The Jem’Hadar

This Story: Season 2 Episode 26 (production code 446)
DS9 Overall: Episode 46
Trek Overall: Story 311, Episode 326
Airdate: 13 Jun 1994
Written by Ira Steven Behr
Directed by Kim Friedman

Notes

• The first time we physically see anyone from the Dominion, and they’re set up to be an ominous threat from the Gamma Quadrant.  We see the Vorta & the Jem’Hadar, although not all of the Dominion yet.
• Eris did not acknowledge Odo as a founder, because that idea hadn’t been thought of yet.  Ira Steven Behr admits that was a mistake.
• Alan Oppenheimer plays Captain Keogh.  He was also in the TNG episode “Rightful Heir” as Koroth and in the Voyager Episode “Rise” as a Nazu ambassador.
• Events of the episode “Rules of Acquisition” are referenced here.
• The USS Odyssey was the Enterprise-D model built for TNG.  Some TNG footage was re-used for a fly-by of the ship, and the shot of the Odyssey docked at DS9 was just a re-use of the footage of the Enterprise-D docked at DS9 in the DS9 pilot.
• The Odyssey was the third Galaxy glass ship we’ve seen destroyed on screen. The others were the USS Yamato and of course the Enterprise-D.
• Rule of Acquisition referenced – #102: Nature decays, but platinum lasts forever.
• The Vorta Eris is played by Molly Hagan, an actress I know for a metric TON of things, but she’s been in several of my favorite franchises and shows.  Some of which were Dallas (as an early version of Miss Ellie), Alf (as a pregnant mother in a hospital), The Orville, Becker, Walker (as a series regular), but the thing I know her most from is the series lead “Angel” in Herman’s Head – one of my all time favorite sitcoms.
• Hagan was also one of the actresses up for the role of Jadzia Dax, but had to turn down the offer due to starring in Herman’s Head.
• Molly Hagan’s career has had her in other projects with Trek veterans.  She appeared in the Orville with Voyager’s Robert Picardo, Becker with DS9’s Terry Farrell, a Columbo TV movie with William Shatner.
• There’s a good interview with Molly Hagan on the Official Star Trek website where she talks about Eris, and why the character never returned on screen (beyond recaps of this episode).

Links