Amph "You are of Bajor" A 'Trek' to 'Deep Space Nine'

Star Trek Deep Space Nine was the seonc spin-off of the original Star Trek series. It ran from 1993-1999. Unlike the previous two it featured a cast not on the Enterprise, not even on a starship, but on the abandoned Cardassian mining outpost once called Terok Nor.

It was the first series to feature an African-American commanding officer, the first to have main character not in Starfleet, and the first series since the original pilot to have a female second in command.

The Cast:

Avery Brooks .... Cmdr./Capt. Benjamin Lafayette Sisko
Rene Auberjonois .... Constable Odo
Nicole de Boer .... Lt. Ezri Dax (1998-1999) (as Nicole deBoer)
Michael Dorn .... Lt. Cmdr. Worf (1995-1999)
Terry Farrell .... Lt./Lt. Cmdr. Jadzia Dax (1993-1998)
Cirroc Lofton .... Jake Sisko
Colm Meaney .... Chief Miles Edward O'Brien
Armin Shimerman .... Quark
Alexander Siddig .... Lt. (j.g.)/Lt. Julian Bashir, M.D.
Nana Visitor .... Maj./Col. Kira Nerys


THe series also had a very rich guest cast, included Louise Fletcher as the scheming Vedek then Kai, Winn, and the late Brock Peter's as Joseph Sisko, Benjamin's father.


Let's discuss.

 

This is my favourite Trek. I think the supporting cast is almost as strong as the regular cast. A classic example of this is Nog. When I first saw him, I didn't think anything of him, but over the course of 7 seasons he's flourished like no other seocndary cast member I've ever seem. You really cared about him, and from where he came from, that's really something. Watching him develop was a joy.



EDIT: Oh and the other thing that must be noted is the Dukat rules all.

 

Whoa... it let me post without logging on... what's going on?

The post above was mine.

 

Kira really annoys me... but that doesn't mean she's not a great character. I think she's designed to be sort of unlikeable, hard to reason with and get along with. It's important because the rest of the principals are all very pleasant.

 

If you believe in reincarnation, maybe she was Mara Jade in another life.

 

Okay, since this was my favorite series, might as well talk about my favourite episodes:

"Duet" Kira was awesome dealing with "Gul Dar'heel" in this episode. Powerful as all heck.

"Homefront/Paradise Lost" Sisko was on his game dealing with the coup of Admiral Leyton. Also, changeling Miles was great.

"Improbale Cause/The Die Is Cast" were awesome episodes for both Odo and Garak, two outsider who want back into their homelands.

"In The Pale Moonlight" prehaps the most powerful hour of any "Trek" program. Into the depths of Hell and back

 

My favourite Season One episodes:

'Move Along Home' - On the surface this episode seems silly, but it carries a good message about cheating. There's no risk in the Wadi's game, but by keeping that piece of information from the viewer until the very end, we can feel Quark's worry. He is being pressured into backing down from an opportunity to win great jewels. The Ferengi wish to acquire is set firmly against the need to preserve the life of colleagues. Which will he choose? Well, he chooses Sisko & Co, and I believe he firmly hates himself for it.

'The Storyteller' - I include this episode purely because of O'Brien's comic bafflement at what to do when the Dal'Rok makes it's foretold appearance.

'Duet' - This is, by far, the greatest episode of the first season, and IMO the best exploration of the horrors of the occupation DS9 ever did. It takes Kira on such a ride that by the end she is reduced to tears at the death of a 'Cardy'. Gul Darhe'el and his ilk retain their horror, but we learn, and Kira learns, that the Cardassians are far, far more than a bunch of bullies.

'In The Hands Of The Prophets' - I love that this episode takes on the sometimes daunting subject of 'Science vs Religion'. We are introduced to the dastardly attitudes of Kai Winn, and just as Season One taught us that the Cardassians are not simply cast from one mould so the Bajorans are also caught split through the middle. Truly, DS9 became a complicated weave, and I think the final two episodes of the first season, this and Duet, really did a great job in establishing that.

 

Trials and Tribblations is my favourite episode by a long shot. And that's not just DS9, but for Star Trek in general.

Seasons 5-7 is easily the best Trek out there, but I really can't enjoy the earlier episodes as much. I just really liked the Dominion War storyline.

 

A truly brilliant series, and my favourite Trek of all time. It was up there with Star Wars in epic scope, and the Dominion War gave us the best space battle ever seen on TV. The guest characters, such as Dukat, Garak, Damar, Weyoun etc gave it such a realistic feel with their regular appearances and I grew to care about all the characters. Overall, DS9 has a more overall feeling of family than any other Trek, even Voyager, which is what I think made it the best.

 

*sighs* There are so many eps to choose, my answer tends to vary from day to day. Today it's Trials and Tribbliations, tomorrow it might be another.

Who felt for Jake during The Visitor in Season Four?

Who else laughed at Worf's embarrassment in Trials and Tribbliations?

Who was behind the Worf/Jadzia romance?

Who cried as Worf howled over Jadzia's death in the Season Six finale? (a loss that I don't think DS9 was able to recover from in Season Seven)

There are just so many things that though, TNG is my favorite Trek, I love about DS9.

May it live long and prosper in sindication.

 

You know what I'd like to see for a new Trek movie?

A movie set during the declining days of the Cardassian Occupation of Bajor. We could have it set on Bajor and on Terak Nor. The story could finally document once and for all the circumstances that led to the Cardassian withdrawl. Obviously it should have a fair bit to do with the Bajoran Resistance, because a film needs an action climax rather than a meeting where everyone decides to go their seperate ways.

So there would be limited Federation involvement in the film, but maybe Section 31 could be woven into the story. Imagine that they knew about the wormhole long before anyone else did, and needed to oust the Cardassians from Terak Nor and install a Federation presence. So really, the Federation's presence in the Bajoran system was really nothing to do with helping Bajor out, the Bajorans were just pawns in a larger game to take out the Founders as a potential threat (that fits with 31's plan to spread the disease that infected the Great Link in DS9's later years). So Section 31 get involved in forcing the Cardassians out of Bajor, and paving the way for the establishment of Deep Space Nine.

There would be a predominantly new cast, but there might be room for cameos from Kira, Dukat and Odo.

I think it would be a great standalone story with good links to established Trek lore.

 

I dunno, Everton, to get casual movie goers into the theatre they'll always go with a Starfleet ship, because it's safe.

 

Fine. Release it straight to DVD so that I can buy it.

 

That would be an awesome flick. Have paramount hire you, please

My favourite DS9 is The Visitor. Tony Todd did a magnificent job.

 

Yeah, he did. I cried at the end of that one.

 

I loved DS9 and I want Dr. Bashir back. Next to Bones he was my favorite doctor.

 

Gul Dukat is my all time favourite Trek character.

 

DS9: Best. Trek. Ever.

It did the one thing that the other Treks never did well...it looked at the galaxy outside of Starfleet--imperfections and all.

And the creative team that did DS9 are also the ones behind a lot of the best Sci-Fi shows on now (i.e. The 4400).

Too bad they didn't let the DS9 team do Enterpriseinstead of the evil Berman-&-Bragga twins of destruction and mediocrity...

 

Best Trek of all of them. It certainly puts "Enterprise" to shame.

Best episode: Probably the one where Sisko had the vision that his crew was the staff of a 50's sci-fi mag.

Best moment: Julian was replaced months ago by a Founder?!? Whoa.

 

I agree. Best. Trek. Ever.

I never watched Enterprise, and only snippets of Voyager, but DS9 always captured my heart. I used to watch every single episode when it aired on a local affiliate, and the character development was amazing. I need to go back and rewatch all the seasons on Spike. I cna't tell you a favorite episode (its been a while) but the best character was Jadiza Dax. Though her relationship with Worf looked impossible at first, I love how it unfolded. Ezri could never ever match up. i didn't like her at all, but she had som stiff competition to follow.

 

Well, if you think about it, it could work- sort of. Twisted, yes, but the two have had very rough lives.

 

I think Shakarr and Kira simply broke up if I recall correctly.