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 - Is he, 'Captain Sisko', dreaming he works for 'Incredible Tales'? Or a simple writer, dreaming he's dashing 'Captain Sisko'?Season Six aired the episode 'Far Beyond the Stars'. The title itself a 'tribute' to the titles SF stories have carried in the past. In the episode 'Far Beyond the Stars', Captain Benjamin Sisko falls into a dream. In the dream, he's back on earth. The year is 1953. He's writer Benny Russel, and former crew members on Deep Space 9 are his co-workers at the magazine where he works, 'Incredible Tales'. Benny and Kira (the female writer for Incredible Tales) are told, not to come in to work the next day, company photo day. Benny's given an illustration called 'Air Force Space Station 9' (which looks similar to Deep Space 9) and asked to build a story around the illustration. Is he, 'Captain Sisko' federation officer and emissary, dreaming he works for 'Incredible Tales'? Or is he a simple writer, dreaming he's dashing 'Captain Sisko'? When the story is complete Benny turns it in to his editor (Odo). Everyone likes the story, but Odo balks at the Negro captain in the story. "It's not believable", he says. Odo can't decide what to do with the story. Benny's told to come back later, to give Odo some time to think it over. Odo calls Benny into his office, saying, he really likes the story about Captain Sisko and Space Station 9, but, can you change it? "Make the story, a dream of the Negro kid". Benny doesn't want the story changed. Odo finally gives in, and decides to publish the story. 1953, perhaps, is not a good time to be 'Benny'. He's called back to the office. Odo tells him, he wanted to publish this story, about Starships, the Federation, and friendship, but higher ups turned it down. In fact he's been given orders to fire Benny. Benny has a nervous break-down and collapses, "It's real!". "It's all real". Rating: - As good as it gets for 'Niners'I was raised (in a sense) on Star Trek: The Next Generation. But as a sci-fi fan I came of age watching Deep Space Nine, especially the final 3-4 seasons. I've seen it all, many times over, and in my opinion Season 6 of Deep Space Nine is unmatched in the Star Trek canon and is one of the best seasons of television from the 1990s, in any genre. Something you need to know: -you're going to enjoy watching this a lot more if you're already familiar with and interested in the Star Trek universe, and especially if you're familiar with the previous 5 seasons of DS9. I recommend them all, so if you're coming to this cold turkey you should maybe check out season 1 first. Why? Well, Season 6 (and 7) represent a climax of all the plotlines and story threads that had been developed since the 1st and 2nd seasons of the show, and the risings and fallings, the emotional weight of the stories just isn't going to have the same impact if you're not (somewhat) aquainted with the character's back story. If you are familiar with the earlier seasons of DS9, well, what are you waiting for? I suppose the most likely viewer of this item is someone who remembers the series from television in the 90s and is considering owning it for re-viewing. For those of you who for whom the show is completely alien, well, now's as good a time as any to get into it, but for those of you who're mulling over whether it's worth investing in the show, I'd like to go through some of its moments of genius to demonstrate why you should pluck down the cash. 'In the Pale Moonlight' - IMO televised Trek's finest hour. No episode of DS9 so ably depicts the moral compromises and 'new Trek' that the show was exploring. Sisko and his crew didn't have the luxury of the moral high ground and unlike their predecessors sometimes had to choose between the lesser of two evils - which is precisely what happens in this episode. I simply can't recommend it highly enough - I think this hour of television is great and if not for its place in a niche subculture could be considered alongside great films and those rare sublime moments on television. Waltz - great heroes are ennobled by great villains, and 'Waltz' provides our best look yet at the complex psychology of a madman, Dukat, who contrasts so poorly with the nobility of Sisko. The moral simplicity of previous Trek villains (the Borg) or their flippancy (Q) simply don't exist in Dukat, a truly evil and deeply disturbed man who is yet simultaneously capable of benevolence. Again, in DS9, morality is never clear, and though there is a dichotomy in Waltz the lines are still blurred. Who Mourns for Morn - good comedy is harder to write than good drama, anyone who's put pen to paper knows this. This is a deligtfully light episode amidst a season of darker ones, that explores the history of one of the many secondary characters on the show, the beloved, if unheard, Morn. The supporting cast of characters was of course one of the best things about DS9. Inquisition - introduces Section 31 and yet another Federation moral compromise. It's so typical of DS9 in episodes like this and 'In the Pale Moonlight' to make Federation officers less like the moral robots of previous (and concurrent) series and at the same time more human. I could go on and on about every episode, because the season is near flawless (with one notable exception - the less said about Profit and Lace, the better). If you've read this far and you're not convinced, then I suggest you move on. But I don't suggest you do. Rating: - Epic sci-fi drama for the small screen.This seasons starts off with the space station being occupied by the Dominion, and how the Federation gets it back! It extends over six episodes and moves with lightning speed. I felt this was the best Trek I had ever seen. The generally peaceful format that was initially launched many years ago has been shattered. This should be expected as humanity moves forward with its relentless exploration of the galaxy. The most poignant episode is "Far Beyond the Stars". It is rather hard to explain unless you have seen it. It may be my personal favorite of the entire series. There is some hardcore Science Fiction happening here. Most of the episodes are very interesting this season. The season winds down with with some humorous and down right sad moments. Iggy Pop in his hilarious alien get-up is great! The Bajoran subplot deepens and Gul Dukat goes mad. The death of Jadzia was one of the saddest episodes I have ever seen. She was one of most intriging characters on the show and it was hard to say good-by... Rating:  - One of the Best Seasons...AlmostSeason six was, in my opinion, one of the best seasons for Deep Space Nine. In Season Six the Federation has lost Deep Space Nine to the Cardassians and their Dominion allies and the war with the Dominion is only getting bloodier for the Federation and the Klingons. To me, that was part of what made this particular season so great. In no other Star Trek series before or after DS9 has war been written so dramatically, so truthfully, and so emotionally. You can really see Ronald Moore's hand in this season. Much of the grittiness we see in the Battlestar Galactica seemed to get its genesis here. Moreover, even with the bloody war around their characters, the writers also found time to write some deeply felt stories of everyday life on the station, and as usual gave each of the main cast an episode that allowed them to shine. Of particular note in this season is the episode entitled "Far Beyond the Stars," in which Sisko is thrown into an alternate reality where all the cast of DS9 -- minus the makeup; yes, we get to see their real faces! -- plays a role during 1940s/1950s America. A majority of the cast is a part of a group of early science fiction writers at a time when women had to use initials so the readers wouldn't find out about them, at a time when an African-American writer (played beautifully by Avery Brooks) had to hide color of his skin. By far, it is the best depiction of racism in Star Trek ever. Above all, it was perfect science fiction. Not only did it discuss the issue of racism, but it was an homage to the early science fiction writers who were paid pennies to put out good, and bad, sci-fi stories that fired the imagination of a generation of future science fiction writers. It was Star Trek at its finest, and this episode deserved far more attention than it ever received. It was certainly Emmy worthy in the tradition of the Twilight Zone. In addition to "Far Beyond the Stars," the wedding of Worf and Jadzia Dax was a comedic delight. I always liked the pairing of Worf and Jadzia much more than the forced pairing of Troi and Worf in the last season of Star Trek: TNG. Michael Dorn and Terry Farrell had fantastic chemistry. This pairing is also what makes me put the "Almost" in my title. I remember at the time the sixth season was coming to an end that Farrell and the producers of DS9 were at an impasse concerning her salary for the seventh and final season, so in their infinite wisdom the producers decided to kill the character of Jadzia Dax in a very crappy way. After two seasons of building this relationship up and to see the character killed off like that was just stupid. Money or not, the seventh season would have been a heck of a lot better, a heck of a lot more fun if Terry Farrell had been there. Of course, there is nothing wrong with Nicole deBoer -- she's great in The Dead Zone -- but too much time was wasted trying to integrate a new character into the final season, and she just wasn't Jadzia. Except for that final part, this season of Deep Space Nine is definately worth the price to own. Rating: - This viewer is not confused...Who's idea was it to let Paul Tonks write the Amazon editorial reviews of the DS9 DVD sets? He's entitled to his opinions about the show, but his sweeping statements about how the intersecting plot lines, number of cast members, presence of comedic episodes, etc., "confuse the viewer" are condescending and patronizing. Why can't he just admit that the show confuses/aggravates him? I consider DS9's risky narrative density one of its most appealing and challenging aspects, even when it misfired, and I imagine I'm not alone. Speak for yourself, Paul.
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