Blood Oath

DVD, DS9 S2 (Blood Oath)

The great weight of history oozes from this episode. Legendary tales and the feeling of depth of time and space brings so much, and the history is palpable. This sense of time and connection to the past is stronger thanks to the fact that the episode is grounded in not just the time relative to the character's, as decades are bandied about, but in real time with original actor's tracked down to play their character's from the Original Series. No one need know that Kang fought Kirk, or that Koloth was there in the Tribbles 'crisis' or even that Kor was the first ever Klingon seen on screen, since the episode is so confidently written and acted that a strong bond between the Klingons and us, as the audience, is there with seemingly little effort, but knowing what pedigree, what links that brought these three actors back after almost three decades gives the story even more power.

You might be forgiven for thinking the DS9 regulars would be lost behind the overbearing figures of the Klingons with such well-written parts, but this is a Dax episode through and through (and through and through another of the Albino's minions!). Her conflict between her Federation ethics and her Klingon ties is what elevates this higher than an excuse for an action-packed planetary assassination mission. How could we ever have guessed that the placid, serene figure we met in Season One would go on to loosen up so much she could handle the ordeals of Klingon warriors; the mental strength to carry out something she feels so strongly about. I loved the last scene where she comes back to work and quietly gets on with it, only the disappointed expression of Sisko and the sad understanding of Kira to greet her. Kira's past is brought into the open again, and it demonstrates how far their friendship has come that they would talk about such things.

The lighting is cinematic, and everything comes together for this special 'event' episode. Cutting lines, a glorious battle on a planet setting. The fights were the first Klingon battles on the series, introducing the Battleth, and reminding us why we love the Klingons so much, especially when they're allies! I used to wonder if the Albino was a Klingon too, but he clearly isn't, as his underhand tactics reveal. There's also another of the fishy-faced race that have often been used as baddies on the series in these first two seasons, this time as the Albino's bodyguard. The sense of age and of these forgotten warriors trying to recapture some honour is poignant, and it's ironic that Kor, the one who isn't serious, is the only survivor of the three.

The age-old debate over head ridges raised its ugly ridged head again when this first went out, and it does cause problems. You can always explain away ridged and flatheads as being different (as 'Enterprise' did), but how does that explain these Original Series Klingons having ridges? While we're on the nitpicking front I also noticed a short scene in the fight as Kang attacks one of the guards reused a few seconds later. It doesn't matter, because all belief is suspended, except the belief that these are rock-hard warriors that we grow to admire in the space of only one episode. Even the Romulans and Kahless get mentions, and it could be said that, like last season's Ferengi template, this is the mould for Klingon episodes to come in the series, even if much of the style and look owes a debt to The Next Generation that pioneered this style (with influence from the films).

The conflict for Dax is whether she could do the mission, or not; whether she should do the mission, or not; and whether she needs to do it, or not. Two out of three isn't bad - the scene with Sisko asking her about this insanity takes the issue of her Federation standing head on. Equally when we found out Kira had murdered in the past, it was a little bit surprising, but it's much easier to get behind Dax (I wouldn't want to be in front of her when she's got that sharp blade) with this righteous crusade. It may seem like the episode is all about Klingons, but really it's all about Dax. And she comes through.

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