star trek deep space nine season 7 episode 26

DS9 Season 7

• View history
• 3 Background information
• 4.1 Starring
• 4.2 Also starring
• 4.3 Guest and co-stars
• 4.5 Companies
• 6 External links

Episodes [ ]

Summary [ ].

Benjamin Sisko discovers his mother was a Prophet , a new Dax host arrives on Deep Space 9 , Odo discovers that his people have been infected with a fatal disease and Julian Bashir undertakes an assignment for Section 31 . Kai Winn turns on the Prophets , and with the assistance of Dukat summons the pah-wraiths . The Breen join the war and side with the Dominion . In the concluding episodes of the season (and the series), the Cardassian - Dominion alliance breaks down, Colonel Kira leads a Cardassian resistance movement involving Legate Damar and Elim Garak , and the alliance of Federation , Klingon , and Romulan forces claim victory in the Dominion War .

Background information [ ]

• Nicole de Boer joins the cast as Ezri Dax .
• This season was broadcast concurrent with Star Trek: Voyager Season 5 , and Star Trek: Insurrection (featuring Worf ) was released during its run, between the episodes " Covenant " and " It's Only a Paper Moon "
• Several sources, including an episode guide book of the first six seasons, entitled SFX: The Essential Guide to Deep Space Nine , mentioned an episode called "Dysfunctional", where Ezri was to secretly arrange to have Dax removed. The guide also made predictions for season seven and was right about most of them. The writer accurately predicted the return of Section 31 , either Bashir or Jake gets the hots for Ezri, and Sisko will die a hero's death or move onto a higher plane of existence. [1]
• In this season, the makers of DS9 were allowed to do what they liked to the show, within reason. " As Rick Berman said to me, 'Look, Ira, I want you to know something. Deep Space Nine might be going off the air, but the Star Trek franchise has to continue on. So you can't destroy the Federation,' " laughed Executive Producer/writer Ira Steven Behr . " Which we weren't planning on doing, but I think what that comment said to me was that there's no limits to what we can possibly do. " Speaking just prior to the season beginning, Behr went on to say, " In the seventh season, I want to make sure that no story remains on the sidelines. I've told everyone this should be the strangest season yet. We should do whatever we want, get every story out of our system we want to tell. Go places where people don't expect the show to go. Wrap up as many threads of this series as possible. And end on a satisfying note. " Behr also planned for the new season to deal with the death of Jadzia Dax, saying, " It's going to give us a hell of a lot of great Worf and Sisko stories next year. " ( Sci-Fi Universe , issue 33, p. 47) Not everyone gave the series' creative personnel free reign to do whatever they wanted, though. Behr later commented, " It wasn't like we had everyone saying, 'Oh good – give us serialized episodes, give us anything.' People had definite opinions about the show. It was a journey into the unknown every time we dared to try something different, even in the seventh season, by which time you'd think they'd be saying, 'Oh, just go do what you want already.' That never happened. " ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion  (p. ? ))
• In terms of the first half of the season being composed of stand-alone episodes, and the second half comprising a single ten-episode arc, co-executive producer/writer Ronald D. Moore comments, " Going into Season 7, we knew everything was canted towards the end. We were seeing plot threads and characters and where they were going. Even in the stand-alones, we could see that the tapestry was getting woven tighter and tighter. So we had to be careful, especially on the stand-alones. Because on these episodes, I wasn't walking into René Echevarria 's office telling him, 'I'm doing this on " Once More Unto the Breach ",' and I hope it doesn't contradict what you're doing now'. " ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion  (p. ? ))
• Characters which " crossover " from other incarnations of Star Trek : Neral in (" Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges ").

Credits [ ]

Starring [ ].

• Avery Brooks as Captain Sisko

Also starring [ ]

• Rene Auberjonois as Odo
• Nicole deBoer as Lieutenant Ezri Dax
• Michael Dorn as Lt. Commander Worf
• Cirroc Lofton as Jake Sisko
• Colm Meaney as Chief O'Brien
• Armin Shimerman as Quark
• Alexander Siddig as Doctor Bashir
• Nana Visitor as Colonel Kira

Guest and co-stars [ ]

• DS9 Season 7 performers
• Dennis McCarthy ("Image in the Sand", "Shadows and Symbols", "Once More Unto the Breach", "Prodigal Daughter", "The Emperor's New Cloak", "Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges", "Penumbra", "Extreme Measures", "What You Leave Behind")
• Jay Chattaway ("Afterimage", "Chrysalis", "It's Only a Paper Moon", "Chimera", "Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang", "Strange Bedfellows", "The Changing Face of Evil")
• David Bell ("Take Me Out to the Holosuite", "Treachery, Faith and the Great River", "Covenant", "'Til Death Do Us Part", "Tacking Into the Wind", "The Dogs of War")
• Paul Baillargeon ("The Siege of AR-558", "When It Rains...")
• Gregory Smith ("Field of Fire")

Companies [ ]

• Digital Muse ("Shadows and Symbols", "Treachery, Faith and the Great River", "The Siege of AR-558", "Chimera", "'Til Death Do Us Part", "The Changing Face of Evil", "Tacking Into the Wind", "The Dogs of War", "What You Leave Behind")
• View Studio, Inc. ("Chimera", "Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang", "Penumbra", "Strange Bedfellows", "Tacking Into the Wind")
• Foundation Imaging ("Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges", "What You Leave Behind")
• Station X Studios ("What You Leave Behind")

See also [ ]

• DS9 Season 7 UK VHS
• DS9 Season 7 DVD

External links [ ]

• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 7 at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Season Seven Credits at StarTrek.com
• Deep Space Nine Season 7 episode reviews  at Ex Astris Scientia
• 3 Ancient humanoid

• Cast & crew
• User reviews

Episode list

Star trek: deep space nine.

S7.E1 ∙ Image in the Sand

S7.E2 ∙ Shadows and Symbols

S7.E3 ∙ Afterimage

S7.E4 ∙ Take Me out to the Holosuite

S7.E5 ∙ Chrysalis

S7.E6 ∙ Treachery, Faith and the Great River

S7.E7 ∙ Once More Unto the Breach

S7.E8 ∙ The Siege of AR-558

S7.E9 ∙ Covenant

S7.E10 ∙ It's Only a Paper Moon

S7.E11 ∙ Prodigal Daughter

S7.E12 ∙ The Emperor's New Cloak

S7.E13 ∙ Field of Fire

S7.E14 ∙ Chimera

S7.E15 ∙ Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang

S7.E16 ∙ Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges

S7.E17 ∙ Penumbra

S7.E18 ∙ 'Til Death Do Us Part

S7.E19 ∙ Strange Bedfellows

S7.E20 ∙ The Changing Face of Evil

S7.E21 ∙ When It Rains...

S7.E22 ∙ Tacking into the Wind

S7.E23 ∙ Extreme Measures

S7.E24 ∙ The Dogs of War

S7.E25 ∙ What You Leave Behind

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Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Season 7

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Season 7 of Deep Space Nine marks the end of the series, as it concludes the Dominion War arc and the saga of the characters and their relationships. The Federation and its allies face the final showdown with the Cardassian-Dominion alliance, which is aided by the Breen. Sisko and his crew must also deal with the threat of the pah-wraiths, the evil counterparts of the Prophets, who are unleashed by Kai Winn and Dukat.

20 Episodes

S7 e1 - image in the sand, s7 e2 - shadows and symbols, s7 e3 - afterimage, s7 e4 - take me out to the holosuite, s7 e5 - chrysalis, s7 e6 - treachery, faith, and the great river, s7 e7 - once more unto the breach, s7 e8 - season 7, s7 e9 - covenant, s7 e10 - it's only a paper moon, s7 e11 - prodigal daughter, s7 e12 - the emperor's new cloak, s7 e13 - field of fire, s7 e14 - chimera, s7 e15 - badda-bing, badda-bang, s7 e16 - inter arma enim silent leges, s7 e17 - penumbra, s7 e18 - 'til death do us part, s7 e19 - strange bedfellows, s7 e20 - the changing face of evil, where does star trek: deep space nine rank today the justwatch daily streaming charts are calculated by user activity within the last 24 hours. this includes clicking on a streaming offer, adding a title to a watchlist, and marking a title as 'seen'. this includes data from ~1.3 million movie & tv show fans per day..

Streaming charts last updated: 9:13:06 AM, 04/13/2024

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is 3216 on the JustWatch Daily Streaming Charts today. The TV show has moved up the charts by 526 places since yesterday. In the United States, it is currently more popular than The Wild Wild West but less popular than Cold Justice.

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• Seasons & Episodes
• TV Listings
• Cast & Crew

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Season 7 Episodes

• 74   Metascore
• Drama, Action & Adventure, Science Fiction
• Watchlist Where to Watch

Different races try to coexist peacefully in the third 'Star Trek' spin-off. This one takes place on a 24th-century space station that serves as a frontier town on the edge of a wormhole that enables travellers to journey vast distances in short periods of time.

Season 7 Episode Guide

27 Episodes 1998 - 1999

Image in the Sand

Wed, Sep 30, 1998 60 mins

Sisko learns a family secret that persaudes him there is still a way to contact the Bajoran Prophets. On the station, Kira suspects the Romulans have ulterior motives. Avery Brooks, Nana Visitor. Vic Fontaine: James Darren. Joseph Sisko: Brock Peters. Weyoun: Jeffrey Combs. Damar: Casey Biggs.

Shadows and Symbols

Wed, Oct 7, 1998 60 mins

Sisko searches for the mythical Bajoran Orb of the Emissary; Kira has a showdown with her Romulan "allies" on DS9; Worf, O'Brien, Bashir and Quark attack a Dominion shipyard. Sarah: Deborah Lacey. Ezri Dax: Nicole deBoer. Sisko: Avery Brooks. Worf: Michael Dorn. Joseph Sisko: Brock Peters.

Wed, Oct 14, 1998 60 mins

The presence of Ezri Dax (Nicole deBoer) on DS9 causes problems for Worf (Michael Dorn). Meanwhile, Garak (Andrew Robinson) suffers an incapacitating breakdown. Sisko: Avery Brooks. Bashir: Alexander Siddig. O'Brien: Colm Meaney. Quark: Armin Shimerman.

Take Me Out to the Holosuite

Wed, Oct 21, 1998 60 mins

A Vulcan Starfleet officer (Gregory Wagrowski) insists his race is superior, and to prove it, he challenges Sisko (Avery Brooks) to a game of baseball. Kasidy Yates: Penny Johnson. Leeta: Chase Masterson. Rom: Max Grodenchik. Nog: Aron Eisenberg.

Wed, Oct 28, 1998 60 mins

A genetically enhanced woman (Faith C. Salie) who has fallen into a catatonic state is treated by Dr. Bashir (Alexander Sidding), who falls in love with her. Jack: Tim Ransom. Lauren: Hilary Shepard Turner. Patrick: Michael Keenan. Nog: Aron Eisenberg.

Treachery, Faith and the Great River

Wed, Nov 4, 1998 60 mins

Odo (Rene Auberjonois) is contacted by Weyoun (Jeffrey Combs), who claims he wishes to defect from the Dominion and turn over military secrets to the Federation. Martok: J.G. Hertzler. Nog: Aron Eisenberg. Rom: Max Grodenchik. Female Shape-shifter: Salome Jens.

Once More unto the Breach

Wed, Nov 11, 1998 60 mins

Worf (Michael Dorn) promises Kor (John Colicos) a military command aboard the flagship Ch'Tang, which angers Martok (J.G. Hertzler) and may endanger their mission. Darok: Neil Vipond. Kolana: Nancy Youngblut. Synon: Blake Lindsley. Quark: Armin Shimerman.

The Siege of AR-558

Wed, Nov 18, 1998 60 mins

While resupplying a Starfleet-occupied Dominion communication outpost, Sisko (Avery Brooks) and the crew decide to make a stand during a fierce Jem'Hadar offensive. Kellin: Bill Mumy. Vic Fontaine: James Darren. Larkin: Annette Helde. Reese: Patrick Kilpatrick.

Wed, Nov 25, 1998 60 mins

Dukat (Marc Alaimo) becomes the spiritual leader of the Bajorans who worship Pah-wraith, holds Kira (Nana Visitor) hostage and exhorts his followers to kill themselves. Fala: Norman Parker. Benyan: Jason Leland Adams. Mika: Maureen Flannigan.

It's Only a Paper Moon

Wed, Dec 30, 1998 60 mins

Nog (Aron Eisenberg), distraught over the loss of his leg, finds comfort in the holographic world of lounge singer Vic Fontaine (James Darren)---but then finds it difficult to leave. Rom: Max Grodenchik. Leeta: Chase Masterson. Ezri: Nicole deBoer. Directed by Anson Williams.

Prodigal Daughter

Wed, Jan 6, 1999 60 mins

When O'Brien (Colm Meaney) disappears, Sisko enlists Ezri Dax (Nicole deBoer) in his search---but it means she must reunite with her estranged mother (Leigh Taylor-Young). Norvo: Kevin Rahm. Janel: Mikael Salazar. Bokar: John Paragon. Fuchida: Clayton Landey.

Emperor's New Cloak

Wed, Feb 3, 1999 60 mins

Quark (Armin Shimerman) and Rom accompany Ezri's double back to an alternate universe in order to free Zek, who is being held by forces seeking a cloaking device. Ezri: Nicole deBoer. Worf/Regent: Michael Dorn. Garak: Andrew Robinson.

Field of Fire

Wed, Feb 10, 1999 60 mins

Ezri Dax (Nicole deBoer) must use the memories of a previous Dax symbiont to solve a murder---but the symbiont in question was a serial murderer, causing her to behave in a similar fashion. Ilario: Art Chudabala. Chu'lak: Marty Rackham. Joran: Leigh J. McCloskey. Directed by Tony Dow.

Wed, Feb 17, 1999 60 mins

Laas (Garman Hertzler), a renegade shape-shifter, urges Odo to help him in seeking others of their kind to form a new Link, but Laas tangles with two Klingons, killing one, and ends up in the brig. Odo: Rene Auberjonois. Kira: Nana Visitor. Sisko: Avery Brooks. O'Brien: Colm Meaney. Bashir: Alexander Siddig. Quark: Armin Shimerman. Worf: Michael Dorn. Ezri: Nicole deBoer.

Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang

Wed, Feb 24, 1999 60 mins

The firing of Vic Fontaine (James Darren) sets a holosuite casino caper in motion, with the crew scheming to get mobster Frankie Eyes (Robert Miano) out of the picture and Vic back in. Kasidy: Penny Johnson. Zeemo: Marc Lawrence. Cicci: Mike Starr. Nog: Aron Eisenberg. Countman: Bobby Reilly.

Inter-Armaenim Silent Leges

Wed, Mar 3, 1999 60 mins

Bashir is recruited by a covert extremist Starfleet intelligence agency to gather information at a conference---but it may all be a cover to assassinate a Romulan leader. Cretak: Adrienne Barbeau. Koval: John Fleck. Ross: Barry Jenner. Neral: Hal Landon Jr. Bashir: Alexander Siddig.

Wed, Apr 7, 1999 60 mins

Worf is missing in action, and Ezri searches for him; Sisko plans to marry Kasidy Yates but the Bajoran prophets advise against it; the female shape-shifter's condition worsens. Worf: Michael Dorn. Ezri: Nicole deBoer. Sisko: Avery Brooks. Kasidy Yates: Penny Johnson. Female Shape-shifter: Salome Jens.

Til Death Do Us Part

Wed, Apr 14, 1999 60 mins

Sisko calls off the wedding with Kasidy but agonizes over the decision; a surgically-altered Dukat insinuates himself to Kai Winn (Louise Fletcher); Worf and Ezri face abuse at the hands of their Breen captors. Sisko: Avery Brooks. Kasidy: Penny Johnson. Dukat: Marc Alaimo. Worf: Michael Dorn. Ezri: Nicole deBoer.

Strange Bedfellows

Wed, Apr 21, 1999 60 mins

The Breen turn over Worf and Ezri to the Jem'Hadar, who intend to execute them; Kai Winn (Louise Fletcher) allies herself with Dukat, who urges her to join the evil Pah-wraiths. Worf: Michael Dorn. Ezri: Nicole deBoer. Dukat: Marc Alaimo. Odo: Rene Auberjonois (who also directed).

The Changing Face of Evil

Wed, Apr 28, 1999 60 mins

Cardassian rebels may be the key in the battle with the Breen and the Dominion; Kai Winn (Louise Fletcher) believes she receives a message from the Pah-wraiths. Weyoun: Jeffrey Combs. Dukat: Marc Alaimo. Damar: Casey Biggs. Sisko: Avery Brooks. Bashir: Alexander Siddig. Ezri: Nicole deBoer.

When It Rains

Wed, May 5, 1999 60 mins

Bashir makes a shocking discovery while diagnosing the Founders' disease that now infects Odo; Kira works unhappily with the Cardassian rebels; Gowron proposes sacrificing Klingon troops by sending them into Dominion territory. Kai Winn: Louise Fletcher. Bashir: Alexander Siddig. Odo: Rene Auberjonois. Kira: Nana Visitor. Gowron: Robert O'Reilly. Worf: Michael Dorn (who also directed).

Tacking into the Wind

Wed, May 12, 1999 60 mins

Kira, in league with the Cardassian rebels, attempts to steal secret technology from the Dominion; Worf's loyalties are sorely tested by Chancellor Gowron (Robert O'Reilly) and General Martok (J.G. Hertzler). Kira: Nana Visitor. Worf: Michael Dorn. Damar: Casey Biggs. Garak: Andrew Robinson.

Extreme Measures

Wed, May 19, 1999 60 mins

When Dr. Bashir and O'Brien try to get information on Odo's disease from Section Thirty-one operative Sloan (William Sadler), he attempts suicide---but not before the two use a Romulan mind probe to enter his psyche. Dr. Bashir: Alexander Sidding. O'Brien: Colm Meaney. Ezri: Nicole deBoer. Garak: Andrew J. Robinson.

The Dogs of War

Wed, May 26, 1999 60 mins

The Cardassian resistance suffers at the hands of the Dominion; Zek (Wallace Shawn) names Quark as his successor, but Quark then learns, to his disgust, that Ferenginar is now democratic; Garak (Andrew J. Robinson) plants a bomb in the Jem'Hadar barracks. Kasidy: Penny Johnson. Weyoun: Jeffrey Combs. Rom: Max Grodenchik. Damar: Casey Biggs. Adm. Ross: Barry Jenner. Ishka: Cecily Adams. Martok: J.G. Hertzler. Sisko: Avery Brooks.

What You Leave Behind

Wed, Jun 2, 1999 60 mins

The final confrontation between the Federation and the Dominion takes place as the Alliance invades Cardassian Prime; Winn and Dukat (Marc Alaimo) attempt to enlist the Pah-wraiths to destroy Sisko. Part 1 of two. Vic Fontaine: James Darren. Damar: Casey Biggs. Nog: Aron Eisenberg. Martok: J.G. Hertzler. Kasidy Yates: Penny Johnson.

Conclusion. The final confrontation between the Federation and the Dominion takes place as the Alliance invades Cardassian Prime; and the female shape-shifter (Salome Jens) orders the extermination of the Cardassian race in reprisal for their revolt against the Dominion. Vic Fontaine: James Darren. Damar: Casey Biggs. Nog: Aron Eisenberg. Martok: J.G. Hertzler. Kasidy Yates: Penny Johnson.

Search, the (Part 3)

Thu, Jan 11, 2024 60 mins

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ST:DS9 episode guide – Detailing seven seasons of epic sci-fi adventure and intrigue

Once considered the black sheep of the Star Trek universe, Deep Space Nine has earned a repuation as a series far ahead of its time. Indeed, a look at these episode listings shows that DS9 could well have been the first-ever binge-worthy tv show. A few bottle episodes (“The House of Quark”, “Take Me Out to the Holosuite”) may be watched as purely isolated stoies while “Far Beyond the Stars” is set completely outside continuity, but the generally intricate plots and seaon-long story arcs help make DS9 well more popular among the contemporary viewing public…

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – The seasons, the key episodes

Season 1 – Like all of the “new” Star Trek series, Deep Space Nine required a warmup period. Through seasons 1 and 2, the “A” listers of the Star Trek writing/production team were assigned to The Next Generation while DS9 was left with the generic sorts of plots that allowed exploration of character: Episodes like “Past Prologue” (Nerys’s loyalties are divided thanks to a terrorist friend), “Babel” (the automatic translator breaks down), “Dax” (The symbiote is accused of a murder she didn’t commit) and “Vortex” (Odo delves into his origins) and more are cookie-cutter stuff designed to flesh out characters and the environment rather than advance the ST mythos.

Season 2 – More warmup? Yes, essentially. The conspiratorial threat of “The Circle” pops up for a few episodes, but is vanquished immediately. Season 2 is perhaps most notable for the increasingly humorous interplay between the hypercapitalist Ferengi and Odo. The evil “mirror universe” concept, from which DS9 got lots of play through the seasons, in “Crossover” (episode #23). The season-closing “Jem-Hadar” introduces those badass killers along with their leaders, the Dominion.

Season 3 – Now things kick into high gear as DS9 becomes the flagship of the Star Trek TV universe with the conclusion of The Next Generation. The station is provided with a sort of mini-starship the Defiant, in order to peruse the Gamma Quadrant. And in the first three episodes of season 3 “The Search” parts 1 and 2; “The House of Quark”) is the potential of DS9 to effortlessly bounce from spacefaring drama to side-splitting sci-fi comedy. O yes, there’s time travel, too, as in “Past Tense” (#s 11-12).

Season 4 – The spectre of war begins haunting the proceedings from the opening two-parter, “Way of the Warrior” with a whole mess of Klingon ships looking to pick a fight with the Cardassians. By “Paradise Lost” (#12), the Federation is prepping for the inevitable cross-quadrant war with the Dominion skirmishes and conflicts break out throughout. This season includes another trip to the mirror universe in “Shattered Mirror” (#20), while “The Visitor” is the first DS9 episode to tell a story basically completely outside standard DS9 continuity.

Season 5 – Head trips abound in this season of DS9; by my count, Sisko, Dax, Worf, O’Brien and Bashir all participate in at least one episode wherein “Things are not as they seem.” The über-highlight of this season, though, is clearly “Trials and Tribble-ations,” the hilarious redux of the original series’ “Trouble with Tribbles.”

Season 6 – By the end of season 5, Dominion ships were creeping into the Alpha Quadrant, prompting Sisko to mine the wormhole to prevent their passage. War is declared, and thus season 6 of DS9 takes the ST universe to places it’s never been. The single darkest of all ST seasons, these 26 episodes are filled with edge-of-your-seat stuff that pushed forward the notion of heavy continuity of American television. Only by episode six (“Sacrifice of Angels”) does the station come back into Federation hands after its capture by Cardissian and Dominion forces in episode 1 (“A Time to Stand”), and the series enjoys its finest hour in the incredible “In the Pale Moonlight” (#19). But as though to show DS9 wasn’t dragging ST into pure wartime thrills, the incredibly deep (and utterly continuity-ignoring) “Far Beyond the Stars” (#13) is a more heartfelt examination of 20th-century racism than nearly anything in TV history.

Season 7 – The symbiote Dax gains a new humanoid body to start the season, setting the table for the wave of departures inevitable in a final season. All the individual stories are wrapped up – no, really, *all* of them, including one hell of a horrible fate for Gul Dukat – as all but Bashir, the new Dax, Quark and poor Jake Sisko leave the station by “All That You Leave Behind.” And check out that heartbreaking, full-circle last shot, with particular reference to the opening scene of the first episode…

Season 8 – Okay, so tehnically, DS9 never got reupped for a season 8; however, an interesting conceit in the 2019 documentary release What We Left Behind has essentially all the key stroy-/scriprtwriters developing a story for DS9 season 8, episode 1. The only negative to the imaginary episode creation is that we sadly shall never see the results. Anyone else miss this show...?

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Το μεικτό πλήρωμα της Ομοσπονδίας και Μπεϊτζορανών για τον Διαστημικό Σταθμό 9, οδηγεί τη σειρά στο τέλος της, καθώς λήγει ο πόλεμος του Ντομίνιον.

The war with the Dominion continues as Sisko embraces his role as the Emissary of the Prophets.

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Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – Season 7, Episode 2

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Cast & crew.

Avery Brooks

Capt. Benjamin Sisko

Rene Auberjonois

Nicole de Boer

Ensign Ezri Dax

Michael Dorn

Lt. Cmdr. Worf

Cirroc Lofton

Colm Meaney

Chief Miles O'Brien

Episode Info

How Star Trek's Most Underrated Villains Wreaked Havoc From Deep Space 9 to Picard

Star Trek enemies like the Borg and Klingons have been a thorn on the Federation's side, but only one underrated villain has caused the most damage.

• The Dominion is a powerful alien empire in Star Trek that challenged the Federation like never before.
• While the Klingons, Romulans, and Borg evolved over time, the Dominion remained a second-tier villain.
• Star Trek: Picard's third season saw the Dominion return strong, with a complex plot and characters.

Star Trek has always featured compelling villainous aliens, many of whom have arcs and collective journeys as rich as any individual character. The Klingons, for instance, have gone from the Federation's greatest foes to fierce allies and antiheroes. The Romulan Empire similarly underwent rapid disintegration in the late 24th century and re-unified with their genetic cousins, the Vulcans, in later seasons of Star Trek: Discovery . Even the Borg changed over the course of the franchise, as individuals like Seven of Nine escaped the Collective and threats like Species 8472 proved more than they could handle. That dedication to their organic development has helped make them truly memorable foes, not only in Star Trek , but in pop culture as a whole.

One villainous species tends to get a little lost in the shuffle, however. The Dominion -- a powerful alien empire controlled by shape-shifting Changelings -- proved to be one of the deadliest foes the Federation ever faced. They launched a war against the Alpha Quadrant during the final seasons of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, forcing Starfleet to join forces with traditional enemies like the Romulans in the face of the common threat. Despite that, the Dominion itself is often relegated to second-tier villain status. Star Trek: Picard's triumphant third season successfully returned them to the spotlight, and reminded fans how terrifying they could be as antagonists.

The Dominion Were Designed as an Existential Threat

The complete history of the klingons in star trek's next generation era.

Deep Space Nine cemented a big transition for the franchise, moving away from Gene Roddenberry's beliefs in an absolute utopia. A Federation devoid of conflict was no place to tell compelling stories, which The Original Series solved by presenting solely external threats in its planet-of-the-week format. Star Trek: The Next Generation successfully broke out of that mold, though its early seasons were plagued by problems caused by the infamous "Roddenberry Box" forbidding intrapersonal conflicts among the crew. The incursion of the Borg in Season 3, Episode 26, "The Best of Both Worlds, Part I" definitively broke the Box, with Will Riker taking command of the Enterprise amid constant head-butting from his de facto Number One, Elizabeth Shelby.

As The Next Generation continued to explore the story potential of protagonists with differing opinions, Deep Space Nine fully committed to the dark side of the 24th century. Set aboard a rickety former mining station near the planet Bajor, it looked for drama within the limits of the Federation's power, and how characters like Captain Benjamin Sisko have to sometimes make compromises for the greater good. The Dominion proved to be the perfect fulcrum for that as a technologically advanced fascist theocracy, ruled by the Changelings who condition their subjects to worship them as gods. Besides their technological advantages, the Dominion's military forces are truly terrifying.

The ground troops are genetically engineered constructs known as the Jem'Hadar; they are bred to be soldiers and physically dependent upon a chemical called ketracel white to ensure their absolute loyalty. Their commanders, administrators and tactical advisors are a species known as Vorta, who are preternaturally cunning and built to influence foes with honeyed words before unleashing the Dominion's full forces on them. Worst of all were the Changelings themselves, who could perfectly imitate anyone they wished and who would abduct key personnel and replace them with duplicates to sow distrust and discord. On top of all that, they had a vast empire of slave labor at their command, and with the Bajoran wormhole providing a conduit to the Alpha Quadrant, they potentially had the ability to overrun the Federation in a manner of days.

The Dominion Pushed the Moral Limits of The Federation

The complete history of vulcans in the federation era of star trek.

The Dominion were designed the way they were in order to push the Starfleet characters -- specifically Sisko -- into making compromised choices for the sake of survival . That included below-the-belt tactics such as mining the entrance to the wormhole to prevent any ships from getting through, and Section 31's use of biological warfare to infect the Changeling collective with a fatal virus. The most telling moment came with Season 6, Episode 19, " In the Pale Moonlight ," in which Sisko has a hand in forgery, duplicity and murder in order to bring the Romulans into the war.

It is perhaps Star Trek's darkest moment, and a canny exploration of the franchise's famous adage, "the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few." Sisko's efforts bore fruit, and the united Alpha Quadrant was finally able to push the Dominion and its allies to the point of capitulation at the end of Season 7. But the cost was terrible, with millions dead and vast regions of the Alpha Quadrant devastated by war . The Dominion retreated back to the other side of the wormhole, and Odo -- a wayward Changeling who helped convince his people to halt the fighting -- returned to the collective to help end their distrust of "the solids."

As antagonists, they worked incredibly well, thanks in part to a slow build-up that left their origins and motives in the dark until they were well into their infiltration of the Alpha Quadrant. They provided the ideal crucible to test the Federation's principles under fire. While Roddenberry's bright future survived, it emerged with scars that never quite healed. Not even the Borg could top the Dominion as foes, and fans have even gamed out a hypothetical conflict between the Dominion and the Borg, with more or less even odds on which species will prevail.

Despite that, their footprint in the franchise is much smaller than other major antagonists. They returned to the Gamma Quadrant after the war, and essentially vanished with the series finale of Deep Space Nine. With its sister series Star Trek: Voyager focusing on the Borg , and the follow-up Star Trek: Enterprise taking place centuries before the opening of the wormhole, there was no convenient way to resurrect them. The franchise simply moved on, and the Dominion was left collecting dust on the shelves.

Picard Gives The Dominion the Comeback They Deserve

How deep space nine elevated the ferengi from jokes to serious characters.

The latter-day Star Trek renaissance provided an opportunity to do something special with the Dominion. Picard Season 3 depicted a dying, vengeance-obsessed Borg queen pairing up with a radical faction of Changelings to take another run at destroying the Earth. They replace key Starfleet members and sabotage the transporters aboard most of its starships by infecting those who use it with a subtle hormone that allows the Borg Queen to take control of them remotely. The complex plot sees Picard and the reunited crew of the Enterprise-D work to uncover the truth before the sinister coalition springs its trap.

Beyond the cleverness of the plot and its borderline horror-movie premise, Amanda Plummer's Changeling Vadic cements herself as an instant fan favorite. She and her cohorts were captured and experimented on during the Dominion War, rendering them traumatized and filled with hate. Plummer always excels in eccentric roles, which feels like a being who hasn't quite mastered the art of humanoid emotional expression. She's manic, mercurial, and extremely bad at hiding the depths of her hatred.

While Vadic meets her just fate before seeing her plans come to fruition, her presence lingers in the series' final few episodes, to the point of outclassing the Borg Queen herself. She also gives a face to the Changelings, who were usually by definition disguised as someone else. Their representative (known only as "female Changeling") was presumptuous and cold, which forms a stark contrast with Vadic's onscreen villain. It demonstrates the effects of their defeat on the Dominion's self-styled god-rulers.

Picard helps the Dominion demonstrate a viable arc over time, in the same manner as the Klingons, the Romulans and the Borg. Fans can see how the loss has affected them as individuals, as well as the political fallout from it all. Vadic belongs to a splinter group rather than the bulk of the collective. It gives them the depth and sense of continuity they need to rightfully join the ranks of elite Star Trek villains . With Picard opening the door to further appearances, and with other antagonists suffering from decades of overuse, an extended return could help define the future of the franchise.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Picard are both streaming in their entirety on Paramount+.

The Star Trek universe encompasses multiple series, each offering a unique lens through which to experience the wonders and perils of space travel. Join Captain Kirk and his crew on the Original Series' voyages of discovery, encounter the utopian vision of the Federation in The Next Generation, or delve into the darker corners of galactic politics in Deep Space Nine. No matter your preference, there's a Star Trek adventure waiting to ignite your imagination.

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Star Trek Easter Egg Calls Back to a Forgotten Deep Space Nine Episode

The latest episode of Star Trek: Discovery does a less corny version of a goofy classic from Deep Space Nine.

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This Star Trek: Discovery article contains spoilers.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine earned its position as a favorite series among fans because of its more complex take on the franchise’s themes, thrusting the United Federation of Planets into a huge war that tested its moral compass time and again. But even at the height of the Dominion War, DS9 also found time to follow Jake and Nog’s search for a baseball card and to check in on a holographic Rat Pack lounge singer.

But even within that wide range of possibilities, the season three episode “Facets” stands out as an oddball. Written by René Echevarria and directed by Cliff Bole, “Facets” introduced the Zhian’tara ritual, through which Trill hosts find closure for their symbiotes by spreading host personalities to others.

Although “Facets” isn’t exactly a “Sub Rosa” level embarrassment, it is a weird episode that mostly went unmentioned in the larger canon until Discovery reintroduced the Zhian’tara ritual in the season four episode “Choose to Live.” In that episode, the Guardians of Trill use the ritual to separate Grey from the Tal symbiote carried by Adira and into a Soong-style golem. As usual for Discovery , writer Terri Hughes Burton and director Christopher J. Byrne emphasized the emotional over the goofy, not invoking the sillier parts of the idea.

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That’s not the case for this week’s Disco season five episode “ Jinaal .” When Burnham and Book’s search for the secret of the Progenitors brings them to Trill, they find a guide in the form of Jinaal Bix, a host from 800 years ago. Through Zhian’tara, Bix allows Jinaal to embody Dr. Culber, who takes the duo to the next clue.

The stakes of “Facets” weren’t quite so high, and fittingly, neither was the episode’s tone. Jadzia sends the minds of the previous Dax hosts to Quark, Bashir, Leeta, O’Brien, Odo, Kira, and Sisko, who all take on new personalities. O’Brien becomes nervy and scared when Tobin possesses him, while the maternal Audrid softens Quark’s hard edges. The murderous Joran transforms Sisko into a Hannibal Lecter type, making malevolent observations through an invisible holding cell wall.

The most outrageous of the transformations involves, fittingly enough, the shape-shifter Odo, who takes on the identity of Jadzia’s most immediate predecessor Curzon. Although a gregarious man in his life and a close friend to Sisko and the Klingon Martok, Curzon’s joi de vivre makes him selfish, fighting to hold on to his new life. Due to his shape-changing abilities, Odo undergoes a more thorough transformation, as he and Curzon blend into a single being. This new being happens to look a lot like Odo performer René Auberjonois , giving the actor a chance to work with less make-up.

Culber’s transformation isn’t quite so dramatic. The change to Jinaal gives Culber’s actor Wilson Cruz the opportunity to be a swaggering charmer instead of the empathetic physician he usually plays, as well as the opportunity to compliment his own (admittedly very impressive) physique.

Unlike Culber, Auberjonois and Avery Brooks (Sisko) go hard into playing off-beat characters. Never one for subtlety, Brooks chews all the scenery available to him as the evil genius Joran. He never makes for a credible threat (contrast his presence to that of Brad Dourif’s killer ensign Lon Suder in Voyager ), but he is fun to watch.

Likewise, Auberjonois takes advantage of having his face freed from most of the make up he wore on DS9 to mug at every opportunity. Drawing from his many years on stage, Auberjonois exaggerates every gesture. It’s not quite as obnoxious as Brent Spiner ‘s performance in “Masks,” The Next Generation ‘s spiritual predecessor to “Facets,” but it does feel like it comes from a different show.

Which isn’t always a bad thing. Every Trek series has dabbled in other genres, from the gangster episode “A Piece of the Action” on The Original Series to the zombie thriller “Impulse” on Enterprise . Discovery continues that tradition with its current season and episodes like “Jinaal,” showing that Star Trek can handle a wide range of tones, and even get really goofy.

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After being led to Trill via Dr. Vellik’s poem on Lyrek, Captain Michael Burnham ( Sonequa Martin-Green ), Cleveland Booker ( David Ajala ), Adira Tal ( Blu del Barrio ) and Doctor Hugh Culber ( Wilson Cruz ) arrive to find the next clue to the Progenitors life-creating technology is indeed on the planet, but is actually a person. Markings on Villek’s cryptex key perfectly match the spots on a certain Trill, one who has survived the centuries thanks to a long-lasting symbiote. But as Burnham finds out, it’ll take a bit of effort to get the Trill to spill the beans.

The person who knows the clue’s location is Jinaal Bix, one of the scientists who, along with the Romulan Dr. Villek, investigated the Progenitors technology after it was discovered 800 years ago. Jinaal’s symbiote is currently in Kalzara Bix ( Clare Coulter ), an elderly woman who has been waiting a lifetime for someone to seek the clue on Trill.

Jinaal insists on inhabiting a new body to lead our heroes to the clue, so Doctor Culber, the person with a self-admittedly high tolerance for emotional baggage, offers himself as a host. As anyone who has seen the ole’ body-swap plot device on Star Trek can attest, such an action allows actors a rare opportunity to spotlight their abilities outside their normal character. That’s what we get from Cruz here. Jinaal, complete with a gruff voice and appreciation for life – undoubtedly born from centuries of living within a symbiote – is someone who deeply cares about his part in covering up the path to the Progenitors’ tech. He requires Burnham and Book to unwittingly pass a test to see if they are worthy of the next piece of the puzzle.

Jinaal explains how he and his fellow scientists were so taken by the enormity of their discovery that they purposefully hid the technology at the end of a galaxy-spanning puzzle, one only someone who deserves to find the tech can solve. The test Jinaal demands of Burnham and Book is one of compassion, as Jinaal leads the pair to a nesting ground for a local carnivore, which certainly presents a challenge to our heroes. It’s only when Burnham opts to retreat from the creatures’ home and find another way to access Jinaal’s clue that the Trill finds the captain a compassionate, worthy creature of the next step in discovering the secret of life.

It’s a touching sentiment, sure, that Burnham is such a pacifist that she opts to not infringe on the creatures’ nest, and even chooses to show respect to them, even if that means delaying her discovery of the next clue in the trail to the Progenitors bounty. But let’s examine this scene.

Book and Burnham think Jinaal’s clue – a clue that would bring them closer to the secret of life itself – lies in a sacred spot for these predators and opts not to disturb them more than they already did. But pragmatically, wouldn’t disturbing the nesting ground of two animals be understandable, when the result is getting one step closer to the ultimate treasure? Book and Burnham surely didn’t have to harm the creatures or their eggs in any way; there were surely quite a few solutions to this problem Burnham could have employed with all the resources at her disposal. For example, couldn’t Book have asserted to the creatures that humans mean no harm? If it weren’t for the all-too-convenient disabling of the transporter by *checks notes* rock minerals, Burnham could have beamed the creatures away temporarily and then returned them to their nest later.

In any case, everything works out for Burnham and Book, as Jinaal is impressed with the pair’s behavior and opts to share the clue with them, along with his best wishes in completing the rest of the puzzle. Jinaal’s clue points Discovery to the ____ system, so we have that to look forward to next week.

We’re on Trill, so that means we get to revisit the relationship between Adira and Gray Tal ( Ian Alexander ). We last saw Gray last season as he went to Trill to train as a Guardian, and that’s indeed what he is becoming when Adira visits him. But as with most long-distance relationships, this one isn’t working out, and both Adira and Gray know it. It’s the kind of heartbreak many of us could sympathize with, and ultimately the pair decide to call it quits so Adira can pursue their career in Starfleet and Gray can continue training to be a Trill Guardian.

Gray and Adira’s isn’t the only relationship that gets tested this week, as back at Starfleet Headquarters, Saru ( Doug Jones ) and T’Rina ( Tara Rosling ) hit a bit of a snag in their path toward marriage. The pair are engaged in diplomatic talks with various species, as ambassadors usually are, and their partnership presents a political dilemma. Is T’Rina swayed by the political actions of her fiancé, or vice versa?

Such is the issue as the pair aim to formally announce their engagement, but ultimately they opt to proceed with their engagement anyway, political consequences be damned. This decision concerns Duvin ( Victor Andres Trelles Turgeon ), one of T’Rina’s aides. Duvin thinks T’Rina is too enamored with Saru to be a competent political operator.

We’re curious if Duvin causes a fuss in a future episode about his boss’ love life, especially as it relates to T’Rina’s political maneuvering around the Vulcan purists, a faction back on Ni’Var that was seen in the last season. Duvin seems to think the purists might be aggravated by T’Rina’s recent voting record, and he thinks Saru may be a negative influencing factor. Who knew Vulcans could be so political? This subplot does make us wonder if the Vulcan purists, whom we hear so much about in this episode, will make an appearance this season.

The Gray-Adira and Saru-T’Rina B-stories this week illustrate an issue Discovery has set up for itself. With such a grandiose, galaxy-impacting treasure at the end of this galactic Indiana Jones-esque adventure, how invested are we supposed to be if Saru and T’Rina do or don’t send out their engagement announcement, or if Adira and Gray mutually break up to pursue their own careers?

We suppose it comes down to your penchant for interpersonal drama, of which Discovery has never had a shortage. But when one part of an episode of Star Trek feels like a soap opera, and the other part involves one of the most intriguing overarching plots in the series’ history, we can’t help but want to get back to the main quest as soon as possible.

“I think we can agree connection is not exactly where my skillset lies.” “Connection isn’t a skill, it’s a choice.” – Burnham and Rayner.

We’re a bit critical of “Jinaal,” but let’s talk about the most effective part of this week’s episode: seeing Commander Rayner ( Callum Keith Rennie ) try to acclimate to Discovery ’s personnel. The commander is all too comfortable with a stark delineation between leadership and friendship, and in fact, borders on indifference when trying to learn about the Discovery ’s crew. Rayner’s approach is immediately at odds with his subordinates, particularly Sylvia Tilly ( Mary Wiseman ), who is on Discovery again taking a leave from her Starfleet Academy duties.

Burnham instructs Rayner to get to know the crew, and the commander thinks he can accomplish this and continue the hunt for Moll and L’ak by giving crew members a mere twenty words with which to introduce themselves. The following montage of Discovery ’s personnel snapshotting themselves is one of the most memorable parts of the episode. Ultimately, Tilly has enough of Rayner’s abrasive leadership and calls him on it. While we don’t see Rayner change his ways after Tilly’s dressing down, it’s clear Tilly has given him something to think about.

Taken together, “Jinaal” is not Discovery ’s best episode, as the show seems to be sabotaging the stakes it has set up for itself in its final season. But for what it’s worth, what this episode does well is illustrate a recurring theme of this series: the benefit of connection. Every plot line in “Jinaal” ultimately finds the value of reaching out and bonding with someone.

• Gray and Adira talk out their problems and decide to live their own lives, which is the best decision for the pair
• Burnham and Book’s decision to show respect to other beings ultimately leads them to the next clue in the Progenitor puzzle
• Saru and T’Rina talk out their relatively minor quarrel and get on with their engagement
• Rayner realizes connecting with his subordinates might just be the best way to command, at least when it comes to Burnham’s crew.

“Jinaal” takes a step forward in emphasizing the importance of connection amidst this season’s galactic quest, yet also stumbles backward in maintaining the weight of its overarching narrative. While the episode presents poignant moments of interpersonal growth, it struggles to sustain the gravity of its central mission. As our heroes navigate the complexities of love, diplomacy, and leadership, they underscore the significance of genuine human connection. However, amidst these personal revelations, the episode somewhat dilutes the urgency and magnitude of the Progenitor mystery. Nevertheless, “Jinaal” serves as a reminder that even in the vast expanse of space, it is the bonds we forge with one another that propel us forward, offering hope and purpose in the face of uncertainty.

Stray Thoughts:

• So, where were Lieutenants Keyla Detmer and Joann Owosekun? They are notably absent from the bridge during Rayner’s introduction, but no explanation is given why.
• The process through which a former Trill host can inhabit a new body is called zhian’tara , and was seen before in Deep Space Nine ’s “Facets.”
• Jinaal cryptically refuses to tell Book and Burnham the names of the other scientists working with him and Dr. Villek on the Progenitors’ tech. Might these scientists be revealed later as some people we know?
• Jinaal exposits to Book and Burnham that one of his colleagues tried to activate the Progenitors’ tech, only to suffer a tragic, horrifying death – a scene that caused the other scientists to cover up their discovery. Keeping with this season’s Indiana Jones -esque adventure, this sounds like some real Ark of the Covenant-type horror.
• “Something about the curves of a 23 rd -century Constitution class just gets me.” Same, Gen Rhys, same.
• This episode alludes to the (neutered) tribble we saw in the season premiere belonging to Lt. Christopher ( Orville Cummings ), who received the animal from Lt. Nilsson before she left to serve on Voyager .
• Jinaal asserts they created the clue trail so that only someone worthy can find the treasure, but also so that the Progenitors’ tech is found during a time of peace. How could the scientists know which year a worthy seeker would follow the trail, and if that year would witness a peaceful galaxy?
• It was mighty lucky the red-herring icon Jinaal carved into the rock was still there after 800 years.
• Continuing Paul Stamet’s ( Anthony Rapp ) focus from the season premiere about legacies – and specifically, the one he would leave after his spore drive was rendered obsolete – it’s sensible he’s enthralled by what the Progenitors’ tech could reveal about creating, reanimating, and augmenting life. Might he play a role in revealing that tech to the universe?
• Jinaal seems to have hidden his clue in an easily accessible place within a small rock pile. Was that where he thought it would be safe for hundreds of years, or did he find the clue first before Burnham and Book showed up?
• The end of the episode sees Moll ( Eve Harlow ) plant a device of some sort on Adira, and we would love to know how the criminal infiltrated the Trill ceremony without Trill security or Discovery detecting her or her ship.

New episodes of Star Trek: Discovery stream Thursdays on Paramount+ , this season stars Sonequa Martin-Green (Captain Michael Burnham), Doug Jones (Saru), Anthony Rapp (Paul Stamets), Mary Wiseman (Sylvia Tilly), Wilson Cruz (Dr. Hugh Culber), David Ajala (Cleveland “Book” Booker), Blu del Barrio (Adira) and Callum Keith Rennie (Rayner). Season five also features recurring guest stars Elias Toufexis (L’ak) and Eve Harlow (Moll).

Stay tuned to TrekNews.net for all the latest news on Star Trek: Discovery , Star Trek: Prodigy , Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , Star Trek

Kyle Hadyniak has been a lifelong Star Trek fan, and isn't ashamed to admit that Star Trek V: The Final Frontier and Star Trek: Nemesis are his favorite Star Trek movies. You can follow Kyle on Twitter @khady93 .

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