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List Price: $69.98 | | Label: Paramount
Salesrank: 6153
Released: August 5, 2003 |
| Our Price: $45.00 |
| Used Price: $34.71 |
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MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
STAR TREK DEEP SPACE NINE is set on a space station orbiting the planet Bajor. Commander Benjamin Sisko (Brooks) is in charge of a diverse crew who must fight off rival alien species who want to control DS9 because of its strategic position close to a wormhole that allows speedy travel to the far reaches of space. Season 4 includes the episodes "Broken Link" and "The Visitor," which TV Guide included in its Top 35 Star Trek episodes ever story (Aapril 20-26, 2002). "The Visitor" was listed as the #4 favorite.
Description of Star Trek Deep Space Nine - The Complete Fourth Season:
The fourth series of Deep Space Nine can be summed up in one word: Klingons! The show's producers apparently felt beset from all sides. Babylon 5 was a huge hit, as was Star Trek: Voyager, the flagship of new channel UPN. Stepping up DS9's action quotient seemed to be the answer. Time would tell, however, whether doing so via Trek's tried-and-tested former bad guys was the best solution. Opening with a special two-hour extravaganza, the new year was immediately unfamiliar. Dennis McCarthy's original theme--despite winning an Emmy--had been deemed too subdued. As its upbeat new rendition kicked off, the station was seen in battle and swarming with activity. Moments later, we met old/new crewmember Worf, whose sudden appearance was the result of a brewing invasive strategy by the Klingons. This initiated the first of many loyalty shifts, as the Cardassians became the victims. With plenty of re-appearances by Gowron, Kor, and Kurn, it was clear that an ongoing space opera was being crafted. Dukat revealed a tragedy-ridden daughter; Odo's relationship with his people (and Kira) became increasingly melancholy; and even the Jem'Hadar foot soldiers were given a sympathetic angle by their drug addiction.
Adding to the layers of ambiguity about Earth's (read: the producers') position over being at war, was the "outing" of two recurring characters as rebel activists. Lest we forget the homely/spiritual side of the Captain, time was spent with a future version of Jake, with his father (Brock Peters), and on the nature of his role as "the Emissary." Avery Brooks worked behind the camera a couple of times, but this year the surprise was LeVar Burton directing five shows. There was still time for comedy: the Ferengi warped back to Roswell in 1947 and Bashir played James Bond. But the year will be remembered predominately for its violence. One of the episodes Burton directed had its fight scenes drastically cut, while the series as a whole won an Emmy for its space battle effects.--Paul Tonks
Star Trek Deep Space Nine - The Complete Fourth Season Reviews:
Another strong season for DS9 
2009-12-07 - Season Four of DS9 was very much of the same quality of the previous three seasons. The larger story arcs involving the Cardassians, the Klingons, the Dominion, and the Federation were deepened and continued. What astonished me most about DS9 was how consistently good it was. This season was as strong as the previous ones and contained a host of great standalone episodes in addition to furthering the overall story.
One thing that I found especially interesting was the way that they handled Nana Visitor's real-life pregnancy. The basic decision in these situations is whether or not to hide the pregnancy or make it part of the plot. On THE X-FILES, they put lots of trench coats on Gillian Anderson to disguise her pregnancy and put her behind a lot of tall counters. Roxann Dawson's character B'Elanna Torres on STAR TREK: VOYAGER took to wearing her jacket unbuttoned, so that it would billow around her midsection. Other shows work the pregnancy into the story (interestingly, in one episode of VOYAGER B'Elanna Torres is shown in a fictitious sequence set in Nazi-occupied Europe pregnant, so her pregnancy did make it into the series after all, albeit briefly). Sydney Bristow's pregnancy became a major component in ALIAS. But Nana Visitor's pregnancy is probably unique in the history of TV. Initially the pregnancy was that of the O'Brien's and I have wondered whether that pregnancy was already on the books when Nana Visitor learned that she was pregnant, or whether the O'Brien's pregnancy was created in order to provide a cover for Visitor's real life pregnancy. But the notion of having Keiko's fetus moved to Kira's womb. Definitely one of the more innovative responses to a cast member's pregnancy in the history of TV.
So, who said consistent is bad. Sometimes consistent just means consistently good. Although DS9 was already my favorite STAR TREK series, I had never actually seen every single episode. So this time through is a lot of fun, seeing several new episodes that I had never previously seen. The result has been that DS9 is even more my favorite STAR TREK series than it was before.
Getting better and better 
2009-11-14 - I'd put season 4 a notch above 2 and 3, which were both generally excellent. It's not quite at the "firing on all cylinders" brilliance of the final 3 seasons, but there are only a few duds and even the filler episodes are fairly strong.
Worf's arrival is of course the big surprise here - at times he feels a little grafted on and out of place, though by season 5 he would be an inseparable part of the cast. The first ten or so episodes are a very strong stretch - "The Way of the Warrior", "The Visitor", "Indiscretion", "Homefront"/"Paradise Lost", "Our Man Bashir", "Little Green Men". There are few low points - "The Sword of Kahless" and "Sons of Mogh" (reflecting Star Trek's continuing struggle with making good Klingon episodes) and "The Muse" - before the series regains its equilibrium and closes on a strong note. ("The Quickening" is a classic.)
Better stuff lay ahead, but I think this is around the time that I began anticipating practically every episode.
Near-Flawless Season
2009-08-29 - Starting with Way of the Warrior with its introduction of Worf and its large scale battle scenes, the series really takes off this season. The Visitor may be DS9's best episode and certainly its most heartfelt. It also contains the fun episodes Little Green Men, Our Man Bashir, and Bar Association; the suspenseful Homefront/Paradise Lost two-parter; the tragic love stories Crossfire, Rejoined and For the Cause; and many other strong episodes. Season Four also ses the introduction of series regulars Martok, Weyoun, and Joseph Sisko as well as the welcome return of many others (especially Tony Todd as Worf's brother Kurn). The Muse seems to be the weakest episode of the season, but its not nearly as bad as other season's weakest spots. Overall, not as strong as season six or seven, but Deep Space Nine was that rare show that got stronger each year and rewarded viewers who took the time to watch from the beginning.
New dvd purchase
2009-03-12 - Great season. My husband is a ST junkie and has enjoyed this. Dvd arrived in tip top shape and super quick.
Pure excellence
2009-01-28 - I am a huge Star Trek fan anyways, however Deep Space Nine engages more fully with any viewer's life and with society as a whole than any other ST series. "Rejoined," "Hard Time," "The Visitor" and many others in this season truly capture humanity at its best and worst.
