

In "Lower Decks," the phenomenon of the wormhole and the now-famous space station is treated almost like a tourist destination, but it ultimately becomes a climactic plot point that ties together the various storylines in the episode.
DEEP SPACE NINE STATION SERIES
Worshipped by the Bajorans for hosting their holy "prophets" (in reality, extradimensional aliens residing within the cosmic structure), the wormhole allowed the writers of the series to insert their own fresh twist on time-honored "Trek" traditions like first contact, time travel, exploring unknown parts of the galaxy, and much, much more. Hopefully, you will give it another look soon.The series premiere of "Deep Space Nine" introduced the concept of a stable wormhole discovered in close proximity to the space station, allowing instant passage between the Alpha and Gamma Quadrants and turning this relatively unknown corner of the galaxy into the most important strategic location in two separate quadrants. Now that serialization has become the norm, people will find the story of DS9 surprisingly modern. The show’s serialization was a hindrance to its success when it first aired. Andoria Bajor Captains Table Deep Space 9 Deep Space K-7 Defera Drozana Station Earth Space Dock Fleet Embassy Fleet Mine Fleet Spire Fleet Starbase (Fed). It deserved a bigger audience then and deserves a second life now in streaming. However, that is not a reflection, in any way, on the show itself. Xenophobia is a near constant as several races, including Cardassians, Bajorans, Ferengi, and Shapeshifters, face various kinds of restrictions and discrimination.Ĭircumstances worked against DS9 from the start. This dual perspective was ahead of its time. Jadzia Dax is a woman in the show, but the Dax part of her had been a man. Gender is explored through the Trill, symbiotic lifeforms that live inside several host bodies in their lifetime. Racism is a prominent theme with the franchise’s first black lead. DS9 also delves into issues that are still important today. There are also at least thirty characters that get actual character arcs over the course of the series. The main cast consists of nine characters, four humans: a shapeshifter, a Bajoran, a Trill, a Klingon, and a Ferengi. It is a character-driven show, featuring a huge cast of regular and secondary characters. The thing that makes DS9 so special is the writing. Yes, it is darker and grittier than the other Star Trek series of the time, but how lighthearted can you make a story about the Dominion War? It also introduced many new alien species and spent real time with them, so we got to know them on a deeper level. DS9 introduced the whole Gamma Quadrant to the Star Trek universe. While it is set on a stationary space station, there is plenty of exploration going on. Deep Space Nine is a Star Trek show through and through. This turns Bajor into a hub of exploration and commerce.Įven the fan complaints about the show never had any substance.

Meanwhile, they discover the galaxy’s first stable wormhole near the station that leads to the Gamma Quadrant. Benjamin Sisko is tasked with leading the Federation’s presence in the Bajoran system. Many Bajorans are upset as they feel they have substituted one occupation with another. Now that the Bajorans have gained their freedom, they have asked the Federation for help in getting the planet back on its feet. Bajor had been occupied by the Cardassians for half a century. The premise of the show sounds complicated, but it is easy to follow. An overarching story that continued week after week with inconsistent air times was a recipe for disaster. The most likely reason people did not watch DS9 is that it adopted serialized storytelling before it became the norm for television. It was also darker and grittier than earlier Star Trek had been. Chief among them was the fact that DS9 was set on a stationary space station. They highlighted the differences between DS9 and the other Star Trek series. Aside from the logistical issues, the fans who did not watch DS9 made all kinds of excuses.
