A young Lieutenant named Ilario (Art Chudabala) is found dead in his quarters. An investigation reveals he was shot by a TR-116 rifle, a weapon developed but never mass-produced by Starfleet. Meanwhile, Ezri (René Auberjonois) confronts one of Dax's previous incarnations in a dream: Joran (Leigh J McCloskey), a self-professed murderer, urges Ezri to channel his disturbing memories and enable him to assist her in apprehending Ilario's killer. When Ezri awakens, she learns that a second murder has occurred.
Special Agent Matti
Hmmm...
I wasn't entirely happy with this episode. They're squeezing as many Ezri episodes in as they can, but they are trying so hard that it all seems a bit forced. The premise of Field of fire - an insane Vulcan - is damned good. (I like Vulcans, remember?) The good old murder mystery hasn't been seen on DS9 for a good long while: not since The last Ezri episode. (That's sarcasm, in case you didn't get it.) The psycho Dax host hasn't been seen since Jadzia underwent the Rite of Closure. And when you last saw Joran he was being played by a much younger, much prettier actor. Oh well.
The murder investigation is one of the better Star trek ones, you're guessing right up to the last minute. But the mystery is only a means for Ezri to confront Joran, who wants her to get into the murderer's frame of mind. Blah, blah, blah, mind games, blah, blah, blah, mind-control games, etc, etc, etc.
*Sighs*
Art plays a great Ilario: young, brash, bashful, cute and heroic, all at the same time. Is it just me or are all Starfleet pilots cut from the same mold, Mister Paris? Where Art is special is that he is drunk (on emotion and on non-synthetic Brandy) the whole time (well, except for when he's dead) the range of his drunkenness is impressive.
In conclusion, I was a tad underwhelmed by this episode, but not offended by it. And that says a lot, doesn't it?
PG (Low level violence)
VHS rental and retail: 9 July 1999