Captive Pursuit

"Captive Pursuit" is the sixth episode of the first season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

In this episode, a creature called Tosk (Scott MacDonald) arrives on the station from the Gamma Quadrant and befriends Chief Miles O'Brien (Colm Meaney), who tries to help him escape the Hunter (Gerrit Graham) who has pursued him through the wormhole.

However, Tosk attempts to steal from a weapons locker and is put in a holding cell by Security Chief Odo (René Auberjonois).

Uniformed aliens arrive through the wormhole, beam onto DS9, and start a phaser battle with a team led by Commander Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks).

In Ops, Sisko is informed about the situation and tells Odo to pursue the duo at a leisurely pace, giving O'Brien time to help Tosk escape the station with the Hunters in pursuit.

Originally titled "A Matter of Breeding",[1] director Corey Allen said the episode intended to move away from the "squeaky clean" plots of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

[2] After the franchise's creator Gene Roddenberry banned disagreements between characters in The Next Generation, this became one of the main elements that the producers wanted to include in the new series.

[3] In the episode, this was shown by O'Brien releasing Tosk, but originally, during the teaser segment at the beginning, it was intended to show dabo girl Miss Sarda propositioning Commander Sisko.

[4] The Hunters were initially intended to appear more alien-like, with steam rising out of their masks as they opened to reveal a demonic face with huge eyes and scaly skin.

However, due to budgetary restraints, the original costume and make-up plans were scrapped and the description was revised to become "a rather mundane humanoid face, not far off human.

"[6] The transporter effect used by the Hunters was inspired by the science fiction film Metropolis (1927), specifically by the scene in which the robot Maria undergoes a transformation.

Meaney called "Captive Pursuit" a "classic Star Trek story" and praised MacDonald's performance, naming the episode his favourite of the first season.