The most interesting component of the DS9 Companion is the ability to review complete shooting scripts. The scripts take users behind the scenes, sometimes describing in detail devices or crew members seen only in a quick pan in the actual episode. All the stage directions, prop requirements, emotional cues, and production jargon are there, providing a slightly illicit sense of how it "really" happened in front of the cameras.

The other offerings are less impressive. The 15-second trailers (some from the middle seasons are 30 seconds) are merely tantalizing hints of each episode, accompanied by that annoyingly bombastic and occasionally misleading narration: "Now, Sisko must face his greatest enemy! On the next Star Trek: Deep Space Nine!" Actual clips from the episodes would have been far more interesting. Likewise, it would have been fun to have trivia or anecdotes about the episodes alongside the plot summaries (which are the same ones as are on the official Web site, by the way). Creative credits beyond direction, story, and teleplay would also have been nice.

Though the user interface is simpler and friendlier than in some other Star Trek products, the Companion sometimes acts on its own in a non-intuitive manner. For example, clicking on the name Koloth in a script brings up three episodes that mention that famous Klingon, including "Trials and Tribble-ations." Switching from the script for "Trials and Tribble-ations" to the summary view should display that show's plot summary; but instead the Companion reperforms the search, switching unexpectedly to the only episode in which Koloth actually appears ("Blood Oath").

Despite these limitations, the DS9 Companion is worth having for the scripts alone, and considering how bulky they'd be in book form, this inexpensive CD-ROM is the perfect format for them.