Overview – The Klingons arrive at the station
amidst rumors of the Cardassian military government being overthrown by a
civilian group. The Klingons suspect that the Dominion has somehow orchestrated
the coup on Cardassia and have come in the guise of supporting their Federation
allies. Sisko suspects that there is more to the Klingon visit than is being
revealed, and as tensions rise he requests a specialist for handling the
Klingons. Lieutenant Commander Worf arrives on the station and immediately gets
to work on learning the true intent of his people. When he discovers the goal of
the Klingons is to invade Cardassia, both Worf and Sisko are caught between
conflicts of conscience that will ultimately have repercussions on the entire
Alpha Quadrant.
Score: 9/10 – “The Way of the Warrior” is a special two hour episode that marks a big
moment in the series. First, and foremost, Michael Dorn reprises his iconic
role of Worf and joins the main cast. Storyline wise, we have the Klingons go
nuts and throw the quadrant into chaos. While this is later revealed to be the
work of the Dominion, it is absolutely a game changer for the world of Star
Trek. We see some promotions in the cast, most notably Dax to Lieutenant
Commander, and Bashir to full Lieutenant. Sisko adds to his new look by shaving
his head, and it is perfect for his character. I think this is where Avery
Brooks could really deliver the tough-as-nails persona of Captain Sisko. It was
nice to have Kassidy Yates comment on how much she liked the new look. It was
almost as if she was saying it for the rest of us. We see the Klingons like
many feel they should have been for a while, all action and conquest. It was an
interesting Trek universe development, having the allies go back to
adversaries. The battle for the station is still one of the most impressive
battles, giving us some great action. I particularly enjoyed the battle for
ops. When the first wave was finally repulsed, we were left with only Sisko,
Dax, and Worf- standing. While some of the other officers were only injured
(Kira and O’Brien being most prominent), the loss of life by Sisko’s crew was
sobering in that it further signaled to the audience that a corner had been
turned and things were never going to be the same again.
Relevance – 3 points. In addition to introducing Worf
as a full cast member, there is also the introduction of General Martok. This sets
up one of the more interesting and popular recurring characters in Deep Space
Nine. What happens in this episode will have major impacts on several episodes
throughout the rest of the season. The mentioning of the Enterprise’s fate in
“Star Trek: Generations” gives us a point here. There is also a point scored
for reference to the Khitomer Accords, which were the backdrop of Star Trek VI:
The Undiscovered Country. I also score a point for the opening segment, showing
the crew respond to the results of the previous season’s finale. There are many
other connections to other episodes, such as referring to the defeat of the
Obsidian Order in the previous season, O’Brien and Worf discussing the events
of “The Best of Both Worlds”, and Worf continuing to drink his beloved prune
juice. Overall, if you are going to understand the story of DS9, this is an
episode that you cannot miss.
Continuity - 2 points. Character continuity is
maintained. Everyone is acting the way we would expect. Sisko’s method of using
Garak as a means to warn the Cardassians of the incoming attack is a good
example of this. Worf is obviously uneasy with the deception, and Sisko is
particularly adept at manipulating the situation with a clever loophole. Story
continuity is going to lose a point here. Worf, on board the Defiant, mentions
that he has never been on a Federation ship with a cloaking device. In truth,
the seventh season of TNG the Enterprise is fitted with an experimental
cloaking device, so Worf has been on a Federation ship with a cloak before.
Universe continuity is also intact, so we can score a point in that category.
Character Development – 3 points. While this is a
largely Worf-centered episode, it is important to note that it is solely a Worf
focus. This is one of the strengths of introducing a well-established character
into a cast in that there was little need for a lot of back story. Work again
is forced to choose between the Federation and the Klingon Empire, and again he
is cut off from his people. He contemplates resigning from Starfleet, which is
something Sisko understands all too well. This allows a much different
relationship to develop between Worf and his captain from what he had with
Picard. The respect Worf develops for Sisko has more to do with sharing a common
experience of loss rather than the inherent “respect the rank” that Worf had
for Picard. This is not to discount the Picard-Worf relationship on TNG, just
to highlight a major difference. Worf sees Sisko on more equal footing than
Picard, whom he continued to elevate. Sisko gets some credit for his solution
to the Klingon problem, and his new look really has him being able to stand up
to the Klingons in a more convincing way. We see some good moments with Sisko
in this episode. Dax also shines, albeit to a lesser degree. She further adds
depth to her Klingon connection, and she seems to lay some of the groundwork
that will eventually lead to her romance with Worf.
Social Commentary – 2 points. With so much going
on in this episode that it is easy to overlook what social commentary the
episode is making. As is common with Worf, the pull between two groups or
societies that one is connected to can be examined. Is it Worf’s birth culture
or his adopted culture that he owes allegiance to? We see a similar struggle
with Sisko as he tries to navigate a fine line between appeasing the
Federation’s alliance with the Klingon Empire and doing what his gut tells him
is the right thing by saving the Cardassian empire from total annihilation. We
too can find ourselves pulled between two conflicting forces. It’s a real sense
to try to figure out where our true loyalties lie.
Cool Stuff – 3 points. The battle between DS9 and the
Klingons is fantastic, and is only a precursor of the epic battles that became
famous in this series. Point scored there. I also scored a point for the root
beer scene between Garak and Quark. While originally played for comedic
purposes, it is cleverly twisted into an insightful commentary of the
Federation. A final point is being scored for the plot device used by Sisko to
inform the Cardassians of the impending Klingon invasion. By discussing the
matter in front of Garak, who had been called in to measure Sisko for a new
suit, it allowed the resourceful tailor to sound the alarm. There are many
other cool parts of this episode, from Worf’s arrival on the station to Sisko’s
shaved head to the breakfast between Garak and Odo, but three points is the
limit here.
Rank – Admiral (22
points). This
is such an important episode for the series that it had to be done well. On that front,
it was mission accomplished. We have action, intrigue, comedy, and some great
acting. What a way to welcome Worf into the DS9 family.
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