Last month I was excited to tell you all about the release of the 1st season of “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” on DVD. I also mentioned that Paramount Home Video was going to be releasing all seven seasons throughout 2003. It feels like the year is going to be speeding by as the Season Two set is already set to hit stores. And if the first season set wasn’t impressive enough…well, things can only get better. I’ve always been a pretty big fan of the all the series, though I wouldn’t necessarily call myself an avid fan. I watch and I enjoy, but that’s about where it ends. What keeps me interested is quality of each series, and the incredible imagination of the creators of the Trek Universe. Starting with the ‘Great Bird of the Galaxy’ Gene Roddenberry himself, all the way down the line to those who have made possible the existence of four popular follow-up TV shows and ten motion pictures.

Of the ‘new’ Trek series Deep Space Nine was one of my favorites for a variety of reasons. The most important being that of characterization. Though ST:TNG had a terrific cast, it took a couple of seasons for the characters to really come together and form the bonds and friendships that were integral to the success of the series. “Deep Space Nine” did this much quicker. The circumstances of the first season forced its cast to identify their characters flaws and strengths and define who they would be over the remaining six seasons.

The other thing that caught my eye was how the plotlines of “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” differed so greatly from its predecessors. On the surface, the series seemed awash with all the techno-babble we were used to hearing, but the stories started becoming intricately more complex within this second season. The earlier series certainly had episodes that dealt with heavy issues and political intrigue, but neither ever took it to the depths of DS9. This caused a mixed reaction from fans. Some hated the fact that the sharp turn deviated from what they considered to be Roddenberry’s vision of the future. Others saw it as a revitalization of what they thought was becoming a stale franchise. I obviously fall into the latter camp.

As good as the first season was in setting the stage, this second season is where events really start to come together that propelled “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” into becoming a cut above the rest. There is a huge amount of foreshadowing as the season begins; leading to the introduction of The Dominion. We see an even greater evolution of the secondary characters in various standout episodes of the season as well. The most fascinating being the two Cardassians, Gul Dukat (Marc Alaimo) and Garak (Andrew Robinson). Both have scenes and dialogue that will leave you unsettled, and allow deeper insight into their characters… if you can separate the truth from the lies.

The second season also gives one of its strongest nods to the original Trek series by re-visiting the alternate universe first discovered by Kirk and company in the episode “Mirror, Mirror.” (Well, there is one that is stronger, but I’ll wait to talk about that one in a review of the appropriate season.) The tie-in in itself is important to the world of Trek, as it not only shows us the state of this alternate universe ‘post-Kirk’, but also becomes a running storyline throughout the series.

This new DVD adds a seventh disc allowing it to include all the episodes and still have room for some extras. There aren’t as many extras as there were in the first season set, but what it may have in quantity it more than makes up for in quality. The first season extras were awesome, but the ones included here are far more in-depth and include some eye-opening interviews with the cast and crew. The Crew Dossier on Jadzia Dax is the best if you’re a fan of the character. Coming in at about 17 minutes, a new interview with Terry Farrell allows her to speak in-depth about the evolution of Jadzia, and includes some great test footage of the character’s original look.

One of the things I forgot to mention about the first season set was that it had some ‘hidden files’ not mentioned on the cover. This was mostly because I wanted to leave them as a surprise for those who bought the set. Here, I have to mention them because they are far superior to those on the first set. Most of them are pretty short, but they are more than worth a watch.

“Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” Season 2 will be available April 1st, and whether you’re a fan of the series, or simply a fan of good TV, add this one to your shopping list.

Season 2 Epsiodes:

The Homecoming
The Circle
The Siege
Invasive Procedures
Cardassians
Melora
Rules of Acquisition
Necessary Evil
Second Sight
Sanctuary
Rivals
The Alternate
Armageddon Game
Whispers
Paradise
Shadowplay
Playing God
Profit and Loss
Blood Oath
The Maquis I
The Maquis II
The Wire
Crossover
The Collaborator
Tribunal
The Jem’Hadar

Starring: Avery Brooks, Nana Visitor, Alexander Siddig, Rene Auberjonois, Terry Farrell, Colm Meaney, and Armin Shimmerman
Extras: New Frontiers: The Story of Deep Space Nine, Michael Westmore’s Aliens – Season Two, Deep Space Nine Sketchbook – Season 2, Crew Dossier – Jadzia Dax, New Station, New Ships.
Specifications: Full Screen, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround and Dolby Surround.
Studio: Paramount Home Video
Release Date: 4/1/2003
Region 1
Website: http://www.paramount.com/homeentertainment/

We'll give Deep Space 9 Season 2 an A.