61 of 63 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Stirring final season has many, many highlights, November 5, 2003
bMost series go out like the roach in those old Raid commericals on their backs with legs sticking up in the air. DS9 was an exception to the rule. Pedigree is sometimes telling and, in the case of DS9, it was the grandson of a science fiction film classic; Roddenberry clearly based his characters and the situation of the original Star Trek on Forbidden Planet. Next Generation took that formula to the next level. DS9 was the first major departure from the formula--while it's set in Roddenberry's universe creators Michael Pillar and Rick Berman brought in a much darker element. It fit well.
Season 7 tied up most of the loose ends from the previous six years. As Executive Producer and writer Ira Steve Behr noted, DS9 evolved without any clear cut plan in mind beyond the current season. In many respects, that was the to the series' advantage. Jadzia Dax, Worf's wife and fellow officer, is murdered at the conclusion of season six and it appears that the evil spirits of the Pah-wraith have taken control. The Dominion looks like they will actually win the war and Gul Dukat, Sisko's doppleganger and foe,has over the course of seasons 6 and 7 gone completely insane.
Worf must deal with the loss of his mate and his world continues to crumble as the Dax symbiot returns as Ezri Dax (played by the marvelous and beautiful Nicole deBoer) bring back ghosts he'd thought he had put behind him. Sisko has returned to Earth taking a leave of absence from the Federation to work at his father's restaurant. Image In The Sand opens with Sisko trying to uncover the mystery of his mother's death and his visions. An attempt on his life makes him rethink his isolation from the world. Other strong episodes include After Image where Garak has massive anxiety attacks related to his role in helping the Federation overturn the Cardassian Empire. He feels like a traitor even though Cardassia is now just a pawn of the Dominion. Chrysalis focuses on Julian Bashir's love affair with another genetically enhanced individual who, until recently, was in something of a catatonic state. The best episode for me is Treachery, Faith and The Great River. Weyoun one of the genetically engineered overseers of the Jem H'adar betrays the Dominion. He gives information to the Federation in return for asylum. Evidently he's been judged defective and the Dominion has elected to terminate him and replace him with yet another clone.
Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges and Extreme Measures reintroduces Section 31 the secret cell that operates within the Federation. This secret organization will do anything, regardless of ethics or morality, to insure the Federation wins the war against the Dominion. Willian Sadler is superb as Sloan who tries to recruit Bashir in the former. In the latter episode, Bashir must enter the dying man's mind to find a cure for the wasting disease that was introduced to destroy the Founders (the leaders of the Dominion) by Section 31. It threatens the Founders and Odo who was used to introduce the disease to his people.
The grand finale is a marvelous two parter that doesn't provide complete resolution but, like the best novels, leaves enough loose ends to make the series interesting. I don't want to spoil it as there are a number of powerful surprises.
While season 7 didn't quite live up to seasons 4, 5 & 6 it was a strong send off for the series. Unlike The Next Generation (which I still love despite its flaws), on DS9 not everyone got along and the conflicts made the show that much more interesting. Oh, and if you purchase seasons 6 & 7 you'll get $20.00 back from Paramount (a similar promotion was used for Next Gen). A great series (not just a great Star Trek series)rode off into the sunset without ever looking back.
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56 of 59 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
DS9 Season Seven The conclusion of Star Trek's best series!, December 18, 2003
The seventh season of Star Trek Deep Space Nine is the conclusion of Star Trek's best, richest, most character and plot driven series to date, without exception. Even more so than when The Next Generation was concluded, the sense of the loss of this series for this fan and all of the fans of DS9 was that much more profound, despite the producers, writers and actors extraordinary efforts and the brilliance of this season!
Never before and not since in the history of Star Trek has a series serialized so many portions of its run and from the very early beginnings of the rumors of the Dominion all the way through the final episode in the epic, the entire arc with the Dominion war was prophetic and superior in how it was all set up and concluded.
This incomparable seventh season also brought to the series and the fans the addition of a new character in Ezri Dax. Given that the shows writers had a whole new character to play with and the fact that Ezri turned into such a unusual and wonderful character, many of the seasons early episodes were devoted to her and they were very good shows. High praise goes to Nicole deBoer for her performances during this season.
To make things even better for this season of wrapping up character and plot arcs, the shows producers decided upon and carried out some very different things for the Star Trek universe. From a brilliant and unprecedented ten episode arc to conclude the series to the extraordinary things they did with many of the characters to conclude the series; such as Captain Sisko's destiny, Rom's gift from Zek, Worf and Martok's intertwined destinies, the ultimate relationship between Bashir and Ezri, O'Brien's new assignment and Odo's return to the great link carrying the message of humanity, all of which wrapped up these characters perfectly.
For those that wish to find out what many of Star Trek fiction's finest authors and Pocket Books with approval through Paramount Studios believes what happens after the conclusion of "What You Leave Behind," there is a whole new re-launch series available and most of these rich stories have received very high praise from fans and critics alike.
The episodes:
Image in the Sand & Shadows and Symbols- These two episodes pick up beautifully where the sixth season left off and starts the character of Benjamin Sisko down the path of the prophets through an unexpected new character introduced in these shows. Ezri Dax is also introduced here in a funny and surprising way.
Afterimage - Ezri is finding out what it is to be a joined Trill and Garak, played perfectly by Andrew Robinson, and becomes her new patient as he finds "he" is a suffering from a moral dilemma.
Take Me Out to the Holosuite - Simply put, this is one of the series funniest and most cherished episodes ever produced.
Chrysalis - Bashir's genetically enhanced friends make a return in this beautiful yet heart wrenching episode.
Treachery, Faith and the Great River - It is episodes like this one that carried DS9 due to its rich script and superb acting as a Weyoun clone is found to be "defective" and seeks the aid of Odo while at the same time Nog may be in Starfleet but he proves he is still a Ferengi.
Once More Unto the Breach - John Colicos returns as Kor in this last amazing Klingon devoted episode of the series.
The Siege of AR-558 - The true effects of war come face to face with several of the characters in this episode.
Covenant - The final arc of Dukat and his covenant with the Pah-Wraiths begins in earnest in this extremely well written episode.
It's Only a Paper Moon - Vic Fontaine and Nog lead in this episode as Nog retreats to the holosuite to deal with his loss during his time on AR-558.
Prodigal Daughter - This beautiful episode introduces us to Ezri's family and a return for O'Brien as an intelligence operative dealing with the Orion syndicate.
The Emperor's New Cloak - This is the last brilliant mirror universe episode and at the same time the last great Ferengi episode.
Field of Fire - Ezri finds herself dealing with Joran, one of Dax's previous hosts that was a murderer and a series of murders takes place on the station.
Chimera - This is one story that I'd always hoped would come along, what if another changeling that was sent out like Odo showed up. The character of Laas is played to perfection by J.G. Hertzler's brother, Garman.
Badda-Bing Badda-Bang - You knew it would have to happen; a show devoted to Vic Fontaine and despite some misgivings with this character and its place in Star Trek, the overall story is very good.
Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges - Sloan from Section 31 returns in this brilliantly written episode which is heavily laden with mystery and intrigue involving the Romulans.
Penumbra thru What You Leave Behind - "Penumbra" is where the extraordinary ten episode arc begins and the conclusion of the Dominion War and the series starts. From gripping character driven scenes to extraordinary space battles between Federation, Klingon, Romulan, Dominion, Cardassian and Breen starships, every scene in these last ten episodes of the 176 hour saga is absolutely brilliant, leaving us, the fans longing for more yet remembering them fondly... {ssintrepid}
Episode list:
Image in the Sand
Shadows and Symbols
Afterimage
Take Me Out to the Holosuite
Chrysalis
Treachery, Faith and the Great River
Once More Unto the Breach
The Siege of AR-558
Covenant
It's Only a Paper Moon
Prodigal Daughter
The Emperor's New Cloak
Field of Fire
Chimera
Badda-Bing Badda-Bang
Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges
Penumbra
'Til Death Do Us Part
Strange Bedfellows
The Changing Face of Evil
When it Rains...
Tacking Into the Wind
Extreme Measures
The Dogs of War
What You Leave Behind
Special Features:
-Ending An Era
-Crew Dossier: Benjamin Sisko
-Crew Dossier: Jake Sisko
-The Last Goodbyes
-Photo Gallery
-9 Section 31 "Hidden" files
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16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Final Chapter, April 22, 2003
Deep Space Nine's Seventh Season is basically a highlight reel. One show after another sparkles, there are plenty of twists, and, most importantly, the show ends so well. The final arc is truly amazing and makes us remember why we liked the show in the first place.
First off, there is a new Dax host in the last season. Nicole DeBoer plays Ezri Dax in the final season, taking over for Terry Farrell. I always liked the idea of having a new regular character come in before the end to mix things up, and there are a few good episodes devoted to her. "Afterimage" has Ezri trying to get her old friends to accept her; and "Field of Fire" has her enlisting the help of psychopath Joran Dax to catch a clever killer. It was in this episode where we learned how different she was to be from the previous Dax: her readiness to access the twisted Joran part of herself. Also, "Prodigal Daughter" explores her backstory.
All the characters receive a fitting coda. Sisko begins the season confused about his purpose, but wraps up the season fulfilling his destiny. Kira is promoted to Colonel, but finishes up the season as a freedom fighter once again, and ends up in command of the station. Worf has an eventful season, which includes depression after Jadzia's death, nonacceptance of Ezri leading to romance, as well as indignation at Gowron for his purely personal motives in the war. Julian has a couple of run-ins with Section 31 and overall becomes a wiser, more mature person. Garak ends up finally ending his exile, Quark still runs the bar, and Rom becomes the Grand Nagus. All in all, the denouement of the show was perfect.
Some of this season's highlights are "Take me Out to the Holosuite", a whimsical break from the war which pits Sisko against an academy nemesis in baseball, "Once More Unto the Breach" and "The Siege of AR-558", a pair of war stories, "Treachery, Faith and the Great River" with Weyoun defecting from the Dominion, "It's Only a Paper Moon" and "Badda-Bing Badda-Bang", both Vic Fontaine episodes, the first dealing with Rom's injury, the second is a tribute to heist films. The aforementioned "Field of Fire" is a great mystery story, but my favorite episode of the season is "Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges". This is the best Section 31 episode of all of them, a complicated morality play/spy story where nothing is as it seems. "The Changing Face of Evil" has more twists than Lombard Street, including Damar finally breaking off and starting his resistance movement. "Tacking into the Wind" finally has Gowron getting his just dessert, and "What You Leave Behind" concludes the series well by ending the Dominion war and having the characters go their separate ways.
It is easy to say that Season 7 is among the show's best. It is definitely worth purchasing.
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