Rules of Engagement (DS9 episode)
Encyclopedia
"Rules of Engagement" is an episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
, the seventeenth episode of the fourth season.
is put on trial after the Defiant
destroys a Klingon
civilian transport. One by one, Worf's friends are forced to testify, either bolstering Worf's defense or damaging it. For example, O'Brien confesses he would have not done what Worf did.
The Klingon Advocate even provokes Worf into attacking him, which bolsters his case since the Advocate was unarmed at the time.
In the end, evidence is discovered that hints the entire affair was set up to frame Worf. Sisko still has criticisms of what Worf had done but he tells the Klingon he will make a fine captain some day.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe...
, the seventeenth episode of the fourth season.
Plot
WorfWorf
Worf, played by Michael Dorn, is a main character in Star Trek: The Next Generation and in seasons four to seven of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. He also appears in the films based on The Next Generation. Worf is the first Klingon main character to appear in Star Trek, and has appeared in more Star...
is put on trial after the Defiant
USS Defiant
The USS Defiant is a fictional starship in the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and the feature film Star Trek: First Contact...
destroys a Klingon
Klingon
Klingons are a fictional warrior race in the Star Trek universe.Klingons are recurring villains in the 1960s television show Star Trek: The Original Series, and have appeared in all five spin-off series and eight feature films...
civilian transport. One by one, Worf's friends are forced to testify, either bolstering Worf's defense or damaging it. For example, O'Brien confesses he would have not done what Worf did.
The Klingon Advocate even provokes Worf into attacking him, which bolsters his case since the Advocate was unarmed at the time.
In the end, evidence is discovered that hints the entire affair was set up to frame Worf. Sisko still has criticisms of what Worf had done but he tells the Klingon he will make a fine captain some day.
Production
- This episode was partially based on the Iran Air Flight 655/USS Vincennes IncidentIran Air Flight 655Iran Air Flight 655 was a civilian jet airliner shot down by U.S. missiles on 3 July 1988, over the Strait of Hormuz, toward the end of the Iran–Iraq War...
. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine CompanionStar Trek: Deep Space Nine CompanionThe Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion is a trade paperback released by Pocket Books in 2000. Written by Terry J. Erdmann and Paula M...
) - In one of the few times Star Trek has ever broken the fourth wallFourth wallThe fourth wall is the imaginary "wall" at the front of the stage in a traditional three-walled box set in a proscenium theatre, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play...
, several characters are seen speaking directly into the camera. They are actually testifying at Worf's trial, with the 'fourth wall' being used as a metaphor. - The Klingon Advocate makes a point of determining Worf's motive in firing upon the ship. This directly contradicts the Star Trek: The Next GenerationStar Trek: The Next GenerationStar Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Michael Piller served as executive producers at different times throughout the production...
episode "The Mind's Eye", which establishes that Klingons are interested only in people's actions, not their reasons for taking those actions. "Motives? Who cares for motives? Humans, perhaps," the Klingon Kell says in the cited episode.
Trivia
- In one of the court scenes Benjamin Sisko is wearing three pips on his dress uniform signifying a Commander rank. This is an error as Benjamin Sisko had gained the Captain rank in an earlier episode, and has four pips in all the other scenes in this episode.