DS9 Season 4

Summary
Life in the Alpha Quadrant has been uneasy since the revelation the Founders have infiltrated the Alpha Quadrant. Convinced the Dominion are behind a successful coup on Cardassia, Gowron orders a Klingon invasion of the Cardassian Union. When the Federation condemns the invasion, and Sisko protects the members of the Detapa Council, Gowron withdraws from the Khitomer Accords and attacks the station. Although the attack is unsuccessful, the Klingons refuse to give up the Cardassian colonies already seized. Consequently, Benjamin Sisko asks Worf to join the crew of Deep Space 9. Worf however is exiled once again from his people for refusing to side with Gowron in the conflict. Julian Bashir attempts to find a way to remove the Jem'Hadar's addiction to ketracel-white. He clashes with his friend, Miles O'Brien, by doing so, and is eventually unsuccessful. Kira Nerys and Dukat embark on a personal journey to find the Cardassian transport ship Ravinok that disappeared six years previously. Kira is searching for a friend; Dukat is searching for his daughter, Tora Ziyal. He intends to kill her to protect his family, but once he finds her he is unable to do so and she returns with him to Cardassia with devastating consequences to Dukat. Jadzia Dax is reunited with Lenara Kahn, the wife of her former host. After spending time together, their feelings resurface. The two briefly reconcile, but while Dax is willing to face exile from Trill society, Kahn decides that she cannot and leaves, breaking Jadzia's heart.

Nog leaves for Starfleet Academy on Earth, though a shuttle accident en route temporarily strands him, Quark, Rom, and Odo in 1947.

Kor, along with Dax and Worf, discover the long-lost Sword of Kahless in the Gamma Quadrant. They conclude that the Klingon Empire is not yet ready for such a powerful symbol and leave it adrift in open space.

After it is discovered that at least one Changeling infiltrator is active on Earth, Starfleet makes Benjamin Sisko acting head of Starfleet Security on Earth. After a power outage, Admiral Leyton manages to convince the President to let Starfleet declare martial law. However, Sisko soon discovers that the power outage was actually caused by Red Squad, Leyton is arrested for treason and Starfleet forces withdraw. First Minister Shakaar Edon begins a relationship with Major Kira, which forces Odo to deal with his feelings for her. Kira later helps Dukat capture a Klingon Bird-of-Prey and convinces him to let Tora Ziyal live aboard Deep Space 9. Dukat is angry the Detapa Council are unwilling to use information contained within the Bird-of-Prey's computers to launch an offensive and decides to begin his own campaign against them.

Worf is reunited with his brother Kurn who has been banished from the Empire due to Worf's condemnation of Gowron's invasion of Cardassia. Worf decides to erase Kurn's memories and let him become a member of another house. Benjamin Sisko relinquishes the title of Emissary when a Bajoran, Akorem Laan, arrives at the station after being in the wormhole for 200 years. However when Akorem uses the position to resurrect a caste-based discrimination system that would, among other things, doom Bajor's petition for Federation membership, Sisko decides to reclaim the role. The challenge is taken to the wormhole aliens who confirm Sisko is their Emissary. They return Akorem to his time, and Sisko accepts his role fully.

In the mirror universe, the Terran Rebellion captures Terok Nor from the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance. With the help of the Sisko from the primary universe and the rebellion's new ship, the, they successfully repel an Alliance attack, though the mirror $𝜇$ is killed during the incident.

Sisko's girlfriend Kasidy Yates is suspected by Odo and Eddington to be a Maquis smuggler. This turns out to be true, and Kasidy is sentenced to six months in prison, however Michael Eddington is also revealed to be a member of the Maquis and steals twelve industrial replicators intended for the Cardassians, using Kasidy to draw Sisko away from the station while he commits the crime. The crew of the USS Defiant (2370) helps a group of Jem'Hadar led by Weyoun eliminate another group of renegade Jem'Hadar.

After an accident on the runabout, Keiko O'Brien is injured and her baby must be transplanted into Kira's womb in order to survive. Quark is forced by Brunt to break a contract, leading to the revocation of Quark's business license. Odo is infected with a morphogenic virus by the Founders, which forces him to return home to face charges for killing another Changeling. As punishment, he is made a Human. During the mission, Elim Garak makes an unsuccessful attempt to take control of the Defiant's weapons to destroy the Founders, leading to his incarceration for six months. Upon Odo's return, as tensions continue to escalate between the Federation and the Klingon Empire, Odo realizes that Gowron has been replaced by a Changeling.

Background information

 * This season was broadcast concurrent with Season 2.
 * Nana Visitor and Alexander Siddig began their relationship during this season.
 * Michael Dorn joins the cast.

Season changes

 * received a new opening sequence beginning in this season, designed by Dan Curry who also designed the original. The DS9 main title score was given a faster tempo and a new musical ending, and the visual shots of the station were revised to show many ships docked and orbiting the station, including the Defiant and the USS Leeds. A CMU and two repairmen in EV suits can also be seen. The Defiant is shown departing the station and entering the wormhole. Michael Dorn's name is also added to the opening credits. The font of the credits is also changed slightly, as is its color scheme. Many of the new elements added to the sequence were executed as CGI. The CMU, the welders as well as an unnamed alien freighter were CGI elements built by John Knoll at Industrial Light & Magic. "I made about half a dozen little bits and pieces [rem: work bees and the welders on the pylons] for the sequence, including a generic alien ship with blue glowy engines." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p.335)
 * Julian Bashir gained the rank of full lieutenant and Jadzia Dax became a lieutenant commander, both having presumably been promoted between the third and fourth seasons.
 * Avery Brooks and Terry Farrell's credits were altered to reflect their characters' promotions.
 * Alexander Siddig's credit changed from his old credit of Siddig El Fadil to the new one of Alexander Siddig. According to Siddig, the reason he altered his name was because "the other name said too much about what I wasn't. Siddig El Fadil is an important name. It is my name, officially, on my passport and all that, and one that I will keep. But for an actor it wasn't so suitable. So I started again, with half and half, which is more reflective of my character. As for Alexander, that was just a name out of a hat". (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 257) Siddig's name was also moved in the credit list from between Rene Auberjonois and Terry Farrell to between Armin Shimerman and Nana Visitor to reflect its new alphabetical placement.
 * Benjamin Sisko appears with a shaved head beginning in the fourth season. Avery Brooks was required to have some hair on his head during the first three seasons as Paramount thought if he had a bald head, he might look like his previous role as Hawk in . (Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages, p. 102) Brooks felt more comfortable acting with a shaved head, and so approached Rick Berman and Ira Behr. According to Behr, the two producers were expecting resistance at Paramount, but the studio had no problems. "We had geared ourselves up for this big fight and there was no fight. Paramount was fine with it. And Avery was very pleased." The change was positively received by the production staff. Director James L. Conway remarked, "It was a terrific idea. I was shooting the episode and I happened to look at some of the reruns of the earlier shows and I said to Avery, 'It's like a different actor.' And Avery said, 'I feel like a different guy.' And you can see it in his performance. With his head shaved, I think he feels much freer, much more himself." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 257). Robert Hewitt Wolfe noted, "He's actually a little scarier looking but the point is: That's what Avery looks like, so why shouldn't you let the guy look like himself? I think it lets him identify a little more with the character."(Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages, p. 102)

Story arcs

 * At the end of season 3, the writers had planned on doing a 'Changelings on Earth' storyline, which would end on a cliff-hanger. However, Paramount said that they didn't want a cliff-hanger ending, forcing the writers to go in a different direction. This not only necessitated a rethinking of the end of the third season, but also a rethinking of the opening of the fourth. Producers were also under a mandate to do 'something' to shake up the series. As such, they decided to bring the Klingons onto the show, with Rick Berman suggesting that they also bring in Worf. Obviously however, the Klingon conflict was not initially a part of the master-plan for season 4, and many fans thus feel that this season is basically just an interlude in anticipation of the writers getting back to the Dominion arc. This is supported by Ira Steven Behr who says "We only recovered our equilibrium in the middle of the fifth season following another meeting with the studio in which we said, 'How about making the Klingons our friends again? You'll see them as much as you want, but we want to get back to the Dominion'. While I like having brought Worf onto the show, and I love some of the things that he brought along, I think it had a fairly substantial impact that wasn't all for the good. It took us way off from where we'd intended to go and it was slow going getting back." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 256) Behr has also commented, "It was not the direction we thought the show was going. We thought we were going to get into this whole Dominion thing, and we suddenly had to begin this problem with the Klingons, which I think was exciting for the audience, but took a lot of thought as to how it was all going to link up." (Charting New Territory: Deep Space Nine Season Four, DS9 Season 4 DVD, Special Features)
 * Of the introduction of the character of Worf, Robert Hewitt Wolfe comments, "In the beginning it was difficult, I gotta be honest with you, to integrate this new character, but that was good because it challenged us, and made us sort of re-examine the show in a whole new light. How do we make this guy work? How do we bring him in? How does he change the relationships for all of our characters? He stirred up the whole thing again, gave the whole show a sort of a second phase. Suddenly, there's Worf and we've got to deal with him and his issues, and suddenly there's Klingons everywhere and that brought a new flavor to play with." (Charting New Territory: Deep Space Nine Season Four, DS9 Season 4 DVD, Special Features)
 * Characters which 'crossover' from : Worf ( onwards) and his brother Kurn.
 * This is the only season of Deep Space Nine in which Vedek / Kai Winn, Grand Nagus Zek and Maihar'du do not appear.
 * A recurring theme this season would be losses: Worf loses his standing among his people (again); The Federation loses its alliance with the Klingon Empire; Dukat loses his standing among his people; Quark loses his business license (and thus, effectively, his standing among his people); Odo loses his shapeshifting abilities; Even Sisko loses Kassidy Yates for a time, after she's imprisoned for working with the Maquis. All of these losses would be restored the following season.

Reception

 * Edward Gross and Mark A. Altman commented: "For the first time in the thirty-year history of the Star Trek franchise, a season's worth of episodes was produced with a large percentage being solid storytelling. In terms of consistent quality, Deep Space Nine's fourth season is the one by which others will be measured". (Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages, p 101)
 * Anna L. Kaplan wrote in Cinefantastique in 1997: "The '95-'96 season was undeniably DS9's best, and quite possibly the best season of Star Trek ever". ("Taking the Fifth - With Style", Cinefantastique, Vol. 29, No. 6/7)

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
Dennis McCarthy (credit only appears in episodes not composed by McCarthy) Robert della Santina
 * Executive Producers:
 * Rick Berman
 * Ira Steven Behr
 * Creative Consultant:
 * Michael Piller
 * Coordinating Producer:
 * Robert della Santina
 * Co-Producer:
 * Robert Hewitt Wolfe
 * Producers:
 * Hans Beimler (beginning with "Hippocratic Oath")
 * Steve Oster
 * René Echevarria
 * Supervising Producers:
 * Peter Lauritson
 * Ronald D. Moore
 * Associate Producer:
 * Terri Potts
 * Casting by:
 * Junie Lowry-Johnson, C.S.A.
 * Ron Surma
 * Music by:
 * Dennis McCarthy ("The Way of the Warrior", "The Visitor", "Indiscretion", "Homefront", "Crossfire", "Accession", "Hard Time", "Shattered Mirror", "Body Parts")
 * Jay Chattaway ("Hippocratic Oath", "Rejoined", "Starship Down", "Our Man Bashir", "Paradise Lost", "Return to Grace", "Bar Association", "Rules of Engagement", "For the Cause", "To the Death", "Broken Link")
 * Paul Baillargeon ("Little Green Men", "The Muse")
 * David Bell ("The Sword of Kahless", "Sons of Mogh", "The Quickening")
 * Main Title Theme by:
 * Director of Photography:
 * Jonathan West, A.S.C. ("The Way of the Warrior"–"Paradise Lost", "Sons of Mogh"–"Rules of Engagement", "Shattered Mirror"–"Broken Link") (first credited with A.S.C. title in "Rules of Engagement")
 * Kris Krosskove ("Crossfire", "Return to Grace", "Hard Times")
 * Production Designer:
 * Herman Zimmerman ("The Way of the Warrior"–"Bar Association")
 * Art Director:
 * Randy McIlvain
 * Editors:
 * Steve Tucker ("The Way of the Warrior", every third episode after "Indiscretion")
 * Richard Rabjohn (every third episode after "Hippocratic Oath")
 * David Ramirez (every third episode after "The Visitor")
 * Unit Production Manager:
 * First Assistant Director:
 * B.C. Cameron ("The Way of the Warrior", even-numbered episodes starting with "The Visitor")
 * Brian Whitley ("Hippocratic Oath")
 * Conrad Irving (odd-numbered episodes starting with "Indiscretion")
 * Second Assistant Director:
 * Paul Lawrence
 * Costume Designer:
 * Robert Blackman
 * Visual Constultant:
 * Herman Zimmerman ("Accession"–"Rules of Engagement")
 * Visual Effects Producer:
 * Dan Curry
 * Visual Effects Supervisors:
 * Gary Hutzel ("The Way of the Warrior", odd-numbered episodes from "The Sword of Kahless" through "Accession", "Shattered Mirror", "The Quickening", "Body Parts")
 * Glenn Neufeld ("The Way of the Warrior", even-numbered episodes from "Little Green Men" through "Shattered Mirror")
 * Dan Curry ("Hippocratic Oath", "Indiscretion", "Starship Down")
 * David Takemura ("The Visitor", "Rejoined")
 * Judy Elkins ("Hard Time", "The Muse")
 * David Stipes ("For the Cause", "To the Death", "Broken Link")
 * Post Production Supervisor:
 * Kristine Fernandes
 * Supervising Editor:
 * J.P. Farrell
 * Scenic Art Supervisor/Technical Consultant:
 * Michael Okuda
 * Senior Illustrator/Technical Consultant:
 * Rick Sternbach
 * Make-up designed and created by:
 * Michael Westmore
 * Set Decorator:
 * Laura Richarz
 * Set Designer:
 * Ron Wilkinson ("The Way of the Warrior"–"Bar Association")
 * Fritz Zimmerman ("Accession", even-numbered episodes from "Rules of Engagement", through "Broken Link")
 * Peter Samish (odd-numbered episodes from "Hard Time" through "Body Parts)
 * Illustrator:
 * John Eaves
 * Visual Effects Coordinator:
 * Judy Elkins ("The Way of the Warrior", odd-numbered episodes beginning with "The Sword of Kahless" except "Hard Time" and "The Muse")
 * Kendell Shaffer ("The Visitor", "Rejoined")
 * Edward L. Williams ("Hippocratic Oath", "Indiscretion", "Starship Down", "For the Cause", "To the Death", "Broken Link")
 * David Takemura (even-numbered episodes beginning with "Little Green Men")
 * Laura Lang-Matz ("The Muse")
 * Visual Effects Series Coordinator:
 * Edward L. Williams ("The Way of the Warrior", "The Visitor", "Rejoined", "Little Green Men"–"The Muse")
 * Visual Effects Associate:
 * Laura Lang-Matz ("The Way of the Warrior"–"Shattered Mirror", "The Quickening"–"Broken Link")
 * Cheryl Gluckstern ("The Muse", "For the Cause")
 * Script Supervisor:
 * Judi Brown
 * Wardrobe Supervisor:
 * Carol Kunz ("The Way of the Warrior", even-numbered episodes from "The Visitor" through "For the Cause", "The Quickening", "To the Death", "Broken Link")
 * Camille Argus (odd-numbered episodes from "Hippocratic Oath" through "The Muse", "Body Parts")
 * Special Effects:
 * Gary Monak
 * Property Master:
 * Joe Longo
 * Construction Coordinator:
 * Thomas J. Arp ("The Way of the Warrior"–"Rules of Engagement"
 * Greg Medina ("Hard Time"–"Broken Link")
 * Scenic Artist:
 * Denise Okuda ("The Way of the Warrior", even-numbered episodes beginning with "The Visitor")
 * Doug Drexler (odd-numbered episodes beginning with "Hippocratic Oath")
 * Hair Designer:
 * Shirley Dollé
 * Make-up Artists:
 * Camille Calvet ("The Way of the Warrior", "The Visitor"–"Rejoined", "The Sword of Kahless"–"Homefront", "Return to Grace"–"Bar Association", "Shattered Mirror", "The Muse", "Body Parts", "Broken Link")
 * Dean Jones ("The Way of the Warrior", "Indiscretion"–"Starship Down", "Our Man Bashir"–"Paradise Lost", "Bar Association", "Accession", "Shattered Mirror"–"For the Cause", "Body Parts", "Broken Link")
 * Karen Iverson ("The Way of the Warrior", "Hippocratic Oath", "Starship Down", "Little Green Men", "Homefront"–"Crossfire", "Bar Association"–"Rules of Engagement", "The Muse"–"To the Death", "Broken Link")
 * Mark Bussan ("Hippocratic Oath", "The Visitor", "Starship Down"–"The Sword of Kahless", "Crossfire", "Return to Grace", "Accession"–"Hard Time", "For the Cause"–"To the Death")
 * Sonny Burman ("Hippocratic Oath", "The Visitor"–"Indiscretion", "The Sword of Kahless"–"Our Man Bashir", "Crossfire"–"Sons of Mogh", "Rules of Engagement"–"Shattered Mirror", "The Quickening"–"Body Parts")
 * Karen J. Westerfield ("Rejoined", "Little Green Men", "Paradise Lost", "Sons of Mogh", "Hard Time") (credited as Karen Westerfield beginning with "Hard Time")
 * Hair Stylists:
 * Brian Andrew-Tunstall ("The Way of the Warrior", "Hippocratic Oath", "Indiscretion", "Starship Down", "Little Green Men", "Our Man Bashir", "Homefront", "Crossfire", "Return to Grace", "Accession", "Rules of Engagement", "The Muse", "Body Parts", "Broken Link")
 * Norma Lee ("The Way of the Warrior")
 * Faith Vecchio ("Hippocratic Oath", "The Visitor", "Rejoined", "Little Green Men", "The Sword of Kahless")
 * Leland Crawford ("The Visitor", "Indiscretion"–"Starship Down", "The Sword of Kahless", "Our Man Bashir", "Paradise Lost", "Crossfire", "Bar Association", "Accession", "Shattered Mirror", "The Muse", "To the Death", "Body Parts")
 * Lee Ann Brittenham ("Homefront", "Paradise Lost", "Sons of Mogh", "Bar Association", "Hard Times", "Shattered Mirror", "The Quickening", "To the Death")
 * Susan Zeitlow-Maust ("Return to Grace", "Sons of Mogh")
 * Adrienne Kessler ("Rules of Engagement", "Hard Times", "The Quickening", "Broken Link")
 * Sound Mixer:
 * Bill Gocke
 * Camera Operator:
 * Kris Krosskove, S.O.C.
 * William L. Asman ("Crossfire", "Return to Grace", "Hard Time")
 * Chief Lighting Technician:
 * R.D. Knox
 * First Company Grip:
 * Steve Gausche
 * Key Costumers:
 * Mary Ellen Bosché ("The Way of the Warrior", "Indiscretion", "Rejoined", even-numbered episodes from "Our Man Bashir" through "Broken Link")
 * Jerry Bono ("The Way of the Warrior", "Hippocratic Oath", "Rejoined", "Starship Down", even-numbered episodes from "Our Man Bashir" through "Broken Link")
 * Phyllis Cocoran-Woods ("Hippocratic Oath", "The Visitor", "Starship Down"–"The Sword of Kahless", odd-numbered episodes from "Homefront" through "Body Parts")
 * Cleo Severy ("The Visitor", "Indiscretion", "Little Green Men", odd-numbered episodes from "The Sword of Kahless" through "Body Parts")
 * Music Editor:
 * Stephen M. Rowe
 * Supervising Sound Editor:
 * Mace Matiosian
 * Sound Editors:
 * T. Ashley Harvey
 * Guy Tsujimoto
 * Jivan Tahmizian
 * Eric Williams
 * Assistant Editor:
 * Craig Galloway ("Shattered Mirror", "The Quickening", "Broken Link")
 * David Koeppel ("The Muse", "To the Death")
 * Michael Westmore II ("For the Cause", "Body Parts")
 * Visual Effects Assistant Editor:
 * Edward Hoffmeister ("Shattered Mirror"–"Broken Link")
 * Production Coordinator:
 * Heidi Smothers
 * Post Production Coordinator:
 * Cara Colombini ("The Way of the Warrior"–"The Sword of Kahless")
 * ("Our Man Bashir"–"To the Death") (credited as April Nocifora in "Our Man Bashir")
 * 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

Uncredited crew

 * Ellis Burman, Makeup Artist
 * John Carroll, On-Line Editor
 * Josh Cushner, Visual Effects Cameraman
 * Steve Fong, Visual Effects Compositor
 * Hala Gabriel - Production Accountant
 * Kevin Haney, Makeup Artist
 * Dennis Hoerter, Prop Maker
 * Adam Howard, Visual Effects Artist
 * Cherie Huffman, Hairstylist
 * Nancy J. Hvasta Leonardi - Makeup Artist ("The Quickening", "Body Parts", "Broken Link")
 * Don Lee, Visual Effects Compositor
 * Brad Look, Makeup Artist
 * Fredric Meininger, Model Maker
 * Gil Mosko, Makeup Artist
 * Ellen Powell, Hairstylist
 * Dave Quaschnick, Makeup Artist
 * Scott Rader, Visual Effects Compositor
 * Jim Rider, Visual Effects Cameraman
 * Barbara Ronci, Hairstylist
 * Joshua Rose, Model Maker
 * Thom Surprenant, Makeup Artist
 * Steve Weber, Makeup Artist
 * Scott Wheeler, Makeup Artist

Companies

 * Filmed with: Panavision cameras and lenses
 * Digital Optical Effects: Pacific Ocean Post
 * Special Video Compositing: CIS Hollywood
 * Motion Control Photography: Image "G"
 * Computer Animation: VisionArt Design & Animation (all episodes except "For the Cause", "The Quickening")
 * Computer Generated Effects: Digital Muse ("For the Cause")
 * Matte painting: Illusion Arts ("The Quickening")
 * Editing facilities: Unitel Video
 * Post-Production sound: Modern Sound