S3E9 - Defiant

[dnaphil]

I selected this episode for the return of Thomas Riker.

In the TNG Watch Party, I had to put Second Chances into the list, just so we could watch this episode. DS9 had a number of crossover events in the first two seasons, but for me, this was my favorite one. This is the deep cut. You had to remember one episode, one event, to remember that there are two Rikers.

The director does a great job making things look on the level and not raising any suspicion until right before he takes over the Defiant. It is only when Thomas has to confront O'Brien that things look suspicious. By then its too late.

On the other half of this episode, we get into a great storyline of Dukat and Sisko teamed up to stop the Defiant. We get a look at Cardassian Central Command, as well as a glimpse at the Obsidian Order.

When both storylines converge it is revealed that the Obsidian Order is doing something in the Orias sector, something that will be re-visited in our Week 8 viewings.

I do like how Thomas, at the end is still a Starfleet Office, and after the mission is accomplish, he takes the blame and protects his crew.
It was a good way to tie p Thomas' storyline and the epsisode.

[RobAbrazado]

This is starting to be a frequent refrain from me, but I remembered this episode as "meh," but then gave it another look for Watch Club, and I ended up enjoying it a lot more than my memory would have led me to expect. I think that back in the day I eyerolled hard at the whole Thomas thing in TNG, so maybe that's all I remember about this episode and so just discounted it in my mind. But I definitely liked getting a look at Cardassians taking care of business. I...generally dislike Dukat? Like, forever? And I still disliked him in this episode, but I at least got to see him kind of in his element and doing his thing...I dunno. This is the closest I've ever come (or will ever come) to warming up to that character. But I'm with @dnaphil: seeing Dukat and Sisko team up is really something special. I have to admit, though, the most enjoyable part of this for me was getting such a "clean" look into the Cardassian world. What we've seen before has largely been propaganda-style stuff: how amoral and scheming they are, how totalitarian their government, how messed up their justice system is, and how ruthless and terrifying their intelligence organization is. But in this episode I feel like we really get a taste of how fractured things are for them. The civilian government, the military and Central Command, and the Obsidian Order, all at odds with each other and, if Thomas and his intel are to be believed, dealing with rogue factions even within those divisions. I liked the dynamic between Dukat and Korinas (the observer from the Obsidian Order). Like...we've seen aplenty that Dukat and Garak do not get along, but this is my first glimpse into the idea that, alongside their personal problems, they have this kind of...cultural friction...that seems to exist just generally between Central Command and the Obsidian Order.

Also...can I just say... Going back earlier in the episode, Odo and Sisko are having a meeting with Dukat and they have to, like...shamefully admit that the Defiant got stolen... That scene is just so delicious. Like...I never root for Dukat, but in that moment, even I appreciated how he savored being able to lord it over Sisko that they lost the Defiant to the Maquis. He has this whole great monologue. It starts "Are you telling me..." and I don't even remember the rest because as soon as he said that I was like, "ohhhhhhh shit, son." I dunno, I just really like that whole interaction. It's not often that we see our DS9 fam bested like that, and the fact that they not only had to live with that but do it in front of Dukat. That's gotta burn.

[dnaphil]

I think that Marc Alaimo has done his job correctly, in that it's impossible ever like Gul Dukat. There is a brief instance later in the 5th season where he is almost likable, but then he does it again.