10 Greatest Star Trek Season Finales

6. Tears Of The Prophets - Deep Space Nine Season Six

star trek tears of the prophets jadzia dax death scene
CBS Media Ventures

The sixth season of Deep Space Nine saw the Dominion War truly explode throughout the Federation. While the fifth season finale (more on that later) set the stage, Tears Of The Prophets completed several arcs, offered the first true on-screen offensive by the Federation-Klingon-Romulan Alliance, and saw the departure of Terry Farrell's Jadzia Dax.

While the unfortunate details of the behind-the-scenes issues that led to her departure have since become clear, there is little doubt that the death of Jadzia ranks as one of the most shocking, upsetting scenes in the show's entire run. It's actually difficult to rewatch the episode without a growing sense of dread once she enters that Bajoran shrine, but Farrell's performance makes the effort worth every moment.

Aside from this, the spectacular Battle Of Chin'toka, as well as the return of Gul Dukat, and Sisko's final scene scrubbing oysters in New Orleans offer some of the most thrilling, affecting scenes, proving that a season that contained such greats as The Sacrifice Of Angels, Far Beyond The Stars, and In The Pale Moonlight could still go out with a bang.

It may have been tinged with tragedy, but Tears Of The Prophets was still, in its own way, very much a triumph.

 
Posted On: 
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"