Deep Space Nine's second season ended with the introduction of the Dominion, a new major force in the Star Trek franchise. Their appearance shakes up DS9 in some pretty big ways, but I can't help but feel the show could have done a little more.
Compared to the first two seasons and especially the rest of Star Trek, Season 3 of Deep Space Nine is incredibly plot-driven and serialized. After the Dominion showed their face in the Season 2 finale, they've pretty much become the major antagonist of this season. Even other standalone episodes have the characters bring the Dominion up, and they feel like a looming shadow over the station for all of the season, at least until they wipe out the Obsidian Order and Tal Shiar in one of the show's most effective twists to date. Unfortunately, they don't really get too much to do for a large portion of the season. As a matter of fact, the Dominion hardly does anything unless they're provoked. It's obvious DS9 is going for a slow burn so it can stay somewhat episodic, and while I like how Season 3 chronicles the slowly rising tension between them and the Alpha Quadrant, I can't help but wish it covered a bit more ground. DS9 also introduces the USS Defiant, which allows the characters to go on expeditions and missions without needing a runabout. It's a much more combat-focused ship, even including a cloaking device, but that fits this darker series a lot better.
While the Dominion stuff is great on its own, Season 3 also does a great job with the character work. This season contains a lot of truly fantastic character arcs, from Odo dealing with the reveal that the Dominion's Founders are of his species as well as his feelings for Kira, to Nog deciding he wants to join Starfleet Academy, to Sisko getting a girlfriend. While I keep saying this with every Star Trek season, Season 3's consistency is incredibly impressive for the franchise. Outside of a few individual dips, a large portion of this season was just solid episode after solid episode. On the other hand, I don't think there were as many particular high points as some of the other seasons outside of a few notable two-parters, but the general quality was pretty solid throughout. One last thing I noticed about this season is its odd structure. Near the end of the season, we get this massive two-part episode that felt truly finale-caliber, and then we got five more episodes to tie up loose ends. And with Sisko growing a beard and a lot of the characters going through changes, it kind of felt like Season 3 had a mini, transitionary season tacked on at the very end. It's another instance of DS9 ending its seasons in some really unconventional ways that oddly work, and while not as ambitious as the near annihilation of two major galactic powers, The Adversary was still a fine enough finale.
As I mentioned, Season 3 did have some notable high points, even if they're all two-part episodes:
The Search: This was a fantastic season premiere that drastically changes the status quo of Deep Space Nine. The Defiant makes its first glorious appearance, Odo is revealed to be the same species as the Founders, and from this episode onward, Deep Space Nine starts to feels just a bit lonelier due to the increased danger the Dominion poses. I especially like Odo's character arc this episode, as he decides that his real home is on DS9 with his crew.
Past Tense: At this point, I've gotten a bit exhausted with Star Trek's time travel stories, but Past Tense unpleasantly surprised me. This is a difficult episode to watch, especially in the decade it's supposed to take place. When it first came out, Past Tense was a brutal piece of world-building that shows just hard things were in Trek's 21st century, while also touching upon the state of California in 1995. In 2021, it's shockingly prescient and a sad showcase of how some things haven't really gotten better, between the rapidly increasing amount of homeless people, the police violence and frequent protests, and a weathly elite that sits on their ass and ignores the rest of the world. This episode was made in 1995 and while not everything is accurate (mental health isn't nearly as stigmatized anymore), it captures that sense of 2020s hopelessness perfectly. Also, seeing Sisko try to replicate a movement after its leader gets accidentally killed was pretty fun.
Improbable Cause: Garak was always one of the more fascinating characters in DS9, and this episode was a pretty entertaining mystery involving his past. The entire final third with Odo and Garak confronting Enabran Tain is such a fantastic sequence, filled with great dialogue, big twists, and a cliffhanger that completely caught me off guard. How was I supposed to know this would be a full-on two-parter? It didn't have Part 1 in the name!
The Die Is Cast: Well, I didn't think Star Trek had the guts. As a continuation of Improbable Cause, this episode is fantastic, with Odo revealing he wishes he could return to the Founders, Garak getting a taste of being back in the Obsidian Order, and the Dominion predictably kicking the asses of both the Romulans and Cardassians. But what really stunned me was how it all stuck. I'm so used to the Romulans and Cardassians being the major antagonistic forces in Trek, and now they're seriously crippled, to the point of not even being a threat anymore. I think this was the episode that really sold me on the Dominion as a major villain. They're ruthless, effective, and now, we know they're smart. And to think I didn't even mention probably the best space battle in a Star Trek show to date!
And of course, there were a few weaker episodes as well:
Fascination: The Naked Now was a remake of The Naked Time where all the characters suddenly get the hots for each other. Fascination is a remake of that remake, and it makes me sad how far we've fallen from one of my favorite TOS episodes.
Prophet Motive: I actually really liked House Of Quark, so maybe it's not Ferengi episodes I don't like. Maybe it's just the Magus.
Overall, while I was hoping for a bit more progress on the Dominion arc, the stronger sense of serialization, incredibly consistent episode quality, and great character work make this the best DS9 season yet.
4/5 Stars
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