“Whispers” 30th-anniversary reflections

When Chief O’Brien returns from a security briefing on Parada, he finds everyone on the station acting strangely toward him. Keiko and Molly pull away, Bashir insists on an unscheduled physical, and his own repair assignments seem designed to keep him out of the loop. The more he investigates, the more it looks like a conspiracy has taken over Deep Space 9—until he flees the station and uncovers a truth he never suspected.

In this episode of The Orb, hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our 30th-anniversary retrospective that will take you through all of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, one episode at a time. In this installment, we discuss “Whispers,” the effective simplicity of the story, and how it all hinges on nuanced acting and consistent character-building.

Chapters

Intro (00:00:00)

Bad Luck O’Brien (00:02:28)

Replicating Miles (00:07:57)

Rewatch Value (00:12:27)

Consistent Character (00:16:53)

Missing Pieces? (00:20:55)

Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:24:25)

Closing (00:27:09)

Hosts

C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing

Production

C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer)

“Armageddon Game” 30th-anniversary reflections

Sometimes, a good cup of coffee can save the day. It sure does for Miles O'Brien and Julian Bashir when a mission to help two formerly warring civilizations destroy their stockpiles of deadly weapons goes awry. Taking no chances, Kellerun soldiers storm the lab and massacre the science team the moment the last weapon is neutralized. And while Miles and Julian escape, they are reported dead to Deep Space 9. It's only when Keiko notices on security footage that her husband is drinking coffee in the afternoon—something she believes he never does—that Sisko mounts a mission to find out what is really going on and ultimately rescues his officers.

In this episode of The Orb, hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our 30th-anniversary retrospective that will take you through all of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, one episode at a time. In this installment, we discuss “Armageddon Game,” how it brings Miles and Julian together for their first real buddy adventure, how Keiko saves the day, spiky hair, and more.

Chapters

Intro (00:00:00)

A Miles and Jules Joint (00:03:09)

Almost Dax (00:11:01)

Keiko's Hunch (00:17:42)

Kill All the Scientists (00:23:25)

The Original Concept (00:29:44)

Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:33:05)

Closing (00:37:37)

Hosts

C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing

Production

C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer)

“The Alternate” 30th-anniversary reflections

When the Bajoran scientist who first studied Odo—and whose hairstyle the changeling unconsciously adopted—arrives at Deep Space 9 with a potential clue to his origins, their reunion is anything but warm. Dr. Mora Pol's patronizing manner rekindles old resentments, even as his discovery drives them together through the wormhole to investigate a planet in the Gamma Quadrant. What they bring back threatens the station: a mysterious silicate-based life-form that escapes its containment and begins attacking crew members in the night. As Odo leads the investigation, the evidence points in a direction no one anticipated—and the truth forces him to confront the scientist who shaped him, in more ways than one.

In this episode of The Orb, hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our 30th-anniversary retrospective that will take you through all of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, one episode at a time. In this installment, we discuss “The Alternate,” how the story fills in Odo's background, explores parent-child relationship, plants seeds for the Dominion, and more.

Chapters

Intro (00:00:00)

Literally Malleable (00:02:53)

Communication through Mirroring (00:06:31)

Father and Son (00:10:34)

The Original Concept (00:18:02)

Jekyll and Hyde (00:24:19)

More Dominion Breadcrumbs (00:26:20)

Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:32:01)

Closing (00:34:43)

Hosts

C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing

Production

C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer)