Cheap Star Trek - Deep Space Nine, Episode 39: Blood Oath (Video) (Avery Brooks) (Victor Lobl, David Carson, Gabrielle Beaumont, Robert Legato, Robert Scheerer, Tony Dow, James L. Conway, Alexander Siddig, Avery Brooks) Price

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Customer Reviews of Star Trek - Deep Space Nine, Episode 39: Blood Oath

The 'warrior race' makes another memorable DS9 appearance
Usually I don't enjoy those episodes of the later Star Trek incarnations that draw on past shows from the original series. But this is one of those rare exceptions where I don't adhere too strongly to that belief. Reuniting the familiar Kor, Koloth & Kang was a minor stroke of genius by the creative staff and the storyline is first-rate but not executed without flaws. Some great humor, a heinous and hateful villain plus the dilemma Dax experiences because of her current standing as a Starfleet officer and her recent past as Curzon Dax makes this one of the better DS9 episodes. <
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>Discovering the Klingon that Odo has incarcerated is an old friend named Kor, Dax asks to have him released into her custody. Soon the two of them meet up with another pair of Klingons, Koloth and Kang, on the DS9 promenade. The three Klingons have gathered together at the station looking for Curzon Dax so the four of them could carry out a blood oath against a nemesis, the Albino, who killed the three Klingons first-born as an act of vengeance. Kang has received information from a traitor concerning the whereabouts of their common enemy and is eager to exact revenge. Both Kang and Koloth refuse to let Jadzia Dax participate because she is both no longer Curzon Dax and a man. She proves herself to them in a bat'leth battle on the holosuite and soon they depart DS9 for the Albino's fortress on a nearby planet. Dax realizes that something is wrong with their mission and confronts Kang who confesses he has been in contact with the Albino who wants to meet his enemies in battle and a chance for each of them to die with honor. Because the Albino has too favorable an edge Dax figures a strategy to even the odds, disabling the weaponry at the fortress and allowing the four of them to do hand-to-hand combat with their enemy and his forces. The fight soon ensues and ends with both victory and tragedy for the quartet. <
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>A favorite among fans since it was first seen the credit for the reunion of Classic Trek Klingons goes to series co-producer Robert Hewitt Wolfe. According to the book 'The DS9 Companion' upon reading writer Peter Allan Fields's story Wolfe suggested to the writer that he use the three Klingons from the original series. It was a real coup for the show and fans alike that the same three actors were still available and able to recreate their old characters. Although each of them give fine performances John Calicos as Kor is the most enjoyable and received all the humorous lines of dialogue. It's a shame he didn't make a return to the station in a later episode. But as significant as the gathering of these three is the episode still clearly remains focused on the character of Dax. <
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>Dax experiences another identity crisis and she is set on participating in the blood oath because her principals allow her to see such a violent act as honorable and means that justice will be exacted under Klingon laws. Sisko reminds her that she is a Starfleet officer, "What about the laws of the Federation, are you just going to ignore them?" When he pushes her further by asking if she'll be ready to suffer the consequences of her actions under Federation law she leaves the station telling Sisko she'll find out if he bring the charges against her. It is an effective moment but all the same quite a silly one. Any commanding officer would have placed a subordinate officer under arrest and been done with it. And when she does return all he does is stare her down. Only in the movies! Another small quibble I had with this episode was the absence of the Klingon death howl. In the ST: TNG episode 'Heart Of Glory' the Klingon death ritual was shown as holding the deceased one's eyes open while the living looked upward and howled, in essence warning the dead that a warrior is about to enter their realm. Instead one of the Klingons sings. Maybe there has to be more than one Klingon present for this ritual? And since when do tetryon particles cause phasers and weaponry to malfunction? This is the one and only reference to this tactic in the entire Star Trek canon which is amazing since it is so effective when used here! <
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>On the other hand there are other more quietly effective and less unerring moments such as Dax coldly asking Kira about how it felt to her to kill Cardassians during the war. The bat'leth fight between Kang and Dax on the holosuite is done very well. The final fight sequence at the Albino's fortress has both a great gothic and operatic feel to it; and Dax has a great closing line as her friends lay slain. But the best line of the show comes in the opening when Quark gets Odo's help in disposing of an unruly Klingon holosuite customer. It seems the individual refuses to leave and has threatened to kill him if he turns the power off. At the entrance Odo tells Quark to turn the power off to which the Ferengi exclaims, "I can't or the Klingon will kill us". Odo quickly and correctly points out, "No. He said he'd kill you." Yet another great and memorable exchange between the two 'friendly' adversaries of DS9. <
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>Worth noting: Michael Ansara who plays Kang here would return for the fourth season episode 'The Muse' as the alien Jeyal.

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You can go home again!
Three veterans from the original Trek return in older versions of their earlier selves and a new part entirely. John Colicos and Michael Ansara reprise their roles as Klingon warriors and William Campbell, memorable in the classic "Squire of Gothos" episode, also dons the garb of a member of the warrior race.

What I liked most about this series is its use of skilled character actors and this episode is no exception. The three thespians relish their roles and play them with much gusto. The storyline allows each to bring his distinctive interpretation of a Klingon officer. They balance perfectly and play well with the younger Terry Ferrell in the role of the popular "Dax".

This is indeed one of the best in Trek history.

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For Dax and a trio of Klingons, it is a good day to die
Three of the fiercest Klingon warriors from the original classic Star Trek show up at Deep Space Nine: Kor (John Colicos), Koloth (William Campbell) and Kand (Michael Ansara). The trio have shown up looking for Curzon Dax, with whom they made a blood oath to slay their greatest adversary, the Albino. When they discover Jadzia Dax instead they refuse to let her come along, so she gets a bat'leth and kicks their butts around for a while. However, while they are on their way to confront the Albino, Dax figures out there is something wrong with their mission. "Blood Oath" is not a great episode, but it is certainly well above average. Getting to see this trio madeup as the new improved Klingons is certainly a blast, but not as much fun as watching the three veteran actors ham it up with each other throughout the episode. Finally, there is Jadzia as a fierce Klingon warrior; no wonder Worf is going to fall for her when he shows up on the series. "Blood Oath" is a fun episode and one of the best Klingon episodes of Star Trek.