The Federation, Bajor, and Cardassia are enjoying a short respite of peace due to a treaty. Two Cardassian scientists have figured out how to send messages through the Wormhole/Celestial Temple, they are assigned to share it with The Federation and Bajor. But The Cardassian Obsidian Order is also assigned-To foul things up.
There is a lot going on in this pivotal DS9 Episode. The Sisko, still uncomfortable in his role as Bajoran "Emissary" to The Prophets, is approached by Vedek Yarka (Erick Avari) to send the three Cardassian "Vipers" packing back to Cardassia. But there are only two scientists? But Yarka says there will be a third, and there is. A Third "scientist"/"Viper" appears at the last minute, but she is not what she appears to be.
Yarka tells The Sisko about an ancient Bajoran prophecy, regarding the "Three Vipers" which are going to toss the "Sword of Stars" through the Celestial Temple, Burning it. This Prophecy appears to be coming true in front of The Sisko's eyes. At first, The Sisko rejects his role as Emissary in this, and intends to act simply as a Federation Officer regardless of Prophecies, and rejects the Prophecies as nonsense. The Experiment will continue.
When the Defiant gets to the other side of the Celestial Temple, a rogue Comet is going to pass within close proximity to The Temple/Wormhole. As Kira sees the Comet she mutters "The Sword Of Stars" - Which was the way the ancient Bajoran prophet worded it. And so another part of the Prophecy comes to pass-The Sisko has to start taking this into account-He has no longer any choice.
Meanwhile, O'Brien has to work with one of the Cardassian Scientists - Who likes to eat "Hooman" food-"Gilora" played by Tracy Scroggins, who is a gorgeous, traditional Cardassian woman. When the two take to arguing about every system on The Station that O'Brien had to repair or change, Gilora takes that as a kind of sexual pursuit by O'Brien: Apparently Cardassians flirt with each other by arguing all the time.
This fits into the Theme of misinterpretation which this episode is exploring. Vedek Yarka is interpreting the prophecies the wrong way, O'Brien and Gilora are misinterpreting their social actions the same way.
What this episode explores, is the fact that ancient prophecy is not necessarily incorrect, nor has no place in a modern scientific society: The Bajorans have places for both Technology and Religion, the problem is, the Federation has no place for it.
But The Sisko cannot do his job simply as a Federation Commander: He also has to do it as The Emissary as well. He must Protect The Celestial Temple.
This episode has some of the best exterior graphics: The "Sword of Stars," "The Tree Vipers" and The Celestial Temple are given some radical shots which make this episode worth watching. Most important, we are made to think. In Our "real world," Ancient Bible prophecies are not necessarily wrong, but sometimes they are incorrectly interpreted, causing all kinds of problems. Faith actually has a place in a Scientific environment. They sometimes work together.
This is the first episode where both aspects: Scientific and Religious, are used hand-in-hand to solve a conundrum, once the Bajoran Prophecy was taken into account, it gave The Sisko a course of Action with which to save The Celestial Temple, thus allowing The Prophecy to fulfill itself. This is normal, as prophecies go.
And so the prophecy is totally fulfilled, and a relay station to The Gamma Quadrant is made, because "The Three Vipers" burned The Gates of The Celestial Temple, leaving a trail through the Wormhole.
O'Brien and Gilora also leave with a healthy respect for each other, without some of Gilora's input, O'Brien would not have been able to do what he needed to do. But it was also Gilora's exposing of the Obsidian Order Agent, "Dejar" (Jessica Hendra) - That was an act of Bravery, exposing who she was and what she had done, allowing The Sisko to pilot a shuttle-pod through the Celestial Temple while dragging "The Tree Vipers" - The Three Broken Shards of the Comet.
This episode, in the middle of the series, is a kind of "Calm before the Storm" - We know The Dominion is out there, but at this time we do not know what they intend to do. There are also Klingons being stirred up into an agitated state.
I want to add to my review by addressing the person who wrote "one persons mumbo-jumbo"- I particularly like what that Reviewer said in that review, but are you sure that you are not referring to the episode called "the reckoning" rather than this this episode?
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