The Orb: A Star Trek Deep Space Nine Podcast TFM

“Battle Lines” 30th-anniversary reflections
A joy ride to the Gamma Quadrant turns deadly for Kai Opaka. At least until she springs back to life. Along with Sisko, Kira, and Bashir, the spiritual leader of Bajor finds herself marooned on some sort of prison colony where it is impossible to die and warring factions fight in an endless cycle of conflict. Die once on this moon and, well, you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave. But for Kai Opaka, that’s okay, because she has found a new calling, a new charge from the Prophets.
In this episode of The Orb, hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our 30th-anniversary retrospective that will take you through all of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, one episode at a time. In this installment, we discuss “Battle Lines,” how Opaka’s new calling changes not only her life but also Kira’s, why it was necessary to remove Opaka from her role on Bajor, what the story says about conflict, punishment, and redemption, and more.
Chapters
Intro (00:00:00)
Opaka’s Influence (00:03:07)
A Necessary Transition (00:13:14)
The Futility of Conflict (00:16:31)
Fear Leads to Suffering (00:20:37)
Reasonable Punishment (00:24:41)
Ambiguous Redemption (00:28:41)
Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:32:39)
Closing (00:37:38)
Hosts
C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing
Production
C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer)

“Vortex” 30th-anniversary reflections
When Miradorn twins arrive on the station and offer to sell a Tamagotchi to Quark, things get weird, and soon two become one. An alien named Croden enters and wants the item for himself. A firefight ensues, but glass Odo intervenes; only not in time. Odo’s subsequent investigation into the matter leads him down an unexpected path, one that reveals tantalizing clues to his origins.
In this episode of The Orb, hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our 30th-anniversary retrospective that will take you through all of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, one episode at a time. In this installment, we discuss “Vortex,” revelations about Odo's people and how the story sets up the Dominion, meeting Morn, validating Vulcans, and why it's important to always keep an extra glass around.
Chapters
Intro (00:00:00)
Double Double Your Degra (00:03:17)
Digging into Odo (00:06:27)
Still Figuring It Out (00:10:46)
Armin's Reservations (00:14:41)
An Odo Story (00:20:46)
Morn Is in the House! (00:23:05)
And So Are Vulcans! (00:25:31)
Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:29:57)
Closing (00:32:36)
Hosts
C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing
Production
C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer)

“The Nagus” 30th-anniversary reflections
Having heard that some of Quark’s holosuite programs are quite alluring, Grand Nagus Zek, leader of the Ferengi Alliance, pays an unexpected visit to the station. As he shares his plans for Ferengi business expansion into the Gamma Quadrant, he also reveals that it’s time to retire and pass the golden staff to the next Grand Nagus: Quark.
Zek’s sudden death puts a target on Quark’s back as Zek’s son, Krax, teams up with Rom for a power grab. In the end, Zek returns from the dead at just the right moment to save Quark’s life and teach Krax a lesson. And Rom, who understands that a Ferengi should never allow family to stand in the way of opportunity, gets a promotion to assistant manager for policy and clientele as a reward for his treachery.
In this episode of The Orb, hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our 30th-anniversary retrospective that will take you through all of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, one episode at a time. In this installment, we discuss “The Nagus,” the way in which the DS9 writers reset the Ferengi as tool for telling Star Trek stories at their best, the absurdity of the main story, and the important messages about fatherhood that drive the secondary plot.
Chapters
Intro (00:00:00)
Redeeming the Ferengi (00:03:11)
DS9 Does the Best Comedy and Commentary (00:06:49)
Culture Clash (00:09:12)
Subtle Morality (00:14:05)
Benjamin Sisko the Father (00:16:31)
Zek the Father (00:26:32)
Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:32:42)
Closing (00:34:29)
Hosts
C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing
Production
C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer)

“Move Along Home” 30th-anniversary reflections
First contact with a race from the Gamer Quadrant … uhm … Gamma Quadrant doesn't go quite as Sisko had hope when it turns out that they obsessed with, you guessed it, games. And also stick tapping. And tatoos. It's all enough to make you want to move along! Move along!
In this episode of The Orb, hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our 30th-anniversary retrospective that will take you through all of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, one episode at a time. In this installment, we reach that monumental signpost of Season 1, “Move Along Home,” and discuss the Wadi, whether budget was really the problem, why the crew should have played more Legend of Zelda, and more. Shap 6!
Chapters
Intro (00:00:00)
Sisko and Jake (00:03:30)
Characterizations (00:06:59)
Could Have Been Better (00:12:06)
Original Higher Stakes (00:15:37)
Blown Budget Matters? (00:21:27)
Play More Legend of Zelda! (00:26:48)  
Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:32:57)
Closing (00:35:07)
Hosts
C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing
Production
C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer)

“The Passenger” 30th-anniversary reflections
Doctor Bashir’s arrogance is interrupted when the runabout Rio Grande receives a distress call from a Kobliad transport. They find a fire aboard the ship and two people in distress. They rescue one and fail to save the other, or so it seems. When they return to Deep Space 9 with the surviving Kobliad, a security officer named Ty Kajada, they find themselves caught up in a mystery as strange things begin happening aboard the station. Kajada believes the other passenger on her ship, the criminal scientist Rao Vantika, is still alive and responsible.
In this episode of The Orb, hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our 30th-anniversary retrospective that will take you through all of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, one episode at a time. In this installment, we discuss “The Passenger,” how it works as a Bashir story, the introduction of Primmin, the Odo connection, the original concept, and more.
Chapters
Intro (00:00:00)
Obnoxious Arrogance (00:03:29)
Dead Giveaways (00:08:36)
The Original Concept (00:12:13)
Primmin Proper (00:17:20)
The Ending (00:30:15)
Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:34:23)
Closing (00:37:29)
Hosts
C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing
Production
C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer)

“Dax” 30th-anniversary reflections
Aliens with an uncanny knowledge of the station and its systems attempt to abduct Jadzia and take her back to Klaestron IV to stand trial. Only it’s Dax they really want, and the crimes were committed 30 years earlier by Curzon. When her crewmates successfully stop the kidnappers from leaving Bajoran space, the accuser, Ilon Tandro, is forced to make his case for extradition. During the ensuing hearing, presided over by Bajoran grouchmaster Els Renora, Sisko must do what Jadzia refuses to do: fight for her life. In the end, he succeeds with the help of Odo, who discovers that the real killer was not Curzon, because at the time of the murder he was in bed with victim’s wife.
In this episode of The Orb, hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our 30th-anniversary retrospective that will take you through all of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, one episode at a time. In this installment, we discuss, “Dax,” the complex matter of where the line between host and symbiont begins and ends, how the story helps build the mythos of the Trill, some potential inspiration from Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges, and much more.
Chapters
Intro (00:00:00)
Two of One (00:03:10)
Struggling to Integrate (00:13:29)
Defending a Friend (00:18:38)
Justice in Quark’s (00:25:25)
Theme of the Traitor and the Hero (00:28:33)
Flanagan and Itzin (00:34:23)
Raktajino Debut (00:37:39)
Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:40:00)
Closing (00:42:28)
Hosts
C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing
Production
C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer)