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Terry Farrell, Rene Auberjonois, Armin Shimerman, Colm Meaney, Cirroc Lofton, Avery Brooks, Nana Visitor and Alexander Siddig in Deep Space Nine

The underrated Star Trek: why you should watch Deep Space Nine

DS9 is having a resurgence because it’s set in a bifurcated world, much like our own – and it’s one of the smartest things ever to come out of mainstream sci-fi

Deep Space Nine is streaming on Netflix. For more recommendations of what to stream in Australia, click here
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W edged between the operatic, trailblazing perfection of Star Trek: The Next Generation and the charming (yet wildly inconsistent) Star Trek: Voyager, Deep Space Nine was at an immediate disadvantage. Where were all the ships? The voyages? The jefferies tubes, dammit? Why would we want to watch a dialogue-heavy drama set on a badly lit space station?

But Deep Space Nine is like The Americans in space, or a le Carré cold war novel set in the dying embers of a horrific occupation. It’s about racial tension, religious fundamentalism and newfound faith. It is, hands down, one of the smartest things ever to come out of mainstream science fiction.

Here’s the turbolift pitch: Cardassia – a militaristic race with bumpy heads and few scruples – have ceded occupation of Bajor, a highly spiritual and scrappy planet. Terok Nor, a Cardassian space station floating above the planet, is renamed Deep Space Nine. Bajor wants to avoid being invaded again, so they ask the Federation for membership.

Starfleet commander Benjamin Sisko (played by Avery Brooks) is assigned to manage the station. When he arrives, a wormhole opens between Bajor and the far-flung Gamma quadrant, making the planet suddenly strategically vital. But wait! The Bajoran’s gods, the Prophets, live in the wormhole, and Sisko is made their emissary – and that’s just the first episode!

“The show looked forward,” says Nana Visitor, who plays Kira Nerys, the brilliant and fiery Bajoran liaison officer assigned to Deep Space Nine. “And it stands up! And I think that’s why there’s a resurgence. People watch, and go … holy shit! This is what we’re going through right now! Nothing has changed!”

Kira is one of a truly stellar cast of characters who jettison the profound but sometimes flattened ethos of Starfleet in favour of unprecedented moral messiness. Miles O’Brien (Colm Meaney), the friendly Irish transporter guy from Next Gen, shows up and becomes one of Trek’s best characters, hands down. (He’s a union man, dammit.) Julian Bashir (Alexander Siddig) is the arrogant, effete medical officer whose unfolding friendship with a mysterious Cardassian tailor, Garak (Andrew Robinson) takes viewers to some truly incredible places. We meet Dax (Terry Farrell), who is a Trill, a species that gives Doctor Who a run for its money. There’s Odo (the late, great Rene Auberjonois), the station’s chief of security and a shapeshifter whose origins become a major plot point later on. And there’s Odo’s nemesis, Quark (Armin Shimerman), the Ferengi bartender. In a franchise which presents humans as post-capitalist idealists, the Ferengi are a truly complex, hilarious and disturbing portrait of a society built solely around money.

I ask Shimerman why people should give the show a shot. “Watch us for the performances,” he says. “Watch it for really good acting. And what makes good acting? Good writing. Watch it for the writing. Many pooh-poohed Trek because they thought it was all about the phasers, and starships … yes, we have that! But our show is really about social issues. Watch it to inspire a philosophical discussion.”

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Nana Visitor in front of a sign for Paramount+ Star Trek Day

Deep Space Nine resonates now because it is set in a bifurcated world, much like our own. “Deep Space Nine is not about solving the problems of the world every 46 minutes,” Shimerman says. “But rather, how do people live together who don’t like each other, but have to? Have to form alliances, in order to survive, to just get through life?”

Admittedly, many viewers get thrown off early. The first season treads a lot of the same ground as the other Star Trek shows. But right near the season one finale, Deep Space Nine reveals its true face, before diving into dark, deep philosophical waters. It’s possible to come away from certain episodes and story arcs feeling almost physically winded. The show-runners brilliantly seed impending plotlines well before they emerge, and pull off some staggering twists, drawing in major players from the Trek universe to tell stories which, frankly, often put the rest of Trek to shame.

The significance of having a black Starfleet captain, a single father, stationed in the middle of simmering racial tensions is one of Deep Space Nine’s greatest strengths. Sisko, throughout the show’s tenure, becomes as potent a Trek captain as Jean-Luc Picard at his zenith, bringing a true cinematic heft to his performance. And Deep Space Nine has, more so than any other Trek show, a sense of place. You’ll come to crave the promenade, miss the hiss of the turbolift and long to enter Sisko’s office again, and have him swivel around to greet you, tossing a baseball in the air.

Miraculously, we’ve been given the chance to return to this world. There’s a brilliant new comic series that explores the fates of some key characters, and the excellent animated series The Lower Decks is set five years after the finale of Deep Space Nine; Visitor and Shimerman made their triumphant return as Kira and Quark too. “Kira is always just off stage left for me,” Visitor says. “All the conversations I’ve had over the years, hearing what she meant to other people, trying to explain to them what she meant to me … makes her very fresh and alive in my head.”

As we wrap up our call, she elegantly sums up why Deep Space Nine is worth watching. “It was in a franchise that was travelling out to discover other worlds, and we had the nerve to say, wait a minute. The journey from here … ” she gestures at her head, “to here … ” and she draws her finger down to her heart. “That journey? That’s quite a journey. Let’s focus on that one.”

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Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

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Star Trek: Deep Space Nine was the fourth Star Trek series and entered production in 1992 . It was broadcast in first-run syndication from January 1993 until June 1999 .

It was the first Star Trek series created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller rather than by Gene Roddenberry . It was also the only series to air alongside another Star Trek production throughout its entire run, airing alongside Star Trek: The Next Generation from 1993 until 1994 , and then with Star Trek: Voyager from 1995 until 1999 .

Main Title Theme (seasons 1-3) file info
(Themes composed by Dennis McCarthy ).
1.1 The characters
1.2 Alien races
1.3 The mirror universe
1.4 Technology
1.5 Costumes
2.1 Development
2.2 Serialization
3.1 Starring
3.2 Also starring
3.3 Special guest stars
3.4 Special appearances by
3.5 Recurring characters
4 Executive producers
5 Staff writers
6.1 Season 1
6.2 Season 2
6.3 Season 3
6.4 Season 4
6.5 Season 5
6.6 Season 6
6.7 Season 7
7 Related topics
9 External links

Summary [ ]

Deep Space Nine goes where no Star Trek series had gone before – DS9 was the first Star Trek production not based on a starship , but instead, a starbase , known as Deep Space 9 (the starship USS Defiant was introduced in season 3, but the station remained the primary setting of the series). The show is known for its complex characters and storylines, engaging battle scenes and darker (less Utopian) atmosphere. Unlike its predecessors Star Trek: The Original Series and Star Trek: The Next Generation , Deep Space Nine tended to avoid an episodic format for most of its run and instead featured multiple-episode story arcs .

The show broke the "standard format" for Star Trek shows a number of times as well, with a direct, first-person narrative providing the commentary for the episode " In the Pale Moonlight ", a retelling of a classic TOS episode from a different angle in " Trials and Tribble-ations ", life in the racially segregated 1950s in " Far Beyond the Stars ", and a reintroduction of the concept of "black ops" to the Star Trek universe with Section 31 : " Inquisition ". The show also broke with tradition – and with the two Star Trek series that followed it – by featuring a commanding officer as the star of the show at the rank of commander, rather than captain, for a significant portion of its run, until Sisko was eventually promoted to captain in " The Adversary ". Additionally, a number of the episodes and main storylines focused entirely on characters who weren't members of Starfleet: for example, those revolving around Kira, Odo, Jake Sisko, and Quark. (" Progress ", " Shakaar ", " The House of Quark ", " Heart of Stone ", " Prophet Motive ", " Little Green Men ", " Bar Association ", " Body Parts ", " Nor the Battle to the Strong ", " The Ascent ", " The Darkness and the Light ", " Business as Usual ", " Ties of Blood and Water ", " Ferengi Love Songs ")

The characters [ ]

Unlike other Star Trek series, DS9 also had a large cast of recurring characters . Such characters included Nog , Rom , Elim Garak , Dukat , Vedek Bareil Antos , Winn Adami , Weyoun , the Female Changeling , Damar , Martok , Kasidy Yates , Leeta , Brunt , Ishka , and Zek .

Miles O'Brien , and later Worf , were two characters imported from TNG. Worf – a major character from TNG – played a large role on DS9. Several Next Generation characters also had recurring roles on the show, such as Keiko O'Brien and Gowron . Several other TNG characters made appearances too, such as Captain Jean-Luc Picard , Thomas Riker , Q , Lwaxana Troi , Kurn , Lursa , B'Etor , Admiral Alynna Nechayev , Vash , Toral and Alexander Rozhenko . In addition, Julian Bashir and Quark also had one-time appearances on The Next Generation , in " Birthright, Part I " and " Firstborn " respectively. Quark (and the station itself) also made a cameo in the pilot of Star Trek: Voyager , " Caretaker ". Characters from The Original Series were also re-introduced in DS9, including Kor , Kang , Koloth , and Arne Darvin .

The series also featured a number of episodes in which the character of Miles O'Brien was subjected to particular trauma. This became an in-joke among the DS9 writing staff, who called them "O'Brien Must Suffer" episodes and went to great lengths to produce at least one such episode per season. ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion (p. ? ))

Alien races [ ]

The series focused on several races that were first featured on TNG, such as the Bajorans , the Cardassians , the Trill , and the Ferengi . Later, the Klingons and the Romulans (both created in TOS) became pivotal species in the series. Many other species made appearances on the series, including Vulcans , Bolians , and Benzites . The series also created many species of its own, most notably the Changelings , the Vorta , and the Jem'Hadar , who formed part of the Dominion .

Jadzia Dax and other Trills portrayed in DS9 were distinctly different from how Trills had been depicted in the TNG episode " The Host ". In DS9, the relationship between host and symbiont was described more as a truly symbiotic relationship rather than the symbiont dominating the host. Trills now having spots, rather than prosthetic make-up, was due to studio executives feeling that Jadzia Dax actress Terry Farrell was too attractive to cover her face up. ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 23, No. 6, p. 21)

Another significant change was the relationship Ferengi had with Humans . The Ferengi on TNG had originally been intended to be a new adversary comparable to the Klingons in TOS, although the writers had quickly realized how ridiculous the Ferengi were as villains. In DS9, the Ferengi were mainly entrepreneurs and the Ferengi Alliance was a politically neutral economic power.

Deep Space Nine also featured several regular characters who were not members of Starfleet , with Kira Nerys , a member of the Bajoran Militia , and Odo , the station's chief of security , as well as civilians such as Quark and Jake Sisko .

The mirror universe [ ]

The series spent some time exploring the mirror universe , which had not been seen since the TOS episode " Mirror, Mirror ". The mirror universe was featured in five episodes of the series: " Crossover ", " Through the Looking Glass ", " Shattered Mirror ", " Resurrection ", and " The Emperor's New Cloak ".

Technology [ ]

The show also focused on a wider array of uses and depictions of functions for holographic simulations (known as a holodeck in TOS and TNG but as a holosuite in DS9). In addition to many obvious activities (such as those referenced by Chief O'Brien and Julian Bashir) which were completely in keeping with holodeck usage on The Next Generation , the numerous applications of the holosuites on DS9 included them being used as: a recurring background for people to hang out in, in the form of a 1960s Las Vegas lounge (in numerous episodes); a weapons showroom (by Quark); and the location for a baseball game between teams assembled by Sisko versus Solok , a long-time rival Vulcan captain (in " Take Me Out to the Holosuite ").

Costumes [ ]

DS9 initially featured a noticeable change in Starfleet uniform to a reversed color scheme of the TNG uniform, which is a black design with the division color on the shoulders and a grayish-indigo undershirt underneath the uniform, resembling the cadet uniforms seen on The Next Generation . This design is called the old DS9-style uniforms . It was mostly implemented as a continuation of Star Trek 's pattern of changing uniforms over time, although factors such as the discomfort of wearing TNG-style uniforms played a role as well.

What came to be known as the DS9-style uniforms were more of a variant than a switch, however, due to the cost of producing all-new uniforms. This is why, for example, the DS9 crew themselves wear old DS9-style uniforms from the beginning of DS9 pilot episode " Emissary " up to the fifth season episode " The Ascent ", and this style was also later used throughout Star Trek: Voyager . Meanwhile, even after TNG had gone off the air, the dress uniforms and flag officer uniforms on DS9 up until the sixth season (as well as uniforms on Earth , as seen in the fourth season episodes " Homefront " and " Paradise Lost ") were " TNG-style ".

These discrepancies were corrected with the later switch to a unified, "gray-on-black" format with the division color undershirts (known as the “ DS9-style ”), which was used through Star Trek Nemesis and were also used in this series, starting with " Rapture " and for the remainder of this series, though the old DS9-style uniforms in this series appeared four more times following the uniform change in the episodes, " In Purgatory's Shadow " and " By Inferno's Light " as well as seen on a photograph of " Field of Fire " and in the flashback scenes of " What You Leave Behind ".

Background information [ ]

Development [ ].

The decision to set the series on a space station, rather than a starship, spawned when Brandon Tartikoff originally approached Rick Berman about the show, in 1991, and specifically said he wanted it to have a format that was new for Star Trek but was classically western; if The Next Generation was Wagon Train in space, Deep Space Nine was to be The Rifleman in space – a man and his son coming to a dilapidated frontier town on the edge of known civilization. Berman brought this concept to Michael Piller , and together they set about creating a western in space. As Robert Hewitt Wolfe later explained, " We had the country doctor , and we had the barkeeper , and we had the sheriff and we had the mayor , we had it all, it was all there. We had the common man, Miles O'Brien , the Native American, Kira . " Indeed, the producers initially discussed setting the show at a colony on an alien planet rather than on a space station. This idea was ultimately rejected because it was felt that it would involve too much location shooting, and because they felt that fans of Star Trek wanted to see story lines set primarily in space , not on a planet. ( New Frontiers: The Story of Deep Space Nine , DS9 Season 2 DVD special features)

The change of venue to a space station was largely intended to differentiate DS9 from The Next Generation , because the producers felt that having two shows about a starship airing simultaneously would be unacceptable. As co-creator and executive producer Rick Berman later explained, " Because there were two years of overlap with The Next Generation , we could not create a show that took place on a spaceship. It just seemed ridiculous to have two shows and two casts of characters that were off going where no man has gone before. It was a land-based show, it was a show that in a sense was taking place on a space station. So it had to be an entirely different concept. " ( Deep Space Nine: A Bold Beginning , DS9 Season 1 DVD special features)

The decision to set the show on a fixed station rather than a traveling starship was also based upon a desire to look deeper into the actual workings of the Federation and to see how it dealt with the type of problems one wouldn't find in a show set upon a starship. Michael Piller felt that, by having the characters standing still, they would be forced to confront issues not usually applicable to people on a starship. Whereas on The Next Generation , issues raised each week could simply be forgotten about the following week as the ship visited somewhere else, on a space station, events couldn't be forgotten or left behind but instead had to have implications for the future. As Piller explained, " We didn't want to have another series of shows about space travel. We felt that there was an opportunity to really look deeper, more closely at the working of the Federation and the Star Trek universe by standing still. And by putting people on a space station where they would be forced to confront the kind of issues that people in space ships are not forced to confront. In a series that focuses on a starship, like the Enterprise , you live week by week. You never have to stay and deal with the issues that you've raised. But by focusing on a space station, you create a show about commitment. It's like the difference between a one-night stand and a marriage. On Deep Space Nine , whatever you decide has consequences the following week. So it's about taking responsibility for your decisions, the consequences of your acts. " ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion (p. ? )) Similarly, in 2002 , Piller stated, " If you look at The Next Generation , it's really about movement. You don't ever stay in one place long enough to get to know anybody. Well Deep Space Nine is a show where everybody is forced to stay week after week, so each episode, each show, is fundamentally dealing with the people who have to learn that actions have consequences, and they have to live with the consequences of their actions on a weekly basis. " ( New Frontiers: The Story of Deep Space Nine , DS9 Season 2 DVD special features)

Setting the show in a fixed location meant that a large cast of recurring characters could be built up with relative ease; much more so than in The Original Series or The Next Generation before it, or Star Trek: Voyager , Star Trek: Enterprise , or Star Trek: Discovery since. As Rick Berman, speaking in 2002, stated, " The show was land-based, but the benefit we got from that was that by staying in one place, it enabled us to create twenty or thirty secondary and recurring characters, which really enriched the show because of all the multi-layers of relationships that have existed over the years. It's a very character-driven show as a result, and I think that makes it quite unique. " ( Deep Space Nine: A Bold Beginning , DS9 Season 1 DVD special features)

The decision to set the show in a fixed location was regarded as a benefit by the series' staff writers. For example, Ira Steven Behr , speaking in 1996 , commented, " We have certain advantages that I think no other Star Trek series has had, because we do have a base of operations that doesn't travel through space, which is the space station. Every story we do, the repercussions, the consequences don't disappear. It's not like the other shows where you have an adventure and then you zoom off into the great unknown. We are here, we have made a home, what we do has consequences. And I think we're able to do this mosaic, this fabric of life in the future, which I like. " Similarly, Robert Hewitt Wolfe, speaking in 2002, stated, " I think if Next Generation and The Original Series were about going out there and discovering new things about other races, Deep Space Nine is about staying in one place and discovering new things about ourselves. Not that we didn't go out there and discover things, but we had the same characters, we didn't change location every week. Sisko couldn't just solve a problem and sail off into the sunset, and never have to go back to that place again. That place was always there, and that problem could always come back to haunt him. So, in a lot of ways, it was a more complex show. " ( New Frontiers: The Story of Deep Space Nine , DS9 Season 2 DVD special features)

The series was designed to have more interpersonal conflict than its predecessors, while still staying true to the universe that Gene Roddenberry had created. Rick Berman commented, " [Deep Space 9]'s an alien space station that doesn't work the way they want it to, and that in itself created a lot of conflict. At the same, our core characters are Starfleet officers; Sisko, O'Brien, the doctor and Dax in no way vary from The Next Generation in terms of the lack of conflict among themselves. That was a rule we had to follow. " ( Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages , p. 5) Berman also commented, " What we wanted to do was something that was almost paradoxical – bring conflict but not break Gene's rules. They still play paramount importance in what we're doing. We created an environment where Starfleet officers were in a location that they weren't happy about being in, and they were in a location where the people who lived there weren't all that happy about them being there. " ( Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages , p. 8)

The show's main cast was intentionally assembled to create conflict (Quark and Odo, Kira and Sisko, etc.), so as to contrast the relatively tranquil atmosphere aboard Federation starships. This was another very specific decision taken by the producers. Gene Roddenberry's golden rule was that there was to be no conflict among Starfleet characters, so the producers decided to introduce non-Starfleet characters so conflict could come from within the show rather than always coming from outside (as it did on TNG). Rick Berman recalled, " We [....] created a situation where we had people who were members of our core group who were not Starfleet: the security shapeshifter Odo; the Bajoran Major, Kira; the bartender, Quark. A group of our integral people are not Starfleet officers, and the ones that are Starfleet officers aren't crazy about where they are, so we have a lot of frustration and conflict. " ( Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages , p. 8) Writer Joe Menosky explained, " You can see right away they're not the perfectly engineered Humans of TNG. They seem more real. I don't know if that makes them as attractive to viewers or not. But they are really different, and they represent a different way to tell a story. And it was definitely a conscious choice to create that potential for conflict. " Similarly, Berman stated, " Viewers didn't see that group of loving family members that existed on the first two Star Trek shows. " ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion (p. ? )) Michael Piller also commented on this somewhat controversial aspect of the show; " One of the primary goals of the development process was to come up with a show that had more inherent conflict than The Next Generation . In order to do that, you have to understand that Gene Roddenberry had a very specific vision for humanity in the 24th century. What that meant for The Next Generation was that everybody gets along remarkably well on the Enterprise . There's very little room for interpersonal conflict between those people. In this series, we set out to create a situation that would provide natural conflict. We've populated the show with several aliens, primarily Bajorans , as we are stationed on the edge of the Bajoran star system . And the Bajorans are very different people than we are. They are people who are very spiritual and mystical and have a whole different way of looking at life than the 24th century humanist views which many of our Starfleet people will have. So immediately, there are conflicts. And then there's additional aliens from elsewhere who are thrown into the mix. So, as regular characters, not all the people are Starfleet, not all the people are Human, and as a result, you have this continuing conflict, because people who come from different places, honorable, noble people, will naturally have conflicts. " ( Deep Space Nine: A Bold Beginning , DS9 Season 1 DVD special features)

Unlike with TOS and TNG, Gene Roddenberry wasn't directly involved in conceptualizing DS9. Regarding Roddenberry's involvement in the series, Rick Berman stated, " Michael and I discussed it with Gene when we were still in the early stages, but never anything conceptual. " " We never got a chance to discuss it (the concept) with Gene. By the time we had it to the point that it was discussable, he was in pretty bad shape and not really in the condition that it would have been wise to discuss it with him. On two specific occasions I was with him at his house and we tried to bring it up, but it wasn't really appropriate. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 328) Director Paul Lynch remarked, " My gut feeling is that Gene would be jumping up and down. This is definitely a different take on what Gene spawned, but I think he would love it [....] While it's quite different, Deep Space Nine is also, in many ways, quite the same. All of Gene's moral requirements are upheld in this show. If we've done anything, we've expanded on what Gene created. " ( The Official Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Magazine issue 1 , pp. 10 & 12)

Initially, Berman and Piller were at a loss for a title for the series and toyed with calling the series "The Final Frontier". During further development, the station was temporarily dubbed "Deep Space Nine", which not only stuck permanently as the name of the station, but also the title of the show itself. Despite this, the two co-creators were reportedly dissatisfied with the name. ( Trek: Deep Space Nine: The Unauthorized Story , pp. 17-18)

Miles O'Brien was brought aboard DS9 and made a part of the space station's senior staff because the producers felt that Colm Meaney was too talented an actor to confine his character to a transporter room . Additionally, they hoped the TNG crossover would help boost the new series' ratings.

In the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion (p. ? ), Michael Piller explained the rationale behind each of the principal cast members, why each character was chosen, and what each one was to bring to the mix;

Jadzia Dax: " The Trill is a great race. They had some interesting ramifications on TNG. A Trill character would provide great potential for dichotomy and paradox. "
Odo: " We knew that we needed some kind of Data / Spock character who looks at the world from the outside in. And the idea that an alien entity would have to find some way to pass as Human was fascinating, and seemed to give us an avenue into the kind of 'complexion of humanity' stories that we wanted to tell. "
Quark: " A Ferengi would provide the show with instant humor and built-in conflict. I saw Quark as the bartender who is a constant thorn in the side of law and order, but who has a sense of humor about it. He'd be someone who could obviously throw lots of story dynamics into play. "
Julian Bashir: " We decided to create a flawed character. He'd have to be brought down to size in order to grow. And we wrote him as kind of a jerk for much of the first season . "
Miles O'Brien: " After we decided we were bringing him over to the new show, we thought, 'How do we use him?' We'd already decided to focus on Bajor, with this long backstory, establishing his bitterness towards the Cardassians , so it worked very nicely together. "
Kira Nerys: " We liked the idea of having somebody working with the commander of the station who would be a thorn in his side, who would represent a different point of view. We knew we'd get conflict and interesting dynamics between the two characters. "
Benjamin Sisko: " Every hero needs a journey. You want to take your leading man on a quest where he has to overcome personal issues as well as whatever space stuff happens to be out there. The idea of a man who is broken and who begins to repair himself is always a great beginning for drama. "

The first officer aboard DS9 would have been Ro Laren , but she was replaced by Kira Nerys ( Nana Visitor ) because Michelle Forbes did not want to commit to a six-year contract working on DS9. Indeed, the reason the producers had decided to set the show on Bajor in the first place was because of Ro.

Following the highly rated appearance of James Doohan as Montgomery Scott in TNG : " Relics ", it was reported, in 1993, that Doohan had been urging Paramount to add him to the cast of DS9. It was also rumored that William Shatner had expressed interest in participating in DS9 in some capacity. ( Trek: Deep Space Nine: The Unauthorized Story , p. 15)

During pre-production for the series, the producers were especially keen to ensure that the aesthetic of the show was very different from anything yet seen in the Star Trek universe. For example, Director of Photography Marvin Rush said the producers told him that they wanted "a darker, more sinister place" than the Enterprise -D. Rush himself described the final look as "dark and shadowy." Similarly, Herman Zimmerman said, " The marching orders for the station were to make it bizarre. " Finally, Supervising Producer David Livingston summed up the differences between DS9 and TNG by comparing the Enterprise 's bridge with Deep Space 9's Ops ; " The bridge is a very easy set to shoot. It's a three-wall open set with a lot of room, big and cavernous. Ops, on the other hand, is a multilevel set with a lot of cramped areas and very contrasty lighting. It's more interesting visually. " ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion (p. ? )) As Colm Meaney elaborated, " Because it was an alien space station, it gives the whole thing a very different feel I think to Next Generation or the original show, where you have the Enterprise , which is this very perfect environment. This is much more kind of dark and eerie, and also nothing works, the whole thing is a terrible mess. " ( Deep Space Nine Scrapbook: Year One , DS9 Season 1 DVD special features)

From the very beginning, DS9's darker aesthetic, more antagonistic characters and less Utopian setting were somewhat controversial among die-hard fans of Gene Roddenberry's universe. As Ira Steven Behr, speaking in 1996 (about halfway through the show's seven-year run), stated, " At the beginning of Deep Space Nine 's life, there was feelings that this was not a show that Gene would approve of by some of the fans, feeling that, you know, we had gone away from the image of the future as a paradise, that we had much more conflicts between our people, life isn't always great. But I think Gene, just by his very nature as a creative individual, as a writer, as a forward-thinking person, knows that any franchise has to move forward like a shark, or it dies. And I think he would understand what we're doing, and I think he would like what we're doing, and I think we're in the pocket of the Star Trek universe, and we try to push the envelope. And I see nothing wrong with that, and I have a hard time believing that Gene would see anything wrong with that. " ( New Frontiers: The Story of Deep Space Nine , DS9 Season 2 DVD special features) The sense that DS9 was too "dark" to be a Star Trek show only increased over the years, with episodes such as " Nor the Battle to the Strong ", " In the Pale Moonlight " and " The Siege of AR-558 ", and topics such as Section 31 charting territory never before seen on a Star Trek show, and creating a great deal of controversy among fans of both The Original Series and The Next Generation .

Robert Hewitt Wolfe recalled that Sisko holding the rank of commander led to unfavorable comparisons to the other series. " Whenever people would do articles about Star Trek they would talk about the three captains: Kirk , Picard , and Janeway . " The decision to promote Sisko to captain was prompted by the producers feeling that he deserved the higher rank as much as the other lead characters. ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion (p. 253))

Identifying one way in which he believed DS9 differed from TNG, Colm Meaney stated, " On Next Generation they were dealing with more philosophical ponderings where we on DS9 tend to deal with more hands-on immediate crises that I think of as more resonant with the problems we have in the world today [….] I think that's probably the single main difference. We connect more with contemporary issues, issues relevant to the 1990s, than did Next Generation." ("Mr. Goodwrench", Star Trek: Communicator issue 105 , p. 20)

Serialization [ ]

The series is best remembered for an approach to serialization, predating the format of the late-2010s Star Trek series. Ira Behr commented: " The fact that Discovery is serialized or that Picard is serialized doesn't mean much to me, because how could they not be serialized in 2019? They get to just stay with the times. It's easy to be serialized now. Thank God they're doing that, but it would only be worthy of discussion if they didn't do it. The serialization was a bold move. I look back at it now and I was really a bit of an asshole, because everyone was saying people can't keep up with it. The show was syndicated and on at different times. I didn't care about any of that. I just wanted to do the best show we could do. I could understand why certain people involved and other producers and studios would feel that that was a little bit of an annoying take, because it did hurt the fan base, but at the time, I wasn't thinking about the future. I just wanted to do the best show we could do ". [1]

Ron Moore commented, " I think a lot of Battlestar was born at Deep Space Nine in that Deep Space started as much more episodic because of the nature of the show, it became more a continuing serialised structure. I really liked that, and I discovered I really liked that style of storytelling, and also particularly when we got into the later years of Deep Space , and we started telling the Dominion War story (1997-99), we would sit and argue and fight with the powers that be at Trek about making it a more realistic war, about making it grittier, and ugly; adding more ambiguity to the characters, and roughing it up a little bit, and I kept bumping my head against the strictures at Trek . What Star Trek is could not accommodate things that I wanted to do, so I started to have this sort of pent up frustration about ‘well if we were really going to do it right’, these ideas would sit in the back of my head so when Battlestar came along, I could now do all of those things that I was never allowed to do at Deep Space . " [2]

Due to the non-episodic nature of DS9, some of the series was lost on the casual viewer when it first aired. Many also believe that the changing television landscape contributed to DS9's ratings trouble, as local TV stations which had aired TNG in prime time became WB and UPN affiliates and pushed syndicated programming to the margins. Subsequent Star Trek shows Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Enterprise had network support from UPN and a guaranteed time slot. DS9 was also the only series to run opposite another Star Trek show (first The Next Generation , then Voyager ) for the entirety of its run (the first twelve episodes of the third season aired without another series on). Additionally, certain markets, notably in the UK, would only play one Star Trek series, in its entirety, at a time. Thus, events alluded to in The Next Generation or Voyager that happened in Deep Space Nine took months to "sync up."

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine was nominated for 32 Emmy Awards , mostly in "technical" categories such as visual effects and makeup. It won four: "Outstanding Individual Achievement in Main Title Theme Music", "Outstanding Individual Achievement in Special Visual Effects", and "Outstanding Individual Achievement in Makeup for a Series" (twice).

Deep Space Nine remained a fan-favorite series throughout its seven-year run, with reviewers consistently lauding the series for its bold shift in tone from The Next Generation . Most notable among such changes was the concept of inter-personal conflict – something which Gene Roddenberry himself was said to have forbidden.

Said Ronald D. Moore , DS9 producer and screenwriter:

"I'd like us to be remembered as the Trek series that dared to be different. We took chances in a franchise that has every reason to play it safe and spoon-feed the same old thing to the audience week after week. We challenged the characters, the audience, and the Star Trek universe itself. Sometimes we failed (sometimes spectacularly) but we never stopped trying to push the show into new directions."

Robert Hewitt Wolfe remarked, " The truth of DS9 is, we had a great ensemble cast. Michael Piller created all these terrific characters [with the exception of Worf]." ("Flashback: The Way of the Warrior", Star Trek Magazine issue 127 )

Several former producers and head writers from DS9 have been involved in other sci-fi series, including the creation of the "re-envisioned" Battlestar Galactica , as well as The 4400 , Farscape , Medium and Outlander .

In 2019, the documentary What We Left Behind was released. The documentary featured interviews with the actors, writers, production staff and fans, as well as featuring segments in which the writers pitched a new episode.

There was also a rivalry with another popular and critically acclaimed television series, Babylon 5 , created and produced by J. Michael Straczynski for Warner Bros. The two productions, which ran largely concurrently, were observed to be so similar that Babylon 5 fans accused Paramount, to whom Straczynski had previously pitched his series, of plagiarism. Considering how fellow Star Trek alumni like Walter Koenig and Andreas Katsulas had major roles in the rival series, Majel Barrett-Roddenberry agreed to a guest appearance in Babylon 5 as a gesture of goodwill to encourage a reconciliation between the two sets of fans. Rick Berman commented that rivalry was: " purely a fan thing, " adding: " there was a time when, I don’t know whether it was specifically Straczynski or other people, it was implied that he had pitched an idea similar to DS9 to Paramount and that it had been rejected and that, lo and behold, a year or so later DS9 came about. The implication being that Michael Piller and I perhaps stole all or part of his idea, which was always amusing to Michael and I because it was completely untrue. We had no knowledge of this gentleman. If he did pitch something to Paramount, we never heard about it. DS9 was a show that was created by Michael and me and Brandon Tartikoff, who was the recent head of Paramount at the time, without any knowledge of Straczynski or of anything that he had ever pitched. So when we were accused of stealing his idea it was a little sad but at the same time a little comical to us. " [3]

Main cast [ ]

The first season promotional image of the cast of Deep Space Nine

Starring [ ]

Avery Brooks as Commander / Captain Benjamin Sisko

Also starring [ ]

Rene Auberjonois as Odo
Nicole de Boer as Ensign / Lieutenant jg Ezri Dax ( 1998 - 1999 )
Michael Dorn as Lt. Commander Worf ( 1995 - 1999 )
Siddig El Fadil as Doctor Bashir
Terry Farrell as Lieutenant / Lt. Commander Jadzia Dax ( 1993 - 1998 )
Cirroc Lofton as Jake Sisko
Colm Meaney as Chief O'Brien
Armin Shimerman as Quark
Nana Visitor as Major / Colonel Kira

Special appearances by [ ]

Bernie Casey as Calvin Hudson
James Darren as Vic Fontaine
Robert Picardo as Lewis Zimmerman / Emergency Medical Holographic program
Chris Sarandon as Martus Mazur
Vanessa Williams as Arandis

Recurring characters [ ]

Cecily Adams and Andrea Martin as Ishka
Marc Alaimo as Gul Dukat
Philip Anglim as Vedek Bareil
Casey Biggs as Damar
Jeffrey Combs as Liquidator Brunt
Max Grodénchik as Rom
Aron Eisenberg as Nog
Hana Hatae as Molly O'Brien
J.G. Hertzler as General Martok
Barry Jenner as Admiral Ross
David B. Levinson as Broik
Kenneth Marshall as Michael Eddington
Chase Masterson as Leeta
Robert O'Reilly as Chancellor Gowron
Duncan Regehr as Shakaar
Andrew J. Robinson as Elim Garak
Mark Allen Shepherd as Morn

Executive producers [ ]

Rick Berman – Executive Producer
Michael Piller – Executive Producer (1993–1995)
Ira Steven Behr – Executive Producer (1995–1999)

Staff writers [ ]

Ira Steven Behr , Staff Writer
Hans Beimler , Staff Writer (1995–1999)
René Echevarria , Staff Writer ( 1994 –1999)
Ronald D. Moore , Staff Writer (1994–1999)
Bradley Thompson , Staff Writer ( 1996 –1999)
David Weddle , Staff Writer (1996–1999)
Robert Hewitt Wolfe , Staff Writer (1993– 1997 )

Episode list [ ]

Season 1 [ ].

DS9 Season 1 , 19 episodes:

Season 2 [ ]

DS9 Season 2 , 26 episodes:

Season 3 [ ]

DS9 Season 3 , 26 episodes:

Season 4 [ ]

DS9 Season 4 , 25 episodes:

Season 5 [ ]

DS9 Season 5 , 26 episodes:

Season 6 [ ]

DS9 Season 6 , 26 episodes:

Season 7 [ ]

DS9 Season 7 , 25 episodes:

External links [ ]

List of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine characters at Wikipedia
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine at the Internet Movie Database
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine at TV.com
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episodes at the iTunes Store
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine at StarTrek.com
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine at Wikiquote
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Published Jun 30, 2022

8 Reasons to Close Out Pride Month with a ‘Deep Space Nine’ Rewatch

This show broke all the (gendered and heteronormative) rules.

Pride Month - Deep Space Nine Rewatch Header Image

StarTrek.com

It took five decades for Star Trek to introduce a gay couple, with the reveal of Lt. Stamets and Dr. Culber ’s relationship on the fifth episode of Star Trek: Discovery . The moment between the two — brushing their teeth at the end of a tough day — was a quiet one, in sharp contrast to the delighted audience response, particularly from LGBTQ+ viewers.

Star Trek: Discovery - Culber and Stamets Brush Their Teeth Together

The franchise has, at times, been criticized for its lack of sexuality and gender identity diversity. Even though it’s easy to suggest ( as Patrick Stewart has , in relation to Picard ’s baldness), in this utopian future, people just don’t care about such things. It’s also evident that, most of the time, 20th and 21st Century norms are still in place. Let’s not forget that the wise, caring Beverly Crusher is more at ease loving a creepy space ghost than she is with her Trill lover ’s symbiont being transplanted into a female body in " The Host " (even as she admits her discomfort with the latter as a “limitation”).

But every so often, there are moments, storylines, or characters that point toward a slightly queerer future, even if this wasn’t intended by the writers at the time. I use queer here as a deliberately broad umbrella term — covering not just who you love, but how you perform your gender — to refer to deviation from the normal or default gender role or sexual identity. It’s often not as clear-cut as being gay or being transgender; queerness has many more shades of gray to it.

To close out Pride Month, it’s no surprise then that the series I’m combing through for queer moments — Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — has the most shades of gray of the 20th Century Trek shows. Alongside the politics, religion, and war, we witness the everyday lives of our characters — and the elements that fail to conform to our heteronormative expectations.

1. Queer Trills

First off, we have the Trill, a joined species whose capacity to have lived as both a man and a woman means that although they are aware of gender roles, they’re also fairly blasé about deviating from them.

Jadzia Dax is both a science officer, a warrior, and a character whose past lives often feed into storylines. There is a real tenderness and fondness between Jadzia and the two former lovers of Curzon she meets over the course of the series. When Worf gets jealous over one, it feels entirely plausible (and not just because the character’s played by Vanessa Williams). It’s not his finest moment, but he’s not wrong in appreciating that his par’Mach’kai has the capacity to be attracted to women.

Additionally, Dax’s relationship with Lenara Kahn was both an echo of their past hosts’ relationships and their current hosts’ shared interests. The kiss between the two women (a rare thing on network television in 1995) was as passionate and chemistry-filled as any other meaningful kiss on the show.

2. The Very LGBTQ+ Friendly Mirror Universe

Although the Mirror Universe falls into the unfortunate stereotype category with Intendant Kira and her tendency to seduce almost everyone, male or female, there’s still a camp charm to the "anything goes" nature of this alternate reality. This is a world where sexuality is often opportunistic, but rarely completely straight. Even when Regent Worf tells Garak , “You are not my type,” in " Shattered Mirror ," it’s an acknowledgement that attraction between men does exist, even if not in this case.

Ezri Tigan ’s kiss with the Intendant in " The Emperor’s New Cloak " also offers up the second instance of two — women kissing for the show. While the tendency to use such moments as a gimmick for Sweeps Week, by 1999, was kicking off, it was still comparatively unusual for such kisses to occur in the context of an existing relationship. A semi-butch version of Leeta appearing at the end of the episode to “debrief” Ezri may be there mostly for laughs, at the expense of a bewildered Rom , but she’s also a potential new love interest (on the side of the virtuous rebels) for a character whose Sapphic tendencies could have so easily been coded as purely "bad."

3. Watching the Ferengi Balance Misogyny and Empowerment

“What are these guys even doing on the list,” you might wonder. The Ferengi ’s take on gender roles is a super-exaggerated version of our own, with their "feeeeee-males" forbidden to wear clothing or earn profit. While the Ferengi women we actually see on-screen resist and rebel at every turn, and “Females and finances don’t mix” is the most broken Rule of Acquisition we see, it’s still a wildly misogynist society — there’s no getting around this — but it manages to sidestep a great deal of the homophobia we might expect to accompany this.

On a trip to the Gamma Quadrant with young business associate Pel , Quark is unbothered by the idea of sharing a bed with someone he believes to be a man. Even after a tipsy kiss between the two, he’s more concerned with not losing a shrewd business partner — he’ll just pretend it never happened. Attraction between Ferengi men is not unknown, as indicated by Dax’s conversation with Pel about Quark earlier in the episode, and so in a delightful twist, the surprising thing is not that Pel “really loves” Quark, but that Pel is a woman!

4. Women Reign in STEM and Leadership

While Ferengi women are subservient to men, at least for much of the series, other species with two sexes adhere to different stereotypes and roles, inviting viewers to rethink our own assumptions. Having traveled through the wormhole in seek of sanctuary for a population displaced by the Dominion , the Skrreeans in " Sanctuary " note that their society is female-dominated, “Men are far too emotional to be leaders.” The Cardassians , too, are very clear on gender roles as, in " Destiny ," O’Brien learns, “Men just don’t seem to have a head for this sort of thing. That’s why women dominate the sciences.”

5. Bashir and Garak's Ongoing Squabbles

In the same episode, O’Brien also learns how Cardassians flirt. They bicker. They squabble. That’s how they “do things.” At this point in the series, Julian Bashir meets the Cardassian exile Garak regularly for lunch — where they bicker and squabble about literature, culture, and politics. While Bashir and Garak’s actors initially presumed there was a sexual element to this relationship, this proved not to be the case on-screen. Nevertheless, their complicated friendship is often as intense as any love story. Were these characters to appear on-screen today, the question of attraction, even if un-reciprocated, would certainly be discussed. Producer Ira Steven Behr even said himself, in the new documentary What We Left Behind , that were he doing the series again today, Garak, at the very least, would have been queer.

6. There's No "Right" Way to be a Man...

Ferengi males are all about profit; the very essence of a Ferengi is his greed. Yet, even Quark has his moments of kindness and generosity, which leads to his denunciation as a “hoo-manitarian!” (humanitarian) by Liquidator Brunt in " Body Parts ." Grand Nagus Zek , the pinnacle of Ferengi society, takes first financial advice, and then social advice from his lover, Ishka (Quark’s mother). And Quark’s brother Rom , a single father often ridiculed not just by his sibling but by others on the station, slowly reveals his engineering skills, even though they’re not prized by his culture.

Each of these men deviate from what is expected of a Ferengi man. No one more so than Rom, who ends up standing up to his brother, in order to defend his son ’s decision to join Starfleet. Rom declares that his son’s happiness means more to him than anything, even profit. As this good father turns away from profit and finds his own place in the world, he becomes exactly the kind of man ready to lead a newer, fairer Ferenginar . When he is crowned the new Grand Nagus in DS9’s penultimate episode, we’re cheering him on.

7. ...Or a Father

Rom isn’t the only single father on the station; Ben Sisko also raises his son alone. Worf’s failure to raise his son on his own still haunts him, despite their reconciliation. Miles O’Brien shares parenting duties with his wife, but is still very clearly a father who will do anything for his kids. For each of these fathers, their role involves more than being manly and brave (although sometimes that is necessary); it involves kindness, compassion, encouragement.

Ben Sisko is a fearless, determined captain and battle strategist, but he’s also the kind of father who will encourage his teenaged son to relate his nightmares, and express his love without embarrassment. Just as important, he’s portrayed as a loving son who often has a strong (but caring) word for his father Joseph, chef and avoider-of-medical-appointments extraordinaire.

Miles O’Brien is a gifted chief of operations who will nevertheless take his baby to work with him if it stops the crying for a few hours. A father’s love is why Gul Dukat saves Ziyal , and why her death breaks him. Damar ’s loss as a father, in a world where vows are made “for my son, for all our sons,” helps him become the man he needs to be to lead the Cardassian rebellion. These relationships transcend 20th and 21st Century expectations of men — nothing less than sincere emotional engagement is to be accepted here.

Fatherhood is a vital, emotional, loving part of these men’s lives, so it is unsurprising when we learn that contraception is ( finally! ) a two-way street (as seen when Kasidy Yates becomes pregnant when “one of us forgot their injection last month”). It is also more fluid than we might imagine; on several occasions, we hear of Ensign (later Lieutenant) Vilix’Pran “ budding .” And far less dramatic than Jadzia Dax and Lenara Kahn making out is the fact that Bashir and O’Brien are throwing Vilix’Pran a baby shower (outfits for the infants have been ordered from Garak!), which Sisko is excited to attend — perhaps the best indicator in the entire show that this is, in fact, a brave new world.

8. What Does Gender Even Mean to a Shapeshifter, Anyway?

Who cares about gender when everyone is goo? The Changelings — shapeshifters, Founders, or whatever you want to call them — are more concerned with reclaiming a lost soul than gender or sexual identity. Even though we may be uncomfortable with Changeling etiquette, their absolute disregard for gender or sexuality is a reminder that our normal is not necessarily a fixed thing. (Nevertheless, do avoid hooking up with a Changeling if possible!)

It would be wildly inaccurate to categorize Constable Odo as anything other than what he portrays himself as — a man. We must remember that this is a deliberate choice he has made, no doubt influenced by Dr. Mora, whose hairstyle he has also mimicked. Odo chooses to present himself in a certain way; therefore, it’s easy for us to categorize his linking with "the Female Changeling" as heterosexual, while his encounter with Laas (not least because the latter comes with an admonishment from Quark about a “Changeling Pride parade”) as homosexual. For Odo, though, there is no distinction; “This is just a form I borrowed,” he tells Kira in “ Chimera .” “I could just as easily be someone or something else.” His take on sexual preference is not about male/female so much as it is about solid/Changeling, and his return to his people reflects that perfectly.

Claire Hennessy (she/her) is an Irish novelist, editor, book reviewer and creative writing facilitator. She tweets @chennessybooks .

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The Battle of Wolf 359, which Star Trek: The Next Generation mostly implied (in the form of a massive graveyard of destroyed Starfleet ships ) rather than showed, is presented as the opening scene of the series . From Locutus's opening speech to the total destruction of the Saratoga is just over four minutes. And it's implied that the ship only lasted that long because she was crippled early on, causing the Borg to move on to other targets until there were no longer any ships capable of offering resistance . Overall, it's a space battle the likes of which have only rarely been seen in Star Trek , and a level of brutality usually left to some of the feature films. It was a very early indication that the show-runners had a much different tone in mind for this show compared to previous Trek works.
Ask an actor what their favorite episode of a series is, generally, it's an episode where they got to be heavily involved or had a particularly powerful and emotional scene. Armin Shimmerman (Quark) cites "Duet" as one of if not the favorite episode of a series he's been involved in, and Quark has nothing to do with the episode, making just a cursory appearance. Let's give the writers their due for this one as well.
In "Babel", even when Kira gets the virus, she's still as spry as ever, as opposed to everyone else who becomes droopy and lethargic. She also gets the doctor to help by coming up very close to him and telling him she has the virus too, so he better help himself.
Worth noting: Q never comes back to DS9 after this episode.
Also a bit of Fridge Brilliance / Foreshadowing since Sisko is half-Prophet, and thus might actually be able to punch out Q.
Sisko saves DS9 and the entire Bajoran system from a Negative Space Wedgie in "If Wishes Were Horses" by simply saying that it doesn't exist. A moment later, the anomaly disappears.
"Dax" gives one for Kira when she shoots down Ilon Tandro's claims that Bajor has no right to interfere in his attempt to arrest Jadzia and extradite her back to his homeworld to stand trial for murder (after trying to simply abduct her and using knowledge of the station's security and layouts almost succeeds) because Bajor is not threatened by this. Kira's response is wonderful. Kira : You Klaestrons are allies of the Cardassians; your knowledge of the station confirms they must have given you the layouts. Which not only compromises Bajoran security, but also... annoys us.
After the bombing, Sisko outright calls Winn out about how her rhetoric inspired the bombing. She responds by condemning him and the Federation as being soulless and that they will lead Bajorans into darkness, doing so in front of a crowd of Bajorans. Sisko, however, is quick to point out the mistake that she just made.
In attempting to prove that she is worthy of standing with Kor, Kang, and Koloth as they fulfill their blood oath against the Albino, rather than be released from Curzon's obligation, Dax takes up a bat'leth and duels Koloth. Sure, ultimately the Dahar Master wins, but the fact that she stands her ground against him and isn't immediately taken down by a master of the blade is damn impressive.
The reason that Kang has found the Albino now is that he was contacted by the Albino, offered a chance to end things between them. Even though Kang knew that it had to be a trap, he takes the offer - they're all old men, and at this point, there's almost no other way that the blood oath would be fulfilled before their deaths. However, the Albino has set up his fortress to easily wipe out any invaders in seconds, between guards and traps. But he wasn't counting on Curzon Dax having died and the Dax symbiont being transferred to Jadzia, a science officer. She uses the cloaked Bird of Prey they use as transport to render all energy weapons useless, then, because she's younger and quicker, manages to blow up the armory to divert security. Without Jadzia's knowledge, they'd have been killed walking in the front door.
The death of the Albino himself. This is a Complete Monster if there was one, having tailored a genetic virus to kill the firstborn sons of all three of the Klingon trio, just because he bore a grudge against the fathers of those children. After he seems to get the upper hand against Kang, striking a mortal wound on him, he's stopped by Jadzia and her blade. He taunts her, not believing she'll strike the killing blow, and it certainly seems he's correct, as she stands there, frozen and uncertain of if she can take this life. Then the Albino shouts and staggers, falling to the ground dead, a d'k'tagh dagger in his back. Kang, with his dying breaths, thanks Jadzia for saving the killing blow for him, allowing him to go to Sto'Vo'Kor in victory.
Li Nalas gets one in "The Siege" when he starts living up to the hero role with his speech at the airlock. The unruly crowd that had just shouted over Sisko became silent the first time Li Nalas raised his voice - all of them, Bajoran and non-Bajoran. This speech, from the man who had previously hated giving speeches, simultaneously shames and inspires his people and is worth reproducing in full: " Where are you running to? This is Bajor. We are Bajorans. We fought a war to regain our homeland, how can you abandon it like frightened Cardassian voles? These ships are for our guests, who must leave because it is no longer safe for them here! However, we are Bajorans , and I say that we stay and we solve our own problems together. Are you willing to join me?" [He then walks out, followed by every Bajoran in the crowd.]
It also can't be failed to mention the optics of this moment, where a white man is married to an Asian woman and she calls him out on his microaggression and racism towards others.
Near the end of "The Maquis Part I," Odo is raging about the way his hands have been tied by Starfleet rules and regulations, after a ship has been destroyed and two kidnappings. When he declares that the station was safer during the Occupation and the draconian measures employed by the Cardassians, Kira fixes him with a look. Kira: Unless you were a Bajoran.
In "The Maquis, Part II", Quark out-logics a Vulcan by convincing her that peace can be had "at a bargain price" and swaying her to aid the heroes in preventing a war. Sakonna: Do you propose to lecture me on logic? Quark: I don't want to, but you leave me no choice.
"Tribunal" showcases the Cardassian legal system - in short, a Kangaroo Court where the accused is always guilty and everything is about exposing how and why they are. And this time, O'Brien is the accused. As it turns out, however, the Cardassians are using him to scapegoat the Federation - one of their spies stole Federation weapons by using O'Brien's access codes and a recording of his voice, in the name of making it appear the Maquis had Federation sanction. Of course, the problem the Cardassians face isn't just the Federation's tendency towards True Companions , leading to Keiko defiantly refusing to turn on her husband (in the manner that Cardassian spouses would be expected to plea for the mercy of the state) and the crew on DS9 to discover the spy, but also how Odo, acting as O'Brien's Nestor, or advisor, isn't just interested in the appearance of justice but ACTUAL justice, ends up stalling the proceedings (and expressing his disdain for them every step of the way) so that, in a darkly humorous moment, the Arbiter declares this to be the longest trial in Cardassian history. This is long enough for the spy to be found and Sisko to show up in the courtroom, spy in tow, and not needing to say a word, just glare at the Arbiter, who, knowing that the gig is up, "pardons" O'Brien, in "the spirit of furthering Cardassian-Federation relations."
In the same episode, Quark gives a blistering "The Reason You Suck" Speech : Quark : Go ahead, kill me! That is why I'm here, isn't it? To be killed? Well, here I am, so go ahead and do it. You all want me to pick up that sword and fight him, don't you. But I don't have a chance, and you know it. You only want me to put up a fight so that your precious "honor" will be satisfied. Well, I'm not gonna make it so easy for ya. Having me fight D'Ghor is nothing more than an execution. So, if that's what you want, that's what you'll get... an execution. [looking over at a stunned Gowron] No honor. No glory. [looking back at D'Ghor] And when you tell your children and your grandchildren the glorious story of how you rose to power and took Grilka's house from her, I hope you remember to tell them how you heroically killed an unarmed Ferengi... half your size .
And the best part, when D'Ghor actually tries to kill Quark despite the dishonorable circumstances, it shows to Chancellor Gowron and the whole Klingon High Council that he is without honor as Quark claims and they discommendate him. Quark got a Klingon warrior stripped of his honor and power and banished from Klingon society. Checkmate! Even Gowron had to commend Quark, even going to his knees just to look Quark in the eyes: " A brave Ferengi . Who'd have thought...? "
Rom tricking Quark and Ishka into talking to each other in "Family Business", and then laying down the law: Rom: That's enough bickering! You're both acting like children! (Ishka and Quark try to interrupt) I will not stand by and let this family fall apart! Quark, you should be ashamed of yourself! I've seen you treat Cardassians with more respect than you show your own mother. And Moogie, if Quark can uncover your hidden investments, eventually the FCA will too. And then all that profit will be lost. Think about that for a moment. Now, neither of you is going to leave this room until you've settled things. Is that clear? And no shouting! (beat) I'm going to take a nap.
"Defiant" Dr. Bashir stands up to Major Kira. Major Kira Nerys: Listen to me! You can't have a runabout! You cannot get your medical supplies and I don't give a damn about the colonization schedule! Those colonists can make do with a box of bandages for all I care! [Kira turns to leave] Dr. Julian Bashir: Stop right there, Major. [Kira turns back around, glowering at him] Bashir: When was your last day off? Kira: I don't know! What does that have to do with anything? Bashir: If you can't remember, then it's been too long. You're off duty, as of this moment. Kira: What do you mean, "I'm off duty"? You can't do that! Bashir: Oh yes I can, and not even Commander Sisko can overrule my judgment as Chief Medical Officer .
One of those kills includes waiting until they're at point blank range. The Jem'Hadar ship blows up just before the Defiant rams its way through the wreckage.
There's also how Sisko's acceptance inspires Rom to put his foot down to Quark and, when Quark tries to forbid Nog going to Starfleet Academy, Rom tells him that Quark runs the bar, but Rom is Nog's father and Quark gets no say in what Nog wants to do with his life, wishing Nog luck at the academy. Rom had prior to this largely been a door mat who took whatever abuse Quark through at him, only acting against his brother behind his back. But in this scene Rom firmly puts his foot down and states that Quark does not get to run Nog's life. He even manages to earn his son's approval in this scene, the same son who had previously said he didn't want to turn out like him.
Tiny bit of Fridge Brilliance here, touched on the respective page: Nog may be a bad businessman by Ferengi standards, but in the no-money-future Federation? He's bloody Rockefeller .
Rom had one of his first in "Facets", when he confronts Quark after learning that his brother sabotaged Nog's test that would qualify him for Starfleet. After shoving Quark against the wall, Rom threatens to burn Quark's bar down if he ever hurts Nog again, telling his brother that his son's happiness is more important to him than anything, including latinum.
Give Garak some credit for having the audacity to do it. Dragging Odo into the investigation was intentional since he was key in uncovering an assassin sent to kill Garak. When he tells his old mentor about it (who by the way sent said assassin), the reaction is basically " Damn, you're good! "
In a moment of very Black Comedy , Tain notes that the doctor being interrogated has since spent three years in a labour camp, been released and returned to medicine. "You should look him up."
Odo suffering from not being able to regenerate and still managing to get in a brief Reason You Suck Speech to Garak. Odo: What's the matter, Garak? You don't look very happy. Aren't you enjoying yourself? Garak: There's no pleasure in this for me, Constable, I assure you. I am simply doing my job. Odo: Your job. Yes, this is the job you've been waiting for. All these years of exile and here you are interrogating a prisoner again. It must fill you with pride. Garak: Odo, just tell me what I need to know and this will end. Odo: But you don't want it to end, do you, Garak? Isn't this what you've been dreaming of? Back at work serving Cardassia.
Both Garak and Sisko get one when they devise a way to warn Cardassians of impending Klingon invasion. More awesome for Garak, because he was able to get a head of Cardassian military who absolutely hates him to sit down and listen. Getting a hold of Dukat in the first place is awesome moment itself. It is as if exiled nobody German spy who Hitler hates called Hitler's personal cellphone number from Puerto Rico, told him USSR is going to invade with a third of their military and that he has a day to counteract that or die. And Space Hitler listened.
That same glorious slugfest is made all the more impressive when you realize that the majority of it is filmed with studio models, not CGI battleships. Definitely a Crowning Moment for the guys working behind the scenes of the show as well.
Also a Call-Back to the first episode (see below).
Sisko starts off the festivities when the Defiant faces down a Klingon ship that is harassing a cargo ship (commanded by Sisko's lady friend). When Sisko orders the Klingons to chill, the Klingon captain basically tells Sisko to shove off. Sisko responds by powering up the Defiant 's one-hit-and-your-ship-is-scraps weapons and threatening to fire on the Klingons. When the Klingon basically tells Sisko he won't dare, Sisko simply orders a shot across the Klingons' bow, gives him The Glare and orders weapons locked on his engines. The Klingon wisely backs down.
Worf's Big Entrance , with a badass pan-up as he steps onto the station, is kind of awesome in and of itself. But then, Worf really gets in Boss Mode and establishes his rep on the station by bitch-slapping a Klingon who's raising a ruckus at Quark's, and then taking his honor blade after beating him up. Oh, yeah, the Klingon who got beat up is the son of Four-Star Badass Martok, who isn't known for taking these things lying down. Bonus points for backhanding him - which "Apocalypse Rising" establishes as a challenge to a duel to the death - and then not killing him once he's been defeated, adding extra insult to injury. After the beatdown, General Martok berates Worf for what he did, saying that he took away his son's honor. Worf's response? " You cannot take what one does not have. "
Certified Action Girl Jadzia Dax actually being able to last more than four seconds against Worf using a bat'leth.
Worf is summoned by Gowron after the Klingons have officially broken from the Khitomer Accords, calling on Worf to join him in the assault on Cardassia. Worf refuses, which, as Gowron points out, means that the House of Mogh will officially be dissolved, their seat on the High Council revoked, their lands seized, in effect his place (and the place of his brother and son) taken from him. Worf still refuses. All the more awesome and meaningful given the effort that Worf went to in the name of clearing his father's name, leading to Gowron having it reinstated in the course of the episode "Redemption," only to now see it taken - and again, in the name of honor. As previously established, Worf is frequently a better Klingon than other Klingons in obeying the demands of honor, rather than the perception of it.
The Defiant 's Big Damn Heroes moment when it rescues Gul Dukat and the Cardassian civilian government, while being attacked by three Klingon Birds-of-Prey and one Vor'cha -class cruiser.
What looks like 60 Klingon ships chase them all the way back to the station and order the Cardassians handed over. When Sisko refuses they threaten to pulverize the "decrepit" station. As another troper above states, panels start unlocking and gun ports emerge; and you realize that Deep Space Nine is armed. To the teeth . Sisko gives a smirk that almost says, "Now... witness the firepower of this fully armed and operational BATTLE-station!"
With calls for their surrender and their very old space station surrounded by dozens of very powerful warships, Sisko has only two words in response. Sisko : Battle stations.
At one point, just before the station's new armaments are revealed, the Klingons initially dismiss the readings of the weaponry as "an illusion created with thoron fields and duranium shadows" — a Call-Back to the pilot, where Major Kira bluffed a trio of Cardassian warships with a sensor illusion that showed the station as having 5000 photon torpedoes and integrated phaser banks on all levels. The Klingons are seeing the exact same readings now, but being Klingons —and in greater numbers than the Cardassians were in the pilot—they're more likely to call a bluff. This time, though, it isn't a bluff—the weapons are real .
And now comes one of the most awesome moments in the history of filmed Star Trek . The Klingons attempt to blast the station, and just like Sisko promised, the station fights back, unleashing 5000 torpedoes and skewering the Klingons with its phasers. But that's not where it gets good. The Klingons punch a hole in the shields and start beaming onto the station in waves to take it over...
Sisko (really, who else) backhanding Klingons and sending them flying. Then he takes a bat'leth and sucker punches another.
Kira gets knifed in the back and merely PULLS THE KNIFE OUT AND THEN JUDO CHOPS THE KLINGON WHO STABBED HER.
Bashir, who you figure would be hiding in the sickbay, is actually running around the station picking off Klingons with his phaser. (Which itself is a bit of brilliant Foreshadowing .)
Odo living up to his statement that any Klingon able to take him down would deserve an entire Klingon Opera dedicated to them.
Dax is battling at least four Klingons with a bat'leth, while Worf is literally doing the same against about a dozen Klingons, with ease.
AND Offhand Backhands an attacking Klingon with his mek'leth, getting him in the gut without even looking in his direction.
Gul Dukat and Garak are in a hallway fighting the Klingons 2 against 10, and winning ! ...All while bitching at each other .
The anonymous Bajoran and Starfleet security forces on the station get their own moments too, doing plenty to help repel the Klingon boarders.
And when all is said and done, the crew manages to stop the Klingon boarding parties. Sisko then gets on the horn and tells the Klingons to beat it, before they beat them worse. That fact that it persuades Gowron to stand down is itself pretty awesome. Gowron: Captain, your shields have been weakened, your station boarded, and more Klingon ships are on the way. Surrender while you still can! Sisko: I don't think so. My shields are holding, your boarding parties are contained, and my reinforcements are closer than yours. You're facing a war on two fronts, is that what you really want?! Worf: The Empire is not strong enough to fight the Federation and the Cardassians! End this now, Gowron, before you lead the Empire to its worst defeat in history! Martok: We will not surrender! Sisko: This is exactly what the Founders want! Klingon against Cardassian! Federation against Klingon! The more we fight each other, the weaker we'll get and the less chance we have against the Dominion! Worf: Consider what you do here, Gowron! Kahless himself said "Destroying an empire to win a war is no victory "! Gowron: "And ending a battle to save an empire is no defeat". Martok: We can still win! Sisko: Not before those starships get here! Now what do you want me to tell them: to stand down or to come in firing? Gowron: ... It is we who shall stand down. Martok: *swears in Klingon* Gowron: Enough. Cease fire! Order our ships in Cardassian territory to halt their advance! I do not intend to hand victory to the Dominion! But let your people know: the Klingon Empire will remember what has happened here! You have sided against us in battle, and this we do not forgive! *to Worf* Or forget .
And the episode is topped off with Worf getting moved to the Command division and taking his permanent place on Deep Space Nine.
In the middle of the battle, the camera cuts to Martok and Gowron. The dialogue is in Klingon, but if you know what they say, it makes the crew of Puny Earthlings that much more badass. Martok: "They fight like Klingons!" Gowron: "Then let them die like Klingons!"
And while all this ass-kicking is going on, The Federation itself gets one (albeit one that's more dramatic than dynamic ) in a quiet conversation between two characters who are normally the first ones to criticise it. Even they can't deny that for all the Federation's hypocrisies and blind spots, it has a nasty habit of winning - not just wars, but arguments as well. Quark: (watches Garak drink root beer for the first time) What do you think? Garak: (almost spits it out) It's vile! Quark: I know. It's so bubbly and cloying and happy. Garak: Just like the Federation. Quark: But you know what's really frightening? If you drink enough of it, you begin to like it. Garak: It's insidious. Quark: Just like the Federation... ( Beat ) Garak: Do you think they'll be able to save us? Quark: I hope so.
In "To the Death." The DS9 crew They are forced to team up with Jem'Hadar soldiers because rogue Jem'Hadar had captured a gateway temple that can transport them anywhere in the galaxy. When tensions mount between the leaders of the unlikely team-up, and the Jem'Hadar First promises to kill Sisko after the mission is over, Worf reassures him: "If, somehow, he does carry out his threat... he will not live to boast about it. "
Out of universe one: After the episode "Rejoined" aired, an assistant took a call from an angry viewer, complaining about his kids seeing the kiss between Jadzia and Lenara. The assistant listens to the viewer rant, and then asks if the viewer would have been fine if, instead of kissing her, Jadzia had taken out a phaser and shot Lenara. When the viewer responds in the affirmative, the assistant's response is "you should reconsider who's messing up your kids."
His solution to that problem is sheer CMoA, too. You can just imagine the holodeck program try to make sense of someone deliberately screwing up the endgame after getting this far and just giving up and trying to kill him anyway, because, presumably, the programmer did not actually consider 'good guy destroys the world' as likely behavior for that holonovel. For a second, it may seem that it was 'out of character' for the bad guy to continue to try to kill him, but consider that the player had gone completely Off the Rails . You have to wonder how that 'episode' would have ended if he'd continued to play, or if Bashir was about to get a Non-Standard Game Over by getting shot without any escape because he'd already 'lost'.
Bonus points for Garak's reaction after Bashir's one-liner - "Well, who am I to argue with Julian Bashir, secret agent? Lead on!" It's a mix of "he's completely insane but let's roll with it" and "I am so turned on right now."
Rom's balls take 47 levels in badass in "Bar Association" when, fed up with Quark's abuse, forms a labor union and throws all of Quark's insults back in his face.
"Homefront." The Federation President, even after a Dominion terrorist bombing, proclaims in a meeting with Sisko and Admiral Leyton that he doesn't believe the Changeling threat to be as serious as Starfleet makes it out to be. In response, they give the President a hell of a jolt when the briefcase Sisko brought to the meeting transforms into Odo. Even the President admits that was a hell of an entrance.
In the next episode, "Paradise Lost," the Changelings get one themselves when Changeling!O'Brien sits for a chat with Sisko just to taunt him about how they've played the Federation. Changeling!O'Brien : Let me ask you a question. How many Changelings do you think are here on Earth right at this moment? Captain Sisko : I'm not going to play any guessing games with you. Changeling!O'Brien : Ah. What if I were to tell you that there are only four on this entire planet? Huh? Not counting Constable Odo, of course. Think of it - just four of us. And look at the havoc we've wrought.
At the end of "Body Parts". Brunt maneuvers Quark into breaking a Ferengi contract, ruining his business. Quark loses the day, but, rather uncharacteristic for a Ferengi, says: Quark : Look, I've broken the contract, so do your job. Take my assets, revoke my Ferengi business license. Do whatever you have to do, then get out. And if I ever see you walk into my bar again... Brunt : Yes? Quark : You won't walk out.
Sisko making a solemn vow to Eddington to hunt him to the ends of the universe if necessary. "You know what, Mr. Eddington? I don't give a damn what you think of the Federation, the Maquis, or anything else. All I know is that you betrayed your oath, your duty, and me, and if it takes me the rest of my life, I will see you standing before a court martial that'll break you, and send you to a penal colony where you will spend the rest of your days growing old, and wondering whether a ship full of replicators was really worth it... "
Eddington himself had his own crowning moment just prior to that: Eddington: "Why is the Federation so obsessed about the Maquis? We've never harmed you. And yet we're constantly arrested and charged with terrorism... Starships chase us through the Badlands... and our supporters are harassed and ridiculed. Why? Because we've left the Federation, and that's the one thing you can't accept. Nobody leaves paradise. Everyone should want to be in the Federation. Hell, you even want the Cardassians to join. You're only sending them replicators so that one day they can take their 'rightful place' on the Federation Council." [beat] "You know, in some ways you're worse than the Borg. At least they tell you about their plans for assimilation. You're more insidious... you assimilate people and they don't even know it."
Sisko acting like a convincing Klingon for an undercover op in the same episode. He even beats up a Klingon who killed a friend of his and claims that the guy was keeping him from the bloodwine, further reinforcing his Klingon persona. " BRAG ALL YOU WANT, BUT DON'T GET BETWEEN ME AND THE BLOODWINE! "
Sisko and Dax not only save Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Lurry, and Baris; they also save a TOS Red Shirt !
O'Brien in "The Assignment" saves his wife from the Pah-wraith possessing her by taking its plan to destroy the Prophets and turning it against it. Rom gets the assist on this one by figuring out the Pah-wraith's plan before O'Brien does.
Later, when called on the carpet by Sisko, he defends his actions; Quark : The Regent's dead?! Sisko : The Purification Squad caught up with him this morning. Quark : I can live with that too. And I can think of 28 million other people who won't mind either. Sisko : 28 million and one .
Even more awesome for fans of TNG who would recognize what the Jem'Hadar said as an Ironic Echo of what Worf said to Ba'el in "Birthright".
There is an easily overlooked but nonetheless profound CMOA where Garak's concerned. Namely, Garak goes back into the extremely cramped crawlspace to finish the plan to escape, despite having recently had a claustrophobic attack, and despite it being clear that he's extremely uneasy about having to go back in. General Martok and Worf even acknowledge his bravery.
Counts doubly for the actor, Andrew Robinson, who is claustrophobic as well. He wasn’t acting.
Kira has one as well - when they figure out that the Bashir changeling is planning to wipe out the combined Federation/Klingon/Romulan fleet by blowing up Bajor's sun, she orders the Defiant to make an in-system warp jump (something so risky even James T. Kirk only did it once) to intercept the stolen runabout, snags it with a tractor beam, and flings it away from the star before the bomb goes off.
Bashir also gets one, starting when he gives the Jem'Hadar guard interrogating him a look that clearly says "Go screw yourself." When the guard turns his back, Bashir then pulls out a hidden knife and stabs him.
The unnamed Breen gets one. The moment the situation goes south, the Breen gets the drop on a Jem'Hadar guard by stealing his gun and killing him and another, dying in the process. The Romulan in the camp tells the others that her people have a saying. "Never turn your back on a Breen." The Romulans, one of the most secretive, tricky, and powerful nations in Star Trek, says that about a species hardly anyone's ever heard of before.
The entire crew of the Rotarran in "Soldiers of the Empire", when they recovered their courage and began to sing their war song, to include Martok giving the order to engage fitting the song's tempo right before he himself began to sing, in a scene that was reminiscent of a badass pirate shanty in space , sung by a bunch of happy and bloodthirsty nutcases with lasers and swords. In short: whoever was their target when they began to sing had no chance whatsoever. They proceed to kick some Jem'Hadar ass, fulfill their mission and ask the folks at the station for fifteen barrels of bloodwine to celebrate. For reference, Jadzia had taken three barrels to last for the crew for a couple of weeks . Worf deserves special mention on account of having made it all happen .
"For the Uniform" Sisko dropping the jaws of every single viewer and every member of his crew (including Worf ) by backing up his promise to hunt Eddington down by any means necessary. Sisko: Commander, launch torpedoes. [Worf hesitates] Sisko: Commander, I said launch torpedoes!
"Blaze of Glory" * Nog threatens General Martok of all people with prison for loitering. He stands up to him and his two other Klingon subordinates, at which Martok says that Nog is either very brave or very stupid. Nog says he's probably a little of both, which gets the general to obey him and earns his respect to the point that, later in the episode, the general, when passing by him and Kira, acknowledges him by his rank and barely casts a second glance at Kira. And, as shown in a 2021 event in Star Trek Online , Martok fondly remembers this moment decades after the fact, and honors the bravery of a little Ferengi officer with warm anecdotes.
O'Brien gets one (despite his normal Butt-Monkey role) in "Empok Nor," when Garak has been infected by a violence-inducing super-soldier-serum and decided to hunt O'Brien down: Garak : Maybe it's true... maybe you're not a soldier anymore. O'Brien : You're right. I'm an engineer. [ taps combadge , phaser blows up ]
The Salt the Earth moment is notable for the nonchalant way Kira and Odo look over Ops as the 'gift' left for the Dominion has every console blow up in spectacular fashion. Kira: Dukat wanted the station back? He can have it.
"Sacrifice of Angels" the Klingon fleet arrives out of the sun and swings the battle against the Dominion.
More of a Visual Effects of Awesome than anything else: In Valiant , we get to see a David Versus Goliath match between a small, nimble warship and a massive heavily armed battleship. The captain decides to invoke Point Defenseless by ordering his crew to fly as close to the larger ship as they can. At one point, in the viewscreen, we can see that the Valiant actually flies through a gap in the larger ship's superstructure. They still get their their butts kicked in the end, though.
And of course, there's the arrival of the Klingon fleet, doing their best Big Damn Heroes moment, posed with a sun behind them. Always count on a Klingon to make a dramatic entrance.
And before that, when the Starfleet ships try to force their way past the Dominion fleet. Highlights of the battle include a pair of Galaxy -class starships unloading their phaser banks in a series of point-blank broadsides against a hapless Cardassian cruiser and the Defiant sailing through the battle escorted by a pair of Miranda -class starships. Even the Miranda s' sudden destruction managed to be a Special Effects moment of awesome. And then once it seems that the situation is hopeless for the Starfleet ships, cue the Klingons.
Before the battle, when the crew realizes how badly the odds are stacked against them, it would make sense for them to back down and live to fight another day. But then, that's not an option due to the short deadline before the Dominion can bring reinforcements through the Wormhole. O'Brien and Bashir proceed to recite a verse from Alfred Lord Tennyson's Charge of the Light Brigade before being shushed. Despite the poem being about a Self-Destructive Charge that got everyone killed, it comes off as a Badass Boast . Cannon to right of them, Cannon to left of them, Cannon in front of them Volley'd and thunder'd; Storm'd at with shot and shell, Boldly they rode and well, Into the jaws of Death, Into the mouth of Hell Rode the six hundred.
"In The Pale Moonlight" Sisko successfully, and completely unapologetically, blackmailing extorting Garak, one of the most Magnificent Bastards in the entire franchise . Also a Call-Back to a similar moment in Season 3’s "Second Skin" Garak: Commander, this is extortion. Sisko: Hm... Yes, it is . Garak (smiles): There is hope for you yet, Commander.
Tolar is a walking Jerkass until he hears Garak's name. He gives an epic Oh, Crap! and immediately behaves.
This exchange: Sisko: Who's watching Tolar? Garak: I've locked him in his quarters. I've also left him with the distinct impression that if he attempts to force the door open, it may explode. Sisko: I hope that's just an impression. Garak: It's best not to dwell on such minutiae.
It was also one of Sisko's moments: "I lied; I cheated; I bribed men to cover the crimes of other men; I am an accessory to murder. But the most damning thing of all is... I think I can live with it. And if I'd have to do it all over again... I would. Garak was right about one thing...a guilty conscience is a small price to pay for the safety of the Alpha Quadrant. So I will learn to live with it... because I can live with it. [beat] I can live with it... Computer, erase that entire personal log. "
In "Resurrection", Kira's taken hostage at gunpoint by the mirror-universe version of Bareil Antos, who was her lover in the prime universe. After climbing up 57 decks with him to get to Landing Pad A, Kira declines to open the door for him, asking him to give her the phaser instead. AU!Bareil Antos: Oh, you've been so cooperative up until now; I'd hate to have to kill you. Major Kira Nerys: You're not going to kill me. AU!Bareil: Oh, you're sure of that? Kira: You're not going to kill anyone , not with that disruptor. Power cell's cracked. AU!Bareil: [sighs] How long have you known? Kira: Since before we left Ops. AU!Bareil: Then why did you come with me? Kira: I needed the exercise . [Kira then proceeds to kick his ass]
A fridge one for Lupaza: earlier in the episode she gives Kira herbs that help with pregnancy pains, while hinting to their other use. That other use? Counteracting Cardassian most often used anesthetics, thus allowing Kira to pretend she is unconscious and save herself by striking at the right moment.
And after hitting her with the Wham Lines , he deliberately softens and reminds Jadzia that she's in love with Worf.
Not to mention that when Quark complains to Morn about being thrown in the middle of Morn's former accomplices in order to get them arrested, Morn spits up about 100 bricks' worth of latinum note Latinum itself is a commoditized liquid metal that is nigh-impossible to replicate, making it useful as bullion. It's normally encased in gold to make it easier to hand around and to make it pretty into a shot glass and gives it to Quark.
In "The Reckoning", after Jake's in the infirmary recovering from being possessed by a Pah-wraith and being used to battle a Prophet, Benjamin is feeling horribly guilty about his part in the ordeal, but Jake says, "You don't have to explain. When the Pah-wraith was inside me, I could feel its hatred. And I knew that no matter what, it couldn't be allowed to win... even if it meant I had to die."
Not to mention that staying behind as a reporter when the Dominion occupied the station took a lot of guts to do. Sure, he knew that they'd never harm a hair on his head since he was the son of the Bajorans' living messiah figure, but still, that's a ballsy move.
We saw what she could do as early as the pilot. A Bajoran, a race that the Cardassians have been using for target practice, standing on the bridge of what was once their station, all but giving them the finger. The station was woefully underarmed, so she and O'Brien whipped up one hell of a bluff to make it look like ol' Terok Nor was armed to the eyeteeth. The Cardies suspected a bluff, but when one little Bajoran female pretty much said "Wanna call it?" and they backed down... awesome.
Early on in "Take Me Out To The Holosuite", Ezri mentions that one of the Dax hosts was a gymnast and that she should , thus, be better at sports. And then, when one of the Vulcans hits a near-homerun, Ezri jumps on the wall and catches the ball while doing a backflip . Bashir: Now that is a "Fancy Dan"!
In the episode "Once More Unto the Breach" of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , aging, washed-up Klingon warrior Kor takes on ten Jem'Hadar ships in a suicide delaying action in order to allow the rest of the Klingon ships to escape ... after knocking out Worf, who was originally supposed to take the mission , with a hypospray. Before departing, he tells the unconscious Worf that he will find Worf's dead wife, Jadzia, in the afterlife, and assure her that her husband is a noble warrior who still loves no one but her. Doing this also allows Kor to die a Klingon's death: in battle, not in dotage . At this sacrifice, Martok, who had denigrated Kor as a useless has-been for most of the story, proposes a toast to Kor: "A noble warrior to the end." To the Klingons, there is no higher compliment.
Quark during "The Siege of AR-558," gives a What the Hell, Hero? speech to Sisko after Nog comes back from a mission Sisko sent him on minus a leg, and then protecting Nog during the titular siege. Special kudos to Armin Shimmerman for being able to convey his horror at having killed someone (and the realization that even he can become as bloodthirsty and violent as humans when forced to fight) through those heavy prosthetics.
And then O'Brien , of all people, saving the day by being The Everyman that he is. Sloan almost takes Bashir into death with him by leaving a boatload of Section 31 intel for him to analyze, but O'Brien keeps him focused on finding the cure and getting out in time to use it. Bashir even acknowledges that The Power of Friendship saved him.
An understated crowning moment for O'Brien - The Batman Gambit that lured Sloan into Bashir's trap was O'Brien's idea. After Bashir tried and failed throughout "Tacking Into the Wind" to come up with a cure, pulling multiple all-nighters out of desperation, O'Brien stops in to chat. As they talk, O'Brien suggests Bashir just lie to Starfleet Medical and claim he found a cure, since then someone with knowledge of the virus would arrive to investigate and Bashir could interrogate them. Sloan falls for it precisely because it's the kind of thing Wide-Eyed Idealist Bashir would never think of on his own. Sloan may have had Bashir's number from even before they met, but O'Brien is the one factor that Sloan could never predict.
What makes it even better is that she immediately realizes that was absolutely the wrong thing to say in that situation. After Damar heads for the cockpit, she has this conversation with Garak. Kira: That was stupid. Garak: Not at all. Damar has a certain... romanticism about the past. He can use a dose of cold water. Kira: I could have picked a better time. Garak: If Damar is the man to lead a new Cardassia, if he's the man we hope him to be, then the pain of this news made him more receptive to what you said, not less.
This comes to fruition in a small Moment of Awesome for Damar when he completes his Heel–Face Turn by saving Kira and Odo from Rusot, a treacherous officer who wanted to bring back the old Imperial Cardassia. Damar: He was my friend. But his Cardassia's dead...and it won't be coming back.
In the same episode, Ezri pointing out to Worf the hypocrisy of the Klingon Empire claiming to value honor while having such a horribly corrupt government. This leads Worf to the equally awesome moment of finishing the job he started in TNG's "Reunion" and killing Gowron in honorable combat, then passing the title of Chancellor to Martok restoring honor to the Empire at long last. Worf : Tell me what you think. Ezri : Okay. I'm not sure you're going to like it. Worf : Tell me. Ezri : I think that the situation with Gowron is a symptom of a bigger problem. The Klingon Empire is dying, and I think it deserves to die. Worf : ...You are right. I do not like it. Ezri : Don't get me wrong, I'm very touched that you still consider me to be a member of the House of Martok. But, I tend to look at the Empire with a bit more skepticism than Curzon or Jadzia did. I see a society that is in deep denial about itself. We're talking about a warrior culture that prides itself on maintaining centuries-old traditions of honor and integrity, but in reality, it's willing to accept corruption at the highest levels. Worf : You are overstating your case! Ezri : Am I? Who was the last leader of the High Council that you respected? Has there even been one? And how many times have you had to cover up the crimes of Klingon leaders because you were told it was for the good of the Empire? I-I know this sounds harsh, but the truth is, you have been willing to accept a government that you know is corrupt. Gowron's just the latest example. Worf, you are the most honorable and decent man that I have ever met. And if you're willing to tolerate men like Gowron, then what hope is there for the Empire?
The Breen get another one in that same episode when they manage to pull off a sneak attack on Earth and severely damage Starfleet Headquarters. Even Martok is impressed, claiming it's something the Klingons themselves never even considered doing during their wars with the Federation.
In "The Dogs of War", Martok shows how high-level he thinks when he notes that the Dominion pulling back shortens their supply lines while forcing the alliance to lengthen theirs. As they say, amateurs talk strategy, professionals talk logistics.
In "What You Leave Behind", the unnamed Cardassians who join Damar's grassroots rebellion. This isn't about obeying orders, or service to the state, or milking other planets for resources. Their home has been taken over by supposed allies who were really invaders that conquered them without a shot, and now the Dominion has gotten nasty, wiping out a large city in retaliation for the rebellion. This is about nothing less than taking their home back and saving their people, and for this, they charge gladly into battle, not stopping for anything, until they capture the Female Changeling.
When the Cardassian fleet turns against the Dominion in the finale "What You Leave Behind.". Aside from violently opposing being used as cannon fodder to those who treat them like dirt, it's a very rare moment to see Cardassian warships be badass, popping Jem'hadar and Breen ships left and right, whereas usually they've been the underdog in space engagements.
Nog's actions in the novel "High Score", set when he and Jake are still kids, serves as Foreshadowing for the kind of person he'll grow to be; when he and Jake discover that the mining operation they're working for is stripping an inhabited planet of its resources and killing the inhabitants as part of the "game" the young employees are playing, he is quick to follow Jake in choosing innocent lives over a paycheck.
In the book Fallen Heroes - which begins with Odo and Quark being sent forward in time by a few days to find that the entire station has been destroyed- the story of what happened to everyone is revealed in flashbacks over the previous few days. Damn if they didn't go down awesomely. Hooray for Reset Button .

Unsorted

How awesome is Nog? Season 3 of Star Trek: Discovery reveals that in the 32nd century, Starfleet has a ship called U.S.S. Nog . The boy left his mark and then some.
Then you have Kira's involvement. Considering her Back Story with Cardassians, her urging after Damar's Last Words , essentially saying, "You heard the man", revolution comes full circle.
And Damar laughing about it. Which gets both funnier and more awesome when he offers Weyoun 8 to drink to Weyoun 7 with a bottle with A TWISTED NECK . That being a Cardassian and Damar in particular, you know that can't have been a coincidence.
When Sisko entered the bridge and started speaking in his "Joran voice", you knew shit was about to go down.
...while at the same time giving the Prophets a What the Hell, Hero? that convinces them to take an active role in the defense of Bajor: "You want to be gods, then be gods! I need a miracle. Bajor needs a miracle. Stop those ships! "
...getting the name of a Red Squad member by putting the fear of God into Nog. Sisko: Cadet, you are obviously under the mistaken impression that I am asking a favor. I want a name, and I want it now, and that is an order! Understood, Mr. Nog?
It's implied in "The Wire" that he frequently yells at admirals and gets away with it without even a slap on the wrist. Ultimate Job Security , anyone?
And let's not forget his being Defiant to the End : Sisko: (to Gul Dukat) First the Dominion, now the Pah-wraiths. You have a talent for picking the losing sides...
Dukat gets his own when delivering a withering Pre-Mortem One-Liner to Winn: "Are you still here?" After vaporizing her, he gives a venomous sendoff: "Farewell, Adami ."
And then, after helping a little more with the technical details, Rom goes right back to bringing the funny, practically wailing the last two words:
The speech he delivers to broadcast his Heel–Face Turn shows that he has truly found his voice. "...and so two years ago, our government signed a treaty with the Dominion. In it the Dominion promised to extend Cardassia's influence throughout the Alpha Quadrant. In exchange, we pledged ourselves to join the war against the Federation and its allies. Cardassians have never been afraid of war, a fact we've proven time and again over these past two years. Seven million of our brave soldiers have given their lives to fulfill our part of the agreement, and what has the Dominion done in return? Nothing. We've gained no new territories. In fact, our influence throughout the quadrant has diminished. And to make matters worse we are no longer masters in our own home. Travel anywhere on Cardassia and what do you find? Jem'Hadar, Vorta, and now Breen. Instead of the invaders we have become the invaded. Our 'allies' have conquered us without firing a single shot. Well, no longer. This morning detachments of the Cardassian First, Third and Ninth Orders attacked the Dominion outpost on Rondac III. This assault marks the first step towards the liberation of our homeland, from the true oppressors of the Alpha Quadrant. I call upon Cardassians everywhere. Resist. Resist today. Resist tomorrow. Resist till the last Dominion soldier has been driven from our soil!"
And then another Rousing Speech when the military resistance has been destroyed, but a new one is brewing amongst the citizenry: "Citizens of Cardassia, hear me! The Dominion told you that the rebellion has been crushed. What you have seen here today proves that that is yet another lie. Our fight for freedom continues! But it will take place here in the streets. I call on Cardassians everywhere to rise up, rise up and join me! I need you to be my army! If we stand together, nothing can oppose us. Freedom is ours for the taking!"
Earlier in the same episode, Rusot accuses Kira of teaming with them for the sole purpose of having an excuse to kill more Cardassians... and then makes the mistake of putting his hands on Colonel Kira. Wrong move. Kira's resulting Curb-Stomp Battle is very satisfying. Kira: Don't you ever touch me again.
Kira has another awesome retort two seasons earlier, while talking to Dukat. (Only this time, without the regret). Dukat is angry with Kira because his daughter Ziyal has befriended Garak, his sworn enemy. Kira: Dukat, she was lonely. And the last time I checked, he was the only other Cardassian living on the station. Dukat: The man is a heartless, cold-blooded killer. Kira: Like I said, he's a Cardassian.
Sisko's victory at Chin'toka becomes even more awesome when you remember that at the time, he had some deep-seated doubts as to where, when, and even who he really was.
Sisko defeated Gul Dukat after he ascended . With nothing more than guts and awesome.
One of Quark's best moments was describing the benefits of greed and capitalism to the Prophets when they mess with the Grand Nagus' personality. When that didn't move them and they stated they wanted to change Quark's as well and avoid contact with the Ferengi, however, he pointed out that they'd get more curious Ferengi to visit them by changing him. He didn't convince the Prophets, these immensely powerful beings that transcend time and space, so much as threatened them with annoyance . And it worked .
Or when Quark shot Jem'Hadar guards to free Rom, and a Funny Moment with how stunned he was the next moment.
In an early appearance, Jem'Hadar fighters trounce a Galaxy-class starship. Later, enter the Defiant, a Pint-Sized Powerhouse . Even after taking severe damage because the fighters saw through its cloak, the Defiant still rips one of them to shreds with a single volley.
Having a powerful fleet that hadn't taken losses yet against the Dominion and were the Alpha Quadrant's inventors and masters of cloaking technology certainly helped.
The biggest one comes after the fighting. During their initial offensive they took a number of Federation and Klingon worlds that the Dominion had occupied. Everyone was worried what the Romulans would do with them, because, as Odo pointed out, it's their usual policy to keep any planet they occupy in a war... And they just turned them over to their previous owners as soon as they showed up.
Two words: FOR CARDASSIA!
She may have been a piece of work all her own, to the point of having betrayed everything that she was meant to stand for as Kai in the name of pursuing her own personal power and glory, but Winn's final act was attempting to destroy the Book of the Kosst Amojan, stopping the Pai-wraiths and Dukat, and, when that fails, having just enough time to shout to Sisko what he needed to do to accomplish what she couldn't before her own demise and truly acknowledging Sisko as the Emissary of the Prophets for the first time. Not enough to qualify as Redemption Equals Death , but still, worth noting that even in the face of her devils and certain death, she still managed to, this one time, do the right thing.
Damar's resistance against the Dominion needs help, and the best person for the job is Kira, considering the tactics she and the Bajoran Resistance used during the Occupation of Bajor. Problem is, Damar recognizes that, what with one of the Cardassian major flaws being pride, his men are probably going to have some problems taking orders from a Bajoran in the uniform of the Bajoran militia, the people who bloodied their noses so much for so long that they had to withdraw from Bajor. So what's Sisko's solution? Give Kira a Starfleet commission and send her to the Cardassians in a Starfleet uniform, empowering her to speak not for Bajor but the Federation. Sure, a token gesture in theory, but enough of a play on appearances and Cardassian vanity to work in practice.
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Star Trek: Discovery Finally Gave Us A Closer Look At The Franchise's Most Mysterious Villain

Warning: This article contains spoilers for the latest episode of "Star Trek: Discovery."

"Star Trek" might represent an idealistic vision of a bolder and brighter future, but the last few seasons of "Discovery" have proven that there will always be bad guys with a penchant for muddying up those ambitions in unexpected ways -- even in the 32nd Century. While the Borg, Romulans, and the warlord Khan often have a stranglehold on the title of "Best 'Trek' villains," one alien species in particular has remained shrouded in mystery for decades. First mentioned in foreboding whispers in "The Next Generation" and finally seen in the flesh (well, so to speak) in "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," the Breen have played a significant role throughout the franchise in the years since ... yet Trekkies still had to wait until now to actually see what lies underneath their distinctive helmets.

The advantage of never showing us a Breen's face, as it turns out, is that "Discovery" was able to hide one in plain sight all along.

So far, the addition of scavengers Moll (Eve Harlow) and L'ak (Elias Toufexis) has felt like a shoe waiting to drop. The close-knit pair continue to frustrate Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and the rest of the Discovery crew (nowhere more dramatically than in last week's time-traveling bottle episode ), remaining one step ahead of our heroes in their quest to recover whatever Progenitor technological treasure hides at the end of this galaxy-spanning rainbow. About midway through episode 5, titled "Mirrors," the writers unleashed their big twist. L'ak, thus far considered an unknown type of extraterrestrial, actually reveals himself as a Breen. Or, rather, an emotional Moll lets this information slip by accident during a particularly fraught moment. In the process, "Trek" finally unmasked its most enigmatic aliens.

Read more: Every Star Trek Show And Movie In Chronological Order

Putting On A Brave Face (Or Two)

In the span of one episode, "Discovery" officially made "Star Trek" history.

Long treated as a mystery that left everything up to our own imaginations, the Breen reveal puts a specific face to what had previously only been a name ... actually, make that two faces. While Moll and L'ak come to a tense faceoff with Burnham and Cleveland Booker (David Ajala) on board the mirror-universe version of the USS Enterprise while trapped in multidimensional space (it's a long story), the writers treat this as the perfect opportunity to delve into the scavengers' shared past. In a series of flashbacks, we find out that L'ak was part of the Breen royal family and disgraced by his powerful Primarch uncle. Hoping to earn his way back to his people's good graces, all his plans are upended by a torrid romance with then-courier Moll. With their backs against the wall and nowhere else to turn, the lovers choose their own path altogether and, along the way, L'ak reveals his most private aspect of himself: his Breen face.

Of course, the episode adds another twist and introduces the concept of the Breen having two faces -- a solid, corporeal form they can present to others if they so choose, and a more translucent one. (Really, it can only be described as squishier. ) In fact, this creepy and altogether unique visage symbolizes a much more meaningful difference, as we learn when L'ak's uncle calls his chosen face an "insult to your heritage." Apparently, most Breen have moved beyond this "weak" form and consider this some sort of societal faux pas. In just a few minutes, we discover more about Breen culture than we've ever known before.

New episodes of "Star Trek: Discovery" stream every Thursday on Paramount+.

Read the original article on SlashFilm

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Star Trek Deep Space Nine collection
Daemon Space 9 [DS9 AU] by BubbaKnowlton Fandom: His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Teen And Up Audiences, General Audiences; No Archive Warnings Apply; No category; Series in Progress; 02 Apr 2019
The underrated Star Trek: why you should watch Deep Space Nine
Deep Space Nine resonates now because it is set in a bifurcated world, much like our own. "Deep Space Nine is not about solving the problems of the world every 46 minutes," Shimerman says.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (DS9) is an American science fiction television series created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller.The fourth series in the Star Trek media franchise, it originally aired in syndication from January 3, 1993, to June 2, 1999, spanning 176 episodes over seven seasons. Set in the 24th century, when Earth is part of a United Federation of Planets, its narrative is centered ...
StarTrek: Deep Space Nine FanFiction Archive
Rated: K+ - English - Humor/Romance - Chapters: 1 - Words: 3,481 - Published: Apr 14 - J. Bashir, E. Garak, OC - Complete. Julian a newly minted Star Fleet officer arrives on Deep Space 9 to be it's Chief medical officer. But Julian isn't all that he seems. This is an AU Julian and Garak Romance.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine was the fourth Star Trek series and entered production in 1992. It was broadcast in first-run syndication from January 1993 until June 1999. It was the first Star Trek series created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller rather than by Gene Roddenberry. It was also the only series to air alongside another Star Trek production throughout its entire run, airing alongside ...
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine chronicles the adventures of Captain Benjamin Sisko and a team of Starfleet officers who take command of a remote space station on the edge of a frontier and a critical crossroads of galactic events. 7 seasons • 176 episodes • 1993-1999.
Fanfiction : r/DeepSpaceNine
The subreddit for everything Star Trek: Deep Space Nine! Feel free to post pics, videos, articles, your opinions & questions... anything to do with the show or the actors. ... Unfortunately it doesn't have a great tagging/filtering system like AO3 (or even FFnet) but you could start by searching up Star Trek related fanfic collections ...
Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine concept art and history.
There Can Be No Turning Back: How I Learned to Love Star Trek: Deep
My first contact with Star Trek: Deep Space Nine was in college, when a fellow Star Trek fan jokingly referred to the series as 'Deep Sleep Nine.'I laughed along; I had grown up watching Star Trek: The Original Series and Star Trek: The Next Generation movies with my dad, and the idea of an entire Star Trek franchise taking place on a space station seemed ludicrous.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (DS9) is an American science fiction television series created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller. The fourth series in the Star Trek media franchise, it originally aired in syndication from January 3, 1993, to June 2, 1999, spanning 176 episodes over seven seasons. Set in the 24th century, when Earth is part of a United Federation of Planets, its narrative is ...
PDF STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE®
I began writing it when I was first exiled to Terok Nor/Deep Space 9. It was an episodic and desultory effort chronicling my life on the station. Then last year, Captain Sisko invited me to join the initial invasion of Cardassian space-"the Battle for the Chin'toka System" as our Klingon friends trumpeted-an event I wasn't sure I'd survive.
List of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episodes
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is the third live-action television series in the Star Trek franchise and aired in syndication from January 1993 through June 1999. There were a total of 173 (original broadcast & DVD) or 176 (syndicated) episodes over the show's seven seasons, which are listed here in chronological order by original airdate, which match the episode order in each season's DVD set.
8 Reasons to Close Out Pride Month with a 'Deep Space ...
8 Reasons to Close Out Pride Month with a 'Deep Space Nine' Rewatch. This show broke all the (gendered and heteronormative) rules. It took five decades for Star Trek to introduce a gay couple, with the reveal of Lt. Stamets and Dr. Culber 's relationship on the fifth episode of Star Trek: Discovery. The moment between the two — brushing ...
The Adventures of Augment Gothic (A Star Trek SI) Chapter ...
StarTrek: Deep Space Nine + StarTrek: The Next Generation Crossover. Follow/Fav The Adventures of Augment Gothic (A Star Trek SI) By: Joe Lawyer. A present-day Star Trek fan is forcibly thrust into that dimension and made anew as an Augment, a genetically engineered superman, on the whim of a mischievous god. Armed with knowledge of this ...
I'm trying to get into Deep Space Nine, but it's quite boring
A casual, constructive, and most importantly, welcoming place on the internet to talk about Star Trek. I'm trying to get into Deep Space Nine, but it's quite boring. Every one I talk to and everything I see online ranks DS9 as one of the best Star Trek shows. I grew up watching Star Trek, but never really watched it beginning to end until now.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine / Awesome
The Battle of Wolf 359, which Star Trek: The Next Generation mostly implied (in the form of a massive graveyard of destroyed Starfleet ships) rather than showed, is presented as the opening scene of the series.From Locutus's opening speech to the total destruction of the Saratoga is just over four minutes. And it's implied that the ship only lasted that long because she was crippled early on ...
Star Trek: Discovery Finally Gave Us A Closer Look At The ...
First mentioned in foreboding whispers in "The Next Generation" and finally seen in the flesh (well, so to speak) in "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," the Breen have played a significant role ...