Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
"Soldiers of the Empire"
Air date: 4/28/1997
Written by Ronald D. Moore
Directed by LeVar Burton
Review by Jamahl Epsicokhan
"If you really want to thank me, don't walk in here dripping blood anymore. It takes days to get it out of the carpet!" — Bashir to General Martok
Nutshell: Reasonably performed, but a pedestrian hour overall.
When the Klingon Empire offers General Martok the opportunity to command his first mission since returning from the Dominion prison in "In Purgatory's Shadow," he recruits Worf as his first officer. Along with Dax as the science officer, they take command of the Bird of Prey Rotarran, a ship and crew with a tarnished past (no victories in battle), in a search for the missing Klingon cruiser B'Moth, believed downed near the Cardassian border.
I generally like Klingons and their milieu when used effectively, but I've just seen so much of them that I don't find it all that interesting anymore unless it's part of a bigger, more interesting story—which is clearly lacking here. However, if you really like Klingons and are game for a very standard Klingon outing, you might like "Soldiers of the Empire," a fairly pedestrian outing that specializes in lots of Klingon honor dialog and clichés, but not much storyline.
The biggest problem with this episode is that it's far too routine. There just isn't much substance here. But at the same time, what is here is fairly well done, and done in the Klingon style that is very consistent with what we've always seen on both DS9 and TNG. Still, just about every scene in this episode amounts to "been there, done that," and the episode doesn't supply enough plot for us to sink our teeth into.
There are shades here of "A Matter of Honor" from way back in TNG's second season. Like that outing, a decent amount of this episode focuses on the way a Klingon vessel operates, forcing us to juxtapose it with Starfleet workings—not terribly fascinating this time around. The semi-twist in "Soldiers of the Empire" is that this Klingon crew is a disgraceful group that's down on their luck. They haven't been victorious in a battle yet; they've become renowned for turning and running from Jem'Hadar fighters.
There's a lot of dialog in this episode, and most of it comments on the lack of victory this frustrated crew has faced in past months. They're depressed, enraged, and hungry for blood. One almost gets the sense that this crew is a set of "Klingon underdogs," and the question of the episode is when there will be a triumph of these underdogs.
I will admit that a "Klingon underdog" is a fairly pathetic-sounding label to carry, and I did get the sense that this crew felt truly disgraced in the eyes of their people, and why. Unfortunately, this isn't what I would call compelling material, especially considering that there are five acts devoted to it, no B-story (not to say I wanted one), and limited action only to end the episode. One problem becomes that Ron Moore has a premise that simply doesn't contain enough material to stretch across 45 minutes of screen time. But Moore is no dummy, and he's quite experienced with the Klingon milieu. (He wrote or had a hand in writing many of TNG's most pivotal Worf/Klingon episodes, like "Sins of the Father," "Reunion," and "Redemption" parts I and II.) Moore is able to use what little story there is effectively, and most of what happens on the Rotarran makes a good amount of logical sense.
Once Martok takes command, he seems to be endlessly avoiding a fight with the Jem'Hadar—hardly plausible behavior for a Klingon captain. Some of Martok's rationales for avoiding battle make sense, slightly so even in Klingon terms: The mission is to find the B'Moth, not sacrifice the Rotarran in a blaze of glory, he explains to Worf and the crew. But there are signs Martok is slipping, and through the course of the episode they become progressively more evident: At one point he completely avoids a confrontation with a Jem'Hadar fighter that would've been an easy victory. He has his reasons, but the crew, including Worf and Dax, are very skeptical of his lack of Klingon initiative.
Dax knows one thing for certain: The crew's frustrations are about to explode. If Martok continues avoiding confrontations, someone will challenge his judgment and the crew will break into dissent. This leaves it up to Worf, naturally, to make the Big Honorable Decision. Worf has great respect for Martok as a warrior, a friend, and someone who saved his life. He believes in him and doesn't want to question his judgment, much less challenge his authority and kill him according to Klingon bridge procedure (ultimately to be the only way of preserving chain of command on the Rotarran).
I can appreciate the fact that Moore put Worf in a tough position, but this is about the millionth time we've seen Klingon Honor in need of satisfaction and Worf in the position to make the Big Honorable Decision. It's been done in episodes with much more relevance and power than this one.
Another problem I had with the situation was the characterization of General Martok. I just don't quite understand why exactly he was so "cowardly," at the end of the episode. Near the finale when it's obvious he's making the wrong choice, it doesn't seem in-character that he makes this choice. It feels a bit forced upon his character, who, as far as I can tell, still has his Klingon instincts and the need for vengeance against the Jem'Hadar (especially considering he was their prisoner for two years). There's discussion that Martok's Dominion imprisonment affected his Klingon lust for blood, but there just isn't quite enough development of the idea to really make his characterizations feel accurate. Martok's about-face after the ultimate confrontation (a knife fight that Worf loses), where he charges into battle and rescues the B'Moth survivors, also didn't feel completely justified. It was a bit too easy a solution to an underdeveloped problem.
Also, I must add that the ending might've worked a bit better if the preview people hadn't given it away, for all practical purposes, in last week's trailer. Because of the preview, we knew from the start that Worf was going to confront Martok for his cowardice, so it somewhat lessened the payoff's effect concerning Worf's solution to the problem.
I was, however, quite happy that the creators didn't decide to kill Martok in this episode (or something ludicrous to that effect), and that the necessary confrontation on the Rotarran didn't damage Worf's and Martok's relationship. In fact, I much liked the episode's coda, which had the opposite effect. Martok making Worf an official member of his family's house because of his honorable actions struck me as very sensible, and was quite moving—easily the best part of the show. These characters could really turn out to mean a lot for one another, and I look forward to seeing more of them together.
But the ending, for all its charm, doesn't make the rest of the show wholly worthwhile. This isn't a bad episode—it has some good work by the actors and some good moments. But it's not an important show either, because it doesn't have an urgent or enlightening story. It's merely standard Klingon stuff; very middle-of-the-road.
Previous episode: Ferengi Love Songs
Next episode: Children of Time
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76 comments on this post
Sun, Mar 1, 2009, 8:13pm (UTC -6)
Perhaps they lost those previous outings because they were so undisciplined? Because they wanted to engage in skirmishes with the Dominion when their assigned mission was to rescue the B'Moth refugees?
In fact, upon second look, sending Klingons on rescue missions seems contrary to the whole Klingon ethos of dying gloriously. No wonder the crew is annoyed.
Thu, Mar 19, 2009, 10:26pm (UTC -6)
Klingons are 12 year old children playing at war. I wish they and the Ferengi would all just die. And this was one of the less boring Klingon episodes...
Sigh, yes I've started watching DS9 since September last year; at first I really liked it, but I hate hate hate these stupid stereotypical races and their stupid stereotypical storylines.
Sat, Feb 20, 2010, 6:55pm (UTC -6)
Sun, Apr 11, 2010, 9:47pm (UTC -6)
Fri, Aug 27, 2010, 10:57pm (UTC -6)
Sisko is looking at his request and asks why Worf wants to serve the Klingon Empire, when Worf tells this lame story about how Martok saved his life. Sisko is giving him some serious side eye, and probably thinking the same thing I was; which was "Really Worf? That's pretty weak. He gave you his warrior spirit with his eyes? Aren't you guys supposed to be tough or something? Talking with your eyes sounds like some Tyra Banks crap to me.". Well anyway, Sisko was thinking that minus the Tyra reference.
So, then Worf says something like "well, maybe it's something a human can't understand..." and trails off in such a way as to imply that he was mentally finishing the sentence with "because, you know, I'm a Klingon and I know the federation thinks we're a bunch of ignorant thugs.".
Sisko then immediately signs the release form, and you can almost feel him wanting to apologize and absolve himself of his "human guilt" by saying something like "hey, some of my best friends are Klingon!".
Haha, I enjoyed that sequence a lot. I liked this episode more than Jammer did. I thought the knife fight was pretty well done, and I liked seeing Jadzia be all kinds of bad ass in the mess hall. Also, I always enjoy Martok. He's another awesome secondary character on this show, along with my other favorites Nog, Garak and Weyoun.
Mon, Dec 27, 2010, 2:50am (UTC -6)
But yes, the flaws. The only problem with story for me is that it can't make up its mind what tone to take with the Klingons When the crew is introduced, we are told that these are some freaky-ass Klingons with Cardassian neck bone jewellery and we should be awfully worried about them. Then we find out that they are essentially just child-like characters prone to self pity in desperate need of a win. When the crew finally gets around to the mutiny, we are no longer scared of them because we've begun to think of them as the Mighty Ducks. And you can safely assume Worf isn't going to kill Martok. We already saw a Martok die this season.
Tue, Jul 12, 2011, 6:43am (UTC -6)
I agree with you all in that the episode has its flaws, but it is entertaining - and compare this episodes treatment of Worf and Dax to the really awful "Let he who is without sin" earlier this season!
Sun, Oct 9, 2011, 1:46pm (UTC -6)
Sat, Mar 10, 2012, 2:29am (UTC -6)
But they ruined the episode by not showing them defeat the Jem Hadar ship!! I know the episode was about Worf and Martok, but we just spent an entire hour with this mopey crew and we don't even get to see them redeem themselves. Patak tease.
Tue, Apr 3, 2012, 12:06pm (UTC -6)
@Chris, that word "patak," I do not think it means what you think it means.
Wed, Apr 4, 2012, 1:07am (UTC -6)
Fri, Apr 27, 2012, 7:41pm (UTC -6)
Sun, Jun 3, 2012, 5:31pm (UTC -6)
While Jammer didn't think that made sense, to me it does make sense for Klingons (and perhaps even some humans). Worf's gambit was to get Martok's blood racing in a victorious fight so that the same thirst for battle would carry over to the mission and clear away Martok's irrational fears. That seems sensible from what we've seen of Klingon psychology before.
This is kind of an on-going theme for Worf, where he is a redeemer of the Klingon people. He kills the bad Klingons and enables the nobles ones (like the Kahless clone and general Martok).
Fri, Jun 29, 2012, 9:20am (UTC -6)
Also, I would hardly call this episode pedestrian. I can't remember another TV episode that showed Klingon crew procedure from undocking through to the conclusion that was reached. I like to see all the little details of crews on non-federation starships, and I felt like this episode provided a lot of new interesting details.
I'd give it a solid 3 stars. There were some parts that dragged. I'd rather they had reduced the amount of time spent on Worf trying to convince the General to fight, gotten the knife fight out of he way earlier and then showed the victory over the Jem Hadar. When I realized that they were not going to show the battle, I was disappointed.
Wed, Jul 11, 2012, 1:50pm (UTC -6)
I thought this episode was one of the best because it gave us Klingons who were NOT stereotypical, but fully fleshed out individuals with their own motivations.
Jadzias little speech about the differences between Klingons sets up the premise very nicely regarding Martok's actions etc...
Mon, Aug 13, 2012, 4:06pm (UTC -6)
Sat, Nov 10, 2012, 1:09pm (UTC -6)
Transporter technology really does make a mockery of just about every medical issue Star Trek confronts, large and small.
Sat, Nov 17, 2012, 3:16am (UTC -6)
Sat, Feb 2, 2013, 4:42pm (UTC -6)
Thu, Feb 21, 2013, 8:24am (UTC -6)
Fri, Aug 23, 2013, 4:25pm (UTC -6)
I've never liked the Klingons. I like the CONCEPT of a species that lives for honor and battle - but the way Klingons have been presented has been filled with obvious contradictions. An example: we learn again and again that honor is everything, and Klingons would die in glorious battle before retreating, running away or let themselves be captured and imprisoned. Yet, over and over, we meet or hear about Klingons who are still alive after retreating, running away or being imprisoned. And that's only one eaxample. The logic of the whole Klingon philosophy is full of wholes so huge that you could drive an ice cream van through them.
However, I've always liked the notion that Worf is a more strict follower of Klingon philosophy than any other Klingon we meet - he has not been disillusioned or watered down by the harsh realities of the decay of the proud Klingon Empire, such as his fellow Klingons - who live in that decay - have.
As a consequence, Worf IS proud, just, honorable and spiritual - where just about any other Klingon we meet is NOT. And here's where I get off of the bus. Worf is "the perfect" Klingon, that's all good and fine ... but why does every other Klingon have to be reduced to a cardboard figure, either fitting into the "drooling, brainless brute" box or the "deceptive liar" box?
Sure, they TALK about honor, but their actions are contrary to their statements ... over and over and over again. Surely, SOME Klingons MUST have SOME sense of the honor and spirituality Worf represents?
So, I got fed up with the nonsensical Klingons very early on. With the introduction of General Martok, however, I was intrigued. Here, finally, was another Klingon, that had more complexity to him, and who actually seemed to act according to his Klingon beliefs. At last we get another Klingon who's a good guy, someone we can root for.
In this epsiode, everything aboard the Klingon Bird of Pray made sense - it's the first time a whole Klingon episode actually made sense to me. Except for the fact that this crew was still alive after fleeing battle about a half dosen times ... really? How very Klingon of them to run away! And besides ... when was the last time we saw a defeated starship that didn't blow up?
Anyway, besides that, I felt that the whole "crew is low on morale, needs a victory" was pulled off very nicely - I could almost feel he tension in the air. All the little conversations, about duty, honor, defeat and shame walked a tightrope (between making sense and ... not) and didn't fall.
This episode gets three stars from me - 2 stars for the story, lacking in characterization as it was ... and an extra star for rekindling my interest in Worf and Klingons after 20 years of facepalming.
Sat, Oct 26, 2013, 10:18am (UTC -6)
6/10
Thu, Jan 16, 2014, 10:18am (UTC -6)
DS9 is my favourite Star Trek series. All the others are shallow by comparison. DS9 has well rounded characters, complex plots, it definitely isn't a kind of "they lived happily ever after" show, doesn't shy away from awkward situations and feelings, like violence, evil, betrayal, even homosexuality (even if the word is never mentioned).
Mon, Jan 20, 2014, 4:48pm (UTC -6)
A solid Klingon outing and much more watchable than Ferengi Love Songs.
Fri, Feb 28, 2014, 9:30pm (UTC -6)
Take for instance the code of honor. Within that code the Klingons are viewed by some as totally anathema to the prospect of rescuing other honorable Klingons to allow reconnection with the Empire and live to fight (and share glory) another day. The possibility of Klingons escaping a battle is further sacrilege from what we think we know.
("There is no honor to be had on this day!") or ("Losing the Empire to win a battle is no victory. Retreating from battle to save the Empire is no defeat.") are just examples of lines that seem to confer a sense of self-preservation common in many species. One could replace the word "empire" above with "starship" or "outpost" in a sense despite where the in-story quote stems from.
Consider: A lot of the stomping about, chest-thumping, overtly-posturing barking and growling about glorious deaths and no fear of battles is that of a vicious roar meant to distract, instill fear, and convey a sense of impenetrable protection of ones own unwavering devotion to self-patriotism and the Empire. In that sense, it would seem logical to assume that, despite the implied non-fear of death, that the Klingon species has an inherent need to live that may or may not come to the forefront of decision-making. The posturing DOES mean something. They do have a bite behind that bark. But sometimes living to fight another day, to reclaim glory, is just as honorable.
Perhaps I'm just reading too much into it. I do enjoy a good story as I do enjoy writing.
This particular episode was a decent Klingon outing that had a few neat ideas. But overall nothing about it stood out above the crowd. Just a step above average and worth watching.
A guarded 3 stars.
Sat, May 10, 2014, 8:04pm (UTC -6)
Also, minor confusion... It takes... DAYS to get blood out of the carpet? Really Bashir? Come on now, this is the 24th century, I'm sure we've evolved past Oxy Clean by now.
3 stars.
Thu, Aug 14, 2014, 12:20pm (UTC -6)
I ALWAYS love episodes where Martok has a primary part. He's the best Klingon of the lot.
At this point in the series we did NOT know whether Martok was going to be a reoccurring character anymore or not, so I did NOT know that Worf was going to just injure him. Very powerful fight scene with an outstanding result. Well done Worf, well done.
I'm not always huge on Klingon episodes, especially back on TNG, but I really enjoyed this one.
I loved the ending too.
“MARTOK: Worf. On the bridge during the fight, when you dropped your guard. How did you know I would not kill you?
WORF: I did not know.”
Very appropriate and moving that Martok invited and welcomed Worf into his house.
3.5 stars for me.
Fri, Aug 22, 2014, 9:04am (UTC -6)
Sat, Sep 20, 2014, 2:09pm (UTC -6)
I liked the downtrodden Klingon crew scenes, especially the older guys becoming a bit of a cancer to the junior officers. I also liked the plot of Worf standing up for a captain he knows is neglecting his crew and that that captain would be Martok, beat up and rusty from his time in the internment camp.
On the other hand, the knife fight climax wasn't all that satisfying. Worf loses and suddenly the crew are chanting Martok's name like a bunch of idiot sports fans. Great. So he won. He's the coward you wanted dead in the first place, remember? Except that he isn't anymore, changing his tune about fighting the Jem'Hadar pretty dang quick just because he won a fight.
I'd have softened a bit if we got to see the Rotarran in the fight they supposedly won, too, but it all happened off screen.
This one has some nice moments but I can't necessarily recommend it. 2-1/2 stars is all it deserves, but even that might be generous.
Tue, Sep 23, 2014, 4:43pm (UTC -6)
I'd imagine after going through something like that together that they are closer than the scripts explicitly say, and little things like Bashir's concern for him is a subtle nod to an unseen history between them.
Wed, Sep 24, 2014, 9:28am (UTC -6)
Mon, Jun 22, 2015, 8:58am (UTC -6)
Still some good moments - especially Worf being willing to sacrifice himself to get Martok's courage back up. If that isn't the definition of honorable, I don't know what is.
Tue, Jul 14, 2015, 5:54am (UTC -6)
Fri, Aug 7, 2015, 5:51pm (UTC -6)
Sun, Jan 17, 2016, 3:20am (UTC -6)
Sun, Jan 24, 2016, 12:01pm (UTC -6)
It's also a great episode for Worf and Dax - for the latter being the conduit and outlet of the crew's discontent gives some meaty and welcome story. And for Worf, finding the way to give Martok his mojo back is similarly important. Stirring stuff. 3.5 stars.
Fri, Jan 29, 2016, 9:01pm (UTC -6)
Because there is no Riker character who is totally unfamiliar with a Klingon ship, there is none of the “getting-to-know-you” exposition *or* enlightenment from “A Matter of Honour” here, which prevents this episode from being too much a retread, despite being the second major episode focused on life aboard a Klingon ship and on the slow build to a first officer-captain confrontation. The material for Worf, gradually realizing what he has to do in order to do his duty to the crew and to Martok, is pretty effective, and I like how Dax was used as the crew’s mouthpiece to Worf. The crew’s increasingly open display of fear for the Jem’Hadar and depression at their multiple defeats externalizes what is going on in Martok’s mind, but is locked up deeply and which Martok is unable to confront—that he really is not so much afraid of the Jem’Hadar as unable to throw himself into the fight once more, possibly for fear of being recaptured and possibly because he does not want to take the risk of losing control. So I like how Worf’s duty to the crew and his duty to Martok seem to go against each other, but Worf actually finds a way to deal with both *because* they are, in effect, one and the same problem (the crew’s depression has the same roots as Martok’s).
I agree with the comment above that the crew’s complete turnaround on Martok strains credulity a bit—I mean, they were against him just before this, but I guess they just automatically side with whoever seems to be winning (and willing to fight)? And I did feel a bit cheated that Martok’s change in attitude about crossing the border comes without much explanation. And yet, I think the episode somewhat gives us the code for interpreting what happens in Worf’s initial dialogue scene with Sisko, where he refers to the shared moment between warriors in a look, and how Worf had essentially lost his will to fight and was somewhat willing let the Jem’Hadar kill him. As a description of “By Inferno’s Light,” I am a little unimpressed—I wish we had seen this moment if it was so crucial—but in terms of this episode I quite like Worf’s reasoning and how this comes around on Martok. Martok has in his own way “stopped fighting,” and he is now at the point where he actually risking his crew justifiably-under-Klingon-military-law killing him for cowardice and does not even realize it. I went and looked back at the Martok-Worf fight, and there are moments where the camera focuses on each others’ eyes (or eye in the case of Martok), and it does seem as if Worf returns here what Martok had done for him back in the camp—by challenging him in a way that allows Martok the chance to win, he allows Martok to reclaim his captaincy but also recognize that he *has* been unwilling to fight up until this time, in a way that confronting Martok in less potentially lethal ways would not have gotten through to him. Worf’s admission to Dax that he did not know entirely that turning his back on Martok would not mean his death is pretty great; he owed Martok a certain debt and I think was even willing to die to repay it, though ultimately his hope was that Martok would recognize what he was doing, as ended up happening.
The Worf-Martok relationship is a very strong addition to the show, and if much of the groundwork was laid in “By Inferno’s Light,” this episode solidifies it. It is still not a terrific show to me—there is a sameyness to a lot of these Klingon stories by this point, even if Martok is a good character, and as I said I find the crew’s turnaround on Martok hard to believe. But I like it overall and I like what it adds to the show quite a bit. 3 stars.
Wed, Feb 24, 2016, 11:44am (UTC -6)
DS9's first decent attempt at writing Klingons. Also a first time look at demoralized Klingons, which was fascinating. And the first episode that seems to show an honest sense of hopelessness against the Dominion. We've never really *felt* reasonable bleakness about the Dominion until this episode, where even some Klingons feel outmatched. Up until now it's always been a quick "oh no" and an easy inevitable out in true DS9 style. This makes us feel that the fear truly extends beyond the space station crew, and it only took a few dozen episodes for the writers to actually try and show it.
I also consistently enjoy Daxs ability to interact with Klingons. Aside from Riker and Picard, she's always good for getting away from the tired "non-Klingons and Klingons don't understand eachother" gag.
Wed, May 18, 2016, 2:06am (UTC -6)
The problem with a story focused almost exclusively on the Klingons is that they, as a race, get awfully repetitive awfully quickly. You need a really good actor in order to give a Klingon character nuance, subtlety and charisma - that's why Worf and Martok work so well, the actors playing them are very good (and given enough screen-time to develop the characters properly). However, you simply cannot expect that from every single Klingon character. Spend too much time with a minor Klingon and you risk having them act like complete morons, much like the captain in TNG: "A Matter of Honor". While this episode is nowhere near as boring and bad as that one was, Jammer is right that there is a very distinct "been there, done that" vibe throughout the whole forty-five minutes.
The complete lack of a B-plot also harms the episode. I would have much rather the character of Dax been used in a B-plot focusing on her, O'Brien and Bashir trying to cover Worf's responsibilities back on the station. It would have actually given her role on the station some definition, which after almost five full seasons is still sorely lacking - seriously what does she do on DS9?! And just who had to take over as Fleet Liaison Officer once she joined up with the Rotarran? In fact, why is Dax even involved in this story at all, aside from being the non-Klingon character who works well with Klingons? Her presence in the episode does nothing to aid in the development of her and Worf's relationship. It doesn't really give her anything new to do. She basically spends the entire episode throwing her weight around (haven't we seen enough of that already?!) and pointing out the blindingly obvious to Worf. It looks as if she's only there to make Worf look like a fool for not seeing what is going on, thereby harming his character. At least with a B-plot back on the station we might have finally seen her doing some Starfleet duties that didn't consist of sitting in Ops and doing.... something.
5/10
Wed, Sep 14, 2016, 6:19am (UTC -6)
Tue, Nov 22, 2016, 11:48am (UTC -6)
Klingon culture remains untenable. You only advance by killing someone? Really? So the entire senior staff killed each killed a commanding officer who exhibited cowardice? Worf didn't kill a CO to get his position. Neither did Martok. (What did happen to the previous captain anyway?)
Sun, Jan 22, 2017, 2:00am (UTC -6)
Also this episode would have felt much more satisfying if we had actually gotten to see some of the end game with the destruction of the Dominion ship and the rescuing of the crew.
Sun, Jan 22, 2017, 10:30am (UTC -6)
I might suggest that the premise behind Martok's behavior is that he was broken by his time in the prison camp. A Klingon warrior wouldn't go in for psych treatment after such an ordeal, and he very likely wasn't recovered by this time. Taking that as the premise we might then suggest the converse - that his 'recovery' towards the end is a little pat considering how messed up his mind might be. Probably best to consider that this was the first step towards his recovery, and that the rest occurs offscreen. Nothing of what we see onscreen strikes me as indicating Martok is going mad.
Sat, May 13, 2017, 11:18pm (UTC -6)
The Klingons are so cute, singing what I imagine is their version of "row your boat" as they head into battle. The exterior shot of their ship while they were singing reminded me of kids heading off to summer camp.
No idea how the federation lets their staff take time off to fight for other armies, but whatever. And Dax, honey, seek some counseling to get away from this horrible, emotionally abusive relationship with Worf.
Overall, fairly tolerable for a Klingon episode. Minimum Sisko overacting. Bonus: No Keiko.
Sat, Jul 1, 2017, 9:59pm (UTC -6)
NO qualms with the many valid critiques here. I agree with most of them, and can agree to disagree with most of the rest. For starters, it was a lame crock to let Dax tag along.
But I came away from this one a little teary-eyed. because I'm something of a Worf fan for reasons many of us overlook.
As I have reported elsewhere, I love the scenes in TNG:"Family" in 10-Forward with Guinan and Worf's adoptive parents. Her encouraging words to them about what star Worf looks toward for "home" move me to tears almost every time I watch that one, especially since I am an adoptive parent with a little Klingon of my own.
This scene of Worf's "second adoption" into the House of Martok is not quite as touching, but is continuous in the legacy both good and bad that is Worf's. I was moved by it, no matter how contrived it may have seemed, just because of my own experience.
That is all.
Wed, Jul 12, 2017, 11:20pm (UTC -6)
As Chris pointed out above, we normally don't see this side of Klingon "warriors".
So many times we are told - either directly or indirectly - that they die in battle or if not they kill themselves, this time we see what happens when they don't and it makes you realize (whether you agree or not) why the Klingons are always going on about honor and death.
The crew were utterly downcast and a danger to themselves and their captain in their state but the highlight of the episode was the psychological damage done to Martok by his 2 years in a Jem Hadar internment camp.
The only criticism of this episode I have is its title - they should have called it "Sons of Redemption" or something along those lines because it's really an episode about how Martok got his fight back.
I really enjoyed this one and it takes place on a Bird of Prey - one of the most beautifully designed warships ever.
Mon, Aug 14, 2017, 9:22pm (UTC -6)
I like that the episode tied into the new situation with the Jem'Hadar fiercely protecting Cardassisn borders and bringing the Klingons into it. I may have even liked the idea of an episode featuring a Klingon crew for an entire hour. The problem was this episode just really wasn't that interesting. Simple as that. I simply wasn't invested in the crew or their lack of morale or Martok's being crippled by his Dominion ordeal. I thought maybe this may have improved with age but having recently rewatched it--it is just as bland as I remembered from 1997
For all the talk about Ron Moore's writing this season it really wasn't all that great or even good--Looking for Parmach, Dr bashir I Presume?, this episode--all very meh
Thu, Sep 28, 2017, 5:28pm (UTC -6)
There's the examination of Klingon life on board a bird of prey - their traditions and customs. And of course much dialog about honor and power struggles. Nothing new.
Martok is interesting in this episode - I agreed with him about initially not taking out the 1 Jem'Hadar ship but then I disagreed with him about not rescuing the Klingons. Could he at least not have contacted the Klingon empire on what to do given the ship had drifted into Cardassian space? So Worf has to challenge him in a fight to the death but of course we know none of these 2 are going to actually die. As for the crew during this fight - I thought they were all behind Worf who wanted to save the Klingons but then they cheered for Martok after he won.
2.5 stars for "Soldiers of the Empire" -- a good Klingon tale of a typical mission and the things that could only happen on board a Klingon ship. This kind of thing has been done better, though, in TNG's "A Matter of Honor" when Ryker served aboard a Klingon ship.
Sun, Oct 1, 2017, 3:02pm (UTC -6)
Tue, Jul 24, 2018, 8:50pm (UTC -6)
Fri, Aug 24, 2018, 12:42pm (UTC -6)
3 stars. It would have been 3.5 with a better climax.
Wed, Dec 12, 2018, 11:14am (UTC -6)
Something else that was a bit annoying was the inconsistency the writers have shown with relative ship strength. Based on other episodes one bird of prey is nowhere near as strong as one jem'hadar ship. Yet in this episode the implication was otherwise.
Thu, Jan 24, 2019, 10:30pm (UTC -6)
Terrible Worf portrayal, again. Jadzia apparently is a better Klingon than Worf, and he needs her to tell him what's going on, and then he needs her cajoling and nods and approvals every step of the way.
Also - it's hard to buy Martok's cowardice, or the method of the restoration of his spirit and the crews'.
Some nice graphics.
Overall, did not like it.
Fri, Mar 1, 2019, 11:28pm (UTC -6)
Random... how is it that every ship's docking clamps fit perfectly at DS9? Haha!
Boring episode except for Worf's interactions with Martok.
Thu, Jul 11, 2019, 2:18pm (UTC -6)
Fri, Jul 19, 2019, 6:35am (UTC -6)
I'm pretty much done with Jammer's DS9 reviews. It's pot luck whether a good episode will get a good score and it's virtually guaranteed that the uninspired fillers will be rated as classics. Sorry for being grouchy but I woke up ill today and decided to watch some of Jammer's higher-rated DS9 episodes, and needless to say, they didn't make me feel better.
Wed, Jul 24, 2019, 5:30pm (UTC -6)
Sat, Jan 18, 2020, 1:20pm (UTC -6)
It's interesting how General Martok fits into this. Both he and this crew have spent the recent past being beaten into submission by the Jem'Hadar, and it's made quite an impression on both. And yet it affects them in different ways. Some clearly spoiling for any kind of victory in a fight, even if it's with their crewmates. Some feeling as if they've already lost whatever battle they're going into. And Martok seems to have grown more timid. No doubt he's suffered enough punishment at the Jem'Hadar's hands for one lifetime.
Contrast Worf, who came out of the Dominion prison victorious -- not just in battle, but in spirit. He *does* repay what Martok did to him there, and while he doesn't win this victory himself, he plays the key role. His invitation to the House of Martok is a touching moment, and well-deserved.
(I will note, though -- near the end of the episode I was thinking "wait, they've only just resolved the power struggles, there's no time for the actual battle!" And then there wasn't. This story does enough on its own, and doesn't *have* to be about GLORIOUS KLINGON BATTLE -- we've had our fair share of that elsewhere -- but I still feel a little let down dammit.)
Tue, Feb 4, 2020, 1:51pm (UTC -6)
An enjoyable episode. Went down like a mug of blood wine.
Sun, Feb 16, 2020, 7:32am (UTC -6)
A ship which is low on morale, a commanding officer with doubts and a fiery second in command. Oh, and a neutral observer who's somehow able to pick up on subtle little details that the Captain and Second in Command have missed.
"The crew is deeply unhappy and on the verge of mutiny". Subtle little things like that.
Throw in some of the usual Klingon quasi-religious ritual, stir well, bake for 45 minutes and you have an episode which is ok. Not great, but ok.
Wed, May 6, 2020, 11:54am (UTC -6)
It also reminded me of Voyager, where Tuvok absorbs some of the serial killer sociopaths tendencies and realizes that killing a hologram is not the same as the real thing and thus unsatisfying. As much as Martok tries to remember what it is to be a Klingon by fighting holosuite programs, it’s just not the same.
Then the part at the end where Martok extends the invitation to join House Martok... man, that’s worth 3 stars just in its own. The only part I didn’t like was that there WAS a bit of filler, and then the final battle was totally skipped. They could have skipped the filler, shown Martok satisfying his bloodlust in an actual battle, and greatly improved this episode.
Thu, Jun 25, 2020, 8:09pm (UTC -6)
Thu, Aug 6, 2020, 12:31am (UTC -6)
Strangely, this really reminded me of an AA meeting, especially one where no one there has anything interesting to say.
Sun, Nov 15, 2020, 10:49am (UTC -6)
And so like a number of Moore's scripts (cf "Rules of Engagement"), this episode has a very militaristic, very nautical feel. The episode conveys well the ambience of a ramshackle warship, its cast feels like a band of ale-drinking, shanty-singing warrior-Vikings, and Moore sketches well the idea of a browbeaten, shell-shocked crew, whose "Klingon instincts" and "hungers for blood" are buried beneath layers of defeat, dejection, depression and even PTSD.
Like Moore's "Defiant", "Rules of Engagement" and "For the Cause", we also get a somewhat sophisticated take on naval combat, Moore eschewing FX porn for "highbrow" action scenes which slow things down, savor tension, and come at things from slightly odd angles.
And so in "For the Cause" we stalk a freighter while in cloak, in "Rules of Engagement" the episode revolves around a single salvo of fire, and in "Defiant" Sisko quietly co-ordinates the movement of entire fleets.
Here, meanwhile, Moore has Martok dodging Jem'Hadar fighters and then debating whether to scuttle/rescue a Klingon battleship that has drifted across enemy lines. In the way his violence always has an intellectual edge, Moore reminds me a bit of Nick Meyers.
90's Trek is always good with Klingon mess halls. "A Matter of Honor" showed us Riker ingratiating his way into a Klingon crew over plates of gagh and jugs of bloodwine. But here it is Dax who wields her sass, as she culturally appropriates her way into Klingon hearts and minds.
Also good is the episode's Martok arc, which convincingly picks up where "By Inferno's Light" left off. We see Worf and Martok growing close here, and we see a Martok who's been severely psychologically scarred by his time in the Dominion camps. The episode's ending, in which Worf is accepted into Martok's House, is particularly touching.
Sat, Feb 27, 2021, 10:10pm (UTC -6)
Martok is one of the few genuinely noble Klingons, not a posturing caricature, and he is great in the episode, the usual actor continuing his great nuanced portrayal of the character. Terry Farrel continues to surprise, she was so bland in season 1, but she has matured as a performer alongside her character's maturity, she's more Klingon than the Klingons and more Ferengi than the Ferengis as the situation demands. The one narrative and dramatic weakness here is Worf challenging Martok on the Bridge. They could have come to the same plot resolution (rescuing the survivors of the B'Moth and defeating the Jem' Hadar) without this meaningless gesture, especially in the light of the final scene between Martok and Worf. I almost felt Worf didn't deserve the honour bestowed on him by Martok at the end.
Apart from that quibble this is among the half dozen great Klingon episodes spread throughout the Series, and among the best overall in the whole of ST. I adore Martok and Gowron as possibly the two most nuanced Klingon characters of all, ever. Just like Garak and Dukat among Cardassians. All four actors playing these characters are key to the greatness of said characters.
Tue, Apr 20, 2021, 3:28pm (UTC -6)
Sun, Aug 15, 2021, 10:03am (UTC -6)
Wed, Oct 13, 2021, 6:12am (UTC -6)
They could have linked Martok's trauma to the low morale of the crew, that was also defeated by the Jem'Hadars.
So overall more of this, and perhaps less of Dax.
Other than that, I loved it, because I love every episode centered on the facets of Klingon society and culture. Plus the victory song in the end was so inspirational I almost smashed my mug on the table. QAPLA!
Mon, Jan 24, 2022, 11:26pm (UTC -6)
I felt a special treat were the great Dax scenes - especially after the mess hall fight when she is telling Worf to get his head out of Martok’s ass and do his job - that intensity was so well done. I also like to think Dax so loathed the idea of taking on one of Worf’s DS9 duties that she would rather risk death on a garbage scow of a bird of prey.
Mon, Jan 31, 2022, 8:20pm (UTC -6)
The increased use of Martok helped a lot because I liked him a lot more than that sourpuss Worf became on DS9.
And a depressed Klingon ship crew is an interesting a believable concept. This depicts what's necessarily true, that most of their talk about wanting to die today is 99% bs.
A nice touch that curiously makes this world somehow more believable is the one Klingon crewman who rants about the Jem Hadar pronounces it slightly differently, something more like "Zhem hadar".
Jadzia was relatively well used here. I've liked the character less and less on my rewatch. She's just a boringly drawn character. Seems like half the time she's character shilling for Curzon (who cares??) and half of those times, those she's talking to start character shilling for Curzon too!
Apparently half the Klingon empire worship Curzon Dax.
Mon, Jan 31, 2022, 9:42pm (UTC -6)
Thu, Apr 14, 2022, 11:10am (UTC -6)
Thu, Sep 15, 2022, 6:41am (UTC -6)
There are also things that don't make any dadgum sense in this ep., beyond Worf and Jax's relationship of Parmesan or whatever.
And yet, it was made for a very enjoyable viewing, worth at least three stars in my view. That despite there being no battles or any other major excitement.
The ending was quite sweet.
Mon, Jan 2, 2023, 7:08am (UTC -6)
The original Moore plot was very different...it was to involve Martok and Worf in a figurative River of Styx as they try to communicate with the dead including Worf's farther...but Ira vetoed Moore in favor of a ship based episode. That could maybe work if there more space/battle scenes, but there weren't. The critical battle at the end wasn't shown which was an awful decision.
Wed, Aug 16, 2023, 12:48pm (UTC -6)
This is one of her best episodes. Terry played the role quite well. It's just that the ensemble's level of acting skill was so high, she was up against strong competition for recognition.
Wed, Aug 16, 2023, 1:36pm (UTC -6)
I really agree with this.
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