This episode is the reason why, when asked if I prefer kirk, or picard, I say sisko.
It is very different from Gene Roddenberry's vision of humans being peacekeepers in that it examines the dark side of human nature when their doorstep is darkened by certain doom.
How far are we truly willing to go for the greater good? This is a question that forces us as humans to examine our own ethics, like for example: dropping a bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in order to force an end to World War II.
(Spoiler paragraph of plot without the ending) The episode begins with Sisko recording a captains log as he explains that it is hard for him to see a growing casualty list knowing the pain that families feel if their sons or daughters might be on that list. Sisko knows what it would be like for him to lose Jake, so he enlists Garak's help in plotting a scheme that will spark a war between the Romulans and the Dominion, who currently have a non-aggression pact before the start if this episode. (Spoiler paragraph of plot without the ending)
I wont give away the ending, but I will say this is the best acting I have seen from a main character in any star trek series. Better than Picard, who never had to make any tough decisions. Better than kirk, who was nothing more than a hotshot womanizer. Better than Janeway, who does weird things with her hands. The moral compass examined in this episode and Sisko's dilemma of how far he is willing to go in order to save lives is truly what makes this episode tick, and for that reason, it gets a golden 10/10.
It is very different from Gene Roddenberry's vision of humans being peacekeepers in that it examines the dark side of human nature when their doorstep is darkened by certain doom.
How far are we truly willing to go for the greater good? This is a question that forces us as humans to examine our own ethics, like for example: dropping a bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in order to force an end to World War II.
(Spoiler paragraph of plot without the ending) The episode begins with Sisko recording a captains log as he explains that it is hard for him to see a growing casualty list knowing the pain that families feel if their sons or daughters might be on that list. Sisko knows what it would be like for him to lose Jake, so he enlists Garak's help in plotting a scheme that will spark a war between the Romulans and the Dominion, who currently have a non-aggression pact before the start if this episode. (Spoiler paragraph of plot without the ending)
I wont give away the ending, but I will say this is the best acting I have seen from a main character in any star trek series. Better than Picard, who never had to make any tough decisions. Better than kirk, who was nothing more than a hotshot womanizer. Better than Janeway, who does weird things with her hands. The moral compass examined in this episode and Sisko's dilemma of how far he is willing to go in order to save lives is truly what makes this episode tick, and for that reason, it gets a golden 10/10.