The Siege of AR-558

This Story: Season 7 Episode 8 (production code 558)
DS9 Overall: Episode 158
Trek Overall: Story 415, Episode 439
Airdate: 16 Nov 1998
Writer: Ira Steven Behr & Hans Beimler
Director: Winrich Kolbe

Notes

• The 558 in the title is a reference to the production code of the episode as well (558).  No clue what the “AR” means (if anything).
• The characters chosen for this story were chosen because of a lack of combat experience vs the more seasoned ones like Worf, Kira, & O’Brien.
• The DS9 Companion book says that several of the solders names are taken from the 162 film “Hell is for Heroes” (with Steve McQueen’s character Reese being a prime example).
• The character of Kellin was played by Bill Mumy who is well known to genre fans as Lennier from Babylon 5.  Going further back he was one of the primary cast members (as an 11 year old child) in the 60’s series “Lost in Space“.  Mumy only wanted to play a Human due to his years in makeup on Babylon 5.
• The Director (Winrich Kolbe) had fought in the Vietnam War, which he felt helped his directing in this episode.
• Armin Shimerman has said the scene where he describes what happens to Humans when you take away their comforts was his favorite moment as Quark on TV.
• Nog loses his leg in this episode, the effects of such are seen two episodes from now in “It’s Only a Paper Moon“.
• Aron Eisenberg (Nog) worked with the director (Kolbe) on Voyager – when both were in the episode “Initiations“.
• The main female guest start here is Annette Helde.  Her voice when she screams here reminds me a lot of Dr. T’Ana from Star Trek Lower Decks.  Helde also played a Romulan in the DS9 episode “Visionary“, a scientist in the VOY episode “Scientific Method“, and an unnamed Lieutenant in Star Trek: First Contact.
• Two Rules of Acquisition mentioned:
  #34 – “War is good for business”
  #125 – “You can’t make a deal if you’re dead”.

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