Six months of viewing ad reviewing all comes down to this--the final episode of my favorite Trek series. The series goes out the same way it came in. By and large, the emphasis is on the non-Federation characters and their skepticism with the Federation in general. The running theme is one of the reasons I liked the series so much. Deep Space Nine was the most alien, yet the most human of the Trek series simultaneously.The DS9 crew, sans the absent Kira, prepare to take part I the invasion of the Cardassian Union. As with virtually every preplanned finale, the characters have major changes lined up once their mission is complete. Bashir and Exri have hooked up after deciding they would just befriends. O’Brien will head off to Starfleet Academy as a professor of engineering. The rest have to wait for fate to catch up.
As the Alliance heads for the border, I cannot help but feel the tension there is not as great as with Damar’s revolution o Cardassia. Citizens have begun rising up as Kira anticipated. The uprising has the Dominion o the defensive as they have to pull back their forces to handle the ensuing chaos. I have never been one who gets excited at the huge space battles anyway. Ot that the invasion of Cardassia is not a magnificent CGI presentation for the time period.
The Female Changeling realizes all is lost fairly early in the battle, so she decides to order the extermination of all Cardassians as punishment. Then Weyoun broadcasts the genocidal orders o a general frequency to all Jem’Hadar forces, but where everyone can hear the orders--including the Cardassian military. Naturally, they turn o the Dominion at that point and begin attacking the Jem’Hadar ad Breen along with the Alliance. I understand the Female Chagelinng decided o a scorched Earth strategy that even in defeat would mean high casualties for the Alliance, but what is the wisdom in announcing the plan to ill every civilian while the military is still fighting on her side? It is amazing the Dominion has stood for 2,000 with geniuses like her in charge.
Although Damar is sadly killed in the attempt, Kira, Garak, and the rest of his rebellion break into Dominion headquarters ad take the Female Changeling hostage. Garak kills Weyoun. It is about darn time. But the Female Changeling refuses to kill off her forces, either fighting the Alliance or committing genocide of Cardassians. Odo beams down from the Sao Paulo to convince her otherwise.
Remember in yesterday’s review I said the Federation’s refusal to give the cure for the virus to the Founders would end far less cynically than it sounded? Odo opts to give the Female Changeling the cure in exchange for an armistice. She agrees. She will also surrender herself to the Federation if he agrees to take over her role as leader of the Dominion. He agrees.
Odo and the Female Changeling come to terms by reaching the same conclusion the series itself has bee headed towards--the Federation has flaws, but it tries to do the right thing. Note the Federation is saved by saved by non-members Odo, Kira, and Garak in spite of itself.
Events unfold quickly as the military pullback, peace treaty signing, and victory party all appear to take place on the same afternoon as the invasion in the first place. No one wants to waste any time, I suppose. Add to this peculiar sense of time passage the final journey of Dukat ad Kai Win into the fire caves to reawaken the Pah’Wraiths. I suppose it is not all happening simultaneously, but that is what the episode leaves you to believe.
It assistor’s final destiny to defeat Dukat and the Pah’Wraith He is called upon to o so by the Prophets. The battle is so quick and Sisko commits to it unquestioningly that it almost feels anti-climactic rather than the culmination of the Emissary begun way back in the pilot. For that matter, Bajor never joins the Federation, either. Too much ambition in storytelling, not enough time to cram it all in. The problem did not start with Lost, no?
Sisko’s fate is left ambiguous as to all long he will have to stay with the Prophets. He is not dead, one assumes. Worf becomes ambassador to the Klingon Empire until he is inexplicably back in Starfleet and on the Enterprise in Nemesis. Garak slip off to ‘enjoy” the end of his exile among the 900 million dead Cardassians. Odo breaks off his implausible to begin with romance with Kira to take his place among his people. Kira rejects her Starfleet commission--another sign Bajoris not keen on joining the Federation and assumes command of DS9.
I am bit misty eyed, because I do love this show.
All told, the finale wraps up the series quite well. As I said, the aliens have always been the most interesting characters and they take front and center I the resolution. The rivalry between Sisko and Dukat, though feeling a bit rushed here, is resolved satisfactorily. Cardassia reaps what it has sown over the years. The Bajorans are just as disagreeable ad uncooperative as the French.
I am going to surprise everyone ad give “What You Leave Behind” only four stars. It is a emotional finale to my favorite Trek, but it has flaws. Some things are left hanging, such as Bajor’sadmission to the Federation or why the Breen wear refrigeration suits,, while some things are resolved way to quickly, like the Sisko/Dukat brawl. But overall I am happy. Nothing else I trek since has quite topped DS9.
Rating; **** (out of 5)
