Far Beyond the Stars

This Story: Season 6 Episode 13 (production code 538)
DS9 Overall: Episode 137
Trek Overall: Story 395, Episode 418
Airdate: 7 Feb 1998
Story: Marc Scott Zicree
Teleplay: Ira Steven Behr & Hans Beimler
Director: Avery Brooks

Notes

• The only episode in any incarnation of Star Trek where Michael Dorn appears as a human.
• Likewise the only episode of Deep Space Nine where Armin Shimerman & René Auberjonis appear without makeup.
• Avery Brooks has referred to this episode as “the most important moment” in his seven years doing Deep Space Nine. It’s really easy to see why.
• The character of Benny Russell appears again in the seventh season episode “Shadows and Symbols“, although to be fair, I’ve never understood that appearance.
• One of the sci-fi magazines shown in the fictional past has a cover painting that looks a LOT like it’s based off an old TOS era matte painting.  Additionally, the title of it was “Court Martial” by Samuel T. Cogley, a direct reference to the TOS episode “Court Martial“. [ View picture ]
• Similarly, a book that Nana Visitor’s “KC Hunter” is reading early in the episode has the matte painting from the TOS episode “A Taste of Armageddon“. [ View picture ]
• Thirdly, my research of the episode shows there was a third magazine with the cover of Delta Vega from “Where No Man Has Gone Before” (TOS).  It also includes many other TOS era references on the cover, but I never saw that in my watch of the episode.  You can view a picture of this cover here.
• The character of K.C. Hunter was named that way as a reference to D.C. Fontana, who had to hide the fact she was a woman in the 60’s as a writer with the name “DC” vs “Dorothy”.
• The building that the characters all work in is the “Trill building”.
• Admin note: I watched this episode (and wrote this page) on 2 Oct 2025 – that’s Avery Brooks’ 77th birthday (2 Oct 1948).  Amusing timing on my marathon here.

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