Follow us on Google News
Get the latest updates directly in your Google News feed
When Gene Roddenberry createdStar Trek, he envisioned it as a pacifist show. The diplomatic aspect of the franchise was further explored in the future installments, especially inThe Next Generation. However, withDeep Space Nine, Ira Steven Behr introduced the Dominion War, which remains one of the most important events in the IP’s decades-long existence.
But while it turned out to be a huge hit among fans and critics, co-creator Rick Berman was initially against this shift in the franchise, as he didn’t want to stray away from the IP’s roots.
Rick Berman Vehemently Pushed Against the Dominion Wars inDeep Space Nine
Amidst all the wars in the franchise so far, the Dominion War is one of its most detailed conflicts. Fought between the Dominion, the Cardassian Union, and the Breen Confederacy, against the United Federation of Planets, the Klingon Empire, and the Romulan Star Empire, it’s often regarded as the most pivotal moment in the franchise’s history. Moreover, the war had long-term implications in theStar Trekuniverse, which took place over the course of the final two seasons ofDeep Space Nine.
“When she’d start crying, I’d start crying”: Star Trek Icon James Darren’s One Compassionate Gesture Would Leave His ‘Deep Space Nine’ Co-star Nana Visitor in Tears
But before all the factions could butt heads, it was the showrunner and co-creator Rick Berman, who had a conflict of their own behind the scenes. In order to stay true to the IPs’ roots, Berman wasagainstRobert Ira Steven’s concept for a war-centric arc, whose groundwork was laid in the first five seasons of the show, eventually leading to a lot of arguments between the two.
The whole idea of the Dominion Wars, the idea that Ira wanted an arc that was going to last a season or perhaps longer, he and I had a lot of disagreement about that. And that was all based purely on the fact that Gene had been very specific to me about not wanting ‘Star Trek’ to be a show about intergalactic wars, interspecies wars. He didn’t want it to be about humans fighting wars against other species.
While Berman eventually folded to Steven, he was taken aback by the duration of the war-centric arc in the acclaimed show.
The Dominion Wars Went on Far Longer Than Rick Berman Expected
To Ira Steven Behr’s credit, despite straying away from the roots of the franchise to incorporate the Dominion Wars, which lasted from 2373 to 2375, he ensured to portray wars in a negative light. As for the its duration, which took two seasons to conclude, Berman wasn’t initially thrilled by this extension, as he originally thought the entire arc could be done within a“half-dozen episodes”.
I felt that the whole arc of these wars was something that could get done in half-dozen episodes. Ira felt differently and he pushed it, and it went longer than I’d hoped it’d go.
While it’s easy to see why Berman was against the whole idea, as it doesn’t exactly fit the spirit of theStar TrekIP, this show remains one of the best entries in the franchise even two decades later.
Star Trek: Spock Fans Will Stop Hating Zachary Quinto Once They Hear What He Said about Leonard Nimoy
Star Trek: Deep Space Nineis available to stream on Paramount Plus.
Santanu Roy
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2539
Santanu Roy is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on movies, with over 2,000 articles under his belt. He has been pursuing a degree in Animation and possesses a deep love for the medium of animation. Having spent the better part of the last two years pumping out articles for FW, Santanu excels at covering movie analysis and news surrounding Pixar, DCU, DreamWorks, and Batman’s cinematic legacy.With psychological thrillers and intimate slice-of-life dramas ranking among his favorite genres, Santanu is a big admirer of Luca Guadagnino, Shane Black, Park Chan-wook, and Brad Bird.
More from Santanu Roy
Good Boy First Trailer: Will The Dog Survive in The Scariest Horror Movie of 2025?
Sydney Sweeney’s Great Jeans Can’t Save Americana From Weapons Box-Office Onslaught: Full Report
After “Kal-El, No!”, Gal Gadot Claims Snow White Failed Because of Her Israeli Roots
Recommended
Sean McLaughlin’s Dad Just Became the Unlikely Villain (or Hero) of ‘Bachelor in Paradise’
Madison Beer’s Boyfriend: Who Is She Dating?
Helldivers 2 X Halo ODST Legendary Warbond Crossover: Complete Rundown
Good Boy Director Explains How He Made His Dog Act in 2025’s Most Inventive Horror Movie
The Terminal List: Dark Wolf: Luke Hemsworth Reveals Marvel Link That Sneaks Into His Dark Wolf Role
The Batman 2: Is Zoë Kravitz Not In the Robert Pattinson Starring Sequel? Reports
gene roddenberryStar Trek: Deep Space Nine
