What We Left Behind: Looking Back at Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

What We Left Behind: Looking Back at Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf August 3, 2019

“Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” premiered in 1993, and it was never meant to be a sure thing. Issued while “Star Trek: The Next Generation” was ascending to beloved status, the third series in the franchise universe also elected to avoid intergalactic travel, containing action and drama to the confines of a space station, which offered little visual variance and warp-speed pacing. Not helping the cause was fan assessment, with many finding the show too limited in scope and dark in tone to delight Trekkers used to boldly going from one corner of the universe to the other. And yet, despite many shortcomings, “Deep Space Nine” managed to find an audience, with producers Michael Piller and Ira Steven Behr eager to challenge predictability and formula with their program, giving their slice of the “Trek” pie unusual intimacy, with hopes to make something different. “What We Left Behind’ is Behr’s (and co-director David Zappone) attempt to grasp the final product, returning to the cast and crew who helped to put it together, and the fans that remained with the show.

“What We Left Behind” attempts to be as idiosyncratic as “Deep Space Nine,” opening with a musical performance from Max Grodenchik and a promise from Andrew Robinson that memories are fueled by emotion, influencing the stories recounted in the documentary. The hook for the feature is Behr’s effort to hash out a season eight opener, reuniting with a few writers to help build a fantasy episode utilizing the old cast, which is brought to life via modest animation, presenting frames from something that will never be, but it’s a kick to get lost in the possibility of it all. Behr understands the power of such dreaming, and “What We Left Behind” returns to the faux show repeatedly, watching the aged pros delight in manufacturing the ultimate return of “Deep Space Nine.”

The picture tries to avoid a linear, season-by-season assessment of “Deep Space Nine.” Instead, “What We Left Behind” jumps around in time, exploring production achievements and problems, celebrating its forays into social and political commentary, while female empowerment and racial exposure were major parts of Behr’s plan. The showrunner plays a significant role in the documentary, acting as a host for the endeavor and its primary interviewer, reconnecting with all sorts of cast and crew members (save for star Avery Brooks), trying to extract their primal reaction to the show’s original production experience. The list of participants is long, but performers such as Nana Visitor, Jeffrey Combs, Rene Auberjonois, Colm Meaney, Alexander Siddig, Terry Farrell, and Armin Shimerman provide wonderful anecdotes and, at times, raw emotion concerning their time on the series. Such long hours and intense characterizations created a “family” on the set, and Behr respects such a POV, offering warm reunions and honest assessment of the creative journey, offering fans a sincere understanding of work ethic and endurance as “Deep Space Nine” tried to defy expectations over the course of its lengthy run.

What We Left Behind: Looking Back at Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation secures a bright look for "What We Left Behind," which is filled with crisp interview footage with well-lit subjects. Age is securely defined throughout the viewing experience, with skin surfaces often exact. Clothing contributes some touchable textures. Colors are precise, leading with Behr's "mood goatee," which changes from purple to blue as the years pass. Outfits are vivid, along with backdrops, which keep the "DS9" production scheme. Animation is sharp and true. Delineation is satisfactory. Banding flares up from time to time. Of most interest to fans is the HD upgrade of select "DS9" scenes, resembling the revelatory work that brought "The Next Generation" to Blu-ray, finding fresh frame particulars and bolder hues.

What We Left Behind: Looking Back at Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA sound mix is mostly focused on interview segments, offering strong voices with defined emotionality, as many tears are shed during the documentary. The track expands during "Season Eight" planning, giving the imaginary episode some oomph, finding surround activity with shuttle travel and scenes of war. Low-end has some moments of activity.

What We Left Behind: Looking Back at Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Disc 1

• "Intro from Ira and the Gang" (1:43, HD) is a brief welcome from the producer of "Deep Space Nine," who's joined by some production players at a card game, discussing the painful process of cutting segments for "What We Left Behind," which are now available in the supplements.

• "A Brief History of 'Deep Space Nine'" (3:19, HD) covers the initial development and growth of the series, with Professor John Pitman covering show highlights and character arcs for a segment that was initially going to open the documentary. Pitman is joined by a very special student from the "Star Trek" family.

• "What We Left Out" (HD) is an assortment of deleted scenes, including "The Toughest Episode," (3:30), "Nog's Sisko Encounter" (2:30), "The Trouble with Onesies" (3:49), "Brotherly Love" (1:55), "Our Friends Behind the Camera" (6:00), "The Alaimo Way" (1:18), "Jimmy's World" (3:46), "The Other Changeling" (2:25), "The Death of Baseball" (1:45), "Michael's Hidden Talent" (1:22), "The Gift of Anger" (1:52), "Westmore's Spots" (4:50), "The Virgin Door-Opener" (1:44), "Family Tensions" (2:14), "Finding Vic" (2:30), "One Last Punch" (2:31), and "Those Fuzzy Tribbles" (3:34), which is a fascinating look at the creation of the 1996 "Trials and Tribble-ations" episode, where the "DS9" cast mingled with footage from a 1967 episode of "The Original Series" with help from emerging digital technology.

• Filmmaker HD Discussion (15:21, HD) returns to Behr, who's joined by executive producer/co-director Dave Zappone, producer/editor Luke Snailham, producer/editor Kai De Mello-Folsom, and producer/editor Joseph Kornbrodt. The crew explores an ambitious attempt to bring "DS9" to high definition standards (helping to match the rest of the documentary), beginning with the initial idea to even consider such an expensive goal. Over the course of three years, the team managed to find coin through crowdfunding, with the Indiegogo campaign for "What We Left Behind" repeatedly extended to allow for more HD sequences, going from a mere five minutes as first planned to the run of the feature, with a few exceptions. The interviewees describe the process of finding the footage, following CBS paperwork, and color correction, refining and reframing the image to fit their needs.

• "More from the Fans" (12:40, HD) is a collection of unused submissions from the "DS9" fanbase, with interviewees offering memories of the show, actor interactions during conventions, and how the series impacted their lives during times of doubt and despair. More amusing are interruptions, including a car accident and loud lake fountain music.

• Behind the Scenes on the Variety Photoshoot (1:44, HD) is a brief overview of cast camaraderie and beauty prep.

• And a Trailer (2:25, HD) is included.

Disc 2

• "A Roundtable Look at the Making of the Documentary" (53:52, HD) returns to Behr, Zappone, Snailham, Kornbrodt, and Mello-Folsom as they explore the lengthy journey to assemble "What We Left Behind." Part of the work included simply figuring out an approach, with Behr hatching a plan with his writer's room reunion, using that as structure to support the rest of the movie. Long hours faced a limited budget, requiring the need to crowdfund the project, while the task of assembling footage shot over three years was arduous, including 150 hours of fan contributions. In creating Season Eight, the production managed to secure animation to bring visual ideas to life, and editing challenges were common, with Behr refusing leadership for as long as possible. Collaborators are celebrated and Avery Brooks's absence from "What We Left Behind" (his contribution is pulled from old interview clips) is explained, and talk of the HD reconstruction of select clips is offered (the same conversation is found on Disc 1).

• "A Musical Reunion" (10:32, HD) sits down with composers Kevin Kiner and Dennis McCarthy, who discuss their professional ties to "Star Trek," and their personal relationship, with the friends collaborating on "What We Left Behind." Topics include a reworking of the "DS9" main theme for the documentary, bringing a "Star Trek" sound to the project, and finding special tones for the emotional highs and lows found along the way.

What We Left Behind: Looking Back at Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"What We Left Behind" is obviously geared toward "Deep Space Nine" fanatics, giving them the goods with behind-the-scenes tales and juicy clips of the show in HD, revealing the beauty of the original cinematography. It's the longevity of "Deep Space Nine" that surprises Behr the most, watching a program Paramount wasn't entirely in love with during its initial run go on to develop a passionate fanbase, with those tuned into its ambition celebrating its specialized vision of "Star Trek." "What We Left Behind" is a tongue bath, but a wildly engaging one with plenty of humor and feeling, working to capture exactly what made the series so special to so many.