 "When It Rains..." |
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by David E. Sluss |
8 May 1999 |
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Home >> DS9 Season 7 >> >> Episode Review
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THE BOTTOM LINE: Like "Penumbra," this episode serves largely to set up the remaining shows, and, like "Penumbra," at times the manipulation of chess pieces is a bit too perceptible. CYNICS CORNER RATING: 7.5 (C) REVELATION OF THE WEEK: Section 8's involvement in the Changeling disease was predicted by many. Too bad it was revealed here rather ineptly, with cornball dialogue, such as Chief of Exposition O'Brien having to say, "An organization bent on protecting the Federation at any cost wouldn't hesitate to do something like this," and cliches, such as the Uncooperative Bureaucrat. Speaking of cliches... KLINGON KLAPTRAP OF THE WEEK: It seems like Klingons can't take a dump without slicing open their hands first. I did get a smile out of the squeamish Admiral Wooden during the ceremony, though. OLD ACQUAINTANCE FORGOTTEN OF THE WEEK: Particularly since Wooden was in this episode, it seems like a mention of his involvement with Section 8, as revealed in "Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges," would be warranted as Bashir and O'Brien talk about how to investigate without tipping off Section 8. It still isn't clear whether Bashir has told anyone, especially Sisko, about Wooden's dark secret, and I think the situation should be clarified. OLD ACQUAINTANCE FORGOTTEN OF THE WEEK RUNNERS-UP: While everyone fussed and worried about Kira getting along with Dumb-Ar and his merry men, everyone seemed to forget that Garak has a score to settle with the Dumb One, as well, and that he is not exactly Cardassia's favorite son to begin with. You'd think his presence in Dumb-Ar's camp would be nearly as unwelcome as Kira's. And speaking of Dumb-Ar, I think the writers may have forgotten some of his back-story. Wooden says Dumb-Ar is a conventional soldier with no experience in guerilla warfare. Hello? I seem to recall him serving on Dukat's renegade Bird of Prey for about a year and a half, fighting a guerilla war against the Klingons. Not a huge discontinuity, but a discontinuity nonetheless. ILLOGIC OF THE WEEK: O'Brien's assumption that Section 8 has a cure for the Changeling disease. If Section 8's goal is to wipe out the Founders, then there wouldn't be a need to develop a cure, would there? SOAP OPERA RUBBISH OF THE WEEK: Memo to writers: Get Ezri and Julian in the sack already, and get it over with, would you? This week's "development" in this storyline is an old nugget from any number of lousy sitcoms, namely Dense Guy Doesn't Listen To Whole Story, Gets Wrong Idea. We've got to do better than that, folks... CONTRIVANCE OF THE WEEK: The Changeling Virus has been in Odo for
three years, and yet Bashir's discovery of it and the first manifestation of its symptoms
both occur within a day of each other. Maybe it's a psychological disease, i.e. if you
don't think you have the virus, you won't get sick; Bashir should have kept his trap
shut... |
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"The Changing Face of Evil" Next: "Tacking into the Wind" |
NEXT WEEK: The last ever Klingon Klaptrap episode (at least till Voyager gets back to the Alpha quadrant) with plenty of grunting, drinking, slicing of hands, speechifying about honor, swinging of those silly swords... you know, the usual. |
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© 1999 David E. Sluss |
