Star Trek: How This Deep Space 9 Episode Changed The Franchise Forever

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Since its creation, the Star Trek franchise has gone through some fairly drastic changes. Some are more noticeable than others, like an entire reality shift like the Kelvin timeline films. Meanwhile, others are much more subtle, and take place in a much subtler way. These are often changes found in the writing, or in the overall theme which each series or film is tapping into. There is one particular episode, however, found within the critically acclaimed Deep Space 9 series, that set a precedent for what Star Trek had become. This episode changed the franchise forever.

Right from the start, DS9 was always intended to be a different show from what fans had come to expect from Star Trek. It was a darker, grittier telling of the various affairs of the Federation, highlighting how it is far easier to be a saint, like Picard or Kirk, when in the paradise of the Federation's inner bubble. The space station where the events of DS9 unfolded was right on the fringes of their space. It constantly took the brunt of political turbulence, toeing the fine line between peace and full-fledged war. As a consequence, the show made it its mission to tell stories that constantly walked the knife's edge of morality. The characters' decisions often bordered on criminal, all for the sake of doing what was right, or what was needed to survive. This all comes to a dramatic climax in the famous episode “In The Pale Moonlight.” To this day, it regarded as one of the best episodes of Star Trek ever made.

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While the episode is largely celebrated, it is not without issues. Many regard it as highly controversial. While the franchise had been distancing itself from the shows' creator Gene