DS9 Stories/News: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – Leeta’s Love Life

Source: http://thehathorlegacy.com/star-trek-deep-space-nine-%E2%80%93-leeta%E2%80%99s-love-life/

by Revena on September 14, 2006

I want to continue with my series about the female characters of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (see the previous article, “Jadzia’s Gender,” here) without too much of a gap between articles, but, of course, I’ve been insanely busy for the last few weeks, and haven’t had any time to do the prep work for another article, much less write one.

So I’m gonna cheat a little bit, and write about Leeta (played by Chase Masterson). This is easy, because while I think Leeta is great (there are not many DS9 characters that I wouldn’t describe as great, really), she does get a lot less screen time than most of the other female characters, and what I want to say about her is comparatively easy to express. It goes a little something like this:

Leeta is sexy. She is played by a lovely actress, she is usually dressed in low-cut and/or tight-fitting costumes, and her job is linked to her sexuality – she’s a dabo girl at Quark’s. Leeta is also sexual. In her first appearance on the show (in the third season episode “Explorers”), she flirts quite openly with Dr. Julian Bashir, whom she later dates. The two eventually break up, without acrimony, on Risa, where Leeta is shown enjoying a sensual encounter with another man (“Let He Who is Without Sin”¦” in season five).

Sexuality isn’t the only thing Leeta’s got going for her – she has a strong sense of justice (she becomes quite involved in the formation of the Guild of Restaurant and Casino Employees), she is friendly and seems to have many platonic relationships, and though she can be a bit flighty, she’s no dummy.

But her sexual energy is definitely one of her most marked traits. And even though that’s the case, Leeta winds up with one of the happiest endings on the show by the end of the series. She hasn’t had any traumatic injuries, and her emotional trauma is no worse than that which affects any other character (Leeta loses friends to violence, but so does everyone else on DS9). She’s fallen in love, had that love returned, and gotten married. She gets along well with her new husband’s family. And, in the second-to-last episode of the series, that husband is named Grand Nagus of the Ferengi Alliance. Leeta gets love, health, and a husband who is politically powerful (and, presumably, a comfortable living as well).

How many other sexy, sexual female characters can you think of on television that end up so well? The sexy woman is usually the victim, or at least the recipient of some shaming or punishment from other characters on the show. She needs to be taught a lesson, made to pay, reformed, exposed as the slut she is – or else her sexiness needs to be linked somehow to a violent death or assault, in the constant sexualization of violence that we consumers and producers of Western media are so invested in.

There certainly are other female characters who are as flirty and as sensual as Leeta, and who wind up with happy endings anyway – but not many. As a person who doesn’t believe that there’s anything wrong with healthy expressions of adult sexuality, I’ll take all the Leetas on TV that I can get.

DS9 Stories/News: Design Appreciation, The Costumes of Deep Space Nine (3)

Cont.

Near future

A lot of movies and TV shows have tackled near future attire with disasterous results, going too far afield over too short a time. DS9 handled this masterfully in Past Tense (Season 3, Episode 11) when part of the crew is transported to 2024. Costumers wisely used restraint, kept the general, expected look of a unisex formal pant suit, but redesigned the necktie as a slim patterned piece of material inside the collar.

The future is asymmetric

Go far enough into the future, though, and many of the uniforms aren’t uniform and much of the leisurewear is on a slant. Asymmetrial collars, necklines and hemlines were a frequent style factor in DS9 costumes.

Fancy dress

You might not expect a space station to offer a lot of opportunity for black tie affairs. But then, you’d be forgetting about the holodeck, where all things are possible. Excursions to the halodecks in Quark’s bar gave the crew plenty of chances to dress in tuxedos and gowns as they took part in Bond-style escapades, and a 1962 Las Vegas lounge simulation, even getting to pull off a sting as Deep Space Nine‘s Eight. Off of the station, Bajoran women were dressed in gowns to serve as ‘companions’ to their Cardassian oppressors during the occupation.

Some holodeck programs let the costume crew go all out in ways they’d never dream of without one.

The Dabo Girl

DS9 must be one of very few shows of its time (1993-1999) to come up with a clever way to confuse the censors with a nearly constant parade of not quite naked ladies in the Dabo girl. Dabo girls worked as waitresses and at the gaming tables of Quark’s bar, barely dressed in costumes meant to distract the gamblers. We’ve got a Dabo girl gallery for you here.

Other scantily-clads were not contracted to Quark, but were for hire in other ways.

Some exceptions snuck in, again made possible by the holodeck, and a casino setting overrun by gangsters was ripe for a GoGo girl whose hips moved fast enough to make the pre-watershed cut.

Elsewhere, the more family-friendly female crew and guests often wore skintight catsuits while the men wore inoffensive wrap shirts when off duty.

DS9 Stories/News: Deep Space Nine Celebrity Guest Pictures (18)

Martha Hackett as T’Rul in two Deep Space Nine Episodes “The Search Parts 1 & 2″

Martha Hackett (born 21 February 1961; age 51) is an actress from Boston, Massachusetts, best known for her role of Seska on thirteen episodes of Star Trek: Voyager. She also appeared in two episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine as a Romulan, portrayed a character in a deleted scene of the Star Trek: The Next Generation finale and provided her voice in five Star Trek video games.

Her entry into the Star Trek universe came when she auditioned for the role of Jadzia Dax on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Although she didn’t end up getting the part, which went to Terry Farrell, the producers did like something about her and she was called back to play the Terrellian pilot Androna in the series finale of Star Trek: The Next Generation, “All Good Things…” Unfortunately, her storyline was cut from the final production. An image of her was printed in the Star Trek Monthly issue 26 and her costume from this appearance was sold off on the It’s A Wrap! sale and auction on eBay.

Courtesy of Memory Alpha.org

A few months later she was called in to play Subcommander T’Rul, a Romulan on Deep Space Nine, in the episodes “The Search, Part I” and “The Search, Part II“. It was then a director called her, saying they wanted her for a role coming up later that season, on the new Trek series Star Trek: Voyager.

Subcommander T’Rul was a Romulan officer temporarily assigned to the USS Defiant, in 2371, to operate and guard a cloaking device her government had loaned to the Federation for covert exploration of the Gamma Quadrant.

Upon being introduced by Benjamin Sisko to the senior staff of Deep Space 9 she bluntly told him that she “was not here to make friends”.

T’Rul was the first Romulan character to appear in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. It is unknown what happened to T’Rul after the Defiant returned to Deep Space 9, as she is not mentioned or seen again after “The Search, Part II“, nor is it made clear why the notoriously secretive Romulans no longer had an operative to guard the cloaking device.

…

Annette Helde appeared as the Romulan Karina in DS9 Ep “Visionary” as well as a guest role in DS9 Ep. “The Siege of AR-558″ as Lieutenant Nadia Larkin

Karina was a Romulan diplomat in the Romulan Star Empire in the late 24th century.

In 2371, she and Ruwon traveled to Deep Space 9 to receive Starfleet‘s intelligence on the Dominion. The sharing of this data was part of the deal that had been agreed upon earlier that year. The Romulans had installed a cloaking device on the USS Defiant to help the ship to penetrate Dominion space and make First Contact with the Founders. Secretly, a Romulan warbird was also sent, under cloak, to the station.

Courtesy of Memory Alpha.org

Karina was played by Star Trek regular Annette Helde.

Annette Helde (born 14 November 1956; age 55) is an actress who appeared in two Star Trek spin-off series and in Star Trek: First Contact. In addition she voiced a character in the 1996 video game Star Trek: Klingon.

Lieutenant Nadia Larkin
DS9: “The Siege of AR-558“
DS9: “It’s Only a Paper Moon“

DS9 Stories/News: So You Want To Watch Star Trek: DS9? – Season 3

Source: http://directgeek.com/2011/11/so-you-want-to-watch-star-trek-ds9-season-3/

Previously: A primer on the series, a guide to season 1, and a guide to season 2.

And now: the third season. This post is a few days late because I was running from the truth. And the truth, Internet, is that I want you to watch every episode. The first episode I cut from the list was a relatively easy call. The second broke my heart a little. By the third, I was at a total loss. I just started hacking and slashing the things I love. I cut an episode with Garak in it. Ignore this post, Internet. Watch it all.

3×01-02: The Search parts 1& 2:

Part 1 of this pair is about the futility of bargaining with any organization that calls itself something like The Dominion, and also about the social dynamics of a pudding-based species. Part 2 is an episode about how everyone subconsciously trusts and respects Garak, but is too shy to tell him so. Once again, I am not even making this up.

These episodes whittle further down to the core of these characters, to how ugly they can be, how obstinate, and how morally courageous.  Most importantly, we get to meet the USS Defiant. Just don’t get too attached.

Thankfully, it has a hot twin.

3×03: The House of Quark:

I’m just going to spoil this because it’s amazing: Quark marries a Klingon. How can you not watch that, how, how, how, how. 

How??

And in a sincerely unexpected twist, Doctor Bashir gives good relationship advice.

3×05: Second Skin:

This show is full of the loss, adoption, and construction of family, and this episode covers each of those bases. As Americans are about to remember on Thanksgiving, any good family reunion requires deception, yelling, the danger of physical violence, and Cardassians. At least, that’s what my Thanksgiving is going to be like.

Everyone is hotter as a Cardassian.

3×11-12: Past Tense parts 1&2:

Due to Science, Sisko and Bashir are sent back in time to attend Occupy San Francisco. Dax befriends Bill Gates.

Actually, you know what, I don’t want to be flippant about this one. If you’ve ever doubted that genre television can be socially and politically relevant, can be substantive, can be enduringly important, then watch these episodes.

“It’s not your fault that things are the way they are.” / “Everybody tells themselves that. And nothing ever changes.”

More importantly, if you can’t fathom why people protesting on the streets are worried, cynical, pessimistic, scared about the future, why they’re trying to do something to change it, then watch these episodes.

3×13: Life Support:

So for a while now Kira’s had this really boring boyfriend, and I’ve been ignoring him on account of how boring he is. In this episode, however, he’s actually likable! He’s especially likable at the end. Kai Winn helps his to become more likable, and so I like her more too! There’s a lot of liking going on in this one.

3×18: Distant Voices:

Bashir dreams extensively about growing old with Garak.

There’s some subtext.

And then this happens.

Look at this adorable bastard.

He has his napkin tucked into his collar, people. Elim Garak, former Cardassian oppressor, has tucked his napkin into his collar for the duration of this meal. This meal of Kraft Easy Mac and coffee. More than tucking, he has folded the napkin so that it doesn’t ruin the lines of his outfit, but rather forms a sort of napkin-cravat hybrid.  Feared by the Federation, scorned by the Cardassian Empire, Elim Garak tucks and folds his napkin, savors his Easy Mac, and does not give a single fuck.

3×19: Through the Looking Glass:

We return to the land of everyone’s a huge slut! Sisko faces down Mirror! Bashir’s horrifying wig.

Why. Why. Why.

3×20-21: Improbable Cause and The Die is Cast:

God, these episodes. Especially in the first, there’s just not a moment wasted. Which is apt, in a two-parter that’s all about control.  Odo and Garak, two characters near-pathologically obsessed with controlling how others see them, see each other get torn right down to the bones. It’s brutal. It’s essential.

Oh, and in Garak’s absence, Bashir tries to see other people. It’s rough.

What an unclassy way to tuck your napkin, Chief.

3×23: Family Business:

Quark’s mom has got it going on.

3×25: Facets:

This cast, Internet. This cast is just having a ball and looking good doing it.

So it turns out that joined Trill all go through this ritualized therapy session where they commune with their past selves by allowing dead people to take over the bodies of their living friends. Human therapists, take note: this is a great practice!

Amidst these undead slug people, and the really very wonderful b-plot concerning Nog’s Starfleet aspirations, we have a simple story of people who just need to know that someone believes in them, in their potential certainly, but also in their present person, the worth of who they are in this moment. For all the talk that DS9 is the darkest Trek, episodes like this show its very Roddenberry, humanist heart.

3×26: The Adversary:

In which shit begins to get real.

From the first season to the last, there is a slow burn of building paranoia, and in this episode it begins to come into the forefront. In a great set-up for the fourth season, this episode pokes and jabs at the delicate trust that’s been built between the mixed Starfleet and Bajoran crew. The erosion of the Federation crew’s easy and passive morality begins. And a Bolian gets a speaking role.

You know. Briefly.

In the next post: WOORF! Dax’s ex-wife! Fake secret agents! Real secret agents! Garak wears a tuxedo! Dukat becomes a pirate! Bashir is the worst doctor ever! Sisko’s dead wife! Changelings everywhere! WOOOOOORF!

 

DS9 Stories/News: The Best of the Trek BBS DS9 Conversations (1): Deep Space Nine FAQ

Source: http://www.trekbbs.com/showthread.php?t=28304

Deep Space Nine What We Left Behind, we will always have here.

Deep Space Nine FAQ

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1.) Introduction:This FAQ is targeted towards people who haven’t seen the show before. Therefore it only contains a minimum number of spoilers. For example the character descriptions contain the characters’ initial positions but don’t reveal their development throughout the show. Nonetheless there is also information for people who saw all episodes. Because we didn’t want to severely reduce the number of discussions in the forum, we didn’t go into too much detail and cut down the questions to ones that either come up often or that appeal to first time viewers.

Fairly Odd Trek by Frenchie 1941

2.) Characters and actors:

Q: Who are the characters and what are their positions?

Main cast:
Benjamin Lafayette Sisko: Commander and later Captain of DS9 and the Defiant
Kira Nerys: Executive Officer, liaison to the Bajoran provisional government
Jadzia Dax: Science Officer, pilot of the Defiant
Miles Edward O’Brien: Chief of Operations
Julian Subatoi Bashir: Chief Medical Officer
Worf: Strategic Operations Officer and First Officer of the Defiant
Jake Sisko: Benjamin Sisko’s son, aspiring writer and journalist
Odo: Chief of Security
Quark: owner of “Quark’s Bar, Grill, Gaming House and Holosuite Arcade”, president of the Promenade Merchant Association

Important recurring characters:
Morn: Quark’s most loyal customer, owner of a shipping business
Rom: Quark’s brother
Nog: Rom’s son
Zek: Grand Nagus (leader) of the Ferengi
Ishka: mother of Quark and Rom, nicknamed Moogie
Brunt: liquidator for the Ferengi Commerce Authority (FCA)
Leeta: dabo girl
Garak: tailor with a questionable background, exiled from Cardassia
Gul Dukat: former commander of the space station, Prefect over Bajor during the Occupation
Damar: Dukat’s adjutant
Martok: Klingon General
Weyoun: Vorta field commander
Gowron: Klingon Chancellor
Winn Adami: a religious leader on Bajor
Bareil Antos: Bajoran monk
Shakaar Edon: leader of the Shakaar resistance cell during the Bajoran Occupation
Vice Admiral William J. Ross: Starfleet field commander along the Cardassian border
Lt.Cmd. Michael Eddington: Starfleet security officer
Joseph Sisko: Benjamin Sisko’s father
Keiko O’Brien: Chief O’Brien’s wife, schoolteacher, botanist
Kasidy Yates: freighter captain
Vic Fontaine: A holographic program of a Las Vegas lounge singer

Q: What is the order of the hosts of the Dax symbiont?
Lela, Tobin, Emony, Audrid, Torias, Joran, Curzon, Jadzia Q: Which actors had multiple roles?
The two most prominent recurring actors on DS9 are Jeffrey Combs and J.G. Hertzler.

Combs is best known as Brunt and Weyoun. He also played Tiron in “Meridian” and Mulkahey in “Far Beyond the Stars”. On the other Star Trek shows he can be seen as Penk in VOY’s “Tsunkatse”, Krem in ENT’s “Acquisition” and Shran – a recurring character on ENT.

J.G. Hertzler’s most prominent role is Martok. Additionally he played the Vulcan Captain of the Saratoga in “Emissary”, Laas in “Chimera” and Roy in “Far Beyond the Stars”. Outside of DS9 he can be seen as a Hirogen in VOY’s “Tsunkatse” and as Kolos in ENT’s “Judgment”.

To see Casey Biggs (Damar) and Robert O’Reilly (Gowron) out of makeup watch “Shadows and Symbols” and “Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang”. Biggs plays Dr. Wycoff in the former, and O’Reilly is the one who drinks the poisoned martini in the latter episode.

Q: Which characters were played by multiple actors?
Ziyal was played by Cyia Batten in “Indiscretion” and “Return to Grace”, by “Tracy Middendorf in “For the Cause”, and Melanie Smith in all other episodes. Batten was replaced because the writers wanted an older actress and Middendorf couldn’t handle the makeup.Senator Cretak was played by Megan Cole in “Image in the Sand” and “Shadows and Symbols”, and by Adrienne Barbeau in “Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges”. This time the change was necessary because Cole wasn’t available for the third episode.Ishka was played by Andrea Martin in “Family Business”, and by Cecily Adams in “Ferengi Love Songs”, “The Magnificent Ferengi”, “Profit and Lace”, and “The Dogs of War”.

3.) TV, DVDs and books:

Q: Which TNG episodes relate to Deep Space Nine?
Several TNG episodes set up backstory for DS9:

- Benjamin Sisko:
Best of Both Worlds, Parts I & II
- Maquis:
Journey’s End
Preemptive Strike
- Bajorans:
Ensign Ro
- Cardassians:
The Wounded (also O’Brien)
Chain of Command, Part II
- Trill:
The Host (largely contradicted by DS9)
- Klingons/Worf:
Sins of the Father
Reunion
Redemption, Parts I & II
- Crossovers:
Birthright, Part I (Bashir)
Firstborn (Quark)

However watching these episodes isn’t required to understand DS9. All necessary information is repeated.

Q: Is there a difference between the one-part and two-part versions of the pilot and the finale?
Yes. “Emissary”, “The Way of the Warrior” and “What You Leave Behind” were shot as one episode each. For the reruns in syndication they were split into two parts. This made it necessary to cut material to make room for a second credit sequence. The cuts are as follows:Emissary
A last visit by O’Brien to the Enterprise and his farewell to Picard
Cardassians scanning the station and detecting unexpected weapons
The Way of the Warrior
O’Brien and Bashir play around with beans in Quark’s
A holodeck scene with Dax and Kira in swimsuits
What You Leave Behind
The rebels are laughing and joking because they can’t enter Dominion HQ
The farewell between Bashir and Garak
Additionally several scenes around the middle are rearranged to end the two-part version on a cliffhanger

Q: What are the differences between the Region 1 and Region 2 DVD sets?
The R2 sets include several bonus features, which are only available as extra DVDs from BestBuy affiliated shops in R1.
Additionally two episodes are cut in R2. Season 4’s “To the Death” has 6 seconds cut from the neck breaking scene (the actual twisting can’t be seen). In Season 6’s “Sons and Daughters” 25 seconds were cut from the blood sharing scene at the end.
The R2 DVDs also come with a “Virtual Space Station” CD-ROM set; one CD per season. It’s a reference guide to events, characters, episodes and other items.
Other changes like different case designs or booklets are only cosmetic.

DVDs from different regions are incompatible for technical reasons. You need a region-free DVD player that can be switched between PAL and NTSC to watch them

Q: What features can be found on the Best Buy discs?

Season 1:
The Deep Space Nine Scrapbook – A look at the creation and launch of Deep Space Nine. Features archival cast and crew interviews and behind-the scenes-footage.
Season 2:
Quark’s Story – A look at the character Quark and the origin of the Ferengi.
Season 3:
The U.S.S. Defiant – An in-depth look at the “tough little ship” that debuted in Season 3
Season 4:
Bob Blackman’s Designs of the Future – Veteran Costume Designer Bob Blackman discusses the wide range of costumes he created for the series – from Bajorans, Cardassians, and Ferengi to a constant stream of aliens visiting the station. Includes behind-the-scenes footage of rarely seen sketches.
Sketchbook: Jim Martin – Illustrator Jim Martin reveals the meaning and evolution of many of his artistic designs used for DS9. Includes rarely seen drawings of Ferengi props, starships, and alien worlds.
DS9 Chronicles: Short introductions to selected episodes from seasons 1-4, narrated by Deep Space Nine actors
Season 5:
DS9 Sketchbook: John Eaves – A look at original and unused designs created for Season 5 of DS9.
Ferengi Culture – Executive Producer Ira Steven Behr explains how the Ferengi evolved from their debut on The Next Generation through the end of Deep Space Nine.
Season 6:
Inside “One Little Ship” – Visual Effects wizard Gary Hutzel provides an in-depth look at filming and designing the shrunken shuttlepod featured in “One Little Ship”
Ferengi Rules of Acquisition: The Beginning – Armin Shimerman and Ira Steven Behr discuss the cultural impact of the “Rules” on society.
Ferengi Rules of Acquisition: The Sequel – Armin Shimerman and Max Grodenchik explore the Ferengi rules accompanied by clips played back to back in numerical order.
Season 7:
Special Crew Profile: Ezri – A special profile of Nicole deBoer, a new cast member added in the final season.
Morn Speaks! – Mark Allen Shepherd talks about his unique role on the series and reveals dialogue that was written but never made the final cut.
Sketchbook: John Eaves – Illustrator John Eaves covers several designs created for the final season of DS9, including the Breen Ship.

Q: Are there special Asian editions of the DS9 DVD Boxed Sets?

No, those DVDs you see on EBay are pirated versions of the official sets. There are no Paramount liscenced Asian versions of the DVDs.

Q: How is the quality of the Asian DVD sets?

Pretty low quality. They’re grainy, and have a bad tendency to break up, much resembling the errors you get when a disk is dirty. Also, many episodes cut off prematurely.

Q: Do the movies make references to Deep Space Nine?
Yes

First Contact:
The Defiant is featured extensively in the Borg battle
Worf is thus brought to the Enterprise
Riker mocks Worf if he can still fire phasers, referring to his absence from the ship
Insurrection:
Picard wonders about discipline on DS9 when Worf oversleeps
Picard mentions that the diplomatic corps is busy with Dominion negotiations
The Son’a are known as producers of Ketracel White (also mentioned in “Penumbra”)
Ru’afo mentions the Dominion among powers that challenged the Federation
Nemesis:
Remans were used by the Romulans as cannon fodder during the Dominion War
Shinzon commanded a ship during the war

Q: What is the Deep Space Nine Companion?
A book with episodes synopses, interviews with writers and actors, and behind the scenes information. The Companion is a very good source for background information on Deep Space Nine, as well as the writing and production of a weekly television series in general.
It is out of print but still available from Amazon.com either used or new.
The book is not to be confused with the CD-ROM of the same name. The CD contains episode scripts, pictures, and trailers.