DS9 before Deep Space Nine (TNG S4-6)

[Admiral Jean-Luc Picard]

I just started Disc 3 of my TNG S4 Blu-ray set. First episode was "Data's Day," next episode is "The Wounded" which introduced the Cardassians and not-Dukat. Was this meant to seed DS9, or was this just introducing a new TNG villain (like the Ferengi)? Was DS9 in development parallel to TNG S4? If not, when did seeds of DS9 start dropping in? Wasn't TNG's S6 two-parter "Chain of Command" designed to lead viewers into DS9?

 

[JoseNoodles]

I seem to recall "Chain of Command" was suppose to be the audience's introduction to DS9, with Picard, Worf, and Beverley stopping by DS9 (although more likely it would still be called Terok Nor at this point) on their way to the Cardassian facility. But that scene got changed to them just going to an alien dive bar. The Wounded was supposed to be an allegory for the Vietnam War and its aftermath, where the Federation (representing the USA) had to accept a kind of peace in the face of what seemed like an unwinnable conflict, and soldiers like O'Brien and Maxwell having to live with what they did during the war and deal with the horrors they faced mostly by themselves. The Cardassians here were like stand-ins for North Vietnam, but more broadly the anti-Western Communist Bloc. At one point, Ro Lauren was suppossed to be a main cast member on DS9, so perhaps her introduction and the introduction of the Bajorans was suppossed to be a build-up to that. However, Michelle Forbes didn't want to committ full time to a TV show, so her character morphed into Major Kira. Of course, I don't know that for sure. However, considering the buildup of the Maquis in DS9 and TNG in preparation for Voyager, I wouldn't be surprised if the same was done for DS9.

 

[Admiral Jean-Luc Picard]

I seem to recall "Chain of Command" was suppose to be the audience's introduction to DS9, with Picard, Worf, and Beverley stopping by DS9 (although more likely it would still be called Terok Nor at this point) on their way to the Cardassian facility. But that scene got changed to them just going to an alien dive bar. The Wounded was supposed to be an allegory for the Vietnam War and its aftermath, where the Federation (representing the USA) had to accept a kind of peace in the face of what seemed like an unwinnable conflict, and soldiers like O'Brien and Maxwell having to live with what they did during the war and deal with the horrors they faced mostly by themselves. The Cardassians here were like stand-ins for North Vietnam, but more broadly the anti-Western Communist Bloc. At one point, Ro Lauren was suppossed to be a main cast member on DS9, so perhaps her introduction and the introduction of the Bajorans was suppossed to be a build-up to that. However, Michelle Forbes didn't want to committ full time to a TV show, so her character morphed into Major Kira. Of course, I don't know that for sure. However, considering the buildup of the Maquis in DS9 and TNG in preparation for Voyager, I wouldn't be surprised if the same was done for DS9.

Does this mean that DS9 wasn't a thing yet as of TNG S4? I'll be looking for the Vienam parallels when I watch "The Wounded." When do Ro and the Bajorans pop up? This season, next season, S6? I know the Maquis came in DS9 S2 plus one or a few appearances on TNG S7.

 

[Shawnster]

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine was the fourth Star Trek series and entered production in 1992. It was broadcast in first-run syndication from January 1993 until June 1999.

The decision to set the series on a space station, rather than a starship, spawned when Brandon Tartikoff originally approached Rick Berman about the show, in 1991, and specifically said he wanted it to have a format that was new for Star Trek but was classically western; if The Next Generation was Wagon Train in space, Deep Space Nine was to be The Rifleman in space – a man and his son coming to a dilapidated frontier town on the edge of known civilization.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is the third live-action Star Trek television series. It entered production in 1992 and was broadcast in first-run syndication from January 1993 until June 1999. The series is set on Deep Space 9, formerly a Cardassian space station, but at the start of the series...

memory-alpha.fandom.com

So, DS9 was developed between 1991 and 1992. Sounds like episode inspiration ideas would come from this time. That includes "The Wounded." However, it makes the most sense to me that the first episode intentionally intended to connect to DS9 was "Ensign Ro" and they decided then to use the Cardassians.

Was the original idea to use Romulans or is that just wishful thinking?

 

[StewMc]

I seem to recall "Chain of Command" was suppose to be the audience's introduction to DS9, with Picard, Worf, and Beverley stopping by DS9 (although more likely it would still be called Terok Nor at this point) on their way to the Cardassian facility. But that scene got changed to them just going to an alien dive bar.

I think it would have been DS9 they ended up on rather than Terok Nor, as the show was originally mean to have premiered earlier so Starfleet would already have been there, had things panned out as planned. The Ferengi they meet at the non-descript bar was supposed to have been Quark, presumably in his own bar.

Some what ironically, the bar in the final episode is actually the Replimat set redressed.

 

[JoseNoodles]

I think it would have been DS9 they ended up on rather than Terok Nor, as the show was originally mean to have premiered earlier so Starfleet would already have been there, had things panned out as planned. The Ferengi they meet at the non-descript bar was supposed to have been Quark, presumably in his own bar.

Some what ironically, the bar in the final episode is actually the Replimat set redressed.

I didn't know that bit.

 

[Admiral Jean-Luc Picard]

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine was the fourth Star Trek series and entered production in 1992. It was broadcast in first-run syndication from January 1993 until June 1999.

The decision to set the series on a space station, rather than a starship, spawned when Brandon Tartikoff originally approached Rick Berman about the show, in 1991, and specifically said he wanted it to have a format that was new for Star Trek but was classically western; if The Next Generation was Wagon Train in space, Deep Space Nine was to be The Rifleman in space – a man and his son coming to a dilapidated frontier town on the edge of known civilization.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is the third live-action Star Trek television series. It entered production in 1992 and was broadcast in first-run syndication from January 1993 until June 1999. The series is set on Deep Space 9, formerly a Cardassian space station, but at the start of the series...

memory-alpha.fandom.com

So, DS9 was developed between 1991 and 1992. Sounds like episode inspiration ideas would come from this time. That includes "The Wounded." However, it makes the most sense to me that the first episode intentionally intended to connect to DS9 was "Ensign Ro" and they decided then to use the Cardassians.

Was the original idea to use Romulans or is that just wishful thinking?

I checked the wikipedia episode guide and then Memory Alpha. It looks like the Cardassians were a one-off in Season 4, same as the Trill. One-off meaning one appearance for that season. It seems 5-3 "Ensign Ro" is the first episode where seeds of DS9 start showing up. What do you think?

Interestingly, they're only in 9 episodes of TNG. I thought it was more. In DS9's first season, they're only in two episodes after the premiere. They recur regularly S2 onward.