“The Circle” 30th-anniversary reflections.
Running Time: 46 minutes 38 seconds
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The plans of the Bajoran group known as The Circle become clear thanks to an unexpected source—Quark—who has been newly christened Odo’s number-one deputy (Quark’s words). The group is being supplied with weapons by another unexpected source, the Cardassians. Who’s running The Circle? Well, that’s also a bit unexpected. But one thing that is clear from the start is that Vedek Bareil has the hots for Kira. It’s all setup in the middle part of Star Trek’s first three-parter.
In this episode of The Orb, hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our 30th-anniversary retrospective that will take you through all of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, one episode at a time. In this installment, we discuss “The Circle,” how the Kira/Jaro story mirrors the start of Season 1, the timeless commentary, our fondness for middle stories, and Vedek Bareil's disturbing gaze.
Chapters
Intro (00:00:00)
Timeless Commentary (00:02:41)
Blinded by the Light (00:06:20)
Mirroring Season 1 Kira (00:09:53)
Major Bye Bye? (00:13:46)
Counting on Quark (00:16:29)
Bareil's Gaze (00:20:50)
Winn and Jaro Got It Goin' On (00:28:26)
A Fondness for Middle Stories (00:32:39)
Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:36:58)
Closing (00:42:47)
Hosts
C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing
Production
C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer)
“Melora” 30th-anniversary reflections. We discuss what the story says about challenges and limitations, becoming comfortable with yourself, and how the character connects to the original concept for the series.
“Cardassians” 30th-anniversary reflections. We discuss how the story expands the rich world created for the series, the return of Garak, and the difficult questions around culture and identity.
“Invasive Procedures” 30th-anniversary reflections. We discuss how the intimate story sheds light on Trill society and the relationship between symbiont and host.
“The Siege” 30th-anniversary reflections. We discuss Li Nalas's fate, what the story has to say about family and community, and how Trek's first TV trilogy ends.
“The Circle” 30th-anniversary reflections. We jump into Season 2 as we discuss how the Kira/Jaro story mirrors the start of Season 1, the timeless commentary, our fondness for middle stories, and Vedek Bareil's disturbing gaze.
“The Homecoming” 30th-anniversary reflections. We jump into Season 2 as we discuss how this story of Bajoran isolationism transforms storytelling in Star Trek and rings true three decades after it aired.
“In the Hands of the Prophets” 30th-anniversary reflections. We close out Season 1 by discussing how the story bookends the pilot while setting the series on course for its destiny of richly intricate serialized storytelling.
“Duet” 30th-anniversary reflections. We discuss how a story pitched by interns to save budget broke the dam and unleashed the potential of the young series.
Dramatis Personae ” 30th-anniversary reflections. We discuss how the writers put a distinctly DS9 twist on a TNG premise to deliver masterful character development.
“The Forsaken” 30th-anniversary reflections. We discuss how the writers put a distinctly DS9 twist on a TNG premise to deliver masterful character development.
