"Starship Down" (season four, episode seven; 13 November 1995): Wikipedia-link.
Commentary: "Starship Down" is a submarine episode, a venerable Star Trek tradition that dates back to "Balance of Terror" (T.O.S., first season), with this episode's writers also citing Das Boot as an inspiration.
There are also parallels to "Disaster" (T.N.G., fifth season), with the crew split up & isolated, acting in unusual roles amidst the wrecked ship. Lieutenant Commander Worf, recently transferred from security to command (from Security Chief aboard the Starship Enterprise-D to Strategic Operations Officer aboard Starbase Deep Space 9), learns some lessons about command with the help of Chief O'Brien. Doctor Bashir & Lieutenant Commander Dax have a frank discussion about his erstwhile romantic pursuit of her, which was part of the series pilot, "Emissary," & the evolution of this unrequited love into a genuine friendship.
Major Kira tends to a wounded Captain Sisko, & has a largely one-sided discussion of her reverence for Sisko as the Emissary in her Bajoran faith & how that has served as an obstacle to the two of them forming a more interpersonal relationship. When he takes a turn for the worse, Kira prays, which is a welcome maturing of Star Trek after the cartoonish & condescending atheism of T.N.G. This is the most significent treatment of the Emissary & the Bajoran religion since "Destiny" (season three) & sets the stage for "Accession" later in this season, & an ever increasing role for the Emissary in seasons five, six, & seven.
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