After a holiday break, we're back to Deep Space Nine...
- Bashir gets possessed by a dying criminal and hijinks ensue in "The Passenger". Bashir is a REALLY obnoxious character--we'll learn why later in the series--and Siddig really chews the scenery while under the criminal's control. Of course, most of the characters on the show are full of themselves--maybe it's the "younger brother" syndrome vs. TNG, so they feel they have to prove their worth. The mcguffin this week is a shipment of "deuridium". It's important enough that the Federation has brought in a security officer (James Lashly), which creates friction with Odo. Complicating things is bounty hunter Kajada (Julie Caitlin Brown), who's understandably obsessed with the dead(?) criminal. It takes a load of Dax's technobabble to save the day.
- Quark gets into the middle of "first contact" with a new Gamma quadrant race, and our heroes become literal pawns in a deadly game in "Move Along Home". The aliens and their leader (Joel Brooks) put the senior staff through a maze of obstacles--it seems rather silly. Quark realizes he's playing a game with the crew's lives, and tries to beg his way out of it. The new security officer makes his second and last appearance on the series--he seemed rather superfluous. There's an subplot with Jake Sisko which is clearly added to extend a weak plot. In the end, they learn their peril was all simulated--"it's only a game!"
- Had enough of Quark already? Too bad--he's made the head of the Ferengi Empire in "The Nagus". The previous chief is played by Wallace Shawn (Inconceivable!)--he arrives on DS9 for a conference with his lieutenants, and things go south when he announces Quark's new position. The Ferengi was supposed to be a big baddie for the Federation, but they quickly turned into comic relief. There's a subplot with O'Brien (remember him?) playing substitute teacher at Keiko's school. It turns out that Nog isn't as bad an influence on Jake as everyone thinks.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (and all the Trek series) is available on Netflix.