Episode Review - Soldiers of the Empire (Deep Space Nine, Season 5)

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

Overview – Work and Jadzia accompany Martok on his first command since escaping the Dominion prison. His ship, the IKS Rotarran, is a ship plagued with failure and low morale among her crew. With Worf as first officer, Martok is ordered to find a missing Klingon cruiser that was patrolling close to Dominion territory. As the mission proceeds, Worf begins to doubt Martok’s courage and ability to lead and is faced with a difficult choice between loyalty to his friend and loyalty to his crew

Score: 8/10 – Here we get to see what “Star Trek: Klingon Empire” might have looked like. Fans of the Klingons have a lot to be happy about in this episode in that we get to see life aboard a Klingon ship in a greater depth than we have seen since TNG’s second season episode “A Matter of Honor”. This episode is where the character of Martok truly finds its footing and he becomes a great and complex addition to DS9’s already impressive secondary cast. The tension among the crew is palpable, and the Klingon crew quickly start to establish themselves as interesting characters. From the disheartened soldier who feels the ship is cursed to the hopeful engineer to the disillusioned veteran who just wants the world to burn around him, each one adds some spice to the mix. Worf is showcased in one of the best ways, and adds further evidence that adding him to DS9 was one of the best things that could have happened to this character. The storyline had fairly good pacing throughout the episode, and the build up to Worf’s ultimate showdown with Martok was brilliantly executed. Upon first viewing we were uncertain as to whether or not Worf was going to kill Martok or not, and it’s always good to keep us guessing. The scenes where the rest of the Federation crew are having to deal divide up Worf’s responsibilities among themselves is little more than filler and a touch of comic relief, but if not for those couple scenes there would have been little reason to include many of them in the episode at all. As it were, Quark and Jake are absent from this episode, and if not for that little device there may not have been reason to see Kira or O’Brien. A very strong episode that gives us a different experience.

Relevance - 3 points. One point for following up with the events of “In Purgatory’s Shadow” where Martok is rescued from the Dominion internment camp. Martok is given a command again, and he is (initially) chomping at the bit. A point is also awarded for Martok, being touched by Worf’s loyalty, is adopted into the house of Martok. This will have a few repercussions later on. The IKS Rotarran will be Martok’s flagship from this point on as well, and while we will not see the Klingons that we were introduced to in this episode again, the ship is a big part of the DS9 whenever Martok is involved.There also could be a point for Nog showing his intimidation by Worf and Martok, which will be played out over the next few episodes, but we already have full points in this category. It is worth a mention, at least.

Continuity – 3 points. Universe continuity is good here, especially with respect to the examination into Klingon culture that we are given. If there was going to be a Klingon ship where honor, valor, and hope were in short supply, they nailed it perfectly here. Story and character continuity intertwine here, and both are done well. I like how they show that Martok lost more than his eye at the internment camp, and how Worf was torn between honoring the friend who saved him in that camp and snapping him out of his funk for the sake of the crew shows us the real honor in our favourite Klingon. Martok’s PTSD that he demonstrates here is typically Klingon. If a Klingon were to suffer from this disorder, the way it was shown would likely be the way.

Character Development – 3 points. In this category I have to focus on the main cast, so while this is Martok’s moment to shine, I cannot give his development much more than a mention. Thankfully, this episode also does a lot to develop Jadzia and Worf, both as a couple and as individuals. We get to see Jadzia in full Klingon mode, more than we saw in “Blood Oath”. She finds that she can successfully act as both Worf’s subordinate and lover at the same time, and seems to understand the situation on the Rotarran better than any Klingon on board. She holds her own with Worf and also knows when to step aside. Worf, of course, is given a great story here. His desire to put his own life at risk in order to save the honor, confidence, and reputation of his friend is noteworthy. I really enjoyed the lengths that Worf went to here. For a Klingon raised outside of the Empire most of his life, he seems to have a better understanding of Klingon honor than almost any Klingon we have seen.

Social Commentary – 3 points. There is a fair bit that can be discussed in this one Klingon-centered story here. First, there is the truth of PTSD that we see in Martok. The wounds, both physical and mental, inflicted on him at the hands of the Dominion are real, and while we will see Martok become one of the mightiest warriors ever seen in the Empire, he first must defeat his greatest enemy in his own fears. Added to this is Worf, who must choose between protecting his friend and supporting the crew of the Rotarran from a cowardly captain. Sometimes, in order to best help our friends, we must stand against them.

Cool Stuff – 2 points. The general feel of this episode is just very cool. It is nice to see how life on a Klingon ship works without having an outsider perspective like we did in “A Matter of Honor”. Where Riker needed to learn what life on a Klingon vessel is like, Worf already knows and slips into the role with a great deal of familiarity. This allows us a look into the life of a demoralized ship without an obvious note given to the fans. So just the feel of this episode is cool for that reason. I also want to score a point for three of the Klingon guest stars, each one having previously appeared on Voyager. Sandra Nelson plays Tavana, but before that she was the mysterious Marayna in the episode “Alter Ego”. The late David Graf (known to comedy fans as the trigger-happy Tackleberry in the 80s Police Academy franchise) previously played Amelia Earhart’s navigator in the Voyager’s “The 37s”. Here, he is the unstable and witty Leskit. Finally, we have Rick Worthy as the curse-believing Koman. Worthy appeared in Voyager in a dual role as feuding androids in “Prototype”, and will be cast in several Trek roles later on. Most notably as the Xindi Aboreal diplomat Jannar in Enterprise.

Rank – Admiral (22 points). If Star Trek: Klingon Empire ever needed a pilot episode, this could have done the job. It was a very different take on one of Trek’s most popular species and cultures and firmly establishes Martok as a force to be reckoned with. His personal struggles with PTSD are an acute message about how serious this topic is.

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