Category: Star Trek: DS9

“Star Trek: DS9” – Season 1, Episode 3 (“A Man Alone”)

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Jake (Cirroc Lofton) makes friends w/ a teenage Ferengi, Nog (Aron Eisenberg), Quark’s nephew and prone to act mischievous. Chief O’Brien (Colm Meaney) argues w/ his wife Keiko (Rosalind Chao- who co-starred in The Joy Luck Club also in 1993), who hasn’t adjusted to life on DS9. On the Enterprise (TNG), Keiko was a botanist, but now she has no work. Odo (Rene Auberjonois) doesn’t see what’s so great about being a couple, as he comments to Quark (Armin Shimerman). This is a fun scene w/ actors who can do both comedy and drama. You also see their chemistry w/ each other as frenemies. Lt. Dax (Terry Farrell) explains to Dr. Bashir (Alexander Siddig) that her species don’t go seeking romantic relationships. I like the charm and confidence Farrell shows, even in early eps. Siddig also brings the charm, yet his character has much more naivete.

Sisko: [to Odo] If you can’t work within the rules I’ll find someone who can.

The A-story focuses on Odo, the shape-shifting constable w/ a strong sense of justice who is caught up in a mystery. Odo sees a familiar face on the Promenade, the Bajoran smuggler Ibudan, and gives him a day (26 hours in this world) to get off the station. Sisko (Avery Brooks) says that the man hasn’t done anything wrong, so Odo can’t just kick him out. Odo tells of how Ibudan once let a child die b/c the parents couldn’t afford medicine. Ibudan also killed a Cardassian w/o provocation during the Occupation, so Odo turned him in. When Ibudan is murdered on one of the holodecks, Odo becomes the prime suspect. However, things are not as they seem!

Quark: [about Odo] He’s an ill-tempered, overbearing, cross-patch. But he was no Cardassian collaborator, and he’s no killer.

Zayra: I can’t believe you’re defending him, Quark. You’re his worst enemy.

Quark: Guess that’s the closest thing he has in this world to a friend.

There are a lines and scenes which wouldn’t be out of place on a cop show. Kira (Nana Visitor) says that Odo is “the most honorable man on the station.” The actress really seemed comfortable w/ her character from the start of the series. Dax and Bashir sift through evidence gathered at the murder scene and on the ship which Ibudan came on, trying to solve the crime. Some Bajorans on the station, incl. Zayra (Edward Laurence Albert- son of actor Eddie Albert) grow very suspicious of Odo. He is unlike anyone else in this community and worked under the Cardassians for some years. After Odo is relieved of duty by Sisko (for his own safety), he goes to his office. We see that it has been trashed; along one wall, the word “SHIFTER” can be seen. A mob gathers outside and Sisko calls in security to prevent damage and violence.

Keiko’s plan to start a school for the few kids on the station was a practical idea. Sisko liked the idea very much and Jake had grown bored of studying alone w/ a computer (which is what many kids are doing in quarantine). I liked the scene where Keiko convinced Nog’s father, Rom (Max Grodenchik), to allow him to attend. Rom is portrayed as confident and decisive, which changes drastically later in the show. There is an ep focused on Keiko’s teaching at the end of the season which fans esp. comment about.

[1] I enjoy how DS9 gets to work on establishing it’s characters right away– the payoff doesn’t come for quite a while but damn is it delicious when it does.

[2] …the conflict between Odo’s sense of justice and Starfleet rules will be done much better in later episodes…

[3] Odo – who really is a man alone – must learn to trust others to help him figure this one out and clear him of suspicion.

-Excerpts from IMDB reviews

“Star Trek: DS9” – Season 1, Episode 2 (“Past Prologue”)

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Garak [to Dr. Bashir]: Ah, an open mind, the essence of intellect.

The title is based on “What’s past is prologue,” a line from Antonio in The Tempest by Shakespeare. Tahna Los (guest star Jeffrey Nordling), a Bajoran terrorist during the Occupation, asks Cmdr. Sisko (Avery Brooks) for asylum on the space station. He is a member of the Kon Ma (an extremist group) and also accused of crimes against Bajorans. The leader on the ship chasing him, Gul Danar (Vaughn Armstrong), wants Tahna taken to Cardassia. When Tahna promises that he no longer wants to be a terrorist, Sisko decides not to hand him over to the Cardassians. Kira (Nana Visitor) works on getting amnesty from the provisional government for Tahna; they are old friends who went on different paths. We’ll shall see just how different by the end of this ep!

[Kira has managed to get amnesty for Tahna Los]

Tahna: I never realized you were such an accomplished politician.

Major Kira: Me? A politician? You… no, I- I don’t think so.

Tahna: You manipulate Sisko and the Federation, the ministers of the provisional government…

Major Kira: I’m just determined. I think they all simply get tired of hearing my voice.

Two Klingon sisters who tried to overthrow their High Council, Lursa and B’Etor Duras, arrive at DS9. The last Cardassian on the station, Garak (recurring character Andrew Robinson in his first ep), proves an interesting mystery to Dr. Bashir (Alexander Siddig). Garak claims that he is “plain and simple tailor,” but may have been a spy in a previous life. Near the start of the ep, Kira complains re: Sisko to an admiral (guest star Susan Bay Nimoy); she was married to Leonard Nimoy (Spock). Sisko mentions the Klingon Civil War, which took place in TNG (Redemption, Parts I & II); here The House of Duras is attempting to rebuild their forces. Morn, the silent patron always sitting at Quark’s bar, came over from TNG. I recently learned that Morn is akin to Norm from the popular comedy series- Cheers.

Odo: You know, there’s one thing about you humanoids I can’t imitate very well.

Major Kira: What’s that?

Odo: Pretense. There’s a special talent to it. It’s as hard for me as creating one of your noses.

We see the divided loyalties of Kira; she’s working w/in a system, not trying to overthrow one. Sisko is mad (of course) when she goes over his head; he even grabs her arm and chastises her in public. Now, that’s not something you’d see in TNG! Odo (Rene Auberjonois) and Kira have a good scene in his office; they are friends who respect and trust each other. They are also non-Federation characters, who aren’t gung-ho about dealing w/ new bureaucracy, political issues, and co-workers (who don’t have much experience w/ Cardassians).

[1] …the powerful ethnic conflict between Bajorans and Cardassians becomes a central focus.

[2] Did he [Garak] help the Federation learn what Tahna Los was up to because he wanted to help them, because it also served Cardassian needs, or did he have personal reasons? We just don’t know.

[3] I really enjoyed how Sisko let Kira make the decision of what route she would ultimately go in this episode- an astute command decision that exposes Kira’s true intentions/loyalty.

-Excerpts from IMDB reviews

“Star Trek: DS9” – Series Pilot (“Emissary”)

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It was a bold move for creators Rick Berman and Michael Piller to branch off from TNG (still airing on primetime TV when their new show- DS9- began in early 1993). This pilot is considered to be a very strong start to the sci-fi series, which is known (and loved) for its focus on characters, rather than the alien of the week and techno-babble. The show starts out w/ a bang- literally- as Cmdr. Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks- the first African-American main lead on a Star Trek show) loses his wife, Jennifer (Felicia M. Bell), when his starship is attacked by the Borg at Wolf 359. This attack was led by Capt. Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) when he was captured and turned into Locutus; this is another unexpected move by the creators. The survivors of the attack, incl. Sisko and his 12 y.o. son Jake (Cirroc Lofton), abandon the ship in escape pods.

About a year later, we see the father and son headed to Deep Space Nine, a space station (built by the Cardassians) in the Alpha Quadrant near the newly-liberated planet- Bajor. Sisko and Picard have a (very tense) meeting, where Sisko admits that he may not want this job; these are yet more bold moves for the show. Many drew comparisons between Bajorans and the Jewish people (particularly the atrocities they faced under Nazis during WWII); there are several writers and producers of Jewish heritage on the show. The Cardassian occupation of Bajor (which lasted 50 years) can also be compared to England and colonial India. When Sisko arrives, he meets engineer, Miles O’Brien (Colm Meaney), who served on the USS Enterprise in TNG. Picard and O’Brien (who served as transporter chief) have a touching goodbye before the Enterprise flies off.

The station (formerly named Terok Nor) is under Federation control; it could be compared to a frontier town in a TV Western (as some reviewers have commented). It’s in ruins and merchants are preparing to leave. We meet the bar owner, Quark (veteran actor Armin Shimerman), who is Ferengi- a race of aliens primarily concerned with profit. The Bajoran commander, Major Kira Nerys (Nana Visitor- who hails from a dance/theater background), is a former freedom fighter (“terrorist”) who isn’t a fan of the Federation. Chief of Security, Odo (veteran theater/TV actor Rene Auberjonois), is a Shapeshifter (one of a kind perhaps) who worked to keep the peace (for some years under the Cardassians). Unlike most TV lawmen, Odo doesn’t carry a weapon (phaser), and bans them from the promenade. Kira and Odo trust each other implicitly. Sisko is happy to be reunited w/ “old” friend Dax, who is a Trill- an alien race who live many lives inside different hosts. Jadzia (Terry Farrell) is the young science officer who is Dax’s current host. Right on her heels is the station’s wide-eyed doctor, Julian Bashir (Alexander Siddig, who is English w/ Anglo and Arab heritage). On his maternal side, Siddig is the nephew of veteran actor Malcolm McDowell (the villain in the TNG movie- Generations). When Bashir sees the sick bay, he comments re: “practicing real frontier medicine.” As a kid, it was very exciting to see an actor of Muslim heritage on such a big TV show! A professor/media critic I follow (Zaki Hasan) said this was the same for his young sons, who are watching DS9 in recent years.

Bajor is not yet a part of the Federation (which Picard explained); it is also beautiful w/ many natural resources. Kira noted that there are several factions now at odds (though they worked together to remove the Cardassians). When Sisko beams down to the planet to meet Kai Opaka (Camille Saviola), one of the most revered religious leaders, she declares that his destiny is to be “emissary” to the Bajoran people. Unlike most TV shows, DS9 doesn’t shy away from religion, or the fact that it plays a big role in the lives of many (humans and aliens). Kai Opaka takes Sisko down to a secret underground cave, and reveals an orb (one of several which traveled to Bajor years ago). When Sisko touches this orb, he is instantly transported (“where no one has gone before”)! There is much more to the story (in the second part of the pilot), so check it out on Amazon Prime.

We see that not all the cast are part of Starfleet, so don’t all wear the same type of uniforms. The makeup for Odo had not yet been perfected, so he looks quite different in S1 than in the rest of the series. The ensemble cast is introduced rather smoothly in this pilot; each character gets a moment to show their personality. There is a mix of young newcomer actors and theater veterans (who provide gravitas). O’Brien is the the “Everyman” character that we know somewhat from TNG; he will get much more to do in DS9. The warm father-son relationship (rare for ST) will grown and develop over the series; Jake is not one of those TV kids who disappears. Brooks insisted on this element to the producers, as he felt there weren’t enough positive role models of black fathers/families in the media.

“Star Trek: DS9”: Episode Guide (The Dominion War)

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Are you taking some time during quarantine to rewatch (or finish watching) some fave shows? I recently rewatched the series premiere of Deep Space Nine (DS9). The first stable wormhole (in the ST universe) discovered by the DS9 crew is known to the Bajorans as the Celestial Temple of their Prophets. Sisko, as discoverer of the wormhole and its inhabitants, is called the Emissary of Bajoran prophecy. The wormhole’s other end is in the Gamma Quadrant, halfway around the galaxy from the planet Bajor (recently liberated from Cardassian occupation which lasted 70 yrs). Bajor is not ready to be a part of the Federation, as there is much conflict between government factions.

Series creators Rick Berman and Michael Pillar started out wanting to keep DS9 (which originally aired on TV from 1993-199) episodic, like TNG and TOS. In S3, Pillar left the head writing position; Ira Steven Behr (who became Executive Producer in 1995) and Ron Moore (Co-EP: 1997-1999), got more influence (starting S3) and developed the exciting/innovative Dominion War story arc (S5-7). The Dominion is led by “the Founders”, a race of shape-shifting Changelings in the Gamma Quadrant, the same species as security chief Odo. The Founders were once persecuted by non-shape-shifters (who they call “Solids”). The Founders seek to impose “order” upon any who could potentially harm them, incl. all Solids. They have created (or genetically modified) races to serve them: the Vorta (sly diplomats) and the Jem’Hadar (fearless troops). These races worship the Founders as gods.

Rules of Acquisition (S2) marks the first mention of the Dominion, but they are not fully introduced until the S2 finale, The Jem’Hadar. Some fans have noted that the actual fighting of the war doesn’t start until In Purgatory’s Shadow/By Inferno’s Light in S5, or as late as Call to Arms. Since I last saw eps from S6 (not sure where I stopped watching), I plan to stick to the list below. It includes first contact and the “cold war” period, as well as a few suggested eps. *This indicates episodes that involve the Jem’Hadar.

Season 2

E26: The Jem’Hadar

Season 3

E1 & 2: The Search (Parts I &II)

E6: The Abandoned*

E20 & 21: Improbable Cause/The Die is Cast

E26: The Adversary

Season 4

E1: The Way of the Warrior

E3: Hippocratic Oath*

E6: Starship Down

E10 & 11: Homefront/Paradise Lost

E22: To the Death

E25: Broken Link

Season 5

E1: Apocalypse Rising

E2: The Ship

E10: Rapture*

E14 & E15: In Purgatory’s Shadow/By Inferno’s Light

E21: Soldiers of the Empire*

E25: In the Cards*

E26: Call to Arms

Season 6

First six episodes

E10: The Magnificent Ferengi*

E14: One Little Ship*

E19: In the Pale Moonlight

E22: Valiant*

E26: Tears of the Prophets

Other Suggested Episodes (Season 6): 

E9: Statistical Probablities

E11: Waltz

E16: Change of Heart

Season 7

E1 & 2: Image in the Sand/Shadows and Symbols

E6: Treachery, Faith and the Great River

E7: Once More Unto the Breach*

E8: The Siege of AR-558

E10: It’s Only a Paper Moon*

E14: Chimera*

E16: Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges

Final 8 episodes (including the series finale: What You Leave Behind)

“Star Trek: DS9” – S3, E11 & 12 (“Past Tense: Parts I & II”)

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Part I: The Defiant has arrived at Earth and Cmdr. Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks), Dr. Julian Bashir (Alexander Siddig) and Lt. Jadzia Dax (Terry Farrell) are beamed to the surface, where they will address the Starfleet Symposium in San Fran on the situation on the other side of the wormhole (the Gamma Quadrant). But they never arrive! Chief Miles O’Brien (Colm Meaney) has no clue what happened; it was a transporter accident (very common in the ST universe). Meanwhile, the three find themselves in San Fran, but the time is 2024. Bashir and Sisko are arrested and put the Sanctuary District (a ghetto where homeless, jobless, and mentally ill people live). Sisko notices this is a few days before a major riot breaks out (a pivotal moment in history). Lee (Tina Lifford), a woman working at the processing center, gives them ration cards (for food) and explains how things work. Dax is assisted by Chris Brynner, a wealthy businessman, who helps her get an ID and hotel room (assuming she was mugged).

Part II: Sisko has taken the place of the revolutionary Gabriel Bell to ensure the hostages at the processing center stay safe. He needs to keep the trigger-happy B.C. (Frank Military) and security guard Vin (Dick Miller) calm and away from each other. Bashir fears for the captain’s life, as the original Bell died in the riots. When their new friend, Webb (Bill Smitrovich), manages to reach the processing center, Sisko asks him to find some stable men to guard the hostages. Dax decides to take action, frustrated w/ just watching the news on the riots. On the Defiant, Major Kira (Nana Visitor) and Chief O’Brien decide that their only option is to go back into the past, though Odo (Rene Auberjonois) looks a bit worried. (This ep as directed by Jonathan Frakes, who played Riker on TNG.)

Sisko: By the early 2020s, there was a place like this in every major city in the United States.

Bashir: Why are these people in here? Are they criminals?

Sisko: No, people with criminal records weren’t allowed in the Sanctuary Districts.

Bashir: Then what did they do to deserve this?

Sisko: Nothing. Just people, without jobs or places to live.

Bashir: Ah, so they get put in here?

Sisko: Welcome to the 21st century, Doctor.

Bashir [after a day at Sanctuary]: Causing people to suffer because you hate them… is terrible. But causing people to suffer because you have forgotten how to care… that’s really hard to understand.

This is the first Star Trek production to feature scenes set in the 21st Century. Ira Steven Behr’s inspiration to create the Bell Riots was the 1971 riot in New York’s Attica Prison (where inmates demanded better living conditions). While this ep was being shot in LA, the city was deciding whether they should set up a separate area for the homeless. This is the kind of story that Roddenberry would’ve approved of, as it tackles current social problems under the guise of sci-fi. If you (or a friend) are new to Trek, these might be up your alley.

Chris: Don’t worry, your friends are fine. That’s the whole point of the Sanctuary, to give people in trouble food and a place to stay.

Dax: If that’s all it’s for, then why is there a wall around it?

On the Women at Warp podcast (May 8, 2016), they discussed these eps in depth. Sisko and Bashir (both men of color) are quickly taken away and arrested; Dax (who landed in a different area) and is a beautiful white woman was the one who got rescued. Though Dax is not human (she is a Trill w/ hundreds of years of knowledge), she easily explains that her markings are tattoos. Later on, we see her at a party w/ Chris’ upper class friends; one couple is annoyed that protests in Europe led them to cancel their vacation. Dax knows just how to charm Chris and uses her privilege to help her friends. Sisko decides that Webb (an even-tempered white man w/ a family) should be the public face of the riot; this is a clever move. While police surround the area, Webb gets on the call w/ Det. Preston (Deborah Van Valkenburgh) and states the demands of the Sanctuary residents. Bashir, young and coming from a sheltered background, learns much from Sisko and experiencing hardship. Kira and O’Brien provide a sprinkling of humor in the dark story by hopping through time periods.

https://www.vox.com/culture/22273263/star-trek-deep-space-nine-past-tense-prediction-2024