Classics: DS9 5:21 - Soldiers of the Empire

Overall Rating: 8.9

DS9 did three different "Klingon Vessel" episodes...and all of them were awesome because DS9 writers actually understood Klingons and, like every other race that DS9 touched, they breathed true life into the legend created loosely by the hackery of Roddenbury.

Plot Synopsis:

A full recap of this stirring episode can be found at the DS9 Encyclopedia (here).

The Skinny:

Several things stand out about this episode. Although the basic plot concept (Worf and Dax arrive on a ship of tears commanded by a great General with a bad case of the yips and turn their luck around after a battle based entirely on a warrior's trust) has been done before, the things that make it stand out for DS9 here include:

1. The fact that Dax and Worf are lovers but operate as though they are merely officers on the same bridge gives Dax's character surprising credibility and strength that she often lacks. She does just fine with Klingons...and I always liked that about her.
2. TNG and TOS made the mistake of focusing too heavily on the potential drawbacks of the Klingon honor-based social structure. DS9 creates for the Klingons a more well-rounded social structure in which we get to see how the martial honor codes of Samurai warriors (upon which Klingons are loosely based) can be powerful assets and even a source of great heroism and virtue.
3. Martok is just awesome. "I do not want an artificial eye!" When we meet his wife, Stephanie S. and I will talk more about why we love their marriage. :)
4. I really like the way the director/script writer show us the starting condition of the Rotaran...the way the tension is built gradually, and the way the mood suddenly changes after the fight...and a lot of it is done through music (and song)...something that Berman is not particularly gifted with normally.
5. I like that they actually managed to give all the key bit players unique enough characters that we felt their frustration, and were actually rooting for a victory...that's hard to do on such a small time budget.

I think above all else, this episode succeeds because the Klingons are not portrayed as a foil for the lead characters, but as reasonable (if frustrated) thinking, feeling whole people..and that is what DS9 does with such skill that makes it a great franchise.

Side note - I love their battle hymn...it's very catching!

Writing: 9.5

Kudos for making us care about a bunch of characters we'll never see again while also caring for a recurring character who will be a huge part of this franchise going forward.

Acting: 9.5

J.G. Hertzler is awesome as Martok...and Terry Farrell actually does a fabulous job pulling off her inner Klingon side - which you don't expect coming from her. The only chink in the armor is perhaps Rick Worthy (Kornan) who is a bit melodramatic with his "this is a ship of tears" speech.

Message: 7.7

Where this episode falls short of feature status is that it doesn't really seek to make a deeper comment...it shows the potential power and virtue of loyalty, trust and honor...and it makes us like the Klingons far more than we thought possible eight years ago when Worf was growling at Q on the bridge of the Enterprise...literally growling (facepalm). But it's not an ambitious story by any stretch of the imagination.