‘STARSHIP DOWN’ (DS9)
Please feel free to comment on my review.
This is a pretty intense and dramatic ‘DS9’ episode where the main crew aboard the Defiant becomes under siege by two Jem’Hadar ships in the Gamma Quadrant. It was compelling to watch. 🙂
The episode has the DS9 crew settling trade arrangements with the Karemma. Captain Sisko meets with James Cromwell as Hanok, the Karemma representative, along with Quark for the negotiations.
James Cromwell is no stranger to ‘Star Trek’, having appeared in some ‘TNG’ episodes and played Zefram Cochrane in ‘Star Trek: First Contact’. He later did movies like ‘Spider-Man 3’ and ‘The Artist’.
Hanok isn’t pleased with Quark recently cheating with fictitious Federation profits during trade arrangements. The Dominion isn’t also happy with the Federation trading with the Karemma in this.
The negotiations take place near a gas giant in the Gamma Quadrant. Soon, two Jem’Hadar ships attack the Karemma ship and chase them into the gas giant. The Defiant chases after the pursuers. 🙂
The Defiant hopes to rescue the Karemma ship under attack by the Jem’Hadar. The Jem’Hadar in turn fires back on the Defiant, crippling the ship with turbulent fluorine atmosphere of the gas giant.
It does feel like a pretty intense space battle between the Defiant and the Jem’Hadar ships whilst our heroes rescue the Karemma. Even though we don’t get to see any Jem’Hadar soldiers in this tale.
Not even a Jem’Hadar making threats to the Karemma via communication made it into the episode. I wonder what the Karemma’s relationship with the Dominion will be like after this. It cannot be good.
Jadzia Dax attempts to repair the ship’s engines whilst they’re under attack by Jem’Hadar. Although successful, Jadzia is nearly blown out of the ship as the hull is breached. Thankfully, Bashir saves her.
However, the two get trapped inside a turbolift shaft with the supply of oxygen diminishing. Bashir also can’t make contact with the rest of the crew whilst looking after Jadzia who’s becoming weaker.
I did like the scenes between Bashir and Jadzia in the turbolift shaft as they huddle together for warmth. Bashir almost admits the fantasies he had with Jadzia when keen on her during Season 1. 🙂
A Jem’Hadar ship gets destroyed by the Defiant in the gas giant but the Defiant becomes helpless in the process. Captain Sisko gets gravely injured with concussion and Major Kira has to keep him alive.
I like how the relationship between Sisko and Kira develops in this. Even though Sisko is concussed, Kira has a great respect for him and she tries to find ways to keep him alive and not make him sleep.
This includes telling him some stories whilst also praying for him because he’s the Emissary. Sisko is able to keep awake when Kira tells him some stories. He even wants her to tell her another story. 😀
Quark and Hanok also become trapped in the mess hall. Quark tries to win Hanok around during negotiations but Hanok isn’t impressed. They soon work together once Jem’Hadar torpedo lodges in.
It’s ‘touch and go’ there with the torpedo, but thankfully with cleverness and taking a gamble, they manage to defuse it. I found it funny when Quark and Hanok laugh their way out of this crisis in this.
Meanwhile, Worf goes down to engineering to help O’Brien put the Defiant’s engines back together. Worf also gets to learn how to tactfully manage the engineering team that are so out of their depth.
This episode features F. J. Rio as Muniz and Jay W. Baker as Stevens of the engineering crew. There’s also Sara Mornell as Carson. She gets reprimanded by Worf for some weapons drills on the bridge. 😐
Eventually, the Defiant crew outwit the Jem’Hadar and rescue the Karemma. They return to DS9, where Hanok gets to gamble at Quark’s bar. I’m not sure Quark is pleased with Hanok’s successes. 😀
Sisko also invites Kira to watch a baseball game with him in the holosuite. I like how that episode ends with the two being closer friends than ever. Maybe there might be more of this between them.
‘Starship Down’ is definitely one of those high tension-filled episodes. It’s certainly gripping to enjoy. I did enjoy the character drama featured throughout with our heroes under siege by the Jem’Hadar.
‘Starship Down’ (DS9) rating – 8/10
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