The Dogs of War

DVD, DS9 S7 (The Dogs of War)

The bittersweet time. The calm before the storm. The ticking of many boxes, the preparing of many surprises, the arrival of such news, the plans for the offensive, the eve of an ending. An ending to a seven year saga, one of great breadth and depth, of hope, of sadness, of adventure, drama and character. One that will be worthy of the pedigree of this great series, the best Star Trek could produce. But how can you craft a satisfying conclusion to something that has so many levels, so many people we care about, so much history? You set it up with an episode like this one.

Too often episodes can be described glibly as 'great'. Or as a feast of delights, to whet the most demanding appetite. Well this one is truly the best apertif to a meal you could get in metaphorical terms. Avery Brooks gets one last chance to direct, and he doesn't waste it. As well as showing us a shaft of light into the Cardassian homeworld, he showcases many of the station's familiar sets. He takes us carefully around Quark's bar, circles the Ops centre, and presents the new bridge of a starship they call Defiant.

If the stage is set, then the pieces are in full evidence. We're treated to many of the recurring characters from the last few years. The extended Ferengi family makes a final reunion to confer an unlooked-for honour upon Rom 'the idiot'. Ishka, Zek and of course Mai'Hardu; the obsequious Brunt, conniving as ever. Leeta and Nog, and the bar staff, too. We see Weyoun - and just an aside: how good an actor is Jeff Combs? He plays both Weyoun and Brunt in the same episode, yet you would never know. They are such different in look, style and voice! Amazing. We also have the Female Changeling, with a new English-sounding leader for Cardassia, in the shape of Broca. Clearly a villain by the fact he speaks clearly and precisely! You can always see the mark of a baddun! Damar and Garak are forced into hiding in Garak's family home, the faithful Mila seen for the first time.

My only regret of these closing episodes in terms of Garak is that he never had a wistful walk round the decks of Deep Space Nine, and one final, thoughtful glance at his tailor's shop. Oh, I know it wouldn't be in character - he always hated his exile away from Cardassia and he was in a frightful hurry to get back there. But what are the denizens of DS9 to do for tailoring now? Martok makes his appearance, now in his Chancellorship, and Admiral Ross transfers command of the newly minted Defiant-A over to Sisko. Even Kasidy gets her moment, as a surprise announcement for Sisko right there at the end. Even Vaughn Armstrong makes a comeback and gets a heroic battle to die in! Almost no one of importance is left out, apart from, sadly, Jake.

Season Seven has been a pretty uneven time compared to previous years, and some characters have been overlooked to a lesser or greater extent. I don't feel that the season retained the upward surge of the previous two seasons, and in retrospect it may have been wise to go out when it was still popular, lest it turn into a decline. Not to say the season hasn't been full of ideas, great stories and character development, it's just that Seasons Five and Six really took off and ran with so many concepts, it would have been nigh on impossible to top them. I never used to think that way - originally I wanted the series to continue as long as possible, and a part of me still concurs, but time changes things. The perspective of Trek being a constant has dimmed and finally diminished, with only an alternate-universe film every couple of years to enjoy.

DS9 however, set out to be different and at the same time use what had come before. Look at the changes in Ferengi society, in Klingon leadership, in Federation-Romulan relations, in the new face of an old Dax (Paramount, CBS, or whatever: do a series set in the future and have a new host of Dax!). This episode has confidently wrapped up some of those important questions, while setting up more of them for the finale. And isn't it a kick to see a former Bajoran terrorist, wearing Starfleet garb, resting in a basement of a former secret agent, with the legitimate leader of Cardassia, a man that killed her friend. How these characters have grown and changed. And so have we as viewers, thanks to this superb slice of TV. And (yes!), there's still a feature-length episode to watch.

*****