DS9 Stories/News: Of Trek and War (1)

Source: http://www.goth.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=14138&f=20

This is based on an idea from DarklyInclined, who was wondering how I might rate the rather protracted Dominion War featured in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine versus the one-season Xindi conflict (a subset of the much larger Temporal Cold War) as shown in Star Trek: Enterprise. I thought I’d also open the topic up to other wars in Trek, since those two weren’t quite the only wars shown in all of the series.

This will be a lengthy post. I’ve been working on it for a while now. I tend to write essays instead of simple replies; apologies in advance. Non-Trekkies who don’t really give a shit might want to head for another thread. For those Trekkies not well-versed in the subject matter, I will include links to pertinent data where applicable. Those who do choose read this, please bear with me.

You could make it more fun by taking a shot of your favorite alcoholic beverage anytime I bash Rick Berman & Brannon Braga (two of Trek’s longtime writers/producers, both of whom were blamed for Star Trek’s demise and the early cancellation of Enterprise, if not the near-total downfall of UPN itself) or anytime I mention Ronald D. Moore and Ira Steven Behr (two longtime Trek scribes who later moved on to Battlestar Galactica on SyFy) in a positive light. You’ll be happily plastered by post’s end.

Which did you think was done best: the Dominion War from DS9 or the Xindi conflict from Enterprise (or a different conflict featured in one of the other series, like the Klingon/Federation Cold War from TOS or the brief war against the Klingons in DS9 that served as a prelude to the Dominion War)?

Or, for a much more broad, open-ended question (if it suits you): do you think Star Trek handles a mature subject such as war well or poorly?

Dominion War

If you really don’t care about my lengthy diatribe on the Dominion War vs. the Xindi conflict (maybe because you didn’t live your entire life in your parents’ basement and you actually did have a social life), just skip past this and post your response already. Otherwise, feel free to keep reading.

Eh..?

I’ll open the discussion with my response…

…

I think Deep Space Nine handled the Dominion War fairly well. They didn’t just rush into it head-on. The writers gave it a great build-up, slowly tip-toeing into it, mentioning the Dominion here and there throughout Season Two (the Dominion were first mentioned in “Rules of Acquisition“, a Ferengi episode, no less!) before introducing us to their foot soldiers, the genetically-grown Jem’Hadar, in the Season 2 finale. Even after that, the Dominion didn’t quite take center stage yet, opting instead for a Cold War against the Alpha Quadrant powers, during which they covertly started two wars involving the Klingons – a war between the Klingons and the Cardassians (which the Maquis would get involved in) and renewed hostilities between the Klingons and the Federation. After destabilizing the Alpha Quadrant’s major powers, the Dominion finally invaded. Brilliant tactic! By then, the Federation was so shell-shocked from having to deal with wars on all borders (save the Romulan Neutral Zone) that they barely had the resources to fight the Dominion, a nigh-unstoppable force compared to the Federation.

Jem’Hadar

The Dominion seemed militarily superior in all respects: non-stop construction of warships while the Federation was still trying to convert aging exploration vessels into battleships; they could grow Jem’Hadar at an exponential rate (and even tailor-make them for warfare in that part of the galaxy) while Starfleet couldn’t recruit new officers fast enough; the Dominion were united while Starfleet was divided between the pacifists and the war-mongers (usually represented by a shadowy “rogue” group of Starfleet Intelligence called Section 31, a sort of Starfleet “Men in Black” that utilized very dirty tactics like assassinations, cover-ups and even genocide to preserve the Federation; this was the series’ attempt at exploring a darker side of Starfleet that I, for one, appreciated). Good mix of drama, tension and action all around, plus it was an interesting examination of the Federation through darker lenses than we’re used to.

Section 31

While Deep Space Nine’s executive producer, Rick Berman (Roddenberry’s hand-picked successor), wanted the Dominion War to last only three or four episodes tops, DS9′s lead writers – Ira Steven Behr and Ronald D. Moore (themselves chosen by Berman for their outstanding work on The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine, both of whom would later helm the Battlestar Galactica reboot and create its prequel series Caprica) – conned him into allowing the Dominion War to play out until its “natural” end, which came during the final episode of the series. Say what you will about the Dominion War as a storyline and how it diverges from Roddenberry’s utopian vision of the future or about Deep Space Nine as a series, I think the Dominion War worked successfully (mostly), given its purpose as a method of deconstructing Roddenberry’s notions of the Federation as a utopian society. Ira Steven Behr re-imagined Deep Space Nine as a darker, grittier version of Roddenberry’s vision, and given how the series was written before that (set aboard a Cardassian space station by Michael Pillar – the brain behind some of the best TNG episodes ever, including “The Best of Both Worlds” – who imagined the series as a “frontier town in space” filled with broken individuals, former terrorist “freedom fighters”, orphaned aliens and unscrupulous bartender/merchants), the series worked well as such. The Dominion War, while I admit it was rather protracted (and ultimately weakened the hell out of Season 7, when the writers had to figure out a quick way to end the war in only one season after building the story arc to be a lengthy epic), worked overall as the ultimate test of Roddenberry’s dream.

When such a dream – the notion of humankind striving to better itself through peace and cooperation – is threatened by outside forces, what will humanity endure to protect it? The approach to this was very realistic, from the major portions of the story (“Operation Return“, the re-taking of DS9 after it was taken over by the Dominion) to the humdrum day-to-day stuff (Sisko’s grim ritual of posting casualty reports from the war every Friday). Ultimately, the war took a bitter toll on everyone involved, especially Captain Sisko; he would later commit acts that many Trek fans consider cardinal sins against Roddenberry’s lofty ideals – specifically helping a former Cardassian spy murder a Romulan senator in cold blood and blame the Dominion for it in the masterpiece episode “In the Pale Moonlight” – just to bring a quicker resolution to the war by bringing the Romulans into it. By the series’ end, the Federation is saved, and all the major goals of the series – bringing an end to the Cardassian threat and putting Bajor on the fast-track to membership in the Federation – have been met, along with the added bonus of creating a tentative peace between the Federation, the Klingons and the Romulans. Additionally, Ira Steven Behr was able to inject a bit of Judaism into the story through the Bajorans and their Emissary (messiah figure), Benjamin Sisko, whose story arc Behr based loosely on Moses.

DS9 Stories/News: DS9 Stories/News: The Best of the Trek BBS DS9 Conversations (2): 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

Q: What is the Deep Space Nine Relaunch?
A series of books that began in 2001 and continues the series beyond “What You Leave Behind”. The name refers to a relaunch of the DS9 novels.The following is a list of the main titles in chronological order:The Left Hand of Destiny, Books One & Two
The Lives of Dax
Avatar, Books Ones &Two
Section 31: Abyss
Gateways #4: Demons of Air and Darkness
Gateways #7: What Lay Beyond: “Horn and Ivory”
Mission Gamma #1: Twilight
Mission Gamma #2: This Gray Spirit

Mission Gamma #3: Cathedral
Mission Gamma #4: Lesser Evil
Rising Son (actually takes place from “Avatar” through “Lesser Evil”)
Unity
Worlds of Deep Space Nine, Books One, Two & Three (to be released in 2004/05)

Note that in publication order the series starts with “Avatar”. “The Left Hand of Destiny” was released after “Rising Son”; “The Lives of Dax” several years earlier as trade paperback and reprinted as massmarket paperback together with “Rising Son”.

For a more comprehensive timeline that also includes many secondary titles, see this thread:
http://www.trekbbs.com/threads/showf…=5&o=7&fpart=1

4.) Miscellaneous

Q: What’s up with O’Brien’s rank?
He is enlisted, or a non-commissioned officer. That means he has special technical training, but didn’t take the more extensive courses required for officers. His rank was specified as “Chief Petty Officer” in “Hippocratic Oath”.
Technically an ensign outranks him, but because of his experience and long service time junior officers usually follow his orders.
The confusion about his rank has two main sources. Firstly he was referred to as Lieutenant early in TNG when the writers didn’t know what to do with the character. But in “Family” he was firmly established as NCO. Secondly his rank insignia was a hollow black pip early, which can be mistaken. That’s why he got a new insignia with chevrons in DS9’s fourth season.

Q: Why does Thomas Riker become so angry at O’Brien in “Defiant”?
The following is conjecture, but it’s the most common answer you get when you ask the question.

O’Brien is a talkative person who likes to chat about old times with past acquaintances, as seen in Tribunal or with Worf in general for example. So Thomas Riker couldn’t allow himself to get caught in a discussion with O’Brien and risk the possibility of events coming up in conversation that he didn’t experience. Acting in such a brash manner and sending O’Brien off the bridge was an effective way to avoid that.

O’Brien wouldn’t question a superior officer in front of his XO. He clearly had a reaction to Riker’s strange behavior when he left the airlock, but he didn’t act on it. Riker hijacked the Defiant shortly after, so the diversion didn’t need to last for long. By the time O’Brien might have become suspicious, the plan was already implemented. O’Brien might have made the connection when the Defiant’s warpcore became critical. But given the choice between a matter/anti-matter explosion next to the docking ring and following an unproven suspicion, safeguarding the station should always have priority.

Q: What’s wrong with Sisko’s combadge in “Rapture”?
It seems that Avery Brook’s uniform was either tailored incorrectly or he used one from “First Contact” that didn’t fit him. The combadge is in the correct place on his breast, but the uniform’s grey shoulder area was too large for him.

Q: What are the names of the Orbs of the Prophets?
There are nine original Orbs, plus a previously unknown Orb of the Emissary.
Established on TV:
1. Orb of Prophecy and Change
2. Orb of Wisdom
3. Orb of Time
4. Orb of Contemplation
Established in the novels:
5. Orb of Memory
6. Orb of Destiny
7. Orb of Truth
8. Orb of Souls
9. Orb of Unity

Q: What are the songs James Darren sang on the show?
You’re Nobody ‘Til Somebody Loves You: His Way
Come Fly With Me: His Way
I’ve Got You Under My Skin: His Way
Here’s To The Losers: Tears Of The Prophets
All The Way: Image In The Sand
I’ll Be Seeing You: It’s Only A Paper Moon
It’s Only A Paper Moon: It’s Only A Paper Moon
I’ve Got The World On A String: It’s Only A Paper Moon
The Alamo: Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang
The Best Is Yet To Come: Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang
The Way You Look Tonight: What You Leave Behind

After the show ended James Darren recorded a album called “This One’s From the Heart” that includes some of these songs, as well as a few others.

Q: What is the origin of Alexander Siddig’s name and why did he change his name midway through the series?

The origin of Sid’s name:
Siddig El Fadil is Sid’s western name. It’s the name on all the official documents, etc. El means “son of,” Fadil (pronounced Fah-dill). Fadil is actually Sid’s paternal grandfather. Siddig (pronounced Sih-Dig) is actually his paternal great grandfather. Sid’s parents didn’t actually choose the name for him… the elder women of the town Sid was born in (Omdurman) actually chose the name.

There are no “family” names per se in middle eastern culture. If Sid were to have a true family name, it would probably be Mahdi, Mahdi being the name of the famous Sudanese Holy man who fought the English during the Sudan campaigns in the 1800s (that’s Sid’s great great grandfather).

Siddig’s birth name is the following:
Siddig El Tahir El Fadil El Siddig El Abderahman El Mohammed Ahmed El Abdel Karim El Mahdi.

When Sid’s mother moved him to England, they chose El Fadil as his surname.

Why Sid changed his name:
The reason for this was two-fold:

1) Sid’s mother had always wanted to give him a part Arab, part European name. Since people were clearly having problems with Sid’s name, he decided to change his name.

2) At the time he was also fighting with Viacomm over merchandising rights and thought changing his name would be a great way to stick it to them, because all the merchandise would have to be changed. He actually considered changing it every season. Thank god for the cool heads who told him it was a bad idea (one of them being his girlfriend at the time, Nana Visitor).

Q: Which runabouts were destroyed when during the show?

Battle Lines: Yangtzee Kiang (replaced by Orinoco)
Armageddon Game: Ganges (replaced by Mekong)
The Die is Cast: Mekong (replaced by Rubicon)
Our Man Bashir: Orinoco (replaced by Yukon)
The Ship: unnamed
Nor the Battle to the Strong: unnamed
The Ascent: crashed but probably recovered, possibly Rio Grande
By Inferno’s Light: Yukon
Empok Nor: unnamed
Valiant: Shenandoah
Penumbra: Gander

Only the Rio Grande survived from beginning to end.
All runabouts are named after Earth rivers. The ship class is called Danube class.
The Gander was originally supposed to be the Ganges, but then someone remembered that this name was already used. So it was dubbed over with a similar name.

Q: What are the Ferengi Rules of Acquisition?
The Rules of Acquisition are a strict codex of behavior every Ferengi is bound to. Quoting all 285 rules here would be too much, so just follow this link:
http://ds9encyclopedia.0catch.com/rules.htm

Q: Why does DS9 have a 26 hour day?
The station is Bajoran property and uses a the local timekeeping system parallel to Federation stardates. Bajor rotates around its axis within 26 instead of 24 hours, so its days are longer.
That is the reason why characters think of 2 days in 52 hours or 3 days in 78 hours. Sometimes you might also catch a reference to suspiciously late dinner times (for Earth standards).

Q: Links to DS9 related websites:
DS9 Encyclopedia & Lexicon: http://ds9encyclopedia.0catch.com/
Jammer’s reviews: http://www.st-hypertext.com/
Avatar website (DS9 Relaunch): http://www.angelfire.com/trek/avatar/main.html
Music videos: http://www.lcarscom.net/vicslounge.htm

Official websites:
Alexander Siddig (SidCity): http://www.sidcity.net/
James Darren: http://www.jamesdarren.com/
Chase Masterson: http://www.chasemasterson.com/
Nana Visitor : http://www.nanavision.com/
Casey Biggs: http://www.caseybiggs.com/index.html
Robert Hewitt Wolfe: http://www.rhwolfe.com/
Mark Allen Shepherd: http://garrisonent.com/morn/
Jeffrey Combs: www.jeffreycombs.com

DS9 Stories/News: Far Beyond the Stars Review (2)

Episode Guide/Review by Christopher Jones

Season 6, Episode 13
Stardate Unknown (2374) and September 1953

Episode 136 of 173 Released in Deep Space Nine
Episode 135 of 173 Released in Deep Space Nine
Production Number: 40510-538
Original airdate: February 11, 1998

Directed by Avery Brooks
Story by Marc Scott Zicree
Teleplay by Ira Steven Behr & Hans Beimler

Benny continues to fight for his beliefs through most of the story, but towards the end, after he had written six more DS9 stories that featured the black captain, his colleagues suggest to him that self publishing with a small press would be a way to get his work out there. He doesn’t like the idea, and someone else suggests that he might as well write the story on the sidewalk in chalk. “More people would read it that way.”

While he ponders this, it is also suggested that he make the story end with the revelation that the whole thing was a dream. That way it’s not real. (Kind of reminds me of Newhart or that great episode of NewsRadio in which the whole radio station—and all the people in it—turned out to be a daydream of Mr. James.) Of course, this implies that the dream of blacks in America to be treated as equals with others is not worthwhile. Benny can see this and doesn’t like the idea of selling out, but when asked what he ultimately thinks, he replies, “I think it’s better than chalk on a sidewalk.”

So he makes the story a dream and Pabst agrees to run it. Benny goes out with Cassie (Penny Johnson—Kassidy Yates) to celebrate, but is harshly reminded of his place in society when he is brutaly beaten by white police officers when he confronts them for killing a black teenager who he knew (Cirroc Lofton—Jake Sisko). It takes him weeks to recover enough to leave home.

Finally, on the day the publication was to be picked up from the printers, Benny makes a trip to the office. Unfortunately, Pabst comes back empty-handed, informing everyone that the publisher had the whole run pulped and that there will be no issue for the month. Even worse, Benny is fired. Knowing that the publisher’s racist views are the reason the issue was scrapped, Benny goes into a tirade:

“I am a human being,” he says. “You can deny me all you want, but you cannot deny Ben Sisko. He exists. That future, that space station, all of those people, they exist, in my mind. I created it.

“You can pulp a story, but you cannot destroy an idea. Don’t you understand? That’s ancient knowledge. You cannot destroy an idea.”

And with that outburst of emotion, he collapses. Benny had become so confused as to whether he was Benny Russell or Benjamin Sisko, and so stressed over his fight to be seen as simply a person, not just a “black” person, that his body could take no more.

We are then taken to a view of a barely conscious Sisko being rushed to the hospital, accompanied by a preacher (Brock Peters—Joseph Sisko) who he had encountered several times earlier. And here the entire episode is summed up in one brief exchange:

“Tell me please,” said Benny/Sisko, “who am I?”

“Don’t you know?” replied the preacher. “You are the dreamer—and the dream.”

Had the episode ended there, it would have been perfect. What an ending. But the writers took it a step farther and used Benny/Sisko’s experience to make us question who we all are—not limited just to the plight of black’s in America. Talking to his father back on the station, peering out of the porthole, Sisko ponders:

“But I have to wonder, What if it wasn’t a dream? What if this life we’re leading—all of this—you and me, everything—what if this is the illusion? Maybe we are nothing more than figments of his imagination. For all we know, at this very moment, somewhere far beyond all those distant stars, Benny Russell is dreaming of us.”

 

Strengths

“Far Beyond the Stars” is without a doubt one of Star Trek’s finest moments. The story itself is so strong and so well put-together that it works on a whole other level. It’s one of those stories that essentially transcends Star Trek—much like “The Visitor” (DS9) and “The Inner Light” (TNG)—though in this case it probably couldn’t work without the Trek elements due to the Sisko tie-in. An added bonus—and delicate touch—that we get in this episode are the many lines sprinkled here and there, delivered by the preacher, that connect this vision that Sisko is having with his role as the Emissary of the Prophets.

The message is so well presented, without the concern for ruffling feathers by using terms or situations considered taboo in our politically correct society of today. “Far Beyond the Stars” is refreshing. The decision to hand the director’s job to Avery Brooks, despite the fact that he is in every scene, lends to the story a certain identifiable connection with the reality of racism that could have been lost had direction gone to the hands of someone without the real life experience.

Additionally, the fact that the story takes us through the hardships, hopes, and search for identity of blacks in America but then goes beyond that to address the search for identity that we all struggle with as living beings provides the added dimension that makes “Far Beyond the Stars” more than just another commentary on racism, but a commentary on the feeling of insiginificance humanity faces as we learn how vast the universe really is.

Flaws

None really. Avery Brooks said in the Deep Space Nine Companion that this should have been a two-parter. I tend to agree that they could have done even greater things with this story, but it is great as it is. For a little more detail, pick up a copy of the novelization by Steven Barnes, which is also excellent.

Additional Thoughts

One of the things that makes Deep Space Nine such a special part of the Star Trek universe is the way in which the ideas that it explores is so much larger than what we get in the other series. Certainly all of the Star Trek series have addressed racism in various ways, but I don’t believe any episode delivers as poignant a message as this one. Not only that, but—as DS9 so often does—the bigger picture is always in play here as well. We see Benny’s colleagues and Sisko’s crew shift in and out of realities at key moments, and even Sisko’s role within the Bajoran religion is not lost on the streets of 1953 New York. And, as we will see later in the series, this little excursion to the past will play a role in the resolution of the larger DS9 story.

Memorable Quotes

“Wishing never changed a damn thing.” —Benny

“The Lord, God of the spirit of the Prophets that sent an angel to show his servants what must soon take place.” —The preacher to Benny, further mixing one reality with another.

“Ewww! She’s got a worm in her belly. That’s disgusting! That’s interesting; but disgusting.”
—Pabst’s secretary Darlene, who is the basis for Dax in Benny’s DS9 stories.

“Calm down dear boy. We’re writers, not Vikings.” —Julius to his agitated colleagues.

“This is only the beginning of your journey, not the end.” —Words of wisdom from the preacher to Benny.

“It’s not about what’s right, it’s about what is.” —Pabst to Benny when telling him that the publisher no longer requires Benny’s services.

“Rest easy, Brother Benny. You have walked in the path of the Prophets. There is no greater glory.”
—The preacher to Benny as he is being rushed to the hospital after his breakdown.

“You are the dreamer—and the dream.” —Preacher to Benny

Remember

Benny Russell. It’s not the last time we’ll see him.

Final Word

“Far Beyond the Stars” is one of Star Trek’s finest moments. It makes a strong statement in an elegant way. Avery Brooks does a fantastic job both directing and acting, and it is wonderful to see the DS9 cast out of makeup. The entire thread of the story is superbly crafted, weaving delicately between 1950s New York and the 24th century. Without a doubt one of a small handful of Trek episodes that everyone—fan or not—must see.