YMMV / Star Trek: Deep Space Nine S04E19 "Hard Time"

• Alternate Character Interpretation: It's never made clear what the Argrathi's intentions were in the construction of O'Brien's penal program. Was O'Brien being set up to fail, or was he simply given the opportunity to choose his path, leading to either reformation or barbarity? Specifically, were Ee'Char and his meditation techniques put in to give O'Brien a chance to better himself or merely to get into his good graces so that the ultimate betrayal would haunt him all the more?