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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:  Answers
Date:  98-02-05 18:42:23 EST
From:  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 to bear.>>

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 do
you 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 movie
script 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 similar projects?>>

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.
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