t think I’d like this episode in itself if it wasn’t Borgy, but knowing it’s a Borg story with such a fresh spin makes it great!
Episode 456: Darkling (VOY)
Silly plot device. But it gives Picardo a chance to do something different so I’m all good with this.
Episode 457: Doctor Bashir, I Presume (DS9)
And speaking of Picardo, great to see him steal DS9 too with his marvellous Dr Zimmerman and his relationship with Leeta (Chase was great too). Some marvellous stuff with Siddig as well – I remember reading the plotline of this ages before I saw it and thinking “aw c’mon, do we NEED Julian to be a damn superhero?” but it’s dealt with in a totally believable way and suddenly makes sense of a lot of weird inconsistencies – fab retconning. Brian George is also terrific.
Episode 458: Rise (VOY)
Gotta admit, not even sure what happened in this one. Lots of shouting. I might have dozed off.
Episode 459: Favorite Son (VOY)
Oh Voyager, two clunkers in a row (I gather Darkling isn’t popular either). Dear me. Kim just isn’t an interesting character no matter how much you try and create a new backstory for him. Meh.
Episode 460: A Simple Investigation (DS9)
An interesting one for Odo. Not much to say about it really, just nice to see him getting some actual romance rather than pining for Nerys.
Episode 461: Business Unusual (DS9)
Back to the much-loved Ferengi comedy episodes… but with quite a serious twist this time around. Not sure how I feel about it, as it just sits a bit oddly with the other Ferengi episodes, but kudos for them trying something different.
Episode 462: Before and After (VOY)
One of the more interesting Kes stories, as she shifts through her life. I like this kind of time travel story that fills in the gaps in individuals past, and hints for the future. Shame the “Year of Hell”, which sounds soooo cool, turns out to be a “two-parter of Hell”. Cheats!
Episode 463: Ties of Blood and Water (DS9)
I find Kira’s connection to her “father” a bit weirdly warm, even after the events of Second Skin, but it’s a gorgeous tragic story that barely requires any sci-fi trappings – just a sick guy dying. Very moving.
Episode 464: Ferengi Love Songs (DS9)
Wow, the Ferengi comedy is PROPERLY back now, and possibly my favourite so far. Wallace Shawn starting to fall apart at the seams is fantastic!
Episode 465: Real Life (VOY)
Picardo’s best turn as he gets a holofamily and learns how to be a dad in a Very Special Episode of Voyager? Cliched plot but done oh so well, and I cried when the Doctor braved going back in to talk to his daughter as she died.
Episode 466: Soldiers of the Empire (DS9)
Wow, a Kingon centric episode I actually really enjoy! A first for a while. Lots of fun, with both Dorn and Farrell getting to do lots of shouting and power play stuff with the crew.
Episode 467: Distant Origin (VOY)
Thought provoking stuff about religion vs knowledge but ultimately predicable which side Trek will come down on. Sweet in places but just a bit slow.
Episode 468: Children of Time (DS9)
Twist on the time travel trope, and Odo finally confesses his feelings for Nerys, albeit via an old version of Odo. The rest of the plotline is fairly irrelevant, but the Kira/Odo stuff makes up for it.
Episode 469: Displaced (VOY)
Intriguing idea (takeover of the ship by swapping places with the crew one at a time). Cute, but not massively engaging.
Episode 470: Blaze of Glory (DS9)
Fun Sisko/Eddington stuff, as they’re “forced” to work together. A couple of fine actors and some brilliant lines, surrounded by a nice action packed script.
Episode 471: Worst Case Scenario (VOY)
Love this one. Great twist on the holodeck-gone-rogue plot, as this is a holodeck program actually planned to go rogue! And an excuse to see Seska back and give Beltran some more meat as the bad guy.
Episode 472: Empok Nor (DS9)
Another one of the “hero sets used as a sister ship” stories which I get a kick out of (sister station in this case). Plus Garak going nuts is a joy.
Episode 473: Scorpion (VOY)
Lots of fun. It feels like it’s trying to be Best of Both Worlds, but Voyager is so much frothier than TNG. The opening, with the Borg ships getting wiped out, is the classic “freak us out by showing an enemy stronger than the biggest guy” (Worf often got beat up for this reason) but it just works. We knew this plotline was coming, and it’s a solid introduction.
Episode 474: In the Cards (DS9)
Jake and Nog going into business trading feels like a rehash of an earlier episode… but this one has some extra tension and creep factor, and emotionally it comes as a really nice welcome pause between all the fighting and stuff.
Episode 475: Call to Arms (DS9)
Wow, what a huge season-ender! It’s taken DS9 a while to get here, but this is massive, explosive, and still has time to let you care for the characters in the middle of all the fighting. This feels like a full length movie squidged into 45 mins, and one that still leaves us begging for more in season 6.
Episode 476: Scorpion, Part II (VOY)
Yeah, this is still feeling like BOBW with added Voyager ‘quirk factor’. It’s kinda fun, Seven of Nine’s intro is solid enough, and it gets the season off to an OK start – but like most of Trek’s season-ending cliffhangers, you can tell Part II is just written a bit on the fly.
Episode 477: The Gift (VOY)
Whoops. Kes’s goodbye story, and there’s a B-story with Seven that’s actually more interesting.
Episode 478: Day of Honor (VOY)
Blah, unininteresting plot that’s just there to enable B’elanna and Tom to open up about their completely unbelievable romance.
Episode 479: Nemesis (VOY)
Kinda cool and different – Chakotay recruited and brainwashed to fight in a planetary war. Not something we’ve seen before, and gives Beltran some rare good material.
Episode 480: A Time to Stand (DS9)
Episode 482: Rocks and Shoals (DS9)
Episode 484: Sons and Daughters (DS9)
Episode 485: Behind the Lines (DS9)
Episode 486: Favor the Bold (DS9)
Episode 488: Sacrifice of Angels (DS9)
Effectively a 6-parter, and reviewed as such (although as usual I watched in strict airing order, so I did watch Voyager episodes in between some of these).
And wow. Until we get to the modern Discovery+ era I think this is the closest Trek comes to a tightly plotted arc of more than 3 episodes. It’s a brilliant story with so many threads I’m struggling to summarise in the micro-review format. Every main character gets a moment to shine, with particular note for Odo’s loyalty struggles, Kira being forced to play ‘safe’, Worf’s parenting and more. But actually a lot of the success lies with the guest stars: The Dukat/Damar/Ziyal stuff is phenomenal, plus Nog, Rom, Garak, Leeta and Weyoun all get their best material to date.
Watching these I can’t quite understand why every few years I forget DS9 got good, focus in on shitty season one, and think the whole show was like that.
Episode 481: Revulsion (VOY)
Damn creepy episode. Some cool ideas sure, but ultimately this leaps off the page to the screen thanks mostly to Leland Orser’s amazing performance as the antagonistic hologram. As with all the best psychos, you can truly believe he’s not evil as such, just completely out of touch with reality and trying to do the right thing. Seven of Nine trying to copulate with Harry is also pretty funny stuff.
Episode 483: The Raven (VOY)
I’m not a huge fan of Seven, even though she does get some great material early on. As a result, this one leaves me cold even though it’s an inventive way of explaining her backstory.
Episode 487: Scientific Method (VOY)
Another creepy one early in this season. Reminds me a lot of Schisms, one of my other all-time favourites, although this doesn’t quite hit the mark as well. It’s a cool idea and plays on the terror of being controlled by outside forces that can’t be reasoned with very well. Definitely Voyager has got confident by this point and found its groove.
Episode 489: Year of Hell (VOY)
Episode 491: Year of Hell, Part II (VOY)
(As usual, I watched Episode 490 in the middle)
Who loves a good time travel story? This guy. And this is definitely a good – and original for Trek – time travel story. Messing around with the timeline and focussing on the changes (rather than the messing) is such a great concept. Briefly disappointed that the promised ‘Year’ of Hell was a bit of a con, quickly over-ridden by the awe at the cool idea and Kurtwood Smith being awesome.
Episode 490: You Are Cordially Invited (DS9)
Bleh. I guess they had to do a ‘light’ episode after the six-episode war arc. But really. Bleh.
Episode 492: Resurrection (DS9)
Mirror universe arc is starting to get a little tired now – but still some fun to be had giving Philip Anglim his first good material in yonks. Kira doesn’t get served well by this one though.
Episode 493: Random Thoughts (VOY)
Feels like bits and pieces of various different episodes rehashed. Telepath stuff. Wrongfully accused of a crime on an alien world stuff. Eh, it’s OK, and there’s some interesting talk about what causes violence, but it’s just not for me.
Episode 494: Statistical Probabilities (DS9)
Love this one! Fabulous guest characters with the very quirky genetically engineered people, and a really interesting moral dilemma – we know how it’s going to end but it’s pacey enough that it doesn’t matter, and leaves us wanting more of this group.
Episode 495: Concerning Flight (VOY)
Nice to see a different approach to holodeck stories but… nah, the Da Vinci character never worked enough for me to hold up a whole episode.
Episode 496: Mortal Coil (VOY)
Neelix dies and is kept alive by Borg tech. Woah. Chilling and deep episode with some analyses into what it means to be alive. After a few lukewarm segments, I like this one a lot.
Episode 497: The Magnificent Ferengi (DS9)
Well aren’t the DS9 team trying to lighten things up for a few weeks Post-war eh? Probably one of the lesser Ferengi comedies for me, but it’s a good little adventure nonetheless.
Episode 498: Waltz (DS9)
Tour de force for Marc Alaimo, just when we thought he couldn’t bring even more to Gul Dukat, we see a marvellous descent into madness, plus some solid work from Avery Brooks and of course Nana Visitor is just bloody magnificent as a troll in Dukat’s head.
Episode 499: Waking Moments (VOY)
Cool Twilight-Zoney type episode for Voyager, who seem to be making a habit of going creepy over the last season or so. Aliens invade sleep – and what a great climax, with Chakotay hopping between the sleeping and waking world to manipulate them. Original and fun.