“The Sound of Her Voice” is an affecting episode not because of how it tells its story, but for the implications of its story. Much of the episode feels uneven or aimless. And the central “revelation” is contrived and silly. But in the grand scheme of things, these criticisms almost do not matter. It’s the lessons the characters take away from the episode, and it’s what is said in the final scene, that make this episode a truly moving and emotional (if somewhat flawed) installment.

After a successful but thoroughly draining convoy mission, the Defiant is headed back to DS9. The crew is exhausted, distant, and on edge. But then the ship receives a distress signal. The message is audio-only, and it comes from a woman, a Starfleet captain, whose escape pod has crashed on a barren L-class world. Her time to survive is limited and with the Defiant six days away, there’s little to do but pass the time in conversation — to keep everyone’s spirits up during the mission.

And it’s through these conversations that the real work of the episode is done. Captain Lisa Cusak, despite being stranded and alone, manages to be an insightful and immensely supportive conversationalist. Indeed, in a strange twist, she turns out to offer plenty more support to the crew of the Defiant than they do for her. Perhaps it was Cusak’s way of dealing with her own anxiety, but she acts as friend and counselor to the crew of the Defiant, teaching them about how special friendship and companionship are — lessons the crew has lost through the rigors and stresses of wartime.

The scenes themselves aren’t exactly compelling or engaging — they’re not bad, but they just don’t distinguish themselves. And the revelation that Cusak has been dead for three years (and communicating through some wacky time-shift phenomenon) is utterly useless as far as the episode is concerned. These elements do detract from the overall production (as does the fact that the Defiant would engage in what is, essentially, a twelve-day mission to rescue one person during a time of open war).

But these missteps can be overlooked once the crew realizes what the death of Cusak means for their own friendships. Indeed, it serves as a wakeup call. And the final scene, which serves as a funeral for Cusak and a reaffirmation of friendship amongst the crew of DS9. is exceptionally well-crafted. In particular, O’Brien’s comments, about how war has pulled everyone apart and how they need friends in their lives is particularly moving.

And considering where the series goes from here, it proves to be a very significant moment …

The subplot is a minor, almost insignificant tale of Quark finally pulling off a heist and getting away with it … finally beating Odo, as it were. Of course, this only happens because Odo lets it happen. It’s nice to see Odo being a bit softer and more empathetic. He overhears a conversation between Quark and Jake in which the Ferengi bemoans how much he’s done for Odo (where Kira is concerned), only to have Odo continue to harass him. Odo realizes that he does indeed owe Quark a favor and lets the Ferengi think he’s gotten away with a heist. It’s a neat tale, but aside from Odo “lightening up” a little, isn’t very good.

“The Sound of Her Voice” is one of those episodes which is more about what happens after its story is told, than the story itself. The fact is, there are plenty of objectionable decisions here. But that doesn’t diminish the emotional pull of its final scene or the lessons the characters learn. For that development alone, the episode is a classic.

Filed under: Deep Space Nine