See Also: 'Invasive Procedures' Episode Guide

While the station is nearly depopulated, a Trill rejected for joining named Verad overpowers the command crew with a team of thugs to steal the Dax symbiont from Jadzia. Sisko initially attempts to appeal to his old friend in the body of the newcomer, but when he realizes that Verad is determined to leave the station and let Jadzia die, he fights back. This is complicated by the fact that a phaser shot could be fatal to the symbiont as well as to Verad.

Meanwhile, Verad's lover, a tough woman who takes Kira out during the initial fight, finds that she can't recognize nor relate to Dax. Ultimately she helps Sisko, Kira, and Bashir - trying to comfort the terrified Jadzia, who will die if the symbiont is not returned--to replace Dax into the rightful host. Jadzia discovers that she retains all of Dax's memories from having been part of Verad.

Analysis:

I had hoped this episode would give me some insight into Jadzia, separate from Dax, but I didn't see enough difference in her before and after the symbiont was removed. Nor did I see enough difference in Verad, who was supposedly rejected for joining because his own personality would be overwhelmed by having another share his mind; Verad seemed to be controlling Dax completely, or else Dax must have liked being Verad, because he didn't seem to fight much. A schizoid Trill, Dax working against Verad, would have been more interesting to watch.

Instead we got too many gratuitous fistfights, too much angry Mareel, too much sympathetic Bashir - fans of a relationship between Julian and Jadzia were probably happy, but I found him rather condescending. Sisko, at least, surprised me when he greeted Verad Dax as an old friend rather than a new adversary, as well as when he fired the phaser. Mareel reminded me of Tasha Yar until her bimbo behavior at the end, when she decided that love was more important than anything; I expected more from a woman sho could deck Kira.

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