When Pah-Wraith-possessed Gul Dukat took up his phaser and slew Jadzia Dax in the Promenade's Bajoran Temple, my first thoughts, naturally, were for Worf.
This was just one of many conflicting emotions, though. Like a Vulcan suffering Pa'nar Syndrome, I was conflicted. As a Star Trek: Deep Space Nine viewer enthralled with weekly developments of the Dominion War (the greatest serialized event in television from now until the 24th Century), I was quite impressed with the Orbs on Deep Space Nine's producers to kill off one of its principal characters. But when I realized I'd never get to see Terry Farrell and her spots travel to Risa again, I recognized that I'd be joining the Son of Mogh in mourning.
The Dax sybiont was saved, however, and despite previously established canon that a Trill should really never be around her past lovers, she ended up back on Deep Space Nine, albeit in a new form.
If Jadzia was Ginger, Ezri was Mary Anne. The new Dax came aboard with wide-eyed enthusiasm in the form of pixieish Canadian actress Nicole de Boer, who celebrates a birthday this week. It ain't easy to fill the shoes of a beloved character after six seasons, but by playing up the "same but different" angle inherent in the Trill species, the producers got to bring us a lovable new cast member without totally screwing up the established dynamic.
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Jordan Hoffman is a writer, critic and lapsed filmmaker living in New York City. His work can also be seen on Film.com, ScreenCrush and Badass Digest. On his BLOG, Jordan has reviewed all 727 Trek episodes and films, most of the comics and some of the novels.
