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It's All Been Trekked Before

DS9 "The Search, Part II"

·1 hr 3 min·5 clips
The hosts reveal they didn't see DS9's Dominion twist coming, debating if the rushed sacrifice was for nothing.
The podcast episode features hosts Stephen, Keith, and Drew analyzing 'DS9: The Search, Part II'. They begin with first impressions, noting the episode felt rushed compared to Part I, particularly in the sacrifice scenes involving Sisko and Kira. The twist ending, where the Dominion treaty is revealed as a simulation, is debated for its effectiveness and emotional impact. The hosts compare the episode to the novelization by Diane Carey, which offered more depth from Kira's perspective and Sisko's internal conflict. Discussion covers the changeling effects, praising them for 1994 CGI, and the introduction of terms like 'solids' and 'the Great Link'. The hosts critique racial allegories, such as Quark's 'I have a dream' speech and Odo's claims of racism, questioning the writing by Ira Stephen Behr and Robert Hewitt Wolfe. They explore the Dominion's strategy of testing Starfleet through simulation, likening it to 'The Matrix'. Characters like Admiral Nechayev and Garak are analyzed for their roles in the simulation and moral complexity. The episode's Western frontier themes are noted, linking DS9 to 'The Original Series'. The hosts rank the episode, with differing opinions on its quality relative to Part I, and preview the next episode, 'House of Quark'.

As heard by us

A loose, lore-minded discussion finds connective tissue in a rushed Star Trek sequel.

The Search, Part II gets a brisk second look from hosts who keep circling its rushed, compressed feel. They test whether the sequel holds together, then use its changeling material to open out into earlier Star Trek ideas about Nomad, V'ger, creators, and Voyager's caretaker,…

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Why you'd press play

Press play when The Search, Part II sounds better with changeling lore, Quark detours, and friendly arguing around whether it feels rushed or cohesive.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →
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