User Reviews

'Homefront'

Season four, episode eleven

This claustrophobic episode, and it's sequel 'Paradise Lost', are one of the first inklings in the DS9 series that the mood is going to turn much darker as the show develops, taking it away from the previously conceived idea that life in the twenty-fourth century Trek verse is a perfect utopia. The episode sees Sisko and Odo arriving on Earth where Starfleet Command has asked for their expertise in helping Starfleet Security prepare contingencies to protect Earth as they believe the Founders have have infiltrated the Federation.

Aside from seeing more of Sisko's personal life in the form of meeting his chef father Joseph, what made this episode so good was watching as Federation Earth seemed to crumble as they prepared to face this new threat from within. After nearly four centuries on peace on the planet, I imagine the high levels of paranoia, fear and anxiety as people began to distrust even those close to them is exactly how humans would react despite claims they have moved passed such immature behaviour expected more from a 'barbaric' twenty-first century human. It also has hints, which link to how the Federation would eventually win the war, over why unity is more important than division. After all, the Founders were able to ravage the Alpha Quadrant by dividing up old alliances and casting doubt among various races.

"Homefront" and its follow-up, "Paradise Lost" are excellent shows-- and they are yet another pair of two-part episodes. This isn't a complaint--more an observation about the huge number of multi-part episodes that this and "Star Trek: The Next Generation" had.

When the show begins, the wormhole is behaving oddly--it keeps opening and closing and nothing in particular seems to be going through it. Soon a horrible tragedy occurs--a peace conference on Earth with the Romulans is blown up--apparently by the Changelings. Sisko and Odo are then ordered back to Earth. Sisko is asked to take over Starfleet's security and Odo is there to help beef up security in order to detect other shape-shifters. Paranoia is running rampant--and Sisko also has his hands full due to his super- ornery father (Brock Peters).

This episode is high on paranoia--which I generally love on the show. There also are a lot of machinations going on--and this is ushered in my the power grid of Earth going haywire at the end of the episode. What's next? See this exciting episode to find out for yourself.

Sisko is appointed head of security on Earth.

This is a good episode that sets up the plot well for part 2.

The writers develop a good sense of paranoia and at the same give us quality time with the Sisko family's Louisiana heritage. Joseph Sisko is important to the plot and is nicely played by Brock Peters.

I like the way it portrays the difficulty of governing when there is an external threat. This theme gets more compelling as the story unfolds and it finishes with you wanting to know what happens next.

All the visuals and Earth scenes are well done and the performances are solid.

The character of the President of the Federation is unfortunately written a bit too weak considering the scope of his power.

It's a 7.5/10 for me but I round upwards.

Earth is under attack and Sisko has been enlisted to defend it against the Dominion. Odo is along for the ride, doing a great deal of work. A shape-shifter has caused an explosion and killed 27 Earth people. Sisko must fight not only the invaders, but has to lock horns with his own father, a snarly, self-centered guy who refuses to aid in any way. He also is under the direction of a weak-willed Federation president who wants things to stay as is. The fact is that this threat is so hard to engage. Can conventional military opposition find and defeat it. Part Two should be quite interesting.