Deep Space Nine’s third season gets started in a big way thanks to the tension-filled episode titled, “The Search, Part I.” Capitalizing on the ominous introduction of The Dominion in the season two finale, this installment focuses on the response from the Federation and DS9 to the new threat. There are a number of moving parts to this episode – from character to narrative developments – which are mostly designed to set up a bigger resolution in the next episode. Still, there’s enough here to make “The Search, Part I” a compelling and essential installment of the series.

As the episode begins, the crew of DS9 are assessing the very grim prospects of a Dominion invasion. In one of the most indelible moments of the episode, Sisko arrives on the Defiant — a prototype Federation warship, with Romulan cloaking technology – to help upgrade the defenses of DS9. As far as developments for the series go, including a small starship to be at the disposal of DS9 is a fantastic idea. It opens up narrative possibilities and, just as importantly, is completely plausible. Afterall, why shouldn’t a space station under threat have a mobile ship as part of its defenses.

The main premise of the story is for Sisko and crew to use the Defiant to enter the Gamma quadrant and find the “Founders” – the shadowy leaders of the Dominion. They hope the cloaking device and powerful weapons will be enough to ensure that they will achieve their goal. But as has become a familiar approach to DS9, a positive outcome is anything but assured. Indeed, before the episode is concluded, Dax and O’Brien will be captured and the Defiant will be crippled and boarded by the Jem’Hadar, leaving the fate of Sisko, Bashir and an allied Romulan officer in question.

Certainly the action in space is a riveting sequence. But the episode goes to great lengths to focus on characters. There’s an interesting conversation between Sisko and Dax over Sisko’s need to not just make the decisions, but personally implement them. But most prominently, there is Odo. Part of Starfleet’s new approach to the Dominion is to reduce Odo’s role as station security officer. Alienated, Odo has to be cajoled by Kira into joining the mission to the Gamma quadrant. And if there is a criticism to the episode it is in Odo’s melodramatic reactions to his circumstances. Granted, he’s under some stress – but his outbursts seem wholly out of character and are, in fact, rather overblown.

Be that as it may, Odo manages to fend off the Jem’Hadar boarding party long enough to rescue Kira and escape on a shuttle craft. But instead of returning to DS9, Odo heads to a nearby nebula which, for some unexplained reason, draws him inexorably toward it. Once there, he and Kira discover, finally, Odo’s home world. What’s left implied is whether or not Odo’s true home will be this new world with his own kind, or that of DS9 – despite the resentment he has toward Starfleet’s opinion of his services.

On the whole, “The Search, Part I” is a very strong opening to the third season of DS9. The continuation of the Dominion story arc provides a wealth opportunities for character development and new additions to the series (such as the Defiant). But there are some troubling signs as well. The ramped up interpersonal conflicts tilt more toward melodrama than toward real character explorations. And the episode itself, while admittedly a setup, isn’t as self-contained as previous DS9 episodes which were part of larger story arcs.

Quick question though. How do the beings on Odo’s homeworld know how to take humanoid shape when he had to learn it himself? And why do they share his hairstyle when his was modeled after a Bajoran?

Filed under: Deep Space Nine