History Recap / StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS07E24TheDogsOfWar

* TheUnreveal: It is never made clear exactly how it was that all the cells of the Cardassian Resistance were found and destroyed since, as Damar himself states, they had followed Kira's instructions on compartmentalizing knowledge to prevent just such a surgical strike. Since the episode begins with the news that two different Cardassian higher-ups were willing to meet and join the Resistance, only for one of them to betray it to the Dominion, it is possible he somehow obtained that information from the gathering rebels (if there somehow managed to be members from every cell among them). In the end, though, Kira says it doesn't matter how they were found out, and no explanation is ever given.

** After Rom becomes Nagus and is in a position to really reform Ferengi society, Quark says that he will stay on [=DS9=] and that his bar will be the last outpost of Ferengi society, which is a callback to the Next Generation episode "[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS1E4TheLastOutpost The Last Outpost]]".

** After Rom becomes Nagus and is in a position to really reform Ferengi society, Quark says that he will stay on [=DS9=] and that his bar will be the last outpost of Ferengi society, which is a callback to the episode ''Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS1E4TheLastOutpost''.

* StockFootage: A rather lazy example, considering the Dominions great victory footage is mostly Dominion facilities from previous episodes getting attacked.

** The ''Sao Paolo'''s name is a reference to the ''San Pablo'' in ''Film/TheSandPebbles''. Sisko and Creator/SteveMcQueen both greet their respective ships, "Hello, ship!"

-->"You'll still be a powerful man! I wouldn't sucking up to you otherwise."

* TwiceShy: Bashir and Ezri give off this vibe, with Worf and O'Brien wondering WillTheyOrWontThey In the end, TheyDo. Leads to Worf pulling a variant of KissingDiscretionShot by pressing the "down" button for the turbolift.

* DefiantToTheEnd: Quark acts in the SPIRIT of this trope. When he finds out Rom is be new Grand Nagus in light of the radical social changes in Ferengi culture, Quark briefly barks Quark's Ferenginar no longer exists, but then finds his resolve, and vows that his beloved ultra capitalist Ferenginar will continue exist in his bar, [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS1E4TheLastOutpost being the last outpost]] to the Ferrenginar he knows.

-->'''Garak:''' You didn't tell me you had a secret mountain base.
-->'''Damar:''' I was hoping to surprise you.

* ShoutOut: Zek's speech to Rom advises him to [[Film/MontyPythonsTheMeaningOfLife avoid the shoals of bankruptcy]].

Kira, Damar and Garak beem down to Cardassia Prime to meet with Gul Revok and Legate Goris, who have agreed to join the resistance, but it's a doublecross, and all of the resistance fighters are slaughtered as the trio hide. They're stranded on the planet with no support, but Garak leads them to his childhood home as a hideout. Garak's old nanny notes that many Cardassians don't believe that Damar and the resistance is dead, and Kira realizes that they can use that to foster a grassroots rebellion. They bomb a nearby Jem'Hadar barracks. Damar gives a speech urging the citizens to join his uprising, which receives rousing support, before melting away.

* BreatherEpisode: The Ferengi part of this episode serves as a lighthearted comedy amoungst and before the epic finale of the show.

* CallBack: The USS ''São Paulo'' is rechristened USS ''Defiant'', just like how in ''Film/StarTrekIVTheVoyageHome'', the USS ''Yorktown'' was rechristened USS ''Enterprise''-A. Also, when the ''Sao Paulo'' arrives, Ezri says "I didn't know we were getting another ''Defiant'' class ship.", to which Sisko says "That's what happens when you miss staff meetings.", echoing Kirk's reply to Dr. [=McCoy=] in ''Film/StarTrekIIITheSearchForSpock'', after he learned Scotty secretly sabotaged the USS ''Excelsior''.

* EvilCannotComprehendGood: Once again, this ends up biting the Dominion in the rear. They assume that if they withdraw to Cardassian space and establishing a defensive perimeter, the "timid" Federation will respond by backing off to regroup. In fact, it's Sisko, a Federation officer, who is the first to recommend that the Alliance go on the offensive; the sole dissenting voice comes from the Romulan representative, who is quickly talked round.

* HopeSpot: The opening has Damar, Kira, and Garak returning to Cardassia to meet with several officers who can greatly increase their anti-Dominion forces. Unfortunately, one of the Cardassians betrays the resistance and it's swiftly crushed.

** It's also never revealed how they learned the locations of all 18 bases; Damar cites their compartmentalization and security precautions (meaning Revok might have known some, but not all of their locations). As Kira ultimately lampshades, ''how'' the Dominion did it isn't important; it's ''done'' and they've got to come up with a new plan.
* PuppetKing: Legate Broca is an even bigger one than Damar was.

Sisko and the crew proudly receive their new ''Defiant''-class vessel, the USS ''Sao Paulo'', which they promptly rename the ''Defiant''. Odo has been deemed fit to return to duty, but not before Bashir lets him know that Section 31 was behind the virus. Sisko informs Odo that the Federation has decided not to share the cure with the Founders, which Odo finds hypocritical. The captain discusses the latest Dominion movement, pulling back to a defensive perimeter, and agrees with his follow senior officers that they will need to go on the offensive in a bloody offensive to prevent the Dominion from rebuilding. When he arrives back at his quarters, Kasidy announces that she's pregnant. She's worried about the Prophets' warning that Sisko will "know only sorrow" for marrying her, but Sisko assures her that nothing will happen to their baby.

When an informant sells out and annihilates the Cardassian resistance, Kira, Garak, and Damar are forced into Garak's mother's basement to wallow in failure. However, all is not lost; the Cardassian people refuse to believe that Damar is dead. If Damar can use his newfound status as a LivingLegend to inspire the Cardassian people, a planet-wide revolution could be at hand. Meanwhile, a distorted transmission from Ferenginar brings shocking news: the next Grand Nagus will be Quark! However, Quark finds out that the job isn't quite as cushy as it used to be. Finally, Ezri and Bashir decide that a potential romance wouldn't be worth jeopardizing their friendship. Probably.

* BreatherEpisode: the Ferengi part of this episode serves as a lighthearted comedy amoungst and before the epic finale of the show.

* TheBusCameBack: Mila returns for the first time since Season Three's [[Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS03E20ImprobableCause "Improbable Cause"]]/

* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: The Federation Council declining to give the Morphogenic Virus cure to the Founders. While it completley goes against the spirit and ideals of the Federation, it's also a realistic response given the current situation. The Dominion has spent the last two years trying to destroy the Federation and their allies just attacked Earth itself a few episodes earlier. The Federation governing body is in ''no'' mood to the Dominion any favors (particularly since curing the Founders will only prolong the war).

* DefiantToTheEnd: Quark acts in the SPIRIT of this trope. When he finds out Rom is be new Grand Nagus in light of the radical social changes in Ferengi culture, Quark briefly barks Quark's Ferenginar no longer exists, but then finds his resolve, and vows that his beloved ultra capitalist Ferenginar will continue exist in his bar, [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS1E4TheLastOutpost being the last outpost]] to the Ferrenginar he knows.

* ThePurge: After Gul Revok's betrayal and Damar's presumed death, the Dominion coordinates a massive strike that successfully destroys all of Damar's bases and wipes out the Cardassian Rebellion. It's never revealed how they learned the locations of all 18 bases given the Rebellion's compartmentalization and security precautions (though as Kira lampshades, ''how'' the Dominion did it isn't important; it's ''done'' and they've got to come up with a new plan.

* TheCorrupter: How Quark views what his mother is doing to Ferenginar. She gets Grand Nagus Zek to institute reforms that include environmental protections, wage subsidies for the poor, retirement benefits, universal healthcare, and a new legislative body.

* The47Society: Brunt tries to bribe Quark with forty bricks of gold-pressed latinum. Quark counters with seventy.