Memory Alpha:AOL chats/Ronald D. Moore/ron036.txt

--- Subj: Answers Date: 6/23/97 23:26:00 From: RonDMoore

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Dr. Geiger's Cellular Regeneration and Entertainment Chamber has much higher aspirations than helping the Federation against the Dominion -- he's after immortality itself!!

<< Have you ever read any of the Star Trek books that Pocket puts out (like, you have time really...), if so do you have a favorite book or author?>>

I haven't read any in many years (no offense, John), but I remember liking Diane Duane's work very much (she's also a very gracious and wonderful human being).

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I don't have any plans to do them in the near future.

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Still no plans for Tom.

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I'd rather not get into a shouting match with JMS (even one by proxy). I don't watch his show and it's clear from this statement that he doesn't watch mine.

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I do own a player, but I haven't gotten a First Contact disc yet. I'll let you know what I think.

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I'd rather not say anything beyond telling you that things won't be wrapped up in a hurry and that we're all REALLY excited about season 6.

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Presumably the Enterprise-E is in the thick of things, but not in our neck of the woods and I wouldn't be looking for any appearances in the war against the Dominion.

<< is the upcoming season indeed the last?>>

Still no definitive word -- and I wouldn't expect one for quite some time.

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Yes.

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No.

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Don't know.

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Well sweetie, we don't have any plans for a Bashir romance at the moment, but you never know. The issue of his (possible) children and their need for enhancement is an interesting one... not sure what the answer is until we work on that problem.

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We've started talking about the role of the Romulans in the Dominion War, but nothing has really been decided yet. We haven't used them for a while because we haven't had a good story for them. - Subj: Answers Date: 6/23/97 23:48:52 From: RonDMoore

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Both. The script called for a massive fleet, Ira & Robert discussed the shot at length with the VFX department, but it was up to them to come through in the end, and they did so with flying colors.

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Nope. Geiger actually had a different name throughout my first draft until I came to that particular scene. I was working on the dialog and wanted Nog to express his frustration with the whole escapade... I threw in the "beard the lion in its den" line for Jake... that led to the classic Oz line popping into my head... I realized I'd just set up the "lions"... Kukalaka had already set up the "bears"... and it was a short step from there to change the Doctor's name (I don't remember what it was, sorry) to Geiger and make the whole thing work. I grinned to myself and knew it was one of the most outrageous lines I'd ever tried to get away with. And that made me love it.

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Unfortunately, no, there is not.

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We have discussed have Urich on the show and there's a chance we may do it this year.

<<Now that things have changed so drastically on DS9 with the season finale, and with the sixth season possibly being the last, will the opening title sequence of the show change next season?>>

It's an interesting idea, but we have no plans to change the main title sequence.

<<You may remember that you assured me you would restore some of that character development Dukat's fans are so eager to see, and yet "Call to Arms" has narrowed his options so drastically that the most logical resolution I can see at the moment is to kill him off. When that happens, of course, I will save lots of money on videotape, since I won't have the heart to watch DS9 any longer. >>

As I've said before, we see Dukat as a Villain, but a complex and three dimensional one. His actions in "Call to Arms" are perfectly consistant with everything we've shown you before, but must be viewed in the *overall* context. Dukat has never made any bones about his wanting to get *his* station back or that Cardassia should rise up again to regain its "rightful" place in the galaxy. Dukat also believe that Bajor should belong to Cardassia and he's never backed off that position. Is he attracted to Kira? Yes. Does he also hate her? Yes. Are the two feelings contradictory? Yes. And No. He can want her and hate her all at the same time -- that's an element of his complexity. The same holds true for his feelings about Sisko (respect and contempt) and the Dominion (glad they're restoring Cardassia, angry they're calling the shots). Dukat is still Dukat.

<<Ron, can you tell is if everything you set up in the finale is going to resolved in the first episode or two, or was this something you and the writing staff want to play with for at least the first several episodes?>>

The wrap-up to the war isn't going to be fast. -- Subj: Answers Date: 6/24/97 00:08:04 From: RonDMoore

<<I think you're speaking of Susanne Lambdin and Bryan Stewart, who got a "based in part on a premise by" credit on "Family," written by..... Ronald D. Moore. From what I remember from the STARLOG article, they had written a spec script in which Wesley interacted with his father via a holo-program. They claimed credit for this part of the story that was in "Family," and won the arbitration.... however, it seems to me, the last time I saw "Family" in reruns, Ron was the only one with an on screen credit -- perhaps there was an appeal? >>

Here's the real story: I read the spec by Susanne and Bryan that was centered around Wesley getting a holodeck message from his dead father. I liked the idea, but not the story itself and wanted to use that concept in the script I was starting to work on, "Family." I sold Michael Piller on the idea and we then bought the *Premise* from Susanne and Bryan. A "Premise" is exactly what it sounds like -- an idea, a notion, a concept, but not a story. Indeed, I used nothing from their actual teleplay except the *idea* that Wesley gets a holodeck message from Jack during my episode. Susanne and Bryan were paid and received the credit "based in part on a premise by" at the end of the show.

WGA rules require that any time a writer on the staff of a series is sharing credit with a freelance writer for any reason that the matter be submitted to an automatic arbitration by the Guild. I don't know if Susanne and Bryan argued in their statements to the Guild for more credit (you're not allowed to see the other writers' statements in an arbitration) but I doubt it since I find it hard to believe that they thought they should share Story credit on something that they truly didn't have any input into. Bottom line: they sold a premise, were fairly compensated for it, and recieved the appropriate credit.

<<Are we going to be seeing more Bajoran episodes in season 6? >>

Yes.

<<Ron, there is another internship available through the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences which is based on merit. I know a few white males under 30 who were awarded that internship and went on to get jobs at Paramount and other studios. It is only the WGA internship that has limited admissions standards.>>

This is absolutely correct and I should've mentioned it before -- thanks for the reminder. Brannon was an intern on TNG through the TV Academy's program.

<<I know you didn't write "Call to Arms", but do you know if Sisko's departing speech was deliberately done to resemble Douglas MacArthur's departing speech to the Philippines during WWII? >>

I don't think anyone actually looked up MacArthur's speech, but we were definitely inspired by it in concept and it's "I Shall Return" proclamation.

<<What is [Robert Wolfe] working on now that he's left the series? Is it possible that he may have another script or two in him for DS9?>>

Robert just finished work on a big-budget sci-fi movie called "Splicers" and is currently working on a TV movie having to do with futuristic sports. There's always a chance he'll do more for DS9, but I think he's pretty busy for now.

<<Were there any new types of ships shown [in the season finale]? If so how many new models were designed and will we see them up close? I did not see any Nebula or Ambassador class ships. Is there a reason for this?>>

I don't know what the exact ships were that were used in the shot. The work was done by VFX while we were all on vacation, and none of us even saw the opticals until we saw the finished episode. -- Subj: Answers Date: 6/24/97 00:14:31 From: RonDMoore

<<are you guys working with any general ballpark figure for the size of this fleet or is the descriptive term merely "pretty doggone big"? I'd love to see some clue as to what percentage of Starfleet ships resources this represents ... my guess would be between 1/3 and 1/2, at least.>>

I don't think we'll be providing a specific number -- it locks us into something that is best left vague. I also should say that we don't think of the fleet that the Defiant joined as being the *only* fleet. Think about THAT for a minute....

<<Was that little bit between Nog and Jake a response to fans about the "baffling" economic system that Earth apparently exists in in Star Trek?>>

No, that was a response to my own "bafflement" of the Fed economic system and it's a direct riff on Picard's line to Lily in First Contact.

<<Why did Dr. Geiger buy that box in the auction? What was in it that was so Important that it was worth 10 Bars of latinum?>>

There was a (presumably rare) Cardassian transtator in that particular lot.

<< I'm curious as to Sisko's reference to Starfleet's unwillingness to send extra reinforcements, hinting at other conflicts in the Alpha quadrant.>>

Starfleet couldn't send the reinforcements because they had their hands full with the attack on the Dominion shipyards. --- Subj: Political Answers Date: 6/24/97 01:17:32 From: RonDMoore

If you're sick of the politics, then just move on to the next message...

<<Did you ever give it any thought that all this political fighting started when you were asked a question about speaker Gingrich and gave a vulgar response to the posters question. For someone with great talent as yourself and creates these stories I am sure you sit back and about what you are writing. You should have kept tour political pov to yourself. I happen to be a republican and found what you said offensive. My cousin is secretary of The US Treasury and I have enough common sense never to discuss politics with him.

Your post about Mr., Franken's book was obvious that even a narrow mined liberal could see right though it. SO, perhaps that the political argument has begun you could answer some question for me? What are you feelings on the Paula Jones case? She told people about it 10 minutes after it happened. Unlike Anita Hill who followed C. Thomas around for 10 years so she could feed of his success. What are your feelings about the Illegal fundraising by the clinton's and the democrats. Do you approve of them selling access to the White House and giving political favors to foreign nations(this have been proven in such news organizations as CNN, NY Times and the Washington Post) Do you approve of the Democrats refusing to give immunity to witnesses that could damage or destroy the President and the DNC. What are you feelings on Democratic Rep. McDermitt from Seattle getting his hands on an illegally taped telephone conversations between Republicans and leaking it to the NY Times? As the king of Siam says etc,etc,etc.>>

Look, someone asked me a question about Gingrich and I answered it. I'm not trying to use this board as a political soapbox for me and my politcal opinions, but I sure as hell aren't going to hide them either. Sorry you were offended by the Gingrich jab, but it was also a one-line barb, not a diatribe. (As I recall, it went something like -- Question: "Do you think Newt Gingrich should step down as Speaker?" Answer: "Pushed or shoved would be nice".  Rimshot, please.)

You want my opinion on Clinton, Jones, the DNC, etc.? Okay. How's this: I find most of the above to be over-hyped trivia that threatens the Republic only in the way it has debased the currency of popular debate about serious issues in this country. Excuse me if I don't think that the question of whether or not the Governor of Arkansas made a pass at someone a LONG time ago is right up there with the Watergate-era query, "What did the President know and when did he know it?" as one of the burning questions of our time. As for the DNC and the fact that they're selling access for donations, my response is NO KIDDING. Gee, and I thought all those big donations for the RNC and the DNC from multi-millionaires and corporations were done out of a sense of civic pride and responsibility.

I find the whole notion that any of this stuff is as serious as Watergate or Iran-Contra to be laughable. I mean, come on -- Waterwater, "Travel-gate", Paula Jones, and Al Gore's phone calls *combined* don't equal breaking into Democratic headquarters, or breaking into Daniel Ellsberg's psychiatrist's office, or using the IRS to go after your enemies, or telling the American people that there's "no coverup" while you're trying to use the CIA to obstruct the Justice Department, or running guns to the Contras in a deliberate violation of the expressed will of Congress, or running a shadow government out of the White House basement!

The fact that we spend so much of our time endlessly debating the misadventures of the Clinton White House and the Clinton State House is a testament to how much we have grown to love scandal -- any scandal, no matter how mind-numbingly pointless or irrelevant. We're becoming a tabloid society right before our very eyes and that deeply saddens me. On the other hand, maybe it's just an indication of how well-off we must be in this country that we have the time and... (cont.)

Subj: Political (cont.) Date: 6/24/97 01:17:36 From: RonDMoore

... (cont.).... energy to waste on such things as how much Hilary made in the stock market or what the billing practices at the Rose Law Firm were or who hired the guy that might've done something wrong with somebody's FBI file (although we don't know what that was or who might've been affected or... what was the question again?)

I like the President, but I'll be the first to tell you that I think he should be criticized too -- but for things like botching universal health care and then abandoning it, for settling for a welfare reform bill he claims to dislike in order to play it safe in the '96 campaign, for waffling and doing backflips on his policy toward China, for wasting time and lives on an incoherent Bosnia policy until the Dayton Accords, and most damningly of all for not having the courage of his convictions and being willing to take the politcal heat on matters of principle.

Take him on for the issues that matter, not for the supermarket tabloid trash that has spilled out of the grocery line and onto the nations radio airwaves.

Thus endeth the political diatribe I'm sure you've all been so eager to hear...