Summary
Even the most die-hardStar Trek: Deep Space Ninefan may struggle to remember the progression of Dax hosts, but there are two that get forgotten for two very different reasons. Ezri (Nicole de Boer) andJadzia Dax (Terry Farrell)are the two most notable Trill aliens in theStar Trektimeline, and were the eighth and ninth hosts of the Dax symbiont, respectively. However,in the early days ofStar Trek: DS9, official Trill records stated that Jadzia was the seventh Dax host, succeeding the late Curzon Dax.
However, Jadzia technically became both the seventh and ninth Dax host when the symbiont was briefly stolen by Verad (John Glover) inStar Trek: Deep Space Nineseason 2, episode 4, “Invasive Procedures”. The progression ofDax Trill hosts inDS9got even more confusing a year later, when a major cover-up was exposed by Commander Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) and Dr. Julian Bashir (Alexander Sidddig) inDS9season 3, episode 4, “Equilibrium”.“Equilibrium” revealed two forgotten Dax hosts, one that would return later inDS9, and another that was never mentioned again.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Cast & Character Guide
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine had the biggest cast of characters of any Trek show, meaning that Captain Sisko had numerous allies in the Dominion War.
Star Trek: DS9’s Two Forgotten Dax Hosts Explained
InStar Trek: Deep Space Nineseason 3, episode 4, “Equilibrium” it was revealed thatJoran Belar (Jeff Magnus McBride) was the forgotten Dax host. A musician with a violent temper, Joran proved to be an unsuitable host, and a doctor from the Trill Symbiont Commission recommended that the Dax symbiont be removed. This would have killed Joran, so he murdered the doctor, but was eventually caught and separated from the Dax symbiont. The symbiont was given a memory block prior to being joined with Curzon, so that future Dax hosts wouldn’t retain Joran’s memories.
“Equilibrium” was conceived as a vehicle for illusionist and magician Jeff Magnus McBride, whose routine with various masks is used in Dax’s dream sequences.
A few years after Curzon’s death, Jadzia began to remember aspects of Joran’s life, including his musical abilities. While trying to find out more information about Joran Belar, Bashir and Sisko call up a record of the previous Dax hosts. One of the names at the bottom of the screen is Whorfin Dax, whose name appears underneath Lela Dax. Later inStar Trek: Deep Space Nineseason 3, in the episode “Facets”,Lela Dax is confirmed as the symbiont’s first host, with no mention being made of Whorfin Dax. However, there’s a good reason why Whorfin Dax was never mentioned again.
Ezri Dax - DS9’s Counselor
Why Joran Dax Returned To Star Trek: DS9 And Whorfin Dax Didn’t
The main reason that Whorfin Dax was never mentioned again was likely because it was an in-joke on the part ofStar Trek: Deep Space Nine’s production designers.The name Whorfin Dax was derived from John Lithgow’s villainous Lord John Whorfin inThe Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension. It was therefore designed as a blink-and-you’ll-miss-itBuckaroo BanzaiEaster egg, rather than a confirmed Dax host, which is why there’s no Whorfin Dax, although there isWorfandDaxfromDS9season 5 onward.
An S.S Buckaroo Banzai, commanded by a Captain John Whorfin, was another production design gag in theStar Trek: The Next Generationepisode “Up the Long Ladder”.
Joran Dax later returned in the body of Commander Sisko duringDax’s zhian’tara ritualinStar Trek: Deep Space Nineseason 3, episode 25, “Facets”. Years later, following the death of Jadzia Dax, her successor, Ezri, summoned the memories of Joran to catch a murderer aboard the station inDS9season 7, episode 13, “Field of Fire”. Joran Dax was a good character to bring back because he added an edge to the characters of Jadzia and Ezri, that forced them to confront the darkness within themselves inStar Trek: Deep Space Nine.
All episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine are available to stream on Paramount+.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Cast
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, also known as DS9, is the fourth series in the long-running Sci-Fi franchise, Star Trek. DS9 was created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller, and stars Avery Brooks, René Auberjonois, Terry Farrell, and Cirroc Lofton. This particular series follows a group of individuals in a space station near a planet called Bajor.
