After three seasons, Deep Space Nine demonstrates that it is still full of plenty of surprises as it launches full-throttle into its fourth season with a feature-length, two-part episode called, “The Way of the Warrior.” Ostensibly, the episode is charged with introduction of the character Worf, formerly of The Next Generation, as well as a new Klingon threat, to Deep Space Nine. But more than that, “The Way of the Warrior” is an epic, sweeping story that puts at least as much emphasis on characters as it does on plot developments and action. The result is a truly cinematic experience which could easily have been released in the theaters.

The show opens with a tense scene involving Kira and a now-bald Sisko hunting a changeling through the corridors of DS9. It turns out that they are running a drill, with Odo as the quarry, but the sequence effectively establishes the very real threat that the station, and the whole Alpha Quadrant, face from the Dominion. This fear of the Dominion threat will prove to be a transformative emotion for everyone involved in the show.

Following a brief scene reintroducing Captain Yates as a love interest, the story develops in earnest with the sudden arrival of several dozen Klingon warships. The Klingon commander, General Martok, is circumspect about the real intentions of the fleet saying, merely, that they are there in case the Dominion decides to make an excursion through the wormhole. Already, the Dominion threat is beginning to exert its influence on events.

As tensions over the Klingons begin to mount, we get a number of smaller character scenes. Dax does her best to get Kira to lighten up a little. O’Brien and Bashir relax at Quark’s. And Garak and Odo share a meal together. The scenes are briskly paced and well scripted, allowing for the audience to get reacquainted with these characters, and to subtly introduce some plot elements – such as Garak’s passing comments about disarray within the Cardassian Empire.

But after the Klingons try to board Captain Yates’ ship, Sisko is forced to look elsewhere for help dealing with what is now a growing crisis. To that end, Worf is assigned to DS9. And his arrival is a welcome one for the series – especially considering the direction they take his character. In fact, without Worf, the entire show would lack the heart it needed to tie together all of the plot elements. But, through Worf, “The Way of the Warrior” takes an important leap forward.

For sure, the show gets plenty of mileage out of the familiarity audiences most likely have with Worf – everything from his affinity for prune juice to his camaraderie with O’Brien. But it’s the evolution of his character that really matters. And it’s skillfully portrayed in a scene he has with O’Brien in which he reminisces about the Borg invasion and how “immortal” the crew of the Enterprise seemed, no matter the circumstances. Poetically, Worf says, “We were like warriors from the ancient sagas. There was nothing we could not do … it will not be the same … those were good years.” It’s a wonderful portrayal of how we often can get lost in the “glory” of our past exploits.

Worf arrives following the events of Star Trek Generations and an extended leave at a Klingon monastery. The loss of the Enterprise-D weighs heavily on Worf. And without the safe, comfortable confines of the ship he called home for so long, as well as her crew, he feels adrift and is contemplating a possible future without Starfleet. It’s a natural and honest development. And it’s poignant, too, considering how big changes can often leave people questioning their chosen paths.

This inner conflict for Worf will once again find an external expression thanks to the machinations of Gowron and the Klingon Empire who want to invade the Cardassian Empire. Gowron believes that the Cardassians have become victims of infiltration by the Dominion and, in the spirit of security, decides that the best thing to do would be to control Cardassia. Once again, Worf’s allegiances seem to be in doubt but, perhaps predictably, Worf chooses his honor over his urge to fight. In fact, Worf’s “debate” (argument, really) with Gowron is particularly powerful. Gowron tells Worf that he will have nothing left … to which Worf responds, “Except my honor.”

Once again, Worf represents the epitome of Klingon culture while everyone else, seemingly, is misguided.

And when the Klingons do invade Cardassia, Sisko has a conflict of his own to confront: How does he allow a clearly wrong act to continue, without jeopardizing the alliance between the Federation and the Klingons? He does follows the only reasonable course of action: to allow Garak to overhear a briefing about what is at stake, knowing that Garak will alert Cardassia to the imminent threat. But that, ultimately, is not enough. Sisko is eventually compelled to use the Defiant to enter Cardassian space and actually rescue the Cardassian civilian government, before they can be executed by the Klingons.

The decision leads to the episode’s two most significant action sequences. The first is a space battle in which the Defiant engages several Klingon warships to extricate the Cardassians, including Gul Dukat, before they can be destroyed. The other is a high-octane battle involving a Klingon fleet and DS9 itself. Both action sequences get high marks for their choreography and brutal reality. Put simply, neither sequence shies away from the fact that, in war, people die. If there is a criticism, it’s that none of the principle cast actually perish … but they do receive their fair share of wounds. In fact, I’ve rarely seen a television action sequence as intense or as chaotic as the boarding sequences on DS9. Interestingly enough, these sequences even allow for some interesting moments, including a debate between Garak and Dukat on the differences between hand-to-hand combat and interrogations.

Of course, Sisko and his crew ultimately prevail. The day is won and the station is saved. But the landscape is irrevocably altered. The Klingons are none too happy that the Federation would dare oppose their efforts. And, more immediately, they continue to occupy portions of Cardassian space, ensuring their continued influence on the series as a whole.

And then there is Worf.

Sisko correctly guesses why Worf is so eager to leave Starfleet – to escape the grief over the loss of the Enterprise and the loss of his status within the Klingon Empire. And in truth, this is the episode where Sisko manages to, finally, achieve a gravitas equal to that of Jean-Luc Picard. It’s been a long time coming – from the almost abysmal performance in the series pilot. But here, Sisko finally puts his definitive stamp on his role within the series and Star Trek in general, proving to be not only bold, but diplomatic as well. His brief speech to Worf manages to convince our favorite Klingon to not only remain in Starfleet, but to also remain on DS9 as well.

“The Way of the Warrior” gets a lot of credit for getting so many moments – including seemingly understated scenes – “right.” As a case-in-point, there’s the moment when Quark and Garak share a drink of, all things, root beer – and use it t talk about the Federation. It’s a seemingly insufferable idea except for the fact that it brilliantly conveys commentary on both characters and the Federation itself – which, like root beer, is hopelessly effervescent and joyful … and, in the words of Quark and Garak: insidious. And yet, both characters understand just how important the Federation is to their own survival. It’s minor scenes like this which underscore the craft and subtlety of the series – even when it’s showcasing some of the best special effect a Star Trek show has ever displayed in one of the most graphically violent scenes ever portrayed.

It’d be difficult to put the episode on par with TNG’s “The Best of Both Worlds” … but it’s awfully, awfully close …

Filed under: Deep Space Nine