Summary
Star Trek: Deep Space Nineintroduced several changes to the Romulans, but one particular alteration was made at the behest of writer Ronald D. Moore. AfterStar Trek: The Next Generationended, Moore joined the staff ofDS9for season 3, which had several episodes involving a tentative alliance between the Romulan Star Empire and the Federation. The season 3 opener, “The Search, Part I” revealed that the Romulans had providedDS9’s USS Defiantwith a cloaking device so they could covertly acquire intel on the Dominion. Subsequent season 3 episodes revealed just what the Romulans intended to do with that information.
InStar Trek: Deep Space Nineseason 3, episode 17, “Visionary”, Chief O’Brien (Colm Meaney) unearthed a Romulan plot to destroy Deep Space Nine and the wormhole to prevent a Dominion incursion. Weeks later, “Improbable Cause” and “The Die is Cast”, revealed that the Cardassian’s Obsidian Order and the Romulan Tal Shiar formed an alliance to destroy the Dominion. Starting life as a standalone episode about Garak (Andrew J. Robinson), “Improbable Cause” was expanded into an epic two-parter that changed the course of not justDS9’s Dominion War arc, but the presentation of the Romulans inStar Trek.
Every Star Trek Character Killed By Ron Moore
Ronald D. Moore sent many big-name Star Trek characters to their final frontier during his time on The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine…
Ronald D. Moore Insisted On A Big Romulan Change In Star Trek: DS9
No more Romulan shoulder pads.
When “Improbable Cause” was expanded into a two-parter,Ronald D. Moore wrote the conclusion,Star Trek: Deep Space Nineseason 3, episode 21, “The Die is Cast”. However, Moore’s biggest change to the Romulans didn’t come from anything he wrote in the script. Remembering the episode in theStar Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, Moore discussed how he saw an opportunity to change something he’d hated about the Romulans from as far back asStar Trek: The Next Generationseason 1:
“I hated, underline hated, the Romulan costumes. Big shoulder pads, the quilting, I just loathed it. I begged, insisted, screamed, pleaded.”
The quilted Romulan costumes had previously been designed by William Theiss, who established the look of theRomulans in Star Trek: The Next Generation. Theiss' successor, Robert Blackman, deigned not to redesign them to save himself extra work. ForStar Trek: Deep Space Nine, Blackman fulfilled Ronald D. Moore’s request, and set about designing a “sleeker” and “more menacing” costume for Lovok (Leland Orser) and his fellow operatives.Using the same material, Blackman dyed it darker, and substantially reduced the width of the shoulder pads, creating a new look Romulan costume for futureStar Trekappearances.
Star Trek: DS9 Changed The Romulans For The Better - Until Abrams Ruined It
Robert Blackman’s sleeker Romulan costumes, and their subsequent variations, continued to appearright up untilStar Trek: Nemesis. So too did the idea that, finally, the Romulan Star Empire and the Federation were closer than ever to becoming allies. One of the few interesting things aboutNemesisis the parallel between Lieutenant Commander Worf (Michael Dorn) setting aside his anti-Romulan prejudice and Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) doing the same with his own feelings toward the Klingons inStar Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.At the end ofNemesis, it appeared that the Federation and the Romulans would continue working together.
TheStar Trek: Deep Space Nineepisode “Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges” revealed that Section 31 were involved in manipulating Romulan politics to aid future relations with the Federation when the Dominion War ended.
Unfortunately, J.J. Abrams' 2009Star Trekmovie threw a spanner in the works with the devastating Romulan supernova, and embittered miner Nero (Eric Bana). Nero’s hatred of Ambassador Spock (Leonard Nimoy) and the Federation for not doing enough to help, defined the plot ofStar Trek: Picardseason 1, which introducedevil Romulan siblingsand the villainous Commodore Oh (Tamlyn Tomita). It was a disappointingly regressive step that threw away a lot of the positive changes thatStar Trek: Deep Space Ninehad brought about during the Dominion War.
