Hard Time

Episode aired Apr 15, 1996
TV-PGTV-PG
45m

IMDb RATING

8.2/10

YOUR RATING

Colm Meaney and Craig Wasson in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993)

Action

Adventure

Drama

O'Brien tries to re-integrate to life on the station after serving 20 years in a virtual prison.O'Brien tries to re-integrate to life on the station after serving 20 years in a virtual prison.O'Brien tries to re-integrate to life on the station after serving 20 years in a virtual prison.

IMDb RATING

8.2/10

YOUR RATING

Director
- Alexander Singer
Writers
- Gene Roddenberry(based upon "Star Trek" created by)
- Rick Berman
- Michael Piller
Stars

Top credits

See production, box office & company info

See more at IMDbPro

Photos19

Colm Meaney and Hana Hatae in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993)

Craig Wasson in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993)

Colm Meaney in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993)

Colm Meaney and Alexander Siddig in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993)

Colm Meaney, Rosalind Chao, and Hana Hatae in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993)

Colm Meaney and Avery Brooks in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993)

Colm Meaney and F.J. Rio in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993)

Colm Meaney and Rosalind Chao in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993)

Colm Meaney and Nana Visitor in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993)

Trivia
Bashir makes reference to TNG: "The Wounded", as well as DS9: "Whispers" and "Tribunal". Obviously, this is another 'O'Brien Must Suffer' episode. Ira Steven Behr sums up the rationale for these episodes: "Every year, we like to drive O'Brien totally mad."

Goofs
Dr. Bashir says it's impossible to erase only select incidents from O'Brien's memory without erasing his entire memory. There are previous Star Trek episodes where a person's recent memories or selective memories were erased with a device by a doctor, such as done for Tom Paris in VOY: "Ex Post Facto", and done by Dr. Crusher on TNG more than once. Also a Vulcan could have been brought in to erase that portion of O'Brien's memory with a mind-meld technique, as that had been done by Vulcans in the past, such as Spock did for Captain Kirk in TOS: "The Paradise Syndrome", intoning "Forget".

Quotes
Chief Miles Edward O'Brien: When we were growing up, they used to tell us, humanity had evolved. That mankind had outgrown hate and rage. But when it came down to it, when I had the chance to show that no matter what anyone did to me, I was still an evolved human being... I failed. I repaid kindness with blood. I was no better than an animal.

Soundtracks
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Main Title
(uncredited)
Written by Dennis McCarthy
Performed by Dennis McCarthy

User reviews15

Review

Top review

9/10

Amazing episode. Colm Meaney shines!

Talk about a horrible experience to put someone through... Chief Miles falls afoul of "the Agrathans" and they inflict their sick version of justice: virtual prison! He goes through 20 years of hell from his perspective, living every second of it, only to be "woken up" only a few hours in the real world. He's then expected to go back to normal life, with understandable difficulty.

Colm Meaney... That's all. He carries this episode, and it was really moving. Especially near the end, I actually teared up, he's so believable it's unbelievable. Under rated Irish actor, deserves more credit for his acting in ST.

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