Star Trek: Deep Space Nine was different than any other Star Trek series that came before it. Instead of being set on a ship, Deep Space Nine was set on a space station. The station was located between the planet Bajor and the first stable wormhole in the galaxy (a wormhole is a shortcut in space connecting two very distant parts of space).

The story that will arc over the seven seasons of the series is furthered along in many overt and subtle ways during this season. As the second season of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine begins, viewers see a legendary Bajoran freedom fighter successfully freed from a Cardassian prison camp. Kira and Sisko must act together to prevent a coup attempt by Bajoran extremists from succeeding. The possibility that the Bajorans are not the original settlers on Bajor is also explored as the wormhole may bring them more problems than profit. The Maquis, first introduced in Star Trek: The Next Generation is also explored more deeply as Bajoran radicals still intent on fighting Cardassians. However, it soon becomes apparent that there are more involved than just the Bajorans…

More alien races are introduced than I can ever remember seeing in other Star Trek series, and more familiar races are examined a bit closer. There is a deeper exploration of the Trill race and their customs, as well as the Ferengis. In a terrific episode, the Elaysian race which exists at a much lower gravity is seen for the first time. Odo’s origins are also explored as his “father” – the man who discovered him and studied him arrives at the station. And a super-race of soldiers from the other side of the wormhole, known as the Jem’Hadar close out the season in a way that promises much more conflict for the future of this series.

The past of many characters is examined and overcome. O’Brien’s actions aboard the Rutledge before his tour on the Enterprise cause him to be put on trial by the Cardassians. Kira’s actions in the Bajoran Resistance also come back to haunt her during a murder investigation conducted by the station’s Constable, the Changeling Odo. For the first time since his wife’s death, Sisko explores a possible romance. One of my favorite episodes of the series integrates Dax’s past incarnation with three Klingons from the original Star Trek series. On my living room wall is an autographed photo of the late John Colicos as the Klingon Kor from the Deep Space Nine episode Blood Oath. That episode is definitely one of the highlights of the series for me.

Also from the original Star Trek series, the alternate “mirror” universe is again visited by characters from this reality. Where Star Trek: The Next Generation deliberately distanced itself from references to the original series, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine seems to embrace its history.

During the season a love/hate relationship develops between the Changeling Odo and the Ferengi Quark. Though it seems that Quark is constantly driving Odo crazy, the two men seem to enjoy a roadrunner/coyote-style relationship for trying to outwit each other. Any time Odo has asked Quark for help, though he always first tries to get what he can out of the situation, Quark has come to his aid. It’s one of the very complex relationships that exist on the station which makes the show worth watching.

One of the things that made Deep Space Nine a great series was the recurring characters who were often seen in the background, or were supporting players not listed in the opening credits. Characters like the Cardassian Garak, the Ferengis Nog and Rom, and the Bajoran religious leaders – Vedek Bareil and Vedek Winn, are what really made the series stand out above the previous series in the Star Trek universe.


Disc One contains the episodes The Homecoming, The Circle, The Siege, and Invasive Procedures.

Disc Two contains the episodes Cardassians, Melora ,Rules of Acquisition, and Necessary Evil.

Disc Three contains the episodes Second Sight, Sanctuary, Rivals, and The Alternate.

Disc Four contains the episodes Armageddon Game, Whispers, Paradise, and Shadow Play.

Disc Five contains the episodes Playing God, Profit and Loss, Blood Oath, and The Maquis Part I.

Disc Six contains the episode The Maquis Part II, The Wire, Crossover, and The Collaborator.

Disc Seven contains the episodes Tribunal and The Jem’Hadar, as well as the Bonus Materials.

New Frontiers: The Story of Deep Space Nine talks about how this show came about. It talks about how the characters were developed and the role they each played initially in the Deep Space Nine universe. The crew talks about the difference in doing a station-based episode versus a ship-based episode: the consequences of actions are around all the time. The Captain cannot just ride off into the sunset and walk away from a good or bad decision.

Michael Westmore’s Aliens has the makeup artist once again talking about how he came up with the various alien looks for the season. It’s an interesting piece, especially when he talks about the Cardassian Voles.

Deep Space Nine Sketchbook talks about the set designs, wardrobe, props, and makeup which were the setting for the series each week.

New Station, New Ships takes a look at the design of the station itself and the small “runabouts” created for getting around the immediate vicinity.

Crew Dossier: Jadzia Dax has an extensive interview with Terry Farrell who portrayed the Trill and an overview of her character through all the seasons she appeared on Deep Space Nine. This is especially nice to see as she left the show following the sixth season, and the fact that she would return to record this material proves there were no hard feelings, despite rumors to the contrary.

When looking at the Bonus Materials, the menu is brought up against a picture of the Deep Space Nine Space Station. Using arrows on my remote to move around, there are various “hidden files” to be found where just green blocks appear on the station. These Bonus Materials consist of crew profiles supposedly kept by the Starfleet espionage organization, Section 31, as well as tidbits about various episodes during the season.

One thing I didn’t like about the Bonus Material is that at the end of each there were three or four screens promoting the video and DVD releases of the various Star Trek movies and television shows. On some of the long pieces, it really isn’t noticeable. However, especially when some of the “hidden files” are only 2-3 minutes long, sitting through 30 or more seconds of promotion gets to be a drag after a while. I’d suggest to Paramount that if people are savvy enough to be watching these DVDs, to begin with, they don’t need to be viewing any more promotions.

For Star Trek fans, and especially fans of this particular series, this is a truly great season of episodes. Though many themes seem to be repeated, the underlying story that is furthered along as well as a larger canvas of characters keeps me interested. It’s definitely worth having, even at the high price.