“The Passenger” 30th-anniversary reflections Doctor Bashir’s arrogance is interrupted when the runabout Rio Grande receives a distress call from a Kobliad transport. They find a fire aboard the ship and two people in distress. They rescue one and fail to save the other, or so it seems. When they return to Deep Space 9 with the surviving Kobliad, a security officer named Ty Kajada, they find themselves caught up in a mystery as strange things begin happening aboard the station. Kajada believes the other passenger on her ship, the criminal scientist Rao Vantika, is still alive and responsible. I ..read more

“Dax” 30th-anniversary reflections Aliens with an uncanny knowledge of the station and its systems attempt to abduct Jadzia and take her back to Klaestron IV to stand trial. Only it’s Dax they really want, and the crimes were committed 30 years earlier by Curzon. When her crewmates successfully stop the kidnappers from leaving Bajoran space, the accuser, Ilon Tandro, is forced to make his case for extradition. During the ensuing hearing, presided over by Bajoran grouchmaster Els Renora, Sisko must do what Jadzia refuses to do: fight for her life. In the end, he succeeds with the help of Odo, w ..read more

“Q-Less” 30th-anniversary reflections The arrival of Vash, whom Dax found in the Gamma Quadrant, brings incredible profit potential to Quark, but great danger to the station. Tagging along with her is none other than Q, seemingly there to deliver his usual brand of havoc. He doesn't hit it off well with Sisko, and that might be why he is blamed for the mysterious graviton pulses that threaten to tear the station apart. Only it turns out that the danger comes not from Q but rather a baby alien being auctioned off by new business partners Quark and Vash—a realization that comes just in time. In ..read more

“Captive Pursuit” 30th-anniversary reflections The arrival of an alien from the Gamma Quadrant puts Chief O’Brien at the center of first contact when Tosk, as the reptilian calls itself, requires ship repair. As the mystery of Tosk unfolds, and alien hunters arrive seeking to take O’Brien’s new friend back to be publicly humiliated, the chief finds himself questioning the Starfleet rule of non-interference. In this episode of The Orb, hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our 30th-anniversary retrospective that will take you through all of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, one episode at ..read more

“Babel” 30th-anniversary reflections When lazy Chief O'Brien gets a hankering for a cup of coffee and triggers a booby trap left behind from the Cardassian Occupation, the crew and residents of Deep Space 9 begin losing their ability to make sense one by one. As aphasia sweeps the station, Kira must find a Bajoran scientists who may hold the key to an antidote and saving everyone before cross barrels, all job appalled, bread … the arrive … seen earlier! In this episode of The Orb, hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our 30th-anniversary retrospective that will take you through all ..read more

“Past Prologue” 30th-anniversary reflections As the Federation begins to settle into its presence aboard the former Cardassian station, now dubbed Deep Space Nine, the arrival of a former Bajoran freedom fighter named Tahna Los puts Major Kira in the uncomfortable situation of protecting an old friend and supporting the new alliance between Bajor and the Federation. When she learns that Tahna has not given up his terrorist ways, she must choose between her past and future. Either way, she says, she must betray someone. In this episode of The Orb, hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continu ..read more

“Emissary” 30th-anniversary reflections Commence station log. When Deep Space Nine premiered on January 3, 1993, it marked an unprecedented moment for Star Trek. Not only did Gene Roddenberry capture lightning in a bottle twice, the success of The Next Generation led to a second spinoff of the 1960s classic. But simply putting another crew on another starship to boldly go where no one had gone before wasn’t going to cut it this time. After all, the Enterprise was still busy doing just that. Instead, creators Rick Berman and Michael Piller took the original premise of Star Trek to heart and del ..read more

Dominion Breadcrumbs, Part 2. While Deep Space Nine may be best known for the Dominion War, getting to that storyline was a gradual process for the writers. After the Gamma Quadrant’s imperial force was finally revealed at the end of Season 2, there were still a lot of mysteries to unshroud as Season 3 began with “The Search.” In this episode of The Orb, hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing conclude their Hansel and Gretel-style journey following the breadcrumbs sprinkled by the writers as they set up the story that would come to define one of Star Trek’s most complex chapters. Chapters Int ..read more

Dominion Breadcrumbs, Part 1. While Deep Space Nine may be best known for the Dominion War, getting to that story line was a gradual process for the writers. Before its full-on introduction in the Season 2 finale “The Jem’Hadar” and the Season 3 premiere “The Search,” the Gamma Quadrant’s empirical force was hinted at throughout Season 2. In this episode of The Orb, hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing follow the breadcrumbs sprinkled by the writers as they set up the story that would come to define one of Star Trek’s most complex stories. Host C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing Production C ..read more

Remembering Louise Fletcher Few characters in Star Trek elicit such a visceral reaction from fans than Winn Adami. Introduced as a Vedek, she was later chosen as kai—the first elected after the end of the Cardassian Occupation. In that role, rather than working in harmony with the Prophets, she actively worked against their chosen emissary. It is perhaps this friction that made her a fan favorite to hate, but the real reason might lay beyond the story, in the portrayal by actress Louise Fletcher. In this episode of The Orb, hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing remember Fletcher, who passed ..read more