Episode Review - The Voyager Conspiracy (Voyager, Season 6)

For those who are new to my episode reviews, you can find the post where I establish my point criteria here

Overview – Seven of Nine programs her regeneration alcove to allow her to process sensory information while she is regenerating. This allows her to discover issues with the ship before the rest of the crew. When Voyager encounters an alien who has designed some technology to help him get back home, Janeway is encouraged at the prospect of shaving a few years off of their own long voyage. As they work with Tash to develop this space catapult, Seven becomes increasingly suspicious as to the true nature of Voyager’s mission. She slowly sinks into deeper conspiracy theories, to the point where she suspects the entire crew for being complicit in a huge covert undertaking.

Score: 7/10 – Here is an episode that is fuelled on whatever neurotic Kool Aid that conspiracy theorists love to drink. The idea that Seven of Nine starts to jump to more and more obscure theories as to Voyager’s mission because of her receiving too much information is interesting, but the conspiracy theories that she devises become more and more perplexing. There is an element of fun to this episode, but the constant descent into paranoia for our resident former Borg drone gets a little tedious by the end of the episode. The story ties in a lot of the Voyager’s past adventures, and the space catapult is an interesting piece of technology. It should be noted that this is one of the few instances where we see the effort that Captain Janeway and her crew put into a shortcut home actually pays off, and three years gets shaved off of their journey. For the conspiracy theories that Seven come up with, there is just enough that initially starts us to believe that maybe there has been more going on than we were led to believe over the last five years, and this could have given us something to chew on as we ourselves wonder if there was more to Voyager being in the Delta Quadrant than initially believed. Sadly, as the episode continued, we were left with little doubt that there is no hint of a conspiracy and that this is all just Seven’s overactive analysis of the data that she has been assimilating. There were even a few interesting mysteries that were brought to light here, yet they were just left unsolved at the end and nobody questioned it. It was a bit of a lost opportunity for the story, but overall the episode is not too bad.

Relevance - 3 points. It is easy to see how this episode makes us go back and re-examine things that have occurred so far. The pilot episode, “Caretaker”, is an obvious important story here. We also touch on some other significant developments and stories, such as Kes leaving the ship (which is now suspected as being Janeway’s doing to get rid of someone who may have gotten wise to their mission), to Chakotay’s relationship with Seska, to various alliances, to the EMH’s journey to the Alpha Quadrant using the Hirogen array. All of these, if it had been played right, can give the viewer a new experience in looking at the whole idea of the show, which helps if you are familiar with the episodes that are referenced here.

Continuity – 0 points. This episode has been a bit tricky for me to figure out if it matches up continuity-wise. First, character continuity seems a bit off for me. To see Chakotay and Janeway so easily swayed to become suspicious of each other after five years of supporting each other just seemed off to me, so I had to take a point off for that. Also, there is the fact that Seven brought up at least two ideas that did not get resolved. First, there was the ship with the tractor beam that was supposedly present when the Caretaker array was destroyed. While there was no proof as to the existence of the ship, what appeared to be a tractor beam remained unexplained. That one might have remained a mystery, but the second one could have easily been resolved with an explanation from the Captain. It is mentioned that the tricobalt devices that Voyager used to destroy the array were not standard issue on starships. This begs the question as to why Voyager was carrying those weapons in the first place. No explanation is given, so I have to deduct the point for story continuity. Finally, we have the universe continuity. Here I see an issue with Seven’s theories, specifically with the Federation and the Cardassians are in a power alliance. Chakotay starts to buy into that premise, which is a bit absurd for the character and the situation. Starfleet and Cardassia may have both wanted to stop the Maquis, but it was well documented that they were often at odds over how to do so, and it is a real stretch of the imagination to think that they would cooperate on such a grand scale as this. So, like all conspiracy theories, the logic used here just doesn’t add up, and I cannot score any points for continuity.

Character Development – 2 points. Definitely a Seven of Nine episode. While Chakotay and Janeway both undergo some development as they are forced to confront suspicions that they have towards each other, their development is relatively minor. Seven, on the other hand, has been given a real shake-up as she starts to doubt everything she had been led to believe in with the crew of Voyager. She faces the fact that her own analysis of situations may be flawed. Yes, she was right about a few things at the beginning, but as she assimilated more information, she became increasingly paranoid and unstable. She learns her lesson, as she so aptly counsels Naomi Wildman to learn at a slower pace in order to properly absorb the knowledge.

Social Commentary – 2 points. Seven’s behaviour reminds me of just about everybody that I know that believes in some of the most interesting conspiracy theories out there. From shooting victims being crisis actors to 9-11 be a government orchestrated event, these people will take coincidental occurrences and link them together to come up with explanations that may seem compelling on the surface, but in reality, they are grossly unlikely. Many of us also fall into this trap, albeit to a lesser degree. We make assumptions that various people, particularly in politics, that are not likely to be true. Even in Star Trek we sometimes fall into that practice. How many times have we heard, or even said o ourselves, things like “J.J. Abrams hates Star Trek”, or “the people behind Discovery are trying to destroy Star Trek!”. We exaggerate our thoughts and ideas to make it more compelling, and yet, as Tuvok says, speculation is not evidence. This episode should, hopefully, give us pause to think before we share that inflammatory opinion piece in the guise of “evidence” and perhaps help us to take time to properly digest and appreciate the perspectives and knowledge that we are presented with.

Cool Stuff – 1 point. The catapult is a cool piece of technology, and it actually helps the USS Voyager get a bit closer to home. That in itself is a cool part to this episode. Aside from that, there is little else that fits the cool category here.

Rank – Lieutenant (15 points). There were some missed opportunities here, but this episode does offer us a bit of fun and intrigue. Like most conspiracy theories, if you don’t take this episode too seriously, it is quite enjoyable.

If you would like to read other reviews from Star Trek: Voyager, click on the link here.

If you would like to read an episode review from any of the Trek series, click the following link to get to the series catalog. If the episode you want reviewed has not been done yet, then feel free to request it in the comments and I will see what I can do.

Episode Review - Loud as a Whisper (Next Generation, Season 2)

For those who are new to my episode reviews, you can find the post where I establish my point criteria here

Overview – Picard and the Enterprise are given the mission to escort renowned mediator Riva to Solais V, whose inhabitants have been locked in a long and bloody war. Riva is deaf and speaks through a telepathic chorus, and among other accomplishments he was influential in negotiating the peace between the Federation and the Klingon Empire. When Riva’s chorus is killed, he is distraught and feels unable to continue. With the help of Troi, Data, and Picard, he finds the solution to bring peace to the warring factions by teaching them sign language.

Score: 7/10 – An interesting story that introduces an interesting character. Riva, played by deaf actor Howie Seago, does well at giving us insight into the lives of the hearing impaired. He shows a man who is more than his handicap. Riva is treated as an honored mediator, and his deafness is a surprise to Picard and his crew. It is interesting that in the 24^th Century a famous mediator would not have his record mention that he has this trait. I purposefully did not call it a disability because he has found a unique way that allows him to still communicate. His chorus is akin to Geordi’s VISOR (Geordi’s blindness also becomes a topic of discussion in this episode). Only when his chorus is killed does Riva start to unravel, and his lack of hearing becomes an obstacle to him. There is a great scene where Picard calms Riva down by emphatically telling him that he (Riva) is not alone in his struggle. The thought of Riva using his deafness to his advantage in the negotiations was suggested by Seago himself, and his teaching the Solari sign language to establish peace between them is a brilliant solution to the problem. The story does become a bit slow at times, and some of it is on the preachy side, but overall the story works well. One thing that would have been nice would have been to have the Geordi side story more fully developed, perhaps even integrated into the main Riva story. As it is, La Forge and Pulaski have a brief conversation about the options for giving Gerodi an option other than the VISOR, and it seems to be just as casually tossed aside. In essence, this scene, while giving us a possible opening to eventually replacing the VISOR, is used more to fill some time. Other than the connection of both Geordi and Riva having noticeable physical limitations, there is little else that connects this scene to the rest of the episode. It is a good scene, but feels a tad out of place in the grander picture.

Relevance – 2 points. At one point in the episode, Doctor Pulaski talks to Geordi about trading his VISOR for either ocular implants or take a riskier approach and replicating new and functional eyes for him. While La Forge says he will consider the options, it is not until Star Trek: First Contact that we see that Geordi has made the decision to go with the implants. I am also scoring a point for the first mention of the peace process between the UFP and the Klingon Empire. This is explored further in next season’s “Yesterday’s Enterprise” and in the 6^th feature film.

Continuity – 2 points. Universe continuity might have taken a hit here for some people, as the Klingon-Federation peace process is later established to have occurred sooner than Riva’s time. Once you watch DS9, however, you learn that the Klingons will go to war with the Federation very easily, and so it remains very plausible that there have been many peace negotiations between the two over the centuries. Story wise, the continuity works here. I will have to deduct a point for character continuity. When Doctor Pulaski is examining Geordi’s eyes, he is not wearing his VISOR initially. When he asks the Doctor if she is finished, she silently nods “yes”. Geordi then replaces his VISOR. Geordi would not have seen her nod, therefor he should not have responded to her.

Character Development – 1 point. Deana Troi has the strongest connection to Riva and is instrumental in reaching him. She is the one who reminds him to find a way to turn his disadvantage into an advantage. She also has a bit of a romance develop, but it cannot progress much beyond a dinner and a kiss on the cheek. Data learns sign language, Worf expresses anxiety over meeting the esteemed mediator, and Picard has a great moment when he expresses solidarity with Riva. While all of this is interesting facets of the characters, it does very little to build any of the characters effectively, so only a single point for Troi is established here.

Social Commentary – 3 points. La Forge’s blindness and Riva’s deafness are both parts of a theme of how to handle the difficulties and disabilities we face in our lives. While many of us do not have actual physical limitations, the limitations that we face are just as real, be they emotional, intellectual, or otherwise. Since Geordi’s condition is only treated superficially here, I will instead look at Riva’s situation. Riva had become a famed ambassador and mediator, despite his deafness. His use of his chorus allowed him to achieve great things. He loses his chorus and subsequently feels helpless and weak. While it is admirable to treat his deafness as no big deal (initially), it is naïve to think of his condition as not limiting him. It does, and when he loses his chorus he is forced to rediscover his true inner strength. In our own lives, we must learn that the only true limitations that we face in life are the ones that we put upon ourselves. Riva finds a way to turn his disadvantage into an advantage. Is it too much for those of us who are not as limited to do the same?

Cool Stuff –2 points. I think the idea of casting a deaf actor as Riva was an excellent decision. It added a great deal of realism to the character that another fully-hearing actor would have difficulty pulling off. On a wildly different note, I really liked the vaporization effect that the weapons used by the Solari was quite the sight. While the effect is a little dated now (20 years later), it was impressive then.

Rank – Captain (17 points). A fine episode, even with a few hiccups and missteps. It gives us an inspirational story that leaves us with something to think about, and provides some good drama that hopefully helps us to find a way to rise above our own limitations and become something better because of them rather than in spite of them.

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Episode Review - Initiations (Voyager, Season 2)

For those who are new to my episode reviews, you can find the post where I establish my point criteria here

Overview – While on a solo mission to perform a sacred and personal ritual, Chakotay encounters a young Kazon boy named Kar who has been sent to kill him. Defeating the boy, but not killing him, Chakotay is eventually captured by Kar’s sect, the Kazon Ogla. Chakotay soon finds himself having to fight to not only save himself, but to help Kar avoid being executed for failing to kill Chakotay. The two develop a unique bond.

Score: 7/10 – The second episode pf the second season gives us our first Chakotay-centric episode. The episode does a good job of really giving us an insight into the Maquis-turned-first officer, establishing him as a man of compassion balanced with action. We are given a look at the Kazon society, who up to this point just seemed like a lesser version of the Klingons. In preparing the script for this episode, it was decided that the Kazon should be modeled after street gangs that were in Los Angeles. The influence is recognizable as the young children (all males) are expected to earn their name by killing an enemy, or at least to die trying. It adds some depth to a species that has largely been overlooked after their introduction in Season 1. We also have the treat of seeing Aron Eisenberg play his second Trek character as the youth Kar. Kar is very different from Eisenberg’s more popular character, DS9’s Nog, but Eisenberg does a great job in this role. The story is fairly basic, with Chakotay trying to befriend Kar and help him escape the brutal life of a Kazon. He even goes as far as being willing to be killed to help Kar earn his name (with the idea that Voyager can resuscitate him shortly afterwards). The two share a unique bond, and the story does not quite turn out the way we would expect, but it is a good ending.

Relevance – 2 points. Scoring a point for the return of the Kazon Ogla, who were first encountered in “Caretaker”. They have had at least one new leader since then (the previous leader, Jabin, is not seen, and the new leader is Razik). Of course, by the end of this episode, Razik is also offed and a new leader is crowned. Another point is scored for the first mention of the Trabe, a civilization that once enslaved the Kazon and will be seen later this season.

Continuity – 3 points. Story continuity works here, as does the universe continuity. Most notably is how the Kazon are fleshed out a bit more. They have only been given a minimal degree of development, and now we get a better understanding as to why they are the way they are. Character continuity is also a go here. Chakotay acts in a way that we had not seen much of since the series’ pilot episode, being all spiritual one moment, all business the next, mixing iron will with compassion as only he can.

Character Development – 2 points. This is all about Chakotay. We see more of his spiritual side, his action side, and, more importantly, his nurturing side. It almost makes me wonder why he rose to be a leader among the Maquis as he shows himself to be full of compassion for an enemy. There is not much else in character development for this episode, and that is fine as Chakotay, being the first officer, has largely been a background character or has had to share the spotlight in previous episodes. There is a little hint of something with Neelix being left out of training drills that he wanted to be a part of, and we see a rare example of his experience being useful to Janeway, but the rest of the crew is there to simply find Chakotay.

Social Commentary – 2 points. The Kazon were meant to be mirrored after the LA street gangs. This works for the Kazon, and in the process gives us an parallel that grants us a glimpse into the lives of gang members. It definitely takes away the glamour that others tried to envision. We see the violence inherent in the gang system and how it is basically a sure way of shortening one’s life.

Cool Stuff – 1 point. Aron Eisenberg does a great job as Kar and establishes him as being very different from Nog. It is always cool to see an actor that you recognize in a different role.

Rank – Captain (17 points). A nice episode that gives Chakotay a chance to shine. Robert Beltran and Aron Eisenberg have some great chemistry together, which really provides the heart of the story.

If you would like to read other reviews from Star Trek: Voyager, click on the link here.

If you would like to read an episode review from any of the Trek series, click the following link to get to the series catalog. If the episode you want reviewed has not been done yet, then feel free to request it in the comments and I will see what I can do.

Episode Review - Home (Enterprise, Season 4)

For those who are new to my episode reviews, you can find the post where I establish my point criteria here.

Overview – Captain Archer and his crew finally reach home after successfully completing their mission to stop the Xindi from destroying Earth. As the crew are setting about relaxing and enjoying some much needed shore leave, they learn that the latest crisis has left Earth changed. In addition to that, T’Pol and Tucker travel to Vulcan together where T’Pol’s mother informs her daughter that the time to marry her fiancée is now. Each member of the crew seeks to adapt to the changes in their respective lives.

Score: 8/10 – Reminiscent of TNG’s episode “Family”, this episode takes the crew back to Earth to be debriefed and recuperate from overcoming the latest crisis. Several of the main characters each have their own story as they deal with the aftermath of the Xindi crisis. Archer is struggling with the emotional consequences of some of his decisions, and the toll of those choices reaches a breaking point when he snaps at Soval. T’Pol and Tucker must rectify their feelings for each other, but it does not end the way we may have expected it as T’Pol ends up marrying Koss with Trip witnessing the ceremony. As for the rest of the crew, an interesting story of xenophobia that has gripped Earth encircles them, focussing mostly on Phlox being the target of the hatred while Travis, Malcolm, and Hoshi support the good doctor. This almost should have been a two part episode to allow each of the stories to develop more, but what we are given is sufficient for our characters and is a nice break after the exhausting Xindi conflict. I found the xenophobic storyline to be the most interesting, and yet it received the least amount of air time. The good news is that its theme is picked up later in the season. It was nice that the T’Pol-Tucker story did not follow the typical “forbidden love” angle which would have had Tucker somehow stopping the wedding. The end part of that story leaves it open-ended for the time being, and it will also feature prominently in future storylines. With Archer, we are introduced to Captain Erica Hernadez, who is a nice potential love interest for Archer. She will show up again as well. Overall, this episode does a good job at changing gears of the show, finally putting the Xindi arc behind and moving forward with some interesting new ideas.

Relevance – 3 points. Obviously we bring closure to the Xindi conflict. In this episode it is revealed that 27 members of Archer’s crew died on that mission. We also see how many of the decisions that Archer made on that mission have been haunting him. Archer makes several references to episodes from the past three years, most notably “Impulse” where Archer had to destroy a Vulcan ship with all her crew. There is also the appearance of Koss, T’Pol’s fiancée who was mentioned in Season 1. Their storyline has more to be told. We also have the seeds sown of the xenophobic group called “Terra Prime” with the anti-alien sentiments that are witnessed by Phlox and the others. A lot of storylines are either continued or have the foundations established in this episode, making it important to see.

Continuity – 3 points. Story continuity and universe continuity are both good here. Character continuity is also good. I especially found Phlox’s response to the racism shown against him interesting. At first, I thought he would not have chosen to remain on the ship when invited to go for his beloved egg drop soup, but upon further reflection it makes sense. Phlox has always been one who would rather avoid making people upset, and while he will defend his patients with passion, he is less likely to make a scene on his own behalf.

Character Development – 3 points. A lot goes on here for our crew, with Archer, T’Pol, and Tucker seeing the most advancement. Archer gets to finally deal with all the negative emotions that have built up over the last season. T’Pol gets married, and Tucker finally admits that he has feelings for her. For both of them this episode is significant in their development. Even the other crew members get some attention. We see Phlox persecuted for being an alien, and then see him calmly withdraw internally. Mayweather and Reed defend him in a bar brawl, but Sato tries to comfort him emotionally. It showed how close these four had become throughout the series.

Social Commentary – 3 points. There are three stories here, and each carries its own message and/or commentary. Archer’s deals with the emotional toll of hard decisions and shows us that it is necessary for us to deal with these types of emotions as soon as it is expedient. T’Pol and Tucker deal with the forbidden love. If we are not true to our own feelings towards others, we may find that those we love may be forced to choose someone else. Finally, with Phlox’s tale, we have an extremely relevant message about the dangers of xenophobia. This, as mentioned previously, will come into full fruition in a later episode. Regardless of which, the warning against hating those who are different could not be more relevant than today.

Cool Stuff – 2 points. I have to score a point for Phlox’s defence face. That was one cool little surprise. I also want to score a point for the scenes on Vulcan and the rock-climbing that Archer and Hernadez were doing. It was some great views we able to witness.

Rank – Admiral (22 points). This episode may be lacking in some of the action that was prevalent in the two-part season opener and much of the previous season, but “Home” gives us a nice break. It advances most of the main characters and lays some important groundwork for the rest of the season.

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Episode Review - Far Beyond the Stars (Deep Space Nine, Season 6)

For those who are new to my episode reviews, you can find the post where I establish my point criteria here

Overview – Captain Sisko is hosting his father visiting the station. Recent news of the apparent death of a good friend, Quentin Swofford, is causing Ben to rethink his career path. The captain finds that he is seeing people dressed in 1950s garb, and goes to see Bashir. The Julian runs some tests on him, and notices that Sisko’s neural patterns are similar to when he was experiencing visions a year ago. As Sisko takes a look at the readings, he suddenly finds himself on a street in New York City in the 1950s. People around him look familiar (the newsstand vendor looks and sounds like an alien character named Nog), and he no longer sees himself as Benjamin Sisko, Starfleet Captain, but Benny Russel, science fiction writer. At his office, Benny takes a picture of a space station that inspires him to write a story about a space station on the edge of the galaxy, a story that he calls “Deep Space Nine”. As Benny becomes involved in writing his Deep Space Nine stories, he has to confront the racism inherent in that era, both from the violence perpetuated by corrupt police officers and an editor who does not want to anger readers with stories of “negroes in space”, Benny endures with the support of his fiancée Cassie (of whom Benny based the character of Kassidy Yates off of) and a mysterious street corner preacher that looks like Ben Sisko’s father, who admonishes “Brother Benny” to follow the prophets. After being brutally beaten by the two corrupt police officers, Benny is fired from his writing job and suffers from a nervous breakdown. While he is being taken away in an ambulance, he sees the preacher, comforting him, and Ben Sisko awakens in the infirmary, and his neural pathways are returning to normal. He remembers the vision that he had been given, and seems to have found a new resolve from this perspective that had been bestowed upon him

Score: 10/10 – “Far Beyond the Stars” is one of the greatest episodes of television and science fiction ever conceived. I could leave it there and have few arguments made against it, but I must elaborate. The story came from Marc Scott Zicree, the teleplay was written by Ira Steven Behr and Hans Beimer, and the episode was directed by Avery Brooks, who himself gave a performance as both Benjamin Sisko and Benny Russel that should have earned him an Emmy. This episode is why I have zero faith in awards shows like the Emmys for not recognizing the amazing work that people in Star Trek and science fiction in general do. The worthy nominations in things like effects and makeup aside, it is a shame that there is such a blatant bias against acting in sci-fi and franchise shows in general. There is so much that makes this episode a gem. It hits every mark there is. Excellent acting, check. Engaging story, check. Exploring relevant and timeless issues, check. A deeper exploration of the human condition, big check. It is wonderful to see all of the actors out of makeup and performing roles that are fresh. I really liked how each person had their counterpart character similar to yet different enough from their main character that they play on the show. Seeing how each person from Sisko’s world fits into Benny Russel’s world and vice versa was a lot of fun to watch. We also are given a real hard look into a dark part of America’s past that is still affecting the country today. The racism shown then still exists today, and the story does not pull any punches with it. Overall, a brilliant episode in every respect.

Relevance – 3 points. A point scored for establishing the Benny Russell character that will return in the Season 7 opening story arc. Without seeing this episode, some of the events of “Shadows and Symbols” will not make sense. I am also scoring a point for the reference to the episode “Rapture”, where Sisko first experienced the visions from the Prophets. I am going to score the third point for the depiction of the racism in the 1950s that seems to have a great effect on Sisko. In the next season’s holo-adventure episode “Badda Bing, Badda Bang”, Sisko shows that he has some reservations of helping out Vic Fontaine in his Vegas club due to the fact that it glossed over the racism in the 1960s. In fact, he was quite upset about it, and this episode gave Sisko the experience that showed him how ugly racism was back then. This shows how much of a long-lasting effect that this experience had on the good Captain.

Continuity – 3 points. Honestly, I cannot think about how any part of this episode goes against any type of continuity. It’s a bit of an easy pass as most of the story is a vision given to Sisko by the prophets/wormhole aliens. Because of that, any inconsistencies within the characters or story is covered. Universe continuity is intact as the prophets have used these visions before to communicate to Sisko, so it is no stretch of the imagination that they are giving him this type of adventure.

Character Development – 2 points. A soli Sisko episode, but sadly no other main cast character is given anything meaningful to do. O’Brien, Odo, and Quark do not even appear in the episode. Still, we see the burdens of war take their toll on Sisko, with the death of his friend almost being the proverbial straw that breaks the camel’s back. His vision/experience from the prophets once again gives Sisko the spiritual grounding that he needed in order to continue the good fight.

Social Commentary – 3 points. Yes, racism is a main theme in this episode. Recently, it seems that America has made little progress since the 1950s in its racial relations. There is still much to be learned in that regard. Having said that, I feel that racism is only a means to a greater end here and is not the central idea. What seems apparent to me is the idea that in dealing with the issues of our current situation, we sometimes need to refocus our perspectives and outlooks by examining our roots and our past. We need to learn that sometimes we have to make a stand, even if it means we are going to fall. Also, Benny failed in both his efforts to publish his stories and in his mental health. At the end of it all, he was pushed past his breaking point. From that, Sisko still learned what he needed to learn and found the strength he needed to find. Failure is as powerful a teaching tool as any.

Cool Stuff – 3 points. Wow, what isn’t cool about this episode? First off, seeing all the actors playing different roles was a lot of fun. I bet Rene Auberjonois, Armin Shimerman, Aron Eisenberg, and J.G. Hertzler all enjoyed having an episode without once having to wear all the heavy make-up they were accustomed to with their roles. I also am giving a point for Benny’s breakdown scene. Avery Brooks shows his dedication as an actor in one of the most powerful scenes in all of Star Trek (if not all of television). Why he didn’t even get an Emmy nomination for his work in this episode is beyond me. Finally, I have to score a point for the many Easter Eggs about Star Trek that were woven into the story. There were some obvious ones, such as the preacher telling Benny to “follow the prophets”, but there was much more. A picture entitled “Honeymoon and Andoris” was a direct reference to the planet Andoria, the cover of the “Incredible Tales” magazine has several Original Series episode titles as the stories, the Arthur Trill building, and Nana Visitor’s character of K.C. Hunter, a writer who uses initials of her first name to hide her gender, is an ode to legendary Trek writer D.C. Fonatana.

Rank – Admiral (24 points). A near perfect score for a perfect episode. “Far Beyond the Stars” is Star Trek at its finest, and it is both beautiful and compelling in its delivery. The themes discussed are still relevant and timeless, and if this is not on your Top 10 DS9 episode list, you better have a real good explanation for it. The ideas that Sisko is left with (that he is both the dreamer and the dream) is the result of excellent writing. The acting is excellent, and Avery Brooks was the perfect choice for directing this episode, in spite of him playing the lead character. Truly, this is a masterpiece of science fiction.

If you would like to read other reviews from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, please click the following link.

If you would like to read an episode review from any of the Trek series, click the following link to get to the series catalog. If the episode you want reviewed has not been done yet, then feel free to request it in the comments and I will see what I can do.