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Star Trek DS9 - Season 2 - Episode 02

Star Trek DS9 - 2x02 - The Circle

Originally Aired: 1993-10-3

Synopsis:
Relieved of her post and sent back to Bajor, Kira helps to reveal the hidden force behind The Circle and a greater secret that could destroy them all. [DVD]

My Rating - 4

Fan Rating Average - 4.47

Rate episode?

Rating: 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
# Votes: 62 3 1 3 7 18 19 25 20 13 12

Filler Quotient: 0, not filler, do not skip this episode.
- This arc sets up a number of long term plot threads, including Bareil's relationship with Kira.

Problems
None

Factoids
None

Remarkable Scenes
- The scene with Kira, Odo, Dax, Bashir, O'Brien, Quark, and finally Vedek Bareil. I love all the fast and confusing dialog.
- Kira's orb experience.
- Kira: "If you want to change the government, minister Jaro, you vote to change it. You don't sneak up from behind it with a dagger."

My Review
The plot thickens with the revelation that the Cardassians are supplying the Circle with weapons. Winn is scheming again and the reason for Kira's reassignment is revealed to be a political maneuver. Sisko's decision to disobey orders and stay aboard the station to fight the political uprising is an interesting twist for his character since the pilot. The focus on the characters preserving their friendships with the Bajorans was a nice acknowledgement of the sadness of being torn apart expressed so eloquently by Jake being prevented from seeing his girlfriend in the last episode. Perhaps the best scene of the episode is when Minister Jarro stands up on the ledge in the hideout like a James Bond villain confessing his evil plot to Kira. Overall though the episode is just dragged out far too long. A faster pace might have improved it somewhat.

The following are comments submitted by my readers.

  • From djb on 2008-12-19 at 4:45am:
    I'm coming to LOVE the character of Vedek Winn. Not because she's likable, rather the opposite. She's superbly acted and written, so much so that every time I see her I literally want to reach into the screen and rip her throat out. Excellent!

    Other than that, I'd agree with Kethinov... not a whole lot more to this ep than building up to some hopefully momentous conclusion, which I haven't watched yet.

    Also nice to see good character development for Kira, and nice to see how much Kira and Sisko have grown close over the previous year. Also cool to see Odo and Quark (gasp!) working together? Neat orb sequence too.

    A solid 5.
  • From Bernard on 2010-02-07 at 8:18pm:
    This episode is unneccessarily drawn out to the extent that it almost ruins the gathering pace of plot created by the climax of season one and homecoming. Solid 5, but should have been so much better! If only they had dared to concentrate more on the Bajoran politics and less on our heroes doing boring things such as rescue missions.

    Which just reminds me, exactly what is our good Doctor ordered to do when he finds Kira? Slap a com badge on her and call for transport. What does he actually do? Starts treating her wounds! Fortunately this kind of gaffe is actually IN character for him.

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