Deep Space 9 Superior

[USS Defiant]

/\/\/\Great stuff brother Fifth/\/\/\ When are you going to post the second half to the interview?.

DS9 season II episode discussion
Episode #1: The Homecoming

When Kira receives a Bajoran earring - smuggled out of a Bajoran labor camp - she goes on a mission to Cardassia IV to liberate the prisoners, who have been held in contrary to the Cardassians' promise that all their prisoners of war had been released. Kira hopes to find Li Nalas, a renowned Bajoran hero whose return to Bajor could unite the torn world in its hour of need.

The first and best of three parts, "Homecoming" follows up the promise of Bajoran political situations that last season's "In the Hands of the Prophets" left behind. Paced much like a feature film, this installment sets up the three-parter beautifully. The expanded time format provides a great deal of character development opportunities. The dialog scenes between Sisko and Kira show two characters on the same wavelength in what feels like true Federation/Bajoran interaction. Each strives to similar goals, but acknowledges that the other has its own agendas - Brilliant writing!. In the episode's second segment, Kira and O'Brien take a Runabout to Cardassia IV to rescue the prisoners. The action sequences and outdoor locations are expertly done under Winrich Kolbe's stellar direction. The episode's third segment analyzes the situation of Li Nalas, revealing a textured, multifaceted character with some fascinating dimensions. Beimler's portrayal of a hero who never even wanted to be the living legend he became is a fully realized performance. Sisko's observation that "Bajor doesn't need a hero; it needs a symbol," is especially keen. The introduction of Minister Jaro (Frank Langella) adds nicely to the character canvas and promises to play a big part in the arc. Overall, this is a difficult episode to summarize in words; much of the success can be attributed to various pieces of interesting dialog exchanges and performances. Even though the plot is just beginning, this is a knockout season opener that covers quite a bit of ground stylistically and dramatically. Well done!.

[the Fifth Race]

/\/\/\Great stuff brother Fifth/\/\/\ When are you going to post the second half to the interview?.

How about right now my friend:


Ronald D Moore interview on conclusion on DS9 continued from 2 posts up......

Note: Moore is in Bold Lettering. Moore gives an interesting take on a Majel interview and what Roddenberry might have thought about the Dominion War arc.

<< One question, who comes up with the references to Xicano history? First a ship called the Malinche. Then Cortez. Now all the references to the Alamo. All these show Mexicans in a disgraceful way. Malinche was the traitor. Cortez was the conquistador. Ask Xicanos about the heroes who stole Texas from Mexico. I do not think there is a nefarious plot to disgrace la raza but it can make you wonder.>>

All I can tell you is that Hans Biemler is Mexican and that he's the one who named the ships Malinche and Cortez and that he's into the Alamo as well.

<< just how many times did the staff watch "Robin and the Seven Hoods" while making this episode?>>

Not once. We watched "Ocean's Eleven."

<<Can we expect a final appearance (or song) from Vic in the final episode, or have we seen the last of him?>>

Vic will sing again.

<< Also, who initially thought of Jimmy Darren? A great choice and nice sci-fi tie-in (The Time Tunnel).>>

That was Ira's idea.

<< I saw Chase Masterson at a con here in Knoxville* Sunday. She indicated that she had just gotten the call to appear in the final (sniff!) three episodes. Will we also get to bid a final fare-thee-well to Keiko and Molly and Yoshi?>>

Yes.

<<Are we still getting one last Miles and Julian show or did that fall by the wayside?>>

They will share one more adventure.

<< Will we ever get to see the Alamo holo-program? The Alamo seems to be mentioned in almost every recent DS9 episode and it's got me darn curious about what that might mean for DS9's future! I'm also curious about why Julian and Miles would be so fond of continually replaying such a hopeless battle, especially since everyone on their side is supposed to die! Another poster speculated that they could have somehow (perhaps by cheating) figured out to win. Might this be the case?>>

We're not going the see the program -- it would be hard to deliver the goods on a TV budget.

<< "Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges" First off, incredible episode. Possibly best of the year! In the long run I'll be forever torn between it and "The Siege of AR-558." You should be very damned proud of it. All the while I was watching it, I kept getting more and more envious- while we can speculate, conjecture, and throw out theories all we want on these boards, it all means nothing in the Trek universe- you, on the other hand, create Trek canon. And I truly believe there isn't a writer alive who creates it better. Before my post becomes too Americanized, On to my question: I nopticed this was the first use of an Intrepid class vessel in your series. Was this made possible by the fact your good buddy is Executive Producer over there, or did they still owe you for borrowing the Defiant class for "Message In A Bottle"?>>

First, thank you very much. Second, I did call Brannon early on to see about the availability of the Voyager sets and it just so happened that they were planning to be off those soundstages during the time we needed them, so it worked out.

<<Are Dax and Bashir going to move over to Voyager? I read it in a British rumor mag, and I was shocked. Is this true, or just nothing but a rumor?>>

Not true.

<< Since ["Inter Arma..."] carried your sole writing credit, how much of it did you create from the whole cloth and how much was a product of the entire staff? This episode showcases how much your writing has matured in the last couple of years...No longer can you be easily described as "the funny guy" or "the Klingon guy". Nice job!>>

Like all the shows, the entire staff had input into the script and the final product owes a lot to their input.

<< Why so much recasting of Romulans? Adrienne (The New Dax <g>) Barbeau was nice to see, but why wasn't the other (BoP, where's your magic list? Who was Cretak before?) actress utilized? And poor Procounsel Neral seemed to have really hit the skids since "Unification"! Send him off to that Son'a planet from Insurrection for some youth treatments, why don't ya?>>

Megan Cole, who originally played Cretak was unavailable when we needed her, so we had no choice but to recast. And as for Neral... being Praetor ages you.

<<One thing "Inter Arma..." left me wondering about is this: We have seen, through the DS9 Siege Arc and afterwards, that Ross and Sisko seem to have an affinity for each other. After Ross' actions in "Inter Arma..." I was wondering how Sisko will respond to Ross after he hears all the details from Bashir. Have you thought about that too? Any plans to follow up on that?>>

We did think of it, but never found the right moment to play it.

<< Ron, there has been a major rumor going around that Odo is going to be killed in the final episode, and that the writers are having diffuculties with the studio in doing this because the studio is interested in seeing a DS9 motion picture. Is there any truth to any of this at all?>>

Oh yeah, like I'm going to give away the fate of a major character. Keeping wondering and worrying...

<< I enjoyed the last Vic Fontaine episode and I had a question. It seems that Capt. Sisko is pretty "social conscious" as he expressed in a scene when asked about his helping out with Vic's problem in the Holosuite. I was wondering if you let Avery Brooks input that fact about the older days with discrimination in Vegas or did you guys wrote those lines for him to say.>>

It was something we came up with in the room as we talked over reasons why Sisko may have been avoiding Vic's.

<<It seems very hypocritical of the DS9 staff to be devoting so much time to Ezri Dax when Terry Farrell claimed that she never got any good roles. Ezri has, with Field of Fire, Prodigal Daughter, and Afterimage, three episodes that focused almost solely on her. Add into this episodes such as Paper Moon and The Emperor's New Cloak which involved mostly non-regulars but where she was prominently featured, and I cannot help but think that this is an intentional attempt to "make up for lost time" with her. Considering what Farrell has said and the fact that this is the last season, can you really justify giving so many valuable minutes to an interim character that simply isn't as important as a Sisko, a Kira, or an Odo?>>

Different character, different time. The character of Ezri simply had a lot of unexplored territory and that's why we naturally starting doing more stories about her. But if you look over the Ezri episodes, I don't think there's a single one that could've been easily adapted as a Jadzia episode. And Ezri is more than just an "interim" character. She's Dax, a character with important, strong ties to every other regular cast member and with a backstory stretching back to the pilot. She's one of us.

<<What is your response to Majel's letter to the editor in the current Communicator?>>

I have very little argument with Majel (who wrote a letter saying that Gene would never have approved of having a continuing war in a Trek series). She's probably right. It would've been very hard to argue Gene into going this way and maybe he'd have never gone for it. However, I would've still argued for doing the Dominion War with him and if he'd rejected it, I would've thought he was wrong. I respect Gene and his work, but I don't think he was always right and I'm not going to pretend that I do. The Dominion War has been one of the better storylines we've come up with whether Gene would've agreed or not.

[Starbase]

Note: Moore is in Bold Lettering. Moore gives an interesting take on a Majel interview and what Roddenberry might have thought about the Dominion War arc.

<< Since ["Inter Arma..."] carried your sole writing credit, how much of it did you create from the whole cloth and how much was a product of the entire staff? This episode showcases how much your writing has matured in the last couple of years...No longer can you be easily described as "the funny guy" or "the Klingon guy". Nice job!>>

Like all the shows, the entire staff had input into the script and the final product owes a lot to their input.

I did not know that Ronald D Moore was considered a funny guy or a Klingon guy.

"Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges" - which introduced Section 31 and agent Sloan to the storyline, was a truly fantastic episode!.

<<What is your response to Majel's letter to the editor in the current Communicator?>>

I have very little argument with Majel (who wrote a letter saying that Gene would never have approved of having a continuing war in a Trek series). She's probably right. It would've been very hard to argue Gene into going this way and maybe he'd have never gone for it. However, I would've still argued for doing the Dominion War with him and if he'd rejected it, I would've thought he was wrong. I respect Gene and his work, but I don't think he was always right and I'm not going to pretend that I do. The Dominion War has been one of the better storylines we've come up with whether Gene would've agreed or not.

Very interesting. I had read awhile back that all of the DS9 writers were in disagreement with Gene Roddenberry over the direction they wanted to take DS9. I know Roddenberry signed off and gave the ok to make DS9, but later changed his mind by saying he wish that he never did. - This made me lose a lot of respect for Roddenberry. TPTB realized that if they did another TNG/TOS type series based on the Enterprise again, people were not going to tune in to watch. Plus some one needed to shake things up and put a darker and more realistic (non flowery) view on the Trek universe. - DS9 did this brilliantly!, and to a lesser degree so did VOY and ENT.

[Rac80]

<<Question: Any regrets in doing away with Worf's brother Kurn?>>

Not really. If we'd had other stories for Kurn, I'd feel differently, but I didn't have anything else to say about the character.

the never asked me... I Had LOADS of ideas for Kurn! He would have been great working more with Martok.

<< just how many times did the staff watch "Robin and the Seven Hoods" while making this episode?>>

Not once. We watched "Ocean's Eleven."


<<Can we expect a final appearance (or song) from Vic in the final episode, or have we seen the last of him?>>

Vic will sing again.

<< Also, who initially thought of Jimmy Darren? A great choice and nice sci-fi tie-in (The Time Tunnel).>>

That was Ira's idea.

I loved the Vic episodes and am also a fan of the ORIGINAL Ocean's Eleven (george clooney is NO frank sinatra! ) James Darrin also had a stint as a teen idol in the late 1950's (he was the original Moondoggie in the gidget movies) and released a few pop albums. Darrin played a cop in TJ Hooker (his partner was Heather Locklear) so he definitely got around.

<< I enjoyed the last Vic Fontaine episode and I had a question. It seems that Capt. Sisko is pretty "social conscious" as he expressed in a scene when asked about his helping out with Vic's problem in the Holosuite. I was wondering if you let Avery Brooks input that fact about the older days with discrimination in Vegas or did you guys wrote those lines for him to say.>>

It was something we came up with in the room as we talked over reasons why Sisko may have been avoiding Vic's.

I found this reasoning good, especially in the light of sisko's dream in"far beyond the stars" where he personally experienced the racism of the 50's.

"Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges" - which introduced Section 31 and agent Sloan to the storyline, was a truly fantastic episode!.
Very interesting. I had read awhile back that all of the DS9 writers were in disagreement with Gene Roddenberry over the direction they wanted to take DS9. I know Roddenberry signed off and gave the ok to make DS9, but later changed his mind by saying he wish that he never did. - This made me lose a lot of respect for Roddenberry. TPTB realized that if they did another TNG/TOS type series based on the Enterprise again, people were not going to tune in to watch. Plus some one needed to shake things up and put a darker and more realistic (non flowery) view on the Trek universe. - DS9 did this brilliantly!, and to a lesser degree so did VOY and ENT.

I agree that agent Sloan was a fascinating character in DS9. you were left wondering what was truth and what was fiction.
I can understand how the war with the dominion would have upset roddenberry, but I am glad that TPTB ignored his wishes. the war with the dominion had so many brilliant facets: a people who were once oppressed and were now the oppressers. Those who had laws made against them, were now making laws against others. It was an interesting dynamic and made me review world history a bit differently!

[the Fifth Race]

I found this reasoning good, especially in the light of sisko's dream in"far beyond the stars" where he personally experienced the racism of the 50's.

I also found "this reasoning good" and quite interesting.

I agree that agent Sloan was a fascinating character in DS9. you were left wondering what was truth and what was fiction.
I can understand how the war with the dominion would have upset roddenberry, but I am glad that TPTB ignored his wishes. the war with the dominion had so many brilliant facets: a people who were once oppressed and were now the oppressers. Those who had laws made against them, were now making laws against others. It was an interesting dynamic and made me review world history a bit differently!

Thank God TPTB ignored Roddenberry. Even though he signed off on the original premise of DS9, I found it a little hypocritical to change his mind a year later.

Roddenberry had this vision of the Trek universe that was utopian where only bad guys got killed or made bad decisions. He left very little wiggle room for any other kind of characters that weren't perfect and made mistakes, just like regular everyday people. This was one of the reasons that made me love and appreciate DS9 so much. Plus by having non-perfect characters and dark storylines - made for a much more interesting and entertaining series.

[Whitestar]

I also found "this reasoning good" and quite interesting.


Thank God TPTB ignored Roddenberry. Even though he signed off on the original premise of DS9, I found it a little hypocritical to change his mind a year later.

Roddenberry had this vision of the Trek universe that was utopian where only bad guys got killed or made bad decisions. He left very little wiggle room for any other kind of characters that weren't perfect and made mistakes, just like regular everyday people. This was one of the reasons that made me love and appreciate DS9 so much. Plus by having non-perfect characters and dark storylines - made for a much more interesting and entertaining series.

Agreed! DS9 was the best Trek show of all because it was the first Trek show to somewhat shed its utopian appearance and display a more darker and realistic universe. The fact that the writers created flawed characters gave the audience people we could relate to. They were flawed characters who also proved that they could be heroes and honorable at the same time. Plus, the fact that the characters were imperfect allow them to be more tolerant, flexible, and understanding of one another, whereas, in TNG, the characters were initially perfect, clean-cut caricatures who could do no wrong and never felt the need to question their own ethics and shortcomings. However, that began to change at the start of season three. It's just too bad that the writers couldn't do that in the beginning of the show thanks to Roddenberry who held on to that show like a possessed parent. But what really made DS9 unique and appealing was that even in times of darkness, one can always find hope no matter what.

[USS Defiant]

Agreed! DS9 was the best Trek show of all because it was the first Trek show to somewhat shed its utopian appearance and display a more darker and realistic universe. The fact that the writers created flawed characters gave the audience people we could relate to. They were flawed characters who also proved that they could be heroes and honorable at the same time. Plus, the fact that the characters were imperfect allow them to be more tolerant, flexible, and understanding of one another, whereas, in TNG, the characters were initially perfect, clean-cut caricatures who could do no wrong and never felt the need to question their own ethics and shortcomings. However, that began to change at the start of season three. It's just too bad that the writers couldn't do that in the beginning of the show thanks to Roddenberry who held on to that show like a possessed parent. But what really made DS9 unique and appealing was that even in times of darkness, one can always find hope no matter what.

I wholeheartedly agree, and very eloquently said Whitestar. The characters of DS9 had so much more life to them. TPTB did a perfect job of portraying them as flawed with skeletons in there closets. - Heck, that alone made for some great and interesting episodes. Personally, this made it much easier to like and relate with these characters. DS9 was just so much edgier and dark than anything else we ever saw in the Trek universe or most other scifi shows. - Which IMHO is what makes scifi great.

TNG did get much better after the second season. Even though overall, the characters were still written with these holier than thou persona's, they did allow for wiggle room. Which in turn made the show much better over-all.

Great post Whitestar!.

[the Fifth Race]

DS9 season II episode discussion
Episode #1: The Homecoming

When Kira receives a Bajoran earring - smuggled out of a Bajoran labor camp - she goes on a mission to Cardassia IV to liberate the prisoners, who have been held in contrary to the Cardassians' promise that all their prisoners of war had been released. Kira hopes to find Li Nalas, a renowned Bajoran hero whose return to Bajor could unite the torn world in its hour of need.

The first and best of three parts, "Homecoming" follows up the promise of Bajoran political situations that last season's "In the Hands of the Prophets" left behind. Paced much like a feature film, this installment sets up the three-parter beautifully. The expanded time format provides a great deal of character development opportunities. The dialog scenes between Sisko and Kira show two characters on the same wavelength in what feels like true Federation/Bajoran interaction. Each strives to similar goals, but acknowledges that the other has its own agendas - Brilliant writing!. In the episode's second segment, Kira and O'Brien take a Runabout to Cardassia IV to rescue the prisoners. The action sequences and outdoor locations are expertly done under Winrich Kolbe's stellar direction. The episode's third segment analyzes the situation of Li Nalas, revealing a textured, multifaceted character with some fascinating dimensions. Beimler's portrayal of a hero who never even wanted to be the living legend he became is a fully realized performance. Sisko's observation that "Bajor doesn't need a hero; it needs a symbol," is especially keen. The introduction of Minister Jaro (Frank Langella) adds nicely to the character canvas and promises to play a big part in the arc. Overall, this is a difficult episode to summarize in words; much of the success can be attributed to various pieces of interesting dialog exchanges and performances. Even though the plot is just beginning, this is a knockout season opener that covers quite a bit of ground stylistically and dramatically. Well done!.

Great review as usual brother USS Defiant. I finally got around to watching this episode last night.... "The Homecoming," which opened DS9's second season, was immediately engrossing when Quark showed Kira the mysterious earring. I didn't believe Sisko would loan Kira a Starfleet runabout on the basis of a rumor and her passionate request, but the rescue sequence was exciting and everything about Li Nalas shone - his aborted escape, the tale of his Arthurian ascension, his fighting to rescue Kira, his reluctant exhortations to the Bajorans, and histragic death. The comedy in the first two episodes kept them lively - I particularly enjoyed O'Brien pretending to be a pimp with Kira as his whore.

[the Fifth Race]

Agreed! DS9 was the best Trek show of all because it was the first Trek show to somewhat shed its utopian appearance and display a more darker and realistic universe. The fact that the writers created flawed characters gave the audience people we could relate to. They were flawed characters who also proved that they could be heroes and honorable at the same time. Plus, the fact that the characters were imperfect allow them to be more tolerant, flexible, and understanding of one another, whereas, in TNG, the characters were initially perfect, clean-cut caricatures who could do no wrong and never felt the need to question their own ethics and shortcomings. However, that began to change at the start of season three. It's just too bad that the writers couldn't do that in the beginning of the show thanks to Roddenberry who held on to that show like a possessed parent. But what really made DS9 unique and appealing was that even in times of darkness, one can always find hope no matter what.

Great post brother Whitestar, not much I can argue about, you hit the nail on the head perfectly. I also agree with USS Defiant about how the best scifi always comes from a dark place, otherwise you get something less entertaining. DS9 did this the best of all the Trek series, TNG did get better after season II with the introduction of the Borg and the continuing Lore arc among other darker storylines. VOY and ENT also took on a darker theme than TOS or TNG did which for me personally made those rather blase shows better. As far Roddenberry goes, God Bless him for introducing Star Trek to the world, but you were wrong about DS9, best Trek to date brother Gene.

[USS Defiant]

DS9 season 2 episode discussion
Episode #2: The Circle

In "The Circle," Kira is recalled to Bajor, replaced by Li Nalas at the order of Minister Jaro and the provisional government. Meanwhile, the layered plot of political intrigue continues to unfold, as Odo discovers that the Circle - an extremist Bajoran group that wants nothing to do with the Federation and employs violence in its attempt to gain widespread Bajoran support - is unknowingly being supplied weapons by the Cardassians through a third party.

Like the first part, this manages to tell a lot of story while still maintaining a respectably slow pace. Kira's time at a Bajoran monastery proves quite interesting, the idea of Kira trying to be "useless" seems exactly like the type of thing she wouldn't agree with. And her encounter with the orb as she explores her pagh is downright powerful; the imagery is effective and the vivid symbolism and foreshadowing proves incredibly intriguing. Minister Jaro turns out to be the leader of the Circle, and his motives, that of a Bajoran who has seen enough governments come and go, strike me as completely believable. One beauty of DS9's political backdrop is the way it allows the analysis of events that unfold; Jaro isn't simply a villain, he's an adamant man who, in his mind, has been forced into the direction he has taken and sets his sights for it. Such characters and their actions make for a compelling story that's believable. One problem with the episode, however, is some of its pacing, particularly some slightly off-kilter scenes involving Vedek Winn. Two of her extended dialog scenes - one involving her and Jaro, and the other involving her, Bareil, and Kira - drag on longer than they should, and they don't quite have the powerful payoff they deserve. Such dialog isn't on the level of Sisko and Li Nalas' discussion in "The Homecoming."

[the Fifth Race]

DS9 season 2 episode discussion
Episode #2: The Circle

In "The Circle," Kira is recalled to Bajor, replaced by Li Nalas at the order of Minister Jaro and the provisional government. Meanwhile, the layered plot of political intrigue continues to unfold, as Odo discovers that the Circle - an extremist Bajoran group that wants nothing to do with the Federation and employs violence in its attempt to gain widespread Bajoran support - is unknowingly being supplied weapons by the Cardassians through a third party.

Like the first part, this manages to tell a lot of story while still maintaining a respectably slow pace. Kira's time at a Bajoran monastery proves quite interesting, the idea of Kira trying to be "useless" seems exactly like the type of thing she wouldn't agree with. And her encounter with the orb as she explores her pagh is downright powerful; the imagery is effective and the vivid symbolism and foreshadowing proves incredibly intriguing. Minister Jaro turns out to be the leader of the Circle, and his motives, that of a Bajoran who has seen enough governments come and go, strike me as completely believable. One beauty of DS9's political backdrop is the way it allows the analysis of events that unfold; Jaro isn't simply a villain, he's an adamant man who, in his mind, has been forced into the direction he has taken and sets his sights for it. Such characters and their actions make for a compelling story that's believable. One problem with the episode, however, is some of its pacing, particularly some slightly off-kilter scenes involving Vedek Winn. Two of her extended dialog scenes - one involving her and Jaro, and the other involving her, Bareil, and Kira - drag on longer than they should, and they don't quite have the powerful payoff they deserve. Such dialog isn't on the level of Sisko and Li Nalas' discussion in "The Homecoming."

I'm not a huge Bareil fan, partly because he doesn't compare well with Li, but partly from his breaking up the fabulous departure scene in Kira's quarters - one of my favorite DS9 scenes from the first 2 seasons, with the entire crew offering Kira wishes and advice in a manner both touching and hilarious. It was worth having Bareil with Kira in "The Circle" just for the bi*ch-fest with Winn, who suggested unsubtly that the two must be sleeping together before either was seriously considering a relationship. Winn and Jaro's tete-a-tete seemed more contrived - these two think enough alike not to flirt with such veneer. It was an ok episode, Kira saved it for the most part.

[Trek_Girl42]

I'm not a huge Bareil fan, partly because he doesn't compare well with Li, but partly from his breaking up the fabulous departure scene in Kira's quarters - one of my favorite DS9 scenes from the first 2 seasons, with the entire crew offering Kira wishes and advice in a manner both touching and hilarious. It was worth having Bareil with Kira in "The Circle" just for the bi*ch-fest with Winn, who suggested unsubtly that the two must be sleeping together before either was seriously considering a relationship. Winn and Jaro's tete-a-tete seemed more contrived - these two think enough alike not to flirt with such veneer. It was an ok episode, Kira saved it for the most part.

Ahhh, the departure scene.....that has to be one of my favourite scenes for the entire series. Very funny, very touching, and just great stuff for every character that walked into that room, as well as Kira. The actors probably loved it too.

[Starbase]

Ahhh, the departure scene.....that has to be one of my favourite scenes for the entire series. Very funny, very touching, and just great stuff for every character that walked into that room, as well as Kira. The actors probably loved it too.

Waves hi Trek Girl , good to see back on the superior thread young lady.

That was a rather memorable scene, I haven't re-watched that episode in awhile (I am re-watching it tonight) but I do remember it quite well. The Orb scene was with Kira was beautifully done as well, as was most all the Orb scenes from the entire series. I find it utterly amazing at the depth TPTB went to build up a Bajoran back story. By the end of season 2 the writers, much to there credit, had made Bajor seem like a very familair place.

[the Fifth Race]

Ahhh, the departure scene.....that has to be one of my favourite scenes for the entire series. Very funny, very touching, and just great stuff for every character that walked into that room, as well as Kira. The actors probably loved it too.

Hello there Lady Trek, like brother Base said, always great to see here.

One thing I am realizing while re-watching the first and now the second season of DS9 - is that Kira shined the most early on (if not for the entire series). Here is part of an interview done about a year after DS9 finsihed its run:

What You Leave Behind

Kira, the former Bajoran resistance fighter who is currently in command of Deep Space Nine, "had a profound effect" on the actress who played her. "There were times when the character took me by the hand and made me look at things that I didn't particularly want to look at, because things happened to her that never happened to me," Visitor recalled. "It absolutely changed me. Even though I didn't have to go through the steps of living that out, I certainly had to go through the steps of emotionally letting in what must have been happening with her. I like to approach parts psychologically, and she taught me a lot."

The actress laughed that "it was so inappropriate how happy it made me" that the series ended with Kira in command. "Rene always said, 'Nana, it's a TV show, you're taking it a little seriously,' but it thrilled me that I was left in charge." She also enjoyed getting to wear a Starfleet uniform in the final arc. "God, I wish that had happened a long time ago. But it was important that I not be a part of anything. They said from the beginning that that's how my character would be - I'd be on the fringe of everything."

On the other hand, the actress herself said that there were times when she understood how it must feel to be a Bajoran among humans. "The first couple of weeks when I was working on the show, I'd walk around the lot with my makeup on, and it didn't really look like makeup even in person, it was so well done. People would look at me, and look again at my nose, and I really started to get disturbed about it. Like, 'Yeah, I look different. What's the problem? I got two arms, I got a nose, I got two eyes, everything's the same as you, why do you have a problem with me?'"

It gave the actress a new comprehension of intolerance. "I started to understand what prejudice feels like, just on the level of curiosity or ignorance. They didn't know what I was, so they were looking; the minute they knew, 'Oh yeah, those are Bajorans, they're on DS9,' no one gave a **** anymore, and no one looked at me. But when they didn't know, there was curiosity, and even curiosity I took as being made to feel different. Being a white woman, I never experienced that before."

Perhaps the Bajoran freedom fighter's most memorable episode is first season's "Duet," in which Kira had to come to terms with her hatred for Cardassians when she met one who was pretending to be a mass murderer in order to pay for the guilt of his entire species. Kira was forced to explore her own survivor's guilt, as well as her sense of responsibility for some of the actions she took in the Resistance. "That is still my favorite Star Trek episode. And I would say of the whole show, it taught me the most. It obviously had a huge impact on me."

In an interview with Ian Spelling several years ago, Visitor had expressed her pleasure at her son's lack of bias about physical appearance because he spent days around people who looked like Ferengi and Jem'Hadar. "He'll describe his school friends as the one with the curly hair or the one that loves yellow, and I love that," she said. "I felt like I got it right with him. He definitely got it right."

Visitor was not initially enamored of the romance between Kira and Odo, but thought that in the end that, too, made a powerful statement about differences which make no difference. "I didn't like it when it was happening - I didn't want them ever to get romantically involved," she recalled. "I would love to have seen a male-female relationship that had nothing to do with falling in love, I'd love to prove, even on TV - even if it's not true! - that men and women can be friends without any kind of involvement."

Because Odo was a shape-shifter, not a humanoid male, even the male-female dynamic was complicated and deepened by Odo's profoundly alien physiology. For several seasons, his love for Kira seemed almost spiritual, a bond which had nothing to do with the desire for sex or domestic bliss. "I would have loved to have kept it on that level," Visitor agreed. "But in the end, it's men who write the show." Still, episodes like "Chimera," in which Odo showed Kira how his own species made love, ultimately persuaded Visitor of the power of the romance.

Though Kira had a brief love scene with Dr. Bashir in the episode "Fascination," during which both characters were under the influence of alien hormones, most fans felt that Visitor and Siddig had little chemistry. "I agreed!" chuckled the actress, who fell in love with "Sid" after several years of considering him only a good friend - much like Kira with Odo. With the birth of Django, Deep Space Nine impacted every aspect of Visitor's life, from her professional work to her private happiness.

"I loved that show, and I loved the time, but I'm good at enjoying the time when I'm there, and not going, 'Oh god, I wish this was over,' and then missing it when it's gone. So I knew how great it was when I was there." Though she misses Deep Space Nine, Visitor calls the show's run "a very satisfying seven years of my life. It's not like it was truncated; it was full on, and I lived it every day. Every day I went to work, I looked at the Paramount sign in the dark and drank coffee with the crew on the side of the stage, I enjoyed where I was and I knew what it meant. I felt the romance of it. So it's OK with me, now that it's done."

[USS Defiant]

DS9 season 2 episode discussion:
The Siege:

The weakest of the overall stellar three-parter wraps the plot up nicely, but unlike the first two parts there's more a sense that the story's events were pre-planned by a writing team than they followed inevitably from the setup of the story.

"The Siege" documents a Bajoran coup d'état that backs the Circle's planned takeover of Bajor. The military operation is led by General Krim who plans to take control of the station. Since internal Bajoran politics are out of the Federation's hands and the Circle's coup wants nothing to do with the Federation, Starfleet Command orders Sisko to evacuate all Starfleet personnel from the station. Sisko evacuates his crew, but hides himself and his team on the station to delay Krim's forces long enough so that Kira and Dax can deliver crucial proof of the Cardassian involvement to the Bajoran Chamber of Ministers.

"The Siege" is an entertaining and credible wrap-up of the situation that benefits from plenty of interesting intrigue, but there's also a great deal of lackluster action mired in here. The bloodless phaser fight on the promenade lacks punch, and scenes where Quark hauls his latinum through the air shafts are needless wastes of screen time. On the other hand, the fresh action sequences where Kira and Dax fly to Bajor in a run-down craft that's been sitting since the resistance days are both engaging and humorous, and incredibly well done. Kolbe's direction is spot on and the production is impressive, although the story's ending is less than what it could've been. The danger recedes a little too quickly, the Circle's coup disintegrates a tad too neatly, and the roles of characters like Jaro and Winn in the plot feel somewhat unfinished. Also, the arbitrary death that gets Li Nalas "off the hook" - while effective as closure for his character - highlights how much potential has been lost by simply deleting the character. The overall effect of this finale is good, but not up to what came before.