View Feedback | Send this Article | Published 2/28/03

Graphic By: Andrew Kinback

OK, now that I have your attention, shall we proceed with the review?

Following the smashing success of the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" DVD boxed sets, Paramount is now issuing the third series in the Star Trek franchise, "Deep Space Nine," on DVD. Trek fans have been clamoring for DS9 on DVD for sometime now, due to the somewhat erratic airing of the show in syndication, and they have been duly rewarded for their patience.

All 20 episodes of the first season are collected here and presented in Dolby Digital 5.1. It's awesome to see these episodes with enhanced picture quality (I watched them originally on WSET-13 and had to contend with a somewhat snowy picture) the way they were intended to be seen. The special features make this set worth the money too: there are featurettes on designing Quark's bar and the aliens featured prominently on the show. There is also a documentary on the creation of the show, as well as a short feature on the evolution of Major Kira, the station's second-in-command.

So why did I declare Deep Space Nine the only Trek show with balls? Well, to understand that, you have to first know the show's premise. Simply put, "Deep Space Nine" tells the story of a group of Starfleet officers assigned to a recently abandoned Cardassian space station in orbit of the planet Bajor, christened "Deep Space Nine" by Starfleet. They have to work with Bajoran nationals, who are less than trusting of Starfleet, as well as a host of shady characters, such as Quark, the Ferengei bartender. One of the key themes of Trek has been different races and species working together for the common good, and "Deep Space Nine" illustrated this perfectly, more so than "Voyager" or "The Next Generation."

Beyond that, "Deep Space Nine" took risks and introduced a number of darker elements to the Star Trek universe. For the first time, we were presented with Starfleet officers who were less than perfect: brooding and mopey Sisko, the arrogant Dr. Bashir and the everyman Chief OäBrian. All other Trek shows have shown humanity as winning the struggle against itself, and conquering its dark impulses; "Deep Space Nine" showed the struggle. The characters had to confront their inner demons and the notion that their idealism didn't mean a thing in the face of the circumstances facing them.

Of all the Trek shows, "Deep Space Nine" is the most overlooked and I can not figure out why. It told the greatest Trek story ever told (The Dominion War) and had the most compelling characters of any Trek incarnation. It is my hope that with the release of these box sets (and the show airing on TNN next year) the rest of the world will come to this realization as well.