This week we are gonna disccuss a two part episode Favor the Bold and Sacrifice of Angels
You can watch the episodes link

Episode Summary: Sisko launches a plan to retake DS9. Odo continues to struggle with his thoughts for the Female Shapeshifter. Despite his mixed feelings, he cannot resist linking with the fellow Changeling, against Kira's wishes. Quark learns that the minefield will be destroyed within a week, allowing thousands of Dominion troops to come through the wormhole.

I think the 2 parter was done well. The resolution was appropriate to the building of the action.

Quark won my favorite of the episode with that soufle thing.

And they had nice little details. Like the Vorta (whose name escapes me at the moment) almost laying on the picture to look at it and later saying about the poor eyesight.

I think you are referring to Weyoun,the Vorta.

Great episode. Odo, the newly minted Founder is so under the Female Founder's spell he can't even remember what day it is. Kira's attempt to sabotage the deflector array blew up in her face, and now they have no way to save the minefield. Love that moment when they find a way to get a message to SF through Morn.

The FF speech to Odo about 'breaking' the Solids of their love of freedom is scary. Also revealing is the FF telling the Vorta Weyoun that getting Odo back to the Link is more important than the whole Alpha Quadrant - which gives us the motivation for the Dominion to invade the Alpha Quadrant in the first place.

The message sent via Morn is the kick-in-the-ass that SF needs to launch an offensive against DS9 before the minefield can be taken down.

Seeing Kira on the Promenade is enough to begin the process of Odo pulling himself out of his "Founder Funk." He chases after her to apologize, but Kira isn't about to let him off the hook for his betrayal. Her angry retort to him, "We are way, way past sorry," portents future difficulties between these once close friends. In Kira's mind the battle lines have been drawn, and Odo is on the opposite side from her.

So the buildup for the big battle to retake the station is set. As Sisko says in the closing scene, "Fortune favors the Bold."

"Sacrifice of Angels" gets a great big *F* in my gradebook for one reason - the way the writers dealt with, or rather, failed to deal with, Odo's temporary betrayal.

One of the hallmarks of DS9 was the way it unflinchingly placed its characters in situations where difficult decisions had to be made, decisions that oftentimes carried terrible consequences. So you would think that Odo would have to pay some price for turning to the dark side. But no. Odo's eleventh hour redemption in the form of saving Kira seems to have made everything all better, and now its all hunky-dory again.

Simply not believable. First of all, for six seasons we saw Odo as a man racked with self-doubt and self-loathing. Given those embedded character traits, you would expect him to be a virtual basket-case after realizing what he had done. Instead, we get a sanguine, hale fare-thee-well Odo who sticks out a confident hand to Sisko to offer congratulations on retaking the station.

Second, there are no repercussions from amoungst those who suffered from Odo's betrayal. Rom and the rest of Kira's rag-tag resistance group (including Jake) were locked up. We know Rom was scheduled for execution. Who knows if that might have been the same fate for the rest of them. And that was all Odo's fault. Don't you think someone would have said something???

I know there was the non-aggression pact between the Dominion and Bajor, but I can't believe there wouldn't have some sort of military tribunal. We've never known Sisko to stand on technicalities before, so I think he would have demanded a trial, or at least an investigation into Odo's actions.

Instead, Odo's treason is ignored and the only consequence is the damage done to his relationship with Kira (neatly resolved off-screen in Jadzia's closet in the next episode).

Even the DS9 writers acknowledged their enormous gaffe. I think they got enamored with the idea of Odo changing sides and didn't consider the fallout from their decision. By the end of the story arc they had painted themselves to far into a corner there was no way out. To say this part of the Dominion Occupation arc was bungled is a massive understatement.

I found the other parts of SoA to be entertaining. The action sequences were great and full of high drama. Sisko's 'deal with the devil' when he negotiates with the Prophets to put a plug in the wormhole have consequences we won't learn about until the end of the series.

Not sure how I feel about Dukat's nervous breakdown. I don't think it was so much to do with Zayal's death as it was in losing the station to Sisko - again. But Dukat never struck me as teetering on the edge of emotional stability. He was a strutting, self-important egotist and certainly delusional about how he viewed himself vis-a-vis the Bajorans, but I'm not sure about his emotional collapse.

I do have a question. Did the wormhole ever open up to traffic again during the war? When Dukat released the Pah'Wraiths in "Tears of the Prophets" the wormhole disappeared. Sisko brought it back when he discovered the Orb of the Emissary in "Shadows and Symbols." When it came back, was it still preventing the Dominion forces from traveling through it?

Great idea for discussion about these epidoses, BTW.

I know... I know... I'm a little late for this... but me & my laptop had a small discussion to do! ;)

Almost every has been already said about this great 2 parter... definitely a highlight of the 6th season, my favourite season!

Remembering my feelings all the years ago when I watched it the first time...

I think I was not the only one who would have liked to get this damn female changeling into my hands & just...! God, I love to hate her!!!

Another thing was my huge relieve that Starfleet took DS9 back & with them Sisko & the whole DS9 crew their home! ...

I really loved Quark in that episode... & couldn't wait for the moment Odo came back to his senses!!!

...and I loved, loved & loved even more the scene where Kira kicks Damars butt! Go girl!!!

Everything else has been already said!

Any idea for the next episode to discuss???

What about 'Far Beyond the Stars'?

works ok with me.

Let's go link then!