Ron D. Moore Q & A from AOL’s Message Boards
Dated 9808.12
Q: Will we see Dukat, Kai Winn, or Keiko in any of the first few episodes?
A: Not in the first half dozen.
Q: Are you or have you written an episode yet for this season? If so, can you tell us something about it? Any more episode titles that you know of?
A: The season opens with a two-parter called “Image in the Sand” and “Shadows and Symbols.” The opener will deal with the fallout from the season six finale, Sisko’s quest to “make things right again,” Worf’s reaction to the death of Jadzia, Kira confronting a Romulan problem on the station, and the introduction of the new Dax host. Episode #3 is called “Afterimage” and will deal with the new Dax host. I wrote episode #4, which is shooting right now, it’s called “Take me out to the Holosuite,” and you guessed it — we’re finally doing a baseball show. Episode #5 is called “Chrysalis” and features the return of the Jack Pack.
Q: You, and several others have said that there isn’t a new Trek series currently being planned. In your opinion, is this just something that hasn’t been done yet, possibly in order to give Voyager its shot in the sun, or is there an actual sense that there are enough episodes between the four series to keep the strip syndication market satisfied, and therefore, there’s no sense in going forward with another series, at least at this time?
A: My feeling is that not only should Voyager gets its time to shine on its own (something DS9 never got, by the way) but also that the Trek franchise needs a breather before going on to the next series.
Q: This is probably been answered before but…Was the legend of Kahless influenced by the Legend of King Arthur? i.e. The Sword of Kahless = Excalibur?
A: It was certainly one of the influences, but I believe the Holy Grail and other legends had an impact on the thinking of Rene and Hans when they wrote that show.
Q: Do you have any plans to add any other new ships (Federation or otherwise) to this year’s battles? Do you have the budget to add ships, to create more background depth for Starfleet, or do you have to keep things pretty tight? Will we be seeing some all out battles in Season 7?
A: We only spend the money for new starships when there’s a real need to do so. At the moment, we have no plans for new Fed ships, but you never know. One of the plot-lines in the opening two-parter will culminate in a big space battle sequence and we have two war-heavy episodes planned after the first five.
Q: Are there any more plans to take a look at Kira’s dark past ? And since Kira is one of the two most important characters on the show, have you and the writing staff been busy laying out a character arc for her this season as you are doing for Sisko ? Will there be any new developments for the character this season ? And do you think Kira has less of a professional and personal relationship with her captain compared to the other Trek first officers ?
A: We don’t have any shows planned to deal with her “dark past” but we have a plan for her arc over the course of the year and we know what’s going to happen to her in the end. I’d say that Kira isn’t as close to Sisko as the other Trek first officers have been to their captains, but I like that little distance and think it adds a lot to the chemistry of the show.
Q: Mr. Moore, a few months ago you wrote in a response that Bajor and Sisko’s relationship with the planet would be the dominant theme for the remaining episodes of the series. So far I’ve only seen Bajor dealt with indirectly through the relationship between Sisko and the Prophets. Will we finally see more of the world itself like in the first two seasons ? Will we see more of its politicians, more of its former terrorists/freedom fighters ? Will we get a chance to see the political conflict that may exist within its ruling fractions: government, religious and military ? Are there any Bajorans who may be atheists and do not care about Sisko’s position as the Emissary ? And finally has Bajor officially ended its nonagression pact with the Dominion ?
A: We’ll return to Bajor this year, but most of our Bajor-related shows will still take place on the station, primarily for budgetary reasons. And while we have plans for shows dealing with political and religious intrigue on Bajor, we will continue to view those stories through their impact on our characters. Bajor has ended its nonagression pact.
Q: OK, come on admit it.. aren’t you just a tiny little bit jealous that your buddy is now an Executive Producer, and you’re still sporting a “Co” qualifier? 😀 Morover, what if after the season was over, Brannon asked you to join him as C-EP? Would you consider it?
A: Hey, I’d love to move up to the next rung on the credit ladder, but DS9 already has two show-runners, Ira and Rick, and the full Exec title is reserved for those positions. I’m also very happy doing what I do and don’t have any complaints. Brannon is running the VOY writing staff and he’s earned that credit. I’d listen to anything Brannon had to say, but I doubt that I’d continue with Trek beyond this year.
Q: And if Ron truly does wish to continue defending himself against accussations of mysogyny (and gosh, why wouldn’t he?), Luv has created a “Ism” folder just for him!! Right here in “The Ron D. Moore Discussion Board.” (Not even John Ordover gets his own board!) Just a couple extra mouse-clicks away!! As for what Ron’s actual opinion is, let’s let him voice it himself, shall we??
A: And Ron is…. a little tired of it. It seems like the “isms” folder is where this discussion belongs and if it engages me again over there, I’ll respond to in that folder.
