Behind the Lines (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)

"Behind the Lines"
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode
Episode no.	Season 6 Episode 4
Directed by	LeVar Burton
Written by	René Echevarria
Featured music	Dennis McCarthy
Production code	528
Original air date	October 20, 1997 (1997-10-20)
Guest appearances
Jeffrey Combs as Weyoun Marc Alaimo as Dukat Max Grodénchik as Rom Aron Eisenberg as Nog Casey Biggs as Damar Barry Jenner as Admiral Ross Salome Jens as Female Changeling

"Behind the Lines" is the fourth episode of the sixth season of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, 128th episode in the science fiction show.

The episode was written by Rene Echevarria and directed by actor-director LeVar Burton. It was broadcast on television on October 20, 1997.

At this time the USS Defiant is operating from Federation Starbase 375. Deep Space Nine station is under the auspices of the Dominion-Cardassian alliance under a non-aggression pact with Bajor. This is part of the ongoing Dominion war saga on this science fiction television show.

This had a Nielsen rating of 5.1 points, which was about 5 million viewers when it premiered.

Plot

Returning from another successful mission against the Dominion, Captain Sisko is informed that Starfleet Intelligence has discovered a massive Dominion sensor array. It is capable of tracking ship movements over five sectors and cloaked ships within two light-years. Sisko determines that the only way to destroy the array is to approach it from through a star cluster. However, he will not be commanding the mission. Commander Dax leads the mission and is successful in destroying the array.

Meanwhile, Major Kira and the others on Terok Nor are successful in spreading distrust between the Cardassians and Dominion (by having the Jem'Hadar find Damar's PADD, in which he outlined a plan to poison the last batches of ketracel-white should they run out). Things nearly reach a head between Weyoun and Dukat (who has still not been able to destroy the minefield) until the Female Changeling arrives. She had become trapped in the Alpha Quadrant and wishes to link with Odo. He learns more about his people.

Over a bottle of Kanar, Damar tells Quark he has found a way to destroy the minefield: by using the station's deflector array, they can use an anti-graviton beam to disable the mines' replicator units. Quark relays this information to Kira and Rom, who attempt to destroy the beam. However, the plan depends on Odo running a security diagnostic (disabling the system's alarms) and he is in the middle of linking with the Changeling while Rom begins his work. Rom is captured by Damar. Kira confronts Odo, but he merely says that while linked nothing else matters.

Reception

In 2015, Geek.com recommended this episode as "essential watching" for their abbreviated Star Trek: Deep Space Nine binge-watching guide. Also in 2015, a binge-watching guide for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine by W.I.R.E.D. recommended not skipping this essential episode.

Tor.com notes that Sisko is command of the fictional starshuttle USS Defiant in this episode.

In 2018, SyFy recommend this episode for its abbreviated watch guide for the Bajoran character Kira Nerys. They recommend it as part of sequence of seven episodes including a "Call to Arms," "A Time to Stand," "Rocks and Shoals," "Sons and Daughters," "Behind the Lines," "Favor the Bold," and "Sacrifice of Angels"; this includes from the season finale of season 5 and the first six episodes of season 6 of the show.

External links

• "Behind the Lines (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)" at IMDb
• Template:TV.com episode
• Behind the Lines at Memory Alpha