Do religious right wing politicians give you the creeps? If so, there's everything to be freaked out by Kai Winn, who has just been made provisional government leader of Bajor.
Academy Award winner Louise Fletcher gives a performance that's smarmy and reeks of false charm on the surface but delves deeper into a sort of sociopathic megalomania.
In sum, she's insane. Even Commander Sisko notices this when he confronts her on her decision to enact martial law over the refusal by villagers to return two soil reclamators that were promised to them for the planting of crops by the former, and now late, provisional leader. She asks Sisko to provide Federation security along the borders to prevent civil disobedience. Sisko in turn tells her that her response to this rather minor incident is an overreaction. She in turn tells him she wants to maintain law and order and keep Bajor from turing into anarchy and chaos.
One villager, a man named Shakaar (and good friend of Kira who fought with her during the occupation), refuses to give back the equipment until the end of harvest season. Kira tries to set up a meeting between Kai and Shakaar to reach a compromise, but Kai has him arrested instead.
Kai insists the equipment is needed for a land project that will yield plentiful crops for trade, but as Sisko discovers, the actions taken by Winn aren't really about that and could lead to a civil war.
"This is a test by the prophets to see if I'm worthy to be first minister and Kai" she tells a stunned Sisko.
To put the matter to rest, Shakaar calls a truce to Bajor security and he and Kira inform the security commander of what Kai's true intentions are.
The episodes ends with Skakaar deciding to run for provisional leader in a fair election with the backing of the security forces, giving crazy Kai a run for her money.
In the end, reason wins out over religious tyranny.
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