172. Tacking Into the Wind

Summary

A. Worf and Sisko agonize over what to do about Gowron, who has ordered disastrous attacks against the Dominion that have left the Klingon fleet decimated and Martok in critical condition. Worf realizes that Gowron, threatened by Martok's popularity, is using these attacks as a way to discredit him. He tries to get Martok to challenge the Chancellor, but his loyalty is absolute and he won't mount a challenge in the middle of a war. Worf agrees, until Ezri points out the incongruity of a society so founded upon honor accepting corrupt leadership. As Gowron orders yet another suicidal attack run, Worf challenges him himself. They fight and Worf kills Gowron...Martok places the Chancellor's robe on Worf's shoulders but he declines, saying that Martok should be the one to lead the Klingon Empire into a new era.

B. As the Foundress and Weyoun step up their anti-resistance activities on Cardassia, Kira and Rusot keep having confrontations until they finally come to blows. Meanwhile, Odo's condition is deteriorating rapidly, though he's hiding it from Kira...he tells Garak that he doesn't want her to worry about him. As she plans a new mission to obtain a Breen energy weapon for the Federation to study, Garak takes Kira aside and tells her of Odo's condition. She already knows, but is keeping up the pretense to preserve his dignity. She, Odo, Garak, and Damar sneak aboard a Jem'Hadar ship that's being fitted with the Breen energy weapon...Odo poses as the Foundress and they take control of the bridge, but the weapon isn't completely installed. They're forced to sit tight until it is...Odo eventually collapses in pain, and as Kira goes to help him Rusot pulls a phaser on her, having had enough of being ordered around by a Bajoran, and wants to kill them both so he and Damar can take the weapon themselves. Garak pulls a gun on Rusot and after a Mexican standoff Damar finally kills Rusot himself, aware that he has become a hazard to the mission. They leave the shipyard and set course for the Federation...Kira tells Odo she knew of his condition, but that she's sure Julian will have found a cure.

C. Bashir and O'Brien, having had no luck at all engineering a cure for the Changeling virus, decide to lure a Section 31 operative to the station by informing Starfleet Medical that they *have* a cure, hoping to get some information for themselves.

Analysis

I was dreading the Klingon chest-thumping, but surprise! it was fine. I actually found it somewhat compelling how even in the Klingon empire, war becomes an arena for political gain. And the plotline wasn't overplayed, thank God. Though I do wonder when Gowron became so dishonorable. He used to be honorable, way back when he was succeeding to the Chancellorship back in TNG. I guess power corrupts. Martok was his usual cool self, and I was very glad to see the death ritual with the eye-opening and the shouting completely intact just as it was depicted in TNG's first season episode "Heart of Glory." Nice continuity, guys.

But more interesting was this Kira/Damar stuff, and it catapults the episode into the "really good" area. I think that plotline is my favorite, not only because it features my favorite characters (though that helps) but because it provides opportunity for good character development for Damar and Garak too. Damar in particular fared well this week. His exchange with Kira after learning that the Dominion has murdered his family was priceless, and Kira's guilt over her harsh words and Garak's analysis of the entire situation were spot-on. And they're really tugging at the heartstrings with this Odo thread. The sight of him lying deteriorating on a bunk really got me. Ironic that he and Kira are dealing with his disease via Garak. The final scene of the episode in which Kira gently holds him as he gasps in pain had me reaching for the Kleenex. It's going to be even worse next week. And yay! Kira still kicks ass! Yay! Wonder if Damar ever told anyone that she once trounced *him.*

This episode seemed more personal than the previous ones. Focusing as it did upon Worf and Martok's struggles with honor and Kira and Odo's dealing with his disease, the plot-advancement stuff, though significant, faded somewhat into the background. The only major plot point was Kira's success in obtaining a Breen energy weapon for the Feds to study and hopefully develop a countermeasure. That may prove *extremely* important.

I missed Winn and Dukat. I was really getting into that. There were also a number of cool small moments...as Damar and co. sneak onto the Jem'Hadar ship, pretending Kira's a prisoner, the cookie-cutter officer who disarms them and lets them on turns out to be a supporter of the resistance. And a cool visual moment...after Kira beats the tar out of Rusot and he leaves, Garak comes out of the shadows on the upper level to warn her that he'll kill her. He stand there, half in shadow, during the entire exchange and it's an interesting visual comment upon Garak's still-mysterious persona. In summary, the Klingon chest-thumping was surprisingly inoffensive and the introduction of personal consequences to the war was welcome. I think I enjoyed this episode the most of any in the largely-excellent final arc.

Rating: 9.0

Memorable Quote:

"I don't want the pity of the woman I love, why would I want yours?" --Odo, to Garak

Rusot: I think I hit a nerve.
Kira [strangling him]: No, *this* is hitting a nerve.

Ezri: That's so sweet of him.
Worf: Sweet?!?
Ezri: Not a very Klingon word, is it?

Classic Scene:

I really liked the aforementioned Garak-in-shadows scene, but I think I'll have to go with Worf and Martok's fight-to-the-death that was surprisingly brief. And it just seemed vaguely incongruous to be having a deathly battle...in the wardroom. Shouldn't those be done in a cave with flaming torches and pain sticks?

Sexually Slanted Line 'O the Episode:

"I'm busy, Rusot. Go find someone else to play with." --Kira

The O/K Status Report

Ooh, good stuff this week. Odo's determination to shield her from his condition while she knows all along...it's heartbreaking. And her words to Garak: "I love him, you think I wouldn't notice?" I'm gonna lose it, I just know it. She puts on a brave face for the entire episode, admitting once in the runabout that she's worried about him, but when he collapses on the bridge of the Jem'Hadar ship she can't do it anymore and kneels before him, pleading with him to hang on and stay with her. *Sob.* And the final scene...*sob.* Excuse me, I'm all ferklempt.

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