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Finished my DS9 Season 5 rewatch.

Season 5 starts with the crew attempting to prove Gowron is a changeling, only to find out it was Martok all along. This at least opens up Gowron’s mind to resuming the Federation-Klingon alliance later in the season.

Other big developments see Odo struggling to adapt to life as a solid, including getting laid, until another changeling uses its death to give Odo back his changing ability. Odo also has his feelings for Kira revealed, including a different Odo dooming an entire planet of survivors in order to save Kira’s life. We also see that Odo mistakenly sentenced 3 Bajorans to death in the past.
Speaking of Kira, she breaks up with Shakaar, and she and Odo agree to put any romantic feelings on hold, her actions during the Occupation have a consequence as members of her old cell are eliminated, and she has to deal with leaving her father for revenge, only for him to die while she was away.

It is discovered that Bashir was replaced by a changeling at some point; Worf and Garak discover the real Bashir at a prison camp, along with Garak’s father, Enabran Tain, and the real Martok. The Cardassians decide to join up with the Dominion, and Dukat, upset at his daughter’s friendship with Garak, abandons her on DS9. We also learn that Bashir was genetically enhanced, resulting in his dad going to jail.

Dax and Worf’s relationship grows closer, and they both help Martok reclaim his honour after his captivity. Worf ends up joining the House of Martok, and in the first episode, he duels with Gowron, and not for the last time.

Jake and Nog move in together; Jake also sees the horrors of war up front when he and Bashir end up at a Federation outpost under attack by the Klingons. One of the seasons best episodes involve them trying to get a rare baseball card for Sisko, resulting in cheering up all the main staff.
Even Quark hooks up with his Klingon ex-wife, has to deal with his mother dating the Grand Nagus, gets permission to run his business again from Ferenginar, and gets to see Rom and Leeta get married. He also tries arms dealing, to no one’s satisfaction.


O’Brien has to worry about his son being carried by Kira, growing closer to her, and then having Keiko taken over by a Pah-Wraith, one of the most divisive creations in all of DS9, which would go on to play a pivotal role in the last season.

As for Sisko, he’s everywhere this season, including having visions that piss of Starfleet, in which he tells Bajor to delay entering the Federation, and Jake has to decide whether to let him live, or die to see out his visions. Kasidy comes back and they resume their relationship, and he spends some time hunting down Eddington, finally getting his man, only to have to release hm to save some Maquis, resulting in Eddington’s death.

Regular guest stars Dukat, Garak, Winn, Rom, Leeta, Zek, Brunt, Ishka, Damar, Ziyal, and Weyoun all return. We also find out that the Vorta are clones, which allows them to keep using Jeffrey Combs, which is awesome. We also get Zimmerman (the EMH) from Voyager.


DS9 continues its run of excellent guest stars; we get Phil Morris, Kurtwood Smith, Vanessa Williams and Monte Markham, Brian George, Lawrence Tierney and Steven Berkoff, David Graf and Rick Worthy as Klingons, and Brian Markinson.

And of course, no summary of DS9 Season 5 is complete without mentioning the masterful “Trials and Tribble-ations,” in which the crew travel back in time to Kirk’s time, looking for a bomb amongst the tribbles on the old Enterprise, and where Worf refuses to talk about why Klingons now look different from Klingons then.

The season ends with the Federation abandoning DS9, as the Bajorans now have a non-aggression pact with the Dominion, with Odo, Kira, Quark – and Jake – left behind as the Federation leaves cloaked mines to prevent Dominion reinforcements.

This was a season that Gene probably never would have allowed, and it is a fantastic season, and shows why I love DS9 so much.