DS9 Season 5

Summary
Sisko, Odo, O'Brien, and Worf are sent on a mission to expose Chancellor Gowron as a Changeling infiltrator, only to discover that it was Martok who had been replaced. The Changeling impersonating Martok is killed, but Gowron is still not ready to end the war with the Federation but does agree to call a cease fire and begin talks. The crew is able to capture a crashed Jem'Hadar ship and return it to Starfleet. Worf helps Quark woo his ex-wife Grilka, while he and Jadzia Dax start a relationship initiated by Dax.

Jake Sisko is doing a report on Julian Bashir in a later episode when they are called to help a Federation colony against a Klingon attack, and Jake has his first real dealings with death and the horrors of war. Keiko O'Brien later gets possessed by a strange noncorporeal being who forces Miles to do whatever she says or else she'll kill Keiko. Miles is, of course, able to outwit the entity, which turns out to be a pah-wraith, who was attempting to kill the Prophets.

The crew travels back in time to the 23rd century and thwarts a plot by Arne Darvin to kill James T. Kirk, (unwittingly reintroducing the previously-extinct tribble species to the galaxy in the process). Odo is forced to reveal that during the occupation, he had three innocent Bajorans executed as he had placed order over justice and did not investigate the crime fully. Later, he and Quark crash on an L-class planet and must climb a mountain in order to get a signal through to Deep Space 9. After an accident in the holosuite, Sisko begins having visions of past, present and future, preventing Bajor from joining the United Federation of Planets by claiming that it will be disastrous for Bajor to do so.

A few weeks before giving birth to Kirayoshi O'Brien, Kira Nerys tracks down an insane Cardassian who has been killing members of the Shakaar resistance cell as revenge for civilians who were killed in one of their attacks. Odo receives a sick infant Changeling from Quark which he attempts to nurse back to health, but with no success. However, before it "dies", it absorbs itself into Odo's body and gives Odo back his shape-shifting abilities.

Sisko vows to track down and arrest Maquis renegade Michael Eddington after he attacks a Federation starship. Sisko poisons a Maquis colony and Eddington agrees to surrender.

Garak receives a signal from Enabran Tain, indicating that he is alive in a Dominion prison. He and Worf attempt a rescue, but are captured themselves, where they discover the real Martok and Julian Bashir, who has also been captured and replaced by a shapeshifter. Tain acknowledges Garak as his son before he dies. The rest escape and return to the station. An attempt to seal the wormhole to prevent the impending arrival of a Dominion fleet is unsuccessful, thanks to an act of sabotage by Bashir's Changeling replacement, who is later killed during a failed attempt to destroy the Bajoran system by triggering a supernova within the Bajoran sun. Dukat reveals that he has negotiated Cardassia's entry into the Dominion, becoming absolute ruler of his planet under Dominion rule. In response to the sudden change of fortune in the Klingon's war against the Cardassians, Gowron agrees to Sisko's proposal to reinstate the Khitomer Accords, restoring the alliance between the Federation and the Klingon Empire. General Martok stays on DS9 as Klingon representative for the new alliance.

Julian Bashir meets Lewis Zimmerman, the creator of the EMH, who wants to use Bashir for his next Emergency Medical Holographic program. It is discovered that Bashir had been genetically altered to make him stronger and smarter as he was "slow" as a child. Odo falls in and out of love with a mysterious woman, Quark begins smuggling weapons "illegally," but has a change of heart.

Tekeny Ghemor returns to the station and reveals all his secrets to Kira before he dies. Dukat and Weyoun 5 try to prevent it, but are too late. Quark finds out his mother and the Grand Nagus had fallen in love, and Worf accompanies Martok on a mission to rescue another Klingon ship from the Jem'Hadar. In return, Martok lets Worf into his House. The crew discovers an alternate timeline by the crew aboard the USS Defiant (2370) which has the Defiant being thrown back in time and crashing on a planet, and a world of eight thousand being created by the survivors of this crash. This event, however, is prevented by an alternate version of Odo, who confesses his love to Kira.

After the Cardassian-Dominion alliance has nearly wiped out the Maquis, Eddington tricks Sisko into releasing him so they can prevent a last strike. He dies in a blaze of glory, allowing the survivors to escape from the Jem'Hadar. O'Brien, Garak, and Nog travel to Empok Nor to salvage station parts, but Garak is infected by a Cardassian virus and turns to a murderous rage.

Jake and Nog manage to cheer Sisko up by offering him a baseball card. The Dominion offers Bajor a nonaggression pact, which they resist at first, but Sisko endorses it so they will stay out of the fighting. After the crew decides to mine the wormhole to prevent further Dominion reinforcements from coming through, the Dominion attacks and the crew – including Garak – is forced to abandon the station, escaping on the Defiant. Odo, Kira, Quark and Jake stay behind as Dukat, Weyoun, and the Jem'Hadar occupy the station. The Dominion War has begun...

Background information

 * This season was broadcast concurrent with Season 3, and  was released during its run, three days prior to the airing of the episode.
 * The writers' primary goal during season 5 was to get the show back on the track they'd been on in season 3, i.e. moving towards war with the Dominion. Season 3 was originally supposed to conclude with the episode that ultimately became, while season 4 was to open with . However, towards the end of season 3, Paramount had told the writers that they didn't want a cliffhanger ending, and they also wanted 'something' done to shake up the show, which ultimately led to the introduction of Worf and the Klingons. The Klingon war arc took up most of season 4, so now that the writers were moving into the next season, they wanted to end the Klingon conflict and get back to the inevitable conflict with the Dominion. As executive producer and writer Ira Steven Behr states, "Season 4 threw us for a loop, with the whole Klingon thing, and bringing Worf into the show. So the seminal thing about our fifth season was that we wanted to get back on the track we'd anticipated being on a year earlier. We were moving back toward making the shape-shifters and the Dominion our enemies. Not the Klingons. I didn't want to have the Klingons as our enemies." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion)
 * Art Director Randy McIlvain took over Herman Zimmerman's role as production designer for the first five episodes of the season, while Zimmerman was working on . After production of First Contact was complete, Zimmerman resumed his regular role on the show.
 * Characters which "crossover" from other incarnations of Star Trek: Arne Darvin in new materials and James T. Kirk, Spock, Leonard McCoy, Montgomery Scott, Nyota Uhura, Pavel Chekov, Cyrano Jones, Freeman, Lurry, Korax, Galloway, Nilz Baris, and K-7's bartender in stock footage, and the Emergency Medical Hologram.
 * Also starting with, the DS9 crew switch to the new Starfleet uniforms which were designed for.

Cast

 * Avery Brooks as Sisko
 * Rene Auberjonois as Odo
 * Michael Dorn as Lt. Commander Worf
 * Terry Farrell as Lt. Commander Dax
 * Cirroc Lofton as Jake Sisko
 * Colm Meaney as Chief O'Brien
 * Armin Shimerman as Quark
 * Alexander Siddig as Doctor Bashir
 * Nana Visitor as Major Kira

Crew

 * Executive Producers:
 * Rick Berman
 * Ira Steven Behr
 * Creative Consultant:
 * Michael Piller
 * Coordinating Producer:
 * Robert della Santina
 * Co-Producer:
 * J.P. Farrell
 * Producers:
 * Robert Hewitt Wolfe
 * Steve Oster
 * René Echevarria
 * Co-Supervising Producer:
 * Hans Beimler
 * Supervising Producers:
 * Peter Lauritson
 * Ronald D. Moore
 * Associate Producer:
 * Terri Potts
 * Casting by:
 * Junie Lowry-Johnson, CSA
 * Ron Surma
 * Music by:
 * Dennis McCarthy ("Apocalypse Rising", "...Nor the Battle to the Strong", "Trials and Tribble-ations")
 * Jay Chattaway ("The Ship", "Things Past")
 * David Bell ("Looking for par'Mach in All the Wrong Places", "The Ascent")
 * Gregory Smith ("The Assignment")
 * Paul Baillargeon ("Let He Who Is Without Sin...")
 * Main Title Theme by:
 * Dennis McCarthy (credit appears only in episodes not composed by McCarthy)
 * Director of Photography:
 * Jonathan West, A.S.C. ("Apocalypse Rising" – "Looking for par'Mach in All the Wrong Places", "The Assignment" – "Things Past")
 * Kris Krosskove ("...Nor the Battle to the Strong", "Trials and Tribble-ations", "The Ascent" – "Rapture")
 * Production Designer:
 * Herman Zimmerman ("Trials and Tribble-ations" – "Let He Who Is Without Sin...")
 * Art Director:
 * Randy McIlvain
 * Editors:
 * David Ramirez (every third episodes after "Apocalypse Rising")
 * Steve Tucker (every third episode after "The Ship")
 * Michael Westmore II (every third episode after "Looking for par'Mach in All the Wrong Places")
 * Unit Production Manager:
 * Robert della Santina
 * First Assistant Directors:
 * B.C. Cameron (odd-numbered episodes)
 * Lou Race (even-numbered episodes)
 * Second Assistant Director:
 * Paul Lawrence (all episodes except "Trials and Tribble-ations")
 * Robin Winter ("Trials and Tribble-ations")
 * Costume Designer:
 * Robert Blackman
 * Visual Consultant:
 * Herman Zimmerman ("Apocalypse Rising" – "...Nor the Battle to the Strong")
 * Visual Effects Producer:
 * Dan Curry
 * Visual Effects Supervisors:
 * Gary Hutzel ("Apocalypse Rising", "Trials and Tribble-ations", "The Ascent")
 * David Stipes (even-numbered episodes)
 * Edward L. Williams ("Looking for par'Mach in All the Wrong Places")
 * Dan Curry ("Let He Who Is Without Sin...")
 * Post Production Supervisor:
 * Kristine Fernandes
 * Scenic Art Supervisor/Technical Consultant:
 * Michael Okuda
 * Senior Illustrator/Technical Consultant:
 * Rick Sternbach
 * Make-up Designed and Supervised by:
 * Michael Westmore
 * Set Decorator:
 * Laura Richarz
 * Set Designers:
 * Fritz Zimmerman ("Apocalypse Rising", "...Nor the Battle to the Strong", "The Assignment", "Things Past")
 * Anthony Bro ("The Ship")
 * Ron Wilkinson ("Looking for par'Mach in All the Wrong Places", "Trials and Tribble-ations", "Let He Who Is Without Sin...", "The Ascent")
 * Illustrator:
 * John Eaves
 * Visual Effects Coordinators:
 * Judy Elkins ("Apocalypse Rising", "Trials and Tribble-ations", "The Ascent")
 * Adam Buckner (even-numbered episodes)
 * Visual Effects Series Coordinator:
 * Edward L. Williams
 * Visual Effects Associate:
 * Laura Lang-Matz
 * Script Supervisor:
 * Stuart Lippman ("Apocalypse Rising", "The Ship")
 * Judi Brown ("Looking for par'Mach in All the Wrong Places" – "The Ascent")
 * Wardrobe Supervisor:
 * Carol Kunz (odd-numbered episodes)
 * Camille Argus (even-numbered episodes)
 * Special Effects:
 * Gary Monak
 * Property Master:
 * Joe Longo
 * Construction Coordinator:
 * Thomas J. Arp
 * Scenic Artists:
 * Anthony Fredrickson ("Apocalypse Rising")
 * James Van Over ("The Ship")
 * Doug Drexler (odd-numbered episodes starting with "Looking for par'Mach in All the Wrong Places")
 * Denise Okuda (even-numbered episodes starting with "...Nor the Battle to the Strong")
 * Hair Designer:
 * Norma Lee
 * Make-up Artists:
 * Sonny Burman ("Looking for par'Mach in All the Wrong Places" – "Trials and Tribble-ations")
 * Mark Bussan ("The Ship" – "...Nor the Battle to the Strong", "Things Past", "The Ascent")
 * Camille Calvet ("Apocalypse Rising", "Trials and Tribble-ations" – "Let He Who Is Without Sin...")
 * Karen Iverson ("Apocalypse Rising" – "Looking for par'Mach in All the Wrong Places", "Let He Who Is Without Sin..." – "The Ascent")
 * Dean Jones ("Apocalypse Rising", "The Ship", "Trials and Tribble-ations" – "Things Past")
 * Karen Westerfield ("...Nor the Battle to the Strong", "The Assignment", "The Ascent")
 * Hair Stylists:
 * Jacklin Masteran ("Apocalypse Now", "Looking for par'Mach in All the Wrong Places", "...Nor the Battle to the Strong", "The Assignment", "Let He Who Is Without Sin...")
 * Brian Andrew-Tunstall ("Apocalypse Now", "The Ship", "...Nor the Battle to the Strong", "Trials and Tribble-ations", "Let He Who Is Without Sin...", "Things Past")
 * Alicia Tripi ("The Ship", "Looking for par'Mach in All the Wrong Places", "The Assignment")
 * Linle White ("Trials and Tribble-ations", "Things Past")
 * Caryl Codon-Tharp ("The Ascent")
 * Rebecca De Morrio ("The Ascent")
 * Sound Mixer:
 * Bill Gocke
 * Camera Operator:
 * Kris Krosskove, SOC (all episodes except those on which he served as Director of Photography)
 * Bill Asman ("...Nor the Battle to the Strong", "Trials and Tribble-ations", "The Ascent")
 * Gary Huddleston ("Rapture")
 * Chief Lighting Technician:
 * R.D. Knox
 * First Company Grip:
 * Steve Gausche
 * Key Costumers:
 * Mary Ellen Bosché (odd-numbered episodes)
 * Jerry Bono (odd-numbered episodes)
 * Phyllis Corcoran-Woods (even-numbered episodes except "The Assignment")
 * Stephanie Levanda-Lipsky ("The Ship", "...Nor the Battle to the Strong") (credited as Stephanie Lipsky in "The Ship")
 * Carol Kunz ("The Assignment")
 * Cleo Severy ("The Assignment", "Things Past")
 * Music Editor:
 * Stephen M. Rowe
 * Supervising Sound Editor:
 * Mace Matiosian
 * Sound Editors:
 * T. Ashley Harvey
 * Guy Tsujimoto
 * Jivan Tahmizian
 * Eric Williams
 * Assistant Editors:
 * Jonathan Paul Ramirez (every third episode after "Apocalypse Rising") (credited as Jonathan Ramirez in "Apocalypse Rising")
 * Craig Galloway (every third episode after "The Ship")
 * Jonathan Posell (every third episode after "Looking for par'Mach in All the Wrong Places")
 * Visual Effects Assistant Editor:
 * Edward Hoffmeister
 * Production Coordinator:
 * Heidi Smothers
 * Post Production Coordinator:
 * Production Associates:
 * David Rossi
 * Robbin Slocum
 * Main Title Design:
 * Dan Curry
 * Stunt Coordinator:
 * Dennis Madalone
 * Pre-Production Coordinator:
 * Lolita Fatjo
 * Science Consultant:
 * André Bormanis
 * Casting Executive:
 * Helen Mossler, CSA
 * Assistants to Producers:
 * Chad Zimmerman ("Apocalypse Rising", "Trials and Tribble-ations", "The Ascent")
 * Meril Davis ("The Ship", "The Assignment")
 * Mike Mistovich ("Looking for par'Mach in All the Wrong Places", "Let He Who Is Without Sin...")
 * Jill Sherwin ("...Nor the Battle to the Strong", "Things Past")
 * Jill Sherwin ("...Nor the Battle to the Strong", "Things Past")

Companies

 * Digital Optical Effects: Pacific Ocean Post
 * Special Video Compositing: CIS Hollywood
 * Motion Control Photography: Image "G"
 * Computer Animation:
 * VisionArt Design & Animation ("Apocalypse Rising", "The Ship", "Trials and Tribble-ations", "Things Past", "The Begotten", "In Purgatory's Shadow", "By Inferno's Light", "A Simple Investigation", "Call to Arms")
 * Digital Muse ("The Begotten")
 * Foundation Imaging ("Business as Usual")
 * Editing facilities: Unitel Video
 * Post Production sound: Modern Sound
 * Filmed with: Panavision Cameras and Lenses

Uncredited

 * Hala Gabriel - Production Accountant
 * Gary Kerr - Production Illustrator ("Trials and Tribble-ations")