Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (TV Series) Civil Defense (1994) User Reviews

Trapped by an old program

[Tweekums · 8/10 · 14 April 2010]

When Commander Sisko, his son Jake and Chief O'Brien are looking into converting the old Cardassian ore refinery so they can refine deuterium the chief accidentally activates an old Cardassian security program which believes the station's long departed Bajoran workers are in revolt. Not having the required Cardassian passwords they can't deactivate it. When the people in ops try to help further security systems activate causing the com system to go off line and force fields to be erected around the station. As they trip more and more security devices it seems that the station will self destruct until Gul Dukat arrives and offers to help in exchange for permission to station a Cardassian garrison there. Kira refuses and Dukat prepares to leave; only to find himself trapped there after being accused of deserting his post. With the clock ticking Sisko and O'Brien must try to get to a console where from which they can deactivate the self destruct mechanism.

This was a decent episode which contained plenty of action and while it was inevitable that they would succeed in the end it was interesting to see how they would do it. It seemed a bit unlikely that they wouldn't have attempted to use the areas occupied by the old ore refinery before now but that is easily overlooked. Some humour was provided by having Quark trapped in Odo's office, whenever the two of them are stuck together there will be a few laughs.

Crazy like a Cardassian

[thevacinstaller · 7/10 · 29 March 2020]

This is a fun episode about dealing with the fallout of Cardassian militaristic paranoia. I just love the idea that Dukat has his day planner out and he pencils in a 1 hour opening to record voiceovers for potential Bajorian uprising on the station. It's like this is a completely normal thing for Cardassians to do.

We get some added depth to the conflict between Dukat and Garak. And really --- The episode has to try extremely hard to be terrible when you have Garak and Dukat starring in it.

It's quite amusing that Jake Sisko's slender body is partial responsible for saving the entire station.

Solid episode if not taken too seriously

[snoozejonc · 8/10 · 13 April 2022]

After an old Cardassian security system is triggered, DS9 goes into a deadly lockdown.

This is a enjoyable episode that is good fun whilst giving more insight into the Cardassian regime.

The disaster-movie formula is a guilty pleasure of mine, so this type of story always entertains me. Some complain about the flow of the A-B-C plot structure and the lack of urgency about some of the acting but it doesn't bother me.

As with lots of similar stories there is a requirement of suspension of disbelief, whether it be a capsized ocean liner, exploding water tanks dowsing a fire, or in this case a computer booting up a deadly program from an previous operating system. If you can accept this premise you should enjoy the episode. Also, the stakes do get unrealistically high at one point, but again I can let it go and enjoy.

The concept of the Cardassians having this security measure in place does more to expand their background of totalitarianism. The use of Gul Dukat and Garek is very good, particularly Dukat in an ironic and entertaining role.

Visually it is a good one, as it gets into some unexplored parts the station and the camera generally tells the story.

For me it's a 7.5/10 but I round upwards.

Smart, Taut, and Funny

[CharoleaWood · 10/10 · 9 April 2023]

Civil Defense is a classy episode that starts unassuming and builds its tension slowly without fanfare.

The surprises come as a comedy of errors highlighting the irony and "shortsightedness" (as Garak puts it) of Cardassia's tyrannical paranoia sparing absolutely nobody who find themselves aboard Deep Space Nine during this unique crisis.

It all works out to a darkly comedic episode where rationality is punished and chaos reigns.

Civil Defense is an ensemble episode, all of the main cast members have good moments ("Gaila, the one with the moon?"), ultimately it belongs to guest stars Andrew Robinson (Garak) and Mark Alaimo (Gul Dukat) who brilliantly steal the show.

5/5, a GREAT episode.

OBSIDIAN ORDER DE-CLASSIFIED:2371 (5g)

[iamirwar · 10/10 · 27 January 2023]

An old Cardassian Security Program will never let you down.

To be honest, we had nothing but problems with this from the day we installed it. The first question was how we could create a system that would only focus its attention on the Bajoran slave workers whilst causing no harm to the Cardassian overseers. Due to Dukat's paranoia we were always having to make needless changes to the program, which in time made it virtually useless.

Of course the Operations Centre on the station would need protecting, but the rest of the station should have remained secure as a result of the all penetrating force-fields.

Originally, there had also been the intention to have nano-robots hidden within the bulkheads of the station walls and this massive army would be triggered into action by the program. Their purpose was to shoot on sight all the Bajorans that were on the station at that time. This may have resulted in a couple of days loss of production, but we could always replace those workers with new ones. There were plenty of slaves to be found on Bajor. Unfortunately, we ran into the situation where Dukat feared the robots more than those Bajoran terrorists he was always claiming to have eliminated.

Ironically, the CSP was never actually needed during the time of the Cardassian Occupation. We find it typical but highly amusing that the latest incumbents from Bajor and the Federation should be the ones to set-it-off. Once again, we understand, it was his over-preening self glorification that meant Dukat failed to take full advantage of the opportunity that presented itself. What an idiot. Here in the halls of the order we still find ourselves laughing uncontrollably about the 'Day they found the old CSP at Terok Nor' Ha Ha Ha.

A neat idea but it did seem to take a LONG time to get to the finale...

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 21 December 2014]

While doing some routine work on the station, a long-hidden program is activated. It seems that an old Cardassian program designed to handle rebellions by Bajoran slaves on the station was hidden in the system and has just begun broadcasting warnings from Gul Dukat. The warnings indicate unless the rebellion is stopped immediately, stern measures will result. The stern measures mean a release of poison gas! So, as the Commander and crew try to turn off the program, they need to keep moving in order to prevent from being killed. Eventually, however, the real Dukat arrives and he thinks this is all very funny. Well, by the end, the joke is on him. See this one and see what I mean.

The idea for this show is pretty novel and generally good. However, it is hard to sustain this for the entire program and eventually it becomes a bit overlong. An excellent idea but one that was difficult to sustain for so long.

Apparently this episode took time to get off the ground... at that shows

[brdavid-429-96270 · 6/10 · 24 January 2020]

From what I read, this episode did not have a script that everyone liked. They had the idea, but no script. Eventually a script got approved but not after constant rewrites. In the end, the producers are happy with the final result, but I have to disagree and say, this episode has potential and falls flat.

The finale is not any twist, nor is it an exciting finale. It seems more like a disaster film where everything that could go wrong can go wrong. We don't learn anything really new from the characters, we do not seem to gain any new ground, except to learn that Dukat and Garak hate each other. Neat, but what about the main characters?

This is an episode with the potential to have dialogue and interactions that could move characters forward, in the end, it is a disaster episode that moves at a plodding pace and ends with a rather unconvincing display.

This is rated high among fans, I rate it lower. However it does give us back evil Dukat. For that I give it a higher rating.

you might want to pass on this one

[johnjohnson68510 · 6/10 · 27 April 2012]

As I write, this has a 7.8 IMDb scoring, but it's not a very good episode IMHO. Station goes into lock-down, based on an old Cardassian program in case of a Bajoran worker revolt. Which is a pretty cool idea. Then, for dramatic tension, the self-destruct countdown starts. Sound familiar? And later on, air shafts (aka, utility shafts) come into use. Aah, air shafts, the writer's best friend. There is a very clever complication about halfway through, which I enjoyed, and you might watch it for that. But otherwise this one runs just by the numbers. Just imagine what it would be like and save yourself forty minutes. If you love the show, it will be all right, but I'd recommend skipping to a better episode.

incompetencies

[Zephyr707 · 2/10 · 7 December 2018]

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?

Pointless Filler

[Bolesroor · 6 January 2016]

"Civil Defense" is a coma-inducing bore, a Star Trek episode so dull and dreary and pointless that you wonder how it was made. And why.

Sisko, Jake & O'Brien inadvertently trigger a Cardassian security program which locks down the station and threatens our hero's lives. It also provides the episode's ONLY dramatic arc. You see, the Cardassians had evidently anticipated a rebellion of the enslaved Bajoran mine workers and wrote a computer sub-routine to subdue the potentially unruly mob. (How convenient!) This computer program serves as a very thin disguise for terribly written, terribly detailed empty threats to keep our protagonists in supposed danger until the next act break, at which point the program starts issuing a new hollow warning.

"Warning. Warning," says the computer, "poison gas will be released in twelve minutes." Thanks for the heads-up.

"Surrender, Bajoran rebels, or we will be forced to destroy the station," says a prerecorded message from the writers. I mean from Gul Dukat. "You have eight minutes to decide."

Eight minutes?

"Warning. Warning," says the computer as the episode nears its ridiculous 'action' climax, "Core meltdown in three minutes. And just wait till your Father gets home." Chock-full of junky, clunky writing, zero character development and extraordinarily contrived plot devices, "Civil Defense" is Deep Space Nine- and the Star Trek franchise- at its most abysmal. Will our three lead characters be killed and the space station destroyed in the middle of the third season?!?

I won't spoil the ending for you.

Just Too Much Like Lost in Space

[Hitchcoc · 6/10 · 11 October 2018]

The premise to this is fine and it is fun up to a point. The problem is that Gul Dukat shows up and begins to extort people. He is the face of the computer which is programmed to keep miners from shirking their duties and rebelling against their masters. This program was left in place when the Cardassians left the station. It is well set up, but it devolves into a silly "we've only got so much time" and how can we get there" episode with several deus ex machina moments. There is some humor which would not be a part of a serious episode. So while the byplay is fun, it really doesn't work very well. I also have a question: What happens to Gul Dukat at the end?

Nobody in a hurry?

[tyson-davis-11-922277 · 3/10 · 13 August 2021]

This episode is not good. For a space station this is about to destroyed in x number of hours/minutes, no one is in a hurry. Everyone is going about their business in a normal manner. Even The A team of Sisko, O'Brien and Little Sisko are calmly walking down the hallways despite the fact that they are the station's only hope.

Bad writing, directing and with only a couple of exceptions, half-hearted acting. Definitely one of the worst episodes of the season.

This Space Station Will Self Destruct In 3 Minutes!!!

[dand1010 · 4/10 · 13 September 2021]

Quick Review:

O'Brien and Jake Sisko are working in a little-used part of the space station. All of a sudden.....they trip a security alarm which sets off a series of security protocols the Cardassians put in place - and apparently didn't bother to disengage when they left OR let the Federation know about it.

Gul Dukat's voice and video image warning Bajoran workers to please cooperate or else he will kill everyone - plays incessantly in the background and foreground.

Plot Hole Question: Why didn't the Federation THOROUGHLY sweep DS9 before allowing families and civilians to live and work on the station? How many other traps and death-lurking-security-protocols are awaiting whomever stumbles upon them?

This episode is a clear reminder of what DS9 was before the Federation took control. A drab, depressingly dark and dingy place of forced labor for Bajorans.

Leadership rises to the top under any situation. Notice how Sisko (stranded on the station in isolated rooms with O'Brien and Jake) takes charge, comes up with awesome ideas, and has a never-give-up attitude. People who are genuine leaders tend to be leaders in all aspects of their lives and in all situations - not just when they are in their normal leadership position.

As the episode progresses the groups formed are: Group 1 (Roaming around in isolated rooms) - Benjamin Sisko, Jake Sisko and Chief O'Brien Group 2 (Stuck in Ops) - Kira, Dax, Bashir, Garak, and an expendable extra Group 3 (Stuck in Odo's security office) - Odo and Quark

This episode drags along. The writers had a hard time with it from the conception of the idea. There is so many pseudo science discussions and space station terminology and phraseology the episode bogs down. Even when there is only a few vital minutes remaining before the space station self destructs the actors are walking through their cues and blocking with hardly a sense of inevitable death. At least Kirk, etc. Acted desperate like their lives depended on their actions. He was sometimes accused of overacting but we all loved it and you know it.