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Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

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File:Ds9.jpg
Space station Deep Space Nine.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (ST:DS9 or DS9 for short) is a science fiction television series produced by Paramount and set in the Star Trek universe. Most directly a spinoff of Star Trek: The Next Generation, it ran for seven seasons from 1993 to 1999.

This series is a departure from the established Star Trek formula; it is the first series not to feature the Enterprise and her crew. Instead, the series chronicles the events surrounding the space station Deep Space Nine, a former Cardassian ore processing station which has recently been placed under joint Bajoran and Federation control. In the first episode, the crew discovers the presence of a nearby stable wormhole which provides immediate travel to and from the distant Gamma Quadrant; this immediately makes the station an important tactical asset, as well as a vital center of commerce with the largely-unexplored area of space.

Inside the wormhole live aliens who exist beyond time and do not understand the linear nature by which other lifeforms experience it. These aliens are the Bajoran Prophets which are worshiped as gods by the people of Bajor, and the wormhole itself is the long-prophesied Celestial Temple. Commander Benjamin Sisko, who discovered the wormhole, becomes revered as the Emissary of the Prophets, a spiritual role with which he is not at all comfortable.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine inspires strong opinions from Star Trek fans. Some abandoned the series early on, dissatisfied by its grittier themes, while some contend that the series abandoned Trek creator Gene Roddenberry's original concepts (though it has been reported that Roddenberry approved the concept of the series just before his death). Others hold that it is still the most solidly written of the Star Trek series produced. Fans of the series are known as "Niners" (after a baseball team of the same name which appeared in a later episode of the series) and are quite protective of their show against criticism.

The show was never the tremendous ratings success that its predecessor had been, and indeed Entertainment Weekly in a mid-1990s article suggested that Star Trek would soon end its voyage, but it remained the top rated first-run syndicated drama series throughout most of its run and was successful enough that Paramount launched two more Trek series.

Plots

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine also differs from previous Star Trek series in that it contains story arcs which span several episodes. Other Star Trek series tend to largely restore the status quo at the end of an episode so that the episodes can be seen out-of-order without compromising their plot. Here, however, not only are events in one episode often referenced and built on in later episodes, but sometimes several episodes in a row would be cliffhangers. This trend is especially strong near the end of the series' run, by which time it has become very much a serial.

One such story arc is that of Benjamin Sisko's role as a religious icon. He initially faces it with open discomfort and skepticism, referring to the Bajoran Prophets simply as "wormhole aliens" and striving to keep his role as commander of the station distinct from any obligations which the Bajoran people try to place on him. Later he becomes more accepting of his role, and by the end of the series he appears to embrace it.

The episode "Rules of Acquisition" introduces the Dominion, a ruthless empire in the Gamma Quadrant. It is led by "the Founders," a race of shapeshifters known as changelings (the same race as station security chief Odo). They were once persecuted by non-shapeshifters (whom they call "solids") and they are now out to control any who are not like themselves. The Founders have created two races to serve them: the Vorta, sly and subversive diplomats; and the Jem'Hadar, strong and brave shock troops. These races worship the Founders as gods.

The Dominion invades the Alpha Quadrant, forms an uneasy alliance with Cardassia, and eventually goes to war with the other major races. Throughout the series, loyalties and alliances change repeatedly: alliances with the Cardassians are made, broken, and remade; a short conflict with the Klingons flares, and the Federation finds an alliance with the Romulans.

Another example of DS9's darker plot material is Section 31, a secret police division in Starfleet Intelligence. This undemocratic shadow organization justifies its unlawful, ethically questionable tactics by claiming that it is essential to the continued existence of the Federation. Section 31 is prominent in several episodes of the Dominion War plot.

The Ferengi in the series are no longer an enemy of the Federation, but rather an economic power whose political neutrality is mostly respected. Several episodes explore the capitalist nature of the Ferengi (usually with a comedic touch). They are guided in their lives and in their business transactions by the Rules of Acquisition.

The character of Jadzia Dax is a Trill; she is a young woman who has been joined with the Dax symbiont which is more than three hundred years old. This gives her the memories of seven previous lifetimes in which the symbiont was previously hosted by men and women. In the episode "Rejoined," Jadzia meets the wife of a previous male host, and the two women share a kiss.

Odo is a shapeshifter who handles station security with a strong sense of justice and fairness. He is driven by a desire to find other shapeshifters like himself and to find out where he came from. He eventually discovers that he is one of the Founders, and he is torn between a longing to reunite with his people and a love for Major Kira.

Worf, a character from Star Trek: The Next Generation, was added to the DS9 cast in the fourth season to help sagging ratings. Several episodes follow his efforts to balance his Klingon heritage with his Federation duty.

Themes

Deep Space Nine sheds some of the utopian themes that embodied the previous versions of Star Trek. It focuses more on war, religion, political compromise, and other modern issues.

The most prominent theme in the series is that of the deeply religious Bajoran people attempting to rebuild their world and their economy after years of oppression from Cardassia. The relationship between the Bajorans and the Cardassians is intentionally portrayed much like the relationship between the Jewish people and the Nazis; the Cardassians had put the Bajorans to work in forced slave labor camps under terrible conditions, killed them with impunity, and express regret that their actions aren't recognized as being for the good of Bajor. Deep Space Nine's first officer, Kira Nerys, was formerly an underground resistance leader responsible for many acts of sabotage and subversion and is required in her new role to learn diplomacy and patience.

The relationship between the Cardassians and the Bajorans can also be regarded as colonial in nature. Much like in Kipling's The White Man's Burden, the Cardassians believed themselves to be both technologically and culturally superior. According to Dukat, at the time of first contact, Cardassia was at least 400 years ahead of Bajor in every way. The Cardassians strip-mined Bajor and instituted forced labor camps under the guise of civilizing a lesser people. Guerilla tactics by Bajoran fighters led to the removal of their colonial shackles in the same way that many colonies gained their independence in the 1960s and 1970s.

The Star Trek universe protrayed in Deep Space 9 is one of power politics among the galaxy's great powers. Prior to the series, The Federation was showcased as a near utopian society guided by human rights. In contrast, The Federation in Deep Space 9 tries to balance its high ideals with the practical realities of intergalaxical politics. This theme speaks to the current state of international affairs, a mixture of power politics among states and rapidly growing avenues of international cooperation brought about by globalization.

Cast

Main characters

Recurring characters

Similarities to Babylon 5

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine bore a number of uncanny resemblances to the series Babylon 5. See: Similarities between Babylon 5 and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

See also

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