Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (TV Series) Shakaar (1995) User Reviews

Another episode involving the always kind and cuddly Kai Winn.

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 27 December 2014]

I like episodes about Kai Winn. After all, she is incredibly evil, nasty and easy to hate. So, naturally I enjoyed "Shakaar" because it showed yet another side of this awful lady....and it was every bit as awful as I'd hoped!

The episode begins with Major Kira learning that the leader of the Bajoran council has died. If this isn't bad enough, Kai Winn has now taken his place!! And, since she is now the head of the government, the Major has to report directly to the Kai!! But to make things worse, she wants Kira to deal with a problem involving a friend, Shakaar. How can Kira remain loyal to her government, her people and her principles?

This is a pretty good episode--one I was about to give a 7 to until the ending--which earns it an 8. Like the best Kai Winn episodes, it features a nice twist at the end that make it worth seeing.

Historical parallels add weight to Bajor as a real society

[romkevdv17 · 8/10 · 24 November 2021]

I have absolutely no idea why people hate on this episode so much, I mean an average rating of 7?? That's the same as the child Jem'Hadar episode and no offence this was quite a bit better, mostly thanks to sympathetic characters, good plot and interesting allegory.

I think anyone with an interest in history or someone studying history will find this episode quite engaging. I can't recall any exact parallel but bits and pieces of the Bajor Civil War plot is taken from different historical parallels to it. The Bajoran people as mountain-men fighting against a superior enemy is an obvious parallel in itself like the American frontier, the Chechnyans/Circassians and many Caucasian people, Partisans against the Nazis, Afghanistan, as well as the Libyan resistance to Italian colonialism. Ethiopia is a more politically relevant example, the TPLF often waged guerrilla war on government forces, then again Ethiopian's also were great at using terrain to defeat the Italians, such as the Battle of Adwa. All these allegories here can be seen in differing ways in this episode, at least for me.

Although the environment here is the Thirty Mile Zone of Californian Mountains, not super exciting, it still helps sell the kind of guerrilla warfare the Bajorans waged. Shakaar and Kira's relationship is not complex or deep, or emotional for that matter, but the connection is established early on that helps justify her action. The fact that a Civil War was almost waged by Kai Winn shouldn't be surprising to any viewers and it isn't comically villainous as governments have often deprived local and indigenous farmers of their equipment for some state-run project. Here again historical parallels are numerous such as the Derg with villagisation or Mugabe's farmer policy or one of Mao's or Stalin's numerous disastrous agricultural policies. Her actions are minimal in comparison, but it goes to show how even the smallest freedom taken away can lead to much resistance against her government. The end is quite optimistic, especially considering they were all ready to shoot, and perhaps its a bit naive because of that. But the message is sound and the two generals, who once fought together, managing to strike a deal is a good ending to the plot, even if it is all a bit rushed. O'Brien's dart competition was fine too. I like that Kai Winn was made minister a few episodes back and not this episode, it helps form continuity, even though its all very sudden that she's been fired already. It's a fine episode for the plot and historical parallels alone, because it helps create a sense of realism in the series. It makes the politics seem real instead of a bunch of random cultural and social traits assigned to them in a generator. It can be annoying when Star Trek just spouts random aliens just to make a joke or for dialogue and never expand on them. Same with them inventing new characteristics of a species way after the fact. But like the Cardassians and Vulcans, the things we found out about Bajorans have stuck and make most of the plots that include them quite engaging. I would think this episode to have at least 7.4 or 7.8 considering the episodes rated 7 are usually just consigned for average or okay episodes.

Cruel to be Kai.

[thevacinstaller · 7/10 · 1 April 2020]

On Bajor there is apparently no separation between church and state and Winn is currently the political and spiritual leader. Instead of honoring an agreement made by the provisional government with Shakaar she decides to ignore that agreement and demand the replicator back so she can get busy planting profitable crops to export.

I'm not generally a conspiracy theorist --- but if I was ---- It seems odd that she seeks out Kira (a vocal opponent of Winn) to resolve this issue and somehow the situation gets completely out of hand and is one phaser burst away from becoming a civil war.

What bajoran in their right mind would kill over the use of a replicator to make food? I do like that the writers allowed reason to triumph over 'I have my orders' especially after all that the Bajorians have endured.

I have met people who are obsessive and I find it fascinating to watch Kia Winn throughout the DS9 run. Her obsession over power is a cautionary tale about the power of fanaticism and watching her slow march into insanity is intriguing.

The Kai tries to get power

[Tweekums · 6/10 · 7 May 2010]

Kira is not too happy when she learns that the Bajoran political leader has died and it looks as though Kai Winn will take the job. She soon finds her self asked to help the Kai by getting some farmers to give up some essential equipment to give it to another province. She is asked as Shakaar, the farmer's leader, is somebody she knew during the uprising against the Cardassians during the occupation. Kira persuades him to enter into negotiations with the Kai but she betrays them by sending police to arrest him. Kira helps him escape and joins the former rebels as they head into the mountains to avoid the security forces sent after them. When Kira and Shakaar surround their pursuers but instead of attacking they approach the leader and talk him into helping insure that the Kai never takes political power.

While this action in this episode was entertaining enough I don't find the episodes centred on Bajoran politics to be the most interesting. Even the secondary story about Chief O'Brien having a winning streak at darts which Quark started running a book on wasn't particularly funny. This wasn't a bad episode but it wasn't that good either.

When the Kai's Around, Trouble Follows

[Hitchcoc · 6/10 · 17 October 2018]

Kira is sent by the Kai to seize some farm equipment that was given to a group of farmer's in a desolate area of the planet. She is willing to start a civil war if these folks resist. But the episode is quite ordinary, with a lot of talking and some mild confrontations. Kira seems to wield a lot of power for someone who isn't part of the hierarchy. This one just has them one-upping Louise Fletcher....again.

Wonderful

[jonnossaman · 9/10 · 13 October 2020]

Nearly every evening before bed, I close out my day by watching an episode of TNG or DS9, depending on the series I'm currently on; and, my night is capped by falling asleep to an episode of TOS. I finished watching this episode for the first time in a while and very much enjoyed it.

Early on I thought this would be an episode I was going to doze to, but found myself attentive and focused on a few takeaways that stood out to me. The pacing of the show trotted along in a perfectly leisurely manner, allowing the story to unfold with wonderful one-on-one scenes between many of the characters. I rolled my eyes more than once during the time filling side story, but understand the relevance it held during the sitcom era.

As the Bajoran elections are more interesting to me than our current climate, it was fun to get a behind the scenes glimpse at what politics might be like on a world and within a way of life other than our own. Overall a thoroughly enjoyable episode.

The price of giving people freedom of choice

[snoozejonc · 8/10 · 23 June 2022]

Kai Winn sends Kira on a mission to Bajor.

This is a solid Bajoran political episode.

I enjoy most of the episodes where Kira or Sisko get drawn into the machinations of Winn Adami. She is a superbly realised character, played to perfection by the great Louise Fletcher, and in this story she is written as uncompromising in her ambitions. This lends itself nicely to the introduction of Shakaar, who is played effortlessly well by Duncan Regehr.

I like the premise of the story and interactions between Winn, Sisko, Kira and Shakaar very much.

It ends quite abruptly and there is a very random B-plot that takes up time that could have been used to better finish the main story, but it does not impact the overall enjoyment for me.

I rate it as a 7.5/10 but I round scores upwards.

Fear Civil War

[CharoleaWood · 10/10 · 11 April 2023]

I felt it, the spiral of conflict that happens so shortly after attaining peace through military conflict.

The last thing I want is for DS9 writers to put Bajor into more war and misery, I'd hate to see Winn twirling her mustache and Bajor become an autocracy where its people are as afraid of the government as the people on Cardassia.

Thankfully, the writers knew what they were doing here.

Winn is so delicious as a villain because she's been written and portrayed so believably.

There's a lot here that's believable (sans the silly B story which was a dud), the banter between the freedom fighers in Nerys's company, "The next time I get nostalgic for the old days, shoot me", felt genuine, like they'd been through real battles together and survived.

The ending felt earned, as well.

We want our Trek characters to do the right thing and I believe that there have been times when civil war has been averted in our own world by just a hair's breadth because those who could have pulled the trigger instead chose to talk.

I'd like to offer a correction to reviewer "romkevdv17", Winn does not get fired from her ministerial position, rather she withdraws from election --- which she shouldn't be allowed to participate in anyhow since she's already Kai.

5/5, a brilliant episode.

Another one of "those" episodes

[lebedeff-27-786848 · 4/10 · 10 July 2016]

Kai Winn (Louise Fletcher) is, as always, deliciously detestable as a villain, and that's worth 3 stars. Nana Visitor and Avery Brooks earn another 1 star for this episode, just for doing their best with the lines given them. And that's where the positives end.

This is another one of those DS9 episodes that would be embarrassing to show to a non-Trekkie, let alone someone who isn't into science fiction. Ninety-five percent of the main plot of this episode is explained through long, tedious dialogues about Bajoran politics, which, in and of themselves, are really hard to care about. Likewise, the sub-plot is about a game of darts, which is something that very few people can get into unless a) they are themselves playing darts, and b) there are pints of ale involved. The fact that this game of darts is "on a space station," and that there's wagering involved, does nothing to make it interesting.

Whatever (abortive) action there is takes place in the those boring southern California hills that I instantly associate with cheap production, and this "action" basically involves a bunch of walking and talking, culminating with some limply un-suspenseful, highly unlikely conflict resolution. On that note, plenty of things in this episode are unlikely.

Avoiding spoilers, the charismatic rogues in this episode who we're supposed to root for are far from charismatic, but, regardless, they end up wielding great political influence; of course, everything important happens behind the scenes. This is one of two political shifts which occur abruptly, and their feasibility is explained only through dialogue. The sub-plot also resolves itself in an unrealistic and abrupt way, and unlike most other DS9 sub-plots involving Quark, it's boringly unfunny to boot.

I guess this episode is OK to play as part of a series marathon if you're a hard-core Trekkie "completionist" like me who has it on in the background while cleaning his room. Otherwise, skip it.

In Space No One Can Hear You Shrug

[Bolesroor · 3/10 · 13 January 2016]

"Shakaar" is an example of the schizophrenic nature of Deep Space Nine, and exactly the reason I find my interest in the series rapidly waning.

We're coming to the end of Season 3 and there are too many disjointed story lines and tones going in the series. Is this show about Quark, his bar, and the Ferengi obsession with profit? Is it a lighthearted family show about a single father and his son? Is it devoted to the Bajoran/Cardassian conflict? Odo's identity search? Is it even about the space station anymore? Unfortunately the writers and producers don't seem to know. Week to week is a crap shoot: sometimes you get tense political drama and other weeks it's Deep Space 90210.

This outing features the otherwise-solid character of Kira leaving her job on the station to help Kai Winn retrieve farming equipment for the Bajoran provisional government. Huh? This is the moral and science-fiction morass which sunk the Star Trek franchise post-TNG. There are too many shades of gray plaguing this series: everybody's right while being simultaneously wrong. Who are we as an audience rooting for and why?

So Kira takes a week off to rejoin her former freedom-fighting comrades, unseat Kai Winn as head of the provisional government and somehow manages to return to work on DS9 before her coffee gets cold. Without any penalty or repercussion. Give me a break.

Boring and forgettable

[tomsly-40015 · 2/10 · 25 October 2023]

One of the most boring and stupid episodes.

A group of Bajoran ex-rebels go full rebel mode again with the help of Kira when Kai Winn wants some farm equipment back, that she needs for another district. Instead of settling this with administrative actions or jurisdiction (like any normal functioning society would do), this insignificant dispute is blown up with hot air. And in the end, those rebels blackmail the Kai, that they will make this whole farce public if she does not step down as prime minister. Because if not, everyone will know that the Kai sent two security guards to them demanding the farm equipment back (I still don't see the political issue here...).

And why is every planet and species, that has discovered interplanetary travel and warp, some kind of agricultural society? Looks like everyone just lives in small huts and grows crops. You don't even see tractors, barns, or paved roads! And no in future seems to have a TV at home anymore, or a radio.