DS9 Episode - Far Beyond the Stars

Review

Series :

Deep Space Nine

Rating :

Disc No :

6.4

Episode :

136

First Aired :

11 Feb 1998

Stardate :

Unknown

Director :

Avery Brooks

Year :

2374

Writers :

Marc Scott Zicree

Season :

Guest Cast :

YATI :

The visions of the Prophets have always been similar - a series of people you know appear, taking turns to spout sentances at you. They are yellow-tinged, and a slow heartbeat sounds in the background. So why are these visions suddenly completely different?

Great Moment :

Although it's a very serious and worthy episode in many ways, it's great fun to watch this one and try to work out who is playing who. All those actors out of their usual heavy makeup!

Body Count :

Technically none, since it was all a dream.

Factoid :

The Incredible Tales staff are all based on real-life authors. Colm Meaney's Albert Macklin is based on Isaac Asimov. Nana Visitor's Kay Eaton, is based on Catherine Moore and Star Trek's own D.C. Fontana who both wrote under genderless pseudonyms. Benny's character may be based on Samuel R. Delany, an African American science fiction writer whose 1967 novel "Nova" was rejected by Campbell because it featured a coloured protagonist. The novel was eventually published, winning the Hugo Award.

Jimmy uses the word "nigger" in this episode - the first and only time the word has been used in all of Star Trek.

This episode is Avery Brooks and Armin Shimerman's personal favourite. Ronald D. Moore regards it as one of the best episodes in all of Star Trek.

The little silver rocket on Herbert Rossoff's desk is an actual Hugo Award, which was lent to the production by Rick Sternbach.

A memo from Douglas Pabst above Rossoff's desk reads "No one would believe that a cheerleader could kill vampires" – a reference to Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

This is also the only episode in which Michael Dorn ever appears without any alien makeup on.

The "retro future style" Deep Space nine was created by Jim Van Over

There was some concern over Avery Brooks directing this episode, given that his own character features heavily in it - directing oneself is a notoriously difficult thing to do. In the end, the producers felt that the nature of the story demanded a non-white director, since "a story about racism and prejudice... would be wrong if it came from a bunch of people who didn't necessarily know about that experience."

Plotline

When Sisko begins suffering from hallucinations again, he finds himself a science-fiction writer in America of the 1950's. His new work is all about the black Captain of a space station called Deep Space Nine - but will anybody want to read about the exploits of a black man in a culture where many don't even consider them Human?

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Last updated : 18 Feb 2017