Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

There’s a get-to-know-you buffet at 1930 this week, as the crew of the Defiant team up with the Jem’Hadar to fight some Jem’Hadar rebels who want to take over the Galaxy. And, surprisingly late in the series, we get the first appearance of Jeffrey Combs as Weyoun.

This week, on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Quark wants Grilka, Dax wants Worf, Nerys wants Miles, Worf wants Grilka, Miles wants Nerys, Worf wants Dax, Odo wants Nerys (probably), and Julian wants not to know any details about any of this. Meanwhile, Joe wants more of this sort of thing, while Nathan just wants some special effects and reflective surfaces, but will settle for a turbolift that goes up and down without jerking.

This week, the crew of the USS Defiant deploy some exciting new digital video technology to travel back to 1967 and inveigle themselves into a beloved episode of Star Trek: The Original Series. It’s a perfect thirtieth birthday present for the franchise, reminding us that Trek isn’t about nerds watching the Romulans and the Federation shoot at each other — it’s about being cool and stylish and funny. In space. With great hair.

This week, the Federation faces a dramatic new adversary: Maquis leader and musical theatre gay, Michael Eddington. Sisko is not happy.

It’s a soap-opera extravaganza on Deep Space Nine this week, as Garak reconciles with his long-lost father, Dukat abandons his long-lost daughter, and Julian discovers a scheming lookalike that he never knew he had. Meanwhile, there is a shift in the balance of power in the Quadrant, as the show rewrites its own premise in the way that we have come to admire and enjoy.