Subj:  Answers
Date:  98-02-05 18:29:49 EST
From:  RonDMoore       

<<We've followed our Starfleet characters during this war, but I'm curious as
to the thoughts of the average Federation civilian about this whole conflict.
Is there a "home front"? How are average citizens pitching in? Or do they see
the war as something far-removed from their daily lives because it's "over
there"?>>

Those are good questions and we've talked about exploring some of this ground
next year.

<< any chance that DS9 will ever get its own monologue at the beginning of the
show like TNG or TOS?>>

This was something I wish they'd established in the pilot episode.  I don't
think we'll introduce one at this point.

<<Answering one of numerous questions concerning Dukat, you said ‘I don't
think we can keep playing the game of "is he a good guy or isn't he?" like we
did before’. You mean, it was ever a question? Like, sorta, ‘Is a major
participant of invasion and brutal occupation - who, BTW, never showed any
sign of considering it wrong  (at least on screen - a *good guy?*>>

All I meant is that we've shown different sides of Dukat over the years and
that you get the feeling from the cumulative episodes (see, I do watch the
show) is that he might evolve into one of the good guys given the right
circumstances.  And there's a strong temptation to do just that -- to turn him
into a likable rogue who helps out our characters and redeems himself in the
eyes of the audience.  That's the traditional TV approach -- any bad guy on
screen long enough will become a good guy if you start showing "humanizing"
aspects of his character.  *However*... doing that in this case would be to
deny the backstory and the character that we've established.  He oversaw a
brutal and murderous occupation.  He sold his people to the Dominion.  He
waged a war of conquest against the Federation.  He was willing to kill his
own daughter if she went against him.  He's a bad guy.  A fascinating bad guy,
but a bad guy.  

I'm not a fan of the school of thought which turned Darth Vader into Uncle
Fester and then let him join Yoda and Obi-Wan in the celestial blue screen
just because he tossed the Emperor down an airshaft.  Vader killed, oh...
say... a few BILLION people in "Star Wars" alone, and then you tell the
audience that he's really just a good guy at heart?  Uh-huh.  Dukat is Dukat.
He may help us on occasion, he may save a puppy from being hit by a truck, he
may even make us laugh and feel good about him in an unguarded moment, but
those things only round out his character, they do not *salvage* him as a
character.

<<I took the Paramount tour on January 27th.  As we passed a prop constuction
area I noticed some very large, green (alien looking) rocks being made.  Do
you have any idea if these might be for a future DS9 episode?  Also, do you
know the episode being filmed on this date?>>

Green rocks?  Sounds like us.  We began shooting "In the Pale Moonlight" on
January 27.

<<Just watched the episode where Odo betrays the Resistance, and Rom is thrown
in the Brig. While enjoying this experience, I noticed that the entrance to
the "RESTRICTED AREA" that Rom was entering was marked, "A51." Just wondered
if this was a reference to that famous "Area" in Nevada, and if it is, do you
know who put in that little touch?>>

I assume this gag was thrown in by our ever-devious art department.

<<I have read that the working title for "2001: A Space Odyssey" was "Journey
Beyond the Stars". Connection or coincidence with "Far Beyond the Stars"?>>

Coincidence.

<<Hi ron, how come we dont see the Holoscreen from "For the uniform" and "Dr.
Bashir I presume" used anymore?>>

We haven't had a viewscreen-type scene that would be more effective if we used
the holo-communicator recently, and that's the criteria for using the device
in the show.

<<Would you ever consider a flashback episode or scene in which Dukat's worst
actions during the Bajoran occupation are dramatized?>>

We've talked about doing these kinds of scenes and we might still do them at
some point.

Subj:  AnswersDate:  98-02-05 18:42:23 ESTFrom:  RonDMoore       

<<Probably most people saw it, but for those that didn't--South Park this week
quoted Ron & Brannon when Stan said to Jesus "Don't try to be a great man,
just be a man".  Jesus asked "Who said that?"  to which Stan replied "You did"
Then Stan confessed to Kyle that Jesus really didn't say it but he heard it on
Star Trek.  This of course came from First Contact, when Riker and Cochran had
the same conversation during the pre-flight checks.>>

This just made my day.  (I knew I should've taped the show last night!!)  My
son, who's a huge "South Park" fan will love this almost as much as I do.  I
think it's a hysterical show, by the way, although it's obviously not for
everyone.

<<Even I became uncomfortable with this week's episode [of "South Park"].
Having Jesus in a boxing ring with Satan and having Jesus get the crap beat
out of him while being called a "Wussy" was finally a little too much tobear.>>

Boy, would you love the underground Christmas episode they did which launched
the whole series.  In that one, Jesus and Santa duked it out.

<<Ron, any reason you've never been interviewed in Starlog's "Deep Space Nine"
magazine? (Unless I missed an issue.)  As a matter of fact, the last interview
of yours I remember is from Starlog: TNG #15 or so.
Have they not asked you, or have circumstances just never made it possible?>>

I've never been asked.

<<Do you know the origin of the practice of having the entire writing staff
"break" each show? Was it brought in by Michael Piller when he joined the TNG
staff?>>

As I understand it, Hans and his partner at the time, Richard Manning, brought
the tradition of "breaking" a story to TNG during the 2nd season.  Michael was
a strong believer in the same process and he continued the practice when he
came aboard in the 3rd season.

<<As a fan of the original series and someone who as worked with William
Shatner, what doyou make of this somewhat mysterious man?>>

I've had very little actual interaction with him and I find him as mysterious
as the rest of you.

<<Do you think you and Brannon will be invited to read and comment on the new
moviescript at some point?>>

Possibly.

<<Are Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens still visiting the DS9 facitilies on
occasion for a possible update of their "Making of DS9" book? Are there any
other people regularly hanging around to gather material for similarprojects?>>

They are and there are always several other authors floating around with book
projects in the works.

<<Do you like Judith and Gar's behind-the- scenes TNG book ("The Continuing
Mission")?>>

I haven't read it.

<<Which do you consider your most personal script to date?>>

I'd say "Tapestry."

<<And one last item. The German-dubbed version of T+T recently aired, and for
the TOS scenes
they obviously had to use the old (1973) mono soundtrack. However, unlike you
they didn't
manage to filter out the original music when there is dialogue. (It's only a
minor distraction, though.) Did you let computers solve this problem, or did
the original dialogue-only soundtracks still exist?>>

I believe we had the original tracks.

<<Do you think that Tasha's role on TNG would have progressed to the
definition and quantity that Worf's did by series end.  Also, do you think
Worf would have been much more than that Klingon in the background if she had
stayed?>>

This is really hard to say.  You have to remember that Denise Crosby was a
regular character right from the beginning and Michael Dorn was signed for
only a limited number of episodes.  I assume they would've continued to
explore Tasha's character, but I don't know how much screen time they would've
given to Worf.