“Battle Lines” 30th-anniversary reflections
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)
The Orb 82: Kai Ben
The Orb 81: Losing the Peace
The Orb 80: You’re Going to Invade Cleveland?
The Orb 79: Your Time of Trial Has Ended
The Orb 78: The Emissary's Task Is Nearing Completion
The Orb of Mail: I’m Gonna Make That Part of My Head Canon
The Orb 77: A Nightmare on Odo Street
The Orb 76: The Best Massages Kira’s Ever Had
The Orb 75: The One Where Earl Grey Talks DS9
The Orb 74: Strategery
The Orb 73: Refreshed and Mildly Entertained
The Orb 72: It's a Trap!
The Orb 71: They’re More Elite Than You Are
The Orb 70: The Reality of the Mind
The Orb 69: Gentleness Missed
The Orb 68: Doomed from the Beginning
The Orb of Mail: Apparently Section 31 Is Batman
The Orb 67: The Metanarrative
The Orb 66: There. Are. Fourteen. Planets!
The Orb 65: Song, Ritual, and Unbridled Passions
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