129: Hitting the Pause Button

"The Sound of Her Voice" and the need for quiet episodes.

Amid the fervor of the Dominion War, as the Deep Space Nine story was building toward a climactic bridge between Seasons 6 and 7, the writers took a moment to pause and reflect on the impact the conflict was having on our characters. "The Sound of Her Voice," falling just before the death of Jadzia, Sisko's departure from the station, and the Federation's final push to turn the tide of the war, is often overlooked by fans. And yet it is one of the best examples of DS9's powerful writing and an approach to storytelling that seems to be growing rarer in today's TV climate.

In this episode of The Orb, hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing use "The Sound of Her Voice" as the basis for a discussion about why, to advance the narrative, it is sometimes necessary to hit the pause button and reflect, and why doing so is an effective way to punctuate the theme.

Chapters
Intro (00:00:00)
Advancing the Narrative, Quietly (00:05:28)
It's Written on Their Faces (00:13:06)
Psychological Impact (00:16:46)
Alternate Paths (00:20:06)
Time Twist (00:22:13)
Final Thoughts (00:32:20)
Closing (00:35:32)

Hosts
C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing

Production
C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer)