‘COVENANT’ (DS9)
Please feel free to comment on my review.
This is another ‘DS9’ episode where Kira confronts the menace of Gul Dukat. Gul Dukat seems to have become more dangerous than ever. He leads a Bajoran cult that believes in the Pah-wraiths. 😐
It all starts when Kira is visited by Norman Parker as Vedek Fala. Fala was a former Bajoran cleric who taught Kira to believe in the Prophets when she was a child. But he has turned to the dark side.
Once Fala gives Kira a gift that turns out to be transponder, she’s beamed many light years away from DS9 to Empok Nor. We’ve seen this space station in ‘Empok Nor’ and ‘The Magnificent Ferengi’.
The formerly abandoned Cardassian space station is now occupied by 50 Bajorans who believe the Pah-wraiths are the true Prophets of Bajor. The Bajoran cult is led by none other than the Master! 😮
No, not that Master from ‘Doctor Who’. Gul Dukat is the master of the Bajoran cult on Empok Nor. Though I’m pretty sure Gul Dukat would make a good equivalent of ‘Doctor Who’s Master in ‘DS9’. 🙂
Since the last time we saw Dukat, he’s been presiding in the Bajoran’s beliefs in the Pah-wraiths. The Bajorans on Empok Nor also have a strong faith in Dukat being their leader, to which Kira is appalled.
Kira threatens to kill Dukat at one point with a phaser, but many of the Bajorans under Dukat’s leadership lace themselves in Kira’s line of fire. Kira is very astounded by the Bajorans’ faith in Dukat.
Eventually, Fala comes to Empok Nor and meets up with Kira. He introduces her to many of the cult members aboard the station such as Maureen Flannigan as Mika and Jason Leland Adams as Benyan.
Mika and Benyan are a married couple and they’re expecting a baby. The station’s populace are eagerly waiting for the first child to be born into their cult. Dukat grants the couple to have the child.
This could have easily ended up with Mika and Benyan having their Bajoran child and everyone being happy with how Dukat’s running things. It would make Kira’s job persuading them otherwise harder.
But of course it doesn’t go like that. Instead the baby turns out to be half-Cardassian, indicating that Dukat’s the father, not Benyan. Dukat covers this up by improvising a speech before the Bajoran cult.
He says that the baby is a ‘miracle’ from the Pah-wraiths, as a sign that they approve of the cult’s faith in Dukat. Everyone believes this of course whilst Kira is very certain that Dukat’s the real father.
She tries to plant a seed of doubt in Benyan by asking him if Mika and Dukat ever spent time alone together. Mika and Dukat also meet up with each other in an airlock of all places to discuss the thing.
It doesn’t end well when Dukat attempts to blow Mika out into space by opening the airlock whilst she’s trapped inside. Fortunately Mika survives and the doctor reports she’s likely to recover here. 🙂
Marc Alaimo is truly committed to the role of Gul Dukat in this episode as well as the entire ‘DS9’ series. It’s interesting how Dukat is firm in his Pah-wraith beliefs, especially when he’s praying alone.
Afraid that his followers will discover what he has done, Dukat tries to persuade his Bajoran believers to commit mass suicide according to the will of their Pah-wraiths. Kira tries to stop all this.
After escaping from her quarters, she arrives just in time to crash the suicide ceremony, knocking Dukat’s ‘suicide’ pill out of his hand. It’s revealed that Dukat had no intention of committing suicide.
Kira’s intervention manages to persuade the Bajorans to turn against Dukat and for Benyan to realise he isn’t the father of Mika’s half-Cardassian child. Dukat soon beams out once he has been rejected.
Sadly, Fala takes a pill and swallows, committing suicide. As Kira holds Fala in his arms, he explains his decision to Kira the word ‘faith’. For a long time, Fala was faithful to Dukat and the Pah-wraiths. 😦
Thankfully Kira is rescued by the Defiant and she and the cultists are returned back to DS9. Kira shares her concerns with Odo, acknowledging Dukat’s Pah-wraith belief make him more dangerous.
‘Covenant’ is a compelling ‘DS9’ episode focusing on Kira and how her Bajoran beliefs are tested when Dukat leads a Pah-wraith cult on Empok Nor. Who knows what will occur next with Gul Dukat?
‘Covenant’ (DS9) rating – 8/10
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