Plot: What’s it about?
The fate of all Star Trek series is that it has to get out of the shadow of the original series as well as that of Star Trek: The Next Generation. While the original is the greater cult hit, the newer is the more of the financial hit (until their last movie, anyway). Deep Space Nine aired when The Next Generation was on its way out and therefore had some pretty big shoes to fill. What fans weren’t in store for was that the show was actually pretty darn good. Gone are the familiar faces of Riker and Picard, but Miles O’Brien (Colm Meaney) was on board and later in the series, Lt. Worf (Michael Dorn) would join the crew as well. The second season of Deep Space Nine follows the crew (well, not actually follows as the entire show takes place on a space station) and we start to learn more about the crew. The Ferengi, who were introduced in Next Generation, are given a wider role here and proof that they’re not all a bunch of killers; though they are a underhanded and sneaky, cunning and clever little race! The season also starts out with a bang with the episode “The Homecoming” in which the crew of DS9 is involved with the Bajoran Provisional Government, a group called “The Circle” try to unite Bajor.
Trying to further distance itself from its predecessors, the writers created the characters that we cared about and it gave most all of them the chance for us to see a bit deeper into their lives in most episodes. “Crossover”, an instant favorite among fans parallels the original series (Star Trek) “Mirror, Mirror” and other episodes of note include “The Jem’Hadar” (The season finale) and “The Collaborator”. As mentioned before, the cast started to develop as the actors got more comfortable with their roles and Deep Space Nine started taking off (no pun intended). Fans were not “Trekkies”, but “Niners” and it was clear that there was a new Trek on the block (only to be followed by two more series “Voyager” and “Enterprise” and no telling how many more are on the horizon). Proving that you don’t need too many special effects, big sets or any of the other hoopla that so many other sci-fi shows have, Deep Space Nine started establishing itself as a prime-time show that people could watch and not only be entertained, but perhaps learn something as well.
Video: How does it look?
Just as with the Next Generation DVD’s, Deep Space Nine is presented in a full-frame ratio exactly as the show appeared during it’s broadcast run. The colors are a bit bolder, naturally the show is newer than its counterpart and there are a few instances in which it really comes across. The look of the show is also a bit different, gone is the yellowish-brownish look of the Enterprise as the set of Deep Space Nine opts for a very sleek, more modern look to it. Some artifacts come and go, but they’re so few and far between, it’s almost hard to spot. While not the best-looking TV transfers out there, these are far above average and a welcome for almost any fan of the show.
Audio: How does it sound?
The audio is Dolby Digital 5.1 and just like Next Generation, the audio is fairly complete here, surrounds kick in at the right times and though it’s not the greatest soundtrack in the world (keep in mind, these were made for TV and not movies), the track is robust enough to get you into the show a little more. Dialogue, especially with a Ferengi on board, is very clean and natural. While the majority of the action being located in the front channels, it’s hard to say that this is a “strong” track, but for what its intended to be, the audio here sounds very good.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Deep Space Nine has its share of supplements just like the first season (and like all seven seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation, but unlike the original Star Trek series). Totaling almost 90 minutes, we essentially have a series of featurettes to look at; then again the addition of 6 episodes from the first season will most likely be a delight with fans out there. First up is “New Frontiers: The Story of Deep Space Nine” in which we see the characters and a brief overview of the key moments during the second season. A cast bio is of Terry Ferrell speaks of her audition for her role of Jadzia Dax and the development of her character through the series (so don’t watch this if you don’t know what is going to happen in future episodes/seasons). A familiar site on the Trek horizon, Michael Westmore talks about the makeup of the show and Westmore, known for his talent of makeup, is an old pro at the Star Trek world. Truly interesting things a man can do with some paint and glue! “Section 31 hidden files” do show some of the art and set direction in some key episodes (“Blood Oath”, “Shadowplay”, “The Circle” and a few others). And essentially, that’s it. Much like the first season and more likely than not, like the future seasons of Deep Space Nine will be. Fans of the show have already bought this and will buy the rest, but you get your money’s worth here.
