Mini Review #88: Star Trek DS9 3x9/3x10 "Defiant" and "Fascination" (Patreon)

Two more great episodes... well one FANTASTIC one and one weird but fun one this time around! Defiant was everything I was hoping it would be. I mean, I didn't know anything about this episode besides that Riker was in it (as the thumbnail had him in it) and that Second Chances was important viewing before hand but I was hoping fun an episode with thrills and chills. Thrills and chills I got as watching the Defiant race into Cardassian space with Thomas Riker aboard made for some exciting action that including a very brief but very fun space battle. Not only that, but the episode raised some questions that are extremely interesting. What is the Obsidian Order hiding on that planet in the middle of nowhere? Is it a fleet that they have acquired to enter the DMZ as Thom Riker said? What will Cardassia and the Central Command do because the Obsidian Order are not supposed to have ships? How will this effect Cardassia and what will Dukat do about this? Speaking of Dukat, he was great in this episode and I loved watching him work with Sisko. I also loved seeing him become more aggressive with the Obsidian Order overseer lady who at first dismissed him and his capabilities only for him to turn around later and boss her into the dirt. Besides all that, I am actually glad that I saw Second Chances before this episode. The twist wasn't ruined that much as for some reason I never suspected Riker until the final seconds before the reveal. It was also nice to have the context surrounding Thom Riker which made it easier to understand and connect with his conflict.

Fascination was such a weird episode that I also enjoyed in a strange way. After such an intense episode like Defiant, it almost felt like a pallet cleanser in a way. It was really fun, albeit slightly weird, to watch all of our characters fall in love with someone random. The episode gets extra points for having a great Dax/Morn interaction as well as a beautiful line from Sisko. Right after Bareil punches Sisko, Sisko just looks at him so disappointedly and says "Bareil..." in the most perfect way. Speaking of Sisko, I really loved that both he and O'Brien were never affected by Troi's brain waves (nice to see her by the way). It really showed how much they were in love with their partners... or still in love with their partner who is no longer around in Sisko's case. O'Brien and Keiko had a very nice relationship arc in this episode that was hard to watch at times but also felt very real. I can understand why people may get on Keiko's back throughout the show but to me, their relationship feels the most realistic out of all of them. Longterm relationships are never going to be perfect and there will be arguing at some points but it is the way that O'Brien and Keiko manage to navigate these rocky parts that make the love real. So yeah, weird episode but also an enjoyable one!