Paradise Lost (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)

"Paradise Lost" is the 84th episode of the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the 12th episode of the fourth season. This mostly takes place on the show's version of future Earth, in the 2370s rather than Deep Space Nine.

"Paradise Lost"
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode
Episode no.Season 4
Episode 12
Directed byReza Badiyi
Story byRonald D. Moore
Teleplay byIra Steven Behr
Robert Hewitt Wolfe
Featured musicJay Chattaway
Production code484
Original air dateJanuary 8, 1996 (1996-01-08)
Guest appearance(s)

This episode follows on from the previous episode "Homefront".

The fictional Star Trek spaceship, an Excelsior-class starship is also seen, which had been introduced to the franchise in the film Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984) and has a significant role in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991) and Star Trek: Generations. It was used as the Enterprise 1701-B, and this design was used throughout the Star Trek science fiction universe including this episode.

Plot

Earth has been placed under martial law due to a seemingly imminent Dominion invasion, but Benjamin Sisko believes that there is more going on than meets the eye. With the aid of Odo and Cadet Nog's connections with the Red Squad, an elite and selective group of cadets at Starfleet Academy, Sisko gathers evidence that Admiral Leyton is planning a coup d'état. He takes the information to President Jaresh-Inyo; however, Jaresh-Inyo is hesitant to act in the absence of concrete evidence.

Sisko is confronted by a Changeling, one of the shape-shifting rulers of the Dominion, in the guise of Chief O'Brien. He tells Sisko there are actually only a total of four Changelings on Earth, and mockingly points out to Sisko how much panic they have caused, drastically out of proportion to their actual numbers.

Sisko contacts Major Kira on Deep Space Nine to uncover the evidence Jaresh-Inyo needs: a Starfleet officer on DS9, Lieutenant Arriaga, has been manipulating the Bajoran wormhole at Leyton's behest to create the impression that a cloaked Dominion fleet is en route to Earth. Before he can present the evidence to Jaresh-Inyo, Leyton has Sisko framed as being a Changeling and imprisoned. Odo breaks Sisko out of prison.

The crew of DS9 is en route to Earth on the Defiant, bringing Arriaga to confess to the conspiracy. In order to prevent Arriaga's evidence from reaching Earth, Leyton orders the USS Lakota to intercept, telling the crew that the Defiant is crewed by Changelings. When the Lakota fires on the Defiant, Lt. Cmdr. Worf, in command of the Defiant, has no choice but to return fire. Outmatched by the Defiant's superior armour and firepower, the Lakota is on the brink of destruction when Leyton orders them to destroy the Defiant. As Sisko confronts Leyton at phaser point, the captain of the Lakota refuses orders to destroy the Defiant and stands down, allowing the Defiant on its way. With his conspiracy falling apart, Leyton resigns, and the state of emergency is lifted.

Reception

Paired with the previous episode, "Homefront", this two parter was rated as the 22nd best episode of Star Trek overall, in 2016 by The Hollywood Reporter.[1]

In 2018, CBR rated "Paradise Lost", together with previous episode "Homefront", as the 16th best multi episode story of Star Trek.[2]

Cultural References

As Captain Sisko reads out the names of officers transferred by Leyton, he lists the names Daneeka, McWatt, Snowden, Orr and Moodus. Each of these is the name of a character in the Joseph Heller novel Catch-22: Doc Daneeka, McWatt (a pilot), Snowden (a radio-gunner), Orr and Colonel Moodus.[3]

References
  1. ""Homefront" and "Paradise Lost" - 'Star Trek': 100 Greatest Episodes". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2019-03-24.
  2. "Star Trek's Greatest Episodic Sagas, Ranked". CBR. 2018-11-23. Retrieved 2019-07-03.
  3. "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" Paradise Lost (TV Episode 1996) - IMDb, retrieved 2019-05-14


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