When It Rains…

"When It Rains..." is the 171st episode of the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the fifth of the final ten-episode arc of the series.

This episode was directed by Michael Dorn (who also is cast as Worf in the show) and written by Rene Echevarria.^[1] The main cast is matched with a dozen guest stars playing characters from across Star Trek.^[2] Settings include the fictional planet Bajor, Deep Space Nine station, and a Cardassian base.^[3]

Summary

This television episode has several stories within it that link into Star Trek franchise characters and plots in particular and brings together several stories as Star Trek: Deep Space Nine winded down and the end of season seven.^[4] The characters Kira, Odo, and Garak go an away mission to help Damar's Cardassian resistance, back on the station Sisko and Martok meet with Gowron who has come to meet them.^[5][6] Additional stories include Bashir and O'Brien on Deep Space Nine station and Dukat and Kai Winn on planet Bajor.^[7]

The USS Defiant was destroyed in the previous episode and is not used.^[8][9]

Plot

At a strategy meeting, Chief Miles O'Brien reveals that only one ship survived the previous Second Battle of Chin'Toka: a Klingon Bird-of-Prey that made a chance adjustment in its warp core which immunized it to the Breen's devastating energy dampening weapon. However, this fix cannot be applied to Federation and Romulan ships, putting the Allies at a severe disadvantage. The Dominion is putting its final offensive on hold in order to deal with Damar's uprising of the Cardassian military. To help Damar lead the revolt against Cardassia, Benjamin Sisko orders Kira Nerys to go with Garak to Cardassia to teach the Cardassians the techniques of guerilla warfare. Admiral Ross grants Kira a field commission in Starfleet, with the rank of Commander.

Julian Bashir's idea of using changeling tissue to create better synthetic organs for solids leads to his discovering that Odo is infected with the same disease plaguing the Great Link. Odo decides to go with Kira to Cardassia anyway. Bashir tries hard to get Odo's medical records from his visit to Earth three years ago, but when he receives a phony file he realizes that Section 31 created the disease and used Odo as a carrier.

After inducting Martok into the Order of Kahless, Gowron announces he will take a more active role in the conduct of the war. Gowron designs a plan to attack the Dominion, even though Worf and Martok point out that the Klingons would be outnumbered twenty to one.

Anjohl Tennan (Dukat) sneaks a look at the book of the Kosst Amojan and the Pah-wraiths punish him by blinding him. Winn throws Anjohl out (she was already aware of his true identity) and tells him he can return when his sight is restored.

Arc significance

• Kira, Garak and Odo go to Cardassia to help Damar's resistance movement.
• Gowron comes to the station to take a more active role in the war.
• Bashir discovers that Odo suffers from the Changeling disease and that Section 31 infected him over three years ago (cf. "Homefront").

Reception

TV.com lists "When It Rains..." with rating of 8.7 points out of 10 on 124 user votes.^[10] "When It Rains..." had 4.3 million viewers when it was broadcast on television in 1999.^[11] One reviewer noted one of Bashir's character devices, that he becomes obsessed with curing a disease as in some prior episodes.^[12]

It is also noted for having a lot of plot setup, but not much resolution as part of story arc leading up to the season finale.^[13]

References

External links

• When It Rains… on IMDb
• "When It Rains…" at TV.com

• When It Rains… at Memory Alpha (a Star Trek wiki)

• When It Rains… at StarTrek.com