Trivia / Star Trek Deep Space Nine S 03 E 01 The Search Part I

• Enforced Method Acting: Armin Shimmerman found the way Sisko forces Quark to kiss the Nagus's scepter to be demeaning, so Quark's look of distaste is genuine.
• First Appearance: We finally meet the Changelings. Their role in the series, however, would be revealed in part 2.
• What Could Have Been:
  • With the conclusion of Next Generation, Ronald D. Moore and René Echevarria joined the spinoff's Season Three Writers Room (with this episode actually being Moore's DS9 debut). However, Moore was first offered the chance to join the inaugural Voyager Writers Room. Moore's said it was understandably very tempting to join a Trek series at its launch instead of in mid-stream again (as he'd done during TNG). However, Moore was ultimately persuaded to join DS9 by Michael Piller (who felt Moore's storytelling sensibilities would be better suited to the darker tone and setting of the Station).
  • The Defiant was not the original name for the 'escort frigate'. Initially Ronald D. Moore wanted to name it Valiant, but was overruled by Rick Berman. With Star Trek: Voyager then-coming up, Berman didn't want two ships starting with 'V' on the air at the same time. Moore then selected Defiant as an alternative and, as stated in Continuity Nod, as a tribute to the Original Series episode "The Tholian Web".
• You Look Familiar:
  • Martha Hackett plays the Romulan. She would later have a recurring role on VOY as Seska.
  • John Fleck, who had numerous guest spots and the recurring role of Silik on ENT, appears as Quark's Dominion business contact.
  • Salome Jens had the brief one-shot role as the progenitor humanoid from TNG's "The Chase". Her role here as the female Changeling will prove far more substantial.