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Why 'deep space nine' is the best 'star trek' series.

It's been 30 years since Captain Sisko first appeared on our TVs. Let's show him some love.

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Solid star trek from beginning to end, it moves beyond the confines of starfleet, it challenges gene roddenberry's star trek ethic, stellar main cast, compelling recurring characters, the perfect combination of episodic and serialized storytelling, final thoughts.

Since the premiere of Star Trek: The Next Generation, fans have debated which series is best. But it seems that most Trekkies can't distinguish "my favorite" from "the best." In honor of the 30th anniversary of Deep Space Nine, here are all the reasons why DS9 is the best of the franchise.

Opinions incoming, Captain! In explaining why I believe Deep Space Nine is the best series, I necessarily mention that I don't enjoy some other series--probably some you like. Please remember that I'm not attacking you personally, nor am I disparaging the actors, writers, and producers of lesser Trek series. Live long and prosper.

The best argument that Deep Space Nine is the best Star Trek series is its consistent quality. And I don't mean to say it maintains the same quality from seasons one to seven. I mean that it is consistently good television. There are no stinker seasons of Deep Space Nine. Moreover, each season is better than the last. And by the time you reach season seven, nearly every episode is top-tier Trek.

DS9 is the only series in the franchise to pull off this feat. Season three of the original series is generally considered to be of lesser quality than the first two. The inaugural season of Star Trek: The Next Generation is unwatchable, even for die-hard Trekkies like myself. Season two gets better, but TNG doesn't get good until the third season. The final season of Next Gen is hit-and-miss as far as quality stories go. Star Trek: Voyager starts strong but falters after the third season and remains a rocky affair until the end of the series. And Enterprise only really found its footing during its fourth season right before it was abruptly canceled.

I think that this consistent quality was the result of the producers of Star Trek hitting peak performance in the mid-1990s. The original films had just wrapped up, all the bugs of making a new series were worked out in The Next Generation, and the writers and producers knew what worked in Star Trek and what didn't. This was the sweet spot in the history of the franchise. They had all the talent, drive, and experience going for them before the Next Generation era began to run out of gas with Enterprise and films like Star Trek: Insurrection and Star Trek: Nemesis.

Keep in mind that the seasons I'm talking about are all at least 20 episodes long. That could be two or even three seasons of a contemporary television series. So to write off entire seasons of a show like this is saying quite a bit. But, if there's one thing Star Trek fans know is that there is a lot of bad Trek. So, having a complete series (176 episodes) with no seasons that you can just skip because they're so bad is a rare thing, indeed.

Related: What to Watch Before 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Premieres on Paramount+

And don't even get me started on Star Trek Universe (Trek produced from 2017 onward). To my mind, there are only one and a half seasons of watchable television in the streaming era. I enjoyed about half of the episodes of the first season of Star Trek: Discovery, but the rest is unbelievably bad. Picard is an unadulterated violation of the Star Trek franchise (maybe season three will be better, but I'm keeping my guard up ). Star Trek: Lower Decks is not funny, and I gave up after the first season. I haven't watched Prodigy, so I can't speak to that series. However, the first season of Strange New Worlds was a refreshing return to form, and I hope it continues to build on what's working in that series.

[Editor-in-Chief's note]  I, too, want to write Danny a nasty email for writing such atrocities as "Lower Decks is not funny" and not giving Prodigy a chance. I refer you back to the warning at the beginning of this article and say, "to each their own." Hold off on the emails, and let's agree that Star Trek is fine television, even if we don't love every episode or every series. [/note]

The main thing that distinguishes Deep Space Nine from the rest of the Star Trek series is its settings. Every other incarnation of the franchise takes the place of a Federation starship. DS9 switches it up by placing the series on a space station, but it's not a Federation starbase. Rather it's a repurposed Cardassian station that served as the headquarters for the occupation and subjugation of the planet Bajor. A departure that great from the series that preceded it opened up Deep Space Nine to an entire universe of stories that were simply unavailable to the starships Enterprise.

The original Star Trek and The Next Generation's premise revolved around Starfleet and its officers. Their casts were almost all humans, with an alien (or half-alien) character or two thrown in for flavor. In Deep Space Nine, more than half of the main characters were non-human--and just as many were not Starfleet officers (six of ten in both cases). This expansion both retained the familiar and loved ethic of Starfleet and injected more nuanced and diverse ways of doing things, allowing for more intense storytelling, character development, and a more detailed look at the fictional universe Star Trek operates in.

Related: What We're Watching: Let's Watch 'Star Trek: Voyager' Again to Remember Janeway

But that doesn't mean that Deep Space Nine abandoned the mission to explore strange new worlds and seek out new life and new civilizations. In due course, Deep Space Nine got its own Federation starship, the U.S.S. Defiant. And while it was built as a battleship, there's plenty of exciting exploration and new civilizations in the series. One of the central premises of the show is the Bajoran wormhole that transports starships to the distant Gamma Quadrant, with lots of new territories to explore. It's basically a fresh start to a galaxy that, up until this point, has been dominated by Klingons, Romulans, Ferrengi, and other familiar faces.

Since at least the beginning of Star Trek: The Next Generation, the franchise operated under Gene Roddenberry's vision of a future free of war, poverty, greed, interpersonal conflict, and all the rest of the flaws humanity now suffers from. By the 24th century, humankind had perfected itself in its journey to the stars.

It's debatable whether or not this ethic was present in the original series. For example, the idea that the Federation had done away with money didn't appear until Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, 20 years after the franchise premiere. But this notion of a perfected human race was at the heart of The Next Generation from the very beginning. And in a line from the film Star Trek: First Contact, Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) explains the future succinctly to a resident of the 21st century:

"The acquisition of wealth is no longer the driving force in our lives. We work to better ourselves and the rest of humanity."

And it drove the writers bonkers. There were many constraints on how characters could interact with each other, chief among them being no interpersonal conflict. This is a big reason why everyone gets along so famously in TNG. The Hollywood writers who were so accustomed to personal tension being at the very heart of storytelling had to develop new ways of telling stories.

However, this concept did serve an essential storytelling purpose beyond Roddenberry's vision of utopia. It allowed the humans exploring the galaxy to encounter alien races that were experiencing similar problems that humans now face and examine them from an outside perspective. It's this form of allegorical storytelling that gives Star Trek its most potent and long-lasting impact.

On the other hand, if humans are perfect, there's really no way for them to grow and change as characters. And it eliminates many different types of stories that the writers could tell if they could just let Commander Riker have a short temper or allow Geordi La Forge to have a drinking problem.

Plus, it doesn't actually make much sense. Could humans really live without conflict, war, racism, poverty, and the rest? Many of the writers didn't think so. And with so many non-human characters in Deep Space Nine (and Gene Roddenberry dead), they felt comfortable pushing the boundaries of the Federation utopia. Characters that were once always affable suddenly became more sullen. Instead of a smiling Starfleet first officer happily commanding his lieutenants, you get an angry war-weary Bajoran former terrorist running the show. And rather than literally penniless Federation citizens going about their comfortable lives, you get arch-capitalist Ferrengi always looking to make more latinum.

Related: What We're Playing: 'Star Trek Timelines' Free-to-Play in the Final Frontier

Perhaps the most significant push against Roddenberry's vision is the seasons-long Dominion War arc. Would a perfected human race do what needed to be done to defeat an enemy that's bent on their destruction without violating the core ethics that got them to the stars in the first place? Deep Space Nine answers that question. Moreover, Captain Sisko (Avery Brooks) delivers a direct rebuke to Captain Picard's sunny disposition on humanity's condition.

"Do you know what the trouble is? The trouble is Earth. On Earth, there is no poverty, no crime, no war. You look out the window of Starfleet Headquarters, and you see paradise. It's easy to be a saint in paradise."

And while the challenge to Roddenberry's vision is a central theme in Deep Space Nine, I think Star Trek meets it head-on. Not everything survives, but the Federation and its principles emerge from the series mostly intact.

While there are no bad casts in all of Star Trek, the main character roster of Deep Space Nine stands out for its uniqueness. There are no one-dimensional or stock characters in the DS9 lineup. Each character and their actors bring something genuinely unique to the show. In other series, most characters share much of the same background--being in Starfleet. And while that's not necessarily a bad thing, the breath of character types in Deep Space Nine still hasn't been matched by any other series in the franchise.

Avery Brooks as Benjamin Sisko : Of all the captain characters in Star Trek, Benjamin Sisko was the first not start off the series with that rank. Rather, he held the rank of commander for the show's first three seasons. This is part of his character arc, which is arguably the most complete of any Trek captain. Furthermore, he began the series without even knowing if he wanted to remain in Starfleet. Throughout the course of the show, Sisko grows from a grieving, angry widower into a strong commander who finds new love and becomes a critical figure in the history of the Federation and Bajor. And Brooks' handling of the character in "In the Pale Moonlight" is nothing short of a tour de force.

René Auberjonois as Odo : Odo is the first non-humanoid character to be featured as a main character in Star Trek. He's a liquid-based shapeshifter who takes on the form of a solid humanoid being to fit in with the rest of the DS9 crew. At the beginning of the series, his origins are unknown but are slowly revealed as the seasons progress. Odo's arc focuses mainly on his conflict regarding how different he is from the rest of the station crew and that he must choose between his comrades and his people when war breaks out.

Related: Why 'The Undiscovered Country' is the Best 'Star Trek' Film

Alexander Siddig as Julian Bashir : DS9's chief medical officer chose his post because he felt it would be the most challenging. He starts the series as arrogant and disrespectful, but he mellows over the seasons and discovers lasting friendships with Miles O'Brien and Garak (more on them in a minute). He also carries a deep secret revealed in later seasons and grapples with the horrors of war and his search for love.

Terry Farrell as Jadzia Dax : While Odo is truly the first non-humanoid main character in Starfleet, Jadzia Dax could also qualify for that distinction--at least half. Her character is a Trill, meaning she's actually two life forms in one. In her belly, she carries what Star Trek refers to as a "symbiont," a slug-like creature that's millennia old and has lived in other host Trills. When Jadzia received the Dax symbiont, she gained the knowledge and memories of all the previous hosts. One of the earlier hosts was very good friends with Benjamin Sisko. Jadzia's arc centers on what it means to live an extremely long time and ultimately face death.

Cirroc Lofton as Jake Sisko : Ben Sisko's young son is a welcome addition to the Deep Space Nine cast. You could consider him DS9's answer to Wesley Crusher from The Next Generation. Fans of Next Gen didn't universally accept Wesley because they saw him as a Mary Sue (a character with no flaws that constantly saves the day). Jake is not that in the least. And his presence on Deep Space Nine contributes to the show's themes of family (with his father) and friendship (with Nog) and provides a years-long coming-of-age tale that ultimately sees him take on the universe on his own.

Colm Meany as Miles O'Brien : One of the things that Deep Space Nine does best is to take fan-favorite characters from The Next Generation and build on their stories. We first met O'Brien in the first episode of The Next Generation, and he served on the Enterprise as the transporter chief. In Deep Space Nine, he is the equivalent of a starship chief engineer. He also has a family and two young children. The O'Briens are unique among Star Trek clans as they are the only intact nuclear family to be portrayed long-term throughout a series. (Wesley Crusher and Jake Sisko both had one dead parent during the shows they were in).

Armin Shimerman as Quark : If there's any character in the main cast of Deep Space Nine that challenges Gene Roddenberry's vision for the future most, it's Quark. When the Ferrengi were introduced in The Next Generation, Data described them as "Yankee Traders" whose only goal in life was to seek profit and acquisition. And while Quark is portrayed throughout the series as an amoral trader that's out for his own interests, he often brings a sense of balance and charm to that role. By the end of the series, you will better understand the Ferrengi and maybe sympathize with their point of view--if not agree with it.

Related: The Coolest 'Star Trek' Stuff on Amazon

Nana Vistor as Kira Nerys : The Bajoran people are at the heart of Deep Space Nine, as it's their planet the station orbits in the first episode. Major Kira serves as the embodiment of the race throughout the series. As a former freedom fighter and terrorist, she has to come to grips with what it means to finally be free. Moreover, she exudes the deep spirituality of her religious beliefs, something not often depicted in Star Trek.

Michael Dorn as Worf : The addition of Worf to the cast in the show's fourth season was an amazing gift to fans who had watched The Next Generation. In that series, Worf served as chief of security on the Enterprise. And while he was a fan favorite, his role was often reduced to making brutish, violent suggestions that got shot down. In Deep Space Nine, Worf came into his own and grew as a character. And during the Dominion War arc, his nature as a warrior came to true fruition as it could be explored in far more detail than in The Next Generation.

Nicole de Boer as Ezri Dax : (SPOILER ALERT) Jadzia isn't the only Dax on the show. After the sixth season, Terry Farrell left the series, and her part needed to be recast. Luckily for the show's writers, the Dax symbiont can transfer hosts. When Ezri receives Jadzia's memories and experiences, she has to struggle with having to take her place. And though she's only around for a single season, Ezri is an integral part of the series and serves as an epilogue to Jadzia's character arc.

It's not just the main cast that makes Deep Space Nine stand out among Trek series. The show has a deep bench of recurring characters that play a pivotal role in the overall narrative. In other Trek shows, side characters only show up occasionally, usually just once, then they're gone.

Critical side characters include Gul Dukat (Marc Alaimo), the former commander of Deep Space Nine when it was in Cardassian hands. He is the perfect foil for Sisko and remains one of the most nuanced and compelling villains in all of Star Trek. Another Cardassian of note is the former spy-turned-tailor Garak played by Andrew J. Robinson (who may as well have been a main character, given how often he appears). He adds an air of mystery and deceit to the show whenever he's on-screen and plays a crucial part in some of the series' most poignant stories.

Additionally, when the Dominion War begins, the show introduces many war-themed characters, including the genocidal female changeling from Odo's home planet. Weyoun (Jeffrey Combs) is a character who is actually a series of clones who can replace each other when one gets killed. General Martok (J. G. Hertzler) leads the Klingon offensive in the fight against dominion. And Damar, who is Dukat's right-hand man throughout the war but ends up becoming one of the most heroic figures of Star Trek.

Until this point in the franchise, Star Trek had an almost purely episodic affair. Sure, there were a few two-parters in The Next Generation, and sometimes popular side characters returned. But, generally speaking, you can pop in any episode of the original series and Next Generation and enjoy them without knowing what happened in the previous episodes.

Compare that to now, when most stories in Star Trek are season-long serials. You can't just sit down and watch an episode of season three of Star Trek: Discovery and understand what's happening without acquainting yourself with all the show's events prior to that episode.

Both storytelling methods have their strengths and weaknesses, but Deep Space Nine combines both in a way that hasn't been replicated in the rest of Trek. However, it is somewhat present in the first season of Strange New Worlds (and maybe Lower Decks, but Deep Space Nine does it best).

Related: What to Watch Before 'Star Trek: Lower Decks' Season Three

Again, it all comes down to the Dominion War arc. In starting that war between the Federation and the Dominion, the writers introduced a sense of severe consequence to the events of any particular episode, as they would likely impact the rest of the show. And it all culminated in a 10-part finale that saw Sisko and crew finally bring resolution to the conflict.

But that doesn't mean you can't enjoy individual episodes, even those in the mega-long finale. Every episode remains self-contained. All you have to know is that a war is happening. Deep Space Nine walks the line between episodic and serialized storytelling masterfully.

If I haven't convinced you yet that Deep Space Nine is the best Star Trek series, that's okay. But I hope I've at least made you consider why this oft-neglected show is so critical to the franchise's history. If it's been a while since you rewatched Captain Sisko and company, I invite you to revisit Deep Space Nine on Parmount+ in honor of the 30th anniversary. And if you've never seen it before, I'm jealous. You're in for a fantastic Star Trek journey.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: The Complete Series

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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

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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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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.

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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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Avery Brooks (Captain Benjamin 'Ben' Sisko) Rene Auberjonois (Constable Odo) Cirroc Lofton (Jake Sisko) Alexander Siddig (Doctor Julian Bashir) Colm Meaney (Chief Miles O'Brien) Nana Visitor (Major Kira Nerys) Armin Shimerman (Quark) Terry Farrell (Lt. Cmdr. Jadzia Dax) Michael Dorn (Lt. Cmdr. Worf) Randy James (Jones)

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

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Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

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

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

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

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

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• January 3, 1993 (United States)
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Star trek: deep space nine, common sense media reviewers.

Strong spin-off is more violent than the others.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

The Federation is portrayed as a benevolent democr

Captain Sisko and his crew frequently use teamwork

Explores themes of genocide, fascism, and oppressi

No nudity, but more sexual situations and innuendo

No direct product promotion, but the Star Trek fra

One of the main characters owns a bar where many i

Parents need to know that this Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is by far the most violent entry in the franchise. One alien race was enslaved and forced into concentration camps, while another has been genetically engineered to become the perfect fighting machine (their masters take over a portion of the galaxy and…

Positive Messages

The Federation is portrayed as a benevolent democracy with a tolerance and acceptance for other cultures. However the series also features several other cultures with very different values, including the Klingons, who judge each other by their fighting prowess; the sexist Ferengi; and the Dominion, a fascist dictatorship bent on taking over the galaxy.

Positive Role Models

Captain Sisko and his crew frequently use teamwork to solve problems. Although they are trying to maintain peace, they often find themselves amid violent battles against other cultures.

Violence & Scariness

Explores themes of genocide, fascism, and oppression, all of which come with plenty of violence -- though it's discussed more often than it's shown. A central long-running plot line involves a major intergalactic war, with plenty of spaceship battles and some ground combat.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

No nudity, but more sexual situations and innuendo than other Star Trek series. Couples occasionally shown in bed together, etc.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

No direct product promotion, but the Star Trek franchise is a commodity in itself.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

One of the main characters owns a bar where many important scenes take place, usually with a fair amount of drinking. An entire race of villains has been genetically engineered to be addicted to a drug.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is by far the most violent entry in the franchise. One alien race was enslaved and forced into concentration camps, while another has been genetically engineered to become the perfect fighting machine (their masters take over a portion of the galaxy and prove to be brutal dictators). A secret faction within the Federation engages in biological warfare. Later seasons focus on an all-out war against the Dominion, which costs billions of lives and features several battle scenes involving hundreds of starships. There are more sexual situations and innuendos than in other Star Trek series, but there's never any nudity, and language is not an issue.

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Community Reviews

• Parents say (6)
• Kids say (11)

Based on 6 parent reviews

The most thought-provoking of the "Star Trek" series, with three-dimensional characters

Wooooooooooooahhhh, what's the story.

Unlike other entries in the Star Trek lineup, STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE takes place in a space station that's permanently parked near the planet Bajor. It centers on Commander Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks), who oversees the station's operations. At the series' start, Bajor has just been liberated from five decades of brutal occupation by the Cardassians and with the assistance of the Federation, the freed planet is assuming joint control of the strategic space station. Shortly thereafter, Sisko discovers a "wormhole" in space, a shortcut to the far side of the galaxy. Peace on Bajor and the wormhole's tantalizing secrets quickly transform Deep Space 9 from a galactic backwater to a thriving commercial hub.

Is It Any Good?

The show's complicated setup provides endless opportunities for drama. Not only does the series explore the lingering tension between the Bajorans and the Cardassians (who make it very clear that they want to regain control of the outpost), the constant stream of characters passing through the busy station means endless opportunities for guest stars with new conflicts. And unlike the other Trek series, which almost always resolved their conflicts by the end of each episode and rarely followed story arcs for more than a few episodes, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (which originally aired from 1993 to 1999) really hit its stride by creating a compelling, overarching storyline that follows the complicated political machinations among the Federation and its allies, the Dominion and its invasion plans, and the simmering conflict with the Cardassians (who eventually ally themselves with the Dominon and later come to regret that choice).

DS9 is also notable for its many comedic subplots, which generally focus on Quark (Armin Shimerman), a grumpy Ferengi who owns the station's popular bar (imagine the famous Star Wars cantina, with a bit less attitude and a lot less gunplay). The Ferengi value greed and pure capitalism, and the show often depicts them as childlike nuisances. They also have institutionalized sexism, which is clearly displayed in Quark's attitude toward the bargirls he employs. Not surprisingly, a fair amount of drinking takes place at the bar.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about dictatorship and rebellion in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . Two of the show's main alien races were involved in a long war before the series began; considerable tension remains between them, and there are frequent references to atrocities committed during the conflict. Is war ever necessary? When is it acceptable to fight back?

Does the violence in Deep Space Nine ever feel over the top? Is it exciting or gruesome? Which do you think it's intended to be? Why?

How is this Star Trek series different from the other TV series and movies? Which one is your favorite? Why is the franchise so successful?

• Premiere date : January 3, 1993
• Cast : Armin Shimerman , Avery Brooks , Rene Auberjonois
• Networks : Spike , Syndicated
• Genre : Science Fiction
• Topics : Space and Aliens
• TV rating : TV-PG
• Last updated : March 27, 2024

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Star Trek: Deep Space Nine marks the edge of the frontier. In both a literal and metaphorical sense.

In discussing Deep Space Nine , it is important to acknowledge the influence and success of Star Trek: The Next Generation . Nothing that Deep Space Nine accomplished would have been possible without the framework and support provided by The Next Generation . Indeed, while Star Trek: Voyager ran for seven years running off the same narrative template established by The Next Generation , it was Deep Space Nine that extrapolated from The Next Generation . In many ways, Deep Space Nine is a more faithful extension of The Next Generation than Voyager , in that is boldly pushing forward.

Deep Space Nine built off the successful narrative experiments conducted by The Next Generation , using them as a springboard for newer and bolder storytelling. The Next Generation teased the idea of recurring alien guest stars like High Chancellor Gowron, Captain Kurn, Commander Tomalak, Commander Sela. Deep Space Nine built an ensemble out of alien characters like Dukat, Martok, Damar, Rom, Zek, Winn, Bareil, Garak, Shakaar and many more. The Next Generation teased serialisation with plots involving the Klingon and Romulan Empires, but Deep Space Nine embraced it wholeheartedly.

Deep Space Nine was consciously experimental, perhaps reflecting its position as a “secondary” Star Trek series. In fact, Deep Space Nine remains the only Star Trek series to completely overlap with other Star Trek television series, give or take a few months between the end of The Next Generation and the start of Voyager . The Next Generation ran for five and a half seasons before Deep Space Nine started, while Voyager ran two years by itself after Deep Space Nine ended. In its final five years, this cast was one of three Star Trek ensembles working at the same time, as The Next Generation transitioned to film.

As a result, Deep Space Nine never quite garnered the attention of the other Star Trek series while it was on the air. The Next Generation had revived the franchise and proved an innovator in terms of television syndication. Voyager had served as the launching pad for UPN, and would exist as the young network’s flagship. In contrast, Deep Space Nine was always there, just ticking along in the background while attention was focused on the franchise’s higher profile entries.

This sense of disconnect from the larger Star Trek franchise was compounded by the fact that Deep Space Nine was the only Star Trek series not to be set on a starship. After all, the notion of exploring is part of the basic concept of Star Trek , baked right into the title. To casual observers, the existence of Deep Space Nine could seem counter-intuitive. “To boldly sit,” was a cliché dismissal of the series before Emissary was even broadcast. Indeed, certain sections of Star Trek fans still hold that against the series as a whole.

To be fair, the series did very little to distinguish itself in its earlier episodes. Many episodes of the first season feel like cast-offs from The Next Generation , familiar concepts reheated with a new cast in a new location. Babel was the stock “crew experience crazy contagion” episode in the style of The Naked Time or The Naked Now , while  The Passenger was a body hijacking in the style of  Return to Tomorrow or  Power Play . Recurring characters popped up frequently, like the Duras Sisters in Past Prologue , Q in Q-Less , Lwaxanna Troi in The Forsaken .

Indeed, many of the hallmarks of the series would remain underdeveloped in these early seasons. Garak was introduced in Past Prologue , and disappeared for the rest of the season. Outside of a small appearance in Duet , Dukat was confined to serving as an antagonist in Emissary . Many of the recurring characters that would come to define the series in the years that were followed were largely absent, with characters like Bareil Antos and Winn Adami only introduced in the season finale In the Hands of the Prophets . The first season of Deep Space Nine did not distinguish itself.

However, there was a sense that the series was consciously pushing itself. The show could often be seen toying with ideas that existed beyond the remit of The Next Generation ; the station’s inhabitants’ fear of Odo in A Man Alone , Kira’s history as a terrorist in Past Prologue , the reinvention of the Ferengi that began with  The Nagus . Even seemingly generic episodes like  Babel could be rooted in the show’s  status quo . The first season ended with a double-whammy of Duet and In the Hands of the Prophets , two big-ticket Star Trek stories about broad philosophical issues with a great deal of contemporary resonance.

It is a truism that each of the Berman era Star Trek series took a lot of time to grow into themselves, only really fulfilling their potential in their third or fourth seasons. In some ways, this demonstrates the luxury of nineties television broadcasting, that these dysfunctional series would be allowed the time to develop and explore without fear of cancellation. There was time for the production team to experiment, to figure out what worked and what didn’t. Often, this involved radical retooling, as demonstrated by the behind the scenes turmoil on the early years of The Next Generation or Voyager .

Deep Space Nine was different, in that its evolution always felt organic and confident. There was always a sense that the writing staff knew what they wanted to accomplish in terms of production, even if their storytelling was often improvised in the moment. Michael Piller and Rick Berman recruited Ira Steven Behr to work on Deep Space Nine with an understanding that their gaze would shift to Voyager towards the end of the second season. Behr was always intended as a steady hand to guide the ship, even if he would not begin to really assert control until around The Maquis, Part I and The Maquis, Part II .

The early years of Deep Space Nine are turbulent, but not as turbulent as The Next Generation or Voyager . The show never quite judders or reverses course, even as its focus shifts over time. Into the second and third season, Deep Space Nine begins to turn its gaze away from Bajor and towards the Dominion, but the switch in not as jarring as the transition between the second and third seasons of The Next Generation or as Michael Piller’s strange creative odyssey on Voyager . The production team on Deep Space Nine never seem to panic about elements that are not working, instead focusing on what is working.

The early seasons of Deep Space Nine have a strong focus on Bajor, particularly the planet’s religious politics. This story thread simmers through episodes like Battle Lines , In the Hands of the Prophets , The Homecoming , The Circle , The Siege and The Collaborator . In the third season, Deep Space Nine would begin shifting its focus away from Bajoran politics, instead using the planet as a background setting for personal stories like Shakaar or Crossfire or religious stories like Destiny or Accession . However, the production team continued to tell serialised long-formed stories with long-running threads.

Indeed, the early seasons of Deep Space Nine could often stubbornly refuse to give up on elements that were not clicking. In the early seasons, Deep Space Nine had several “problem” characters, members of the core ensemble without a strong sense of identity who could not comfortably anchor an episode. Julian Bashir found himself at the centre of trite formulaic episodes like The Passenger or Melora or Distant Voices . Jadzia Dax spent more time as host to a macguffin than as a character in her own right in episodes like Dax or Invasive Procedures or Equilibrium .

Most other television shows would just abandon these characters and allow their actors to wallow in obscurity filling out meeting room scenes or providing plot exposition. Voyager seemed to give up on about half of its primary cast by the end of the second season; Chakotay, Tuvok and Kim spent most of the run in the background or as characters at the heart of generic stories. In contrast, Deep Space Nine would spend time iterating over these character and elements, trying to find a way to make them work.

As a result, the early seasons of Deep Space Nine often feel like rough sketches, iterations of an idea refined over three years. This is most obvious in the transition between the second and third seasons. The final third of the second season hones in on a lot of the ideas that would make Deep Space Nine soar in its final four years; Blood Oath is a fantastic Dax-centric story,  The Wire hones in on Bashir as an effective foil to the series’ cynicism, Tribunal properly weaponises the “O’Brien must suffer” template established by The Storyteller or Armageddon Game .

However, after building to the reveal of the Dominion in The Jem’Hadar after seeding them in stories like Rules of Acquisition and Shadowplay , the third season pushes the series even further out of its comfort zone. The Search, Part I and The Search, Part II are effectively an awkward second pilot for the series, properly introducing a new series-defining threat in the Dominion while also establishing the Defiant and a whole host of elements used to varying degrees of success over the following year; Michael Eddington, Subcommander T’Rul.

The third season struggles with serialised storytelling on a very basic level, trying to find a way to keep the audience engaged with threat posed by Dominion in episodes like The Abandoned . The series makes any number of mistakes along the way, from generic carefree missions to the Gamma Quadrant in episodes like Meridian and Destiny through to the awkward decision to push its biggest Dominion-centric episodes like Improbable Cause , The Die is Cast and The Adversary into the final stretch of the year. There is a roughness to the storytelling that is distracting.

At the same time, all of this rehearsal and practice pays off during the fourth year, when all of these rehearsed elements click into place. The Way of the Warrior is effectively the show’s third pilot, and it flows beautifully. It serves as the perfect jumping-on point, a confident reinvention for Deep Space Nine . It feels like Deep Space Nine spent three years revising and improving on itself, so that its fourth season could flow effortlessly. Any season of twenty-six episodes will have duds, and the fourth season has Rules of Engagement , The Muse and Shattered Mirror , but the rest of the season hums.

The rejuvenating success of the third season of The Next Generation had largely been down to a rejection of a lot of the problems with the first and second seasons, with incoming producer Michael Piller focusing on character dynamics and relationships rather than broad science-fiction concepts. However, the the fourth season of Deep Space worked in large part because it built upon past innovations and successes. The Visitor was a powerful and emotive piece of storytelling, but one that owed its existence to Explorers . Homefront and Paradise Lost owed a lot to Improbable Cause and The Die is Cast .

Indeed, the fourth season is notable for the fact that even its episodes focusing on notorious “problem” characters work almost perfectly. The writers finally figured out how to write for Julian Bashir, and the character anchored three of the season’s standout episodes; Hippocratic Oath , Our Man Bashir and The Quickening . Similarly, Dax got a compelling character-driven episode in Rejoined . Even Quark was the focus of three very different and very engaging stories; Little Green Men , Bar Association and Body Parts . The fourth season is a great example of a show firing on all cylinders.

Along the way, Deep Space Nine moved closer and closer to a model of serialised storytelling. The fourth season focused on the disintegration of the alliance between the Federation and the Klingons, a thread that simmered across the season through episodes like The Sword of Kahless , Return to Grace , Rules of Engagement and Broken Link . However, Deep Space Nine was a series very much invested in long-term consequences. Its plotting was often built around the idea that events and actions had ripple effects, creating an unpredictable chain of causation that could lead to the most unlikely of outcomes.

The Next Generation had established the geopolitical framework of the twenty-fourth century, exploring the politics of the Romulan Star Empire, the Cardassian Union, and the Klingon Empire. However, the interactions between these elements were largely fleeting, such as the Romulan manipulation of the House of Duras during the Klingon Civil War in Redemption, Part I and Redemption, Part II . As with a lot of what made Deep Space Nine so compelling, the younger spin-off took this basic concept and ran with it.

Deep Space Nine afforded a great deal of agency to the world around the Federation. Although The Next Generation acknowledged the internal politics of other powers, it did so through the lens of its Starfleet characters. Deep Space Nine was the first Star Trek show to imagine life outside the framework of Starfleet. Indeed, almost half the cast existed outside the organisation. Quark was a Ferengi who had worked on the station under the Cardassians. Kira was a member of the Bajoran militia and a former terrorist. Odo had worked with the Cardassians.

Perhaps most compellingly, Jake Sisko decided not to join Starfleet in Shadowplay . This was a bold decision, one that clearly came as a surprise to his father. Over the next few years, in episodes like Explorers , The Visitor and The Muse , Jake forged his own identity as a writer outside the framework of Starfleet Command, the franchise’s first human regular character not to be a member of Starfleet. In fact, Jake even remained behind after the Federation withdrew from Deep Space Nine in Call to Arms , in order to cover an enemy occupation of the station.

Across the length and breadth of Deep Space Nine , the series repeatedly stressed that Starfleet and the Federation were just one perspective in a diverse and chaotic universe. Over the course of Deep Space Nine , the production team would repeatedly construct stories with their own diverse ensembles, often without a Federation or Starfleet viewpoint character: the Klingon stories in Soldiers of the Empire , Sons and Daughters , Once More Unto the Breach ; the Ferengi stories in House of Quark , Family Business , Ferengi Love Songs .

Deep Space Nine imagined a truly diverse and multipolar universe. Indeed, Starfleet often felt like just one of several major powers in a complicated geopolitical climate. In the middle seasons, Starfleet would frequently find itself standing on the sidelines as major events unfolded around them. The Romulans and the Cardassians staged a preemptive strike on the Dominion in Improbable Cause and The Die is Cast , while the Klingons mounted an invasion of Cardassian territory in The Way of the Warrior . There was a sense that these entities not only had their unique perspectives, but also their own agency.

Tellingly, Deep Space Nine repeatedly suggested that social change within these great powers could not be imposed from outside. Star Trek and The Next Generation seemed to suggest that the Federation could improve its neighbours and allies, as reflected by Kirk’s adventures in episodes like  Return of the Archons , The Apple or For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky and the superiority of the Starfleet crew in episodes like Lonely Among Us or The Last Outpost .

Deep Space Nine rejected these ideas, from the outset. When Bashir cites the Prime Directive in Battle Lines , Sisko forcefully refuses to use that regulation as justification for prolonging the suffering of others. Crossover represents a very direct response to Kirk’s revolutionary tendencies, revealing that his unilateral once-off intervention in Mirror, Mirror had dire long-term consequences for a world with which Kirk only interacted fleetingly. Deep Space Nine firmly rejected this idea, even through small touches like the “root beer” monologue in The Way of the Warrior .

In the world of Deep Space Nine , cultures evolve through internal forces. Those internal forces are shaped and influenced by outside actors, but Deep Space Nine earnestly believes that societies can only be changed through a genuine desire that stems from their own citizens. The Ferengi Alliance gradually liberalises over the course of Deep Space Nine , particularly in episodes like Ferengi Love Songs and Profit and Lace . However, these changes are not the result of outside meddling. Instead, this desire to rework Ferengi society originates with Ishka and Zek, and will be continued through Rom.

Of course, some of these changes are assisted by the Federation and Starfleet. The Klingon Empire is redeemed through the ascension of Martok in Tacking Into the Wind , but that is only made possible through Worf’s intervention. Damar decides to actively rebel against Dominion rule in The Changing Face of Evil , but depends upon tactical advice from Kira and the Federation. However, these characters are presented as supporters and enablers, but they do not intervene as casually or unilaterally as Kirk or Picard. The Klingon Empire, the Cardassian Union and the Ferengi Alliance are allowed to change on their own terms.

Deep Space Nine embraces the utopian ideals of Star Trek within the context of a multicultural world. There is no doubt that characters like Worf, Garak and Quark are changed by their experiences interacting with the Federation. Garak finds himself unable to stomach the torture of Odo in The Die is Cast . Quark decides to break a contract in order to preserve his own life in Body Parts . These are characters who venerate their cultural traditions and their heritage, but who find themselves affected by the liberal utopianism of the characters around them.

In the world of Deep Space Nine , actions had consequences. Reactions rippled across the cosmos. The writers of Deep Space Nine have acknowledged that they plotted a lot of the show on the fly, even if they did have some sense of the direction in which they were heading. However, a lot of the major plot twists feel logical and organic, extrapolated from earlier events. The disastrous military failure in Improbable Cause and The Die is Cast destabilises the Cardassian Union, which makes them easy prey for the Klingons in The Way of the Warrior , which leads them to forge an alliance with the Dominion in In Purgatory’s Shadow and By Inferno’s Light .

This plotting holds together very well across the length and breadth of the series. Characters feel like they have organic arcs. Sisko starts as a burnt out Starfleet officer indifferent about his assignment in Emissary . As the show goes on, he becomes increasingly cynical about Starfleet while coming to embrace the makeshift family that he has found on Deep Space Nine. When he announces his plans to retire on Bajor in Favour the Bold , and begins to follow through on them in Penumbra , it feels like organic character development.

More than any other Star Trek series, Deep Space Nine allowed its characters to change and grow. This is perhaps most obvious in the literal transition from Jadzia to Ezri Dax, but is also reflected in the rest of the cast. Indeed, the seventh season makes several obvious references and callbacks to the earlier seasons of Deep Space Nine to reinforce how much these individuals have evolved; Bashir falls in a more melancholy and lonely sort of love in Chrysalis , Odo reconnects with a member of “the hundred” in Chimera , Kira dons a Starfleet uniform in When It Rains…

In fact, even minor characters were allowed major arcs. Michael Eddington was introduced in  The Search, Part I and  The Search, Part II as a potential substitute for Miles O’Brien, but he gradually grew and developed into a multifaceted character; he confessed his ambitions in The Adversary , became a rebel freedom fighter in For the Cause and For the Uniform , and even earned Sisko’s respect in Blaze of Glory . This was a character who arguably received more development than most of the primary cast on Voyager .

This was in many ways a result of Deep Space Nine ‘s experiments with serialisation, which applied as readily to interpersonal relationships as to galactic politics. Significant portions of the cast ended up involved in romantic relationships over the course of the series; Jadzia Dax and Worf got together in Looking for Par’Mach in All the Wrong Places , Rom and Leeta hooked up in Doctor Bashir, I Presume , Odo and Kira started dating in His Way , Ezri Dax and Julian Bashir made out in The Dogs of War . There was a sense that characters were allowed to develop and to grow over the course of the series, even together.

To be fair, this was rather controversial among certain types of Star Trek fans, who liked the more sterile interpersonal relationships of The Next Generation and Voyager . On The Next Generation , the relationship between Riker and Troi remained ambiguous for seven seasons while Picard and Crusher kept their distance from one another. On Voyager , Paris and Torres did eventually get together and start a family, but they were the exception; Janeway and Chakotay left any feeling unspoken outside of riddles in Resolutions , while Neelix and Kes broke up their relationship when Kes’ body was hijacked in Warlord .

To these fans, Deep Space Nine was likened to a “soap opera” , perhaps reflecting the gendered assumptions of nineties science fiction. This reflects one of the more subtle ways in which Deep Space Nine challenged the preconceived notions about what a Star Trek series could be. With Deep Space Nine , Star Trek could be a story about people and their interpersonal relationships, about the dynamics and bonds that form between individuals who work together for extended periods.

Many of the relationships between characters developed slowly and over time. Bashir and O’Brien developed from awkward colleagues in The Storyteller to best friends in Extreme Measures , often through small exchanges and asides. Characters on Deep Space Nine tended to develop through subplots and beats in the background of other episodes; Sisko began dating Yates in Family Business , while she talked about moving to the station in Indiscretion , betrayed his trust in For the Cause , and returned to his life in Rapture . Characters seemed to genuinely grow over time, life captured in small moments.

Indeed, this became something of a central thesis on Deep Space Nine . The show was often wary of large-scale institutions, including Starfleet and the Federation. The series suggested that Starfleet and the Federation were at best indifferent to the plight of real people in The Maquis, Part I and The Maquis, Part II , and expressed wariness about Starfleet as a military institution in Homefront and Paradise Lost . Indeed, Inquisition suggested similar concerns, although the decision to place Section 31 explicitly outside the Federation’s remit undercut it somewhat; Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges did a better job.

Instead, Deep Space Nine always retained its faith in people. Individuals seemed to be the key building a better universe. At the end of Deep Space Nine , it seems like most of the major powers are governed by outsiders and exiles. Martok becomes High Chancellor in Tacking Into the Wind , despite his low-born status. Rom becomes Grand Nagus in The Dogs of War , despite never having a head for business. By the end of What You Leave Behind , even the exiled Garak seems to have assumed a prominent position in the new Cardassian government. A lot of this was heavily improvised by the writing staff.

To be fair, this approach to storytelling was something of a mixed bag. While it worked wonders for stories like the tragedy of Cardassia and for the arcs of most of the main characters, the results could occasionally be disjointed. On a larger scale, the narrative arc focusing on Bajor degenerated from ambitious ambiguity in  Emissary into stock science-fiction mystical nonsense in episodes like The Assignment and The Reckoning , building to a point where it turned out that Sisko’s entire seven-year character arc was building to a point where he pushed Dukat off a cliff into some fire.

Even in terms of character arcs, certain decisions seem like weird disjointed cul-da-sacs in terms of the over-arching plot. Dukat a significant stretch of the fourth and fifth seasons of Deep Space Nine as a space pirate in episodes like Return to Grace and Apocalypse Rising , before ascending to the head of the Cardassian Union. Such a development seems strange. Similarly, Dukat’s conversion to a devotee of the Pah-Wraiths between Tears of the Prophets and Covenant , coupled with a desire to strip the character of any moral nuance, also radically undercuts his appeal.

However, these poor storytelling choices are the exception rather than the rule. Even allowing for some of the strange choices made with Gul Skrain Dukat, the character remains one of (if not) the best antagonists in the history of the franchise. Deep Space Nine takes the time to flesh out Dukat in stories like The Maquis, Part I , The Maquis, Part II , Civil Defense , Defiant and Indiscretion . The result is a character who is compelling and engaging, but one with his own defined perspective and beliefs. This is an example of the power of long-form storytelling on Deep Space Nine .

Of course, the most powerful example of long-form storytelling on Deep Space Nine is the Dominion War. Beautifully seeding through the second half of the fifth season, with groundwork laid in episodes like Ties of Blood and Water or In the Cards , the Federation finally declares war on the Dominion in Call to Arms . This leads to the unprecedented plot development of the Federation being forced to retreat from Deep Space Nine and cede the station to the Dominion. Sisko and most of the Starfleet crew would spend the first six episodes of the sixth season trying to get back to the station.

Star Trek had never told a story like this before, with the possible exception of the loose trilogy formed between Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , Star Trek III: The Search for Spock , and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home . It was bold and ambitious storytelling. Even allowing for the misfire of Sons and Daughters , these episodes construct a truly epic narrative about the powerful tide of galactic affairs and the lives caught in the crossfire. They remain a franchise highlight, even twenty years after the fact.

Of course, it should be noted that Deep Space Nine embrace innovation in other ways. Although it is tempting to focus on the narrative innovations employed by the series, Deep Space Nine also benefited from technical advances in terms of science-fiction storytelling on television. Episodes like The Die is Cast , The Way of the Warrior and Shattered Mirror demonstrated that Star Trek could feasibly depict epic space battles. Although less important narratively than innovations in terms of serialisation, this made episodes like Sacrifice of Angels , Tears of the Prophets and What You Leave Behind possible.

The Dominion War was a story utterly unlike any which Star Trek had explored before. The franchise had told stories about the threat of war, as in Errand of Mercy . The franchise had told stories about the aftermath of war, as in The Wounded . The franchise had even told stories from the sidelines of war, as in Redemption, Part I and Redemption, Part II . However, Deep Space Nine represented the first opportunity to tell a story about an ongoing war involving the main characters within the framework of the Star Trek universe.

This was controversial. Indeed, it remains controversial, with many critics arguing that it represents a betrayal of the utopian principles of Star Trek . However, the production team imagined the Dominion War as a crucible in which those values might be interrogated and tested. The Dominion War faced characters with impossible choices and horrific situations. This applied in both the abstract ( Statistical Probabilities ) and in reality ( The Siege of AR-558 ). More to the point, the use of serialisation allowed the series to deal with the consequences of war, as in It’s Only a Paper Moon .

As much as the Dominion War demonstrated the potential of serialised long-form stories within the framework of the Star Trek franchise, it also demonstrated some of the limitations imposed upon Deep Space Nine . The sixth season struggles slightly from a lack of direction following the battle to reclaim Deep Space Nine in Sacrifice of Angels , and there is a sense that the production team are pushing past the restrictions upon what was possible for a Star Trek television series in late nineties.

Despite phenomenal episodes like Far Beyond the Stars , In the Pale Moonlight and Valiant , there is a sense that the Dominion War exposed some of the narrative constraints holding back Deep Space Nine . It would make more sense for Jadzia Dax to die in Change of Heart , as compared to  Tear of the Prophets , but  Star Trek was not about to kill off a regular mid-season. It would make more sense for most of the cast not to appear in  Honour Among Thieves , but the episode still provides an awkward introductory scene using the ensemble.

Still, the Dominion War brought out some of the best in Deep Space Nine and the larger Star Trek franchise. Most notably, the seventh season of Deep Space Nine is very clearly structured to build towards the finale. This is most obvious in the sprawling ten-episode conclusion to the series, but it also reflected in the plot and thematic points of stories like Treachery, Faith and the Great River or Chimera , and even in the casual “one last hurrah!” pleasure of nonsense episodes like Take Me Out to the Holosuite or Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang .

However, the Dominion War ultimately served as a validation of (rather than an attack upon) the humanist ideals of the larger Star Trek franchise. The war was horrific and brutal, as war is and should be portrayed. However, the war ended in gestures of compassion and decency. As the Dominion attempted genocide against the Cardassians, the day was won with compassion and empathy; the Cardassians changed sides to fight against their oppressors, while Odo secured a cease fire by generously offering the Female Changeling a cure to the biological weapon that was killing the Founders.

Deep Space Nine remained true to the ideals of Star Trek , even as it dared to examine them through a fresh lens. Deep Space Nine boldly pushed the franchise forward, into the twenty-first century, building upon the successes of the original Star Trek and The Next Generation . It expanded the frontier, questioning many of the underlying assumptions of Star Trek , while remaining true to its fundamental principles. Deep Space Nine was something new and interesting, while still being Star Trek . In that way, it was like The Next Generation .

It could reasonably be argued that Deep Space Nine marked the last point at which the Berman-era franchise actually pushed outwards, and that the final seasons of Star Trek: Enterprise only catching up to what Deep Space Nine had been doing years earlier. Voyager was a show that looked backwards in more ways than one, while the first two seasons of Enterprise were even more regressive. Deep Space Nine represented something challenging and exciting, but it also marked a boundary that would remain uncrossed for another two decades.

In more ways, Deep Space Nine marks the edge of the final frontier.

January 3, 1993 – June 20, 1993

• Past Prologue
• A Man Alone
• Captive Pursuit
• The Passenger
• Move Along Home
• Battle Lines
• The Storyteller
• If Wishes Were Horses…
• The Forsaken
• Dramatis Personae
• In the Hands of the Prophets

September 26, 1993 – June 12, 1994

• The Homecoming
• Invasive Procedures
• Cardassians
• Rules of Acquisition
• Necessary Evil
• Second Sight
• The Alternate
• Armageddon Game
• Playing God
• Profit and Loss
• The Maquis, Part I
• The Maquis, Part II
• The Collaborator
• The Jem’Hadar

September 26, 1994 – June 25, 1995

• The Search, Part I
• The Search, Part II
• House of Quark
• Equilibrium
• Second Skin
• The Abandoned
• Civil Defense
• Fascination
• Past Tense, Part I
• Past Tense, Part II
• Life Support
• Heart of Stone
• Prophet Motive
• Distant Voices
• Through the Looking Glass
• Improbable Cause
• The Die is Cast
• Family Business
• The Adversary

October 2, 1995 – June 17, 1996

• The Way of the Warrior
• The Visitor
• Hippocratic Oath
• Indiscretion
• Starship Down
• Little Green Men
• The Sword of Kahless
• Our Man Bashir
• Paradise Lost
• Return to Grace
• Sons of Mogh
• Bar Association
• Rules of Engagement
• Shattered Mirror
• For the Cause
• To the Death
• The Quickening
• Broken Link

September 30, 1996 – June 16, 1997

• Apocalypse Rising
• Looking for Par’Mach in All the Wrong Places
• … Nor the Battle to the Strong
• The Assignment
• Trials and Tribble-ations
• Let He Who is Without Sin
• Things Past
• The Darkness and the Light
• The Begotten
• For the Uniform
• In Purgatory’s Shadow
• By Inferno’s Light
• Doctor Bashir, I Presume
• A Simple Investigation
• Business as Usual
• Ties of Blood and Water
• Ferengi Love Songs
• Soldiers of the Empire
• Children of Time
• Blaze of Glory
• In the Cards
• Call to Arms

September 29, 1997 – June 17, 1998

• A Time to Stand
• Rocks and Shoals
• Sons and Daughters
• Behind the Lines
• Favour the Bold
• Sacrifice of Angels
• You Are Cordially Invited…
• Resurrection
• Statistical Probabilities
• The Magnificent Ferengi
• Who Mourns for Morn?
• Far Beyond the Stars
• One Little Ship
• Honour Among Thieves
• Change of Heart
• Wrongs Darker Than Death or Night
• Inquisition
• In the Pale Moonlight
• The Reckoning
• Profit and Lace
• Time’s Orphan
• The Sound of Her Voice
• Tears of the Prophets

September 30, 1998 – June 2, 1999

• Image in the Sand
• Shadows and Symbols
• Take Me Out to the Holosuite
• Treachery, Faith and the Great River
• Once More Unto the Breach
• The Siege of AR-558
• It’s Only a Paper Moon
• Prodigal Daughter
• The Emperor’s New Cloak
• Field of Fire
• Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang
• Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges
• ‘Til Death Do Us Part
• Strange Bedfellows
• The Changing Face of Evil
• When It Rains…
• Tacking Into the Wind
• Extreme Measures
• The Dogs of War
• What You Leave Behind

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36 responses.

No more?? Liking these

Actually, third season will be done over September-October this year, along with first year of Voyager. (And X-Files Season 2 in November, TOS Season 2 in December and some fun stuff in 2015.)

Are there going to be any more DS9 reviews? These were really great!

Kicking off Season Four of DS9 and Season Two of Voyager in September and October!

That’s awesome! You do a really good job, I have enjoyed reading your reviews a lot. I can’t wait for fall to read the rest of DS9. Any idea of a timeframe on when you will be finished the entire series?

Best Regards,

Provisionally mid-2016. I have a crazy ambitious plan to do most of Star Trek by the fiftieth anniversary. I am two-thirds of the way through TOS, a little under half through TNG, a little under half through DS9 and about one-seventh through VOY. Planning to do all four seasons of ENT this year, another DS9 and VOY, and then plow into the rest of the Star Treks starting in January.

But that is a crazy ambitious plan, so don’t hold me to it.

Still my all-time favorite TV series!

Definitely up there for me. Certainly a hugely formative one, and my favourite Star Trek show. (And I love TNG.)

Less said about Voyager the better, huh?

Ah, Voyager gets a tough time of it. I think it’s highlights stand with the best of the franchise, but they arrive too infrequently to count it as a brilliant (or even great) piece of television. I like it a lot more in hindsight than I did at the time; somehow knowing it’s never going to actually tell the story of a crew struggling to get home makes it easier to enjoy the episodic adventures.

But every criticism made of it is entirely valid. It is too episodic; it does not have any substantial ensemble; the writing staff can’t agree on how to write Janeway; the Borg appear too frequently; the writers love that damn reset button. But I can enjoy large stretches of it on its own terms. (Oddly, and perhaps inexplicably, Counterpoint might just be my favourite episode, despite the fact that it is a generic episodic adventure; it is just executed so pitch perfectly – right down to the classical music.)

That said, I think that Enterprise is somewhat underrated as Star Trek goes. I think the first season is half-way between a Voyager retread and something much more interesting, even if it lacks the courage to break away from traditional Star Trek formula. The second season might be my least favourite season of Star Trek ever; it is the season where every criticism of Enterprise is valid and fair. But I think the third and fourth seasons – though messy – deserve serious reappraisal.

Enterprise seriously lacked engaging characters. But it had far better storytelling than Voyager did. Voyager had some fairly decent characters, but dire storytelling; and as you said, was in love with that reset button formula. For a series that had a half Maquis crew, DS9 and TNG still did the only great Maquis stories.

I quite liked Worst Case Scenario, but yes. Squaring the Maquis/Starfleet thing away in the second episode was not the best approach to storytelling. Enterprise really lacked diversity in character. Not just in the aliens/humans mix, but also in “mostly white and male” (only two women, and two minorities, in the cast).

Counterpoint is Kate Mulgrew’s favourite Voyager episode too Darren. In fact, when she first read the script, she loved it so much she actually kissed it. And Burning Blogger of Bedlam, to my knowledge, TNG only did one Maquis episode, and that was the penultimate S7 episode Preemptive Strike. Although Journey’s End did lay much of the seeds for what became the Maquis.

Anymore DS9 reviews in the future? I’ve been waiting for a long time, I really enjoy your reviews.

Sorry, John. They were scheduled for September, but they got pushed back at the last minute because some stuff came up. They’ve been rescheduled for February, through, if that helps? They’re mostly written, just a few left.

Thanks for the response Darren! I am really looking forward to reading them. What about TNG what’s the time frame? You’re reviews are my favorite on the net. You do a fantastic job, keep up the great work!

No worries. Apologies about the delay in replying!

Thanks for the kind words.

The original plan, which is a bit shot now by factors outside my control, was to do DS9 S4/VOY S2 in September/October, and to do ENT S4 in December. That would then give me the freedom to spend 2016 (50th anniversary!) completing the full set of Star Trek reviews. TOS S3, TNG S4/S5/S6/S7, DS9 S5/S6/S7, VOY S3/S4/S5/S6/S7. Unfortunately that’s pushed back. I would expect DS9/VOY to run in February/March and TOS in May. I have to decide if April is to be TNG S4 or ENT S4. I would expect some TNG by the end of next year, with an eye to completing the franchise by around mid-to-late 2017. All going to plan.

(The return of The X-Files really threw the schedule to crap. It presented some immediate opportunities that I had to adjust my publication schedule in order to meet. But I’d expect an announcement around that in late November.)

Hello, Long time reader of your exceptional reviews. Just wanted to know when the rest of the next generation and DS9 reviews will be posted? They are really good, the best reviews on the Web.

Thanks for all the effort you put into these John

Sorry didn’t read your reply above. Looks like I’ll have to wait till mid 2017. I’m looking forward to them.

Well, we’re ahead of schedule on the DS9 front. The fifth season is underway.

I’m doing the rest of my DS9 reviews at the moment. I’m interspacing them with Voyager, which should bring me up to the launch of Discovery. TNG will probably be after that.

And thanks for the kind words!

Darren, I know it’s a lot of work. But thanks for putting these up. I fell out of DS9 in the early Nineties and am binging on Netflix. I always make sure to get your take on each one just as I finish.

One thing I’ve noticed for me – and you bring it up in the reviews as well – is a lot of similarity between DS9 and Battlestar: Galactica. The common denominator there is Ronald D. Moore, of course. But you can really see him trying things on the fourth season of DS9 that he later did again in BS:G.

No worries, Erik!

I hope I can live up to that. The BSG parallels become more and more pronounced as the show goes on, particularly in the sixth and seventh seasons, that occasionally feel like rough drafts of what Moore wants to do with BSG.

Hi Darren, I just finished reading your DS9 season 5 reviews. Very well done, thank you for putting so much time and effort into creating such an insightful look at one of my favorite shows of all time. Will you be able to finish and post season 6 and 7 in 2017?

I would hope so, but can’t promise.

I’m about half-way through S6 at the moment, but may take a breather between seasons. I’m taking a minor breather from Friday to review Iron Fist.

Hi Darren, great work on DS9 season 6! I really enjoyed reading your reviews. You have so much insight, I’m planning on watching the whole series again just to see all the aspects I’ve missed. When will you have season 7 up? I’m looking forward to it.

Hi John. The seven season reviews are going up as we speak. Voyager Season Five and DS9 Season 7 are going up Monday/Wednesday/Friday.

I, too, am looking forward to the Season 7 reviews. I’ve been watching each episode and then reading the review, right through from the first season, and I have to say your reviews have given me some real insight into the show — and into why I always felt it was the best Star Trek of them all. What surprises me is how much I like the show now, perhaps even more than I did the first time through.

Thanks Laura. Those seventh season reviews are being published at the moment, in tandem with Voyager.

A stunningly well written overview of Deep Space 9. Well Done.

I know it’ll never happen, but I’ve often wished for a Star Trek TV show to cover the aftermath of The Dominion War. It’s why I was originally so excited for Star Trek: Discovery since Bryan Fuller announced that he wanted to do an anthology series. I thought there would be one season set afterwards. (To be fair, Discovery’s still a pretty good show)

But it would have great to see how the Cardassians dealt with losing 800 million of their own people (essentially their Holocaust), or even how the balance of power would have shifted in the Alpha Quadrant with 2 of the big powers brought to their knees.

Ah well, I can always dream!

Thanks Vijay! Glad you enjoyed!

Yes, it would have been nice for them to cut some of the fluff from Seasons 6 and 7, and spend some of Season 7 exploring the aftermath. There was plenty of material to be mined there.

Yep. It’s a shame. I am very curious about the hypothetical season eight on the upcoming blu ray.

The only thing holding back DS9 was the era in which it was made. If only it had Discovery’s budget and story-telling freedom.

I think it did more than okay in context. It’s still a franchise highlight.

It’s really fascinating to hear about the production process in the writers’ room. They basically didn’t have time to breathe–they were always writing scripts or breaking new stories, with only a 2 week break at the end of the year. The 26 episode a year cycle was….something.

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Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Complete Series - DVD Review

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[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=91146[/img] Title: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Complete Series Movie: :4.5stars: Video: :3stars: Audio: :4stars: Extras: :4stars: HTS Overall Score: 75 [img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=91154[/img] Summary “Star Trek” has been a staple for any sci-fi geek’s formative years for the last 40-50 years, but the pinnacle of the series ends with “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” (in my humble opinion). It was one of the most bold and innovative shows, while still keeping the feel of the series that came before it. I grew up in the 80s and 90s for my teenage years, so I was FULLY aware of the gloriousness that was Patrick Stewart and “The Next Generation”. My brothers would watch re-runs of the original series, but I never really acquired a taste for it since my introduction came from the much later and much more technically advanced “The Next Generation”. However, when “TNG” was ending, we had a sparkle of hope that it would continue when “Deep Space Nine” was announced I was ecstatic, only to be slightly worried when it was revealed that the show would no longer be about exploring brave new worlds, but instead would be confined to the space station Deep Space Nine. With that kind of limitation imposed upon the show I wondered how fresh it would remain considering that one of the largest appeals of “Star Trek” is the fact that we get to visit new civilizations and to boldly go where no man had gone before. Thankfully all fears were laid to rest within the first two seasons as “Deep Space Nine” focused on intricate character development and soon started creating a serialized arc that would continue to get deeper and more complex as the series went on. One of the best aspects of “Deep Space Nine” is that it continues right where “The Next Generation” left off. In fact, the two shows overlapped for the better part of a season (season one started part way through the seventh season of “TNG”) and characters would flow from one show to the other. Picard even makes a one episode appearance for the premier, and we get to have Miles O’Brien (Colm Meaney) and Lt. Commander Worf (Michael Dorn) transfer over to the show and actually be fleshed out into two of the best characters on the series. Well, that’s kind of hard to say, as there really are SO MANY great characters that get some major development during the seven seasons that it becomes hard to tell which ones are the best. Armin Shimerman absolutely crushes it as the Ferengi Quark, and Terry Farrell becomes a fan favorite as the beautiful and intelligent Jadzia Dax, a hybrid symbiote creature with the ability to shift from host to host (and returns as Ezri Dax in the final two seasons). Dr. Bashir, Major Kira, the shapeshifter Odo (who plays an ENORMOUS role in the overarching story of the Dominion War) and countless others. Avery Brooks as Captain Sisko actually used to rank as my least favorite captain in the Trek verse, but over time, and multiple viewings, his soft-spoken manners and odd ways of doing things have grown on me to where I consider him up there with Picard and Kirk. As I said, the show starts off pretty much right as “The Next Generation” is wrapping up. The Bajoran world has been finally freed from the Cardassian rulers that have usurped their homeworld for far too long (if you remember, the Bajorans make up a good portion of the rebel group The Maquis, that show up in both “TNG” and “Voyager” as well). With the Cardassian’s on the run, the Federation is adamant about having the Bajoran people join their ranks, and offer to come in and help the Bajorans pick up the pieces of their fractured society by standing guard over them. Naturally not everyone is going to want Federation influence in the Bajoran politics, so it is agreed they use the abandoned Cardassian space station orbiting the planet as a neutral meeting ground. There the Federation can guard the planet, while the rest of Bajor is free to get their life back together and anyone can use the space station as a place of meeting. [img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=91162[/img] You really have to be ignorant of Star Trek lore in general if you think that the Cardassian’s are going to let things lie. The old commandant of Deep Space Nine, one Gul Dukat (Mark Alaimo) is more than willing to poke and jab around the edges in hopes of finding some sort of weakness that he can exploit, while rogue Ferengi, members of Section 31 (a black ops section of the Federation), romantic liaisons between multiple species, and all sorts of curveballs are enough to make anyone crazy, but Captain Sisko has a mission (and a destiny) ahead of him that will define the entire Alpha quadrant. One of the best and most fantastic elements of “Deep Space Nine” is the serialized nature of the show. Sure there are PLENTY of filler and one off episodes that you can watch without having to worry about a continuing story, but many of the season episodes are all about two things. Captain Sisko and the famous Bajoran prophecy, and his role in the upcoming Dominion war, which will pit the Federation up against an alien race from another quadrant of the galaxy. Seasons 1-3 tend to be fairly episodic, but by the beginning of season 4 the show had really hit its stride. Characters were forming long lasting bonds that made up the backbone of the first few years, but now adapting them to overarching themes that involve Odo’s home planet and some friendships that could never have been explored so intimately in other Trek settings. The show also has the distinction of expanding the trek universe MUCH larger than you would expect from being confined on a Space Station. The final two seasons create a massive war that actually had the biggest Trek Budget to date with epic space battles and hand to combat battles that employed a TON of special effects and CGI. Now, I really REALLY would love to have seen this show remastered like “The Original Series” and “The Next Genration”, but that really isn’t happening. Sadly, the show is probably never going to see a Blu-ray release thanks to the lackluster sales of “The Next Generation” on Blu-ray. Multiple sources have confirmed (as best they can) that CBS has no interest in remastering the show as the continued releases of “The Next Generation” netted fewer and fewer sales as the series progressed, and the enormous budget needed to restore “Deep Space Nine” just isn’t worth the cost if sales are replicating “TNG” numbers. Is it a frustration? Yes, most definitely. I would love to see “Voyager” and “Deep Space Nine” get the royal treatment as the DVDs are pretty crummy, but with that taken off the table this massive 47 disc boxset will have to do for us fans. Rating: Not Rated Video :3stars: [img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=91170[/img] Sadly “Deep Space Nine” doesn’t look all that good on DVD. Back in the day it was acceptable due to poor source elements and crummy TVs. Nowadays the DVDs pretty sub par when compared to remastered sets like “The Next Generation” or even “Enterprise”. Haloing rears its ugly head every once in a while, while interlacing and shimmering of the image abound. Colors are the best part of the encode, with solid primary representation and solid background colors. Fine detail is hazy and rather smeary, with crushed blacks and washed out levels in certain scenes. Now while I’m saddened by the state of affairs that “Deep Space Nine” is left in, I have to accept that this is the best it’s going to look, according to all sources, unless something drastic happens for CBS to remaster the whole series (maybe for cable television for syndication). Audio :4stars: [img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=91178[/img] While the video is the weakest link, the audio takes a solid step up with the original 2.0 audio from the TV broadcasts as well as a remixed 5.1 Dolby Digital track (both of which were available on the original season box sets from 10+ years ago). The 2.0 is smooth and clean, but the 5.1 mix is a slight improvement. The 5.1 isn’t a hugely encompassing track, but it is certainly acceptable considering the source never was recorded, or intended, to be listened to in that manner. Vocals are crisp and clean, with no sounds of distortion of misplaced dialog. The center channel takes the brunt of the weight, but some of the more aggressive space battles and encounters that the crew run into light up the mains with some decent shifting of directions. LFE is supplementary to the track, never really given a whole lot to do, but it fills out some crashes and bangs as well as the epic orchestral theme song. [img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=91186[/img] Extras :4stars: • Deep Space Nine: A Bold Begining • Secrets of Quark's Bar • New Frontiers: The Story of Deep Space Nine. • New Station, New Ships • The Birth of The Dominion and Beyond • Sailing Through the Stars: A Special Look at "Explorers" • Trials and Tribble-Actions: Uniting Two Legends • 24th Century Wedding • Ending An Era • The Last Goodbyes • .....And Many More Overall: :3.5stars: “Deep Space Nine” is probably my favorite of ALL the Treks, but only JUST barely above “The Next Generation” (the show I cut my teeth on), due to the fantastic character arcs and serialized seasons that changed “Star Trek” forever. Personally, I would nearly DIE for a remastered set with new special effects and a glorious Blu-ray presentation, but the pragmatist in me realizes that the chance of that happening are exceptionally slim at this point and we have to be happy with what we get. Now, if you have the original 2005 individual season sets, then this new boxset will be no different except for space savings. It’s the same 47 discs that were included in those season sets, but just packaged together in Paramount’s famous “mega cases” and housed in an attractive slip box for a pretty big space saver. For those who HAVEN’T got the seasons yet (and probably spent over $700 on the whole series), then $20.50 per season is a KILLER deal to get one of the best Star Trek shows ever made. Highly recommended. Additional Information: Starring: Avery Brooks, Michael Dorn, Terry Farrell, Alexander Siddig Created by: Rick Berman, Michael Piller Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Mpeg2 Audio: English: Dolby Digital 5.1, English DD 2.0 Studio: CBS/Paramount Rated: Not Rated Runtime: 7986 Minutes DVD Release Date: February 7th, 2017 Buy Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Complete Series On DVD at Amazon Recommendation: Highly Recommended ​ ​ More about Mike  

Now, I really REALLY would love to have seen this show remastered like “The Original Series” and “The Next Genration”, but that really isn’t happening. Sadly, the show is probably never going to see a Blu-ray release thanks to the lackluster sales of “The Next Generation” on Blu-ray. Multiple sources have confirmed (as best they can) that CBS has no interest in remastering the show as the continued releases of “The Next Generation” netted fewer and fewer sales as the series progressed, and the enormous budget needed to restore “Deep Space Nine” just isn’t worth the cost if sales are replicating “TNG” numbers. Is it a frustration? Yes, most definitely. I would love to see “Voyager” and “Deep Space Nine” get the royal treatment as the DVDs are pretty crummy, but with that taken off the table this massive 47 disc boxset will have to do for us fans. Click to expand...

yeah, same here. While it's not IDEAL, I guess we'll have to be happy with the DVD sets for now. Same for Voyager too  

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Revenant is far and away a Dax book; not an intimate character study just of Jadzia, but also Joran and Curzon as well. To say more about the Joran angle would spoil some of the book’s biggest moments, but suffice to say it is great to get a deeper exploration of Joran — his history, his motivations, and his experiences with the Dax symbiont — which includes a few welcome flashbacks to Curzon as well.

White does a terrific job of weaving together the different hosts’ experiences, giving spotlight moments for at least five Dax hosts along the way.

That’s part of the reason why I really enjoy Star Trek literature as a supplement to what’s on screen. On screen, the internal dynamics of host and symbiont can only be shown in the one actors’ performance — while on the page, the constant swirl of thoughts and experiences that make up the seven lifetimes of experience of the Dax symbiont can play out in much more intimate and interesting ways. It’s one thing to see it on an actor’s face; it’s another thing to get completely inside a character’s head.

Getting inside Dax’s head also allows for a much deeper exploration of Trill society, and how joined living functions. Deep Space Nine was ahead of its time and deserves a lot of credit for its exploration of gender issues in the 90s, but… it was still only the 90s, and we’ve come a long way in the last three decades. Alex White does a very commendable job of exploring some of the ideas of what hosts experience with past hosts of multiple genders, and the kind of experiences and broader understanding of life that affords a joined Trill.

Revenant is by no means a novel about gender – it’s an exciting murder mystery that you can’t put down, with more than few genuinely scary moments! – but White finds appropriate moments in which to unpack some of the deeper ideas behind Trill society Oof which Deep Space Nine only scratched the surface.

And while this is a Dax novel and a big exploration of the Trill, there are supporting roles for Kira, Bashir, and Worf throughout this book. Since this is early Season 4 — just a short time after Worf joined the DS9 station crew — the romance between Dax and Worf has not yet begun to blossom, though White carefully lays some of the seeds of the romance that would later follow in the events of this book.

They also do a great job of realizing the character of Kira too; any time those two characters share the stage is a real joy.

In conclusion, if you have been sleeping on  Revenant because it was published right around the busy holidays, now is the time to get yourself a copy. I really hope that we see more Star Trek novels from Alex White in the future; they are a welcome addition to the already strong lineup of Star Trek authors!

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — Revenant  is in stores now.

• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

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Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Season 2 Reviews

The end result finds everyone involved in the case guilty of something, and the series finally crosses a long-awaited threshold.

Full Review | Oct 23, 2017

For anyone still wondering what a departure [DS9] was from [TNG] those questions were thrown out the window by the conclusion of this murder mystery.

[This] season built up steam from the very beginning.

Full Review | Original Score: 8/10 | Oct 23, 2017

It's good. Like, 'exceeding expectations' good, and in a way that completely caught me off-guard.

The second and third seasons dig into the internal politics of both the Bajoran government and religious order dominate the opening of the season.

What Happened To Chase Masterson After Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Chase Masterson turned heads as both Leeta on "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine." Leeta only pops up in 17 episodes throughout seven seasons — just a tiny fraction of the 173 Episodes that comprise its full run — and yet everyone remembers her sweet ways and personable nature. A Bajorian Dabo girl hired by Quark ( Armin Shimerman,  who would return to the franchise under one condition ) to keep the tables hopping at his club on the space station, she manages to make friends with most of the crew. Her courtship with and marriage to Rom (Max Grodénchik) provides "Deep Space Nine" with one of its most memorable romances, and her friendship with Quark is often both hilarious and touching.

Masterson, as many actors from "Deep Space Nine" did after it ended , took to appearing in TV movies. Her credits include "Sometimes The Come Back...For More," "Terminal Invasion" with Bruce Campbell,  and "Manticore." She established herself as an American dubber for multiple animes, lending her voice to Mamiya for "Fist of the North Star: The Shin Saga" and its attendant properties, "Starzinger" and "Lun Lun the Flower Girl" and voiced the computer in "Pandora." More recently, she's branched out and lent her voice to a variety of podcasts, including "Master!" and "Vienna," both spin-offs linked to her appearance in "Dr. Who"-related audio dramas. She continues to act professionally.

However, one of the most important roles Chase Masterson has played over the years is heading a vital organization for youngsters. 

Chase Masterson has kept a toe in the world of sci-fi while pursuing a life of activism

In 2013, Chase Masterson fought online abuse by co-founding the Pop Culture Hero Coalition, an organization that seeks to aid the mental health of children and teens and teach them how to stand up to bullies by using characters from popular pop culture properties like "Star Wars." The organization began providing school curriculum material in 2016 and teamed with Random Acts in 2015 to support children and teens in crisis.

Masterson has previously worked as a mentor for Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles, and she seems to be incredibly proud of her work. She told Startrek.com that she believes the Pop Culture Hero Coalition is absolutely working in the same spirit as "Star Trek: The Original Series" creator Gene Roddenberry."These stories hold such transformative truth, things that have really changed the world as Roddenberry intended," the actor said.

In 2020, Masterson participated in a Ted Talk  where she expounded upon the founding of her coalition and talked about her own experiences with being bullied and harassed. It's clear the actor is on a mission Leeta herself would be proud of.

Screen Rant

Star trek's biggest year what discovery's callback to 2371 in tng's era means.

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Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Returning Cast & New Character Guide

Star trek: discovery's commander rayner tragedy echoes strange new worlds' la'an, star trek: discovery season 5 has a tribute to kenneth mitchell.

Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 7 - "Erigah"

• Star Trek: Discovery season 5, Episode 7, "Erigah," references the monumental year 2371 of the Star Trek universe.
• The year 2371 featured significant expansions in the Star Trek franchise with multiple TV series and a movie.
• References to Star Trek: The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager enrich the storytelling in Discovery season 5.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 7, "Erigah" calls back to the year 2371, which is one of the most monumental time periods of Star Trek: The Next Generation 's 24th century era. Written by M. Raven Metzner and directed by Jon Dudkowski, "Erigah" sees Commander Paul Stamets (Anthony Rapp), Lt. Sylvia Tilly (Mary Wiseman), Ensign Adira Tal (Blu del Barrio), and Cleveland Booker (David Ajala) team up to determine the location of the fifth and final clue to the Progenitors' ancient treasure: a novel titled "Labyrinths of the Mind" written by Betazoid scientist Dr. Marina Derex in 2371.

2371 is a milestone year that marked a major expansion of the Star Trek franchise. In the real world, the events of 2371 in Star Trek equate to the years 1994 and 1995, which saw Star Trek Generations , the first Star Trek: The Next Generation movie, arrive in theaters in November 1994. At the same time, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine was in its third season, while Star Trek: Voyager launched in January 1995. For the first time, two Star Trek TV series were on the air while there was a Star Trek movie in theaters. Star Trek 's year 2371 encompasses 50 combined episodes of DS9 and Voyager as well as Star Trek Generations . And now, Star Trek: Discovery 's final clue to the Progenitors' treasure points to a book written during that fateful year of 2371.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5 is a sequel to Star Trek: The Next Generation 's season 6 episode, "The Chase," and contains more references to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager than ever before.

As Burnham seeks the universe's greatest treasure in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, she'll need help from a host of new and returning characters.

What Happened In Star Trek Generations In 2371

The first star trek: the next generation movie saw captain kirk meet captain picard.

Star Trek Generations is set in 2371, months after the end of Star Trek: The Next Generation . In Star Trek Generations, Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) discovered Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner), who was believed to have died in 2293, was alive in the interdimensional reality called the Nexus. Kirk joined Picard in returning to 2371 to stop Dr. Tolian Soran (Malcolm McDowell) from destroying the Veridian sun. Tragically, Kirk died in the effort to stop Soran and was buried by Picard on Veridan III.

Captain Kirk's remains were moved into storage at Section 31's black site, Daystrom Station, as seen in Star Trek: Picard season 3.

Another significant event in Star Trek Generations was the destruction of the USS Enterprise-D. The Galaxy Class flagship of the United Federation of Planets saw its stardrive section destroyed by a Klingon attack, and its separated saucer section crash-landed on Veridian III. In addition, Worf (Michael Dorn) was promoted to Lieutenant Commander while Data (Brent Spiner) activated his emotion chip and struggled with his rampant feelings. Captain Picard also learned his family in La Barre, France, died in a house fire.

The USS Enterprise-D was restored by Commodore Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) and saved the galaxy one last time in Star Trek: Picard season 3.

What Happened On Star Trek: Deep Space Nine In 2371

The seeds of the dominion war were planted on ds9.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 3 took place in 2371, and it set the stage for the Dominion War that would alter the fate of the galaxy as the Federation becomes aware of the authoritarian threat coming from the Gamma Quadrant. Commander Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) and members of Deep Space Nine's crew time-travel to the 21st century where Sisko took the place of Gabriel Bell in the infamous San Francisco Bell Riots. Lt. Thomas Riker (Jonathan Frakes), joined the Maquis and posed as Commander William Riker to steal the USS Defiant, which led to his imprisonment on Cardassia.

The Federation learns that the Dominion's shapeshifting Founders have infiltrated the Alpha Quadrant.

Later in 2371, Benjamin Sisko is promoted to Captain, and he and his son, Jake (Cirroc Lofton), sail to Cardassia on a solar ship like ancient Bajorans did. The Bajoran-Cardassia Peace Treaty is signed as Shakaar Edon (Duncan Regehr) becomes First Minister of Bajor. The female Changeling (Salome Jens) sets a trap to force Constable Odo (Rene Auberjonois) admit his love for Major Kira Nerys (Nana Visitor). By the end of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 3 , the Federation learns that the Dominion's shapeshifting Founders have infiltrated the Alpha Quadrant, and the Cardassian Obsidian Order and Romulan Tal Shiar are severely crippled after a failed attack on the Dominion.

What Happened On Star Trek: Voyager In 2371

Year one of the uss voyager's journey home from the delta quadrant.

Star Trek: Voyager season 1 and the first episode of season 2, "The 37s" (which was originally intended as Voyager season 1's finale) take place in 2371. Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) assembles the crew of the USS Voyager to find the Maquis ship Val Jean in the Badlands, but both starships are transported 75,000 lightyears into the Delta Quadrant by the Caretaker. Joined by the Talaxian Neelix (Ethan Phillips) and the Ocampan Kes (Jennifer Lien), the USS Voyager absorbs the Maquis into its Starfleet crew as a measure of survival, and the Intrepid Class starship begins a long journey home to Earth.

The USS Voyager's first year in the Delta Quadrant saw them encounter the villainous Kazon. Ensign Seska (Martha Hackett) reveals herself as a Cardassian spy and joins the Kazon, while Ensign Samantha Wildman (Nancy Hower) learns she is pregnant with her daughter, Naomi Wildman (Scarlett Pomers). To kick off Star Trek: Voyager season 2, the USS Voyager discovers the missing 20th century pilot Amelia Earhart (Sharon Lawrence), who was abducted and brought to the Delta Quadrant by the Briori. But while all that and more happened in Star Trek in 2371, Dr. Marina Derex published "Labyrinths of the Mind" , and she would hide her clue to the Progenitors' treasure in her original manuscript stored in the Eternal Gallery and Archive for Star Trek: Discovery to find.

New episodes of Star Trek: Discovery season 5 stream Thursdays on Paramount+

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager are streaming on Paramount+

Star Trek Generations is streaming on Max

• Star Trek: Generations

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Star Trek: Discovery Reaches Into Deep Space Nine To Make The Breen Scary Again

Shields up! This article contains spoilers for the latest episode of "Star Trek: Discovery."

Everything old will eventually become new again. Of all the various traditions and tropes upheld by "Star Trek" over the decades, perhaps none ring quite as true as that maxim. Don't believe me? Well, in just the last few weeks alone, this final season of "Discovery" has circled back to one of the most famous episodes of "The Original Series" ever made , gone out of its way to  pick up a loose plot thread from "The Next Generation,"  and even drop the biggest reveal of them all: The Breen are back and as deadly as ever. For such a forward-looking enterprise (pun insufferably intended), there's no doubting the fact that the past has always played an integral role in the beloved sci-fi series.

This week's episode of "Discovery" does nothing to contradict that ongoing trend ... but, in this case, it'd be a mistake to confuse nostalgia with navel gazing. While episode 5 finally gave us a look beneath the helmets of the franchise's most mysterious villains , episode 7 (titled "Erigah") goes even further and makes established canon feel frighteningly relevant. For the first time since "Deep Space Nine" and its galaxy-spanning Dominion War, "Star Trek" finally gives us a reason to fear the Breen all over again.

Read more: Lucille Ball Suffered Life-Changing Sacrifices For Star Trek

The Breen Tilted The Scales In Deep Space Nine

"Never turn your back on a Breen," Commander Rayner (Callum Keith Rennie) ominously quotes early on in the episode. As it turns out, this isn't just a Romulan (and admittedly xenophobic) saying well known throughout the galaxy -- it's the "Discovery" writers' cheeky way of quoting a line directly from an episode of "Deep Space Nine," which was the first "Trek" series to establish the fearsome alien species as a new threat arriving late in the game of the raging Dominion War . Hidden in the Alpha Quadrant, it was the Klingons who initially discovered to their peril that even their warmongering ways were no match for this then-unknown species. By the time the Breen Confederacy allied themselves with the Dominion (already made up of the Changelings, Cardassians, Jem'Hadar, and other powerful enemies), many considered this the final blow to the Federation's hopes for victory -- and for good reason.

Only known to Starfleet as a formidable group of warriors, the secretive Breen proved to be even more dangerous than anyone could've imagined by packing a decisive one-two punch. As befitting their mysterious identities hidden underneath such imposing helmets, the aliens soon left their mark on the war by launching a shocking offensive against Earth and striking at the very heart of Starfleet Headquarters -- an act that not even the Klingons had ever dared attempt. The implementation of a new Breen weapon capable of destroying starships with ease (including the fan-favorite USS Defiant) in a subsequent battle only further added to their mystique. Although their forces were ultimately repelled, the symbolism of their incursions affected morale throughout the quadrant and effectively set the stakes for this new wild card.

By the events of "Discovery," it's safe to say the Breen's reputation precedes them.

Star Trek: Discovery Makes The Breen Scary Again

Don't let appearances deceive you. Despite their distracting similarities to the bumbling Boushh bounty hunters of "Star Wars,"  the Breen remain a force to be reckoned with -- and our main characters on "Discovery" are painfully aware of that fact, as they repeatedly allude, in haunted whispers, to what happened "the last time" they encroached on Starfleet space. The impending Breen threat is complicated by their attempts to recover L'ak (Elias Toufexis) under the pretenses of fulfilling their blood oath against him. In actuality, the Breen primarch (who also happens to be L'ak's uncle) needs him in order to secure the order of succession and wield enough influence to stave off several other primarchs competing for the throne.

Yet all this pales in comparison to the possibility that they could recover the Progenitor technology that the Discovery crew have been so desperate to track down, thus fulfilling the disturbing vision of Starfleet's complete destruction at the hands of the Breen in the future glimpsed by Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and Rayner in "Mirrors." Even for casual fans who may not have brushed up on their "Deep Space Nine" trivia, the haunted references to their actions during the Dominion War hundreds of years prior combined with their imposing visual design and that of their starship (which noticeably dwarfs any of Starfleet's counterparts) hints at what they're capable of achieving. But it's  Commander Rayner's backstory as a Kellerun survivor of Breen oppression that adds a personal dimension to these antagonists.

The final season of "Discovery" always needed a worthy foe to end things with a bang, and it appears we've received exactly that by digging into "Trek" past to make the Breen scary again.

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

Read the original article on SlashFilm