History Recap / StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS07E17Penumbra

On Cardassia, Damar and Weyoun are busy with a new communications relay. Damar is grating under the Dominion's leadership, particularly from how costly the war has proven in Cardassian lives, but Weyoun will hear no disobedience. He goes to the Female Changeling to report their progress but has no good news about a vaccine to cure her degenerative disease. She orders all of the Vorta scientists to record their findings and be executed and replaced by their next clones to get a fresh perspective on the problem. Meanwhile, Dukat meets with Damar, still proselytizing about the pah-wraiths, and asks a favor. Damar obliges and gives Dukat the use of surgeons who make him appear Bajoran as part of some unspoken plan.

* ContinuityOverlap: As with the preceding episode, enough time had passed since the release of ''Insurrection'' to finally sync up [=DS9=] with the vents of the film. The mention of the Son'a Outposts is the closest the series gets to acknowledging what happened in the Briar Patch.

* {{Symbolism}}: The episode title. A penumbra is the outer, lighter area of shadow formed when a celestial body is partially eclipsing another (i.e., by the moon when it passes before the sun, or the earth when it does). The implication is that the war with the Dominion is moving into its final, most dangerous act and the heroes will be facing their DarkestHour (or as the Prophet-vision of Sisko's mother tells him, a "great trial" is imminent). [[note]]Originally, this would have been made clearer by the following two episodes, whose working titles were "Umbra" and "Eclipse." Once they were changed, this became an ArtifactTitle, but it still works for the general symbolism of the coming arc.[[/note]]

* {{Symbolism}}: The episode title. A penumbra is the outer, lighter area of shadow formed when a celestial body is partially eclipsing another (i.e., by the moon when it passes before the sun, or the earth when it does). The implication is that the war with the Dominion is moving into its final, most dangerous act and the heroes will be facing their DarkestHour (or as the Prophet-vision of Sisko's mother tells him, a "great trial" is imminent).[[note]]Originally, this would have been made clearer by the following two episodes, whose working titles were "Umbra" and "Eclipse." Once they were changed, this became an ArtifactTitle, but it still works for the general symbolism of the coming arc.[[/note]]

* {{Symbolism}}: The episode title. A penumbra is the outer, lighter area of shadow formed when a celestial body is partially eclipsing another (i.e., by the moon when it passes before the sun, or the earth when it does). The implication is that the war with the Dominion is moving into its final, most dangerous act and the heroes will be facing their DarkestHour (or as the Prophet-vision of Sisko's mother tells him, a "great trial" is imminent).

* {{Symbolism}}: The episode title. A penumbra is the outer, lighter area of shadow formed when a celestial body is partially eclipsing or being eclipsed by another (i.e., by the moon when it passes before the sun, or the earth when it does). The implication is that the war with the Dominion is moving into its final, most dangerous act and the heroes will be facing their DarkestHour (or as the Prophet-vision of Sisko's mother tells him, a "great trial" is imminent).

On Cardassia, Damar and Weyoun are busy with a new communications relay. Damar is grating under the Dominion's leadership, particularly from how costly the war has proven in Cardassian lives, but Weyoun will hear no disobedience. He goes to the Female Changeling to report their progress but has no good news about a vaccine to cure her degenerative disease. She orders all of the Vorta scientists to record their findings and be executed to get a fresh perspective on the problem. Meanwhile, Dukat meets with Damar, still proselytizing about the pah-wraiths, and asks a favor. Damar obliges and gives Dukat the use of surgeons who make him appear Bajoran as part of some unspoken plan.

** Weyoun orders Damar to redirect ships to protect a Son'a outpost. In ''Film/StarTrekInsurrection'', it was mentioned that the Son'a were supplying the Dominion with ketracel-white. [[spoiler: Since the Final Chapter takes place after the events of the film, the implication is that despite Picard's best efforts, at least some of the Son'a haven't reconciled with the Ba'ku in the wake of Ru'afo's death.]]

* WillTheyOrWontThey: Ezri and Worf? They will. . .

* ContinuityNod: Weyoun orders Damar to redirect ships to protect a Son'a outpost. In ''Film/StarTrekInsurrection'', it was mentioned that the Son'a were supplying the Dominion with ketracel-white. [[spoiler: Since the Final Chapter takes place after the events of the film, the implication is that despite Picard's best efforts, at least some of the Son'a haven't reconciled with the Ba'ku in the wake of Ru'afo's death.]]

Strap yourselves in, because it's time for the nine-episode concluding arc of ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine''. When Worf is stranded behind enemy lines, Ezri defies orders and goes to rescue him alone. When the rescue goes awry, the pair are finally forced to confront the UST that has been brewing between them all season. On Cardassia, Gul Dukat reemerges, and he undergoes a startling transformation. Finally, Captain Sisko's wedding plans face some supernatural interference.

* BadBoss: The female changeling tells Weyoun to execute the Vorta doctors and activate their clones, thinking it might give them a fresh perspective. Since Vorta routinely back up their memories, the only thing lost here is the time and effort it takes to clone replacements.

* SlapSlapKiss: After Ezri rescues Worf, they spend most of the rest of the trip arguing... until they end up sleeping together.

* WhamShot: Bajoran!Dukat.

* WillTheyOrWontThey: Ezri and Worf? They will. . .
* TheWorfEffect: After doing so well, [[TropeNamer Worf]] gets hit ''hard'' over the next few episodes.