S2E1 - The Homecoming

[Jared Rascher]

It's hard to focus just in on this episode, because this felt like the early stages of DS9 chaining plots together, not directly as separate parts, like the season cliff-hangers, but as just much more closely associated episodes that were more serialized.

I don't know why it feels jarring every time they remind us of how short a period of time it has been since the Cardassian occupation. Not jarring in that it doesn't feel right, but that the people are trying to move forward from something so big and horrific that its hard to think that they managed to get past that part of their history.

For me, that's a compliment to the creative staff that they managed to make it feel like a real historical event that had repercussions and consequences.

[dnaphil]

I selected this episode because this is DS9s foray into Serialized storytelling.

This episode kicks off the 3-episode arc. Overall, I think that this episode does a good job of setting up the situation and introducing Li, the war hero.

I really like that Li is not the hero that everyone thinks he is. Rather he tells a very ordinary tale of how he defeated the Gul that he is credited fighting.

Minister Jaro teaming up with Vedek Winn shows the uglier side of Bajorian politics, which again, I like, because it shows the Bajorians as a real civilization; imperfect.