Deep Space Nine 607 "You Are Cordially Invited"

Well, in the wake of the six episode arc of our heroes being kicked off the station and all the intensity therein, we could use a lighter, "breather" type episode with plenty if comic relief and lower stakes. Is one basically succeeds, warts and all.

Jeez, they're already fighting.
I give 'em till the end of the season. Tops.

The central theme of is one is more or less, "Jadzia confronts her mother in-law, and Worf becomes a bridezilla." One thing I've been noticing more and more lately is how much OCD Worf seems to have, like its almost a Klingon version of Aspergers Syndrome. The discomfort with departures from routine, the hyper-attention to detail, the social awkwardness. Now that I say it out loud, it's been staring me in the face the whole time. Huh. What do you know? And I thought he was just being a giant putz half the time.

There's not a great deal of character development in this one apart from the obvious marriage between Worf and Dax. Worf is still fussy and relentlessly pursues what he thinks is a proper Klingon lifestyle (a thing he is often famously wrong about), Dax is still flighty and headstrong. To be honest, Dax's defiance of her prospective mother in-law is completely in character, and something you identify with. You REALLY want to see Dax smash Sirella across the face. And when she does, we are right with her.

Worf has his fellas join them for the "Path to Kalhiya" which is purported to be a Klingon bachelor party, but seems to more resemble the less pleasurable elements of a bachelor party put on by an ultra long-winded Mormon pain freak. Good on the boys for joining him, but I can see why thy later run to quarks for a gut buster meal when the whole thing goes pear shaped.

Dax throws a great Tiki party, which Sirella attempts to poop, but the aforementioned face-smashing occurs. They also use this occasion to provide a denouement to the "the poor decisions of Kira and Odo" character thread. There's very little to it, but I'm glad they at least put a button on it. Going back to business as usual without at least saying something would not have been a great move.

The most touching episode element is Martok's speech about his wife. It rings true and any guy who's ever known the trials and tribulations of a long term relationship with a lady that he loves who drives him crazy.

There are a few other hurdles to get over, but nothing really that we didn't see coming. It's just an excuse to let "the Worf family" stretch it's legs a bit. It's all good because there's really no true antagonist here. Even Sirella is won over by the power of love in the end.

We end with a Klingon wedding (exactly what you'd expect... They kill their own gods!) and Bashir and O'Brien giving word his comeuppance by beating higher crap out of him with sticks. All is well. Ahhhh. The breather episode.