“Captive Pursuit” is a mildly entertaining episode thanks, primarily, to the friendship Chief O’Brien develops with the first alien visitor from the Gamma Quadrant. But otherwise, the episode stumbles with plausibility, pacing and an initial mystery that is insufficient to really generate a whole lot of momentum. The result is an episode that is just barely above average.

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“Babel” is a missed opportunity. The episode certainly features some high-minded suspense and a race against the clock to save the day (which play out reasonably well). Unfortunately, the main focus of the story is ultimately pointless. We know that the problem will be solved and life will go on. And the characters do little in the course of their attempts to inform the audience or provide any sort of commentary. Worse still, the greatest opportunity to turn the episode into an exploration of the human equation is wholly ignored – relegated to merely tantalizingly intriguing plot point, but nothing more.

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“A Man Alone” is an interesting, if somewhat flawed episode. It is, essentially, a murder-mystery story with a smattering of character-driven subplots thrown into the mix. There are some very interesting and enjoyable scenes. But they are juxtaposed with a few awkward and unfortunate sequences which do more than their share to lower the overall effectiveness of the episode. Indeed, the final result is just a bit above average.

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“Past Prologue” is a surprisingly effective effort from Deep Space Nine. Unlike its uneven and awkward predecessor, the pilot episode titled “The Emissary,” this episode features a complex, yet tightly focused narrative that explores the shifting loyalties that are on full display in times of great upheaval. Indeed, this episode does a very good job of looking at the differences between ideology and pragmatism – between old allegiances and new comrades. Most commendable, however, is how comfortable most of the primary characters seem to be in their new roles. The result is an episode that feels as though it would belong in the midst of a series, rather than at the very beginning. As a matter of fact, only the heightened melodrama between main characters serves as a criticism. But to be fair, the melodrama does serve an overall purpose to the episode.

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