When I finished the last episode of ST The Next Generation three years ago, I thought nothing could be as good as it, but I was wrong: DS9 is fantastic too. Unluckly I just finished the last episode and now it's over... I must say I am a little sad. It kept me busy after work for a long time and now I miss them all: Captain Sisko, Odo, Bashir, chief O'Brien, Kira, Worf, Jadzia, Jake, Quark, Nog, Rom, Leeta, Garak, Dukat, Martok and above all Ezri (Nicole de Boer is really special). Thank you all. A really good job. The last episode ("What you leave behind") is the perfect conclusion. Don't see it before you see the previous episodes or you will loose the opportunity to "live" DS9 as it deserves (from season 1 to season 7 in a row).
28 Reviews
The End of an extraordinarily brilliant show
Skippster15 May 2009
Warning: Spoilers
This is by far my favourite season/show finale of all time. I may have never been as sad and as glad at the same time. Sad, on the one hand, because my favourite TV show finally concluded and was most likely not to be continued (e.g. in a movie), but immensely glad, on the other hand, because they did it well and tied up most of the loose ends.
After 3 seasons with (almost) constant war in it the UFP together with the Klingons, the Romulans, and a little Cardassian help finally defeat the Dominion. Yet, this was no war period but rather an anti-war period. When Admiral Ross and Captain Sisko refuse to drink Martok's Bloodwine over the dead bodies of Cardassians, and in the same way at the signing of the peace treaty on DS9 it really shows two of Gene Roddenberry's major ideals, namely the importance of peace and coexistence. (Whilst some movies are heavily disputed as either war films or anti-war films, I think that Star Trek has never been the former.)
-Big, big spoilers ahead...-
The characters did get what they deserved. No other season/show finale allowed their protagonists to leave the stage with more grandeur.
* Cpt. Sisko - We learn that saving Bajor (..and the Alpha Quadrant..) was only a preliminary for his destination of being with the Prophets.
* Odo - He ultimately decides to rest with his people in order to cure them from their previously contracted disease. His parting from Kira was in a way sad but definitely not unhappy or sorrowful.
* Cmdr. Worf - The former longtime outcast from the Klingon Empire is offered the position as ambassador on Qo'noS at Martok's side - the man he had helped to become Emperor. A proper fortune for such an interesting character.
* Chief O'Brien - Knowing his friendship with Julian will survive the distance to Earth, the Chief accepts a position at Starfleet Academy. And he deserved it. Having worked on the Enterprise D under the command of Picard and having been Chief Engineer on Deep Space Nine this path was inevitable.
Of course, they didn't send everyone away from Deep Space Nine (Kira as Station Commander, Julian, Ezri, Jake, Garak and Quark seemingly stay), but these incredibly well written and performed goodbyes really leave you with a comforting feeling. Especially after more than 10 years the toast of Benjamin Sisko is as touching as it is true in my case: To the best crew any captain ever had. This may be the last time we're all together. But no matter what the future holds, no matter how far we travel, a part of us... a very important part will always be here, at Deep Space Nine. ...because a very important part of me will always be at Deep Space Nine, too.
- Big spoilers ahead -
After 3 seasons with (almost) constant war in it the UFP together with the Klingons, the Romulans, and a little Cardassian help finally defeat the Dominion. Yet, this was no war period but rather an anti-war period. When Admiral Ross and Captain Sisko refuse to drink Martok's Bloodwine over the dead bodies of Cardassians, and in the same way at the signing of the peace treaty on DS9 it really shows two of Gene Roddenberry's major ideals, namely the importance of peace and coexistence. (Whilst some movies are heavily disputed as either war films or anti-war films, I think that Star Trek has never been the former.)
-Big, big spoilers ahead...-
The characters did get what they deserved. No other season/show finale allowed their protagonists to leave the stage with more grandeur.
* Cpt. Sisko - We learn that saving Bajor (..and the Alpha Quadrant..) was only a preliminary for his destination of being with the Prophets.
* Odo - He ultimately decides to rest with his people in order to cure them from their previously contracted disease. His parting from Kira was in a way sad but definitely not unhappy or sorrowful.
* Cmdr. Worf - The former longtime outcast from the Klingon Empire is offered the position as ambassador on Qo'noS at Martok's side - the man he had helped to become Emperor. A proper fortune for such an interesting character.
* Chief O'Brien - Knowing his friendship with Julian will survive the distance to Earth, the Chief accepts a position at Starfleet Academy. And he deserved it. Having worked on the Enterprise D under the command of Picard and having been Chief Engineer on Deep Space Nine this path was inevitable.
Of course, they didn't send everyone away from Deep Space Nine (Kira as Station Commander, Julian, Ezri, Jake, Garak and Quark seemingly stay), but these incredibly well written and performed goodbyes really leave you with a comforting feeling. Especially after more than 10 years the toast of Benjamin Sisko is as touching as it is true in my case: To the best crew any captain ever had. This may be the last time we're all together. But no matter what the future holds, no matter how far we travel, a part of us... a very important part will always be here, at Deep Space Nine. ...because a very important part of me will always be at Deep Space Nine, too.
The end???
gritfrombray-123 June 2007
Warning: Spoilers
This episode brought an excellent series to a close. After a brilliant seventh season the culmination of all events leading to this unmatched space battle and Sisko's discovery of his fate and his future with the Prophets. I agree, this is heart rending stuff and when all depart for their various new locations I had a big lump in my throat as I'd loved this lot from day one. Killing Damar was a pity as he really came through for Cardassia but I suppose it'd be silly to assume all would live through to the end. Ben Sisko's fortune was a puzzling one. Left wide open to be followed up only never to be..... I hope that the writers will one day chose to keep all fans happy and continue this space epic. Brilliant end to a seriously underrated show. The final scene with Jake Sisko staring wistfully into space at the wormhole was real touching. His relationship with his father was one unlike anything I'd ever seen in any show.
Sob
cliftonian23 February 2006
I hope it's not just me but i seem to end up crying every time i watch this episode. Even when I read the book version i couldn't stop myself. The acting in it is so good that I really felt what they were going through as the friends all parted for the final time. The writers did an excellent job and the actors an even better one. The only thing letting it down are the occasional special effects that could do with some work. Cirroc (Jake Sisko) did an excellent job, with the final scene of him looking out into the stars sending me to tears every time. If you have watched any episode of DS9 before you will feel the love oozing off the screen and i just hope you don't come over all girly too. I could undoubtedly watch this episode over and over. I love it!!
Tear Jerker
charlesmisquitta14 September 2020
I agree with a lot of the reviews. This episode is the culmination of a great series. It is a tear jerker and one thing that I found that makes it even more wonderful is the music of James Darren (Vic Fontaine). Even though he is only brought in from Season 6, his music from then on was fantastic. I bought his Cd dedicated to DS9 called "This one's from the Heart" after watching the entire 7 seasons and love listening to his music, which takes me back to those particular episodes. My favorite song is "The Way you look tonight". Fantastic series and fitting final episode.
Minsk
Tweekums2 February 2010
Warning: Spoilers
As the series comes to an end with the double length episode it is time for the final showdown between the Federation Alliance and the Dominion and later between The Emissary and Dukat who is still trying to free the Pah Wraiths. The first part shows the final battle and the ultimate defeat of the Dominion then the action moves back to DS9 where the crew get together to celebrate the end of the war and say good bye to friends who are moving on to other assignments, although not all of them wish to say good bye, leading Odo to try to slip off with Kira without being noticed; in a rather touching scene Quark manages to say good bye and show that he will miss his old adversary. Sisko on the other hand doesn't get a chance to say good bye to everybody as when he sets off to the Fire Caves on Bajor he has no idea just what he will have to do to prevent Dukat releasing the Pah Wraths.
This was a really great ending to my favourite Star Trek series, it was nice that it took to time to let us see all the main characters one last time and to get an indication what each of them will be doing after the series ended. As to the meaning of the summary line... you'll just have to watch the episode to know the significance of Minsk.
This was a really great ending to my favourite Star Trek series, it was nice that it took to time to let us see all the main characters one last time and to get an indication what each of them will be doing after the series ended. As to the meaning of the summary line... you'll just have to watch the episode to know the significance of Minsk.
Too much stuff for just one episode--and a very satisfying ending to the series.
planktonrules28 January 2015
This episode of "Star Trek: Deep Space 9" is chock full of conclusions to all the dangling plot threads throughout the show. You'll learn what happens to Cardassia Prime when the people rebel, how the war with the Dominion ends, whether O'Brien and Bashir get married, how the Emissary saves Bajor, what happens to Odo and Kira and much, much more. However, be forewarned--it is an emotional roller-coaster and you may just want to have some Kleenex handy. I loved 99% of the show, though as usual, while I loved James Darren's acting and singing, it did leave me wondering WHY he was on the show in the first place!! Overall, extremely well written, very exciting and just about everything fans could want in a finale--hence this explains why this final episode was the length of two normal episodes.
Only Star Trek Finale that brought me to tears
padilla-0043815 July 2021
Yes you read that right , after having just finished a run of TNG, Voyager, Enterprise , and DS9 for the first time over 2020-2021- I can now officially say that this was the only finale to get the wetness rolling down my face
With the other finales , they were wonderful in there own rights, however; DS9 just felt like a real goodbye to the bonds that had been created over the course of the show, The other shows felt good , DS9 just hit on another level to me
Bravo writers and cast on this one - DS9 will be my first rewatch for sure.
The absolute best series finale of all Star Trek
XweAponX9 May 2020
On June 3, 1969, I watched "Turnabout Intruder", the final episode of Star Trek the original series. Although I loved the episode it was not really a strong episode to be run as a series finale. But back in 1969 the concept of the grand series finale wasn't really being used that much. I can't think of very many shows that had a relevant series finale in those years.
On May 23, 1994 I watched "All Good Things", the final next generation episode. Although I liked it as well I felt it wasn't really the best story to end the show with, although it was a unique story. At the time I thought the entire time travel/time shifting gag had been used a little bit too much, even though it was used differently in that episode.
But On June 2, 1999 I watched "what you leave behind" on my old 32" RCA CRT TV in my back room.
And I found that to be a totally unique experience in itself, I had been following deep space nine from the start and I only missed about two episodes in the entire run. On one hand, this episode puts a solid lid on the entire show. But on the other hand, it is way too short.
Later when I watched interviews with some of the producers, I believe it was Rick Berman who said "if we had five more episodes we certainly could have used them" - and I have always agreed with this.
Although in ST: TNG we did have some episodes that told a continuing story, it wasn't until season two of deep space nine when they started introducing little hints of something called "the dominion" and we started having a show that gradually told its tale through five more seasons, and it wasn't until season seven when we saw an arc consisting of about 10 individual episodes which told this final story.
It is interesting when we get to the end of stories, how time gets compressed. The beginning of lord of the rings is longer than the ending, and in the same way the ending of deep space nine is compressed into one season and 11 episodes in particular, while the final entry crams in as much as possible into a one hour 32 minute series finale.
When I was watching this for the first time, I was asking myself when is this episode going to end? Because stuff just kept happening, climax after climax. Until we get a huge revelation at the very end as to why the Prophets have been so interested in Benjamin "The Sisko" for what it turns out to be, his entire life. Which, of course, is "Not Linear".
But the question of how successful a series finale has been is always how well it stands up to subsequent viewings. And this episode passes that test, again and again and again.
We have to remember that digital special effects were very primitive at the time this was made, especially for a Television budget... and a lot of the practical shots of ships exploding and hulls being vaporized and saucer sections being "waporized" had been used in "the way of the warrior" and other previous episodes. I have to give credit to the compositors who put together the final battle scenes, and even though they did use some new footage, they just kind of stuck standard ship explosion clips into the scenes. I recognized one of the scenes of a Klingon bridge blowing up and sucking one of the Klingon warriors out into space as being first seen in Star Trek VI, The undiscovered country and later used in "Star Trek generations". Just like the explosion of Praxis in ST VI was also used as the explosion of the pyramid ship in Stargate (the movie). And if you look close, you will see a couple of explosions that occurred on Cardassia after Garak planted a Bomb in the two episodes previous to this.
It's just that everybody who worked on the show from the directors down to the lowliest crew, used every trick in their very substantial book to bring this story to life and to end it in the most spectacular way possible.
And what disappoints me to this very day is that CBS spent millions converting Star Trek the next generation into HD, while they did nothing for this show or for voyager. Both of these shows deserve the high definition treatment, and I am positive that the people who worked on the shows that are still around, if asked, would happily convert the shows to high definition as a labor of love, rather than a money making gimmick for CBS. Ironically, Star Trek has always been one of the first shows to ever be released on new technologies, and the last release was the DVD release in the early 2000s. That DVD set included extras for every season, which are always fascinating to watch. After that, they released TNG in HD and make a huge Hoopla out of it.
Now as much as I loved the finales of both next generation and voyager, they were both very limited in scope, compared to this finale. There is so much more going on here, on the station, in orbit around Cardassia, on Cardassia, on Bajor, in the fire caves, and finally in the celestial temple.
And we also get to see the final fates of two of the main characters. Which would have been something to build a deep space nine movie out of, but when they were making next generation movies, nobody even considered that maybe we would want a deep space nine movie? Why was that?
And I find this show superior to next generation in many ways, although I like them equally. But the state of the art of special effects had gotten better in deep space nine, and it gave us an opportunity to look at the cultures of other alien species rather than just the standard Vulcans, Klingons, Romulans. And it would always be a kick to see other races walking about the promenade, especially Pakleds. There were always a lot of Pakleds watching around the promenade. And all kinds of other interesting aliens.
On May 23, 1994 I watched "All Good Things", the final next generation episode. Although I liked it as well I felt it wasn't really the best story to end the show with, although it was a unique story. At the time I thought the entire time travel/time shifting gag had been used a little bit too much, even though it was used differently in that episode.
But On June 2, 1999 I watched "what you leave behind" on my old 32" RCA CRT TV in my back room.
And I found that to be a totally unique experience in itself, I had been following deep space nine from the start and I only missed about two episodes in the entire run. On one hand, this episode puts a solid lid on the entire show. But on the other hand, it is way too short.
Later when I watched interviews with some of the producers, I believe it was Rick Berman who said "if we had five more episodes we certainly could have used them" - and I have always agreed with this.
Although in ST: TNG we did have some episodes that told a continuing story, it wasn't until season two of deep space nine when they started introducing little hints of something called "the dominion" and we started having a show that gradually told its tale through five more seasons, and it wasn't until season seven when we saw an arc consisting of about 10 individual episodes which told this final story.
It is interesting when we get to the end of stories, how time gets compressed. The beginning of lord of the rings is longer than the ending, and in the same way the ending of deep space nine is compressed into one season and 11 episodes in particular, while the final entry crams in as much as possible into a one hour 32 minute series finale.
When I was watching this for the first time, I was asking myself when is this episode going to end? Because stuff just kept happening, climax after climax. Until we get a huge revelation at the very end as to why the Prophets have been so interested in Benjamin "The Sisko" for what it turns out to be, his entire life. Which, of course, is "Not Linear".
But the question of how successful a series finale has been is always how well it stands up to subsequent viewings. And this episode passes that test, again and again and again.
We have to remember that digital special effects were very primitive at the time this was made, especially for a Television budget... and a lot of the practical shots of ships exploding and hulls being vaporized and saucer sections being "waporized" had been used in "the way of the warrior" and other previous episodes. I have to give credit to the compositors who put together the final battle scenes, and even though they did use some new footage, they just kind of stuck standard ship explosion clips into the scenes. I recognized one of the scenes of a Klingon bridge blowing up and sucking one of the Klingon warriors out into space as being first seen in Star Trek VI, The undiscovered country and later used in "Star Trek generations". Just like the explosion of Praxis in ST VI was also used as the explosion of the pyramid ship in Stargate (the movie). And if you look close, you will see a couple of explosions that occurred on Cardassia after Garak planted a Bomb in the two episodes previous to this.
It's just that everybody who worked on the show from the directors down to the lowliest crew, used every trick in their very substantial book to bring this story to life and to end it in the most spectacular way possible.
And what disappoints me to this very day is that CBS spent millions converting Star Trek the next generation into HD, while they did nothing for this show or for voyager. Both of these shows deserve the high definition treatment, and I am positive that the people who worked on the shows that are still around, if asked, would happily convert the shows to high definition as a labor of love, rather than a money making gimmick for CBS. Ironically, Star Trek has always been one of the first shows to ever be released on new technologies, and the last release was the DVD release in the early 2000s. That DVD set included extras for every season, which are always fascinating to watch. After that, they released TNG in HD and make a huge Hoopla out of it.
Now as much as I loved the finales of both next generation and voyager, they were both very limited in scope, compared to this finale. There is so much more going on here, on the station, in orbit around Cardassia, on Cardassia, on Bajor, in the fire caves, and finally in the celestial temple.
And we also get to see the final fates of two of the main characters. Which would have been something to build a deep space nine movie out of, but when they were making next generation movies, nobody even considered that maybe we would want a deep space nine movie? Why was that?
And I find this show superior to next generation in many ways, although I like them equally. But the state of the art of special effects had gotten better in deep space nine, and it gave us an opportunity to look at the cultures of other alien species rather than just the standard Vulcans, Klingons, Romulans. And it would always be a kick to see other races walking about the promenade, especially Pakleds. There were always a lot of Pakleds watching around the promenade. And all kinds of other interesting aliens.
Greatest Star Trek ending ever
celestemekent22 March 2013
Clearly free of the influence of Gene Roddenberry since he has died before this was broadcast. This series is far more about spiritual values and allows each of the characters to grow and mature individually. Instead of facing a new and contrived crisis each episode we can see the ongoing relationships among the various characters and frankly one must see more than a single season to see the connections and growth. Because of this the depth of caring we have for the characters is far higher, and this final episode is just overwhelming in its emotional contents.
Unlike all the other star Trek series, this one actually comes to a real and genuine close, each character's growth lines, all the various relationships come to a new stage/end. There is no "going off into the sunset" cop out ending like all the other Star Trek series and the feeling created in the true fans of this story line is traumatic, "it's over" leaving a void where a dear beloved series lived. I also have a tear in my eyes when I view this last episode. I bought the whole series on DVD before Netflix came out and now I have access whenever I want.
Others have noted the lack of care about the Voyager series but when one looks in on the final for that series it is a cheat, little emotion except anger over how it is broken and thrown together and probably because the writers/actors just got tired of doing it all.
Both the original series and Next generation were the "going off into the sunset" ending as if future movies would automatically come for them and pick up their story lines which they did. Not so for Deep Space Nine, the mold was broken and there will be no movies to follow. It is complete, done, Fin and no more needed, sad to lose a friend but OK since we know it could not have been better.
Unlike all the other star Trek series, this one actually comes to a real and genuine close, each character's growth lines, all the various relationships come to a new stage/end. There is no "going off into the sunset" cop out ending like all the other Star Trek series and the feeling created in the true fans of this story line is traumatic, "it's over" leaving a void where a dear beloved series lived. I also have a tear in my eyes when I view this last episode. I bought the whole series on DVD before Netflix came out and now I have access whenever I want.
Others have noted the lack of care about the Voyager series but when one looks in on the final for that series it is a cheat, little emotion except anger over how it is broken and thrown together and probably because the writers/actors just got tired of doing it all.
Both the original series and Next generation were the "going off into the sunset" ending as if future movies would automatically come for them and pick up their story lines which they did. Not so for Deep Space Nine, the mold was broken and there will be no movies to follow. It is complete, done, Fin and no more needed, sad to lose a friend but OK since we know it could not have been better.
Fantastic ending with 1 misstep
johncarson-4405712 March 2020
The main storyline about the dominion war was fantastic. After the war when things are dying down, the whole pa-wraith storyline feels out of place. The writers invested so much into this story, that I'm not sure how they would be able to give it a satisfactory ending. Regardless, DS9 was a great journey. It was very exciting and I enjoyed most of the characters and felt they all had tremendous growth during the series. I especially enjoyed seeing Julian and Myles become the best of friends, and Odo's struggle with his people.
A great finale - up until the sorcerers and mount Doom
Ar_Pharazon_the_golden11 September 2018
Warning: Spoilers
The ending to the Dominion war, which makes up the bulk of this 2-part series finale, is excellent - from the Cardassian rise up (nice to portray them positively in the end) to the final battles, it was a very satisfying conclusion to the main storyline. The final departures of characters, with Worf becoming an ambassador, Odo returning to his people and O'Brien going back to Earth, were also bittersweet, and it felt like saying goodbye to good friends.
The only part that didn't work well in this final episode was the same part that had been going wrong for a very long time now, and it is the Prophets / Bajor storyline. Here at the end, we continue to have the most iconic science fiction franchise shoot its own leg with what transcends the - albeit blurry - borders of trekobabble and goes straight into magic. Godlike aliens like the prophets were nothing new in the Star Trek universe, but their evil enemies called Pa-wraiths spelled trouble from the start - culminating to a plot where they are released from a cave through a magical incantation found in a forbidden tome (which released its secrets after spilling blood on it), and possess Gul Dukat. Sisko pulls a Gollum, jumps with him in the raging fires and....well, clearly, the magic book burned, so the evil wraiths were banished back to hell, and Sisko was saved by the prophets and trasnferred to the wormhole. It is a sad and nonsensical affair, but not enough to take away from the main story. However, it is a total waste of what was, along with Garak, the most interesting recurring character of the show. Gul Dukat was a fascinating character as a narcissistic war criminal, with lots of layers to his portrayal. This last season's transformation into a possessed Satanist made the last confrontation with him anticlimactic.
The only part that didn't work well in this final episode was the same part that had been going wrong for a very long time now, and it is the Prophets / Bajor storyline. Here at the end, we continue to have the most iconic science fiction franchise shoot its own leg with what transcends the - albeit blurry - borders of trekobabble and goes straight into magic. Godlike aliens like the prophets were nothing new in the Star Trek universe, but their evil enemies called Pa-wraiths spelled trouble from the start - culminating to a plot where they are released from a cave through a magical incantation found in a forbidden tome (which released its secrets after spilling blood on it), and possess Gul Dukat. Sisko pulls a Gollum, jumps with him in the raging fires and....well, clearly, the magic book burned, so the evil wraiths were banished back to hell, and Sisko was saved by the prophets and trasnferred to the wormhole. It is a sad and nonsensical affair, but not enough to take away from the main story. However, it is a total waste of what was, along with Garak, the most interesting recurring character of the show. Gul Dukat was a fascinating character as a narcissistic war criminal, with lots of layers to his portrayal. This last season's transformation into a possessed Satanist made the last confrontation with him anticlimactic.
Off to that big wormhole in the sky.
thevacinstaller7 February 2023
Warning: Spoilers
This episode has quite a high review score with a many 10 out of 10's. I would say I found it completely satisfactory but it didn't exactly blow my mind or surprise me with a clever sci fi element like TNG's finale.
As I watch the ending I keep thinking about how Section 31's attempted Genocide ends up being the salvation of the alpha quadrant and the reason that peace is achieved. Talk about dark commentary on the ends justifying the means. I did enjoy Odo coming up with the ultimate solution to save as many lives as possible.
The flashbacks ---- I dunno man --- I am not a big fan of flashbacks. It just feels like something you insert into a show when you cannot come up with something organic that has impact or perhaps a means of stretching out the run time on an episode that is going short?
Dukat ---- Man, what a talented actor. I so enjoyed his performance when he was playing a nuanced character who was mostly bad but had the ability to surprise you with some layers. We are stepping into fantasy over science fiction and I felt that they could have done something else somehow.
At the end of the day, this episode was successful in wrapping up the character arcs and that is better then some other series out there.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Season 7 overall:
Best actors/performance:
As I watch the ending I keep thinking about how Section 31's attempted Genocide ends up being the salvation of the alpha quadrant and the reason that peace is achieved. Talk about dark commentary on the ends justifying the means. I did enjoy Odo coming up with the ultimate solution to save as many lives as possible.
The flashbacks ---- I dunno man --- I am not a big fan of flashbacks. It just feels like something you insert into a show when you cannot come up with something organic that has impact or perhaps a means of stretching out the run time on an episode that is going short?
Dukat ---- Man, what a talented actor. I so enjoyed his performance when he was playing a nuanced character who was mostly bad but had the ability to surprise you with some layers. We are stepping into fantasy over science fiction and I felt that they could have done something else somehow.
At the end of the day, this episode was successful in wrapping up the character arcs and that is better then some other series out there.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Season 7 overall:
- Average score of 6.6 over 25 episodes. That makes this the lowest scored season of the series. My bias is clearly showing --- I enjoyed the earlier seasons immensely that had plenty of one off bottle episodes and a few world building scenes here and there. I ended up not enjoying the payoff as much as the journey to get there. This is one of the few seasons of Star Trek where there was not a single episode that really truly engaged me but overall most of the episodes were 'good to average'.
- The overall score for the series is 7.1 out of 10. That is .1 of a percent lower then TNG. So, there you have it. It's official --- TNG is .1 percent better.
- I have plenty of fond memories of DS9's early seasons and there are so many classic episodes peppered throughout it's run. I always maintain that TNG had the best episodes but DS9 was more consistent and clearly better out of the gate.
- DS9 is one of those creations that would be good for future trek writers to study. The premise is crazy, right? We are going to be stuck on a cardassian space station for 7 years? Are you kidding me? Well, it worked and worked beautifully.
Best actors/performance:
- Odo ---- clearly a professional actor who delivered in every scene.
- Dukat --- Owned every scene he was in. A voice that you cannot help but pay attention to.
- Kira ---- Best in the first 4-5 seasons. Complexed and well performed.
- Jadzia ---- There's a comforting elegance about Farrell. Maybe it's pheromones coming through the tv? She oozes charisma throughout this series.
Wrapping It All Up
frankelee30 June 2022
Warning: Spoilers
There's a lot yet to do in this epic two episode length conclusion. Perhaps a little too much actually. The Federation hasn't defeated the Dominion you see. And Cardassia actually doesn't want to become slaves of the Founders and resist their own genocide, so we'll need to fix that too. Oh and we've got to fix up everybody's final relationship status and send characters off to their next careers. And let's not forget the reason we're all here, those wacky Wormhole Aliens and their enemies the Pah-Wraith aliens.
I'll state up front it's actually a shame they couldn't have a custom adventure to show them off like TNG did. Because this was much inferior.
Kira, Damar, and Garak spend way too much time trying to retake an entire planet by themselves with maybe up to three other helpers, on tiny, tiny, tiny sets. Hey, those work well on Worf episodes from TNG, where we know we're wasting time. But it sure doesn't feel like an epic conclusion from those 10' x 10' city sets piled with junk.
The biggest crescendo of the episode is a big space battle, where the Federation, Klingons, and Romulans attack to press their advantage now that the Dominion is weak. Except, oh wait! They're losing the battle. Uhhh, it's not really a wartime advantage if you pursue the retreating enemy and they beat the crap out of you. Forget understanding the military, one episode of the History Channel makes you too educated to enjoy most of DS9's military storylines. And so we see A LOT of reused footage of digital space ships exploding. Well, back then episodes were spaced out pretty far, so it probably wasn't as noticeable. And I do appreciate them not over-doing the whole, "the Defiant (A?) is in trouble!" during the battle. They've played that out pretty completely.
Thanks to the Cardassian fleet changing sides mid-battle (Why not before? Because they got the comms up just then and had time to listen to reports about Lankmar City getting 'sploded during combat?) the good guys win! Yay! And back on the very budget conscious Cardassia Prime the strike team led by Kira takes the central government building and captures the Founder. There's going to be another big battle, but fortunately Odo steps in and gets the Founder to stand down in exchange for the magical cure Bashir gave him, which now just spreads by touch. So the genocide of the genocidal aliens is averted!
With the battle won Sisko and Admiral Ross pout as Chancellor Martok tries to get them to celebrate with a little blood wine, as foreshadowed. But standing in the middle of a wrecked set, and walking over Cardassian extras' bodies as the actors try not to call out in pain, Sisko lets Martok know, "War am bad," and pours out his wine like a 40. Actually Sisko's right, war am bad, maybe the Federation as presented solely in DS9 should have been better prepared for it and took it more seriously, instead of treating it a bit like a game for so many seasons, and sending scientists in Starfleet to fight it. But then I'm remembering this show has no moral legs to stand on and spoiling the message, so I'll quit that.
There's also a weird scene between Garak and Bashir that doesn't work and serves as our send-off for the show's best character. I'd describe the scene, but I have no idea what happened.
With the war won Odo has to go back to his people, not just to give them the cure, but also to teach them, "Genocide am bad." He can't stay with Kira, she'll be long dead before they understand the message. Also Chief O'Brien has to leave because he's a professor now, and Worf too because he's the Klingon ambassador. This is actually the happiest outcome of all, Worf will finally get to be around Klingons all the time, but also be representing humans and civilization in general, so he doesn't have to feel like a jerk for not being a drunken barbarian. Easily the best part of the episode.
But as I mentioned at the top, we can't forget about the Prophets and their emissary. That was like the whole point of the series! Dukat and Kai Winn have been continuing their boring adventures in the Caves of Fire and they finally come to a head when the Kai releases the Pah Wraiths, or one of them, I don't know, and then it inhabits Dukat, who she at least tried to betray and kill, so points to her. When that happens Sisko can feel it using the Force, leaves the party he's attending and flies to Bajor in a shuttlecraft, landing approximately 15 seconds later. I mean that, Dukat gets possessed, we cut to Sisko feeling it, we see a shuttlecraft in space, and then we cut to Sisko walking into the cave to watch Dukat stand back up now that he's possessed. Dukat does us all a favor by burning Kai Winn alive, but she helps out by telling Sisko the evil book she brought with her is the key to all of this. In the end in turns out Sisko's big task was tackling Gul Dukat so he'd fall off a cliff.
That was it, that was the great path the Emissary had to tread, an entire television show foreshadowing events for seven seasons, he had to tackle Dukat. That was the grand mission. A Prophet shadow out of timed some random women, made her start a family she didn't want, have a child she didn't intend to have, heck they've got a centuries old religion here, all for this. Literally all for this. The Prophets could have hired a couple bouncers, but no, they have their ways, and their ways are mysterious.
So Sisko and Dukat fall into fire and Sisko is pulled out by his Prophet mother. It turns out his wacky adventures with the Prophets have only truly begun, which he tells Cassidy in a vision.
And so we end with Kira taking over the station, Bashir and Dax together, Quark and Morn still the best of friends, and all is right again with the Alpha Quadrant. The end.
I'll state up front it's actually a shame they couldn't have a custom adventure to show them off like TNG did. Because this was much inferior.
Kira, Damar, and Garak spend way too much time trying to retake an entire planet by themselves with maybe up to three other helpers, on tiny, tiny, tiny sets. Hey, those work well on Worf episodes from TNG, where we know we're wasting time. But it sure doesn't feel like an epic conclusion from those 10' x 10' city sets piled with junk.
The biggest crescendo of the episode is a big space battle, where the Federation, Klingons, and Romulans attack to press their advantage now that the Dominion is weak. Except, oh wait! They're losing the battle. Uhhh, it's not really a wartime advantage if you pursue the retreating enemy and they beat the crap out of you. Forget understanding the military, one episode of the History Channel makes you too educated to enjoy most of DS9's military storylines. And so we see A LOT of reused footage of digital space ships exploding. Well, back then episodes were spaced out pretty far, so it probably wasn't as noticeable. And I do appreciate them not over-doing the whole, "the Defiant (A?) is in trouble!" during the battle. They've played that out pretty completely.
Thanks to the Cardassian fleet changing sides mid-battle (Why not before? Because they got the comms up just then and had time to listen to reports about Lankmar City getting 'sploded during combat?) the good guys win! Yay! And back on the very budget conscious Cardassia Prime the strike team led by Kira takes the central government building and captures the Founder. There's going to be another big battle, but fortunately Odo steps in and gets the Founder to stand down in exchange for the magical cure Bashir gave him, which now just spreads by touch. So the genocide of the genocidal aliens is averted!
With the battle won Sisko and Admiral Ross pout as Chancellor Martok tries to get them to celebrate with a little blood wine, as foreshadowed. But standing in the middle of a wrecked set, and walking over Cardassian extras' bodies as the actors try not to call out in pain, Sisko lets Martok know, "War am bad," and pours out his wine like a 40. Actually Sisko's right, war am bad, maybe the Federation as presented solely in DS9 should have been better prepared for it and took it more seriously, instead of treating it a bit like a game for so many seasons, and sending scientists in Starfleet to fight it. But then I'm remembering this show has no moral legs to stand on and spoiling the message, so I'll quit that.
There's also a weird scene between Garak and Bashir that doesn't work and serves as our send-off for the show's best character. I'd describe the scene, but I have no idea what happened.
With the war won Odo has to go back to his people, not just to give them the cure, but also to teach them, "Genocide am bad." He can't stay with Kira, she'll be long dead before they understand the message. Also Chief O'Brien has to leave because he's a professor now, and Worf too because he's the Klingon ambassador. This is actually the happiest outcome of all, Worf will finally get to be around Klingons all the time, but also be representing humans and civilization in general, so he doesn't have to feel like a jerk for not being a drunken barbarian. Easily the best part of the episode.
But as I mentioned at the top, we can't forget about the Prophets and their emissary. That was like the whole point of the series! Dukat and Kai Winn have been continuing their boring adventures in the Caves of Fire and they finally come to a head when the Kai releases the Pah Wraiths, or one of them, I don't know, and then it inhabits Dukat, who she at least tried to betray and kill, so points to her. When that happens Sisko can feel it using the Force, leaves the party he's attending and flies to Bajor in a shuttlecraft, landing approximately 15 seconds later. I mean that, Dukat gets possessed, we cut to Sisko feeling it, we see a shuttlecraft in space, and then we cut to Sisko walking into the cave to watch Dukat stand back up now that he's possessed. Dukat does us all a favor by burning Kai Winn alive, but she helps out by telling Sisko the evil book she brought with her is the key to all of this. In the end in turns out Sisko's big task was tackling Gul Dukat so he'd fall off a cliff.
That was it, that was the great path the Emissary had to tread, an entire television show foreshadowing events for seven seasons, he had to tackle Dukat. That was the grand mission. A Prophet shadow out of timed some random women, made her start a family she didn't want, have a child she didn't intend to have, heck they've got a centuries old religion here, all for this. Literally all for this. The Prophets could have hired a couple bouncers, but no, they have their ways, and their ways are mysterious.
So Sisko and Dukat fall into fire and Sisko is pulled out by his Prophet mother. It turns out his wacky adventures with the Prophets have only truly begun, which he tells Cassidy in a vision.
And so we end with Kira taking over the station, Bashir and Dax together, Quark and Morn still the best of friends, and all is right again with the Alpha Quadrant. The end.
Damn...
christianschumann21 January 2022
Just rewatched it for what must be the 8th time or so in 25 years. A very good episode. There are weaknesses, especially the parts with Dukat and Win, but man, together with All good things this might be one of the very few episodes of any show thar brought some moisture to my eyes. So giving 10 points might not be completly objective, but slightly emotional. This is like a heavy good by from very good friends.
I wished Trek got some of this magic back.
Time to start rewatching TNG again, I guess.
I wished Trek got some of this magic back.
Time to start rewatching TNG again, I guess.
Lots of good byes
tomsly-400153 December 2023
That's it now: The final DS9 episode. After I watched all episodes in a few months I am a little sad because I got used to the characters. Somehow they felt like family. And since it's 2023 I know, that there are no sequels anymore. While we meet Worf again in Picard's third season and also meet Quark, Kira, Rom and Leeta again in Lower Decks as comic characters, DS9 itself is done. O'Brien, Bashir, Sisko... those characters won't see any more episodes (at least not with those actors). And other actors unfortunately have already passed away (Rene Auberjonois, Aron Eisenberg...).
This episode is the conclusion to the war with the Dominion. I feel though that it is rather rushed. After dozens of episodes the war is over after Odo links with the sick female changeling that then orders all troops to stand down. Unfortunately the whole prophets vs pah wraiths culmination didn't matter anymore. Even the characters don't bother anymore. Kira never seemed really worried. Dukat's transformation and his evil plan to release the pah wraiths was overshadowed by the Dominion war. Even worse: Sisko is on a party on DS9. Then he has a vision, tells Kasidy that he has to go to the fire caves and in the next scene he is already right next to Dukat. It felt to me that even the writers in the end just wanted to end this whole prophet and emissary story quickly.
We also see lots of good byes with some cheesy flashbacks: Worf becomes ambassador on Kronos, Miles becomes professor for engineering on Earth, Sisko now lives in the Celestial Temple, Garak is back on Cardassia and Odo goes back to his people into the great link. It's sad to see that Quark seems to be the only one that has not gained anything and still is a lonely bartender. The others that stay on DS9 at least have gained something: Kira is now in charge of the station, Bashir is in love with Ezri and Nog is Lieutenant Junior Grade. Well, Jake also seems to not have progressed at all since several seasons.
All in all still a worthy last episode to a great show.
This episode is the conclusion to the war with the Dominion. I feel though that it is rather rushed. After dozens of episodes the war is over after Odo links with the sick female changeling that then orders all troops to stand down. Unfortunately the whole prophets vs pah wraiths culmination didn't matter anymore. Even the characters don't bother anymore. Kira never seemed really worried. Dukat's transformation and his evil plan to release the pah wraiths was overshadowed by the Dominion war. Even worse: Sisko is on a party on DS9. Then he has a vision, tells Kasidy that he has to go to the fire caves and in the next scene he is already right next to Dukat. It felt to me that even the writers in the end just wanted to end this whole prophet and emissary story quickly.
We also see lots of good byes with some cheesy flashbacks: Worf becomes ambassador on Kronos, Miles becomes professor for engineering on Earth, Sisko now lives in the Celestial Temple, Garak is back on Cardassia and Odo goes back to his people into the great link. It's sad to see that Quark seems to be the only one that has not gained anything and still is a lonely bartender. The others that stay on DS9 at least have gained something: Kira is now in charge of the station, Bashir is in love with Ezri and Nog is Lieutenant Junior Grade. Well, Jake also seems to not have progressed at all since several seasons.
All in all still a worthy last episode to a great show.
Strong finish to one of the best Star Trek shows
snoozejonc5 November 2023
'All You Leave Behind' has the difficult task of concluding the Dominion War arc, saying goodbye to various characters and providing a satisfying finale to DS9. For me it achieves all these objectives but is not perfect.
There is little I can say about the plot without spoiling, but for me the war is resolved in an exciting, yet fairly contrived way. The battle scenes, both in space and on the ground are compelling and numerous characters have the opportunity to contribute in ways that feel right for them individually. It has a bit too much exposition dialogue for my liking and certain things feel quite plot convenient, but it is not to the detriment of the story.
The scenes involving the fate of the character Benjamin Sisko are probably what is likely to make or break it for viewers. I think what becomes of the character is a good decision by the writers, but it could have been done in better way. It feels slightly rushed for me, but it just about works.
Dukat's arc has been arguably not as good since 'Sacrifice of Angels', and it ends here in an oversimplified way when compared with how complex it was in the early/mid seasons.
What is particularly good are all the character 'goodbye' moments in the latter part of the episode. Certain pairings and groups of individuals have some excellent final moments together and this for me is the highlight of the finale. So much so it put a lump in my cynical throat at times.
Visually it has numerous great and memorable scenes. All the action related scenes are done well and there is an excellent group character scene set a Vic's that looks fabulous. The final few shots tug at the heartstrings incredibly well.
The biggest letdown for me is that Jadzia does not appear in one poignant montage that would have cemented her character legacy in the show. For a franchise that has commented so much on politics, cooperation and the nature of humanity over the years you would have thought all parties could have come to an agreement to make it happen.
There is little I can say about the plot without spoiling, but for me the war is resolved in an exciting, yet fairly contrived way. The battle scenes, both in space and on the ground are compelling and numerous characters have the opportunity to contribute in ways that feel right for them individually. It has a bit too much exposition dialogue for my liking and certain things feel quite plot convenient, but it is not to the detriment of the story.
The scenes involving the fate of the character Benjamin Sisko are probably what is likely to make or break it for viewers. I think what becomes of the character is a good decision by the writers, but it could have been done in better way. It feels slightly rushed for me, but it just about works.
Dukat's arc has been arguably not as good since 'Sacrifice of Angels', and it ends here in an oversimplified way when compared with how complex it was in the early/mid seasons.
What is particularly good are all the character 'goodbye' moments in the latter part of the episode. Certain pairings and groups of individuals have some excellent final moments together and this for me is the highlight of the finale. So much so it put a lump in my cynical throat at times.
Visually it has numerous great and memorable scenes. All the action related scenes are done well and there is an excellent group character scene set a Vic's that looks fabulous. The final few shots tug at the heartstrings incredibly well.
The biggest letdown for me is that Jadzia does not appear in one poignant montage that would have cemented her character legacy in the show. For a franchise that has commented so much on politics, cooperation and the nature of humanity over the years you would have thought all parties could have come to an agreement to make it happen.
Almost perfect.
wendyschardein9 February 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Although it was a tear-jerker, there was almost nothing wrong with the series finale. My only complaint was this:
I had been waiting and hoping for seven seasons to hear Morn speak. I expected it to happen in the finale, and they teased us with it a couple of times, but it never happened. Sigh.
I had been waiting and hoping for seven seasons to hear Morn speak. I expected it to happen in the finale, and they teased us with it a couple of times, but it never happened. Sigh.
An almost perfect finale, though a shame that Odo didn't get a longer speech
whyesit2 March 2021
Warning: Spoilers
There are any number of highlight in this finale, oen of them being that Odo ended the war by sharing the cure. I was somehow disappointed that he didn't get to elaborate on his motives when he was asked by the female changeling why she should trust the Federation. After all, the last time we saw Odo, he was outright bitter and furious about the Federation trying to commit genocide to his people. We never got to see on screen how he moved from there to reconcile with the Federation and to even defend it in front of another changeling. This should be material for great(er) drama, and it's a shame it was not explored (just like it's a shame that in season 6 we never saw on screen how Kira forgave Odo for his betrayal).
And Odo's line - "I'm well aware that the Federation has its flaws, but a desire for conquest isn't one of them" - isn't exactly the best summary of his life on DS9. DS9 is not about whether the Federation was peaceful or belligerent - the show is actually quite vocal that the Federation as an institution is skrewed up. DS9 is all about human relation and individual decency, and it would have been more satisfying if Odo articulated this in the finale - something like, I know that the Federation has its flaws but I also came to know many solids can be trusted; we have differences but they have accepted my difference, even my desire to go back to the Link; some solids engineered the disease, but some other solids risked their lives to get me the cure; being solids means they are all different individuals, the vice of some should not be projected to all... Given that one highlight of the premier was Sisko trying to explain the meaning of linear existence to the wormhole aliens, it would also have been nice to have someone bridging the gap between solid and the liquid beings.
And Odo's line - "I'm well aware that the Federation has its flaws, but a desire for conquest isn't one of them" - isn't exactly the best summary of his life on DS9. DS9 is not about whether the Federation was peaceful or belligerent - the show is actually quite vocal that the Federation as an institution is skrewed up. DS9 is all about human relation and individual decency, and it would have been more satisfying if Odo articulated this in the finale - something like, I know that the Federation has its flaws but I also came to know many solids can be trusted; we have differences but they have accepted my difference, even my desire to go back to the Link; some solids engineered the disease, but some other solids risked their lives to get me the cure; being solids means they are all different individuals, the vice of some should not be projected to all... Given that one highlight of the premier was Sisko trying to explain the meaning of linear existence to the wormhole aliens, it would also have been nice to have someone bridging the gap between solid and the liquid beings.
Tie It Up in a Bow!
Hitchcoc13 November 2018
I could have gone with a lower rating, but out of respect for all the hard work I gave it what gave it. I had good fun with the actual war stuff. Of course, there are so many impossible last-minute rescues and plot contrivances. But this is really as much fantasy as science fiction (the business with the prophets and their magical qualities). But the bad thing about a loooooooong final episode is that everything needs closure. At least some of the characters are staying behind and continuing their lives on the station. But we are treated to syrupy farewells, one after another. But I was told years ago that this was a good series and I would agree. It almost always kept me engaged and I got to know the people really well.
Good acting, but the whole DS9 storyline sorta sucks
markstenroos5 April 2017
Warning: Spoilers
By that, I mean the entire plot about gods and prophets. Too many cases of *Deus ex machina* pop up in this series. Star Trek has always been about humans evolving beyond the severe limitations of religious belief. TOS dealt with this often: the Apollo they meet on their voyage was a member of an alien race that once visited Earth and helped kickstart civilization. The Metrons and Organians, who had evolved beyond the need for corporeal existence and existed as pure mind energy. TOS recognized them as evolved alien races that may have appeared to have been gods, but were just more advanced.
DS9 turns it all on its head. Prophets and gods return with their deity to the fore, the Bejorans are obsessed with these supernaturals who exercise power over them. Miracles happen, like when the Dominion forces are destroyed in the wormhole when facing down a lone starship.
Yeah, it's the big flaw in this "spiritual" series.
DS9 turns it all on its head. Prophets and gods return with their deity to the fore, the Bejorans are obsessed with these supernaturals who exercise power over them. Miracles happen, like when the Dominion forces are destroyed in the wormhole when facing down a lone starship.
Yeah, it's the big flaw in this "spiritual" series.
A nice send-off to the cast and crew of DS9!
samog-9828912 September 2023
After watching 7 seasons of this brilliant show here's my spoiler-free review of the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine series finale; "What You Leave Behind". As usual, I'll be talking about my thoughts, my memories & my favourite moments of watching it and my conclusion/rating! My favourite character has to be Dr. Juilian Bashir played by Alexander Siddig! This episode even pays tribute to Odo played by Rene Auberjonois who sadly passed away in 2019 due to metastatic lung cancer at the age of 79. I won't say too much but the cast of this wonderful show is outstanding, the music by Dennis McCarthy is beautiful & my favourite episodes are; "Trials and Tribble-ations" & "In the Pale Moonlight". Overall I believe that this series is going to look so much better than Shark Trek and this sci-fi finale ends the character arcs very well even though Worf is in the Next-Gen movies like; Generations, First Contact, Insurrection & Nemesis! That's why I'm giving this DS9 finale an 8/10! Now I boldly go to Star Trek: Voyager and say goodbye to Deep Space Nine I'll miss you :'(
First half 10/10, second half 2/10
a-gordon-237427 November 2021
Great episode with a satisfying end to the Dominion war, until the cringe-worthy and lame Pah Wraith / Prophet conclusion. Everything about that part is horrible. The acting, effects, writing, etc. They did Sisko, Wynn, and Dukat dirty. Three well-acted characters forced into a lame, Power-Rangers style ending.
DS9 could have been an even better Star Trek (possibly even the best Trek) if it had completely done away with the Pah Wraiths and Prophets and instead had more episodes focused on the Dominion and Changelings.
DS9 could have been an even better Star Trek (possibly even the best Trek) if it had completely done away with the Pah Wraiths and Prophets and instead had more episodes focused on the Dominion and Changelings.
The last episode is like artificial flavoring
mocaler5 November 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Like artificial flavoring, it has good elements but leaves an unpleasant aftertaste. The change in direction toward the beliefs in the prophets in last season or so was weak. It went from using the beliefs as allegories for challenging blind faith and so on to a level of supernaturalism which seemed like promotion for the methods of belief which were criticized in earlier seasons. And the whole "the book was the key" idea was trashy. On top of the excessive hocus pocus elements, the last episode had way too many deus ex machina moments. Even the Founders' leaders positive transformation seemed to be a cheap way to end a story arc which stretched across seasons.
It least it did not involve a hokey time travel finish like other series. But it still seems cheap in the end. Honestly, it seems to me that the powers that be have terrible difficulties with ending series with good stories.
It least it did not involve a hokey time travel finish like other series. But it still seems cheap in the end. Honestly, it seems to me that the powers that be have terrible difficulties with ending series with good stories.
What you leave behind: The Federation
makiefer-871281 January 2024
Federation + Klingons (just a negligent Worf really) lost the war against Romulans, Cardassians, and the Dominion. Can someone please write some fan fiction here ? Cardassians take back their space station that they previously generously donated to the Federation, and call it by its old name Terok Nor. Romulans cement a permanent presence, too, a second green space station. And a third space station near our wormhole forms out of nowhere. The Orion Syndicate trades there, Maquis call it their home, and a few Federation survivors. A bit like what Babylon 5, the competitor show, should have been. So we'll have 3 space stations near a wormhole that connects two distant parts of the galaxy. Should feel a lot more real.
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