Star Trek: 10 Times Chief O'Brien Suffered

9. Time's Orphan

Star Trek Times Orphan
CBS

Time's Orphan comes at the end of Deep Space Nine's sixth season, giving Meaney and Rosalind Chao a chance to shine. While the episode itself isn't the strongest, and suffers from where it falls in a largely stellar season, there is still plenty of suffering O'Brien to enjoy, if that's your thing.

While on a trip to a Bajoran moon, Molly accidentally falls through a time portal. Miles and Keiko are distraught, quickly setting about trying to find her. This episode contains Colm Meaney's immortal shout of '!*$%,' something that never fails to get a smile from this author. There are a couple of nods to Doctor Who in this time travel story as well, including a console that looks remarkably like the Tardis console.

Poor O'Brien does find Molly - but as an adult. Though she is brought back to the station, she is almost feral, and unable to adapt to station living again. The O'Briens must watch as she tears through her old clothes, then through a bar patron who gets in her way. Arrested and facing charges, they help her escape and return to the portal, sending her through and preparing to destroy it - all in the name of saving their daughter. At the last moment, the original Molly walks back through. They embrace, even though they are sure to face a rather awkward conversation with Sisko when they return.

Contributor
Contributor

Seán is the host and head writer/presenter for TrekCulture, as well as a writer/presenter on WhoCulture and WhatCulture Horror. He has authored two novels, dozens of short stories, and hundreds of articles for WhatCulture. He holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from University College Dublin. As part of his work with TrekCulture, Seán has been invited to participate in collaborations with Roddenberry Entertainment, as well as contributing to several Star Trek community projects. An avid fan of Star Trek, Doctor Who, and the horror genre at large, Seán's expertise has helped develop these channels to the successes they are today. As host of the Ups & Downs series on TrekCulture, Seán has become internationally recognised for his positive yet critically informed approach to reviewing every episode of modern Star Trek, ensuring he is one of the go-to voices in the Trek community. Favourite Quote to describe himself: "I'm serious about what I do, just not always about the way that I do it"