DS9’s First New Aliens Broke 1 Big Star Trek TNG Rule

The first new aliens to arrive from the Gamma Quadrant gave Star Trek: Deep Space Nine a chance to break a big rule from its parent show, Star Trek: The Next Generation. Set aboard a space station in orbit above Bajor, DS9 was always designed as a counterpoint to the deep space exploration of TNG. Where the crew of the USS Enterprise-D would seek out new life, the crew of Deep Space Nine had new life come to them, via the wormhole into the Gamma Quadrant. In DS9 season 1, episode 5, “Captive Pursuit”, the first new alien species makes the journey through the wormhole, and causes a potential diplomatic incident.