Yeah I'm sure she was intended as eye candy but it turned out Jeri Ryan was actually a really good actress so it all worked out!
Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges - Cretak (played by a different actress) is still on the station, doing Romulan stuff. Bashir is going to a conference on Romulus with her and Admiral Ross, and Garak talks to him about his memories of the planet (he killed someone there once.) Garak suggests it would be a good opportunity to spy on the Romulans but Bashir poo poos him. Sloan comes to see him in his bedroom with an assignment for Section 31. He wants Bashir to gather intelligence on the Romulan government as he believes the Federation and Romulus are destined to go to war after the Dominion is dealt with (he's kind of right if you count Nemesis as a war!) Sisko says he and Ross have agreed that Bashir should carry out his mission so they can find out more about Section 31 (they think someone from Starfleet Intelligence is helping them.) If only they checked the USS Discovery's logs, could save some time! Bashir, Cretak and Ross chat on an Intrepid class starship (like Voyager! So they can use a Voyager set!) on the way to Romulus and Sloan shows up undercover as a friendly cartographer. Bashir suggests to Ross that they don't let Sloan step foot on Romulus but Sloan insists they see how it plays out. Proconsul Neral from TNG gets a mention as Bashir studies the Romulun government (he's Praetor now), but Sloan's real target is the Chairman of the Tal'Shiar Koval, a rival of Cretak's who opposes the Federation alliance. He's suspected to be suffering from a fatal illness and Sloan needs Bashir to disagnose him by sight. They arrive at the conference and Koval introduces himself to Bashir. He's a typical frosty Romulan and he's only interested in the idea of using the Dominion's Quickening virus as a weapon. Bashir gives his lecture on the Quickening virus and Sloan and Koval attend and Bashir reports to Sloan that Koval may have the early stages of the condition but it could take over twenty years for him to die. Sloan basically suggests he's considering killing Koval early.
Ross is disgusted that Sloan is planning murder but agrees that it would be better to have Cretak on the Continuing Committee than Koval. Bashir suspects Sloan has a Romulan working for him and wants to tell Koval his life is in danger, but Ross thinks it's too risky to tell the Romulans about Section 31. Bashir hears that Ross has collapsed in his office and turns to Cretak, the only person he can trust on Romulus. He needs her to find Sloan's Romulan accomplice. She's hesitant to hand over intelligence but Bashir wins her over with his ethics. Bashir tells Sloan that he isn't sure his diagnosis of Koval was correct so please don't kill him. Sloan instead puts super glue on Bashir's palm so he can shake Koval's hand and get a skin sample. Bashir shakes Koval's hand but Koval has him shoved in a room. Koval straps a mind probe thing to him to find out who Bashir is working for. Bashir's genetically enhanced brain can't be scanned so Koval has him brought before Neral and the Continuing Committee. Cretak has been caught trying to access the Tal'Shiar database to find the information Bashir wanted and has told them everything that's happening. Bashir backs her up by telling them about Section 31 and how he could trust Cretak. Koval also has a beaten up Sloan prisoner, but Sloan has told them there is no Section 31 and he really works for Starfleet Intelligence. Sloan is just a rogue operative out for revenge because he believes his mentor was murdered by the Tal'Shiar. He invented Section 31 so he could get away with the assassination of Koval without Starfleet Intelligence getting the blame. It's all very clever! So basically the Romulans know all about Sloan and don't know if Bashir was helping him or not. Koval suggests that Cretak was either trying to help Sloan or she was a fool who was manipulated by a rival intelligence agency. Cretak is found guilty of treason and Sloan is vapourised(!) when he tries to escape. But on the way home Julian suspects there's something not quite right about all this and goes to confront Ross. He knows that Sloan is still alive because the real Sloan never would have been caught so easily. He notes that Ross was pushing him along all the way and got conveniently ill when it was time to arrest Sloan. Ross was working with Sloan all along and Koval is the Section 31 operative who now has a powerful position in the Romulan government. Ross helped Sloan destroy Cretak even though she was a good woman who supported the alliance. Ross doesn't like working with Section 31 but it was important to get Koval in such a powerful position to ensure the Federation/Romulan alliance continues. Ross says the title of the episode (it means "in time of war the law falls silent" and Bashir is disgusted at how everyone has turned away from Roddenberry's vision. Sloan comes to see Bashir again and tells him they selected Bashir for the mission because he's a decent human being who'd do the right thing and tell the truth to try to stop a murder. The Federation needs men like him and needs men like Sloan to protect them.
Maybe I shouldn't have tried to write out the entire plot of the episode because it's really densely plotted. I remember finding it hard to follow the first time I watched it but I appreciate how complex it is now. The complexity goes to show how impressive Section 31 are as an organisation, how they managed to plan this whole thing out knowing exactly how Bashir would act. It's brillaintly scripted by Ron Moore and gripping all the way through, probably the best political thriller type episode Trek has ever done, never boring. Even though Section 31 "win" Bashir stands by his values all the way.
SCORE: 10/10
Penumbra - Sisko tells Kasidy he's brought some land on Bajor and wants to retire there one day. He feels it's his destiny and they talk about his mother being an alien. Kira brings Ezri, Julian and Miles the news that Worf's ship has been lost in the Badlands. Quark assures Ezri that Worf will be found alive as he didn't pay his tab (I like it when Quark is nice.) Ezri (with sexy shoulders) is woken by Sisko with the news that they haven't found Worf and he's probably dead. Weyoun mentions the Son'a(!) as he and Damar continue to clash. Damar is drinking earlier and earlier as Cardassians continue to die for the Dominion. Ezri visits Worf's room and hears ghostly voices of Worf and Jadzia (this is when they didn't ask Terry Farrell's permission or pay her royalties.) Ezri steals a runabout and goes looking for Worf. Ezri fakes static when Sisko tries to order her back, which is cute. Sisko decides to let her go because it's the only way she'll get closure. Ezri cuts her runabout's engines in the Badlans so it'll drift the same way Worf's escape pod did. Sisko builds a model house and proposes to Kasidy. Ezri finds Worf's escape pod, beams him onto her runabout and things nearly gets sexy between them.
The Female Changeling is getting more and more sick and orders Weyoun to have all the Vorta doctors working on her cure to be killed and their clones take over as a fresh set of eyes (Weyoun is a bit scared.) Ben asks regular cast member Jake to be his best man. Worf gets annoyed at Ezri trying to talk to him on the way home because Jadzia's name keeps coming up. Some Jem'Hadar attack them and they have to beam down to a planet when their runabout is destroyed. They don't have a comm unit so they could be trapped on the planet forever. Sisko and Kasidy plan their wedding. A Bajoran child says all the Bajorans are talking about it and they notice loads of Bajorans staring at them. Perverts. Dukat coms to see Damar while he's entertaining a lady. Dukat turns down his offer of a drink as he believes in the Pahwraiths now. Worf kills an animal with a spear for him and Ezri to eat but she's happy with field rations. He mutters that Jadzia would have understood. Worf is still jealous of the guy with the transparent skull, especially when he learns Jadzia slept with him. Their argument leads to a kiss then they sleep together (Ezri's not all bruised and beated up in the morning so I guess they went easy on the violent Klingon sex?) Then they're...shot by some Breen. Well, didn't see that coming. They're locked up in a Breen ship and Ezri does have a sore neck from the sex. She dismisses the Trill rule against reassociation really easily, considering they did a whole episode about it before. Damar has found a surgeon to make Dukat look Bajoran, as he requested. Sisko has a vision of Sarah Prophet who tells him Kasidy cannot share his path. He will know nothing but sorrow if he marries her.
It's the start of our big final arc and it does have the feel of the first part of a two parter. There are two main stories here and they both feel slightly padded. The third story with Dukat/Damar is intriguing but we don't know where it's going yet so let's forget that. The Sisko stuff is decent but against you've got to ask why the Prophets didn't just warn him against marrying Kasidy before he propsed to her. Or why they don't just say "you're going to fall into some fire soon, don't get married." The Ezri/Worf stuff feels like the main plot and it's actually pretty good for the most part. It makes sense that they'd still have feelings for each other and that she'd go looking for him when everyone else gave up. I'm not sure if I buy them sleeping together. Again it should make sense, since they were (kind of) married once, but I don't really feel much passion in the scene where they kiss. It's a good part one anyway.
SCORE: 8/10
'Til Death Do Us Part - Sisko tells Jake about the warning he received from the Prophets. Kai Winn arrives to see him and tells him she wants to help plan his wedding since it's such a big deal for Bajor. And she's going to perform the ceremony whether he wants her to or not. He tells her about the warning and she bitterly notes she's never had a message from the Prophets. But moments laer she apparently has a vision from them and they tell her she must bring the restoration. A guide will show her the way. Worf and Ezri can't escape Breen jail (Worf says no one has seen a Breen under their suit, EVEN THOUGH Dukat and Kira did in season 4.) Weyoun gives Damar into trouble for being drunk and sleeping in. Damar gets a false space passport made for Dukat who is also disappointed with what Damar has become. He tells Damar to be strong as Cardassia needs a leader. I like how this scene shows Dukat is still capable of being more than just "RAH RAH RAH PAHWRAITHS" now. He arrives on DS9. Sisko tells Kasidy about Sarah's warning. He tells her he can't go against the Prophets so they can't get married. Ezri has a bad dream about the Breen chasing her in an ice cave and explains to Worf that actually dreams are very important. The Breen was Bashir under his helmet. Worf is dragged off by the Breen. Disguised Dukat goes to see Winn, telling her he's a man of the land (her vision mentioned a man of the land would be her guide) Okay, might as well ask now, how the fuck does Winn not recognise his voice? It's very distinct! He was Prefect of Bajor for at least thirty years, she must have heard him make speeches and stuff. They talk about farming, like Bajorans do. She tells him he's her guide, sent be the Prophets as he plays dumb.
Sisko tells Kira about his Sarah vision. She of course takes the Prophet's side. Weyoun and the increasingly flaking Female Changeling are on their way to some meeting. Worf is now having the bad dreams (because of the Breen probing his brain.) He feels bad that he didn't try harder to resist them. The Breen drag Ezri away for a good probing next. Winn and Dukat drink wine together and talk about how Sisko isn't really one of them. He tells her some more bullshit about her once saving his life, designed to make her believe he's her guide, even mentioning Gul Dukat by name (she still doesn't twig that they have the same voice!) Sisko keeps working on his fucking dollhose as Quark delivers the engagement ring he ordered. Ezri has the weird dreams that make her improbably reveal to Worf that she's actually in love with Julian. It's pretty stupid? "Kiss me, Julian!" Dukat goes to see Winn in the morning (she kicks out her long suffering aide) tell her his farm is thriving now and she thinks it's another sign from the Prophets. She asks him to call her "Adami" (hi Cassie.) THEN THEY FUCKING KISS. Sisko marches in and stops Kasidy from leaving the station, telling her he wants to marry her and doesn't care what the Prophetis think. The wedding takes place really quickly and Kira's in a sulk because Sisko defied her wormhole friends. Ross conducts the ceremony (with the same lines Kirk and Picard used when conducting weddings), not Winn. Sarah warns him off again and calls him her son but he still goes ahead with it. Worf reveals that Ezri said she loves Julian in her sleep. The Breen ship meets up with Weyoun's ship and Worf and Ezri are given as gifts from the Breen. Weyoun says this alliance changes everything.
The previous episode felt like part one of a two parter. Turns out it wasn't, since not much is resolved here. Sisko gets married, but the Ezri/Wof stuff drags on. While that story was quite good in Penumbra, here it's pretty awful. "KISS ME...JULIAN!" REALLY? Not to sound like a clickbaity Youtuber but it's just lazy writing. Maybe if we actually saw Worf and Ezri being mind probed or if their minds were linked together or something it would work, but here it's just like she's talking in her sleep. And where did her loving Julian even come from? They've hardly had any scenes together! The only hint of her liking him was her claiming Jadzia would have "picked" Bashir if Worf hadn't been around (which didn't ring true for a second.) The Sisko stuff is okay but follows the usual formula of Sisko being worried by a Prophet warning then deciding to ignore it and doing what he wants anyway. Sarah calling him "son" is the most interesting part but I don't think that comes up again. Dukat/Winn...it's all a bit weird. I like the Dukat/Damar scene a lot, and Dukat disguising himself as a Bajoran is certainly more interesting than whatever the fuck 'Covenant' was. And Winn letting herself be so swept away kind of works since she's so desperate for the Prophets to talk to her. Do I buy them actually shagging one episode into this story though? Not really! Finally while I do like the Breen for their cool look and name, it's kind of stupid to end the episode with Weyoun saying a Breen/Dominion alliance "changes everything" when we've never had the impression before that the Breen are a powerful force in the galaxy. They've always seemed like a bit of a joke.
SCORE 7/10
