Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Season 6 (1997)
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Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Season 6 Review
The sixth season of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is definitely not as strong as the previous one, but it still has its fair share of amazing episodes.
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“It’s like I said – the more things change,
the more they stay the same“
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A Time to Stand skips some time into the Dominion War and it’s a great starter for this season with Jake’s role as a journalist being particularly well explored. Rocks and Shoals is a great episode with the Jem’Hadar that is full of suspense and great villains. Sons and Daughters is a weaker storyline involving Alexander. It was nice seeing him again and as an older man, but still it’s the same old, same old with these two characters.
Behind the Lines is a terrific tactical episode that sees Sisko in great command. This particular season emphasized tactics in wars instead of battles and I found it utterly refreshing within the broader SF genre. Favor the Bold and Sacrifice the Angels are both phenomenal. This two-parter deals with the retaking of Deep Space Nine and it’s some epic stuff, in particular Sisko continues to be very interesting in the leader role.
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You Are Cordially Invited is your typical wedding episode where Worf’s family doesn’t accept Dax. It was expected, but okay for what it is. Resurrection is such a silly, unnecessary episode that introduced Kira’s previous boyfriend into the mix for some unbeknownst reason to me. Statistical Probabilities could have delved even deeper into its premise, but still the show depicting more genetically modified people besides Bashir was great to witness.
The Magnificent Ferengi is okay for a Ferengi episode, but there will be a much better one down the line. Waltz is different for actually not letting Dukat go unpunished and become a better man or some bullshit like that. Him being stranded with Sisko did not change him, but we actually got to witness him becoming a genuine, creepy villain. Also, seeing him grapple with his conscience when it comes to Kira was very dramatic. A superb episode all around.
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Who Mourns for Morn? is not all that interesting, though Quark is fun here. Far Beyond the Stars ended up being much better than I expected as it deals with racism of the fifties, but still it’s another period piece that seemed like filler honestly. One Little Ship is quite entertaining in its minimizing storyline and I liked the interactions between everyone, but overall the episode should have been more memorable.
Honor Among Thieves is another one of those O’Brien thriller episodes and he’s always a good fit for these stories. Change of Heart is a very good episode tackling the issue of whether you should choose marital responsibilities over work ones. Wrongs Darker Than Death or Night is an amazing episode that takes us back in time to meet Kira’s mother. It’s a mysterious storyline that ends up revealing us a lot about Kira and Dukat.
Inquisition is more forgettable, In the Pale Moonlight is all about getting the Romulans to join the war and it explores the ethics of it all so well. His Way is such a sweepingly romantic episode that finally pairs up Odo with Kira successfully. Vic Fontaine is such a memorable sweet talker, the setting is super cool and the final scene where the two finally kiss was emotionally rewarding.
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The Reckoning is okay, but not as memorable. Valiant is mostly a filler while Profit and Lace is one of the funniest, most purely entertaining episodes of the entire show. Quark disguises himself as a woman in order to seal some deal, and the result is a hilarious cross-dressing episode that really works. Time’s Orphan is both cringy and ridiculous. The Sound of Her Voice is better, but also not great. But Tear of the Prophets is a terrific finale that changed a lot of things. It intensified the war, it found Sisko at the height of his powers and Dax was killed abruptly, but heartbreakingly.
Overall, this season of DS9 has its problematic episodes, but those that are great are truly amazing. The war/tactical episodes are the highlights this time around.
Worst Episodes: Resurrection and Time’s Orphan.
Best Episodes: Wrongs Darker Than Death or Night, A Time to Stand, Waltz and Tears of the Prophets.
