Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Season 3 (1994–95)

Star Trek: DS9: Season 3 (1994–95)

26 episodes, approx 44 minutes each.

S3 is DS9 coming of age, so to speak. Set approx two months after the end of S2, it finally begins to feel like the crew are becoming a team, interdependent, loyal, more than just co-workers thrown together in a metallic grey space-doughnut. The actors began to exhibit what was missing from previous seasons, the most difficult ingredient of all: a level of convincing heart and warmth toward each other, just like a family should have.

It's just as well, too, because 1994 was also the year that TNG ended its run (with S7), meaning the DS9 crew had to carry the weighty Trek flag alone.

With no new TNG adventures airing, it's surely not a coincidence that the station received a proper, non-runabout class starship. Smaller than the Enterprise D, it's a rather unassuming vessel at first, but quickly proves itself in battle. (Trek space battles had never been that exciting, to be honest, because a TV budget didn't allow for the kind of logistical set-ups that we'd see in the movies, but DS9 made some attempt to address that with battles that were faster, more aggressive and altogether more spectacular.)

The primary reason for the new ship's construction is clear. It's not pushed to the fore just yet, but over the course of the season it gathers momentum.

The Bajorans and their dismissive "will of the prophets" nonsense continues to get on my tits. The only upside of it is that we get the occasional Kai Winn episode. Of all the recurring DS9 villains thus far, Winn (Louise Fletcher) is the one that I hate most - I mean that in a good way, she evoked a strong emotional response in me, which, even though it's of the negative variety, is infinitely better than a character that stirs nothing but indifference. Now, if I could just apply that same logic to Major Kira...

When it comes to guest star characters, however, the highlight for me is still Lwaxana Troi. She brings out traits in others that don't get aired often, and they never feel out of place.

The beard effect: Commander Sisko grows some chin-fuzz that makes him look more confident and commanding, just like it did years before with Commander Riker.

• With regards actual episodes, there are a couple of two-parters, neither of which are particularly amazing, but both are referenced to some degree at a later date.
• The event in S2 that connected the show to a classic TOS (S2) episode is continued, and something that happened in TNG (S6) gets an interesting conclusion.
• There's a stand-alone episode that's clearly DS9's attempt at recreating TNG's much-loved I, Borg (S5) episode. It's not as good, but it's not awful, either.

USS Defiant (NX-74205). Length: 170 metres / Width: 134 metres / Height: 30 metres

Armaments: Pulsed + Beam Phasers / Photon + Quantum Torpedoes

Defences: Deflector Shields / Ablative Armour / Romulan Star Empire Cloaking Device