I think when TNG was still running with this series, the writing was pretty good, but not great. When TNG ended, the writing staff split up, some went off in new directions, while those who stayed with Trek either went to DS9 or Voyager. DS9 got the people like Ronald D. Moore who are able to create great characterizations. Ira Steven Behr eventually took the mantle of the head writing duties and the show steered its way into fun, exciting and sometimes really dark territories.
I think syndication, while not terrific for the ratings, was great for DS9, because without a network they were able to take chances. Voyager strayed away from taking to many bold moves for fear of cancellation. But DS9 was riding off the successful 7-year run of TNG, and was able to get its own seven years to not only prove that it was one of the most well written shows in the Star Trek franchise, but that it also was able to have some of the most exciting and lovable characters Trek’s ever seen.
People like O’Brien, who were created as a minor character in TNG, went on to have one of the best friendships in the franchise (okay THE best friendship in the franchise) with Dr. Bashir. Worf had 7 years on TNG and got to have 4 successful years as a great character here on DS9. Dorn was given a chance to really make this character he had played for years grow, and I think it shows.
Deep Space Nine was a show I didn’t watch as a kid because I thought it was boring. When I was an adult and I was prodded into watching it because my brother was a fan, I discovered by the end that I had found love for this show beyond my love of TNG or TOS…which I admit is sometimes a nostalgic love…DS9 I grew to love almost every aspect. The stories were better, the long running arcs were better, the characters were well rounded, the jokes were funnier, and the drama was incredible. That’s not even mentioning how this show managed to reference TOS better than TNG had ever done.
Some argue that this series with its long unfolding war arc and characters and plots that break certain Trek rules as supposedly handed down from the mountain top by Roddenberry, and was straying to far from the Roddenberry’s vision. I actually disagree on that point. I think the show is, in some ways, about what happens when a really strong force threatens and pushes those Federation ideals to their limit. Basically it brought the Romulans, Klingons, and Federation closer together than possibly imagined previously. I mean who knew that the three could work together, and work well.
Even Sisko, who cheated and lied to get the Romulans in the war really just made it more possible than ever for the two opposing forces to reconcile their differences in the foreseeable future.
When you think about it, DS9 is a show about war in all its forms. The first scene is the Battle of Wolf 359 from the Borg. Then it begins after a long drawn out occupation and rebellion. Then it shows how a people rebuild their society after war…and immediately goes into the build up of a potential war, showing skirmishes with threats like the Klingons before leading right into the big blow out. So many episodes get on the more personal level, how a character like Kira grew up as a resistance fighter, Odo was sort of a collaborator, O’Brien was the enlisted soldier, we get Bashir as a wartime doctor, Jake and Nog as two sides of the young (the eager soldier and the civilian in a war zone). These elements and many good stories that put our characters through hell and back make DS9 a fantastic show about what it means to be in war and in battle, and it ain’t easy.
Star Trek: Deep Space nine is fantastic, from when Worf first joined and before. It earned its way into my heart and became my favorite of all the Trek series.
NEXT TIME: Lost in Space