Sacrifice of Angels

Deep Space Nine noticeably deviated off of its usual format (and its usual base of operations) during the multi-story arc that opened season six, which went a long way to keep audience interest high and boost the importance of many of the recurring guest characters who populated the show for the long-term. The story ideas being put forward seemed to need that extra breathing room, and season six soon blossomed into a fairly high-quality serialized drama, with only the occasional odd stumbling block. For the moment, our attention is here in this finale for season six's opening six-part story. (Or seven-part story if you add last year's cliffhanger. Or eight-part story if you add the oh-so-satisfying relief episode with Worf & Dax's wedding.) In what becomes chapter 6 of "Sacrifice of Angels" on the DVD box set - the turning point with the Defiant in the wormhole - we get the next bit in the arc about Sisko and the Prophets being "of Bajor", which had started in "Accession" and been picked up again in "Rapture".

The gist of it is all about who is interfering and who is not. For starters, Sisko has taken the Federation's fight with the Dominion right into the wormhole where he intends to use it as the next battleground. If the inside of the wormhole isn't the territory and jurisdiction of the Prophet Aliens, I don't know what is, so they have every right to have their say and exert their influence. I don't know how Sisko could honestly expect them NOT to pause everything to have a few words at the very least. But I think somehow the writers intended the Prophets to say they have every right to meddle in Sisko's life, the affairs of Bajor, and the rest of the galaxy.... which dilutes the better point they could be making.

When you consider that, back in the pilot episode "Emissary", the Prophets were upset just to have any one ship pass through their realm, a whole armada should definitely be troubling. Besides, the Prophets don't need to grant the Dominion free passage through the wormhole, particularly if these Prophets are of Bajor. This is an interesting turn of events, to see the Prophet Aliens becoming involved as they probably should have some time ago.

Should there be any Prime Directive considerations anymore in the Federation's handling of Bajoran affairs? Bajor practically got accepted as a Federation member in last season's "Rapture", and we only held off on making it official to play politics in front of the Dominion.

Add that to all the talk of Sisko and the Prophets being of Bajor, and I don't think it matters anymore. Let them all interact and trade and fight alongside each other as much as they want. And include the Prophet Aliens in all that as well.

The biggest question mark here is what the Prophets mean when they say they will exact a penance from Sisko for his request. Is that lead-up for season seven's big finale? We shall see....

(The episodes "Waltz" and "The Reckoning" can now be found on their own pages.)