‘CHANGE OF HEART’ (DS9)
Please feel free to comment on my review.
This ‘DS9’ episode is a love story for Worf and Jadzia. It’s also an episode that could’ve potentially had Jadzia exit from the series had the show gone in that direction. I’ll share more on what I mean later.
In the episode, Worf and Jadzia are sent on a mission to meet Todd Waring as Lasaran, a Cardassian double-agent. He wishes to defect to the Federation, having some very valuable military intelligence.
He won’t share the information until he is extracted by Worf and Jadzia. It might help things if Lasaran was more trusting of Worf and he’d get over his Klingon prejudices, due to past war events.
Anyway, in three days, Lasaran plans to walk into the jungle on the planet Soukara. Worf and Jadzia agree to rendezvous with him as they make their way to Soukara while travelling in their runabout. 🙂
The interaction between Worf and Jadzia was very enjoyable to watch in the episode. They clearly love each other and get on each other’s nerves. It was nice to see how their relationship developed.
Once they’ve landed on Soukara, Worf and Jadzia have two days to reach the rendezvous point. They have to trek through 20 kilometres of dense jungle and must evade the Dominion’s patrols in this. 😐
Hiking for an entire day, the two finally stop to make camp after nightfall. Despite the difficult journey, it’s almost like a honeymoon for the two newlyweds, who enjoy talking and joking together.
However, they soon hear a Jem’Hadar patrol coming nearby. They defend themselves and manage to kill all three Jem’Hadar. However, Jadzia gets shot by a disruptor which leaves a really bad wound.
Despite the pain and getting painkillers and regular plasma transfusions, Jadzia is determined to continue the mission with Worf. But the bleeding cannot be stopped as they venture into the jungle.
Jadzia’s injuries slow the progress of her and Worf’s journey. She soon loses the ability to walk. As they can’t abandon the mission, Dax tells Worf to carry on without her as they need the information.
Worf struggles to leave but eventually does, giving Jadzia a farewell kiss. Worf leaves as Jadzia is left to die. And this could’ve been where Jadzia had left had she not continued to the end of Season 6. 😐
Not meaning to give any spoilers away, but I didn’t like Jadzia’s end in her final episode in Season 6. I wouldn’t want her to die here, but it could have been interesting if her exit was here instead.
However, as Worf heads off into the jungle and gets further away, he cannot complete the mission. He feels his heart pounding as he continues without Jadzia and he soon rushes back to collect her. 🙂
With Jadzia unconscious, Worf carries her along through the jungle, just in time to save her life. This of course means the mission has failed as Worf was not able to get the information Starfleet needed.
Back on DS9, Worf is relieved to hear that Jadzia will recover in the infirmary. In the meantime, Lasaran has sadly been killed. Captain Sisko demands Worf to explain himself. Worf valiantly does. 🙂
Sisko tells Worf that as captain, he must issue a formal reprimand which will lessen the possibility of him getting his own command. He also prohibits any future missions with Worf and Jadzia together.
I think that’s fair considering the circumstances of the mission’s outcome. But Sisko also tells Worf that as a man and as a husband, he would’ve done the same thing had he chosen to rescue Jennifer.
I like that final scene between Worf and Jadzia when he sees her in the infirmary. Worf tells her that he couldn’t let her die despite the urgency of the mission and they both exchange “I love you”s here.
In a side plot, Chief O’Brien tries to coach Bashir into winning a game of Tongo, the Ferengi game, with Quark, in an attempt to try breaking his winning streak. But it doesn’t go as easily as he hoped.
Quark manages to win by reminding Bashir of his former infatuation with Jadzia, leaving him distracted and glum to focus on the game. It was amusing how that was handled during the game. 😀
‘Change of Heart’ is a very good ‘DS9’ episode focusing on Worf and Jadzia as a romantic couple. I like how Worf went back for Jadzia and saved her life, proving how much he loves her in the series. 🙂
‘Change of Heart’ (DS9) rating – 8/10
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