Memory Alpha:AOL chats/Ronald D. Moore/ron031.txt

Subj: Answers Date: 5/14/97 2:58:24 PM From:  RonDMoore

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Yep, all the time. We the writers enjoy the fact that our plotlines get revisited and amplified from time to time and that the characters change and evolve, but this presents the new viewer with a perceptual obstacle: "I don't know what's going on." It's amazing just how big a bugaboo that is in people's minds. They don't want to invest the time to get to know the setting and the characters and they'll just move on to another show. This is one of the most powerful arguments given by the studio against "serializing" the show. We like to continue plotlines and character development over the course of a season, but the series was created as an episodic drama and each story is theoretically a "stand alone" episode that can be watched without having seen the previous week's chapter. But unlike the Enterprise, which went from planet to planet each week, DS9 doesn't go anywhere and our storylines tend to hang around and need periodic followup. This contradiction in intent has now resulted in a show that is neither strictly episodic nor strictly serialistic.

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They probably were concerned, but they also knew that unless they could convince the Defiant crew to help them with the "duplicate quantuum Defiant" theory, their entire timeline would collapse anyway (remember that only Yedrin Dax knew it wouldn't work). Even if they had tried to hide their true origins, the Defiant crew probably would've found out anyway.

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The cut to Bashir took place right after we found out that he's a shapeshifter and might be up to something dire back on DS9. So you cut to Bashir, see him in a new light, wonder what nefarious scheme he's up to, pull back and... he's bringing them cookies. It's a small play on the audience's expectations and also shows just how much O'Brien & Dax accept him as their own Bashir.

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I don't know, but I'd imagine they're taking the "wait and see" approach regarding this new system before jumping in. Then again many of the decisions by Paramount Home Video are baffling, like why they don't put out a Trek Special Editition Laserdisc with additional footage, stills, artwork, audio commentary, etc. Or one for "Raiders of the Lost Ark." Or "The Godfather." Or about fifty other great titles sitting in their library.

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The visions were really going to kill him.

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There are advantages to both. We don't have a network to deal with and that makes life easier for the writers and producers, but the downside is that we don't have a consistant timeslot around the country or the power of a network to promote the show. On balance, I'm happy with DS9 in syndication.

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I remember liking Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, Larry Niven, and Andre Norton. But my sampling of Sci Fi was hit and miss as a kid and there were many authors I never tried. --- Subj: Answers Date: 5/14/97 3:27:13 PM From:  RonDMoore

<< is there a clause in the actor guild conracts that all main charracters need an appearnce unless busy or other circumstances? I mean it seems like some charracters are just thrown in for a scene and a line just to give the actor an appearence while Cirroc Lofton has been in a handfull of shows. Also, can you tell us what Colm, Rene and Armin were doing when they missed their episodes this season?>>

Our cast is paid for every episode regardless of their screen time. Because they are our lead actors and main characters for the show, we try to use them in every show as much as possible -- after all, the series is about *them*. Sometimes that's difficult, but we always make the effort. On a financial level, as long as an actor appears in an episode, then s/he will recieve residual payments when the episode is rerun at a later time. As a result, we usually try very hard to give everyone at least something to put them in the show. I don't recall exactly what Colm, Rene, and Armin were doing when they missed the episodes in question, but I believe that it was another acting project in each case that they wanted to do and we allowed them to participate in.

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Our intention was that Odo wasn't really a part of this society, that he'd spent most of the time off by himself and kept away from the burgeoning community. I think there used to be a line or two in the script that mentioned this, but somewhere in the rewriting process it got lost. It's difficult for a writer to keep all the balls in the air on an episode like this one, and I don't think Rene should be faulted for what didn't make it into the final draft. The rewrite process on a TV series is brutal, fast-paced, and done under a lot of pressure and it's not surprising that sometimes nuances, small plot-points, and charming moments get lost along the way. That the show turned out to be a great episode in spite of all the obstacles in its path, is a testament to Rene's abilities as a talented writer.

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This was a topic of much debate during the story break (the detailed outlining and structuring of the show). I believe that it in the initial story, the quantuum Defiant duplicate idea did in fact work and that both the ship and the colony were saved at the end. There was dissatisfaction with such a "pat" ending and I think it was Ira who originally suggested that Odo change the autopilot to save Kira's life. We argued the point around the room quite a bit, but in the end the idea that Odo would sacrifice himself and the entire colony for love was just irresistable.

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I think he's a great choice and I believe that the deal has been finalized.

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There are no fixed guidelines. We try to be consistant with the Trek universe that we've established, but we're always willing to go for a new take on temporal mechanics if we can make it work.

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I'm afraid I don't know.

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As I've said before, there are no real limits on the discussion/questions here. Say what you want, discuss what you want, ask the questions you want. Not everything interests me personally, but what does catch my attention, I'll jump into wholeheartedly (see the past discussions on Holo-ethics and US Presidents).

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We stopped filming April 22 and won't start again until early July. The writing staff will be outta here from May 16 -- June 9.