The Dogs of War (DS9 episode)

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Star Trek: DS9 episode
"The Dogs of War"

Episode no.	172
Prod. code
Airdate	May 26, 1999
Writer(s)	René Echevarria Ronald D. Moore
Director	Avery Brooks
Guest star(s)	Cecily Adams as Ishka Casey Biggs as Damar Jeffrey Combs as Brunt and as Weyoun Aron Eisenberg as Nog Max Grodenchik as Rom J.G. Hertzler as Martok Barry Jenner as Admiral Ross Salome Jens as female changeling Penny Johnson as Kasidy Yates Chase Masterson as Leeta Julianna McCarthy as Mila Andrew J. Robinson as Garak Tiny Ron as Maihar'du Wallace Shawn as Zek
Year	2375
Stardate	52861.3
Episode chronology
Previous	"Extreme Measures"
Next	"What You Leave Behind, Pt. I"

"The Dogs of War" is an episode from the finale arc of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the eighth of the ten final chapters. The production code of the episode is 574. First aired May 26, 1999. Directed by Avery Brooks, the teleplay is credited to René Echevarria and Ronald D. Moore, based on a story by Peter Allan Fields.

[edit] Plot summary

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

The episode begins wrapping up the remaining loose ends of the series before the series finale. The Cardassian rebellion headed by former leader Damar, whose successor Legate Broca is also introduced, suffers a severe blow when Damar is stranded with Garak and Kira on Cardassia, specifically the home of Garak's former caretaker Mira, and his rebel bases are destroyed. With the encouragement of Kira, the three bomb a Jem'Hadar barracks, where Damar reveals to the people that he is not dead, as Dominion propaganda claimed. He then calls upon the Cardassian populace to rise up against the Dominion.

On Deep Space Nine, Quark receives a message from the Grand Nagus Zek, apparently informing him that he has been chosen as his successor upon him imminent retirement. Upon a visit from his old rival Brunt, however, he discovers that under Zek, presumably under the influence of his mother Ishka, has instituted a number of reforms, including promoting worker's rights, environmental protection and outlawing monopolies. Quark is so disgusted by these violations of old Ferengi tradition that he threatens to turn down to job. Upon Zek's arrival to name his successor, however, he discovers that he was never the intended heir of the Grand Nagus, and it was in fact Quark's brother Rom. Quark is still extremely unimpressed, and in a subsequent monologue swears to turn his bar into a refuge for the old unrestrained capitalism that was symbolic of his Ferenginar.

At Dominion headquarters on Cardassia, the Female Changeling, Weyoun, Broca and the Breen Representative note the Federation has overcome the Breen weapon, and resolve to make a major retreat in hopes that the Federation and its allies will leave them alone long enough for them to rebuild their fleets. Sisko anticipates this, however, and he and Chancellor Martok press for a final assault to be launched upon Cardassia Prime to end the war. Starfleet Admiral Ross and the Romulan representative reluctantly agree. After this, Sisko's wife Kasidy tells him that she is pregnant, and she is concerned by a warning from the Prophets that Sisko, as the emissary, must walk his path alone. Sisko attempts to comfort her.

[edit] Trivia

Jeffrey Combs appears in this episode in both of his Deep Space Nine roles during this episode. He not only appears as the Vorta Weyoun, but he also makes an appearance as the Ferengi Brunt.

This episode marks the final appearance on the show of several recurring actors and their characters: Max Grodénchik (Rom), Chase Masterson (Leeta), Wallace Shawn (Zek), Cecily Adams (Ishka), Tiny Ron (Maihar'Du) and Jeffrey Combs (Brunt, although he plays Weyoun in "What You Leave Behind"). David B. Levinson and Cathy Debuono also make their last appearances as their background characters. For their last episode they were all given the honor of being able to speak.

Quark's speech about Ferengi values and how "the line must be drawn here" was a deliberate imitation of Patrick Stewart in Star Trek: First Contact.

Quark also says of his bar that "this establishment will be the last outpost of what made Ferenginar great." "The Last Outpost" is the title of the first Star Trek episode in which both the Ferengi and Armin Shimerman himself appeared.

This episode takes its name from the play "Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare. In Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, General Chang, played by Christopher Plummer, quoted the same line. The line is "...and Caesar's ghost, roaming about in search of revenge, with hate at his side still hot from hell, will in these boundaries with a ruler’s voice, cry 'Havoc!' and let slip the dogs of war, so that this terrible action will smell above the earth, with rotting corpses, begging to be buried."

This is the last episode of the series to have music composed by David Bell.

Like Avery Brooks, Patrick Stewart also directed the penultimate episode of his series, Star Trek: The Next Generation. He directed "Preemptive Strike".

Stephen Yoakam reprises his role as Velal from "When It Rains...". His character was named in the script of this episode.

This is the second episode where Quark assumes the title of Grand Nagus from Zek, only to have it taken away from him. In "The Nagus," Zek names Quark as his successor and fakes his own death as a ruse to test his son, Krax.