Product Details

• Actors: Avery Brooks, Rene Auberjonois, Cirroc Lofton, Alexander Siddig, Colm Meaney
• Directors: David Livingston
• Writers: Michael Piller, Gene Roddenberry, Rick Berman, Robert Hewitt Wolfe
• Producers: David Livingston, Ira Steven Behr, Michael Piller
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, HiFi Sound, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Paramount
• VHS Release Date: July 8, 1997
• Run Time: 106 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6304489692
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #549,793 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Original airdate: 6-21-93. Stardate: Unknown. Federation-Bajoran tensions run high in DS9's emotionally charged first-season finale, which introduces the antagonistic Bajoran spiritual leader Vedek Winn (played by Oscar®-winning actress Louise Fletcher), whose self-serving political intrigues would carry into subsequent episodes "The Circle" and "The Siege." When Keiko O'Brien refuses to include Bajoran spiritual beliefs in her classroom curriculum, Vedek Winn threatens to take action, and an act of terrorism escalates into a plot to assassinate the leading candidate to become Bajor's new spiritual leader (Philip Anglim). This exceptional episode plays up the political conflicts that constantly simmer on DS9 and also serves as a showcase for Fletcher's self-righteous villainy, a test of Major Kira's loyalty to Sisko, and a closer look at Bajoran vulnerability to splinter groups and fanaticism. The separation of church and state is an obvious theme, but it's handled with intelligence and suspense, setting the stage for the secret agendas that would emerge at the beginning of DS9's second season. --Jeff Shannon

From the Back Cover

Vedek Winn (Louise Fletcher), a Bajoran spiritual leader, objects to Keiko's (Rosalin Chao) scientific teachings about the wormhole. When Commander Sisko (Avery Brooks) tries to resolve the conflict, the Vedek claims Keiko has dishonored the Prophets and unless she recants there will be dire consequences.

Meanwhile, Chief O' Brien (Colm Meaney) discovers an important tool is missing and the ensign who took it was murdered.

Hoping for a peaceful solution, Sisko seeks advice from Vedek Bareil (Philip Anglim), the leading candidate to become Bajor's next Kai. But when a bomb blast destroys the school, tension between the Bajorans and the Federation mounts. As the two Vedeks come together to examine the wreckage, Chief O'Brien uncovers the identity of the ensign's killer-and a shocking conspiracy to assassinate of the Vedeks.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Quite a show, December 31, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Star Trek - Deep Space Nine, Episode 20: In the Hands of the Prophets [VHS] (VHS Tape)

"In the Hands of the Prophets" is DS9's 1st Season Finale. For those who enjoy DS9's complex plotting and attention to political issues regarding Bajor, this is for you. The show centers around the mysterious death of an ensign and the issue of religious teachings in school enviroments. The show tackles the issue with skill, and manages to link it to the murder investagation in a nice way. This show also marks Kai Winn's first appearance on the series (at this time, Winn is a Vedek), and (I believe) this is also Vedek Bariel's first show. Everyone delievers stand-out performances in a script that really has some relevance to modern times and to the characters. In a nutshell: this is a keeper.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Vedek Winn is a ho-bag, October 30, 2004

By 

Shelley Gammon "Geek" (Kaufman, Texas USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Star Trek - Deep Space Nine, Episode 20: In the Hands of the Prophets [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Well, I suppose that's not very mature, but neither is Vedek Winn. Since Kai Opaka's isolation on a desolate planet in the episode "Emissary," there are murmurings across Bajor on who will be the next Kai, the spiritual leader of the people. Vedek Bareil and Vedek Winn are considered to be in a dead heat to be the next Kai. Bareil is young and handsome. Winn (Louise Fletcher) suffered under the Cardassian occupation and helped to unify the people.

She is respectful to Sisko in that she knows many Bajorans believe him to be the Emissary to the Prophets, but he disgusts her. Her whole life, she has sought the Prophets, but they have never spoken to her. Sisko, however, is not even a Bajoran, yet was deemed Emissary after discovering the wormhole - aka The Celestial Temple of the Prophets. Winn is revulsed that the person the Prophets had an audience with doesn't even refer to them as the Prophets but rather the wormhole aliens.

Keiko O'Brien has graduated from Botanist on the Enterprise to school teacher on DS9 and covers many subjects in the small, multi-species classroom - math, science, literature, etc. Kai Winn drops in on a class while Keiko teaches the class about the wormhole. Winn interrupts and belittles Keiko for not teaching that the wormhole is the celestial temple. Keiko is not Bajoran and while she respects their beliefs, she doesn't share them and sticks to a strict secular cirriculum.

Winn is on the war path. She has a condenscending smile and patronizing tone as she behaves as though she's all lovey dovey, but there are poison fangs and a forked tongue behind that smile.

Chief O'Brien has a young Bajoran assistant named Neela that he really likes. She's a quick study and an efficient engineer. Before he can say anything, she's already done what he was about to ask her to do. She confides in him that he's the only person from the Federation to not put on airs with her and treat her with a mutual respect.

There are protests on the station as an Orthodox group visits to investigate the teachings on the station. Kira takes Winn's side, but it's the last time she ever will. Sh believes that there should be two schools, one for Bajoran children and one for everyone else. It seems reasonable enough, but this tends to ruffle feathers. How will Bajorans and the Federation ever see eye to eye if so many things are kept separate. This sends the erroneous message that the Bajorans can't keep their religious beliefs AND be friends of the Federation. Whatever.

A catastrophic explosion in the school sets a completely different tone to the protests. Either one lone nut or organized thugs have committed this act of terrorism and Sisko immediately suspects Winn is involved.

The explosion lures Bareil onto the station in an effort to make peace and to calm the masses, but when an unlikely assassin tries to kill Bareil, more of Winn's sinister plot unravels and Kira is mortified that Winn's politics have superceded her love for Bajor. Power and recognition are all that she now seeks, since she has never had an audience with the prophets. There is intrigue and betrayal - an exciting and important episode that sets the stage for dozens of future episodes.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Ending on a high note?, August 19, 2000

By 

[e-mail] (UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Star Trek - Deep Space Nine, Episode 20: In the Hands of the Prophets [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This is the season-finale, the Borg are busy, the Romulan's are proably playing with their cloaking device and the Dominion haven't even been invented, so instead we get a political story that explores the issues of religion vs. science and Bajor finding a new leader. In hindsight this was an intricate story for DS9 but should've been placed earlier in the first series with the Jem'hadar being introduced as quickly as possibly. Three episodes were to follow that opened season two with an explosion! A good build-up episode but nothing else...