The Orb: A Star Trek Deep Space Nine Podcast

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The Orb is a Trek.fm podcast dedicated entirely to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, hosted since 2013 by C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing. In January 2023, we begin a 30th-anniversary retrospective that will take you through all of DS9, one episode at a time, as we shift from our format of exploring the minutiae of the show to celebrating 30 years of the greatest chapter in the Star Trek franchise with an episode-by-episode examination.

  1. Columbodo

    JAN 16

    Columbodo

    "Necessary Evil" 30th-anniversary reflections When someone attempts to kill Quark, Odo starts down a path that leads him to reopen a five-year-old murder investigation. Dating back to the days of Terok Nor, that mystery centered on a familiar face: Kira Nerys. After seeing her as a prime suspect in the killing of a shop owner named Vaatrik, Odo ultimately dismissed her involvement—in part to protect her from Gul Dukat—but never quite let go of the unsolved case. The presence of Vaatrik's widow aboard DS9 alongside the attack on Quark, together with the discovery of a list of eight Bajoran names, sets Odo into full Columbo mode. And what he ultimately uncovers may change how he sees Kira forever. 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 "Necessary Evil,"how the story brings the history of the station to life, what it says about the Kira–Odo relationship, and more. Chapters Intro (00:00:00) Firsthand Occupation (00:02:38) Full Columbo Mode (00:08:00) Cardassian Arrogance (00:12:40) Things Past (00:15:80) What Makes Odo Tick (00:18:57) One Must Always Choose a Side (00:21:28) The Cut Scene (00:26:21) The Early Odo-Kira Relationship (00:31:18) Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:43:54) Closing (00:46:08) Hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing Production C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer)

    43 min
  2. Secret Latinum Man

    10/23/2025

    Secret Latinum Man

    "Rules of Acquisition" 30th-anniversary reflections Word is there's profit o' plenty in the Gamma Quadrant, and the Grand Nagus wants a piece of it. And who better to send as chief negotiator than Quark? But never forget the 48th Rule of Acquisition: "The bigger the smile, the sharper the knife." Quark's new waiter, Pel, thinks Zek is setting him up to take the blame if a deal for the totally reasonable ask of 100,000 vats of tulaberry wine falls through. Thankfully for Quark, he won't be alone at the table, because Pel turns out to be more than a waiter. He's a skilled entrepreneur. And a she. Despite their combined negotiating prowess, Quark and Pel return without the wine. But they aren't entirely empty-handed. They have the memory of an awkward kiss and information about some group called The Dominion. 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 "Rules of Acquisition,"what the story says about identity, how it sets up The Dominion, and how DS9 makes the Ferengi matter. Chapters Intro (00:00:00) Making the Ferengi Matter (00:03:31) Finding Common Ground (00:10:33) Hiding Your Identity (00:15:45) Originally a TNG Story (00:21:26) A Rom Regression? (00:25:38) Dominion Breadcrumbs (00:27:54) Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:43:54) Closing (00:46:08) Hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing Production C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer)

    50 min
  3. Defying Gravity

    07/02/2025

    Defying Gravity

    "Melora" 30th-anniversary reflections Doctor Bashir and Chief O'Brien prepare for the arrival of a new cartographer, Ensign Melora Pazlar. She is the first Elaysian to join Starfleet. Why? Her homeworld has low gravity, which makes it difficult for her people to function in environments common to Starfleet operations. She generally must use a wheelchair to move around, and Bashir has modified a special one for her to use while aboard Deep Space 9. When he and Melora start to fall for one another, Bashir begins searching for a treatment that could allow her to walk. But there's a catch: she would never be able to return to her homeworld for more than a short visit. Meanwhile, some other stuff is happening with Quark. 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 "Melora,"what the story says about challenges and limitations, becoming comfortable with yourself, and how the character connects to the original concept for the series. Chapters Intro (00:00:00) Part of the Original Series Concept (00:03:50) We All Have Limitations (00:10:56) Firsthand Experience Matters (00:12:50) The Melora Problem (00:19:53) Becoming Comfortable with Yourself (00:25:00) Not Your Doctor Anymore (Still Your Doctor) (00:29:51) Manatee Idea Balls B-Story (00:36:12) Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:43:04) Closing (00:48:26) Hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing Production C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer)

    52 min
  4. A Father's Choice

    06/14/2025

    A Father's Choice

    "Cardassians" 30th-anniversary reflections A biting boy in the replimat presents a mystery that leaves Garak's arm in pain and puts the tailor's suspected spy skills to the test. Teaming up with Bashir, he helps uncover the background behind this young Cardassian wearing a Bajoran earring. The boy turns out to be an orphan, left behind after the Occupation and adopted by a Bajoran family. But there is much more to the story than it first seems, and when it is discovered that the boy is actually the son of one of Gul Dukat's opponents, Sisko's decision to allow him to remain on Bajor or be returned to his father becomes all the more difficult. 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 "Cardassians,"how the story expands the rich world created for the series, the return of Garak, and the difficult questions around culture and identity. Chapters Intro (00:00:00) Plain Simple Garak (00:03:40) Complex Cardassians (00:10:30) Impacting the Innocent (00:17:34) All in the Family (00:22:08) Oversimplifying Issues? (00:25:32) Culture and Identity (00:27:12) Misguided Assumptions (00:35:06) A Father's Choice (00:42:03) Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:47:48) Closing (00:52:37) Hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing Production C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer)

    57 min
  5. World-Building through Worm-Building

    05/05/2025

    World-Building through Worm-Building

    "Invasive Procedures" 30th-anniversary reflections With the station all but abandoned due to a plasma storm, a skeleton crew of Sisko, Kira, Jadzia, Bashir, Odo, O'Brien, and Quark are easily overpowered by an unjoined Trill hell-bent on sticking the Dax symbiont in his belly. This feeble man named Verad feels that he has been condemned to a life of mediocrity because he wasn't chosen for joining. If he could only have a symbiont of his own, all would be well, and his girlfriend would especially love him. Doing his research, he found that Dax was the ideal match, and so he has come to the station with the help of Klingon mercenaries to take what he thinks is rightfully his. He almost succeeds, but made one fatal mistake: "never call me Benjamin." 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 "Invasive Procedures"how the intimate story sheds light on Trill society and the relationship between symbiont and host. Chapters Intro (00:00:00) A Dark and Stormy Night (00:03:23) An Intimate Story (00:07:13) Verad's Motivations (00:12:18) World-Building Trill Style (00:18:29) Characters On and Off Target (00:28:01) Quark Consequences (00:33:10) Tuvok Alert! (00:36:29) Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:40:28) Closing (00:43:02) Hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing Production C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer)

    47 min
  6. Off the Hook

    04/15/2025

    Off the Hook

    "The Siege" 30th-anniversary reflections With civilians evacuated, Sisko, Li Nalas, and the station's crew prepare for the arrival of the Bajoran militia and their Vidal Sassoon salon-perfect hair. Missing from the gang are Kira and Dax, who have gone to the Bajoran moon Luna V to ask the local palukoo spider-dogs if they can borrow an abandoned raider from the days of the Occupation. They plan to crash the Chamber of Ministers and reveal evidence that the Cardassians are supplying The Circle with weapons. General Krim and his sidekick, Colonel Day, easily succumb to the crew's guerrilla tactics and hand the station back over to Sisko. But things don't turn out so rosy for the Navarch. 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 Siege,"Li Nalas's fate, what the story has to say about family and community, and how Trek's first TV trilogy ends. Chapters Intro (00:00:00) Sisko's Stand (00:02:36) Community Connections (00:06:51) Jake and Nog (00:10:05) Family (00:13:16) Kira, Dax, and the Spider-Dogs (00:19:57) Soft and Naive? (00:25:31) Navarch No More (00:31:53) Was It a Good Threesome? (00:38:11) Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:42:16) Closing (00:46:15) Hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing Production C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer)

    50 min
  7. A Warm Wind Blowing in from Minicoy

    04/02/2025

    A Warm Wind Blowing in from Minicoy

    "The Circle" 30th-anniversary reflections The plans of the Bajoran group known as The Circle become clear thanks to an unexpected source—Quark—who has been newly christened Odo's number-one deputy (Quark's words). The group is being supplied with weapons by another unexpected source, the Cardassians. Who's running The Circle? Well, that's also a bit unexpected. But one thing that is clear from the start is that Vedek Bareil has the hots for Kira. It's all setup in the middle part of Star Trek's first three-parter. 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 Circle," how the Kira/Jaro story mirrors the start of Season 1, the timeless commentary, our fondness for middle stories, and Vedek Bareil's disturbing gaze. Chapters Intro (00:00:00) Timeless Commentary (00:02:41)  Blinded by the Light (00:06:20) Mirroring Season 1 Kira (00:09:53) Major Bye Bye? (00:13:46) Counting on Quark (00:16:29) Bareil's Gaze (00:20:50) Winn and Jaro Got It Goin' On (00:28:26) A Fondness for Middle Stories (00:32:39) Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:36:58) Closing (00:54:20) Hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing Production C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer)

    47 min
  8. We Don't Need No Galacticization

    03/18/2025

    We Don't Need No Galacticization

    "The Homecoming" 30th-anniversary reflections Life on the station seems to be back to normal as we head into Season 2. People are enjoying dabo. Quark is up to something. Odo is investigating. Jake has a date. But things quickly go sideways with the arrival of an earring. Recognizing a legendary resistance fighter's insignia on the jewelry, Kira leads a mission to retrieve him from a Cardassian prison camp, potentially starting a war in the process. Thankfully, Gul Dukat prefers to cover his butt rather than start shooting. Factions on Bajor, however, have less peaceful intentions as they first tag the station walls before moving on to Quark's head. 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 jump into Season 2 as we discuss "The Homecoming" and how this story of Bajoran isolationism transforms storytelling in Star Trek and rings true three decades after it aired. Chapters Intro (00:00:00) A New Style of Storytelling (00:02:55) Remembering the Mission (00:07:49) An Enduring Relevance (00:15:36) The Danger of Isolationism (00:19:37) Originally a TNG Story (00:26:38) Full-Throttle Kira (00:30:36) Character Matters (00:33:39) Dangling Threads (00:43:48) A Telling Twist (00:46:52) Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:51:21) Closing (00:54:20) Hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing Production C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer)

    58 min
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4.8
out of 5
162 Ratings

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The Orb is a Trek.fm podcast dedicated entirely to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, hosted since 2013 by C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing. In January 2023, we begin a 30th-anniversary retrospective that will take you through all of DS9, one episode at a time, as we shift from our format of exploring the minutiae of the show to celebrating 30 years of the greatest chapter in the Star Trek franchise with an episode-by-episode examination.

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