Top Ten Reasons Why DS9 Was Cool: 10.) good story arcs that actually involved the characters and involved drama and action 9.) the mirror universe 8.) on DS9, things don't always have to be okay 7.) large-scale space battles and great special f/x 6.) Morn 5.) introducing the first starfleet warship, the USS Defiant 4.) "Trials and Tribble-ations" 3.) a vast array of cleverly-written supporting characters 2.) DS9 didn't believe in bringing in WWF wrestlers to fight with a Trek babe to lure in higher ratings 1.) focusing on character development and character-based stories that used all of the characters, instead of focusing on the same two or three people week after week Things I Would Have Done Differently If I Were In Charge: - Although I enjoyed the Dominion conflict with the Federation, I would have made the Dominion storyline a little shorter, and maybe cut down on the "war" issue a little. I also thought it ended a little too abruptly. - Added in a few more Dominion-less episodes that don't have to do with war and more with exploration - Sisko's attitude towards Picard and the Borg were really only explored in "Emissary" and I think it would have been neat to see Picard come back to the station and interact some more - A really good DS9 episode (or maybe small arc) would involve Sisko confronting the Borg again - I would have made an 8th season! - Spend some more time in the gamma quadrant meeting new aliens (like voyager with the delta quadrant) Benjamin Sisko. I must admit that it took me a while to get used to the Sisko character. Avery Brooks seemed a little off in the first year or two, which I suppose is alright since he had to adjust to a new role. After Sisko was truly defined, things made more sense. I think the idea of Sisko being a type of religious character is something new in Trek which I think was fine. There was a real mythology behind Sisko and the whole Bajoran-Profits idea. I also think that the concept of a black man being this Starfleet Captain and religious figure is something that Gene Roddenberry would have been proud to see. I really liked Sisko's hate for the Borg which was rarely touched upon; I would have liked to see him confront them again. Kira Nerys. When Kira was introduced, she immediately became the strongest female role in the Trek universe. She was the first officer of the station, a former rebel and freedom fighter, and she had one hell of a temper. One might think that Kira would be subjected to being labeled "the tough one" but over the years the character really got to explore her softer side. Kira a romantic? Kira pregnant, with someone else's child? She was truly given an array of things to explore. Her relationship with the crew members was also very nice; I liked the way she interacted with Jadzia, O'Brien, Odo, and especially Quark. I wasn't too excited by the Kira-Odo pairing, but their strong bond and friendship was present in the first episode and continued throughout the series. Jadzia Dax. An interesting character who didn't get all the attention she deserved. I loved the Dax character and the concept behind the Trill species was really brought out in her. She was given many good storylines that involved being a Trill and having to deal with past lives, past relationships. Her intimate relationship with Sisko was very comforting and her playful flirting was cute with Bashir. Her strong character and her Klingon background made it no surprise when she was matched up with Worf but I always hoped she would pick the good doc. Jadzia's relationship with Worf was nicely depicted, however, and it saddened me when she was killed off so quickly at the end of season 6. Ezri Dax. The concept of a new Dax was both interesting and awkward. While the audience was aware of how Trills have multiple hosts, it was bizarre to think that there could be a new character with a different face, but all the same memories of a past crewmember. But Ezri didn't disappoint. Ezri's girl-next-door and cute nervous babbling was a definite change from Jadzia, but her relationship with Sisko seemed to be in tact and much of Jazdia came through as needed. The writers gave Ezri some great material dealing with a newly-joined Trill surrounded by a previous hosts's friends and family. Her interaction with Worf was very interesting, and her pairing with Bashir was expected and nice, though it could have been better developed if given time. Julian Bashir. A favorite of mine, Julian represented the young and adventurous Starfleet officer when the serie began. Bashir admits to choosing the DS9 assignment because it was the "wilderness" and "where heroes are made", and I remember that attitude got him in trouble with Kira in the first episode. Bashir was a nicely-written character with his great knowledge of medicine, his sense of adventure, and his strong morales. Bashir-centered episodes have been above average IMHO, from his escapades on the holodeck to his dealings with Section 31. Bashir's genetically-engineered self was also the subject of an episode that I'm surprised hadn't been done earlier since the concept is so close to reality now, with all the biotechnological advances. Miles O'Brien. A previously-introduced character on TNG, O'Brien still had plenty of things to explore on DS9. Very little had actually been explored while he was on the Enterprise, and a few things that were touched upon could be revisited and expanded, such as his marriage and family, and his prior history with Cardassians. O'Brien was written as a family man and an excellent engineer, which always seemed amusing when O'Brien was trying to fix the foreign Cardassian station. One of the most enjoyed aspects of Miles was his relationship with Julian which showed real friendship and comradery. Worf. Yet another character infused from TNG, Worf definitely brought something to the world of DS9. His interactions with the crewmembers was unique but at first I found it difficult to understand the choice in the character. The creation of the Strategic Operations Officer for Worf seemed like a quick excuse to have him stay on the station, but he certainly couldn't replace Odo or Kira in their positions. Worf had a good tie with Sisko but I wish there could have been a bit more interaction between he and O'Brien (although there were some nice moments when the two recalled their Enterprise days). The Worf-Dax relationship was logical but didn't interest me; I enjoyed the awkward Ezri-Worf dynamic in season 7 much more. I certainly didn't mind Worf's presence on DS9 but he was really developed to death. I think I've seen enough of this Klingon for now. Odo. Deep Space 9 had a talent for creating cool new aliens, and Odo is definitely among them. Although Star Trek had introduced shape-shifting characters before, none were quite as developed or portrayed the way Odo was. A beautiful back story was created for him, with the concept of being unique and not knowing where he came from. The way it tied-in with the Dominion was interesting, too. I liked Odo's inner conflict, the way he struggled between his heritage and the life he created for himself. The writers wrote some great stuff for Odo, especially when he was put up against his nemesis Quark. I didn't care for Odo's romantic moments but some of them were tolerable (especially with Lwaxana Troi). Quark. The resident bad boy, this was the first time Trek had made a deviant character one of the regular cast. Although I'm not fond of the Ferengi and some of that species-themed episodes weren't my favorite, Quark himself was a hillarious character. Quark had a relationship with every other character on the station, and it was always fun to have him in a scene, even if it was just to lighten up the story. Quark's sparring with Kira and Odo as well as his flirting with Dax was always great to watch. Jake Sisko. The "kid" of DS9, I have to admit that I liked Jake much better than I originally thought. After Wesley on TNG, I was afraid that Jake would turn out to be another aspiring Starfleet brat who has a knack for technology and likes to follow his dad around learning about Starfleet. But that wasn't the case with Jake. He was rebellious and got into trouble by stirring up pranks with Nog. As he matured, he wanted to be a writer instead of joining Starfleet. He was a reporter caught in the middle of a war, and also the son of one of Starfleet and Bajor's most famed men. I'm very glad that Jake was developed the way he was, as a mature and intelligent but very un-Wesley like character. Though I do wish the stories that centered around Jake were a little stronger. Gul Dukat. Dukat has to be the most complex character in DS9 lore. Why Marc Alaimo wasn't officially added to the regular cast is beyond me, especially considering that he was the main villian through the entire series. Dukat was introduced as a one-dimensional evil Cardassian, but as the series progressed, the audience got to see him more often, and his character traits and his complexity really came out. I'll admit that I didn't understand all of Dukat's motivations, and sometimes I really thought that the writers were changing the character around to fit the story, but nevertheless Dukat remains one of the best villians and characters to date. The audience got to see his dark side, as well as his soft side, which is not something that typically happens with a character of his nature.