Daveportivo's Cultural Evaluation Facility

Plot Summary: Bruce Wayne has helped clean the streets of Gotham, and a new viritous District Attorney is in town, Harvey Dent a man who represents the best in Gotham city. All however is not well, the ultimate force of anarchy and choas is about to stroll into Gotham City. The Joker is back to tear down everything good in Gotham.

Review: Dark Knight is a superbly written and well acted film. Heath Ledger is brilliant in his portray of the Joker. He breathes new life into the character while giving subtle nods the Jack Nicholoson's iconic performance. However the praise cannot all be attributed to Ledger while his performance is excellent the real kudos lie with the writers and DC comics themselves. The Jokers character is dark, sadistic and scary but it is his twisted logic that cuts right to the heart of the human condition that gives his character such great depth. While he may not be proved right his beliefs hit a little too close to home for us to comfortable.

Christian Bale plays Bruce Wayne very well but he leaves a lot to be desired in his portray of Batman himself, the reverse of Micheal Keaton if you will. This does not however undermine the Batman/Wayne character which is ingeniusly crafted. Batman is a Jesus like character, an outcast who must bear the sins of humanity for the rest of us to surive in a sea of evil and immorality. The film through Batman also deals with issues of terrorism and the ideal of sacrificing morality and civil liberty for security. The film offers both side of the argument without telling the audience what to think. Whether Batman should be condemmed or whether his actions are need to be taken. Batman is presented as perfect, he is not the hero nor the anti hero, but he does what is neccessary, he sacrifices. This makes him a far deeper, a far darker and a far superior character to Superman and Spiderman.

The film however is not perfect, it feels long, too long for some. While it is clear that in the perfectly crafted script that all the events that occur have to happen in this film, one can't help but wish they were split in two. Trying to ween fifteen minutes out of the film is no easy task as there are few poor or even mediocre scenes to cut. Don't worry, your not in for a Return of The King like torture, its more like bitings into a beautiful apple with a gorgeous flavour but you notice a annoying twinge of an aftertaste. Not enough to stop you eating the apple, or even enjoying it, but it will be in the back of your mind. You'll love it, but wont' be your favorite fruit. (***3/4).

The Sword Of Kahless

Plot Summary: Wharf Dax and a legendary Klingon of Warrior search for the lost legendary Sword Of Kahless the artifact that could reunite the Klingon empire and bring them to the true path, however the things don't go smoothly.
Review: This is a really strong episode, it starts really well with Wharf and Kor becoming friends as they are both unruley outcasts of the Klingon Empire. Wharf finally feels he's fitting in and we get a nice to see him feeling proud about his Klingon hertitage. The plot developes nicely as the Sword makes Wharf and Kor turn on each other and argue over the fate of the empire and nearlly kill each other. It is a really good story telling device about how devisive religious artifacts can be, like the city of Jerusalem for example. The idea that something designed to bring people together can actually force them appart. However like many epic Trek episodes it falls down when you have to endure half and hour of running around in caves, and it gets a bit preachy at times but its well written and strong none the less, and Dax is very good in her role. (***3/4)

Our Man Bashir

Plot Summary: Julien is playing with his favorite holosuite programme, a James Bond game. Garak crashes his party but it soon turns out that the defient has a transporter malfunction leaving Sisko, Dax, Keira and O'Brien stuck in the simulation but should anyoff them die, they die in real life.
Review: Just a silly little side story, but it was quite fun, the relationship between Julien and Garak was well played, and the clashing ideals of fantasy human espionage and Garak's real life expertise are interesting. It is also an interesting insight into Garak's true moral code. (**3/4)

The Homefront & Paradise Lost

Plot Summary: Two part episode, Sisko is brought to Earth as a military advisor and he must advise the president how to deal with the shape shifter threat. After a shocking display he convinces the Earth president to bring in blood screening and scans of Star Fleet facilities. However as we go to the second part a mysterious power cut forces the Presidents hand into declaring Marshall Law. Sisko has a big confrontation with his father where all his beliefs and views are scrambled, after the shocking encounter he sets about investigating the power outage which doesn't appear to have anything to do with Shapeshifters but more to do with a Rogue Star Fleet commander. Federation ships to face to face in battle with one another.
Review: This is a really strong episode again the idea of Terrorism forcing the people to scarfice human rights in the name of security and giving up all that they worked to achieve is very good. The first part is incredibly strong working with this theme. The second part is strong in places and the confrontation between the two federation ships is dramatic but it can't overide a rushed and hammy conclusion, and some bad acting from Sisko, all in all though great episode. (****)

Little Green Men

The episode starts with Rom and Nogg who's taking part in a Farenghi ritual where the person moving on sells all his possesion to make latinum and so people can remember him. Its a pleasent little scene, Wharf is funnier than Keira but that's no suprise. I'm not a fan of Farenghi episodes but this one starts okay.

Quark finally has the ship he's owed by a cousin arrive and apparently its absolutely first class faster than a Romulan intercepter. Quark ain't happy about Nogg joining the academy and offers to fly Nogg and Romm to earth. The five star moment of the episode comes as Quark is handing over the bar to Morn. Well its a pretty fun start but I won't hold my breathe in a Farenghi.

Then on the way to Earth Nogg and Quark debate the merits of the human race against the Farenghi, Quark says technological advancement is not as important as short term quarterly profits. But before that debate can go to far it turns out that there ship has been sabotaged and the ship goes hurtling out of control. Romm uses some brains to use Quark's contraband cargo to slow the ship, after a bumpy landing they wake up in a military base in 1947. Well despite the me not favouring Farenghi episode, this is a pretty fun and intriguing start.

Some Governmental and Military types have them contained behind two way glass and as the Farenghi's panic the president has decided they should try to talk to and understand the aliens. We then get some pretty horrible Quark comedy as everyone starts hitting there heads and mimicking everyone, ugh. Anyway Quark thinks three Farenghi against the primitive human race, the human don't stand a chance.

Anyway apparently there's interference in the universal translator because the human's use nuclear weapons. Quark is stunned that any planet would erradiate there own planet, or poisen themselves with ciggarrettes. Quark begins to think he could make a nice profit. There's a side storyline with the humans scientists getting married.

Quark starts wanting to deals with the humans, offering to sell them ships and weapons in return for gold. The general isn't really buying Quark's deal until he says he'll sell to the Russians if there more interested. He has to talk to the President. Anyway all the Farenghi's are back together and terrible comedy abounds with the main woman massaging Nogg's ears. However when the humans leave them to talk a dog attacks quark only for it to turn out fo be Oddo, who wants to arrest Quark for smuggling and return them to there normal time. Quark wants to conqueror the world and become the leader of the world.

However Truman is not in a mood to deal, and leaves it to military discreation to find out more about them. They interpret this as a mandate to torture them. They all panic under the threat of being cut. Except Nogg who makes up a story about military invasion but after a lot of silliness the scientists help them escape. They get surrounded by the military and Odo appears to save the day, they say there cheesy goodbyes and we get a campy ending with the two scientists kissing and driving off. The military then basically say there gonna cover it up. Well that was totally dumb in everyway but pretty enjoyable.

Even more ridiculous is the nuclear weapons test and Romm's explination of how there going to return to there correct time. Ugh we get the mega cheesey line about Nogg liking Human's despite them being savages underneath. We then get another comedy ending with Oddo arresting Quark.

Final Thoughts: Christ that was dumb, I mean really really silly, but it was pretty fun and wasn't the worst Farenghi episode by any stretch of the imagination. They set out to make the 1940s earth very campy and over the top and stuck to that theme throughout playing it for laughs so it was passable at best. (*3/4)

Starship Down

The Defianant is in the Gamma quadrant is meeting with an alien race the Federation Trade with. Apparently its not profitable because of all the taxes and tarriffs the federation put on. However it turns out that seeing as they use the Farenghi to go under the dominions radar that the Farenghi have been creating fiction taxes.

Two Gemmadar warships appear by the Defiant. God that feels like a relief after the last episode. The Gemmadar fire on the Defiant and try and attack the trade ship. The Trade ship leads them into a local planets hostile atompshere the Gemmadar follow and so does the defiant. There's so much interference that they loose the viewing screen. They can't scan very far, cloak, use torpedos and they have to use the manual targetting on phasers. There going to have to use a sonar like scan to find there way around. Awesome start.

Quark then goes face to face with Hanok (the trader played byJames Cromwell) and he verbally bitch slaps Quark. The sweeps give away the location of the Defiant and the Gemmadar shoot them and there falling slowly and the ship is buckling. They have to seal off decks and they task O'Brien with creating warheads out of probes. Julien has to pull Dax out of a floor where the hull has burst and seals the bulk head but in the process they loose contact with the bridge. Dax managed to succeed in repairing the ship before the floor became inhabitable and the Defiant is gaining altitude.

Quark meanwhile tries to convince the Trade to do dirty deals with him but he's not having it calling Quark dispicable. The hunt begins for the Gemmadar and it goes all submarine wafare on us. All power is cut, they come to a full stop and release the probe, but as soon as they do the Gemmadar open fire, the Gemmadar are destroyed. The engine room has now lost contact with the bridge and presume everyone is dead, scissor is hurt and many of the crew are dead, the lighing is dark grainy and flasing and generally shot very well like a horror movie this is all excellent stuff.

The bridge is down, Wharf is going to the engine room to try and take over the ship from there, Sisko is down and Keira has to keep him awake so he doesn't slip into a coma. Dax isn't feeling great with Julien there stuck together in a small corridor with only a few hours of breathable air. Its pretty good stuff and the acting is subtly, subdued and very good.

Quark is still trying to convert Cromwell to his way of thinking. Risk and Gambling versus playign its safe and fair its a well played debate.

Keira in a effort to keep Sisko awake has a heart to heart about how there relation is merely work based as he is a religious figure in her culture. O'Brien convinces Wharf to go easy on the Engineers as there not bridge officers and haven't been to star fleet academy. He takes the advice and encourages them to think for themselves and sets them task to wrap there brains around and they perform well.

Quark and Cromwell work together to difuse a torpedo which is lodged in the side of the ship. It comes out that Cromwell is more unscrupilous than he let on and Quark teaches how rewarding gambling can be and conivinces him to continue trade with the Farenghi having successfully difusing the torpedo.

Bashir and Dax firt and tease each other about when they used to go out and how they used to come on strong. Sisko recovers having pased out and asks Keira to tell him another story, in the two hammier moments.

The Gemmadar are back, falling for Wharf's decoy and using the one shot the engineers got him he destroys the remaining Gemmadar ship. Leading to the bid happy ending. By the end Quark has fully converted to the gambling ways and wins a load of latinum.

Bashir is talking Morn which is alway ratings. Dax plays Darts with Bashir and O'Brien and Wharf have a nice little ending of there own and Keira agrees to go to a baseball game with Sisko.

Review: Very strong episode even with the overly happy ending. Even Quark played his role excellently as he converted James Cromwell's characters to the ways of the gambler. The action was good, dramatic and for the most part well shot. There were the hammy moments but they only a small blight on an otherwise strong and exciting episode. The Wharf O'Brien tandem and the Quark-Cromwell segments were very strong. Shame about the cringe inducing Keira ending, she still an unlikeable character but she's getting better. Good Stuff. (***1/2)

Rejoined

Its starts with magic tricks with Dax, Quark and Bashir its not particularly funny but kind of cute as you'd expect.

Basically there's a fellow Trill visiting the station and after a incredibly convulted explination it turns out one of Dax's former incarnations wife is one the other Trills former incarnations. Yeah its that convulted. Basically we find out that Trill who decide to live together because of there past relationships are exiled and not allowed to carry on merging. Its pretty tame stuff.

Its funnier when Wharf interacts with the trill and with Keira and he play his usual solumn role, telling them that we do not want to know what Klingons dream about it would send shivers down ones spine. Good stuff. Anyway back to the main narrative and Dax and Dr. Kahn have a cheeky conversation as everyone looks on and stare at each other romantically, its not particularly funny, apparently there both adults and make there ownd decisions.

As they continue to work on the scientific investigation into the Wormhole, Dax and Kahn are left alone and its awkard. They begin talking about there past relationship but they have trouble sorting out their feelings from those of there past hosts. They exchange romantic glances. Tervious (Dax's past host) apologise to Kahn and says he wished he had listened to her in the past and is very sorry, Dax seemed unable to control that outburst. Then Dax asks Kahn out to dinner with her and Julian. Its not a bad scene its just not what DS9 does best and its not particarly interesting.

Over at dinner Bashir is bored to tears as Dax and Kahn talk the night away together. They tells stories and Kahn gives Dax a pair of Klingon ear rings and even though there different people there still the same, and just as it looks like getting romantic we see Kahn's brother looking on. Not exactly whirl wind stuff.

The two other trills exchange conjecture about Dax and Kahn. They start the experiment and their are some nice visuals and it seems to be a sucess. Kahn's brother confronts Kahn about Dax's he's concerned about Dax and Kahn and says people are talking about them. Her brother asks her to tell him nothing is going on and he'll believe her. He tells him and he's apparently satisfied. Geez this is pretty high school sitcom level stuff.

Ugh we then get a pretty cheesey scene where Dax and Kahn confront each other about their feelings and they end up kissing. Its all very weak but at least they've cut to the chase. Dax is talking to Sisko about persuing her love for Kahn. Sisko confronts her an advisers her to let Kahn go but Dax loves her. Geez this is lame.

Anyway the go to the second test of the wormhole, it goes terribly wrong and there's a leak in the engine room, boy is this predictable. We get some crazy 1995 graphics and unfortunately Edmington isn't dead. They set up a field and Dax manages to rescue Kahn from the Warp Core leak and they embrace. They hug and we get some lame arsed acting, and they don't ant to lose each other, never again.

Dax goes to Kahn's bedside, and tells her what went wrong with the wormhole experiment. Dax asks if she wants to stay hear and work on the wormhole together regardless of the price. God they have a big tiff and Dax starts crying but Kahn decides that she should just leave. Dax makes one more emotional plea but Kahn decides to leave, christ thank god that's over.

Review: Well that was just absolute murder, not a terribel concept, and not awful execution, although it was bad in places, it just felt liked I'd watched a two parter it dragged so much. Stretching the acting capabilities of the DS9 crew is never a good idea. Some interesting insight into the trill, but really it was a soppy, cheesey, cliche dirge. (*1/4)

Episode Five - Indescrection

An old friend of Keira's tells Keira of the Ravinok the crashed Cardassian ship that was carrying Bajorain prisoners one of which was a close friend of Keira's. She plans to investigate but when the Cardassians catch wind of the escapade they demand they to have a representive of Cardassia join her in her search and Oh Yeah its Gul Dukat. Normally a Keira episode would annoy me but Gul Dukat and Keira stuck together should make for an interesting pairing.

They are both curious of each others motives, Gul was in command of the ship and he is responsible for the crew. Keira is looking to find the man who recruited her into the resistantance. The episode become interesting when Gul starts arguing that Cardassia has made Bajore a stronger nation, they are stronger, they've been tempered with Cardassian steel and will play a close role together as allies. Keira says "Bajore and Cardassia maybe" him and her never. Good stuff, its the intergalatic intrigue that makes DS9 and this is a good slice.

Sisko and Cassidy are the side story of this episode. Cassidy is considering moving onto the station and Dax is playing match maker. Sisko is reluctant however. Cassidy thinks he's affraid of commitment and says she won't take the job in this sector if he doesn't want her too. Not bad but hardly inspiring, emotional scenes bring out the worst in Sisko's acting range.

Gul Dukat and Keira talk with Keira's friend who brings them wreakage of the ship and they learn of the planet where the ship crashed. Gul and Keira's friends have a nice stand off. They find the planet but the atomsphere is to dangerous to beam into so they have to land. Gul Dukat ripping into Keira as they walk across the desert like planet is pretty awesome.

Back to Sisko, he's discussing what happened with Dax, Bashir and Quark, its Quark its not funny.

Gul and Keira have found the ship and its shot down by phaser fire and twelve gaves. We get an interesting scene regarding the digging up of the dead. As we get an interesting look into the burial vituals and religious believes of the Cardassians. Also you can tell that Keira and Gul kinda like each other. Interesting it turns out Gul Dukat had a Bajoran lover and he found her pledge braclet in one of the graves and he's distraught. Keira is shocked and Gul Dukat says his wife will never know. Again this is intriguing stuff, Gul Dukat character has been given suprising depth.

Keira tracks hidden implants to find the survivors and its patterned Star Trek run around in the caves action. Oh dear and we get Keira and Gul comedy as he sits on a spike and Keira has to pull it out of his arse, they find it hysterical, Gul hopping around on his rubbing his arse is pretty funny but its ludicriously stupid and very campy. It looks absolutely awful.

Anyway it turns out that Keira has found out that Gul Dukat had a daughter with his Bajoran lover. Who he intends to kill but Keira's not going to let it happen. Yet again that twisted logic of Gul Dukat as he argues with Keira is pretty brilliant. Gul is putting his new career before his daughter and his family, despite Keira's best arguement he is resolute in killing his daughter.

Sisko is now grilled by Jake about his relationship about Cassidy. Its pretty lame.

It turns out the Breen are using the survivors as salves in a dilithium mine on a planet that it too hot for them to mine themselves, as they come from an ice world. Gul sees his daughter, and Keira and Gul must work together to free the Bajorans.

Anyway they break into the mine and start kicking arse. Dukat runs off to find and kill his daughter giving Keira the slip. He totally owns one Breen with a pistol whip. Gul finds his daughter and just as he's about to kill his daughter when Keira confronts him. His daughter says dreaming of him coming to save her and she said she'd rather die than be without her father. Gul drops his weapon and embraces her.

Sisko finally comes to apologise to Cassidy and ask her to take the job in the sector. He runs through the usual soap opera stuff of his job getting his old wife killed and ho he loves her and such, it turns out she took the job anyway.

Keira and Dax are talking about Gul sitting on the spike, hahaha, and apparently Gul is taking her back to Cardassia with him he seems a little suspicious.

Review: Well smultsy ending aside that was a pretty strong effort from the DS9 team, Gul Dukat is always gold and the one area where Keira is strong is when she's clashing with him and they played off each other well. Its interesting to see the Cardassians and the Bajorans have clearly rubbed of on each other and how Keira and Gul are both changed peoples, and perhaps more intriguingly depending on whether you believe him or not at this stage of the series it would seem Gul has changed more and modernised better than Keira. The Sisko side story was reasonable but has been done by a million sitcoms and soap opera's before both better and worse. Overall a nice tale but nothing exceptional. (***)

Vision Quest

Plot Summary: John Redcorn becomes concerned that Dale is falling in with the wrong crowd and believes a native American Vision quest is the solution. Unfortunately Dale has a vision of his own and becomes a native American and misleads Joseph into interpretting his own vision to mean he must kill a panda to impress the "cool kids".
Review: Strong episode of King of the Hill, not top level however. Dale is simply brilliant in this episode, him and Joseph are the two most superbly animated characters. The animation of Dale panting out of breath walking through the woods is simply superb. The main make up of the episode is a little thin on the ground and the lack of an amusing side story is a weakness, but Bobby's offbeat ramblings about Panda's and fabric softners are relatively amusing. (***)

Queasy Rider

Plot Summary: Hank decides to support the Texans after grilling Boomhower for cheating on the Cowboys, but when he decides he wants to go to Training camp he finds out it clashes with a romantic dinner Peggy Has booked. This leads to marital problems and concelling. They decide to follow their dreams and buy a motorcycle and go on a tour of the country, but Hank refuses to lets Peggy drive as he doesn't want to sit in the "Bitch seat", arguments abound.
Review: Strong start with the Cowboys and Texans banter, the sight of Boomhower holding a Texan's bobble head toy is brilliant. However its down hill from there, Peggy is a very overbearing and annoying character, while that is by design, and the bulk of the story is well written, it can't help but dent the viewers interest as she is a hard character to emphasise with. That said Hank reacting to depravity is funny as ever. There is a side story with Dale but its hardly featured enough to bring the comic releif the episode lacks. Interesting look into mudane married life, but simply not enough to write home about. (**)

(Spoiler Alert)

Oh dear we start with Wharf and Quark and it looks as though we're getting a Quark side bar as usual. Wharf looks to crack down on Quarks criminal ways, even if it means stepping on Oddo's toes.

In the main plot Bashir and O'Brien are investigating a warp trail when they are hit by a pulse of somekind making them crash land on a planet where they are captured by the Gemmadar. The lead Gemmadar suggest executing the high ranking officer O'Brien and using Bashir in a tactical exercise. I love that the way in which the Gemmader talk purely in terms in military conflict. Curiously they let him live. Well except for the Quark scare good start to the episode.

Bashir is then brought to a medical station where he talks with the Gemmadar, who it turns out has escaped from the Dominion and he expresses that he wants to free the Gemmadar want to be free of the Dominion and the slavery to the drug that they require to live and that the founders control the supply of. He wants Bashir to help them not synthasise the drug but help them ween themselves off it. As the commander has himself. He thought he was cured by the planet he was on but it hasn't worked for the other men. Bashir agrees to help, but the commander informs them he has five days before the men feel they are betrayed and kill him and then Bashir for not curing them. Intriguing start, its good to see the super soldiers the Gemmadar getting some character developement, as while they are in clear depenancy on the Dominion it is clear that a proud warrior race wouldn't just settle for slavery, imagine the Klingons even if they needed the Cardassians being their slaves without rebellion or an attempt to be free.

Talk of the Klingon invasion and threat to other worlds is rife on Deep Space Nine as is Wharf's investigation of Quark and clashes with Oddo. Back on the planet Julian is no closer to a cure and O'Brien attempts and fails and escape. We are given another interesting look into the Gemmadar mind set as the previous rule of thumb was that one man's death is nothing if he is injured and worthless it is better for the team if he dies. The Gemmadar leader stops his fellow soldiers from killing the injured soldier saying they want to be free of the Vortas rule. Good stuff.

Bashir is no closer to a cure and he cannot understand the Gemmadar leaders remarkable immune system, and the leader begins to question his own beliefs and develop a morale code. Bashir has a debate with O'Neil about whether they should co-operate or not. In a side note O'Brien quotes a Gemmadar soldier but he wasn't in the scene and couldn't have heard it. O'Brien believes that he should not co-operate as the Gemmadar are like animals who are kept on a short leash, he thinks unleashing them is a terrible idea, but Julian pulls rank.

While O'Brien is taking a part out of the runabout to help Julian he talks to soldier and they both agree they don't like each other, and after handing the Gemmadar the part he needs he escapes into woods by activating the transporter. Julian is having no luck but he starts to believe that maybe the leader is just a genetic mutation. The soldier reports to the leader and says O'Brien has escape and he must be killed, the leader wants him brought back alive, but the soldier thinks that there is no cure and that the leader has become soft and like a human. Bashir promise not to run as the Gemmadar leader tries to find O'Brien firs to save his life. Good Scene again.

Wharf has had enough an tries to arrest Quark only to find that he's walked right in on Oddo's undercover operation he was about to uncover the whole underground smuggling ring but Wharf blew it. Decent scene, this wasn't a bad side story at all once it focussed on Oddo and Wharf.

O'Brien finds Bashir having knocked out a Gemmadar and stolen his weapon. O'Brien destroys Julien's research and forces him to leave. The Gemmadar leader captures them, takes them to the runabout and helps them escape but he will not come with them or let Julien finish his research. The Leader sets off to kill his team, the leader must go down with his ship. Rather rushed and slightly dissapointing conclusion but I suppose in story terms it couldn't have gone down any other way.

Wharf speaks to Sisko and discovers he must come to terms with the rules of Deep Space Nine where they deal in shades of Grey.

Julien and O'Brien have a frank discussion about O'Brien's discussion sending those men to there deaths and disobeying orders to end the episode.

Final Thoughts: Strong regular episode of the show, just an regular single episode contained story but it was well played and it was good to see the Gemmadar fleshed out more as characters and some logical questions about them answered. The ending however was rushed and left a little to be desired, but it didn't detract from a good episode with a nice little side story with Wharf and Oddo two characters that just had to clash. (***1/4).

(SPOILER ALERT)

This episode starts with an eldery Jake Sisko greeting a young aspiring writer Melanie into his house. She's enthused by Jake's writting but wants to know why he stopped writing. He says he'll tell her story, of how his father died when he was 18. Ugh...the acting isn't exactly setting the world alight, its all pretty cliche.

Unfortunately its the warm fuzzy Star Trek father and son stuff. Sisko is on the Defiant and the Warp core is breaching but he with the help of Jake manages to save the day, but when he hands Jake back a tool he gets shocked and Sisko dissapears into thin air. That was pretty silly. We then go to the funeral, the narration is grand in nature but feels pretty cheesey. Although there is one brilliant moment when the alien who is always drinking at the bar pats Jake on the shoulder while he's looking glum. We're then treated to alot of Jake and Nogg and that's never fun, they don't act bad its just fundementally lame.

Sisko appears to Jake while he's in bed but soon disappears. As Jake spirals into isolation and depression, but at the same time the Bajorian take the death of Sisko their profit as a sign that the Federation could no longer protect them. They then leave the station for resettlement. Keira and Wharf try to get Jake to leave, but he's too emotionally attach to leave, the acting isn't bad but its not quite there either. Sisko reappears to Jake and this time he can touch him. He's taken to sick bay and he's been pulled into sub space and hasn't experienced the passage of time. As Sisko begins to dissapear again Jake can't promise him he'll be alright. The old Jake said he thought nothing could be worse than having him die the first time until he saw him dissapearing knowing he was alived but trapped away from him.

We then get the mandatory chat between Old Jake and the aspiring author, she's enthusiastic and plays the role well, but can't escape the hamminess of the role. However back to the past and DS9 is handed over to the Klingons. Old Jake then talks about having his first work published. We're now in the future past, and Nogg is now a aspiring Captian and Jake is a middle aged man who is a prized author. Apparently the Dominion are working out some kind of transfer deal and apparently Glom the alien who always hangs around the bar is know the owner of the bar on DS9. Just as Jake is writing his new third book and about to have sex with his wife Sisko appears again, apparently they married in Sisko's dad resteruant. Sisko wants to hear all about Jake's accomplishments but just as Sisko is praising Jake's accomplishments Jake bursts into tears, he's sorry for giving up. Sisko again dissapears. It's getting going now.

Dax figured out Jake would be linked to Sisko and would reappear in his old age. Old Jake explains that when he committed his life to helping his father, he lost his wife in the process. However he got the old crew together, its pretty funny seeing them all old and Nogg as captian. Jake created a sub space dialator or some such. Old Bashir and Old Dax are pretty funny. Its odd old Bashir sounds just like Oddo. They try to bring Sisko back but instead gets pulled into sub space himself. Sisko wants to know about his grandkids and Jake's writting but he explains he's lost them both and Sisko urges him to let go of his father and make a better life for himself but again Jake won't promise him. Its both more emotionally compelling as its gone along.

It turns out Jake has been writting stories again and he gives Melanie a copy before explaining that he can cut the chord and return Sisko to the moment of the accident. He also tells Melanie to keep her head up and not miss out on life. Melanie then thanks him for everything and gives him a kiss. Sisko appears on schedule, Sisko is pleased to know he's taken up writing again, Jake has committed suicide, and with his last word he tells him to dodge the warp corps excharge and he tells him that the boy that he was needs him more than he knows. Its syrupy stuff and the final scene is cringeworthy but its a nice ending.

Final Thoughts: Well this was to be expected, you have a block buster double parter episode that's absolutely brilliant and you always get the comedown episode, its usual a side track tale and this was no exception. I'm not normally a fan of episodes that get erased from history at the end as everything returns to normal, but this was a nicely told story, and the looks at the future of Federation was interesting. It was incredibly soppy inplaces but never bad. It wasn't up to the standard of this season Doctor Who episode of a similar vein but for a side track and a chance to catch your breath in the series this wasn't bad at all. (**1/2)

This is the first episode of Season Four, I never really watched Deep Space Nine, I was put of by the atricious First and Second seasons, but have enjoyed the episodes I've seen and know how well regarded the series is, and thought I'd start by reviewing season four when things reallys start to get good. SPOILER ALERT: If you want to avoid finding out the plot skip to final thoughts for critique.

Episode One - The Way Of The Warrior Part I & II

The episode starts well if rather predictably with the crew sweeping the station for a changling only for it to turn out to be Oddo. The addicting is markable improved from the early days and the characters are alot more subtle and round from those in the early seasons. Sisko is finally in control of his acting and range.

The plot really gets rolling as a whole Fleet of Klingon War ships appear around the station and come on board for shore leave. Seemingly scared by changlins the Klingons are on edge and are taking rigerous safety checks, and have runs ins with Garak and Oddo. Things come to ahead when the Klingon task force begins searching ships leaving Bajorain space. DS9 stand up for the rights of peoples and force the Klingons to let people travel freely. The Klingons are outraged, kill there commanding officer for not carrying out his order, and with Tensions running high, Sisko calls for Wharf.

A really good start to the episode, the characters play off each other well, even the interaction between Dax and Keira are intruiging when once they'd be underbearable. The stand off between the Klingons and DS9 is interesting, and the addition of Wharf is of course a brilliant move. While at times in TNG his character could be annoyingly one dimensional, its create to see him in DS9 delving into the depths of his character. The issue of being the first Klingon in the Federation is an intersting one and his insecurities were never really explored.

The episode continues with Wharf excerising his desire to quit but soldiering on in to do his duty. He begins interacting with the crew and they play with his status as an outsider, which again in TNG was never really explored, as he seemed to fit right in, despite his odd and aggresive culture. Here his relationship is explored more realistically. Unfortunately we get more "comedy" with Keira which is uniformly cringe worthy but its short and out of the way so we'll let it slide.

Wharf's investigation into the Klingon presence is intriguing as is his buddying relationship with Dax. However his discussion with his old Klingon buddy who owes him a favour is chronically cringe worthy "I owe your father everything, If only there was some way I could repay him", it makes one roll ones eyes, but the episode chugs along nicely. Seeing Oddo come face to face with Wharf is something star trek fans will have wanted to have seen for along time and there first encounter is a nice teaser of things to come.

Wharf unvails what he has learnt to Sisko, yet again choosing Star Fleet over his own people, following his discussion with Oddo. The Klingons are on the verge of attacking the Cardassians, in the name of protecting the Alpha quadrant. The Klingons are told they must choose between battle with the Cardassian or the treaty Federation. The Klingons choose battle. The intrigue level is up immediately, what makes DS9 brilliant is the inworkings of spacial politics and the interelations of so many races in one place and this episode has all those factors in spades.

The conjecture begins, have the Cardassians been overthrown by the Dominion? Have the Klingons gone back to there old ways? Will Bajore and DS9 be the next target? There's only one solution. Garak! Oh yeah, anything with Garak in is brilliant in my book. DS9 can't warn Cardassia, that would be going back on there ally, so Garak overhears of the plans intentionally and tells Gul Dukat of the Klingon invasion. Dukat is in no mood to fight, the Cardassians are having enough trouble of there own. To make matters worse, the Federation disowns the Klingon action, so the Klingons renounce the peace treaty expelling all Federation people from there empire. Again this is DS9 nine at its absolute best, you don't see anything happen but the political actions that DS9 are in the middle of make fantastic listening.

Wharf definitively has to choose between battle with the Cardassians or turning his back on Chancellor Gowron and the Klingon empire. He chooses his duty and his honour with Star Fleet in a well written scene. However discussing his future with O'Brien he decides he should resign his post in Star Fleet. Sisko won't accept Wharf's resignation but before they can discuss it further the Klingon fleet breaks through Cardassian fleet. Sisko speaks urgently with the Cardassians and he gets Gul Dukat in his new post as Military advisor, and Sisko is set on saving the Cardassian high council who have to flee Cardassia prime before its captured and the politicians are slaughtered. Its all compelling stuff.

Sisko banks on the Klingons not firing on a federation ship as he heads out to rescue the Cardassian Council in the Defiant. The come face to face with the wreakage of war and the Klingon idea of honour. Sisko is also forced into making important moral or immoral decisions leaving the victims of war to die and having to fire on a Klingon ship. We get the usual ropey star trek battle seens but for 1995 thre not bad and the score is good as usual. The drama is brilliant, and its fun to see the Klingons firing on the federation again. Plus anything will Gul Dukat in is awesome, he's been consistantly genius since his debut TNG.

Speaking of excellent characters Garak discussion of the federation with originally awful but now palatteable character Quark. Comparing the Federation to root beer, and how insepid it is but how one comes to love it. It's only a small peice of dialogue but nevertheless it excellent and at heart its what DS9 does best.

The Defiant returns home safely, but they lost there cloak in battle and lead the entire Klingon battle station back to DS9. Its battle time, the station is militarized. First things first however we get our confrontation between Garak and Gul Dukat, its as frayed and tense and seeing them going into battle side by side is just fantastic. As is the stand off between the Sisko and the Klingon commanders, everything about this episode is superb. They even the cheesey "History is written by the Victor" and the even chessier "Today is a good day to die", is flawless in this context and the battle hasn't even started yet.

The battle is as mamoth as could be expected, its Star Trek so its hooky, and the overselling of some of the blows is ridiculous, but is none the less a cool spectacle to see so much violence in a Star Trek episode. The post battle shot of all the Klingon dead is excellent, and its good to see the likes of O'Brien and Keira take major blows. The highlight though is not the battle its the big moral show down between the Klingon commanders and Sisko and Wharf as the arguement is clearly made that they are infact playing into the Dominions Hands. The Klingons stand down but say they will not forgive and they will not forget. The episode finishes with Sisko talking to Wharf about his resignation and his wifes death, and he of course decides to join the DS9 crew. The Klingons however decide that they will not return there new colonial possesions and are now a permanent fixture in the series.

Final Thoughts: Without doubt one of the best episodes, in the history of star trek, with the exception of two minutes hear or there it was thoroughly excellent. It is perhaps made even better in a twenty first century light, as the theme of fear and terror of the dominion and the founders leading the Federation and the Alpha Quadrant as a whole to give up on its firm beliefs, break alliances and rage war with itself is ever more relevant in the age of "terrorism". This sets the mould for the rest of the series to come and more than parrarells with todays earth the idea of putting security before freedom and the chaos it can cause, the enemy winning the battle without lifting a finger causing the otherside to betray its own idology and interlectual arguement out of fear. Fantastic stuff and a great start to the season (*****)

Torchwood season one was a success in terms of ratings pulling big early numbers and was judged to have preformed well enough to earn a regular slot on BBC Two and a second seasons. However the first season was incredibly hit and miss, with more misses if ones honest. It was certainly entertaining fast paced and smutty. Jack Harkness was a brilliant character, excellently portrayed by John Barrowmen in suprisingly serious fashion at times, and Gwen Cooper was also a well rounded and portray by the lovely Eve Myles, however the rest of the cast characters we're mearily two dimensional and oft annoying. The episodes while always fast paced and watchable, were often sub buffy, and very silly even by Sci Fi Standards. So Season Two not only had to maintain the moment of the first season as the all action adult spin off of Doctor Who, one feels it also had to establish itself as a quality programme in its own right.

Episode One - Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

Plot Summary: Torchwood is back and so is Jack, however he's not alone, fellow time agent and former friend/lover Capt. John Hart (James Marsters) is with him, to wreak havoc and turn Jack's life upside down.
Review: This is the best openning Torchwood could have hoped for, all action relentlessy paced. The openning sequence is silly and overblown but that's why we love Torchwood. This episode serves to encapsulate what was to come for Torchwood setting a fast pace, while finally devoting time to the characters backstories, this episode begins to add intrigue to Jack's backstory and begins to reveal his dark past. The episode does meander after the half way mark but finishes strongly. This episode really is Torchwood at its ludicrious best, a blowfish driving a car, gay kisses all over the pace and plenty of violence, without out the overbearing moral lessons of Doctor Who. And what's more Ianto gets his first character development. (****)

Episode Two - Sleeper

Plot Summary: A murder mystery abounds as two robbers a killed brutally while robbing a house. Torchwood soon discover an alien sleeper cell are scouting the human race ready for invasion. Of course its up to Capt. Jack and co to stop them.
Review: A decent follow up to the standard set by Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, the story was compelling and the moral emotional story of a human being being nothing but a shell to be thrown away was well convayed if a little overacted at times. The conclusion to the story was wrapped up quicker than was probably nessecary but good drama was created none the less. (**3/4)

Episode Three - To The Last Man

Plot Summary: A second world war shell shock patient stored in Torchwood's vault gets his once yearly outing, leading to a romance with Tosh, however the Torchwood team soon discovers rift activity in the hospital were he was treated in 1918 with reports of ghost sitings.
Review: A well acted and well told story, if a little convuluted at times. This was the beginning of a terrible trend as every character either falls in love with or suggests that Toshiko is the most beautifull woman in the world. It gets very old very quick. The story here is nice, short and emotive but nothing special. (**1/2)

Episode Four - Meat

Plot Summary: Rhys' friend dies delivering suspicious meat, Torchwood are called in to investigate, however Rhys catches Gwen in the act, and becomes involved in Torchwoods investigation of the alien meat. Putting a strain on there relationship and leading to a key decision regarding Rhys' knowledge and involvement in Gwen's proffesional life.
Review: Important character development for Gwen and Rhys, and normally I'm in favour of Eve Myles being on my TV screen for the best part of the hour. However while the emotional plot is strong the main storyline is skippable and predictable. (**)

Episode Five - Adam

Plot Summary: Gwen arrives late to work to find new team member Adam, except he isn't knew, the team believe he's been there for five years. Adam is an alien who can implant memories into the minds of people. Can Jack and co uncover him.
Review: Strong episode, this episode continues the strong character development that was totally absent from the first series. Jack deals with his mysterious past, while Tosh and Owen relationship or lack really begins to develop. This is a great episode of discovery, growth as well as establish Jack as ruthless. (***1/4)

Episode Six - Reset

Plot Summary: Martha Jones becomes the latest member of the Torchwood as Unit sends her in to investigate a string of unsolved deaths. Torchwood soon find themselves investigating a new medical centre above the government and Martha must go under cover.
Review: Another interesting episode, Martha Jones was a smart adition and her interplay with Owen, while cliche at times, is very enjoyable. This is more of a classic Sci Fi episode with the theme of pushing the boundaries of morality in the name science. Should lives be lost in the persuit of a miracle cure? It's all ground that's been thoroughly tred throughout Sci Fi history but its nevertheless compelling. The big finish more than makes up for an over familar story. (***1/4)

Episode Seven - Dead Man Walking

Plot Summary: Capt. Jack decides he has to bring Owen back from the dead. However he unleashes more than he bargained for.
Review: This is the first genuinely silly Torchwood episode, the theme of reserection is an intriguing one but the key issues and character development is lost in a ridiculous plot about the Grim Reaper, with an over the top cheese laden finale. (*1/2)

Episode Eight - A Day In The Death

Plot Summary: Owen still alive, is coming to terms with being dead and narrates the story of his return to life and subsequent life to a woman ready to commit suicide.
Review: A Return to form this is the episode that the last should have been, Owen character really becomes interesting for the first time here, as he struggles is the bizzare life he now leads, and comes to terms with his death and how his relationships have changed.(***)

Episode Nine - Something Borrowed

Plot Summary: Its time for Gwen to marry Rhys, but at her Bacherlarette party will fighting of an alien attack she is impregnanted, regardless the wedding must go on, however the mother plans to crash the wedding and rip her baby from Gwen's stomach.
Review: Completely ridiculous in almost everyway, but never the less brilliant, this is the silly tongue in cheek over the top Welsh action of Torchwood season one. This isn't a regression however, just a fun send off to a long running story line. It's simply campy brilliance. (***1/2)

Episode Ten - From Out Of The Rain

Plot Summary: An evil nineteenth century circus who only appear at night, escape from the film reels to bring a string of murders to Cardiff.
Review: Its the once a season horror episode, its all very by the numbers and very skippable, it serves its purpose as the filler episode after a big emotional build up coming from the previous episodes. Not particularly scary, not particularly fun, not particularly good. (*1/2)

Episode Eleven - Adrift

Plot Summary: Gwen is helping out the police investigating some unsolvable disappearances. Having met the families torn apart by the vanishings Gwen decides to put her heart and soul into the investigation. Gwen is warned to stay away by Jack but she continues regardless leading her to a suspicious island.
Review: Absolutely brilliant episode, a classic slice of Sci Fi, could easily have been an episode of the outer limmits. The emotional pull of the episode is immense, and the conclusion is brilliantly written as Gwen comes to realises just what being a member of Torchwood means. (*****)

Episode Twelve - Fragments

Plot Summary: The team all nearly die as they are lead into a trap. As Gwen and Rhys struggle to rescue the team, we are shown how all the team members came to join Torchwood.
Review: This is an episode that probably should have happened along time ago, finally rounding out Tosh, Owen and Iantos characters. The episode is strong Jack's back story is an amusing interlude, Tosh's is rather silly but serves to show how she has developed, Iantos is fun but its Owen who benefits the most from this episode. Owen becomes a fully three dimensional character, and is now along side Gwen and Jack as genuinely captivating Character, shame its too late in the day. (***)

Episode Thirteen - Exit Wounds

Plot Summary: Following last weeks cliff hanger Capt. John is back with Jack's long lost brother in toe, and he bring destruction with him as the Torchwood team and Cardiff face total destruction.
Review: A very strong conclusion to a very strong serious of Torchwood. The characters reach some brilliant conclusions, and it really becomes apparent how far Owen and Tosh have come from there paper thin shells at the beginning of this season. The action is great and dramatic but is majorily let down by being crammed into one episode, the resolutions is sandwiched in to the final fifteen minutes when it really deserved to be spread accross two episode or at least be a feature lenght 90 minutes. Thus your left a little dissapointed, you've had a damn good ride but you can't help but think it was over to soon. That said as a stand alone episode its hard to criticize it was compact non stop and well acted. (****)

Final Thoughts: Torchwood certainly managed to establish itself as a serious Sci Fi show. No longer a scattergun of sex and silliness. It now proved capable of developing strong and compelling characters and at times delivering brilliant writing and top quality Science Fiction. Always exciting, often excellent, occasionally stupid, highly reccommended.