ds9 star trek rom

• Bajoran Militia personnel
• Deep Space 9 personnel
• Ferengi government officials
• Mirror Universe
• View history

Rom was a male Ferengi engineer of the 24th century Ferengi Alliance and became its Grand Nagus . A failure as a businessman but a mechanical and engineering genius, he worked as a waiter for several years at Quark's Bar, Grill, Gaming House and Holosuite Arcade on Deep Space 9 before becoming an engineer in the Bajoran Militia . He was known for being a kinder, gentler Ferengi and kept that reputation as Nagus. He was the son of Keldar and Ishka , younger brother of Quark , and father of Nog . He was married twice, to Prinadora and then Leeta .

• 1 Early history
• 2 Deep Space 9
• 3 A new career
• 4 Dominion War
• 5 Becoming Nagus
• 6 Life as Grand Nagus
• 7.1 Prinadora
• 8.1 Appearances
• 8.2 Background information
• 8.3 Apocrypha
• 8.4 External links

Early history [ ]

Rom grew up on Ferenginar with his family. As a child, Rom was always teased for having smaller-than-average lobes than the rest of the boys. Quark was the worst, telling everyone that Rom was adopted. On Rom's Naming Day , Quark substituted his brother's presents with old vegetables , and sold the presents for more than their father had paid for them, which actually earned him the praise of his parents. ( DS9 : " Rivals ") When Rom was a child, he had a latinum tooth sharpener . Quark resented this, as his tooth sharpener was a wooden chew stick.

Deep Space 9 [ ]

Rom in 2369, shortly after Starfleet arrived to administrate

Rom was employed at Quark's aboard Deep Space 9, holding several positions such as server, pit boss , and assistant to Quark, before being " promoted " to Assistant Manager of Policy and Clientele . He and his brother Quark had an odd relationship. Quark at times treated him like a servant , many times swindling him out of latinum . Other times Quark took care of Rom and provided him with whatever he needed. Rom was very loyal to Quark and would do anything Quark asked – although it wasn't below him as a Ferengi to swindle, steal from or even sell his brother out at times. ( DS9 : " Emissary ", " Babel ", " The Nagus ", " Prophet Motive ")

When the Grand Nagus Zek visited the station, he admonished Rom for sending Nog to school and told him to stop it. Zek made Quark the new nagus so he could retire. Shortly after this, he died. Rom wanted Quark's Bar, but instead Quark appointed Rom as his bodyguard . Rom still wanted the bar, but Quark refused, and Rom along with Krax , Zek's son, decided to kill Quark. Rom escorted him to an airlock but instead of a ship waiting, there was empty space. Just before Quark would have been ejected into space, Zek appeared and stated that he faked his death to test his son's worthiness to be nagus – which he failed. Quark congratulated Rom on his treachery, since this made him a true Ferengi. ( DS9 : " The Nagus ")

After Quark was appointed to open trade negotiation with the Gamma Quadrant , Rom became jealous of a Ferengi named Pel who became Quark's right-hand man in the negotiations. Rom exposed her as a female which got Quark in trouble. ( DS9 : " Rules of Acquisition ")

After the attempted murder of his brother, Rom briefly became a suspect. When the murderer tried to kill Quark again in the hospital, Rom was able to save him. ( DS9 : " Necessary Evil ")

He opposed his brother during the crisis their mother caused when she earned profit. Quark wanted Ishka to return all the profits, or he would have to and be ruined. When they stopped talking to each other, Rom arranged a meeting, and they resolved the issue. Ishka signed a confession and returned the profits. But she hid two-thirds of the profits with Rom's help. ( DS9 : " Family Business ")

Rom was made senior administrator of the Ferengi Benevolent Association , a short-lived organization established by Grand Nagus Zek during a period in which the Prophets had replaced the Nagus' greedy philosophical perspective with a more charitable one. Rom's greed was unaffected, however, and he embezzled money from the association until it was shut down, after Quark convinced the Prophets to restore the Nagus. ( DS9 : " Prophet Motive ")

In 2372 , a mishap on their ship sent Rom, Nog and Quark back to Earth in 1947 . This became known as the Roswell Incident . They were mistaken for invaders and were almost dissected by the military. They escaped with the help of Earth scientists and returned to their own time. On the journey to Earth, Rom's engineering expertise saved them when their ship was in danger of breaking up; and his skills helped them return to the correct time in the future, too. ( DS9 : " Little Green Men ")

A new career [ ]

Diagnostic and Repair Technician Rom

Rom became sick due to being overworked. He became angry at the working conditions in Quark's and formed the Guild of Restaurant and Casino Employees . Brunt arrived at the station and threatened Rom, when this failed, he had Quark beaten and threatened to kill him. Rom ended the strike when Quark secretly agreed to his demands. He followed this up with an application to join the station's Bajoran engineering crew and joined Chief O'Brien 's maintenance team, initially working in waste extraction as a Diagnostic and Repair Technician, Junior Grade . Furthermore, while Rom promises to be at Quark's business all the time off duty, it will be as a paying customer who will expect to be treated with more respect as one. ( DS9 : " Bar Association ")

Rom being interrogated by Odo

Rom re-calibrated the deflector beam at O'Brien's request. O'Brien was ordered to do this by a Pah-wraith who had taken over Keiko O'Brien 's body and had threatened to kill her. Rom informed O'Brien that the recalibration would send the deflector beam into the wormhole and kill the aliens inside it. O'Brien was able to rig the beam to hit the alien and save Keiko. As Rom kept O'Brien's secret safe until Keiko was no longer in danger, this endeared Rom to O'Brien, who promoted him to the day shift . ( DS9 : " The Assignment ")

He was further promoted to Maintenance Engineer, First Class in mid- 2375 . ( DS9 : " It's Only a Paper Moon ")

Rom was invited to join Captain Sisko's baseball team that was going to play against a Vulcan team coached by Captain Solok , a rival of Sisko's since their Academy days. Rom couldn't hit a ball, and wasn't good at catching, either. Sisko cut him from the team. Later, Sisko felt bad and in the last inning with Nog on third, the team losing 10 to 0, Sisko sent Rom to bat. Rom missed the first two pitches. On the third pitch, as Rom leaned forward to try to see what the coach wanted him to do, he accidentally hit the ball. It rolled down the first base line and Nog slid into home, scoring his team's only run. The team rushed the field and lifted Rom up as the hero of the game. ( DS9 : " Take Me Out to the Holosuite ")

Dominion War [ ]

Rom activates the security alarm while trying to sabotage the station's deflector array

Rom played an important role in the war against the Dominion, coming up with the idea of self-replicating mines to block the Bajoran wormhole , stopping the Dominion from being reinforced from the Gamma Quadrant. When the Dominion captured Deep Space 9, he remained on board as a " spy " for the Federation and resumed his title of Assistant Manager of Policy and Clientele. ( DS9 : " Call to Arms ")

During the Cardassian takeover of DS9, he was part of Kira 's resistance cell against the Dominion. He helped cause dissension between the Dominion and Cardassians. After learning that Gul Dukat was going to use the deflector array to disable the mines, he tried to disable the deflector array, but was caught. He was sentenced to death by Dukat for his actions, but was rescued by Quark and Tora Ziyal . He failed to disable the deflector array in time, but disabled the station's weapons systems instead. The loss of the weapons systems left the Dominion-held station vulnerable after the loss of their reinforcements, allowing the Federation/ Klingon task force to recapture the station easily. ( DS9 : " Behind the Lines ", " Favor the Bold ", " Sacrifice of Angels ")

Several weeks later, when his mother was captured by the Dominion, Rom was part of the Ferengi group that traveled to Empok Nor to exchange her for Keevan . ( DS9 : " The Magnificent Ferengi ")

Becoming Nagus [ ]

"Wow..." - Rom becomes Grand Nagus in 2375

A series of events through the years all contributed to Rom's elevation to nagus. In 2375 , Rom eventually became Grand Nagus of the Ferengi Alliance .

At first, Grand Nagus Zek ignored Rom, believing him to be of poor business sense and not very intelligent. Zek disagreed strongly with many of Rom's choices concerning his son Nog. Zek did not like the idea of Nog attending a Human school and was opposed to Nog entering Starfleet. But events and Ishka would influence the improvement of Zek's attitude toward Rom. ( DS9 : " The Nagus ")

Rom helped restore the Nagus to the Ferengi ways after the Nagus had been influenced by the Prophets . He helped restore Zek as the Grand Nagus after Brunt had deposed him. ( DS9 : " Prophet Motive ", " Profit and Lace ")

He and Quark entered into the mirror universe and saved Zek from the Alliance . They helped the ISS Defiant in capturing the Regent , after disabling his weapon systems. They also killed mirror Garak who was going to kill them, although Rom was shocked at Leeta's counterpart offering to "debrief" Ezri's counterpart following her defection. Rom's counterpart in the mirror universe had been killed by the Alliance. This saddened Rom as he would have liked the opportunity to have met himself. ( DS9 : " The Emperor's New Cloak ")

When Ishka became Zek's companion, she influenced him in trying to turn Ferengi society into a more tolerant one that allowed free commerce and women's rights. Her influence over Zek led to social reform and a Ferenginar that instituted democratic changes. Rom became the perfect choice for Nagus because he himself had never been a traditional Ferengi. Zek believed that he would be an excellent successor for the newly reformed Ferenginar. ( DS9 : " The Dogs of War ")

Life as Grand Nagus [ ]

At some point prior to 2381 , his Nagus' staff was stolen and exhibited at a museum on Tulgana IV and a substantial reward was offered for its recovery. In 2381, it was recovered from the museum by Petra Aberdeen , an archaeologist . ( LD : " Reflections ")

By 2381, Rom had named Leeta as his First clerk , and banned the sale of weapons, stating that equality and hospitality were more profitable in the long run. While there were Ferengi that supported Rom and his general decisions, there were also others that were unhappy that they couldn't make a faster profit from more unethical deals. ( LD : " Parth Ferengi's Heart Place ")

After an unidentified ship started attacking Ferengi ships and trade routes in 2381, Rom and Leeta met with Admiral Vassery and Captain Carol Freeman on the USS Toronto . While on board, the Grand Nagus offered to sign a formal application for the Ferengi Alliance to start the process of joining the Federation; however, Rom wanted to make changes to the application contract before signing it. After testing Admiral Vassery and Captain Freeman to make sure that he wasn't signing a deal with "a bunch of suckers and rubes" and to see if the Federation respected Ferengi culture, Rom signed the original contract with the Federation; providing the first step for the Ferengi Alliance to join the Federation. ( LD : " Parth Ferengi's Heart Place ")

After Quark left Ferenginar in 2351 , upon reaching his Age of Ascension , Rom lived at home for a further decade. During this time, he realized that Keldar was a poor businessman, going from one bad deal to the next. Rom finally left Ferenginar in 2361 . ( DS9 : " Family Business ")

Prinadora [ ]

In the early 2350s , Rom met his first wife, Prinadora . He signed a standard five-year marriage contract with her father in order to have a child. In 2353 , they had their son, Nog . Rom, however, then fell in love with Prinadora and wanted to extend the contract. Unfortunately, he was so in love that he never bothered to read the extension before signing it. In the end, her father swindled Rom out of all of his money, and Prinadora left Rom (and Nog) for a richer man . ( DS9 : " Doctor Bashir, I Presume ")

Brothers Rom and Quark in Quark's Bar

Quark was annoyed and irritated by his brother's stupidity and idiocy all of his life. Growing up, Quark often belittled Rom about his smaller lobes and about supposedly being adopted. He worked in Quark's Bar for low wages and was cheated out of his share of the profits.

When Grand Nagus Zek visited Deep Space 9, Quark made Rom give up his quarters for the Nagus. When Zek appointed Quark to be the new Grand Nagus, Rom conspired to kill Quark, and might have succeeded if Zek and Odo hadn't arrived at the last minute. Quark later praised Rom for his treachery. ( DS9 : " The Nagus ")

At first, Rom did whatever Quark demanded. But as time went on, Rom began to resist his brother's demands. Rom became less afraid of Quark and confronted him over many issues. When Quark dropped Rom's share of the profits from 14.3% to 12.5% (from one-seventh to one-eighth share of profit), Rom left and joined Martus Mazur in opening a rival bar. When Martus began treating Rom even worse, he returned to Quark's where he could at least "be cheated by family." ( DS9 : " Rivals ")

He opposed Quark over his treatment of their mother, who—against Ferengi law—earned profit. When Quark tried to forbid Nog's admission to Starfleet Academy in late 2371 , Rom reminded him that he was Nog's father and Quark had no say in the matter. Later that year, Rom discovered that Quark sabotaged Nog's spatial orientation test to disqualify him from entering the Academy, under the belief that he was perfectly justified in doing so in Nog's "best interests". The infuriated father confronted Quark and in no uncertain terms warned him against interfering with Nog's happiness ever again, even threatening to burn down Quark's bar if he does. ( DS9 : " Heart of Stone ", " Facets ")

The following year, he single-handedly organized a union of Quark's employees after Quark had cut their wages. He defied both his brother and Liquidator Brunt , whom the Ferengi Commerce Authority had sent to resolve the situation. After the wages had been restored, Rom made the final break with his brother. Rom joined the maintenance crew on Deep Space 9. ( DS9 : " Bar Association ")

But, throughout all the conflicts with his brother, he and Quark loved each other very much. This was evident when he became jealous of Quark's relationship with Pel . Rom exposed Pel as a female during a visit by Grand Nagus Zek in 2370 . ( DS9 : " Rules of Acquisition ")

For his part, Quark always took care of Rom if he was in need. Quark had always remained neutral in conflicts from the Cardassian occupation of Bajor to the retaking of Deep Space 9 by the Cardassians. When Rom was arrested for sabotage and sentenced to death, Quark risked his life and saved Rom. They had many adventures together, and many opportunities for profit.

After Quark had sold his bar to Rom for 5,000 bars of latinum under the miscommunicated belief that he was about to become Grand Nagus, Grand Nagus Rom gave him back the bar and let him keep the money as they were family. Quark called him an idiot, but then affectionately added that he loved him. ( DS9 : " The Dogs of War ")

Rom's mother, Ishka, loved Rom very much and protected him. She saw that he was a good man, unsuccessful in commercial ventures, but with a good heart. Ironically, she saw Rom as being more similar to his father Keldar , whom Quark mistakenly idolized, although he too was a terrible businessman. Quark, conversely, was more like her.

Rom and Ishka were very close when he was a child, and they remained close when Rom moved away from Ferenginar. Rom never quarreled with her over her lifestyle, nor resented her for earning more profit than him. Ishka was his "Moogie." He supported her against both Quark and the Ferengi Commerce Authority. After she got him to admit to being somewhat uncomfortable with being in Ishka's newly clothed presence in a private discussion between them, she disrobed, but "only for him". He would apparently get used to the idea and never brought up her clothes as being an issue from then on. ( DS9 : " Family Business ")

Rom was part of the team that rescued Ishka from the Dominion . The Dominion agreed to a prisoner exchange, Ishka for the Vorta Keevan . Empok Nor was the site for the prisoner exchange. After a battle with the Jem'Hadar , Ishka was rescued. ( DS9 : " The Magnificent Ferengi ")

Ishka probably influenced Zek in naming Rom his successor as the new Nagus. ( DS9 : " The Dogs of War ")

Rom with his son Nog

Rom had a good relationship with his son Nog , although there were times that they did not see eye-to-eye.

Nog wanted to pursue career opportunities of a nontraditional Ferengi nature. Rom strongly disapproved and even attempted to prevent Nog from learning to read or attend Keiko O'Brien 's school on the station. But he changed his mind and allowed (forcefully) Nog to attend the school. ( DS9 : " The Nagus ")

Over the years, Rom's attitudes softened, and he encouraged his son in his goals. His ambition for his son grew to the point where he felt directly invested. When Nog wished to apply to Starfleet , Rom encouraged him, saying that he would be proud to have a son in Starfleet. ( DS9 : " Heart of Stone ") Quark, however, remained opposed to the idea. When Rom discovered that Quark had altered the settings of the holosuite to sabotage the results of the spatial orientation test so that Nog would fail, he confronted his brother about it. Having already reported the incident to Commander Sisko, who allowed Nog to retake the test, Rom warned Quark that if he tried to interfere again, he would burn his brother's bar to the ground. Nothing was important to Rom than his son's happiness, not even latinum. ( DS9 : " Facets ")

When his son became a cadet , Rom was extremely proud, although he always worried about Nog and the dangers he faced. Nog joined Rom in rescuing Ishka from the Dominion. He later had to deal with Nog's depression after his son was wounded in a battle with the Dominion and lost a leg. Rom opposed the idea that Nog would recuperate in the Vic Fontaine holoprogram . ( DS9 : " It's Only a Paper Moon ")

Leeta and Rom's wedding, 2373

In 2373 , Rom fell in love with Leeta , a Bajoran woman who worked as one of the dabo girls at Quark's. Leeta admitted to having a crush on him to her ex-boyfriend, Julian Bashir . ( DS9 : " Let He Who Is Without Sin... ")

Despite constantly planning to do so, Rom could never work up the courage to ask Leeta out. When Doctor Lewis Zimmerman visited the station to work with Doctor Bashir, he fell in love with Leeta. She was going to leave with him, and they planned to live together, Zimmerman offering to let her open a restaurant on Jupiter Station . Just as she was boarding a ship, Rom stopped her and confessed his love for her. Leeta admitted that she was in love with Rom and remained. ( DS9 : " Doctor Bashir, I Presume ")

Rom learned about Bajoran customs to please Leeta but demanded that Leeta sign the Ferengi equivalent of a pre-nuptial agreement, called the Waiver of Property and Profit . Rom and Leeta broke up over the demand and that made Rom miserable. He decided to give his latinum to the Bajoran War Orphans Fund so that the pre-nuptial agreement was no longer necessary, and he and Leeta made up. ( DS9 : " Ferengi Love Songs ")

The two were married in late-2373 in a ceremony officiated by Benjamin Sisko. ( DS9 : " Call to Arms ")

Appendices [ ]

Appearances [ ].

• " Emissary " (Season One)
• " A Man Alone "
• " The Nagus "
• " The Homecoming " (Season Two)
• " The Siege "
• " Rules of Acquisition "
• " Necessary Evil "
• " The House of Quark " (Season Three)
• " Heart of Stone "
• " Prophet Motive "
• " Family Business "
• " Little Green Men " (Season Four)
• " Our Man Bashir "
• " Bar Association "
• " Body Parts "
• " The Assignment " (Season Five)
• " The Ascent "
• " Doctor Bashir, I Presume "
• " Ferengi Love Songs "
• " Call to Arms "
• " Behind the Lines " (Season Six)
• " Favor the Bold "
• " Sacrifice of Angels "
• " You Are Cordially Invited "
• " The Magnificent Ferengi "
• " Profit and Lace "
• " Take Me Out to the Holosuite " (Season Seven)
• " Treachery, Faith and the Great River "
• " The Siege of AR-558 "
• " It's Only a Paper Moon "
• " The Emperor's New Cloak "
• " The Dogs of War "
• " What You Leave Behind " (archive footage)
• " Parth Ferengi's Heart Place "

Background information [ ]

Rom was portrayed by Max Grodénchik .

Grodénchik commented: " When this series started, Rom had no prospects. He was under his brother's thumb, he had no real sense of self, and he felt that he was a failure as a Ferengi. He was frightened, a scared little guy. But with the influence of all the different races that have come through the station – the Bajorans, the humans, the Klingons , and so on – he began to think about other ways of life and to reshape his own. He began to stick up for his son and then for himself, and to separate what was important to him in life, and what wasn't. And he developed to a point where he wanted to share his life with someone else. He fell in love and married Leeta and felt worthwhile. I think it began back in season one, when Rom returned a purse and Quark asked, 'Why did you do that? The First Rule of Acquisition says once you have their money, you never give it back.' He was trying to do a good thing, the right thing. And somehow that led him to the point where the guy who felt less like a Ferengi than any other Ferengi was suddenly head of the Ferengi Alliance! It's just like an American kid wanting to grow up to be President . I'm sure every Ferengi boy wants to grow up to be the Grand Nagus. If you're an American kid and somewhere along the line you start getting bad grades, you tell yourself, 'Well, maybe I'll just settle for being a fireman '. Your dreams get whittled down over the years. So I'm sure for Rom it's the last thing he ever expected. It's just been an amazing journey! Over the years, I've tried to outguess the writers. I've tried to imagine what's next for Rom and think of what's best for Rom. But they always come up with something better than I could ever imagine. I certainly can't complain and I've learned that maybe it's not my job to think about it. I should just leave it to the Blessed Exchequer ! " ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion  (p. 233))

Max Grodénchik sees " Necessary Evil " as an important episode in the development of Rom as a character. Grodénchik commented: " I do think that these characters are continuing to grow. In "Necessary Evil", Odo says to me, 'You are a hero, Rom. You saved your brother's life'. That feels good. I think Rom is torn between both sides of that – being a good brother and wanting the bar. He is very conflicted, and I think that is a good thing. We are all conflicted about something. It is more sophisticated and true to life than just saying Rom just wants the bar, because I think Rom also wants his brother's approval. He even says in ["Necessary Evil"], 'I tried so hard to win my brother's trust, but now he is dead I can never earn it'. He wants the bar to prove to his brother that he can make great profit. When Quark went away to the Gamma Quadrant with Pel (in " Rules of Acquisition "), he did great business ". ( Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages , p 66)

According to Ronald D. Moore , Rom (as of Season 6, and unlike his son ) probably was not a Federation citizen. ( AOL chat , 1997 )

Apocrypha [ ]

In the Deep Space Nine relaunch novels , Rom and Leeta went on to have a daughter, whom they named Bena, both for the Bajoran word for "joy", and after Benjamin Sisko for all he had done for them. Ironically, as Quark pointed out, the word "bena", in Ferengi, meant "underflooring", although Rom defended it by saying that it symbolized how children were always getting underfoot. At the time of Bena's birth, Rom was being challenged for his role of Grand Nagus on the grounds that he had broken his original marriage contract with Prinadora, but Ro Laren was able to clear him by pointing out that, according to the Rules of Acquisition , " A contract is a contract is a contract, but only between Ferengi ", arguing that, since Rom's second marriage was to a Bajoran woman in a Bajoran ceremony overseen by the Bajoran Emissary, he technically didn't violate his original contract as the new one didn't "count" under Ferengi law.

Rom also opened diplomatic relations between Ferenginar and Bajor when Bajor joined the Federation. At the same time, he arranged to have Quark's Bar named as the official Ferengi Embassy to Bajor, resulting in Quark becoming the Ferengi Ambassador to Bajor. With his bar now as the Ferengi Embassy, Quark could still continue to charge latinum for his services – as the Embassy, the bar became Ferengi "soil" and therefore subject to Ferengi law, whereas under Federation law (and the Federation's post-scarcity, money-free economy), Quark would have been unable to charge.

In the novel A Singular Destiny , Rom accepted an invitation for the Ferengi Alliance, and the Cardassian Union , to join the Federation and Klingon Empire in an expansion of the Khitomer Accords , in response to the Typhon Pact: an alliance of the Romulan Star Empire , the Tholian Assembly , the Breen Confederacy , the Gorn Hegemony , the Tzenkethi Coalition, and the Holy Order of the Kinshaya.

In the video game Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Fallen , Rom made several non-speaking appearances on the Promenade between missions. He was also mentioned by name in the PC game Star Trek: Bridge Commander in his capacity as Grand Nagus.

In the video game Star Trek Online , Rom, as Grand Nagus, negotiated an agreement with the Cardassian Detapa Council to finance the rebuilding of Cardassia's cities and industry in 2391 . Rom makes his official appearance in the game in the "Victory is Life" expansion, voiced once more by Max Grodénchik. He attends a conference called by Odo at DS9 to answer the threat of the Hur'q , remarking that Ferenginar was one of the planets attacked by the creatures, and enthusiastically supports joining the forces assembled to fight them. Both he and Quark also work to convince the Klingons to commit to the conflict by reclaiming the Sword of Kahless from the Iconians .

In the Star Trek: Terok Nor novel Dawn of the Eagles , Rom moved to Terok Nor with Nog and began working at Quark's in 2363 after being swindled by Prinadora's father Dav.

External links [ ]

• Rom at StarTrek.com
• Rom at Wikipedia
• Rom at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• Rom at the Star Trek Online Wiki
• 3 Ancient humanoid

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The Intriguing World Of Entertainment

Whatever Happened To Max Grodenchik, ‘Rom’ From Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

By Nick Lee | December 9, 2022

Max Grodénchik in an American actor that is best known for his role as ‘Rom’ on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

He was born in New York City, New York on November 12, 1952. He was also referred to as “Michael” Grodénchik during his time working in theater throughout the 1980s. Overall, Grodénchik is a well-known American film, stage, and television actor. 

Before his rise to fame, Grodénchik was raised within a Jewish family in New York public housing. He has one brother, Barry Grodénchik , who eventually grew up to become a State Assemblyman. Both boys attended public schools in New York City. Max played baseball his entire life and was actually planning to become a full-time professional player before he focused on his acting career. 

Early Career

He got his start on the stage, appearing in shows ranging from regional theaters in Yale Rep to the Guthrie Theater, all the way to the Mark Taper Forum. Eventually, his appearances in theater productions led him to start his career on screen. 

In 1981, he played the role of “Frankie” in the comedy “Chu Chu and the Philly Flash” with Carol Burnett and Alan Arkin. This then led him to other roles such as “Out”, and a few smaller roles in television shows.

It wasn’t until 1990 when he landed his very small role in “Star Trek: The Next Generation” – appearing in only two episodes, playing a new Ferengi character for each one. He played the role of ‘Sovak’ in the episode ‘Captain’s Holiday’ and ‘Par Lenor’ in the episode ‘The Perfect Mate’.

Entering the world of Star Trek was the best possible opportunity he could come across, and his career was just now beginning. 

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

In 1993, Grodénchik was cast as the character Rom in “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine”. This particular TV series was on the air from 1993 – 1999, and although he didn’t make an appearance in every episode, he quickly became a fan favorite.

Fans have said that his portrayal of Rom was incredible. From his ability to control his voice and mannerisms to even his body movements– it is noted that Grodénchik played the part perfectly.

This is particularly difficult to achieve because of the amount of special effects makeup Grodénchik was required to wear. Despite the adversities he faced, he did an amazing job. 

In one of the episodes, his character Rom played baseball but it was supposed to come across as if he was a horrible player. Well, Grodénchik and his previous career in baseball made this a bit difficult– so to make himself look inexperienced, he played with his left hand! 

Once the Deep Space Nine series ended, Grodénchik still didn’t leave the Star Trek scene. He has appeared in podcasts and even still makes appearances at conventions all over the country. He has also done video game voice acting work for Star Trek: Bridge Commander, Star Trek Online, and Star Trek: Starfleet Command III. 

His Other Roles

Max Grodénchik is known for more than just Star Trek. His face may be familiar to you because of the numerous side roles he played throughout his career. He has made an appearance on CSI, Hustle, and ER, to just name a few television shows. 

In 1991, before he was involved with Star Trek, he had a small role playing as the character “Wilmer” in the popular movie “The Rocketeer”. Then in 1992, he played yet another small role in the movie “Sister Act”.

It wasn’t until 1995 when he landed his big lead part playing Rumplestilskin in the movie “Rumplestilskin”. 

This gave Grodénchik another opportunity to showcase his acting skills while wearing special effects makeup. Critics have said that although the movie is unsettling and bizarre, Grodénchik puts on an incredible performance as the creepy little goblin. 

Where is Max Grodénchik today?

(photo: NerdNewsToday )

There is no doubt that Grodénchik has had quite a successful acting career, all thanks to Star Trek. His other roles are certainly of importance, but it is Star Trek that helped him build and maintain a huge following. Still to this day, there are people who are just now discovering the world of Star Trek, so his fan base grows little by little daily. 

From Star Trek conventions, to even Star Trek cruises– you can still find Grodénchik very much so involved with that world and fandom. And yes, Star Trek cruises .

In 2022 Max attended the 56-Year Mission Las Vegas convention, the FedCon 30 convention and the Star Trek Cruise.

During his appearances at these conventions and cruises, you might be lucky enough to find Max serenade you as part of the Star Trek Rat Pack.

The Star Trek Rat Pack is a group that consists of the six best singers and musicians from the Star Trek universe. The members include Jeffrey Combs, Armin Shimerman , Max Grodenchik, Vaughn Armstrong and Casey Biggs.

Aside from Star Trek– Grodénchik , his wife, and his daughter all live in Upper Austria relatively close to the provincial capital. He has stated that because his wife’s family all live in the area, it is best for his daughter to be surrounded by that type of environment. This doesn’t stop him from his acting, though. He is still working on a few small roles in Austria and definitely plans on attending all Star Trek events for the remainder of his career. 

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Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

In the vicinity of the liberated planet of Bajor, the Federation space station Deep Space Nine guards the opening of a stable wormhole to the far side of the galaxy. In the vicinity of the liberated planet of Bajor, the Federation space station Deep Space Nine guards the opening of a stable wormhole to the far side of the galaxy. In the vicinity of the liberated planet of Bajor, the Federation space station Deep Space Nine guards the opening of a stable wormhole to the far side of the galaxy.

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Episodes 173

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• Trivia Kira was a last-minute addition to the cast. The original plan was to include the Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) character of Ro Laren, but Michelle Forbes didn't want to do a series at the time.
• Goofs In the first three seasons, CDR Sisko refers to his father in the past tense, even talking about his slow demise and death from some unknown ailment. But starting in the fourth season ("Homefront"), Joseph Sisko is alive and well running a restaurant in New Orleans. Joseph appears in a total of six episodes throughout the last 4 seasons.

Garak : [Cornered by a group of Klingons in his store] Well, let me guess! You're either lost, or desperately searching for a good tailor.

• Crazy credits The opening credits for "Emissary" lacked the wormhole opening that all future episodes featured. Starting with Season 4, the opening credits included additional spacecraft and activity around the station, including the Defiant flying into the wormhole.
• Alternate versions Several episodes were originally shown as 2-hour movies. They were later edited into two-part 60 minute episodes for later airings.
• Connections Edited into Star Trek: Voyager: Unity (1997)
• Soundtracks Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Main Title Written by Dennis McCarthy

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• Jan 22, 2005
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• January 3, 1993 (United States)
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How Star Trek's Most Underrated Villains Wreaked Havoc From Deep Space 9 to Picard

Star Trek enemies like the Borg and Klingons have been a thorn on the Federation's side, but only one underrated villain has caused the most damage.

• The Dominion is a powerful alien empire in Star Trek that challenged the Federation like never before.
• While the Klingons, Romulans, and Borg evolved over time, the Dominion remained a second-tier villain.
• Star Trek: Picard's third season saw the Dominion return strong, with a complex plot and characters.

Star Trek has always featured compelling villainous aliens, many of whom have arcs and collective journeys as rich as any individual character. The Klingons, for instance, have gone from the Federation's greatest foes to fierce allies and antiheroes. The Romulan Empire similarly underwent rapid disintegration in the late 24th century and re-unified with their genetic cousins, the Vulcans, in later seasons of Star Trek: Discovery . Even the Borg changed over the course of the franchise, as individuals like Seven of Nine escaped the Collective and threats like Species 8472 proved more than they could handle. That dedication to their organic development has helped make them truly memorable foes, not only in Star Trek , but in pop culture as a whole.

One villainous species tends to get a little lost in the shuffle, however. The Dominion -- a powerful alien empire controlled by shape-shifting Changelings -- proved to be one of the deadliest foes the Federation ever faced. They launched a war against the Alpha Quadrant during the final seasons of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, forcing Starfleet to join forces with traditional enemies like the Romulans in the face of the common threat. Despite that, the Dominion itself is often relegated to second-tier villain status. Star Trek: Picard's triumphant third season successfully returned them to the spotlight, and reminded fans how terrifying they could be as antagonists.

The Dominion Were Designed as an Existential Threat

The complete history of the klingons in star trek's next generation era.

Deep Space Nine cemented a big transition for the franchise, moving away from Gene Roddenberry's beliefs in an absolute utopia. A Federation devoid of conflict was no place to tell compelling stories, which The Original Series solved by presenting solely external threats in its planet-of-the-week format. Star Trek: The Next Generation successfully broke out of that mold, though its early seasons were plagued by problems caused by the infamous "Roddenberry Box" forbidding intrapersonal conflicts among the crew. The incursion of the Borg in Season 3, Episode 26, "The Best of Both Worlds, Part I" definitively broke the Box, with Will Riker taking command of the Enterprise amid constant head-butting from his de facto Number One, Elizabeth Shelby.

As The Next Generation continued to explore the story potential of protagonists with differing opinions, Deep Space Nine fully committed to the dark side of the 24th century. Set aboard a rickety former mining station near the planet Bajor, it looked for drama within the limits of the Federation's power, and how characters like Captain Benjamin Sisko have to sometimes make compromises for the greater good. The Dominion proved to be the perfect fulcrum for that as a technologically advanced fascist theocracy, ruled by the Changelings who condition their subjects to worship them as gods. Besides their technological advantages, the Dominion's military forces are truly terrifying.

The ground troops are genetically engineered constructs known as the Jem'Hadar; they are bred to be soldiers and physically dependent upon a chemical called ketracel white to ensure their absolute loyalty. Their commanders, administrators and tactical advisors are a species known as Vorta, who are preternaturally cunning and built to influence foes with honeyed words before unleashing the Dominion's full forces on them. Worst of all were the Changelings themselves, who could perfectly imitate anyone they wished and who would abduct key personnel and replace them with duplicates to sow distrust and discord. On top of all that, they had a vast empire of slave labor at their command, and with the Bajoran wormhole providing a conduit to the Alpha Quadrant, they potentially had the ability to overrun the Federation in a manner of days.

The Dominion Pushed the Moral Limits of The Federation

The complete history of vulcans in the federation era of star trek.

The Dominion were designed the way they were in order to push the Starfleet characters -- specifically Sisko -- into making compromised choices for the sake of survival . That included below-the-belt tactics such as mining the entrance to the wormhole to prevent any ships from getting through, and Section 31's use of biological warfare to infect the Changeling collective with a fatal virus. The most telling moment came with Season 6, Episode 19, " In the Pale Moonlight ," in which Sisko has a hand in forgery, duplicity and murder in order to bring the Romulans into the war.

It is perhaps Star Trek's darkest moment, and a canny exploration of the franchise's famous adage, "the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few." Sisko's efforts bore fruit, and the united Alpha Quadrant was finally able to push the Dominion and its allies to the point of capitulation at the end of Season 7. But the cost was terrible, with millions dead and vast regions of the Alpha Quadrant devastated by war . The Dominion retreated back to the other side of the wormhole, and Odo -- a wayward Changeling who helped convince his people to halt the fighting -- returned to the collective to help end their distrust of "the solids."

As antagonists, they worked incredibly well, thanks in part to a slow build-up that left their origins and motives in the dark until they were well into their infiltration of the Alpha Quadrant. They provided the ideal crucible to test the Federation's principles under fire. While Roddenberry's bright future survived, it emerged with scars that never quite healed. Not even the Borg could top the Dominion as foes, and fans have even gamed out a hypothetical conflict between the Dominion and the Borg, with more or less even odds on which species will prevail.

Despite that, their footprint in the franchise is much smaller than other major antagonists. They returned to the Gamma Quadrant after the war, and essentially vanished with the series finale of Deep Space Nine. With its sister series Star Trek: Voyager focusing on the Borg , and the follow-up Star Trek: Enterprise taking place centuries before the opening of the wormhole, there was no convenient way to resurrect them. The franchise simply moved on, and the Dominion was left collecting dust on the shelves.

Picard Gives The Dominion the Comeback They Deserve

How deep space nine elevated the ferengi from jokes to serious characters.

The latter-day Star Trek renaissance provided an opportunity to do something special with the Dominion. Picard Season 3 depicted a dying, vengeance-obsessed Borg queen pairing up with a radical faction of Changelings to take another run at destroying the Earth. They replace key Starfleet members and sabotage the transporters aboard most of its starships by infecting those who use it with a subtle hormone that allows the Borg Queen to take control of them remotely. The complex plot sees Picard and the reunited crew of the Enterprise-D work to uncover the truth before the sinister coalition springs its trap.

Beyond the cleverness of the plot and its borderline horror-movie premise, Amanda Plummer's Changeling Vadic cements herself as an instant fan favorite. She and her cohorts were captured and experimented on during the Dominion War, rendering them traumatized and filled with hate. Plummer always excels in eccentric roles, which feels like a being who hasn't quite mastered the art of humanoid emotional expression. She's manic, mercurial, and extremely bad at hiding the depths of her hatred.

While Vadic meets her just fate before seeing her plans come to fruition, her presence lingers in the series' final few episodes, to the point of outclassing the Borg Queen herself. She also gives a face to the Changelings, who were usually by definition disguised as someone else. Their representative (known only as "female Changeling") was presumptuous and cold, which forms a stark contrast with Vadic's onscreen villain. It demonstrates the effects of their defeat on the Dominion's self-styled god-rulers.

Picard helps the Dominion demonstrate a viable arc over time, in the same manner as the Klingons, the Romulans and the Borg. Fans can see how the loss has affected them as individuals, as well as the political fallout from it all. Vadic belongs to a splinter group rather than the bulk of the collective. It gives them the depth and sense of continuity they need to rightfully join the ranks of elite Star Trek villains . With Picard opening the door to further appearances, and with other antagonists suffering from decades of overuse, an extended return could help define the future of the franchise.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Picard are both streaming in their entirety on Paramount+.

The Star Trek universe encompasses multiple series, each offering a unique lens through which to experience the wonders and perils of space travel. Join Captain Kirk and his crew on the Original Series' voyages of discovery, encounter the utopian vision of the Federation in The Next Generation, or delve into the darker corners of galactic politics in Deep Space Nine. No matter your preference, there's a Star Trek adventure waiting to ignite your imagination.

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Published May 1, 2021

How 'Deep Space Nine' Made a Case for Unions

The pro-union writers of "Bar Association" used Karl Marx, worker intimidation, a strike, and two Ferengi brothers to dramatize the struggle between labor and management.

StarTrek.com

The recently premiered Deep Space Nine documentary What We Left Behind makes an argument for the show's importance not just in the Star Trek canon, but in the broad history of American television. Through the expressive guidance of showrunner Ira Steven Behr, it walks through DS9 's treatment of race, inequality, war, and sexuality across seven seasons of ambitious, character-driven, and often hysterical storytelling. But there's one always-relevant issue the documentary didn't touch on that the show did: Workers going on strike.

The fourth-season DS9 episode "Bar Association" is the only entry in the totality of Trek 's decades-sprawling franchise that meaningfully focuses on labor organizing. It sets two fan-favorite Ferengi brothers—Quark (Armin Shimerman) and Rom (Max Grodénchik)—against each other as manager and employee, and walks through the beats of Rom's radicalization from being a cog in Quark's money-making machine to a union man willing to stand up for himself and his fellow workers. Behr and his co-writer of the episode's teleplay, Robert Hewitt Wolfe, have confirmed that was all by design.

"We wanted to do a show about labor... to say something about why labor historically has been good," Wolfe told StarTrek.com, explaining the discussions that fleshed out the episode's original story pitch from Barbara J. Lee and Jenifer A. Lee. A labor episode, produced in a time when union membership was (and still is) in decline, he said, offered them the opportunity to argue for unions while fleshing out the arcs of minor characters like Rom and the Dabo girl Leeta (Chase Masterson). "For most shows, they would just be background, but on Deep Space Nine they deserved to have their own story," he said.

"The main focus was about the two brothers," Behr added. As a character-driven Trek series, more than making a "statement" about unions, he explained, this DS9 episode was meant to illustrate how those themes interacted between the two brothers and their relationship with each other. Through them, "Bar Association" told a story that dramatized the struggles and success that can come with collective bargaining, made a case for the side of labor, and further deepened the beloved lore and characters of DS9 . Here's how they made it happen.

Ideological tension from the jump: Ferengi greed vs. labor's struggles

Unlike other Trek shows which focus on the discovery of new civilizations, DS9 sets civilizations up to clash as they coexist on the same titular space station. The Ferengi, a society of unapologetic capitalists, live by ruthless "Rules of Acquisition" and prides themselves in profit at practically any moral cost. The United Federation of Planets ( basically ) operates a socialist-lite, post-scarcity government—where currency has little use and exploitation is anathema.

The opening minutes of "Bar Association" smash those two ideologies together when Rom gets sick at his job at Quark's bar and casino. Quark says Rom's pay will be docked after he collapses and needs medical treatment. Upon hearing this, the Federation doctor Julian Bashir (Alexander Siddig) suggests Rom and his cohort form a union.

"A what?" Rom asks, as if he'd never heard the word before.

"You know, a trade guild, a collective bargaining association, a union," Dr. Bashir replies, as though it's the most basic concept in the galaxy.

The discussion with Bashir puts the bug in Rom's ear, but Quark is the one who forces Rom's ultimate decision. The next time he sees his brother, Quark informs his entire staff that their pay will be cut by a third because business is particularly slow. When Rom and his coworker Leeta protest, Quark doesn't budge, telling them they can accept it or be laid off.

The writing played with how personal labor-management relations can get

"In this bar, you're not my brother," Quark tells Rom as he delivers the news of the pay cut. "You're my employee. And employees have no right to question the management's decisions." After years of mistreatment, this cold statement steels Rom's resolve. In his next scene, he rallies the staff of Quark's to unionize, arguing that neither Quark nor the Ferengi Commerce Authority cares about their interests.

"We've been exploited long enough," Rom tells his coworkers. "It's time to be strong, take control of our lives, our dignity and our profits." By end of the scene, he has them shouting in solidarity, with their fists raised in unison: "Union! Union! Union!"

For the entirety of their lives before this moment, Rom played second fiddle to Quark, both in their acquisition of profits and in their family dynamic. Quark made all the rules before Rom leaned into the power of collective action. Upending that dynamic changed their relationship for the rest of the series, pushing Rom to self-actualize and Quark to soften his view on Ferengi custom.

DS9 dramatized that power shift, Behr said, by leaning into the core of its characters. "It's about family," he explained, "stepping out of your brother's shadow, or a brother having to come to grips with who his brother really is as opposed to who he might want his brother to be."

This tension drives a wedge between the two that results in a captivating meeting where Quark corners Rom in his own quarters and tries to pay him off to end the strike — basically Union Busting 101. Rom defies the bribe and quotes Karl Marx back to Quark: "There's only one thing I have to say to you: 'Workers of the world unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains.'"

Dumbfounded, Quark asks: "What's happened to you?"

Like so many exploitative managers, Quark cannot fathom that Rom finally understands his value and his cohorts' collective power. In his own earlier words to his unionized workers, they could "strike a blow." Quark had provided ample fuel for their fire. ("And we just thought it would be hilarious to have a Ferengi quoting Marx, to be honest," Wolfe laughed. "But that is an important part of the discussion.").

Their labor dispute and the eventual strike is so disruptive — so effective — that the FCA does get wind of it and eventually sends a Ferengi enforcer, Brunt (Jeffrey Combs) , to break up the strike. When Brunt threatens to freeze their bank accounts, Rom does not waver, reassuring his coworkers: "If your accounts on Ferenginar were worth anything, you wouldn't be working as a waiter. I'm telling you, nothing has changed. Victory is within our grasp. All we have to do is take it."

Brunt's tactics get more brutal when he threatens Leeta and nearly kills Quark in order to intimidate Rom into ending the strike. Even so, Rom remains invested in his coworkers, bargaining a hard line with Quark in order to secure their pay increases by any means necessary. Pushed to the brink, Quark and Rom arrive at a compromise: Rom will dissolve the union, and Quark will give them raises by the end of the week.

The episode is unabashedly pro-union, as were the people who made it

While Quark, this episode's sympathetic villain, maybe as philosophically anti-union as Brunt is, Shimerman, the actor who played him was not. Ditto for Behr and Wolfe (both raised in union households), as well as much of Hollywood, where individual trades are represented by guilds like the Writers Guild of America West, the Directors Guild of America, the Screen Actors Guild, and more.

"You would never, ever, ever, ever cross a picket line," Behr recalled of growing up in working-class New York, decades ago. One of his first jobs was working in a union office for soft-drink workers, "and these were some tough, tough guys." He also recalled that Shimerman would vocally discuss SAG issues on the DS9 set.

"By and large those unions are very beneficial to us," Wolfe said. "Some of the [ DS9 ] writers, not me, had just been through a writers' strike in the late '80s ," Wolfe remembered, and it informed their writing. Today, Wolfe and Behr both vocally support their union, the WGA West on social media. When he was young, Wolfe recalled, his mother was represented by a nurses' union, meaning he would join her on the picket line as early as age 7.

All of these writers and actors grew up and worked in industries where they were represented by trade guilds and where the collective interest trumped individual greed. That history is reflected in the episode, too, when Chief Miles O'Brien (Colm Meaney), who later joins the chorus, emboldens Rom with a story about his ancestor who led a Pennsylvania miners strike: "Eleven months those mines were closed, and they didn't open again until all the miners' demands were met."

As the strike gets underway, O'Brien even gets into a fight with his fellow Federation officer, Commander Worf (Michael Dorn) over breaking the picket line. (The tussle feels like a function of Worf's subplot in the episode, in which he feels increasingly out of place on DS9 .) The message tracks with what Behr told StarTrek.com about his own views on unions: "The unions for all their faults and failures — of which there were many — were better than the alternative."

The union's solidarity wins the day, but the conflict doesn't disappear

"There are a lot of people today that think unions are the enemy," Behr lamented. Data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics show a decline in union membership since the '80s, and with it, declining pay for workers in "production and non-supervisory positions," the largest category of American workers. Right-to-work laws, the rise of contract-based jobs, and the loss of manufacturing jobs all contribute to this, but so does worker apathy and the ahistorical belief that working conditions will naturally improve on their own without anyone taking action to correct them.

"We wanted to give that historical context to show how that worked to a viewership that might be increasingly hostile to the idea of organized labor," Wolfe said. "There's definitely a push-pull power dynamic between labor and capital, and there probably always will be."

Rom took action, but the episode doesn't offer a pat solution to the tensions between Quark and Rom, or between Quark and the rest of his workforce. Rom ends the episode a hero, growing closer to his future wife Leeta, leaving Quark's employ, and cheekily vowing to needle his brother in another key Capitalist role: The Customer. And though Rom agrees to dissolve the union, a single raise does not a happy labor-management relationship make. (Just ask any union member who's had to negotiate a second contract with management once the first runs its course.)

Had the DS9 writers wanted to, another union drive that resulted in a true collective bargaining agreement would not have been out of the question. "Bar Association" demonstrated that workers benefit from having a seat at the table, while management benefits from making workers think they don't have the power to grab the chair and sit down.

"People will take your freedom away if you let it happen," Behr said, whether you live in the 20th, 21st, or 24th century. That's what it boils down to. "Somewhere, people are still fighting for a goddamn living wage. They're doing the job and they want to get paid for the job they're doing."

Eric Vilas-Boas (he/him) has previously written for Vulture, Esquire, Thrillist, TV Guide, Paste, Slashfilm, and other outlets. He is a member of the WGA East, and the co-editor of the animation blog The Dot and Line . You can follow him on Twitter .

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Rene Auberjonois’ Star Trek: Enterprise Appearance Contained A Massive DS9 Callback

• René Auberjonois' cameo in Enterprise ties back to a DS9 episode, showcasing recurring themes in Star Trek storytelling.
• "Oasis" in Enterprise mirrored "Shadowplay" in DS9. Auberjonois discussed similarities with lead Scott Bakula.
• Auberjonois' role in "Oasis" reflected the character of Rurigan in "Shadowplay", showing his versatility as an actor in the Star Trek universe.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's René Auberjonois guest starred in an episode of Star Trek: Enterprise that was a massive callback to an Odo-centric DS9 episode. Enterprise was the third Star Trek property to feature René Auberjonois, after appearances in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country and his regular role as Constable Odo in DS9 . René Auberjonois appeared alongside the cast of Enterprise in the season 1 episode, "Oasis", which bore similarities to "Shadowplay", an episode from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's second season.

The similarities between Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's "Shadowplay" and Star Trek: Enterprise 's "Oasis" weren't lost on DS9 's René Auberjonois . In a 2011 interview with the official Star Trek website , René Auberjonois recalled an awkward moment between him and Enterprise 's lead, Scott Bakula. Read René Auberjonois' recollections of his discussion with Scott Bakula below:

[Bakula] said, “I like this script. I think this is a good one.” I said, “Yeah, we did this one in season three.” And he looked at me and said, “What?” I said, “It was the same sort of story.” That was not really a putdown, but when you’ve done that many years of writing stories, there will be recurring themes.

Every Star Trek: DS9 Episode Directed By Rene Auberjonois

René auberjonois’ guest role in enterprise was a ds9 callback.

In Star Trek: Enterprise season 1, episode 20, "Oasis", Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) and the crew discover an apparently derelict ship isn't as abandoned as they first believed. Upon further investigation, it's revealed that the crew of the ship, except for Ezral (René Auberjonois) and his daughter Liana (Annie Wersching) were killed when the ship crash-landed years earlier. To assuage his guilt over his part in the crash, Ezral recreated the crew with early holodeck technology, so that he and Liana wouldn't be alone .

Liana was the first Star Trek role for Annie Wersching, who would later play the Borg Queen in Star Trek: Picard season 2.

René Auberjonois' role in "Oasis" was similar to the character of Rurigan (Kenneth Tobey) in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 2, episode 16, "Shadowplay". In that episode, Lt. Jadzia Dax (Terry Farrell) and Constable Odo visit a planet where the inhabitants keep mysteriously disappearing. It's discovered that the missing inhabitants are holograms which are fading from existence due to the wear and tear of the holographic technology. Rurigan created the vast simulation himself, after fleeing the oppression of the Dominion , so that, like René Auberjonois' Ezral, he could continue live among those he lost, and preserve his culture.

How Many Roles Has René Auberjonois Played In Star Trek?

Constable Odo in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine was René Auberjonois' second role in the wider franchise . The actor first appeared in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country as the corrupt Starfleet admiral, West, though Auberonois' scenes were cut from the original theatrical release. Although best known for playing Odo in DS9 , René Auberjonois also played a handful of other characters in the show, and that's not including the multiple alternate Odo's from his Mirror Universe variant to an aged Odo from the alternative timeline from "Children of Time".

If Odo and his variants count as one distinct character with different performance choices, then René Auberjonois played five different characters in the Star Trek franchise . On top of Admiral West, Constable Odo, and Ezral in Star Trek: Enterprise , René Auberjonois also played the spirit of Curzon Dax, who took over Odo's body in the episode "Facets". Auberjonois also played Douglas Pabst, editor of the Incredible Tales of Scientific Wonder magazine in "Far Beyond the Stars". Each of these five characters demonstrates what a great acting talent René Auberjonois was, and how lucky Star Trek: Deep Space Nine was to have him in the cast.

All episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Enterprise are available to stream on Paramount+.

Star Trek: Enterprise

Star Trek: Enterprise acts as a prequel to Star Trek: The Original Series, detailing the voyages of the original crew of the Starship Enterprise in the 22nd century, a hundred years before Captain Kirk commanded the ship. Enterprise was the sixth series in the Star Trek franchise overall, and the final series before a twelve-year hiatus until the premiere of Star Trek: Discovery in 2017. The series stars Scott Bakula as Captain Jonathan Archer, with an ensemble cast that includes John Billingsley, Jolene Blalock, Dominic Keating, Anthony Montgomery, Linda Park, and Connor Trinneer.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, also known as DS9, is the fourth series in the long-running Sci-Fi franchise, Star Trek. DS9 was created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller, and stars Avery Brooks, René Auberjonois, Terry Farrell, and Cirroc Lofton. This particular series follows a group of individuals in a space station near a planet called Bajor.

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Review: The EXO-6 ‘Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’ 1:6 Odo Figure Is The Shape of Things To Come

| April 9, 2024 | By: Jeff Bond 7 comments so far

Constable Odo 1/6 Scale Action Figure

Manufacturer: EXO-6 Price: $215 Grade: A+

Way back in the no-man’s land between the release of Star Trek: The Motion Picture and The Wrath of Khan , when it briefly looked like there might be no more Star Trek movies and there hadn’t been a new Star Trek TV show since the 1973 animated series, I had a weird dream one night that there was a new Star Trek series on the air and one of the actors in it was René Auberjonois. At the time I knew Auberjonois from his performances in the 1976 King Kong remake and The Eyes of Laura Mars (where he did an uncanny impression of Lloyd Bridges using only his face).

What I didn’t imagine was that Auberjonois would indeed appear in a new Star Trek show a decade or so later—but his face would be covered by a thick layer of latex makeup and he would be playing an alien shapeshifter named Odo. Like Spock, Data, and later characters like Seven of Nine and Saru, Odo was part of the Star Trek formula that dictated an alien “other” character was always needed to provide an outsider perspective on humanity. A holdover from the Cardassian’s shepherding of their space station Terok Nor, Odo retained his job as a security officer to become Deep Space Nine’s “constable”—a sheriff who keeps a close eye on the denizens that live on and visit DS9, particularly his arch nemesis, the Ferengi Quark. Odo can use his shapeshifting abilities to impersonate other beings or even disguise himself as inanimate objects—all a boon to his work maintaining law and order on the station.

René Auberjonois as Constable Odo in a Deep Space Nine publicity photo (Paramount)

Odo’s origins were initially mysterious, even to himself (in one first season episode after chasing what he’d thought to be a clue to his background, a lonely Odo gazes out into space from a runabout and ponders, “Home…where is it?”). Eventually, he discovers that he’s part of the race of the Founders, dangerous “changelings” and founders of the Dominion, a warlike confederation of races that threatens the Federation. Odo consequently finds himself torn between loyalty to his friends on DS9 and the race that gave birth to him. Auberjonois, a reliable and effective character actor, gave Odo a gruff, no-nonsense personality that set him off from DS9’s mix of hotheads, pious clerics, and very human Starfleet officers. He figured in some tremendous storylines, although I wish the show hadn’t gone in the direction of putting him and Major Kira—two of the strongest characters in the series—in a standard romance that ultimately weakened both of them.

René Auberjonois as Constable Odo in “What You Left Behind” (Paramount)

EXO-6 Odo Figure

EXO-6’s Deep Space Nine line of 12” action figures has been absolutely stellar in its quality, and Odo might just be the best release yet. One might think that capturing Odo’s deliberately featureless prosthetic makeup would be a breeze, but it actually seems more like a trap as the proportions of the character’s face come off as deliberately vague and confusing due to the makeup. Sculptor Dean Tolliver pulls off the assignment flawlessly, from Odo’s prim, downturned mouth to his piercing, deep-set eyes.

EXO-6 DS9 Odo figure

One big challenge to these characters is hair—it has to be molded into the one-piece head sculpt which often gives the entire character a plastic, doll-like sheen. Odo’s hair even in the series has an uncanny, sleek appearance that lends itself well to this kind of reproduction—there’s a very fine seam bisecting the head, something you can catch with careful examination on this and some other EXO figures, but it mostly disappears within the hair sculpture, and that’s really the only minor flaw (if you can call it that) in the figure.

Odo’s clothes are of drab and utilitarian Bajoran make, almost allowing him to disappear among the brown and bronze arches of the space station’s promenade, and the figure captures the cut of the uniform, its Bajoran insignia, belt and boots perfectly.

If you watch the series, you know that Odo doesn’t roll with standard Starfleet weaponry—he’s his own weapon, with the ability to turn his arms into whiplike tendrils or any other shape that might come in handy to subdue a scofflaw. Odo comes with the standard Starfleet PADD and a tricorder, but this figure boasts two more-character-based accessories that really set this release off and required a larger-than-normal collectors box. One accessory is Odo’s “bucket”—a metallic container that the shapeless being relaxes inside in liquid form after a hard day’s crime-fighting. EXO also includes a spectacular clear vinyl sculpture of Odo in mid-transformation, congealing upwards from a puddle on the floor, his arms folded and his distinctive features starting to take shape.

Bucket and shape-shifting accessories for EXO-6 DS9 Odo figure

These accessories make Odo’s display footprint about twice the size of a normal EXO-6 figure, but it’s worth it, especially since at $215 he’s in line with most of the other DS9 figure price points.

Odo was released today and is available now at EX0-6.com .  This is another spectacular figure release from EXO-6 and since they tend to sell out quickly, you’d be well advised to order ASAP.

The Odo figure is part of EXO-6’s Star Trek: Deep Space Nine collection. Quark and Sisko have already sold out. The Kira figure [ see TrekMovie’s review ] is still available. Dr. Julian Bashir is next in line , but the pre-order period has already sold out.

Upcoming EXO-6 Dr. Bashir figure

A closer look at Odo

Jeff Bond is a freelance writer and book author who’s addicted to plastic models and action figures. You can catch up with him on  Facebook  and  Instagram  where he posts model works in progress, and takes commissions. His latest Star Trek book is  Star Trek: The Motion Picture: The Art and Visual Effects .

Find more Star Trek merchandise news and reviews at TrekMovie.com .

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Incredible detail, the greatest representation….

Finally, an EXO sculpt that actually looks like the character.

Kind of funny that it’s the one with a deliberately featureless messed up face.

Wow. I sold my TMP Kirk and Spock due to the poor likenesses.

But this actually looks really good. Maybe….

Gotta admit, this IS a good one! 🫤 If only I had the bars of latinum… 😒💸

This looks absolutely fabulous!! 😍

Well done. These are so well done. Not surprised they keep selling out.

I sure hope Hiya Toys can give us a diverse range of Star Trek figures drawing from the entire legacy of Star Trek like Exo-6 is doing here. Playmates has certainly dropped the ball but I still have faith that a good quality line could be a success. I hope unlike Playmates, Hiya will take fan’s comments and input into consideration like Exo-6 is also doing. We fans like feeling like we have some say in the thought process of creating a line and being appreciated by the teams responsible for developing products like this and Playmates just took all our patronage for granted.

Screen Rant

Star trek: discovery is a sad reminder ds9’s dax is long dead.

Burnham meets Jinaal Bix in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 3, a Trill host who reminds us that DS9's Dax is long dead in the 32nd century.

WARNING: This article contains SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 3, "Jinaal".

• Star Trek: Discovery's latest episode explores the deep history of Trill and the Bix symbiont's quest for the Progenitors' treasure.
• The return to Trill reminds viewers of the long history of the Dax symbiont, which may have passed away centuries before the 32nd century.
• Jinaal Bix's journey to become a Trill host showcases a different path compared to the iconic Dax hosts, with a focus on preserving ancient secrets.

Star Trek: Discovery 's return to Trill is a sad reminder that Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's Dax symbiont is long dead in the 32nd century. In Discovery season 5, episode 3, "Jinaal" , Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) meets Kalzara Blix (Claire Coulter), a Trill host who can help Discovery with its hunt for the Progenitors' treasure. To unlock the next clue to their quest, Burnham and her away team have to speak to the symbiont's original host, Jinaal Bix , who uses the zhian'tara ritual to inhabit the body of Dr. Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz) to test the worthiness of Burnham and Book (David Ajala).

Jinaal Bix was one of six scientists, including Romulan scientist Dr. Vellek (Michael Copeman) who spent years researching the Progenitors and their technology following the revelations in Star Trek: The Next Generation 's "The Chase". Jinaal chose to become a Trill host, so that the Bix symbiont would retain the information about the Progenitors, and the whereabouts of the clue on Trill. 800 years later, and the Bix symbiont is barely holding on to life, having spent centuries awaiting a " worthy seeker ", a fact that reminds viewers that Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's Dax will be long dead in Star Trek: Discovery 's 32nd century .

Star Trek: Discovery’s TNG Connection Explained - "The Chase" & Who Are The Progenitors?

Star trek: discovery reminds us dax is long dead in the 32nd century.

While briefing Burnham on their findings in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 3, Ensign Adira Tal (Blu del Barrio) explains that " it would be unusual " but not uncommon for a Trill symbiont to live for 800 years . Star Trek: Deep Space Nine established that Trills could live beyond 550 years, which does mean that the Dax symbiont could have made it to its 800th birthday. However, the symbiont was already 350 years old when Lt. Jadzia Dax (Terry Farrell) became the eighth Dax host .

This means that even if Dax had made it to the ripe old age of 800, they would have done so in the year 2818, almost 400 years before Burnham and the USS Discovery arrived in the 32nd century. When Lt. Jadzia Dax was killed off , Ensign Ezri Dax (Nicole de Boer) became the symbiont's unwilling and unprepared new host. However, despite Star Trek: Discovery 's return visits to Trill, no updates on what Ezri did after the end of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , or who her successors were, have ever been revealed .

While Ezri Dax is the official ninth host of the Dax symbiont, she's technically the tenth, as the criminal Verad stole the symbiont in Star Trek: Deep Space season 2, episode 4, "Invasive Procedures".

How DS9’s Dax Symbiont Compares To Discovery’s Bix Symbiont

It's unknown if Star Trek: Discovery 's Bix symbiont lived longer than Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's symbiont . Bix was definitely younger than Dax during the 24th century, as Jinaal is confirmed to be the first of the symbiont's hosts. Each year on Trill, 500 symbionts become available for joining, so Jinaal must have chosen to become a Host at some point prior to the Bix symbiont becoming available. Jinaal, Vellek and the other five scientists worked together for years to find the Progenitors' technology, so he could have joined with Bix many years after the ending of DS9 .

Unlike Jadzia Dax, who chose to become a Host from an early age, Jinaal Bix chose to become a Host to preserve the secrets of the Progenitors. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine revealed that becoming a Host was an honor not bestowed on every Trill. Star Trek: Discovery 's Jinaal reveals that his passion and desire to become a Host was driven by a stronger obligation to preserve the secrets of the Progenitors. With Bix's message finally imparted, the symbiont can now sleep, joining Dax in the Trill afterlife.

Star Trek: Discovery streams Thursdays on Paramount+

Star Trek: Discovery

Star Trek: Discovery is an entry in the legendary Sci-Fi franchise, set ten years before the original Star Trek series events. The show centers around Commander Michael Burnham, assigned to the USS Discovery, where the crew attempts to prevent a Klingon war while traveling through the vast reaches of space.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

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Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, also known as DS9, is the fourth series in the long-running Sci-Fi franchise, Star Trek. DS9 was created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller, and stars Avery Brooks, René Auberjonois, Terry Farrell, and Cirroc Lofton. This particular series follows a group of individuals in a space station near a planet called Bajor.