“Battle Lines” 30th-anniversary reflections.
Running Time: 41 minutes 50 seconds
Download / RSS / Send us a message / Discuss the show / Support Trek.fm
A joy ride to the Gamma Quadrant turns deadly for Kai Opaka. At least until she springs back to life. Along with Sisko, Kira, and Bashir, the spiritual leader of Bajor finds herself marooned on some sort of prison colony where it is impossible to die and warring factions fight in an endless cycle of conflict. Die once on this moon and, well, you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave. But for Kai Opaka, that’s okay, because she has found a new calling, a new charge from the Prophets.
In this episode of The Orb, hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our 30th-anniversary retrospective that will take you through all of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, one episode at a time. In this installment, we discuss “Battle Lines,” how Opaka’s new calling changes not only her life but also Kira’s, why it was necessary to remove Opaka from her role on Bajor, what the story says about conflict, punishment, and redemption, and more.
Chapters
Intro (00:00:00)
Opaka’s Influence (00:03:07)
A Necessary Transition (00:13:14)
The Futility of Conflict (00:16:31)
Fear Leads to Suffering (00:20:37)
Reasonable Punishment (00:24:41)
Ambiguous Redemption (00:28:41)
Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:32:39)
Closing (00:37:38)
Hosts
C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing
Production
C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer)
“Melora” 30th-anniversary reflections. We discuss what the story says about challenges and limitations, becoming comfortable with yourself, and how the character connects to the original concept for the series.
“Cardassians” 30th-anniversary reflections. We discuss how the story expands the rich world created for the series, the return of Garak, and the difficult questions around culture and identity.
“Invasive Procedures” 30th-anniversary reflections. We discuss how the intimate story sheds light on Trill society and the relationship between symbiont and host.
“The Siege” 30th-anniversary reflections. We discuss Li Nalas's fate, what the story has to say about family and community, and how Trek's first TV trilogy ends.
“The Circle” 30th-anniversary reflections. We jump into Season 2 as we discuss how the Kira/Jaro story mirrors the start of Season 1, the timeless commentary, our fondness for middle stories, and Vedek Bareil's disturbing gaze.
“The Homecoming” 30th-anniversary reflections. We jump into Season 2 as we discuss how this story of Bajoran isolationism transforms storytelling in Star Trek and rings true three decades after it aired.
“In the Hands of the Prophets” 30th-anniversary reflections. We close out Season 1 by discussing how the story bookends the pilot while setting the series on course for its destiny of richly intricate serialized storytelling.
“Duet” 30th-anniversary reflections. We discuss how a story pitched by interns to save budget broke the dam and unleashed the potential of the young series.
Dramatis Personae ” 30th-anniversary reflections. We discuss how the writers put a distinctly DS9 twist on a TNG premise to deliver masterful character development.
“The Forsaken” 30th-anniversary reflections. We discuss how the writers put a distinctly DS9 twist on a TNG premise to deliver masterful character development.
