MovieFreak.com - Star Trek: Deep Space 9 - The Complete Third Season DVD Review

Starring: Avery Brooks, Rene Auberjonois, Terry Farrell, Cirroc Lofton, Colm Meaney, Armin Shimerman, Alexander Siddig, Nana Visitor

Orbiting the liberated planet of Bajor, a Federation space station and its crew guards the opening of a stable wormhole to the far side of the Galaxy.

While watching the second season of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine I thought, "It can only get better." Well, I was right. The finale of the second season, entitled The Jem’Hadar and directed by Avery Brooks himself, introduced the Dominion and the forthcoming threat. It came to a close with a cliffhanger ending with Sisko saying, "The first war will be fought here. I intend to be ready."

Well, the third season jumps right into high gear with a two-episode story arc. The Search (Part 1 and 2) deals with the search for the Dominion and the mission of establishing first, peaceful contact. However, things don’t’ go as planned as Sisko’s new command ship (word on that in the next paragraph) is attacked, forcing Odo and Kira to escape in a runabout shuttle. It is in this episode we are introduced to the Founders, rulers of the deadly Jem’Hadar. I won’t spoil any more than this for anyone who is following the show on DVD as I am. I’ll say it again; I’ve never watched the show when it was on TV. Since the release of the first season on DVD, I’m hooked.

The third season is the best so far. There’s a lot more going on in this season. Characters flourish and some change, all the more chance we get to know them better. There are several episodes that concentrate specifically on each of the major characters. Character subplots are creative and well executed. For example, Keiko O’Brien leaves for Bajor to assist with an expedition. Jake Sisko develops his writing skills and might attend a special school, however, his sudden relationships with women (two, to be exact) seem a bit forced. Nog, Rom’s son, aspires to become a Starfleet officer, despite Quark’s disagreement. A very cool and important addition to DS9’s arsenal is the powerful Defiant, an all-new Starfleet ship outfitted with a cloaking device and an array of gun power like no other ship. However, the biggest plot of the third season is the continuing threat of the Dominion, the Jem’Hadar and the Founders.

The writing is a very important factor in this show and the quality of it in this season is evident and appreciated. Most of the 26 episodes are very good. There’s this sense of familiarity now. I know the characters and so do the writers of the show. The writers, René e Echevarria, Ira Steven Behr, Ronald D. Moore, among others, have a knack for dialogue and develop subplots and main plots episode after episode. The direction is also an important part and most of the directors in this season, namely David Livingston, Avery Brooks, Reza Badiyi, Les Landau, Cliff Bole, Jonathan Frakes and Alexander Singer (jus to name a few, you know), do a very fine job. Other considerations that make Deep Space Nine so good are the talents of the cinematographers, producers, art directors, set directors and, above all, the make-up department and artists.

Also, the visual effects in this season look pretty good, even better compared to the previous two seasons. Well, I almost forgot the acting side of the whole show. These actors really put up a great show. The precision, sincerity and humor of all of them really make this show work. I would have to say Avery Brooks gives an exciting and commanding performance as Benjamin Sisko. He can be funny at times, but also very sincere and serious. The regulars, such as Rene Auberjonois, Colm Meaney, Alexander (Siddig El) Fadil, Terry Farrell, Nana Visitor, Armin Shimerman, are all very good. However, some of the supporting cast members make quite a grand impression, such as Max Grodénchik (as Rom), Marc Alaimo (as Gul Dukat), Aron Eisenberg (as Nog) and Andrew Robinson (as Garak). Basically, it’s the characters that make this show as exciting as it is; yet the acting is what propels them.

Good stuff, isn’t it? With the third season ending in yet another cliffhanger, season four is sure to rock'n roll (for the lack of a better term). The final episode, entitled The Adversary, ends on a very mysterious and scary note. The conversation between Sisko and Odo aboard DS9 goes as follows: "Before he died, he whispered something in my ear." Sisko nods: "Go on." Odo says with much sincerity, "You are too late. We are everywhere." Well, if that doesn’t get you hyped for season four, I don’t know what does. In any case, bring on season four!

The following are all 26 episodes of the third season (1994-95) running an estimated 19 hours and 41 minutes at circa 44 minutes an episode. In case you might wonder, I watched the entire season in five days and now I eagerly anticipate the release of the fourth season. After each episode title is my rating for that episode (out of 10).

Disc 1

The Search, Part I (10)

The Search, Part II (10)

The House of Quark (7)

Equilibrium (7)

Disc 2

Second Skin (7)

The Abandoned (8)

Civil Defense (8)

Meridian (8)

Disc 3

Defiant (8)

Fascination (6)

Past Tense, Part I (10)

Past Tense, Part II (10)

Disc 4

Life Support (7)

Heart of Stone (7)

Destiny (8)

Prophet Motive (8)

Disc 5

Visionary (8)

Distant Voices (8)

Through the Looking Glass (8)

Improbable Cause (10)

Disc 6

The Die Is Cast (10)

Explorers (8)

Family Business (7)

Shakaar (7)

Disc 7

Facets (7)

The Adversary (10)

Special Features

Presented in fullscreen format (1.33:1), Star Trek: Deep Space Nine looks very healthy. The transfer is not spotless, but quite clean and good-looking. I didn’t notice any major concerns, despite some grain and black level/dark tones issues. The color palette is quite refreshing as many of the clothes or costumes vary in colors. Also notable are the sets that are decorated quite nicely boasting a variety of colors. Color detail is not consistent, however, as the impact of the colors is not that forthcoming, but that is no major concern by itself. Basically, the transfer or print, if you will, looks well adjusted and good.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is presented in English 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround. I’ll say it right off the bat, surround usage doesn’t occur very often. But that’s fine with me, because when the rear speakers come alive, the sound is just fine. The front speakers do a really good job of emitting sound. Dialog scenes are clear and easy to understand. Dennis McCarthy’s score tends to run over some of those scenes, yet the score is composed rather nicely and used appropriately. Sound effects are a big deal in this show and the 5.1 track handles them well. The audio presentation is handled very nicely.

As with the past two boxed sets, the special features are available on the last disc (7) and make up for an interesting behind-the-scenes look at the show. Easter eggs, which are named hidden files, can be found by clicking left and right in the special features menu (highlighted in green). As for the actual special features, here is a short description on them.

The Birth of the Dominion and Beyond (11 mins) - Executive Producer Ira Steven Behr and others discuss the development of Deep Space Nine's arch nemesis. Featured in season 3, the dominion plays a pivotal role throughout the remainder of the series.

Michael Westmore's Aliens: Season Three – This featurette includes a detailed look at Ferengis, Kira as a Cardassian, Bashir's aging process, and several dramatic changes created for the shape shifter Odo.

Crew Dossier: Odo - Rene Auberjonois and others examine the unique character of Odo during the seven-year run of Deep Space Nine in all-new, exclusive interviews conducted in November 2002.

Time Travel Files: "Past Tense" - The cast, including Avery Brooks, and crew discuss one of the series' most popular and poignant episodes, the two-part saga Past Tense, whose social commentary mirrored real-life events.

Sailing Through the Stars: A Special Look At Explorers - Production Designer Herman Zimmerman and others discuss the creation of the award-winning ship design piloted by Benjamin Sisko and Jake in the episode Explorers. This featurette also includes rarely seen photos and illustrations.

You can select to view each episode with optional English subtitles. The DVD’s main menu is somewhat animated. Each episode is organized into eight chapters and can be easily accessed via the chapter selection menu.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – Season 3 is the best season yet. Everything about it is more familiar and exciting. The story arcs and subplots finally gain more ground and are subject to further exploration. The video and audio presentations are pretty good. The special features include a nice retrospective on Odo and a discussion about the Dominion.

All in all, this third season is worth the sale price of $99.95 (depending where you look) so get it while you still can, because the list price at $139.99 runs quite expensive. DS9 comes highly recommended for the fans and anyone following the show on DVD. Buy it if you have the money.