Hard Time (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)

"Hard Time"
	Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode
Episode no.	Season 4; Episode 19
Directed by	Alexander Singer
Teleplay by	Robert Hewitt Wolfe
Story by	Daniel Keys Moran; Lynn Barker
Featured music	Dennis McCarthy
Production code	491
Original air date	April 15, 1996
Guest stars
	Rosalind Chao - Keiko; Margot Rose - Rinn; Hana Hatae - Molly; F. J. Rio - Muñiz; Craig Wasson - Ee'char;
Episode chronology
← Previous; "Rules of Engagement"	Next →; "Shattered Mirror"
	List of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episodes

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"Hard Time" is the 91st episode of the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the 19th episode of the fourth season. The episode has an average rating of 4.8/5 on the official Star Trek website (as of August 31, 2009).

[edit] Overview

O'Brien copes with the life after long-term incarceration.

[edit] Plot

While visiting Argrathi, Chief O'Brien asks too many questions and is convicted of espionage. Instead of incarcerating convicts, the Argrathi correctional facility gives them memories of years of imprisonment in a few hours of actual time. O'Brien experiences twenty years in jail before his fellow officers can extract him from the situation.

For all but the final week or two of his subjective incarceration, his cellmate is the fictional Ee'char, whom O'Brien eventually kills over a few pieces of bread.

Back on Deep Space Nine, it quickly becomes obvious that O'Brien is not well. He is short-tempered with everyone, almost hits his own child, experiences flashbacks to jail and has full blown psychotic hallucinations. He imagines conversations with Ee'char, who urges him to get help. Despite this, he prepares to commit suicide with a phaser. Doctor Bashir catches him just in time and talks him out of it. A new course of heavy treatment soon has O'Brien on the way to recovery.

[edit] Notes

For this episode, the writers considered bringing back the Next Generation character Sito Jaxa, who was missing in action and believed dead at the end of her second episode, "Lower Decks". However, they changed their minds, not wanting to rob "Lower Decks" of its "great ending".^[1]