Product Details

• Actors: Avery Brooks, Rene Auberjonois, Cirroc Lofton, Alexander Siddig, Colm Meaney
• Directors: Les Landau
• Writers: Gene Roddenberry, Michael Piller, Paul Robert Coyle, Rick Berman
• Producers: David Livingston, Ira Steven Behr, James Crocker
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, HiFi Sound, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Paramount
• VHS Release Date: April 7, 1998
• Run Time: 46 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 0792146263
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #522,391 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Star Trek fans know that the character Miles O'Brien (Colm Meaney), the Irish-born engineer with a very small role on The Next Generation, grew into a major figure on Deep Space Nine, befitting Meaney's rising prominence in film (The Snapper). The episode called "Whispers" places the actor at the center of an unnerving, Twilight Zone-like story in which O'Brien returns to the station following an assignment in the Paradas system, only to find that everyone is treating him distantly. Commander Sisko (Avery Brooks) assigns him to meaningless work and denies the chief his usual security clearance on important matters. Meanwhile, the engineering crew lies to him, Odo (Rene Auberjonois) talks to him as if were a suspect, and O'Brien's closest friend, Dr. Bashir (Siddig El Fadil), and his own wife (Rosalind Chao) regard him mechanically.

Suspecting a conspiracy afoot, O'Brien finds ample evidence that a kind of Invasion of the Body Snatchers scenario may be underway, and he bolts from the station in a Runabout under a hail of fire. Searching for answers, the good chief runs smack into a cruel discovery about the nature of destiny and identity. A fine mystery from beginning to end, "Whispers" draws upon a favorite Star Trek theme, that of questionable realities and fear of madness. --Tom Keogh

From the Back Cover

After returning from an assignment in the Paradas System, O'Brien (Colm Meaney) believes everyone on the station is treating him differently: keiko (Rosalind Chao) is distant, Sisko (Avery Brooks) is suspicious, and Odo (Rene Auberjonois) seems to be hiding something.

O'Brien searches the computer for any anomalies that might explain the crew's behavior, but is unable to solve the mystery. Ultimately, the crew begins to hunt him down. In desperation, he steals a Runabout and heads for the Paradas System in search of an answer. There, he finds Sisko and Kira (Nana Visitor) meeting with the Paradas rebel leader. Confusion turns to fright when a guard opens fire and O'Brien is mortally wounded.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of Star Trek's best, May 12, 1999

By 

Aaron Shakra (Eugene, OR USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Star Trek - Deep Space Nine, Episode 34: Whispers [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Although Colm Meaney has been an underused actor throughout Deep Space Nine's seven year run, almost every episode of the series that has focused on his Chief O'Brien character has been superb.

"Whispers" is not only the best Chief O'Brien episode, it's one of the best Deep Space Nine episodes, and quite possibly, when taking all four incarnations of Star Trek into consideration, one of the best Star Trek episodes. Meaney plays out the paranoid element of the story perfectly, the music was better than Trek's (at least TV Trek) usual sub-par fare, and the story kept you guessing until the end (is there something wrong with O'Brien, or is there something wrong with everyone else?). Not to be missed.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars chilling, edge-of-your-seat episode, November 10, 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 34: Whispers [VHS] (VHS Tape)

The episode opens with O'Brien talking to the computer aboard his runabout. He is trying to leave a final log entry, as he knows he is living on borrowed time. Someone is after him, but who? Has he done something wrong?

As his log continues, we're thrusted back 52 hours as he returns to DS9 from the Paradas system. He had been working with the Paradas on security preparation on the station and is happy to be home and near his family. He awakens to find Keiko not in bed. She is up at 5:30am, fixing an earlier-than-ever breakfast. When he bends down to kiss his daughter Molly, she shrivels away from him and says "Go away!" Keiko brushes it off as a phase, but she herself is shockingly cold and resistent when O'Brien embraces her and tries to kiss her.

He figures it's a woman thing and goes to work. There, he finds one of his underlings busy at a securty junction that he was supposed to work on. He is aggitated that this snot-nosed rookie is working on his project until he's told that it's orders from Sisko. Even though the Paradas went through everything they wanted through the Chief, Sisko wants him working on the upper pylons instead. O'Brien can't understand why all the pylons are out - he had just repaired them before he left and even checked on them when he returned.

Everyone is surface-friendly to him, but he gets this weird "Stepford Wives" vibe from everyone. He begins to think that everyone on the station is under some alien influence. He knows that the Keiko in his quarters is not the Keiko he married. He doesn't know if she's been replaced or if she is somehow being controlled by an outside influence.

O'Brien is forced into a long-overdue medical exam by Bashir. Bashir has him in there for hours - far beyond the norm - I'm surpised he didn't try to give O'Brien a pap smear. Miles is beside himself. Everyone acts so friendly and yet secretive. He first thinks there might be a surprise party for him, but his birthday isn't for months.

When he finally discovers the problem in the upper pylons, he knows that someone deliberately sabotaged elements deep in the system to keep him occupied for hours while security preparations are made for the Paradas without his involvement. He suspects that somehow the entire station is under an alien influence and the Paradas are in danger. As he heads out to warn them, he is being persued with diligence from Sisko and company.

This is an episode that will make your goose pimples stand on end - you really don't know what's going on until the end. Once again, Colm Meanie demonstrates his awesome, often-overlooked, acting prowess. Rosalind Chao, as always, is mind-blowingly awesome, even in her short amount of screen-time. She should really be getting more Hollywood roles - it's been way too long since "The Joy Luck Club" and she deserves a chance at an Oscar. She kicks interstellar butt.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent mystery show., December 31, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Star Trek - Deep Space Nine, Episode 34: Whispers [VHS] (VHS Tape)

"Whispers" is an excellent stand-alone mystery. It's so complex, you can watch it two times and it will still be interesting. The first time, when you have no idea what is going on, the mystery angle as O'Brien tries to figure out what is wrong with everyone on the station, is done so well, you don't want it to end. The second time through, when you know is really going on, everything comes on a different level. That is difficult to write and perform, but everyone delivers in a marvelous way. Even though "Whispers" has no impact on the series' plot-arc's, it is still a wonderful show, worth seeing.