Re-Doing DS9?
- Thread starter Bry_Sinclair
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There's not much I would change:
-I would take the Voyager episode "Unity" and place it in the Gamma Quadrant and replace Chakotay with Sisko. It's not quite the Sisko vs. Borg battle I want but it would be an interesting place to Sisko in.
-Bringing Ro on to the show, for a guest spot perhaps.
-Making the more Klingon-Federation War a bit more devastating.
-Adding the Hunters to the Dominion.
-Have the final battle being a possessed Kai Wynn vs. Sisko. I would have Dukat trapped as a blind Bajoran beggar.
-Though it didn't bother me at the time, perhaps I would conclude the show with Bajor entering the Federation.
-I would take the Voyager episode "Unity" and place it in the Gamma Quadrant and replace Chakotay with Sisko. It's not quite the Sisko vs. Borg battle I want but it would be an interesting place to Sisko in.
-Bringing Ro on to the show, for a guest spot perhaps.
-Making the more Klingon-Federation War a bit more devastating.
-Adding the Hunters to the Dominion.
-Have the final battle being a possessed Kai Wynn vs. Sisko. I would have Dukat trapped as a blind Bajoran beggar.
-Though it didn't bother me at the time, perhaps I would conclude the show with Bajor entering the Federation.
Courtesy of Netflix and the Tor.com rewatch reviews, I knew early on that Kai Wynn was going to die, but I didn't know when or by whose hand. So when she became romantically involved with the disguised Dukat, I fully expected that he would slip her a poisoned chalice when the time came to share drinks. That would have been much more powerful than the ridiculous manner of her death at the Fire-Caves. The writers missed an opportunity there, I think. I'd also like to have seen Kira and Odo's relationship come across as something more than a shy first date, an utterly uncharacteristic first kiss in full view of everyone on the Promenade, and soon thereafter a descent into mundanity--what did they talk about in Jadzia's closet, anyway? Not to mention the fact that Odo eventually returned alone to his homeworld without so much as a by-your-leave from Kira, whom he supposedly loved.
I think Deep Space Nine is just fine, it doesn't need any redoing. What they could do is add new scenes when they started doing more episodes relating to the Dominion. I would love to have seen the inside of a Vorta cloning facility. In one episode I think it was called Treachery, Faith, and The Great Link the defective Weyoun 6 tell Odo the Vorta's past how they were once tree dwelling creatures before the creation of the Dominion. I would love to have seen a scene or two showing the Changelings putting the creatures into the machine transforming them into the Vorta. They could add a scene of angry solids chasing a Changeling and the family of tree dwelling creatures hiding it from the angry mob.
Thank you, Kilana2; you are my DS9 episode name guru! I can match plots to episodes reasonably well in TOS, but for some reason, doing that with DS9 is more difficult for me.
TheVortaKeevan, I very much like your suggestions. I would like to have seen how the first Changelings were created--what was the mechanism? I think we're supposed to compare the gelatinous state of the Changelings with primordial soup, but how did their life-form originate?
I was so certain that the Jem'Hadar were going to exhaust all their stores of ketracel-white, especially after the Federation attack on the plant. I kept waiting for that to happen, but it never did--another missed opportunity there, I think.
TheVortaKeevan, I very much like your suggestions. I would like to have seen how the first Changelings were created--what was the mechanism? I think we're supposed to compare the gelatinous state of the Changelings with primordial soup, but how did their life-form originate?
I was so certain that the Jem'Hadar were going to exhaust all their stores of ketracel-white, especially after the Federation attack on the plant. I kept waiting for that to happen, but it never did--another missed opportunity there, I think.
The primary thing I would do is make the dominion war between bajor-maquie and the dominion.
Making it a galactic war was just such an awful idea.
It'd make much more sense if it were confined to bajor and surrounding systems.
I'd also make a point of establishing another race in additional of ferengi, cardassians and bajorans as the local people.
That being said too many aliens would of made the show a B5 rip off.
Making it a galactic war was just such an awful idea.
It'd make much more sense if it were confined to bajor and surrounding systems.
I'd also make a point of establishing another race in additional of ferengi, cardassians and bajorans as the local people.
That being said too many aliens would of made the show a B5 rip off.
Hm. Given that the Dominion and the Breen between them wielded some quite considerable firepower, why the sudden cessation of the war? And when the war did end, why wasn't the Female Changeling more conflicted about the need to sue for peace? That denouement has always seemed curious to me.
Also, why would having too many aliens compromise DS9's integrity?
Because they risk being hard to relate to or alien of the week type gags.
I think a good rule of thumb is one race per season.
The Klingons on TOS were actually a variety of skin colors, from dark brown to pale. From a certain point of view (mine) this showed the Klingons to be a multi-racial species. Although this likely wasn't the intent at the time.
I still feel that TPTB at DS9 missed a opportunity by not having Micheal Dorn in his usual makeup at the beginning of the episode, after time travel have him in TOS Klingon makeup (and have the others from DS9 think his appearance is normal), and then back to usual makeup when the Defiant return to the 24th century.
The Klingons on TOS were actually a variety of skin colors, from dark brown to pale. From a certain point of view (mine) this showed the Klingons to be a multi-racial species. Although this likely wasn't the intent at the time.
I still feel that TPTB at DS9 missed a opportunity by not having Micheal Dorn in his usual makeup at the beginning of the episode, after time travel have him in TOS Klingon makeup (and have the others from DS9 think his appearance is normal), and then back to usual makeup when the Defiant return to the 24th century.
I've long presumed that the Klingons in TOS were analogous to the various peoples of the then-Soviet Union, who were and are multiethnic. I would also compare Japan to Vulcan and China to the Romulan Empire, but perhaps that's stretching things a bit far.
I have no problem relating to the alien characters, often its easier to relate to them and their story (also generally more interesting), rather than the too-perfect humans that inhabit the universe.
A Trek series with an all-Bolian crew then
The nerve of this thread - to think any aspect of DS9 should be changed. Ugh.
Just kidding. I would definitely not have Sisko die at the end. Major Kira would kill Dukat and Sisko would kill Kai Winn. I would not have Jadzia die but if she did, I agree with OP - get a male host for Dax. I wouldn't have Ziyal die either. lol you can see there is a trend to what I would change. :P
It would've been nice for them to go into the Breen and Tholian cultures more though. Also, recurring races would've been good. Some new races we saw once then never again, much like the rest of Trek.
Just kidding. I would definitely not have Sisko die at the end. Major Kira would kill Dukat and Sisko would kill Kai Winn. I would not have Jadzia die but if she did, I agree with OP - get a male host for Dax. I wouldn't have Ziyal die either. lol you can see there is a trend to what I would change. :P
It would've been nice for them to go into the Breen and Tholian cultures more though. Also, recurring races would've been good. Some new races we saw once then never again, much like the rest of Trek.
You strike a chord with me regarding your statement. The Tzenkethi should have been shown.
A male host for Dax? I don't know, I like Ezri. At least she is quite different from Jadzia. I like the idea of Kira killing Dukat. I'm not sure of Winn's fate, though. The character was not likeable, but I loved how Louise Fletcher played Winn.
Agreed about the Tzenkethi. I didn't like Ezri at first but I rewatched DS9 then read "Lives of Dax" on your recommendation and she really grew on me. Louise Fletcher is an amazing actress though. The fact that her portrayal of Kai Winn makes me livid is impressive!
I have read the DS9 Rebels trilogy. While there were many contentual errors in those books, I liked how ab Hugh showed Winn as shrewd young woman under Cardassian rule during the Occupation. She also was daring and a clever pickpocket
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I do apologise, but it was a "what if" situation I thought might be interesting to see how it played out. Most of the changes I'd want to see made are small ones, as the series itself is Trek at its very best (IMHO).
Phew
Sisko going AWOL I quite liked, leaves him open to a whole new life and existence, plus open up the question: when will he be back? Kira being the demise of Dukat would've been great, given their backstory. Also keeping Ziyal would also be on my list of wants
I liked that we still know little about the Breen, they are supposed to be mysterious to everyone. But a little more on the likes of the Tzenkethi and Tholians, as well as some of the neutral races in the region, like the Chandir (Tail-Heads) and Xepolite.
Gilora Rejal and T'Rul being recurring characters (or at least another couple of episodes somewhere in the series), allied with the station, would also have been great. I'd also want to see Korinas return on the side of Dominion (simply because I loved Tricia O'Neil in the role!).
And most importantly: an Eight Season / Movie / Mini-Series!
Hey guys!
As of now, I think this Thread has a bit more the feeling of: "which minor things would you like to have changed during DS9's run".
So I'm giong to make a BIG leap here:
What would I change if I would completely Reboot DS9:
1. More human characters and fewer, but more complex aliens:
A big problem I have with the beginning of the series is that it feels completely detached. A majority of the main characters are aliens, where each of them has a special 'schtick'. Some work (Odo, Quark), some not so much (Dax). I think the reason why Spock on TOS and Data and Worf on TNG work, is because they are the only completely alien characters, and thereby get fleshed out really well. On DS9 we had right from the start so many alien characters, it was hard to learn the schticks of each character before getting to know the character itself better. This, of course, should change over the course of the series, where new (and alien) characters get added. But for the beginning: Have just two (and maybe a third minor) weird guy to ease in audiences.
2. Make it a bit more relatable
I really like DS9 once I've gotten into it. But it's really hard to get into, because all the characters are either aliens, or have a very complicated backstory. And everything on a location that is totally detached from my reality and experiences. The other serieses and the movies usually took a big effort to show: it's the fututre, but it's our future. So, at least for the beginning, make it a bit more 'humans on the edge of the frontier' and less 'weird alien politics and stuff'.
3. Ditch or completely redo the Bajorans
The Bajorans are the worst. They are the constant embodiement of one of TNGs worst aspects: The aliens of the week. They are too weird to be identifiably as humans, but too much 'guys with a bump on the nose' to take them serious as aliens. Also, they have only two characteristics: They were once occupied and they are religous. Woah. What opportunities. So here is the thing: Either ditch them completely and make it the last station in the middle of nowhere. Or let her be around a human colony. (It could be a former colony that seccesed, was occupied, and stuff, so still have a complicated backstory and not be the perfect Star Trek humans, but it would get rid of the 'alien of the week'-look). Or make them completely alien. Like starfish aliens, maybe reptilians, and give them defining characteristics. Maybe even merge the symbiont aspect of the Trills with them. So that they are interesting enough that you want to learn more about them and see them in further episodes.
4. More travelling through the galaxy
Since we're talking about redoing DS9 now, there would be a considerable advancement in special effects, make-up and set design. So here is what I want to see: Make the runabouts a little bit bigger. And let our heroes travel with them to the many planets in the neighborhood. Make DS9 a station from where the heroes start and fly back to, but let them travel a bit more! Show us more alien worlds!
5. More msjor alien nations
For a stationary show, Deep Space Nine has a remarkebly short list of recurring aliens. Unlike Babylon 5, which had many major different societies, DS9 basically only has the Bajorans and Cardassians, later adding klingons and the Dominion. How about we have four or five different recurring species? Maybe the Cardassians, but add another Empire, equally strong, and other different fractions. Give each of them special characteristics. Have a robot society. Another one of non-corporeal beings. Maybe some 'fish-aliens', who live under water half of their time. A species of hermaphrodites, who don't know how gender works and can make no sense of human (and the other aliens') behaviour. And then: Have them all interact. Show us the capital of one species in a major plot arc. Then move on to the next species. Then have an arc about diplomatic conflicts between two of them. Have the conflict between fueled by their different view on the world, ethics and politics (How would robots react to murder in a society, where everyone can make copies of themselves? How would it affect their interactions with biological beings?)
5. Don't make it World War II in space
Seriously. The war against alien opressors has become totally clichéd by this point. EVERY scifi show does it. From every Stargate show, Babylon 5, Andromeda, Space above and beyond, Battlestar Galactica, clone wars, Defiance and every other show ever. Really, I think a big draw to Star Trek (well, at least the other four series) has been always that it doesn't do the WAR IN SPACE stuff. So: either avoid it totally, or do something we have never seen before. This is why I think the conflict with the Borg is much more interesting than the war against other alien nations: The Borg are truly different. How do you cope with something so strange and alien? Can normal diplomacy even work? So if you have to do a war against aliens, make it more like the Bug War from Starship Troopers (the book, not the film), where it is even unclear if the rules of engagement even apply.
So, these are my recommendations for redoing DS9. Of course, this would result in a completely new and different series in the end. But I think this is the point, because we already have the current DS9
Your changes would make for a boring show, and nothing as good as what we actually got on DS9. Complete and utter fail.
Things I would change:
1. MORE GARAK, SIGNIFICANTLY MORE GARAK, SOME FLASHBACK EPISODES
2. RECURRING ROMULAN
1. MORE GARAK, SIGNIFICANTLY MORE GARAK, SOME FLASHBACK EPISODES
2. RECURRING ROMULAN
