Review of DS9 Episode 1.17 “Dramatis Personae”

I'm in the process of rewatching Star Trek: Deep Space 9 and reviewing/recapping each episode in detail. Join me in my in depth look at the deepest and most complex Star Trek series to date.

After a Klingon ship returns through the wormhole and immediately blows up, the crew of DS9 begin acting very strangely, conspiring and plotting against each other. Odo is the only senior staff member not affected and he has to try and figure out what happened and fix it before the brewing power struggle tears the station apart.

Episodes where the crew play different characters from themselves are usually pretty enjoyable and this one is no exception. The scheming and plotting is sufficiently entertaining and holds your interest well. Overall a good episode, if rather inconsequential.

THE GOOD

• Odo shows a remarkable talent for subterfuge. He navigates the paranoia and plotting with the grace and subtlety of a super spy, playing off each person’s strengths and weaknesses masterfully in order to accomplish his goal of curing them all without them learning his motivations. It foreshadows the espionage capabilities we see from his species later on.
• The tension and drama is excellent in this ep. The pacing of the plot is also good. All around a very well-written episode.

THE BAD

• Avery Brooks’ acting is super weird in this ep. I’m guessing his character was supposed to be mentally unstable, but he comes off as being really goofy.
• Inconsequential terrarium ep.

THE UGLY

• I couldn’t stop thinking throughout how perfect Garak would have been in this ep. He would be right in his element and seeing him and Odo work together to save the day would have been a lot of fun too.
• The random Bajoran who tries to assasinate Sisko was one of several who were in ops when they beamed aboard the Klingon, so presumably he was also infected and that’s why he took part in the scheming.
• Odo shapeshift count: 1...sort of. His face does a weird clapping motion when it rejects the telepathic matrix. I’m going to count it because they used the orange goo effect of him shapeshifting. 9 total for the series.
• Hulk Kira count: 1. She picks up Quark and throws him across the bar. Even though Quark is small, no way a petite woman like her would have the upper body strength to do that. 2 total hulk outs for the series so far.

Rating: 7/10