Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Season 7 (1998–99)

Star Trek: DS9: Season 7 (1998–99)

26 episodes, approx 44 minutes each.

The religious aspects that are a defining feature of DS9's scripted world play a major role in the series closing season. As before, the pairing is arguably as damaging to the whole as it is beneficial. There's a weighty revelation centred around such that I'm sure will divide viewers. Unfortunately for me, I'm one of the folks that feels it was too convenient - but I acknowledge it may have been planned from day one, it's not something that's completely left field.

A new primary character is introduced; it might seem a little late in the day to be doing such a thing, but that shakeup makes sense when put into context. I won't go into further detail because it's spoilery.

The holographic Vic Fontaine (James Darren) character that made his début in S6 gets a lot more screen time, functioning as a kind of advice-giver to the crew. It's a silly idea that sometimes works.

Guest stars include actor Bill Mumy (Lost in Space / Babylon 5), actress Adrienne Barbeau (John Carpenter's The Fog; and Escape from New York), and more of the wonderful Jeffrey Combs, who in one episode plays as both Brunt and Weyoun!

Ep 09: Covenant is an important one. It's not particularly refined or well-written (and yet again the Bajorian people are depicted as little more than unthinking blind sheep), but it creates reverberating ripples that cause much upset thereafter for many people.

Ep 14: Chimera is noteworthy for fans of Odo, due to its further exploring the "one-hundred infant Changelings" sent into the Alpha Quadrant that the security chief was a part of.

The final two episodes (25 + 26), suitably titled What You Leave Behind, are presented as a single feature-length piece on the R2 DVD set. Like The Next Generation did previously, it's connected to the series first episode (S1). Yet despite the added benefit of having a multi-year approach that was planned to be more of an ongoing narrative, it's not as successful in execution as TNG's small screen farewell. There's a sentimental montage that's handled well, though.

Bashir / Odo / Worf / Jadzia / Ezri / Ben Sisko / Jake Sisko /  Kira / Quark /  O'Brien