Top 20 Episodes of Star Trek Deep Space Nine #1: Trials and Tribble-ations

Well ladies and gentlemen, here we are, the final episode on this Deep Space Nine countdown. You know, before I wrote up this article, I took a look back at the other favorite episodes of Star Trek we’ve covered and I noticed something. Most of those episodes draw upon the origins of Star Trek or the origins of science fiction itself. Fitting as this list is intended to be a celebration of the anniversary of Star Trek. With Relics, we saw the return of a veteran of the old series get one last chance at glory. With Bride of Chaotica, we paid homage to the exciting, if not corny, science fiction serials of yesteryear. With In a Mirror Darkly, we re-visited old sets and creatures of classic Star Trek for the sake of fan service. With Far Beyond the Stars, we saw science fiction writing from the perspective of its writers. Hell, even Trouble with Tribbles was partially inspired by an old Robert Heinlein story. And speaking of Trouble with Tribbles, how fitting is it that my first Star Trek article for this website was on that episode and this, the last article of the countdown brings us back right back where we started. Ladies and gentlemen, I give to you, my favorite episode of Deep Space Nine, Trials and Tribble-ations.

The episode begins with Sisko and crew transporting a human merchant off of Cardassia. However, this merchant is more than he appears. In reality he’s a Klingon. In fact, the very same Klingon who poisoned the grain on the station K7 back in Kirk’s day. After his failure, he was exiled from the empire and has had years to build up his resentment, and now, using ancient Bajoran artifacts, he plans to go back in time and enact his revenge and the only ones who can stop him are our heroes. I’ll be honest, the plot of this episode is very thin, but that’s okay, because that’s not what really makes the episode great. More than any other episode or movie in the series’ canon, it is this one that best celebrates Star Trek's great legacy. Every scene in which the DS9 crew interacts with and comments upon the Star Trek that came before is an absolute delight. My favorite among them is when the crew spots a group of Klingons in the original series makeup prompting everyone to look at Worf with a confused look. Worf’s response is priceless as he simply states that they are Klingons and it is a long story.

Another thing worth noting in this episode are the effects. Much of the episode uses compositing to insert our modern actors into footage from the 60’s and the effects, even after all these years are seamless. Even when I watch the episode on an HD TV I can hardly tell they’re even there.

This episode is a blast and filled with so many in-jokes, tributes and Easter eggs that I couldn’t begin to list them all here. The point I want to make is, I have loved Star Trek since I was old enough to talk and the series, Deep Space Nine in particular, has stayed with me throughout my adult life. And through all of that, when asked what I think of when I think of Star Trek, I always respond by saying this episode. It is a celebration of Star Trek, both old and new. Fitting then that the episode ends with Captain Benjamin Sisko coming face to face with Captain James T. Kirk and saying that it was an honor to serve under him. So too do I feel honored to have been touched by Star Trek, and equally honored that I was able to share what Trek has meant to me with all of you. And so we’ve come to the end of this countdown. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you all for taking this journey with me. It has been a ton of fun. I’d actually love to do something like this with another sci-fi series that I love, but that will have to wait for another… time.

Hmmm, time…

Y’know, People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually, from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint, it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly timey wimey … stuff.

See you later.