310. The SiegeFORMULA: Starship Mine + Chain of Command + Legacy
WHY WE LIKE IT: Dax can be funny. The dogfight.
WHY WE DON'T: Colonel Day's smirking face. Don't you just want to punch that guy?
REVIEW: As we get into part 3, the station's been ordered abandoned and we actually spend some time look at the evacuation. Families and friends must say goodbye, and Quark must overbook seats on the runabouts. The best part for me, however, is Sisko not ordering his crew to stay behind and fight. It's a typical scene, but rather than the usual "lock and load/to hell with our orders" platitudes, he's met with a good, long silence. Just what I'd imagine would happen in real life. Lovely tension builder.
The siege itself is well directed, with cameras always positioned in nooks and crannies, as if hiding from the Bajorans. There are some nice traps for them, including a cool use of the holosuites. Li Nalas is somewhat redeemed here, so of course, he needs to die. Such is the way of that particular dramatic structure. Krinn remains a good, smart character I'll be sad never to see again. Steven Weber's Circle collaborator Colonel Day is an obvious villain though, and he won't be missed.
Meanwhile, Dax and Kira are on a mission of their own, trying to get crucial evidence to the Chamber of Ministers to stop Jaro, Winn and the Circle from taking power. The best surprise here is Dax's sense of humor. Not quite as adventurous as she'll eventually be, it's nice to see her zen coolness supplemented with a bit more attitude. The reaction to the palukoo is priceless, and the whole "seat of the pants technology" stuff cracks me up every time. All the while, Kira's totally non-plussed by it all. Hilarious! This sequence also features a nice little dogfight in the skies of Bajor, beautifully lit and executed, and Dax navigating by tricorder!
The conclusions to both stories are excellent. I love how Winn immediately takes a step back from Jaro when news of Cardassian involvement is brought up. She's an ambitious reactionary, but still a patriot in her hate of the Cardassians. As for Kira, she's hit hard by Li Nalas' death, never to know he wasn't really a great hero. Again, Sisko shows his willingness and ability to alter reality, a recurring theme on the show.
LESSON: When the loser steps up, he is automatically doomed.
REWATCHABILITY - High: I would have loved for the series to just continue from there as a true serial, but this experiment at least laid the groundwork for the longer arcs to come. The Siege has plenty of action, some humor and nice closure.
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