Our Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Project: Matt’s Take
What Is This About?
First of all, a big thanks to Jim & Rhonda for setting up this project and for introducing me to DS9 a little over a decade ago. I am a life-long fan of Star Trek, but this particular series was not one that I watched with regularity during my childhood. My introduction to Star Trek came in the form of TOS, as I watched these in reruns with my father from a very early age. I honestly can’t remember when I first watched an episode, it’s that ingrained into my being. I can’t remember Star Trek not existing, essentially. This would have been at some point in the early 1990s, so The Next Generation was already well established by then as well. My dad heavily favored TOS and TNG but was never much of a fan of DS9 or Voyager, so I didn’t watch either of those series until later on in life. We did, however, watch Enterprise together when I was in high school. I love that theme song, and I don’t care what anyone says! Ultimately, my early experience of Star Trek is permanently linked to these bonding experiences with my dad, so the Star Trek that I watched with him holds a special place in my heart.
I will say that my least favorite series by far is Voyager and that I find that the J. J. Abrams films are entertaining as movies, but I don’t really enjoy them as Star Trek films. I have a very serious preference for the canon of the Prime universe. That being said, there are bright spots in both Voyager and the Abrams films, but I find that the newer content such as Discovery, Picard, and Lower Decks has been much more to my liking. Ultimately, all Star Trek is inherently good.
While my favorite Star Trek character of all time is Spock, and my favorite captain is Picard, my favorite series is definitely Deep Space Nine. It’s difficult to put this all into words, but I think that it has to do with the use of longer story arcs and continuity between episodes rather than the episodic approach that was more prevalent in earlier series. The lore of Deep Space Nine is intricate, while the relationships between characters are dynamic and layered. As someone who is fascinated by politics and history, this series does an excellent job of balancing the week to week action with the larger machinations of the many parties with vested interests in Bajor’s fate. The conceit of the series, taking place in a war-torn environment as it does, lends itself to plenty of historical allusions and parallels which I also find to be fascinating. I would also argue that Deep Space Nine makes the best use of the ensemble cast and that it does an admirable job of not favoring a small number of characters above the others.
I am a big fan of going to conventions and actually meeting Star Trek actors. The cast from Deep Space Nine is difficult to come across, but I have had the privilege of chatting with Terry Farrell and getting her autograph. She is the most welcoming and accessible of any Star Trek actor that I have met. Dax is definitely my favorite character in the series; the notion of this on-going life form that continues to evolve and learn over centuries is just fascinating to me. I am also drawn to Garak and his shadowy demeanor, as well as the special bromance between Doctor Bashir and Miles O’Brien. Ultimately, one of my favorite parts of the series is actually something that drew the most criticism at the time: the space station. I love the feeling of being grounded in this one set. The locations on the station such as the Promenade and Quark’s Bar start to feel like our old haunts after a while. That familiarity is a very nostalgic element of the series to me. Plus Morn is there; and I want to be wherever Morn is!
Star Trek is really a way of life for me. I try to approach most decisions in my life with Vulcan-like logic, despite the fact that my human emotions sometimes get in the way. The philosophy of Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations speaks to me in a spiritual way. While I don’t know if we can ever attain Starfleet’s values in our own broken world, I like to believe that there is a version of the future in which this is possible. To me, Star Trek isn’t just a science fiction franchise. It is our last best hope.
I am honored to be serving with the rest of you on this mission. Live long and prosper!
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Ponderings from the Promenade: A Journey through Star Trek Deep Space Nine 
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