Station log: stardate unknown

Rivals was written by Joe Menosky from a story by Jim Trombetta and Michael Piller. It originally aired on 2 January, 1994.

Quark (Armin Shimerman) has trouble on the Promenade when an El-Aurian con artist, Martus Mazur (Chris Sarandon) arrives on the station and plans to open a competing bar. Mazur has run ins with both Quark and Odo (Rene Auberjonois) and he comes across a gambling device that helps him win.

Quark seems just short of losing his mind in competing with Martus, but that isn’t the only level of competition going on…

Chief Miles O’Brien (Colm Meaney), meanwhile, is determined to beat Bashir (Alexander Siddig) in a competitive series of racquetball games, in a court that Miles has built on the station. Unfortunately, Bashir is really good, and has played against countless rivals on Starfleet teams.

This only seems to aggravate O’Brien all the more.

This is a lighter episode, and gives Sarandon a chance to be goofy as Martus. But, of the two stories, I prefer the O’Brien/Bashir story, as it deals with ageing, youth. In fact Quark does too as he gets involved in making a betting pool on the game.

The gambling device, however, is having an effect on all the luck and possibilities and probabilities on the station.

It’s not the strongest episode of the season, and is a bit silly, but it still entertains. And I love to see the continuing development of the friendship between Miles O’Brien and Julian Bashir.

Station log: stardate 47391.7

Odo takes the spotlight for this episode written by Bill Dial from a story by himself and Jim Trombetta. It first aired on 9 January, 1994.

When Dr. Mora Pol (James Sloyan) arrives on the station, Odo is shaken. Mora served as his mentor, after discovering the being, and researching him on Bajor. Now, he has arrived with the news that he may have discovered evidence of more of his kind, Changelings.

Sisko (Avery Brooks) allows Odo, Mora, and Dax (Terry Farrell) the use of a runabout, and they are off to the Gamma Quadrant! They find… something… and bring it back to the station, where it finds its way into the ducts (this sounds familiar).

While all this goes on, Mora continues his examination and mentorship of Odo, a combination of science and proud parenting. But what if the encounter on the planet changed Odo, and Mora hopes to get the Security Officer back into his lab, for good.

Both characters will learn about themselves before the end of the episode, and while it’s not the best of the season it continues to layer the outsider nature of Odo.

The Human Adventure continues next week as I explore Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – The Complete Series on DVD.