DS9 Season 7

Summary
Benjamin Sisko discovers his mother was a Prophet, a new Dax host arrives on Deep Space 9, Odo discovers that his people have been infected with a fatal disease and Julian Bashir undertakes an assignment for Section 31. Kai Winn turns on the Prophets, and with the assistance of Dukat summons the pah-wraiths. The Breen join the war and side with the Dominion. In the concluding episodes of the season (and the series), the Cardassian-Dominion alliance breaks down, Colonel Kira leads a Cardassian resistance movement involving Legate Damar and Elim Garak, and the alliance of Federation, Klingon, and Romulan forces claim victory in the Dominion War.

Background information

 * Nicole de Boer joins the cast as Ezri Dax.
 * This season was broadcast concurrent with Season 5, and  (featuring Worf) was released during its run, between the episodes  and
 * Several sources, including an episode guide book of the first six seasons, entitled SFX: The Essential Guide to Deep Space Nine, mentioned an episode called "Dysfunctional", where Ezri was to secretly arrange to have Dax removed. The guide also made predictions for season seven and was right about most of them. The writer accurately predicted the return of Section 31, either Bashir or Jake gets the hots for Ezri, and Sisko will die a hero's death or move onto a higher plane of existence.
 * In this season, the makers of DS9 were allowed to do what they liked to the show, within reason. ""As Rick Berman said to me, 'Look, Ira, I want you to know something. Deep Space Nine might be going off the air, but the Star Trek franchise has to continue on. So you can't destroy the Federation,'" laughed Executive Producer/writer Ira Steven Behr. "Which we weren't planning on doing, but I think what that comment said to me was that there's no limits to what we can possibly do." Speaking just prior to the season beginning, Behr went on to say, "In the seventh season, I want to make sure that no story remains on the sidelines. I've told everyone this should be the strangest season yet. We should do whatever we want, get every story out of our system we want to tell. Go places where people don't expect the show to go. Wrap up as many threads of this series as possible. And end on a satisfying note." Behr also planned for the new season to deal with the death of Jadzia Dax, saying, "It's going to give us a hell of a lot of great Worf and Sisko stories next year." (Sci-Fi Universe, issue 33, p. 47) Not everyone gave the series' creative personnel free reign to do whatever they wanted, though. Behr later commented, "It wasn't like we had everyone saying, 'Oh good – give us serialized episodes, give us anything.' People had definite opinions about the show. It was a journey into the unknown every time we dared to try something different, even in the seventh season, by which time you'd think they'd be saying, 'Oh, just go do what you want already.' That never happened." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion)
 * In terms of the first half of the season being composed of stand-alone episodes, and the second half comprising a single 10-episode arc, co-executive producer/writer Ronald D. Moore comments, "Going into Season 7, we knew everything was canted towards the end. We were seeing plot threads and characters and where they were going. Even in the stand-alones, we could see that the tapestry was getting woven tighter and tighter. So we had to be careful, especially on the stand-alones. Because on these episodes, I wasn't walking into René Echevarria's office telling him, 'I'm doing this on ,' and I hope it doesn't contradict what you're doing now'." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion)
 * Characters which 'crossover' from other incarnations of Star Trek: Neral in.

Cast

 * Avery Brooks as Sisko
 * Rene Auberjonois as Odo
 * Nicole de Boer as Ensign/Lieutenant Ezri Dax
 * Michael Dorn as Lt. Commander Worf
 * Cirroc Lofton as Jake Sisko
 * Colm Meaney as Chief O'Brien
 * Armin Shimerman as Quark
 * Alexander Siddig as Doctor Bashir
 * Nana Visitor as Colonel Kira

Crew

 * Executive Producers: Rick Berman, Ira Steven Behr
 * Co-Producer: Terri Potts
 * Executive Story Editors: Bradley Thompson, David Weddle
 * Casting by: Junie Lowry-Johnson, CSA, Ron Surma
 * Music by: Dennis McCarthy, David Bell, Paul Baillargeon
 * Directors of Photography: Jonathan West, ASC, Kris Krosskove
 * Production Designer: Herman Zimmerman
 * Editors: Michael Westmore, Jr., Steve Rucker, David Ramirez
 * Unit Production Manager: Robert della Santina
 * First Assistant Directors: Joe Candrella, Louis Race, B.C. Cameron
 * Second Assistant Director: Tamu Blackwell, Joe Candrell
 * Costume Designer: Robert Blackman
 * Art Director: Randy McIlvain
 * Visual Effects Producer: Dan Curry
 * Visual Effects Supervisors: David Takemura, Adam Buckner, Judy Elkins, David Stipes
 * Scenic Art Supervisor/Technical Consultant: Michael Okuda
 * Post Production Supervisor:
 * Make-Up Designed and Supervised by: Michael Westmore
 * Set Decorator: Laura Richarz, SDSA
 * Set Designer: Anthony Bro, Fritz Zimmerman
 * Senior Illustrator: John Eaves
 * Visual Effects Coordinator: A.Y. Delara, Adam Buckner
 * Visual Effects Associate: Laura Matz
 * Script Supervisor: Judi Brown
 * Wardrobe Supervisor: Carol Kunz
 * Special Effects: Gary Monak
 * Property Master: Joe Longo
 * Construction Coordinator: Thomas J. Arp
 * Scenic Artists: Denise Okuda, Doug Drexler, Anthony Fredrickson
 * Hair Designer: Norma Lee
 * Make-up Artists: Camille Calvet, Karen Westerfield, Sonny Burman, Mark Bussan, Dean Jones, Mary Kay Morse
 * Hair Stylists: Brian Andrew-Tunstall, Rebecca De Morrio, Gloria Casney
 * Sound Mixer: Bill Gocke
 * Camera Operator: Kris Krosskove, SOC, Michael St. Hilaire, SOC
 * Chief Lighting Technician: Ralph Johnson
 * First Company Grip: Steve Gausche
 * Key Costumers: Michael Chapman, Jerry Bono, Phyllis Corcoran-Woods, Cleo Mannell
 * Music Editor: Stephen M. Rowe
 * Supervising Sound Editor: Mace Matiosian
 * Sound Editors: Ruth Adelman, Guy Tsujimoto, Jivan Tahmizian, Eric Williams
 * Assistant Editors: Noel A. Guerra, Craig Galloway, Jonathan Paul Ramirez
 * Visual Effects Assistant Editor: Edward Hoffmeister
 * Production Coordinator: Heidi Smothers
 * Post Production Coordinator: Monique K. Chambers
 * Production Associates: David Rossi, Maril Davis, 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: Nicole Ann Gravett, Philip Kim, Barbara Covington, Michael Gerbosi

Companies

 * Filmed with: Panavision cameras and lenses
 * Visual Effects Compositing: POP Television
 * Special Video Compositing: CIS Hollywood
 * Motion Control Photography: Image "G"
 * Computer Animation:
 * Digital Muse ("Shadows and Symbols", "Treachery, Faith and the Great River", "The Siege of AR-558", "Chimera", "'Til Death Do Us Part", "The Changing Face of Evil", "Tacking Into the Wind", "The Dogs of War", "What You Leave Behind")
 * View Studio, Inc. ("Chimera", "Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang", "Penumbra", "Strange Bedfellows", "Tacking Into the Wind")
 * Foundation Imaging ("Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges", "What You Leave Behind")
 * Station X Studios ("What You Leave Behind")
 * Matte Painting(s): Illusion Arts, Inc. ("Prodigal Daughter", "What You Leave Behind")
 * Special Visual Effects: Illusion Arts, Inc. ("The Changing Face of Evil")
 * Miniature: Brazil-Fabrication & Design ("Penumbra", "'Til Death Do Us Part", "Strange Bedfellows", "The Changing Face of Evil", "What You Leave Behind")
 * Editing Facilities: Four Media Company
 * Post Production Sound: 4MC Sound Services