Deep Space Nine on Star Trek The Romulan Makeover of Nine
The popular spin-off series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, which transported viewers to a space station on the edge of the Gamma Quadrant, brought about a number of notable changes to the Federation's longstanding enemy, the Romulan Star Empire. Ronald D. Moore, a writer for DS9 who joined the team in season 3, led one such change. Famed for his work on Star Trek: The Next Generation, Moore saw a chance to completely redesign the Romulans, starting with their famous outfits.
A Revolution in Romulan Costumes
William Theiss's Romulan suit from Star Trek: The Next Generation's early seasons included quilted detailing and oversized shoulder pads. Moore didn't like this look; he thought it was antiquated and unattractive. Moore "begged, insisted, screamed, pleaded" for a makeover when he joined the DS9 writing staff. His efforts were rewarded when DS9 costume designer Robert Blackman consented to produce a more streamlined and "menacing" appearance. The material for the new Romulan costume was the same, but it was colored a deeper shade and had much smaller shoulder pads. The third-season premiere of this design set the precedent for all subsequent Star Trek appearances of the Romulans.
The Changing Coalition
A major plot point in DS9 was the Dominion War, in which the Federation and the Romulans grudgingly banded together to fight a shared foe. Their relationship underwent a dramatic change as a result of this partnership. It was revealed in the third season episode "The Search, Part I" that the USS Defiant, a formidable spaceship built for battle, had been given a cloaking technology by the Romulans. This action revealed a willingness to work together, but with hidden agendas. The real motivations of the Romulans were revealed in later episodes, when they exploited the information to achieve their own tactical objectives.
"The Die is Cast" and the Improbable Alliance.
The two-part episode "Improbable Cause" and "The Die is Cast" included the most significant alteration to the Romulans made by Moore. Originally intended to be a stand-alone episode, the tale developed into a significant point in DS9's past, centering on Garak, a Cardassian tailor with a shadowy past. It exposed a covert partnership between the intelligence groups the Cardassian Obsidian Order and the Romulan Tal Shiar, whose aim was to destroy the Dominion. This partnership, which resulted from mistrust of the Dominion amongst the parties, forced the Romulans to take a more active part in the conflict and further strained ties between the Federation and the Romulan Star Empire.
From Abrams' Reboot to Nemesis
With Star Trek: Nemesis, the last movie of the Next Generation era, the Romulans' new appearance and their growingly complicated relationship with the Federation were maintained. The film drew comparisons between Captain James T. Kirk's trip with the Klingons in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country and Lieutenant Commander Worf's triumph over his anti-Romulan prejudice. This parallel hinted at a future in which cooperation between the Federation and the Romulans would persist. But this trend was thrown off when J.J. Abrams' reboot debuted in 2009. Bitter hostility between the two sides was reintroduced with the arrival of a Romulan supernova and the furious miner Nero, who was motivated by the Federation's alleged inaction during the catastrophe. This story was taken a step further in Star Trek: Picard, where the nefarious Commodore Oh and the evil Romulan siblings emphasized the animosity and mistrust that remained after the explosion. These adjustments seemed like a step backward, undoing the progress that DS9 had made.
The Influence of a Visionary
Beyond the Romulans, Ronald D. Moore made a significant contribution to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. His innovative approach to character development and storytelling made the series one of the most well-received in the franchise. From the gripping Dominion War arc to the subtle portrayal of the Romulans, Moore's presence is still felt in the Star Trek universe and has a lasting effect on the story and visual style of the franchise.
