Summary
- Terry Farrell's departure from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine in season 7 led to the introduction of a new Dax character, Ezri, instead of completely removing Dax from the show.
- The decision to create Ezri Dax allowed for new story opportunities and different relationships, including exploring her dynamic with Sisko and Worf.
- While Terry Farrell expressed interest in reprising Jadzia Dax, there is potential for both Jadzia and Ezri to share the screen in future Star Trek projects, whether in animated series or live-action reunions.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's decision to replace Jadzia Dax (Terry Farrell) with Ezri Dax (Nicole de Boer) in season 7 instead of creating an entirely new character is explained by writer Ronald D. Moore. At the end of DS9 season 6, Terry Farrell departed the series due to behind-the-scenes conflicts with the studio, Paramount. DS9's writers killed off the beloved Lt. Commander Jadzia Dax character and introduced Lieutenant Ezri Dax, the new host of the Dax symbiont, at the start of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 7.
In the oral history "The Center Seat: 55 Years of Star Trek" by Peter Holmstrom, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine writer Ronald D. Moore details how the writer's room reacted to Terry Farrell leaving the series and their decision to create a new Dax instead of replacing the popular Jadzia with a different kind of character. Read Moore's quote below:
It was a shock and a surprise that Terry Farrell didn't come back for the seventh season. We were just in denial about it up until the very end, so we made no accommodations to where we would pull Dax as a character completely out of the show. I don't think any of us were ready to do that. We just wanted Dax to continue, so we viewed it as an opportunity to do different Dax stories, and different relationships. Now she has a different host and how would that change things, in her relationship with Sisko and Worf. We embraced it as an opportunity to expand.
