Star Trek: 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Kai Winn
4. Rapture Was A Deliberate Attempt To Throw Fans For A Loop
Deep Space Nine's fifth season saw the show begin to enter an even darker phase than previously seen, building up to the breakout of all-out war with the Dominion. That left Bajor in a bit of a precarious position, especially since being Federation members will place them in the direct line of fire.
Kai Winn had, of course, always been antagonistic toward Sisko, and Kira, for their elevated roles in Bajoran society. For years, audiences had been given enough information to increasingly dislike her - then along comes Rapture. On the promenade, Winn pulls Kira up in a blunt fashion. Her speech, recounting her own imprisonment and frequent beatings during the Occupation, was a way for the writers to throw the audience off a bit.
Winn had always seemed more concerned with her own political power than anything else. Yet she openly admits to suffering for her faith. This is further complicated by her apparent conversion to Sisko's position as the emissary, despite years of opposition.
Rapture offers viewers another side of this often hateful character. It set up something of a redemption for her - even if that would fade away almost as rapidly.