In my last post, we wrapped up season two, and season three doesn’t take long to hit hard with all its events. What was previously hinted at cautiously now reveals its cruel face in the form of the Jem’Hadar.
Personally, I find the Jem’Hadar even more intense than the Borg. They’re ruthless warriors with nothing to lose, and this becomes clear when a small Federation squadron, led by a Galaxy-class ship, enters their territory, only for a Jem’Hadar vessel to sacrifice itself to destroy the Federation ship.
At the same time, interesting conflicts arise—or perhaps collide. I’m not entirely sure whether it’s a moral or ethical dilemma, probably a bit of both. The Federation intrudes into the territory of the Founders, Vorta, and Jem’Hadar—essentially, Dominion space. Instead of respecting warnings to stay out, they choose to continue their mission to explore, investigate, and map the area.
Interestingly, this could be seen as an allegory. Looking at the colonization of America, there were already people living on the land that was “discovered.” Much was ignored, and rules were bypassed in favor of pursuing one’s own interests.
And before anyone jumps down my throat for this, Star Trek has always been a reflection of societal issues and always will be. This is simply an observation I found intriguing. Even the Federation isn’t as innocent as it pretends to be. That was already true in TOS and continues across the other series. Let’s also not forget that Q points out criticisms that can’t easily be dismissed. The interplay between Q and Picard isn’t just there to highlight how far society has come, but also to show that it’s far from perfect and still grapples with problems.
Back to the Jem’Hadar—they always remind me of something unfortunate. Specifically, I’m thinking of the missed opportunity in Picard season three. Sure, the main antagonists in TNG were the Borg, and Picard—as the name suggests—is essentially a TNG series. However, the tension in season three was already stretched far too thin, and then they brought the Borg back again. Not only was the Borg storyline beaten to death in season two, but it was also reintroduced in season three with no real connection to the previous season.
Now imagine if it hadn’t been the Borg but instead the Jem’Hadar, who had already been subtly re-established through the Changelings. Then, bring in Jeffrey Combs as a Weyoun clone, and wow—that would’ve been incredible.
But no, DS9 took a while longer to get its due recognition. It wasn’t until Lower Decks that we finally got the integration of its many themes and characters we’d been waiting for.
About halfway through season three, we’re treated to a fascinating two-parter where you can’t help but wonder why the temporal agents from later series don’t show up. Sisko, Bashir, and Dax are transported back in time due to a transporter accident and become embroiled in a conflict on Earth. This ends with Sisko being mistaken for Gabriel Bell. Gabriel Bell, of course, is responsible for the Bell Riots, which are named after him. Tragically, Sisko is then recorded in the historical database as Gabriel Bell, photo included. (If I remember correctly, no one notices this—except Nog in a later episode when he, his father, and his uncle get stranded on Earth in the mid-1940s. Wasn’t there something about a UFO crash in Roswell?)
Interestingly, according to Star Trek’s timeline, the Bell Riots occurred in September 2024.
Otherwise, we’re slowly but surely seeing tensions between the various species escalate and grow more intense. Unfortunately, we never get to see what the Breen look like beneath their refrigeration suits, which I’d love to know. For now, war hasn’t officially been declared, but you can tell it’s on the horizon. Even on the station, a war room is set up, and we learn more about infiltration by various species and the capture of key individuals.
And no, I’m not looking forward to the portrayal of war—don’t get me wrong. It’s more about how DS9 approaches things differently. This isn’t just because of its stationary setting but also because of the unique mix of characters.
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