"Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" In the Pale Moonlight (1998)

Director:

Victor Lobl

Writers:

Gene Roddenberry (creator: "Star Trek")
Rick Berman (creator) ...

TV Series:

"Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" (1993)

Original Air Date:

15 April 1998 (Season 6, Episode 19)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Sci-Fi

Plot:

To save the Federation in a critical scheme, Sisko comes to realize that he must violate its fundamental principles to do so. |

Plot Keywords:

Bribe | Morality | Pardon | Narration | Murder

Cast

Avery Brooks	...	Captain Sisko
Rene Auberjonois	...	Odo
Michael Dorn	...	Lt. Commander Worf
Terry Farrell	...	Lt. Commander Jadzia Dax
Cirroc Lofton	...	Jake Sisko (credit only)
Colm Meaney	...	Chief O'Brien (credit only)
Armin Shimerman	...	Quark
Alexander Siddig	...	Doctor Bashir
Nana Visitor	...	Major Kira
Andrew Robinson	...	Garak (as Andrew J. Robinson)
Jeffrey Combs	...	Weyoun
Casey Biggs	...	Damar
Howard Shangraw	...	Tolar
Stephen McHattie	...	Vreenak
Judi M. Durand	...	Cardassian Computer Voice (voice) (as Judi Durand)

Company:

Paramount Television

Trivia:

In The Pale Moonlight is considered by many to be the darkest Star Trek episode ever, and more importantly, the one that challenges Gene Roddenberry's vision of a peaceful human future more than any other episode. It's exactly for this reason why many fans consider it Star Trek's finest hour.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Captain Sisko: Captain's personal log, stardate five one seven... thr-, uh... Five one seven... four - Computer, what day is it?
Cardassian Computer Voice: Stardate 51721.3.

Movie Connections:

References Batman (1989)

Maybe DS9's finest.

Folks either hate this episode or love it. Honestly, I think it's of the best of the series, along with "Duet", "The Visitor", and "The Way of the Warrior".

To make a long story short, Sisko may have to sacrifice everything to save the Federation (and the Alpha Quadrant) from certain annihilation at the hands of the Dominion.

Andrew Robinson and Avery Brooks have tremendous chemistry in this episode, and it challenges everything that made Star Trek what is was. Make no mistake, few series can get away with it, let alone accomplish something like this.

The direction and script were fantastic in this episode, also producing a new canon ship and giving one the best one liners in Star Trek history.

This episode may not have the touching emotions of "The Visitor" or the dynamic action of "Way of the Warrior", but it is gritty, dirty, and makes you question what you would be willing to sacrifice to save something larger then yourself.