Take Me out to the Holosuite

Sisko arranges a baseball game against a crew of Vulcans.

For me this is a relatively amusing episode that helps if you are into baseball and DS9.

I think for fans of the sport there is a lot to take out of it, as it has a nice underdog plot and we see all the characters involved in a fun way.

I live in a country where the sport has limited exposure, but through pop culture I can appreciate certain gags such as Odo using his voice to great effect as an umpire. I also like the visual storytelling and humour in the various scenes of characters training and the game itself.

The concept of a rivalry with the Vulcan commander is a decent idea, but I think the writers overdo Sisko's desperation to win and the backstory between the two characters. It is the key concept that drives the plot and most of the humour and for me it runs out of steam quite early. I think if they had included more of the character Solok's arrogance in the buildup to the game it would have worked better. In fact, I find Sisko a bit annoying in certain scenes and after one in particular I actually want the Vulcans to win.

Rom is the only one of the 'Niners' I actually feel invested in, so it ends in a positive way.

All cast are on good form and I think the baseball scenes are put together well for a TV production.