Deep Space 9 Superior

[Descent]

One Little Ship aka "Honey, I Shrunk the Runabout". Good episode, I really liked the division between the Jem'Hadar with the gamma quadrant ones and the alpha quadrant ones (even though we never see it again). It was very entertaining to watch Bashir and O'Brien running around in the Defiant's computer. Great stuff.

[kmiller1610]

My first time through seasons 6-7, this was one of my favorite episodes (I think it takes some time to "buy in" to the characters). I thought it was a funny, fun and FX compelling stand alone that fits with the arc, but is less dependent on knowing what's going on than some of the others.

BTW, I have wanted to watch along as we go through the final two seasons, so I picked up both seasons at Sams today for just under $100. The packaging and content is as before, but at an almost 50% savings....

[Carl]

This was a very good episode. I'm always a fan of episodes where a ship is taken over and its upto a small group to take it back but I think this DS9 ep has to win the originality award for the way in which it was done.

[the Fifth Race]

One Little Ship aka "Honey, I Shrunk the Runabout". Good episode, I really liked the division between the Jem'Hadar with the gamma quadrant ones and the alpha quadrant ones (even though we never see it again). It was very entertaining to watch Bashir and O'Brien running around in the Defiant's computer. Great stuff.

"Honey, I shrunk the Runabout"....LOL, that's funnier than my 'The Incredible Shrinking Trek Episode'. The "division" between the new AQ Jem'Hadar and the old GQ Jem'Hadar was very informative, the more background information on the Jem'Hadar the better!. DS9 has a way of sneaking in background stories and such, instead of using the flashback method we see on most all other scifi series.

I meant to comment on the scene with O'Brien and Bashir "running around inside the Defiants computer", even though it wasn't special effects the stage they built with the huge circuits and wires to make it look like a giant computer circuit board was fantastic!, good call Descent.

This was a very good episode. I'm always a fan of episodes where a ship is taken over and its upto a small group to take it back but I think this DS9 ep has to win the originality award for the way in which it was done.

I couldn't agree more Carl!, DS9 comes up with ways to not only be completely original but they are so darn brilliant at taking something old and turning it into something new and unique to make it its own.

[the Fifth Race]

My first time through seasons 6-7, this was one of my favorite episodes (I think it takes some time to "buy in" to the characters). I thought it was a funny, fun and FX compelling stand alone that fits with the arc, but is less dependent on knowing what's going on than some of the others.

I hear you on "buying into the characters" my friend, it's not always easy to like or believe a character when you watch a show originally for the first time. There were characters that I didn't care for in the early seasons of DS9 (it wasn't because of there acting abilities or there believability), like Kira and Bashir, but by the end of the series they had become 2 of my favorites.

BTW, I have wanted to watch along as we go through the final two seasons, so I picked up both seasons at Sam's today for just under $100. The packaging and content is as before, but at an almost 50% savings....

That's awesome kmiller!, I have loaned out my various copies of DS9 box set's to more than a few friends over the years and every single one (even the non-scifi fans) ended up loving the show and its colorful and believable characters. Your contribution (as everyone else's) to the episode discussion is what makes this thread great. I truly enjoy reading anyone and everyones take (positive or negative) about these episodes and DS9 in general. It enhances my perspective on the series and opens my eyes up to different views and perspectives, whick is always a good thing!.

[Starbase]

Ah yes, the incredible shrinking Trek episode titled One Little Ship. I have always liked this episode, the special effects were second to none back then and even today they stand up big time in this unique episode. Here are a few notes and thoughts I had while watching it recently.....

How about this one brothers Fifth and Descent....The Little Runabout That Could I know not as good as either of yours.

We get the very first introduction of Alpha Quadrant Jem'Hadar and we learn very quickly that the AQ Jem'Hadar do not like there brethren the Gamma Quadrant Jem'Hadar. The new AQ Jem'Hadar are more cocky, arrogant and they do not go by the old rules that the GQ Jem'Hadar do, as witnessed when the AQ First was giving out the Ketra'Cal White did not want to hear any kind of pledge towards the Founders like the old school GQ Jem'Hadar always do. The AQ First told the GQ Second that "Our actions speak for themselves". The new AQ Jam'Hadar First acknowledged Sisko for being indirectly responsible for the creation and birth of the AQ Jem'Hadar because he and the Defiant destroyed the cloning facilities and stopped travel through the wormhole.

One thing that was very obvious we learned from the introduction of the Alpha Quadrant Jem'Hadar was that they let there arrogance get in the way of logic and common sense. Another thing I noticed is that the appearances between the Alpha and Gamma Quadrant Jem'Hadar are slightly different. The skin color is slightly darker and brighter on the new Alpha Quadrant Jem'Hadar and they also have more of those fang like portrusions that circle there faces compared to the original Gamma Quadrant Jem'Hadar. And like you pointed out brother Fifth the Alpha Quadrant Jem'Hadar do not stand on ceremony as much as the Gamma's do.

The scene towards the beginning of the episode when the Rubicon that had been shrunk had traveled back to where the Defiant was stranded and when O'Brien raised the shutters to see outside, they were staring at the side of the now huge Defiant. The scenes were the miniature Rubicon was traveling around the Defiant trying to find away inside were awesome!. The Defiant had never looked as good as it did in this episode. The other great scenes of special effects came when the Rubicon, now inside the Defiant, was sneaking from room to room to try and figure out its next move, again great FX!.

I totally agree!, those shots in the beginning of the episode that showed the miniaturized Rubicon shuttle searching for away to get inside the Defiant were awesome!, I would love to get some of those shots of the Defiant to use as an avatar. I also loved the special FX scene when the Rubicon found away inside the Defiant via a Plasma Duct, the Jem'Hadar were intializing the warp drive and the super-heated Plasma was getting ready to be expelled out the Plasma Duct, that was quite realistic looking.

A couple good light hearted moments were when the Rubicon was trying to get inside the Defiant via a Plasma Duct, Bashir makes the comment to O'Brien about how dirty the lining of the Ducts are and that it's the chief engineers job to clean them. I also loved the scene at the very end when O'Brien and Bashir were telling there story about there recent adventures to Morn and a beautiful Dabo girl in Quark's bar. Odo walks up to both of them and tells O'Brien and Bashir "you two guy's look a couple of centimeters shorter than you normally are", then with Quark noticing the joke Odo was playing, stands next to Odo and says "you are both definetly shorter than you were the last time you were in the bar", then of course Bashir and O'Brien feeling awfully inadequate head back to the infirmary to double check everything. Then Quark looks right at Odo and tells him "and they say you don't have a sense of humor".

Hubba Hubba on that Dabo girl from the scene at the end, she has been in a few episodes and is usually hanging out with or near Morn, she is hot!. It never ceases to amaze me how DS9 can get in some funny and clever comedic scenes, even in the darkest of episodes. That scene at the end where Odo and Quark convince Miles and Julian that they are a few centimeters shorter than normal was hilarious, O'Brien gave Bashir such a stank eye, that if looks could kill, Julian would be dead. The more I re-watch these great later season episodes the more I see the influence that Garak had on Bashir. Julian went from an easy going kind of all business guy to a sarcastic and more agressive guy, you can definetly see Garak's influence in Julians sense of humor.

[Oranos]

One Little Ship

I'm here... I think. Anyways, I loved this episode, especially the ending. It was priceless. I also enjoyed how Bashir made fun of the fact that he was taller than O'Brien since he further away from whatever the exact term was. (It's been a while since I've this episode). All around, there were some great and truely funny moments in this one. And since we happen to be tossing episode titles out there, I thought I would contribute mine: "A Tall Tale".

[Descent]

It was a very great and 'out there' episode that worked better than I thought it would. Next episode is..."Honor Among Thieves"

Ah, the annual "torture O'Brien" episode.

[Trek_Girl42]

Question:
Been watching the show and in "Rules of Aquisition" and "Sanctuary" there were both mentions of the Dominion, so does anyone know how early on the Dominion story was planned? Or was it one of those things where they mentioned something a few times in case they wanted to use it later without it just appearing out of nowhere?

[Descent]

Question:
Been watching the show and in "Rules of Aquisition" and "Sanctuary" there were both mentions of the Dominion, so does anyone know how early on the Dominion story was planned? Or was it one of those things where they mentioned something a few times in case they wanted to use it later without it just appearing out of nowhere?

Theres no mention of them in Season One so I'm guessing they started to plan it out as Season Two went on.

[Missster.Freeman]

Question:
Been watching the show and in "Rules of Aquisition" and "Sanctuary" there were both mentions of the Dominion, so does anyone know how early on the Dominion story was planned? Or was it one of those things where they mentioned something a few times in case they wanted to use it later without it just appearing out of nowhere?

I remember asking about this months ago. It's probably buried about 30 pages back. I don't think anyone could answer with a specific date. My thinking is that the Dominion were always going to be a feature in DS9. Maybe just a casual mention here and there as you said, in case they became major players later in the series.

At the time up until the Dominion were actually seen, Star Trek was still in the standalone episodic format. By then, another Deep Space series set on a space station had started, but this time, the show would form a long continuing story arc throughout the entire series. Babylon 5 first aired in 1993, about a year after the first season of DS9, so it's possible it could've been around that time.

I'm probably a bit off the mark. I couldn't know for sure. The only person that could answer your question is Ira Steven Behr - the Trek producer who deserves the most credit for the Dominion story arc.

[Trek_Girl42]

Thanks for the answers guys.

[the Fifth Race]

Question:
Been watching the show and in "Rules of Aquisition" and "Sanctuary" there were both mentions of the Dominion, so does anyone know how early on the Dominion story was planned? Or was it one of those things where they mentioned something a few times in case they wanted to use it later without it just appearing out of nowhere?

You are almost there lady Trek. The very first mention of the Dominion was in the last episode of season II, titled simply The Jem'Hadar, it's also the first time we meet the Jem'Hadar and the Vorta. Brother MF is right we did discuss this awhile back where I had dug up a bunch of information about how Ira Steven Behr was the only writer of record in that wonderful episode.

I don't want to give away what happens in the episode or how the meeting occurs, but it was obvious that from the first introduction of the Dominion, they were going to play a big part in the series. I remember watching The Jem'Hadar when it originally aired thinking 'WOW!, these Jem'Hadar are bad-azz dudes', 'I can't wait to find out more about the Dominion'. Which was the buzz from most all DS9 fans.

At the beginning of season V Behr and TPTB got the go ahead from Paramount to do a season VI & VII. That is when they came up with the brilliant idea to turn seasons VI & VII into basically one long Dominion War storyline arc.

[Starbase]

You are almost there lady Trek. The very first mention of the Dominion was in the last episode of season II, titled simply The Jem'Hadar, it's also the first time we meet the Jem'Hadar and the Vorta. Brother MF is right we did discuss this awhile back where I had dug up a bunch of information about how Ira Steven Behr was the only writer of record in that wonderful episode.

The episode The Jem'Hadar (last episode of season 2) was exclusively written by Behr which like you suggested, it was the very first mention of the Dominion and introduced us to the Vorta and the mighty Jem'Hadar soldiers. Then the next two episodes (first and second episodes of season 3) titled The Search part's 1 & 2 actually introduced us to the Founders. Those 2 episodes were written by Ira Steven Behr and Robert Hewitt Wolfe.

At the beginning of season V Behr and TPTB got the go ahead from Paramount to do a season VI & VII. That is when they came up with the brilliant idea to turn seasons VI & VII into basically one long Dominion War storyline arc.

I must say at the beginning of season 5 when they decided to do basically one long story arc I was a little skeptical, but TPTB mixed in just enough stand alone episodes while keeping with the whole doom and gloom feel of an impending war with the Dominion, turned out to be genius, and in turn, IMO made seasons 5, 6 and 7 of DS9 the best Trek ever.

[the Fifth Race]

The episode The Jem'Hadar (last episode of season 2) was exclusively written by Behr which like you suggested, it was the very first mention of the Dominion and introduced us to the Vorta and the mighty Jem'Hadar soldiers. Then the next two episodes (first and second episodes of season 3) titled The Search part's 1 & 2 actually introduced us to the Founders. Those 2 episodes were written by Ira Steven Behr and Robert Hewitt Wolfe.

I remember at a Trek convention in San Francisco about 5 years ago, Behr and a handful of other Trek writers were there doing a question and answer session. He was asked a couple times about how the whole Dominion storyline line came about. It was originally his (Ira Steven Behr's) idea, he came up with the Jem'Hadar and Vorta as being the servants of a race of changelings called the Founders. He did not have the idea to do a full scale war with the Dominion until he knew he was going to get a season 6 & 7. Behr and couple other DS9 and Trek writers even played with the idea of bringing the Borg into the DS9 storyline where the Borg and Dominion were going to wage war on each other while the Federation tried to stay out of it making sure it didn't spill into the Alpha Quadrant. In hindsight I am glad they left the Borg out of the DS9 universe and let the storyline play out the way it did.

I must say at the beginning of season 5 when they decided to do basically one long story arc I was a little skeptical, but TPTB mixed in just enough stand alone episodes while keeping with the whole doom and gloom feel of an impending war with the Dominion, turned out to be genius, and in turn, IMO made seasons 5, 6 and 7 of DS9 the best Trek ever.

I was the opposite brother Base, I loved the idea of a long storyline arc stretching out over several seasons when it became obvious that war with the Dominion was imminent. By the end of season V, it was cyrstal clear that TPTB had hit a homerun with the way the storyline was going and the end result was just like you stated "the best Trek ever".