‘THE RECKONING’ (DS9)
Please feel free to comment on my review.
We return to the plot arc in ‘DS9’ featuring Benjamin Sisko as the Emissary of the Prophets of Bajor and his continuing belief in the Prophets. Louise Fletcher also returns as Kai Winn for this episode. 😐
The episode has Sisko, Jake and Kira meeting James Greene as Koral on Bajor as an archaeological dig reveals ancient tablet in an ancient Bajoran language. It addresses the Emissary of the Prophets!
When touching the tablet, Sisko receives a vision from the Prophets who tell him about an upcoming ‘reckoning’. Sisko soon brings the tablet onto DS9 for further study. He has Jadzia Dax helping him. 🙂
However, Kai Winn gets wind of this and she meets up with Sisko on DS9 to protest about not being consulted in advance regarding bringing the tablet on board the station. Sisko justifies his reasons. 😐
It’s clear that Kai Winn resents Sisko’s connection to the Prophets when he’s received visions from them and not her. This is something that’s been clearly emphasised throughout the DS9 series itself.
Jadzia soon reveals her analysis to Sisko on the tablet about the upcoming ‘reckoning’. It possibly involves the destruction of the DS9 space station and Bajor will soon experience great suffering here.
The signs begin to show when the Bajoran wormhole starts behaving erratically. It opens and closes, causing disturbances on both the DS9 station and the planet. Kai Winn is pretty unhappy about this.
She attributes these disturbances to Sisko’s possession of the tablet aboard the station. Winn forces Sisko to agree to return the tablet to the planet in the morning. Sisko has not a choice in the matter.
Eventually however, Sisko becomes frustrated about the Prophets not telling him much concerning the ‘reckoning’. During the night, Sisko smashes the tablet. It releases some red and blue vapours. 😮
The vapours dissipate into the station. Kai Winn is clearly furious about this, but Sisko insists upon his beliefs that the Prophets willed him to smash the tablet. It’s something Winn is very sceptical on.
Pretty soon, the station begins to experience mysterious power fluctuations. The crew soon discover that Major Kira has been possessed by the blue mist which happens to be a Prophet exuding power.
The Prophet in Kira reveals that it’s waiting for a Pah Wraith to do battle with in the ‘reckoning’ aboard DS9. Most of the station’s staff strongly recommend flooding the promenade with radiation.
It would force the Prophet inside Kira to leave her body. Sisko however refuses to interfere with the Prophet’s plans and Constable Odo himself believe that Kira’s a willing participant during this matter.
Whilst most people including Jadzia, Worf and Bashir are unhappy with this situation, the station is soon evacuated. Kai Winn remains behind to witness what could be the start of Bajor’s ‘golden age’.
But it turns out that the Pah Wraith has taken control of Jake, Sisko’s son. Very soon, the Prophet in Kira and the Pah Wraith in Jake battle against each other and it creates a dangerous energy build-up.
Sisko orders Jadzia and the last of the crew to evacuate, but refuses to leave his son behind. He also doesn’t interfere, believing the Prophet won’t allow him to be killed as he continues to have faith. 😐
Winn however does interfere as she floods the promenade with radiation, interrupting the conflict between the Prophet in Kira and the Pah Wraith in Jake. This is when the Prophet is about to win. 😐
Kira and Jake manage to survive the experience, but Kai Winn may have caused more harm than she would have realised. Kira accuses Kai Winn for intervening out of jealously over Sisko’s greater faith.
I like how this episode emphasises more of Winn’s power hunger and her jealousy of Sisko being Emissary of the Prophets. Kira’s been more convinced in Sisko as the Emissary of the Prophets lately.
I also like how Kira and Odo’s relationship has developed in the episode. They clearly love each other and Kira is touched by Odo’s faith in her when she was being possessed by the Prophet in this story.
‘The Reckoning’ is more a drama episode rather than an action-packed episode, but I appreciate it in continuing Sisko’s journey being the Emissary of the Prophets. He’s had more faith than ever before.
‘The Reckoning’ (DS9) rating – 8/10
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