Now, before you get upset, let me make things clear: DS9 is easily my favorite Star Trek series. It took risks, it had incredible characterization, and it got dark without destroying the ideals the series is supposed to be built upon.
It did, however, still have issues. Some large and glaring, others more subtle. I think the overall arc the series took was pretty good, but it had some missteps that occurred. Whether it's because the suits didn't want to go for it, actors and directors couldn't make it work, or any number of other problems that can happen to a television series, these things happen. So here are some ideas I have for what I would do if I had creative control of DS9.
1: "Far Beyond the Stars" is often lauded as a great episode for dealing with racism head on and such. Often this episode suffers from a lot of overhyping and social justice gushing over it, but the truth is this episode was wonderfully written, directed and acted. The main theme was maintaining hope in the face of tyranny and despair, whether by racism among your own people or by the evil of the Dominion's oppression.
However! The episode has two major flaws. One, Sisko gets his vision from the Prophets when some old friend of his we've never met or seen dies in the war. He is so hurt by this, he is even considering resigning. At the end of the season, however, Dax dies by Dukat at the end and Sisko himself is considering resignation due to this grief. It's a grief shared with the audience. But this has a lot more impact than what moved Sisko.
Two, the vision shows up here. Then it shows up once when Ben Sisko is searching for an Orb to restore the wormhole. It seems to come out of nowhere and keeps popping up but isn't woven into the narrative as well as it could be.
So if it was up to me, I would have had Far Beyond the Stars be a two part, maybe three part episode. First, the season ending episode where the Federation Alliance invades Chin'Toka and the Pah'wraiths make their move through Dukat to close the wormhole and kill Jadzia. In the face of this loss, Sisko is considering resignation and retirement. The season ends with Sisko looking at his reflection in the window as Benny Russel, and then waking up as Benny Russel on a crowded 1950s street. He turned and heads away to join his friends, the reflection of Captain Sisko staring back at him.
The next episode is essentially Far Beyond the Stars, but with Sisko alternating between the Russell Reality and his own as he tries to figure out not only if he's sane, but to find out what the Prophets want him to learn. He is lost in his despair, and trying to navigate between the ugliness of 1950s racism and the fears of losing his mind in the 24th century. He then learns about his mother, and seeks the Orb of the Emissary with Ezri and Jake. Episode three would have the tense situation with the Romulans Kira has to deal with, while Sisko, Ezri and Jake seek out the Orb. They find the Orb, restore the Wormhole, and the situation with the Romulans is something left to explore more thoroughly in another episode.
If you're going to have this kind of thing in the show that's a serial, why not use it when it has the most punch?
2: Speaking of Romulans, I would have shown more of their interactions and work on the station in the wake of them equipping the Defiant with one of their cloaking devices. The Romulan played by Martha Hackett, I would have developed more as she slowly becomes a friend to the crew of DS9. Introducing a Romulan who might have divided loyalties between her people and the friends she has made.
3: Maybe reworked Winn into the Big Bad for Sisko to face in the end, rather than Dukat. It made more sense for Winn to be the ultimate adversary for the Emissary, as Dukat was far more of an adversary for Kira. And not have made the ending quite as perfunctory. I know, budgets and all but still.
4: Possibly have Ziyal be rescued by Kira and Dukat earlier. Early enough that she, Jake and Nog become fast friends and get into shenanigans. Maybe shiptease her and Jake because the look on Dukat's face would be hilarious.
What ideas do you guys have for Deep Space Nine?
It did, however, still have issues. Some large and glaring, others more subtle. I think the overall arc the series took was pretty good, but it had some missteps that occurred. Whether it's because the suits didn't want to go for it, actors and directors couldn't make it work, or any number of other problems that can happen to a television series, these things happen. So here are some ideas I have for what I would do if I had creative control of DS9.
1: "Far Beyond the Stars" is often lauded as a great episode for dealing with racism head on and such. Often this episode suffers from a lot of overhyping and social justice gushing over it, but the truth is this episode was wonderfully written, directed and acted. The main theme was maintaining hope in the face of tyranny and despair, whether by racism among your own people or by the evil of the Dominion's oppression.
However! The episode has two major flaws. One, Sisko gets his vision from the Prophets when some old friend of his we've never met or seen dies in the war. He is so hurt by this, he is even considering resigning. At the end of the season, however, Dax dies by Dukat at the end and Sisko himself is considering resignation due to this grief. It's a grief shared with the audience. But this has a lot more impact than what moved Sisko.
Two, the vision shows up here. Then it shows up once when Ben Sisko is searching for an Orb to restore the wormhole. It seems to come out of nowhere and keeps popping up but isn't woven into the narrative as well as it could be.
So if it was up to me, I would have had Far Beyond the Stars be a two part, maybe three part episode. First, the season ending episode where the Federation Alliance invades Chin'Toka and the Pah'wraiths make their move through Dukat to close the wormhole and kill Jadzia. In the face of this loss, Sisko is considering resignation and retirement. The season ends with Sisko looking at his reflection in the window as Benny Russel, and then waking up as Benny Russel on a crowded 1950s street. He turned and heads away to join his friends, the reflection of Captain Sisko staring back at him.
The next episode is essentially Far Beyond the Stars, but with Sisko alternating between the Russell Reality and his own as he tries to figure out not only if he's sane, but to find out what the Prophets want him to learn. He is lost in his despair, and trying to navigate between the ugliness of 1950s racism and the fears of losing his mind in the 24th century. He then learns about his mother, and seeks the Orb of the Emissary with Ezri and Jake. Episode three would have the tense situation with the Romulans Kira has to deal with, while Sisko, Ezri and Jake seek out the Orb. They find the Orb, restore the Wormhole, and the situation with the Romulans is something left to explore more thoroughly in another episode.
If you're going to have this kind of thing in the show that's a serial, why not use it when it has the most punch?
2: Speaking of Romulans, I would have shown more of their interactions and work on the station in the wake of them equipping the Defiant with one of their cloaking devices. The Romulan played by Martha Hackett, I would have developed more as she slowly becomes a friend to the crew of DS9. Introducing a Romulan who might have divided loyalties between her people and the friends she has made.
3: Maybe reworked Winn into the Big Bad for Sisko to face in the end, rather than Dukat. It made more sense for Winn to be the ultimate adversary for the Emissary, as Dukat was far more of an adversary for Kira. And not have made the ending quite as perfunctory. I know, budgets and all but still.
4: Possibly have Ziyal be rescued by Kira and Dukat earlier. Early enough that she, Jake and Nog become fast friends and get into shenanigans. Maybe shiptease her and Jake because the look on Dukat's face would be hilarious.
What ideas do you guys have for Deep Space Nine?