Series: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (DS9)
Episode: 2.1 Homecoming (September 27, 1993) 2.2 The Circle (October 10, 1993), and 2.3 The Seige (October 10, 1993) Season Premiere (plus 2).
Rating: 4/5
Redshirt Status: 1/1/3.5
Notable Guest Stars:
Frank Langella (Minister Jaro)– Langella is known for multiple mediums, winning 4 Tony Awards, and getting an Academy Award nomination. One of my favorite roles of his is in Dave, where he plays unscrupulous Bob Alexander, a character not unlike Jaro.
Richard Beymer (Li Nalas) – Beymer was a popular actor in the studio era, he also works as a photographer and documentary maker.
Stephen Macht (General Krim)- Stephen Macht was actually Gene Roddonberry’s first choice to play Picard. I can’t imagine it being anyone besides Patrick Stewart. He has appeared on several soap operas. More recently he appeared in Suits, a show produced (and starring) by his son Gabriel Macht. He is also an ordained chaplain.
Bruce Gray (Admiral Chekote) – Gray played several times on Star Trek, most notably Surak on Enterprise. He also appeared on Babylon 5 (often compared to DS9)
Mike Genovese (Zef’no)- Genovese is known to me mostly as Al Grabarsky, a police officer wooing nurse Lydia on ER.
Steven Weber (Colonel Day)- Weber is known for his role as Brian Hackeet on Wings, though I know him better for his role as Mayor Hamilton on NCIS: New Orleans. He currently plays Dr. Archer on Chicago Med.
Leslie Bevis (Rionoj) – She’ll appear 3 times as Rionoj over the years. She has also appeared on such shows as Night Court, MacGyver, and Murder, She Wrote.
Honorable mentions to our reoccuring characters: Rosalind Chao (Keiko O’Brien), Aron Eisenberg (Nog), Max Grodenchik (Rom), Phillip Anglim (Vedek Bareil), Louise Fletcher (Vedek Winn), and Marc Alamo (Gul Dukot)
Review:
I am reviewing these three episodes together because they are all connected, and I don’t like reviewing multi-arc episodes apart from one another. This might change if I ever catch up with currently airing Star Trek because I literally won’t be able to, but since we are still in binge-capable era we shall do these three together.
So we start Homecoming with Rionoj, a trader, handing Quark a Bajoran ear piece. We already know that ear jewelry is important within the Bajoran culture. If you had missed that memo, you would have gotten it by how Kira reacts when Quark hands it to her.
The earring belongs to resistance leader Li Nalas. Kira is eager to find out if he’s still alive and if so bring him back to Bajor to lead the people. She’s afraid the planet will implode without him. Which given the signs of fractional group that wants to “Keep Bajor for the Bajorans” known as the Circle, she’s not really far off.
I used to ask myself why there was always these groups that were so hateful but then I turn on my TV now and…well, yeah. Its happening right now.
Episode 1 of the trilogy, Homecoming, deals with the rescue of Li Nalas. He has a celebrated return despite his reluctance to be celebrated. Episode 2, The Circle, deals with Kira having to deal with Li Naas replacing her at the station. To be honest most of the “action” takes place in parts one and three. Part two is mostly filler it seems.
Part three has the crew doing what amounts to pacifist gorilla warfare. They know the station, the Bajoran military does not. And for the most part this actually works as Kira & Dax manage their side of the mission to bring the evidence of outside foul play by the Cardassians.
The most stupid part of the episode however was Li Nalas’s death scene. Even if I hadn’t read the backstory on why they made that decision it seems very “We don’t know what to do, lets kill him off.” He wasn’t a particularly intriguing character. He does seem to fit the theme of legend outliving the reality.
I wish I had more commentary on these episodes.
Interesting Notes:
Part One (Homecoming)
- Story by Jeri Taylor and Ira Steven Behr
- Teleplay by Ira Steven Behr
- Directed by Winrich Kolbe
- Scenes were filmed at Soledad Canyon, which caused some…interesting filming conditions. Not a favorite to shoot but the appearance on film pleased the production so it was used several times across DS9.
- No Morn Today.
Part Two (The Circle)
- Written by Peter Allen Fields
- Directed by Corey Allen
- The scene where Kira says goodbye is filmed in one continuous take, with close ups edited into the scene later.
Part Three (The Siege)
- Written by Michael Piller
- Directed by Winrich Kolbe
- This episode was the most challenging of the three in visual effects. This included a spider that was a prop bought at a yard sale and enhanced by the Visual Effects department. Personally, I could do without spiders.
All
- This was the first multi-part arc on the show that was more then 2 episodes. Enterprise would make good use of this style in its fourth season (11 years later).
- Frank Langella is uncredited for his role on the show. This was by his request as he was doing it for his children, and not to advance professionally.
Pros
- Bajorian backstory
- A very good Kira set of episodes (minus a bit of the prophecy…see below)
Cons:
Why is Kira always sexualized? This episode didn’t do it as badly as the Mirror episodes but I find it out of place or the orb to basically tell her she needs to go jump Bariel. I’m sure they see it as misdirection because its really about appearing in front of the ministers.
Screencap via CygnusX1.net
Sokorra Lewis 