Second Skin

I don't understand why episodes like this get so much flak; they're what made DS9 a great show (and why it was so painful when the Dominion War arc took over in the later seasons). The core mystery and its resolution bring many classic Trek themes into play, such as how identity affects a person and how decisions reflect what truly matters to a person, but we also get the deep personal significance for Major Kira that's possible due to the ongoing development of her character and the Bajoran & Cardassian cultures throughout DS9's early seasons (TOS and TNG could almost never do an episode like this because the characters don't have the history and every week they'd move onto a new culture; the only comparable sequences I'd argue are from Worf's character arc in TNG).

Another reviewer criticized how this is similar to TNG's "Face of the Enemy"; that entirely misses the point of the episode. "Face of the Enemy" was an espionage suspense thriller - there were no personal stakes for Troi really, it was much more a "will they succeed or won't they?" type of story. This episode is entirely about the character - what would it mean for Major Kira if her entire life was a lie, if she really was part of the enemy that destroyed her culture, the enemy for which she'd given everything up to help defeat? And how do the events of the episode complicate her (and the viewer's) view of Cardassians? The central uncertainty of the plot perfectly mirrors the moral uncertainty of the DS9 universe, and really harkens back to the brilliant first season episode "Duet" (the central plot device in fact is practically the exact inverse of the central plot device from "Duet").

If you're looking for suspenseful action you'll find this episode dull; but then again if that's the case, why are you watching Star Trek at all?

Kira finds herself in Cardassia Prime with her identity in question.

This is a very good episode with strong themes and performances.

The plot has a nice tribute to Phillip K Dick stories and a great running theme of the different identities people assume in various aspects of life. This always works well in tales of deceit and espionage.

Several characters have opportunities to shine, particularly Kira, Garak and other Cardassians. Nana Visitor and Andrew Robinson are great as always, plus the guest actors support them very well, particularly Lawrence Pressman. It is the performances of the actors that really elevates the material.

Visually it has plenty of great art direction, especially in the set design, makeup and costuming.

For me it is an 8.5/10 but I round upwards.

Like the best stage magicians, the writers of this episode divert your attention completely away from the trick that is being played in plain sight. By the time the penny drops, I was amazed at how my cynical TV-viewer brain was fooled, and I was absolutely delighted!

The third act of this episode may be my favourite experience with DS9 thus far. The perfect lines and scenes kept coming one after another. These days, there have been so many TV shows, miniseries and films that it's hard to experience any surprises. Most things are derivative of other things that have come before, and I find it shocking that the most exciting story I have experienced recently is from a show that was made before I was born. 10/10, would recommend.

Great concept - we haven't chipped away at Kira's war stories for a while and this is a doozy. As with all DS9, it probably needed more Garak.

This is a full meal of an episode. The acting chops are a cut above anything we've seen for a while. Nana, obviously, gets her teeth absolutely sunk into the script and refrains from the temptation of going overboard with her reactions. It's measured and frightened, war hardened and resolute, and there's this seething fury underneath every sentence that is just... Yeah, it's great. Especially when the interrogation starts and she plays to infuriate her captor.

Avery also has a gear he can slip into when dealing with cardassians specifically, and while Garak is no Gul Dukat in terms of a scene sparring partner, they're still magnificent moments.

"Commander, this is extortion." "mmm.. Yes it is." & "Garak, I'm impressed." "It was just something I overheard whilst I was hemming someone's trousers." Glorious.

The story was nuanced and layered and I truly, truly didn't get ahead of the ending. The relationship with the father ends up being much more poignant than I ever expected. I make no apologies for giving this an immediate 9. Brilliant.

Fun cold open with Quark, Kira and Dax, but i audibly winced at the cheese-levels of the camera move that they end the scene on. Probably the clumsiest "they're being observed" I've seen in trek so far.