Although we are done with DS9 and are now in the Delta Quadrant with Voyager, that doesn’t mean you can’t go back and catch up on the episodes you missed. You can find the rest here!
Deep Space Nine is being evacuated as dissident Bajoran forces are in route to violently reclaim the station. How will Sisko and the crew maintain their presence on the station with their very lives in danger? Find out in the episode that originally aired on October 10, 1993. This is The Siege.
The Episode:
Station Log Stardate: Undetermined (okay, they are evacuating, I can forgive this one): The Siege!
Deep Space Nine is under evacuation but Sisko is planning to remain behind and defend the station from The Circle. Kira and Dax attempt to take proof of Cardassian involvement to the government in order to stop the hostilities.
The Breakdown:
and now the conclusion…
Sisko informs his crew that they are leaving the station and, although they have deep connections with them, Starfleet has ordered their evacuation. Although it will take a while, Sisko informs them that he will be remaining behind to finalize the evacuation. His entire crew volunteer to join him and they prepare for the attack. As they prepare their families for evacuation, everyone is facing the stress of ensuring their safety. Families and friends are being separated as Quark takes advantage of the situation by selling seats on the escape ships. One family is having a tough time of it as Keiko begs Miles to come with them instead of remaining behind. Miles tells Keiko that he has to remain behind in order to prevent the Cardassians from taking over.
Kira and Jadzia plan a trip to the Bajoran Lunar base to take evidence of Cardassian interference to the Chamber of Ministers. Soon Sisko faces a crowd who are determined to leave the station to get to safety. Just as things get difficult, Li steps forward to rally the troops, asking the Bajoran citizens to remain behind and fight for their homes. They agree and make the way clear for the non-Bajorans who need to escape to safety. Quark finds himself left behind, his brother Rom having sold Quarks seat to a Dabo girl.
Just as the last ship is sent off, the Bajoran Militia arrives to take over the station. They soon find it abandoned much to the disappointment and confusion of General Krim. Krim isn’t convinced that they stations crew is gone and begins a search throughout the station. Soon he is contacted by Minister Jaro who is pleased to learn that the Federation has withdrawn. Krim informs Jaro that he doesn’t believe the Federation is entirely gone and they need to resist celebrating their victory until they are certain.
Kira and Dax find themselves on the moon base and locate a small ship. Having sat there for nearly 10 years, they find it a challenge to reactivate the ship, but manage through. Before long they manage to leave the moon and head toward Bajor with the evidence. Soon they find themselves under attack by Bajoran Raiders. Kira takes the battle to the surface of the planet.
The Federation resistance begin their assault by shutting down the power throughout the station. Chief O’Brien provides combat rations to the troops just as a militia patrol begins their search. Bashir and his team capture the patrol in the cargo bay gaining them some traction in the battle for the station. They soon capture the Bajoran Colonel and his men revealing to them that the Cardassians are involved. Released by Sisko in hopes that he will tell Krim what he has learned, Colonel Day Kannu chooses to keep silent about his discovery.
After surviving the initial attack, Kira and Dax must crash their ship on the planet. Kira finds herself hurt but Dax refuses to leave her behind. Kira passes out and wakes in the monastery where she learns that she and Dax were rescued. Dax arrives dressed as a Vedek (something right out of Kira’s Orb experience) and they begin their attempt to infiltrate the Vedek assembly. Finding their way into the assembly, Kira reveals her evidence to the assembly showing that Minister Jaro was close to handing Bajor over to the Cardassians once again.
Upon learning the truth of the matter, General Krim is furious at Colonel Kannu at withholding vital information. Krim orders his soldiers to leave the station and hands control of DS9 back over to Starfleet. At the last minute, Col Kannu attempts to kill Sisko but Li jumps in the way taking the blast himself. Li Nalas dies in Sisko’s arms.
In the end, the station is back in the hands of the Federation. Kira finds herself lamenting the loss of the great man, Li Nalas. He tells her that she is the hero she is looking for but she can not accept it for herself.
Is this a ‘Good’ Episode:
What a great end to the season Premiere. Three episodes in and this has already shown more action and depth than some entire seasons of Star Trek The Next Generation. This three part episode (a first for Star Trek btw) really gave us a chance to learn more about the Bajorans and the crew of the Station itself. While it is only a year into the series, this show is already proving it has the chops to support itself without any assistance from it’s brethren.
For the first time we really get a chance to dive into how this series differs from the others. This is not just a series of single ‘monster of the week’ episodes, though we will have them, this is an evolving, living thing that actually uses the events that take place as chances for the characters to grow and develop into more three dimensional characters. Many times something life changing would happen to a member of the Enterprise crew only for it to be all but forgotten by the next week, we will see less of that here as they are not travelling about, we are at home with them each and every episode so there is little to hide under the cover of a new adventure.
There are some interesting subtleties in this episode indicating things to come. We see Vedek Winn turn on her ally as soon as it is clear that he has been caught, Winn is certainly someone to watch out for and this shows us very clearly where her allegiances lie. Next we get a brief but undeniable moment of hatred from O’Brien about the Cardassians. When he is evacuating his wife he refers to them as Cardies and then later mentions his time during the war between the Cardassians and the Federation. This is a huge foreshadowing as it is apparent that Miles has not overcome his distrust of the Cardassian people even after his experience in the TNG episode The Wounded.
All in all, this was a great way to start the season and there is way more to come with one of the strongest second seasons of any Star Trek series to date.
Gleanings and Cool Bits:
For those paying attention, Col Day Kannu is played by Steven Weber who is best known for his time on the tv series Wings.
We learn of Dax’s second host, Tobin who was a great engineer.
There is a terrific use of the Holosuite to capture enemies making them think that Sisko and team have been caught. Either the militia members weren’t thinking or Bajorans just dont use holo-technology but either way it did the job.
We never see Jaro again, it is implied that he is imprisoned for his actions.
While Vedek Winn has failed in her attempt to take over Bajor, we certainly have not seen the last of her.
New Rule of Acquisition!
Rule #31 Never make fun of a Ferengi’s Mother!
Thanks for reading the Retro TV Review, I look forward to discussing the rest of the series with you, one episode at a time every Monday, Wednesday and Friday! Next Review: Invasive Procedures
If you would like to read more reviews I have a weekly series called Key Movies Of My Life that comes out every Thursday and for more retro TV goodness check out the rest of the Retro TV Reviews here.
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Late To The Game 1/23/2021 (Originally published 4/15/2019)
Special Thanks to Memory Alpha as they are one of the best sources for details on Star Trek information available. Although I have a pretty deep knowledge on the subject, they have proven invaluable as a regular resource.
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