“Destiny” is an episode which explores the ideas of prophecy and faith – and how, when considering the significance of such concepts, interpretation means everything. What makes the episode work so well is a compelling plot focused around characters with long, detailed histories. The payoff is legitimate – even if it does feel like it is spoon-fed to the viewer. Ultimately, though, the episode is more valuable for its explorations than its conclusions. On that level, the back-and-forth debate about how one ought to interpret anything that purports to tell us something about ourselves – our identity, our past, or our future – is compelling.

The episode begins with the prospect of a pair of Cardassian scientists visiting DS9 to establish communications through the wormhole. As the first joint venture between Cardassia and Bajor since the peace treaty, there’s quite a bit riding on the success of the mission – beyond the mission itself. The circumstances become more complicated, however, when a recently defrocked Vedik arrives to tell Sisko to put a stop to the whole operation. As proof, Vedek Yarka offers a prophecy which, he believes, will lead to the destruction of the wormhole – the destruction of the prophets so heavily revered in Bajoran culture. But real prophecy, as prophecies often tend to be, is rather vague:

“When the river wakes, stirred once more to Janir’s side, three vipers will return to their nest in the sky. When the vipers try to peer through the temple gates, a sword of stars will appear in the heavens. The temple will burn, and its gates will be cast open.”

Sisko doesn’t see any real reason to stop the tests, but as events align themselves to the prophecy, he begins to wonder about its validity – or, at least, Yarka’s interpretation of it. This leads Sisko to a deeper conflict about his role as “Emissary,” established in the pilot episode of Deep Space Nine. At what point does one start believing? What does it take to be a believer? Perhaps the most valuable advice comes from Dax who points out that Sisko has a choice: make decisions for himself, or allow scripture to make the decisions for him. The fact that Sisko manages to bring about a successful resolution to the prophecy only underlines the fact that faith need not mean giving up one’s right (or responsibility) to make decisions.

What makes these sequences work are the performances. Sisko is thoroughly convincing as a rational “Starfleet Officer” who can no longer deny that many people see him as a religious icon. Much of the episode is about him coming to terms with his role and the events allow Sisko to remain a rational person, but also become more open to less rational circumstances. Helping Sisko are solid performances from Kira and Yarka, whose efforts on behalf of the prophecy rarely seem overbearing or overly dogmatic. The only drawback is the clumsy re-interpretation of the prophecy, following the successful completion of the communications array.

The rest of the episode centers on a subplot about the still-frayed trust between the Cardassians and the people on DS9, including both Bajor and the Federation. It’s a serviceable anecdote, but it suffers from situations and performances that are just a bit too obvious – such as the relationship between O’Brien and a female Cardassian scientist, named Ulani. Their arguing, which she eventually takes to be a kind of flirting, doesn’t do much for the episode as a whole.

Otherwise, “Destiny” is is a solid, compelling installment — a true classic of Deep Space Nine.  Even if it isn’t entirely successful, it still manages to be a competent exploration of character and theme.

Filed under: Deep Space Nine