Station log: stardate unknown

Rene Ehevarria pens this episode that first aired on 14 October, 1998. Afterimage focuses on Sisko’s (Avery Brooks) efforts to convince Ezri Dax (Nicole de Boer) to stay on the station, as she struggles to get to know Jadzia’s friends, especially Worf (Micheal Dorn).

Garak (Andrew Robinson) engages us with a b-story that sees the Cardassian ‘tailor’ dealing with a case of extreme claustrophobia.

I love that over the past two episodes there’s been a running gag about Ezri is too young to be a counselor. But, this ties in nicely with Garak’s problem, as she is the one who talks to him, and helps him deal with the issue.

Sisko works hard to keep Dax aboard, even getting her promoted to lieutenant, and offering her an official position on the station.

It’s a bit of a respite after the past couple of episodes, and the moments are all centered on characters, on how they deal with the new, and the lost Dax, It takes its time, letting us get to know the character, and that works for the viewer and the series.

It’s definitely a different dynamic, and it causes Worf some serious pain (which plays out nicely in a scene with O’Brien (Colm Meaney) and later Ezri, herself), even as Ezri tries to make friends with Dax’s old friends. It’s a great episode that lets de Boer settle into her role, and the universe her character is now a part of.

Station log: stardate unknown

Ronald D. Moore pens this episode that first aired on 21 October, 1998, and sees Sisko’s love of baseball front and center when Captain Solok (Gregory Wagrowski) arrives on the station with his crew, and challenges his old classmate to a game.

Sisko is determined to beat Solok, who he sees as an arrogant vulcan, but he begins to take the game way too seriously.

So it’s the Niners versus the Logicians, and despite the fact that Sisko is taking it incredibly seriously, this is a really fun episode, and features some outside location shooting on the a baseball diamond.

So the Niners field Jake (Cirroc Lofton), Ezri, Worf, O’Brien, Quark (Armin Shimerman), Nog (Aron Eisenberg), Rom (Max Grodenchik), Bashir (Alexander Siddig), and Leeta (Chase Masterson), and Kasiddy Yates (Penny Johnson Jerald) with Odo (Rene Auberjonois) serving as umpire.

In the end, it’s the old adage, it’s not who wins, it’s how you play the game, and that you have fun doing it.

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

Boldly go…