In Defense of DS9

I actually hoped to discuss Deep Space 9 more today, but life intervened. Personally, I think the show holds up infinitely better as entertainment. However, I think the problem is that it had to sacrifice a certain degree of its Star Trekkiness in order to be good TV, which should tell us something important. We can discuss that more before the curtain falls on STW (which sounds so much better than STD). Anyway, this reader makes his case:

Mr. Goldberg,

I think you are forgetting about Deep Space Nine which was a dark

and conservative vision of the future. The first two seasons were lame but

then Ron Moore came in and as a writer/producer and changed the entire show.

We can now see that Mr. Moore’s ideas on BSG were first developed on DS9. The Changelings who could morph into humans and subvert the federation from the inside is a direct parallel to the Cylon’s of BSG. Also, on DS9 issues concerning genocide, total war, and how to maintain a democracy while at war with a species who can mimic friendly forces were constant themes. Mr. Moore also transformed Sisko from a guy who just watched over a decrepit space station into a war hero defender of the federation. Sisko did what had to be done to preserve the federation whether by allowing the assignation of a Romulan in order to bring them into the war, committing his troops to battles that were brutal and necessary, and doing his best to find the