- Written by Ira Steven Behr and Robert Hewitt Wolfe
- Directed by LeVar Burton
- May 13, 1996
- Syndication
- Star Trek: Deep Space Nine created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller and based on Star Trek created by Gene Roddenberry
Episode Cast
- Captain Benjamin Sisko-Avery Brooks
- Constable Odo-Rene Auberjonois
- Lt. Cmdr. Worf-Michael Dorn
- Lt. Cmdr. Jadzia Dax-Terry Farrell
- Chief Miles O’Brien-Colm Meaney
- Quark-Armin Shimerman
- Doctor Julian Bashir-Alexander Siddig
- Major Kira Nerys-Nana Visitor
- Toman’torax-Brian Thompson
- Virak’kara-Scott Haven
- Weyoun-Jeffrey Combs
- Omet’iklan-Clarence Williams III
When a renegade band of Jem’Hadar attacks Deep Space Nine as part of a plot to activate an Iconian Gateway, Sisko and his crew must join forces with a Vorta and his loyal Jem’Hadar to stop them.
To the Death begins rather quietly with the Defiant returning from a mission as the crew trades playful banter. In contrast to its predecessors, DS9 was not a group of professional explorers but more of a workplace drama. The casualness of the first few minutes gives way to the shocking damage of DS9 (which was quickly repaired by next week’s episode). Half a docking pylon was missing and it was back quickly!
This focuses on some then newer aspects of Star Trek. The Dominion, Vorta, and Jem’Hadar were at the time fresh. We get to examine them via the tried-and-true plot of two opposing sides forced to work together against a common foe. Here that foe is a group of Jem’Hadar who have taken control of an Iconian Gateway with plans to take control of The Dominion and possibly the galaxy.
Shocking is how effective the group of renegades are. Not only do they severely damage the station but disabled a Dominion attack ship in a civilian vessel. This tells the crew how good they are (or should) but is casually ignored. It has long been established in Star Trek that the best a civilian ship can hope to have are light weapons that help them get away when threatened yet they survived a battle ready craft.
It certainly has action but also gives us a good look into the power dynamics of The Dominion in general and specifically Vorta and Jem’Hadar soldiers. Looking back, it is a bit of an episode that is an information dump but done as needed for the plot. All the knowledge we get though comes via dialogue and character interactions. It also delves into some lore established in the TNG Season 2 episode Contagion. Not sure if the Iconians have been mentioned since.
As shown earlier the shapeshifting Founders have addicted their Jem’Hadar to Ketracel White to maintain control. Certain things are implied throughout this. The physically slight Vorta use the White to exert their authority and control which is not as absolute as The Founders would like the galaxy would believe. The Vorta and Jem’Hadar need each other in the hierarchy of The Dominion.
We get a deeper understanding of this enemy without humanizing. Fans learn how and why they think and act as they do without making them less dangerous. If anything they are more dangerous by the end with the potential of instability and a dedicated core that fights despite the oppression of their leaders.
One of the more enlightening scenes is on the bridge of the Defiant between Dax (Terry Farrell) and Virak’kara (Scott Haven) who is assigned to her squad. This shows two beings who under different circumstances could have been friends. Among the more surprising revelations is that there are no Jem’Hadar women. Virak’kara is shocked at her age due to his limited lifespan of around 20 years.
At first it is an uneasy alliance based on a mutual need. For Weyoun (Jeffrey Combs in his first appearance as the character) and his soldiers it’s about crushing a potential rebellion and perhaps preventing a massive destabilization to the Dominion. For the Federation it is to prevent soldiers who are naturally aggressive, and antagonistic towards the Federation from becoming an unchecked force in control of a vast empire with a technology they cannot combat.
Each version of Weyoun was different. Like the Doctor in Doctor Who depending on which one you got certain personality traits were more dominant that in others. This one’s a bit more dismissive but less sniveling as well as being a bit of an elitist. He looks down on all that he controls simply because he is the superior.
What’s interesting to watch is how they depict various things. There is the antagonism between Worf (Michael Dorn) and Toman’torax (Brian Thompson) which results in a shocking moment too severe for even Klingons. The aforementioned dynamic of Dax and Virak’kara. How can I skip mentioning what was happening amongst the trinity of Weyoun, Omet’iklan (Clarence Williams III), and Captain Sisko (Avery Brooks). Sisko struggles to keep his people under control to do something that must be done while also navigating this situation with an enemy-turned-ally he knows very little about. It makes for a very complex episode while on the ship before giving way to something more straightforward once they get to the surface.
There is the (eventually) near obligatory speech by Weyoun to Odo (Rene Auberjonois) to rejoin the Founders. This was something that grew in prominence and largely defined the Changeling species beyond a need for order by the series end. It popped up in just about every instance where Odo encountered someone from The Dominion. As the series went on it became clear that Odo’s return was far more important to them than perhaps anything else in the galaxy.
The acting is stupendous as always. DS9 was always able to hold the audience with character driven stories and that is what this largely is. To the Death is capped off by an exciting battle scene as the cast fights a handful of extras filmed/deployed in a way to make them look like multitudes. A complaint I found online when writing this was we never see the explosion which says they were successful. Really? Was it necessary? We heard the boom and saw light even if there was no cloud or whatnot.
To the Death is an interesting take on the enemy as temporary friend. It is more drama than action but holds the viewer until the end.
Warren Watched A Movie 