By Inferno’s Light.

Beginning in season three with “The Die Is Cast,” it was revealed that the Founders were infiltrating the Alpha-Beta powers by replacing key figures. In the fifth season two-parter comprising “In Purgatory’s Shadow” and “By Inferno’s Light,” this is taken to a new level when a member of DS9’s own crew is replaced. The revelation that the Doctor Bashir with whom everyone had been interacting for a month was actually a Changeling was shocking to viewers, and it sent ripples backward on the timeline—to say nothing of what it meant for the present and future.

In this episode of The Orb, hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing discuss the second half of this duology, focusing on the ever-changing nature of Garak, whether or not Changeling Bashir was acting on orders or just making things up as he went, Dukat’s motivations, and whether going to warp in a solar system is really a bad thing. We also discuss the similarities between the Jem’Hadar and the Klingons, why Ikat'ika decided to play his yield, and how movie night works on Cardassia Prime. Plus, just when you think the Khitomer Accords are history, your crazy uncle Gowron drops by!

Chapters Intro (00:00:00) Jem’Hadar, Klingons, and the Yield (00:03:58) Martok and Worf: Building Respect (00:11:39) The Khitomer Accords (00:13:41) Dukat’s Motivations (00:22:58) The Ever-changing Garak (00:30:53) Bashir: Grand Plan or Lone Wolf? (00:39:07) Going to Warp in a Solar System? (00:47:03) Final Thoughts (00:49:36)

Hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing

Production C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Executive Producer) Charlynn Schmiedt (Executive Producer) Ruth Ward (Associate Producer) Will Nguyen (Associate Producer) Ken Tripp (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Will Nguyen (Content Manager)