"What You Leave Behind," the two-hour Deep Space Nine series finale, aired on June 2, 1999, or 16 years ago today. The episode did a remarkable job of closing out the Dominion War arc, addressing Sisko's mission as the Emissary, further restoring Worf's association with the Klingon Empire, and bringing full circle several romances, bromances, friendships and familial relationships: Odo and Quark, Benjamin and Jake, Dr. Bashir and Garak, Sisko and Kasidy, Kira and Odo, Ezri Dax and Dr. Bashir, Kai Winn and Dukat, Quark and Kira, O'Brien and Dr. Bashir, etc. And, of course, there was that great party in Vic Fontaine's lounge, with Sisko uttering these memorable lines: "To the best crew any captain ever had. This may be the last time we're all together. But no matter what the future holds, no matter how far we travel, a part of us... a very important part, will always remain here, on Deep Space 9."
"What You Leave Behind" was episode 173 of Deep Space Nine.
Allan Kroeker directed "What You Leave Behind" after helming 12 previous episodes of DS9. He also directed numerous episodes of Voyager and Enterprise, including their respective finales, "Endgame" and "These Are The Voyages..."
Did you catch O'Brien's reference a little something called "flux capacitators"? Back to the Future, anyone?
Nana Visitor ruined several takes during filming on the last day of production by crying.
Many of the show's crew appeared in the scene at Vic's lounge, including Ira Steven Behr and Rene Echevarria, as did several recurring actors -- who are seen out of makeup -- among them Casey Biggs, Max Grodenchik and Jeffrey Combs.
The only actors, aside from the series regulars, to appear in both the first-ever episode, "Emissary," and also "What You Leave Behind" were Mark Allen Shepherd, Marc Alaimo, Aron Eisenberg and J.G. Hertzler.
Who was the only actor to appear in every single episode of DS9? That'd be Avery Brooks.
Anyone recall who uttered the finale line of the series? Armin Shimerman as Quark.
Those attending the DS9 wrap party on April 22, 1999, included the main cast as well as Terry Farrell, Rick Berman, Majel Barrett Roddenberry, Michael Westmore, David Livingston, Herman Zimmerman, Ira Steven Behr, Michael and Denise Okuda, Lolita Fatjo, Robert Hewitt Wolfe, Gary Hutzel and Dan Curry.
"What You Leave Behind" received an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Series. It lost to "Dark Frontier," an episode of Voyager.
