Kira, a question

[Zeph]

Help me out was the role Kira Nerys supposed to be originally Ensign Ro, if it was do you think that would have changed how DS9 developed over the years?

[Ana_Ng]

Yes, as far as I know, Ro was slated to be the Bajoran first officer instead of Kira. Michelle Forbes turned down the opportunity to film the movie Kalifornia, so they created Kira Nerys.

As far as how the series went, I think there would have been many differences, mostly because Ro (as it always seemed to me) had nearly abandoned any kind of life on Bajor to escape the Cardassians.  Kira was a much different animal, as a leading member of the Resistance.  

And really, do you think that Ro would hook up with Odo? Nahhh, me neither

On a sidenote: I just read in my *brand new* DS9 companion book (whee!) that Famke Janssen (Jean Grey in the X-Men flick) was the original choice to play Jadzia Dax.  Janssen appeared in a TNG episode as the empathic metamorph Kamala who fell in love with Picard (can't remember the title of the episode offhand), but Janssen also wanted to pursue a film career and also expressed the thought that playing the same role for seven years would get "boring".  AND my handy dandy new book also told me that the eventual Trill makeup they decided on was inspired by the makeup they'd made for Kamala.  Because of this whole casting problem with Dax, Terry Farrell was the last actor cast to DS9.  Interesting!

[Elric3960]

I believe the title of the episode that Ms. Jansen appeared in was called "The Metamorph."(the simplest answers tend to be the most elusive, don't they?) As a speculative footnote, there was a proposed American version of Red Dwarf in the works and guess who would have been cast as The Cat?  Terry Farrell!!!  Plans for the series fell through and I would guess that Ms. Farrell took the part of Jadzia Dax immediately afterwards.

[UltimateTrekker]

The Perfect Mate was the name of that episode.

[StolenThunder]

UltimateTrekker said:

The Perfect Mate was the name of that episode.

I concur.

Also, it was definitely to be Ro, but yes, she did turn down the role for a career in the movies.. [Which rather faded badly]... (This is all in "The Continuing Mission", a 10th anniversary guide to TNG)
It was a shame. I liked the character of Ro, and kira only came good in the last 3 seasons of DS9, and she still was not up to the same level...

[Haagen_Dax]

I loved the character of Ro in TNG and wish she had been in the rest of seasons 6 and 7. But, I think DS9 would have been very different if she had been in it rather than Kira.

Ro, being a Starfleet officer, would have had no alternative to follow Sisko's orders due to the chain of command rather than out of loyalty.

So either she would have obeyed Sisko from the start which would have reduced the dramatic element or she would have to be kicked out of Starfleet - maybe she could have become a renegade fighting for Bajoran independence from the
Federation.

Either way I'm glad they went with Kira for whatever reason (she's probably my favourite DS9 character) but I would have loved to have seen Ro in a DS9 storyline or arc - hey, it's not too late for a cameo in the next TNG movie even.

[Andorian_Incident]

I agree that I'm glad that they had Kira instead of Ro, but I know that before the series started, I would have liked to have seen Ro there.  Amazing how perspectives can change.

[Mentat_Tir]

I'm reading a book called "Avatar" by S. D. Perry.  In it, Ro has replaced Odo as the station's chief of security.  I'm not thrilled with Ro in the book.  I'm not sure if it's how she's written or what, but I just have a hard time seeing her on DS9.

Both Kira and Ro are both unusual characters in that both of them tend to do what they think is right rather than obey orders.  But Ro had more of a wise-cracking, eye-rolling, teenager-like attitude toward authority.  Kira, on the other hand, had a get-out-of-my-way and if-you-don't-like-it-then-go-to-hel l-type attitude.  I definitely liked Kira's approach better.