Wrongs Darker than Death or Night

One of the reasons I love ds9 is that character development goes very deep. In this episode the character Kira nerys does a great job at that, really powerful and great story.

These look-back's at the Cardassian occupation are always very evocative. Seeing DS9 and characters in a totally different way is often gripping. This was pretty well done. But . . .

But the main plot is absurd. You can almost see the writers around the table in the middle of a season grasping for some new idea.

There has been so much interaction between Kira and Gul Dukat for 6 years - no hint of this ever emerges -despite some very varied and intense plots with them. Dukat just calls and drops this on her out of nowhere. Just dumb.

Gul Dukat and Kira are pretty prominent people on DS9 and in the Bajoran world - is it really feasible that no one made the connection between Gul Dukat's Bajoran lover for 7 years, and Kira? No one was able to put this ridiculously obvious connection together? Just silly.

If Kira is around 5 or so when her mother goes away, and is clearly in her 30's when DS9 starts - that means Gul Dukat has been in command of DS9 and Bajor for about 30 years. Again - such an obvious plot contradiction with all that has come before in the history of Bajor and DS9.

The Orb of Time - you can change the past that easy? I mean, come on.

There's more - but you get the point.

Again, stupid plot - but actually a watchable episode once you turn your brain completely off.

Kira uses the time orb to find out some family history.

This is a classic DS9 complexities of life story with a very interesting situation involving Kira's mother at the heart of it. The writers handle it in a pretty balanced way, particularly by not making it clear cut whether certain actions should be considered as collaboration, survival, necessary, right or wrong.

If there is one element of the story that does not sit quite right it is the time travel. It is not just contrived, but the whole concept of Kira's interference seems ill conceived and a bit confusing considering the amount of paths she crosses. However, these are minor sci-fi details compared with the issues tackled.

Nana Visitor leads it well and is supported well by the other cast members, particularly Marc Alaimo.