This episode had some good moments and humor, but I feel it makes a mockery of both the federation and cardassian empire's security protocols. spoilers below.
The federation taking over a cardassian station and not doing a thorough sweep of anti-revolt/nerve gas systems? Secret force fields and emitters left without comprehensive investigation? Direct control of the station auto-destruct sequence linked to some unnamed malicious security program that goes undiscovered? Nobody tried to initially contact Gul Dukat or cardassian central command? Gul Dukat getting trapped in his own web and willing to destroy the treaty over a space station? Granted I think it's plausible that there would still be several unknowns taking over this station (although a security program of that size interconnected with so many systems is an impossible stretch for me), combined together this was all a little too much. After building up the efficiency and ruthlessness of the Obsidian Order over the seasons, this episode made the cardassian security protocols seem comical and prone to error.
I think the replicated AI disruptor drone is probably the best example of incompetency in that it makes the federation seem sloppy for missing a replicator capable of producing energy weapons and the Cardassians inept at creating an autonomous and highly advanced targeting drone capable of distinguishing between lifeforms and then making it stationary, reducing its effectiveness and also preventing more from being replicated on the pad.
Despite the ever entertaining Dukat and Garak and a few other interactions which were enjoyable, this episode seems like a miss due to the level of suspension of disbelief. If the federation/bajorans don't do a major sweep of security/protocol after this incident then the station deserves to blow up after the next little unknown that pops up. And does Dukat get to go home on his ship like nothing happened?
The federation taking over a cardassian station and not doing a thorough sweep of anti-revolt/nerve gas systems? Secret force fields and emitters left without comprehensive investigation? Direct control of the station auto-destruct sequence linked to some unnamed malicious security program that goes undiscovered? Nobody tried to initially contact Gul Dukat or cardassian central command? Gul Dukat getting trapped in his own web and willing to destroy the treaty over a space station? Granted I think it's plausible that there would still be several unknowns taking over this station (although a security program of that size interconnected with so many systems is an impossible stretch for me), combined together this was all a little too much. After building up the efficiency and ruthlessness of the Obsidian Order over the seasons, this episode made the cardassian security protocols seem comical and prone to error.
I think the replicated AI disruptor drone is probably the best example of incompetency in that it makes the federation seem sloppy for missing a replicator capable of producing energy weapons and the Cardassians inept at creating an autonomous and highly advanced targeting drone capable of distinguishing between lifeforms and then making it stationary, reducing its effectiveness and also preventing more from being replicated on the pad.
Despite the ever entertaining Dukat and Garak and a few other interactions which were enjoyable, this episode seems like a miss due to the level of suspension of disbelief. If the federation/bajorans don't do a major sweep of security/protocol after this incident then the station deserves to blow up after the next little unknown that pops up. And does Dukat get to go home on his ship like nothing happened?