29 Years Ago, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’s Most Bizarre Quote Ever Came From A Strange New Worlds Actor

Published Oct 23, 2026, 1:00 PM EDT

John Orquiola is a TV Editor, Senior Writer, and Interviewer with a special focus on Star Trek. John has over 5,000 published articles at SR, and he has interviewed the biggest names in Star Trek on the red carpet and VIP events, among other beloved shows, movies, and franchises.

Sign in to your ScreenRant account

An actor who later became a featured guest star on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds said the most bizarre quote in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 29 years ago. For seven seasons, Deep Space Nine was one of the best-written Star Trek TV series, and stood out by developing its large cast of ancillary characters into fan favorites who could carry entire episodes.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 5, episode 25, "In the Cards," dealt with the emotional toll the Dominion War took on Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) and his crew. In order to cheer up his father, Jake Sisko (Cirroc Lofton) recruited Nog (Aron Eisenberg) to help him buy a rare Willie Mays baseball card.

This sparked a bewildering series of events as Jake and Nog chased the baseball card around Deep Space Nine, with the two teenagers running afoul of Weyoun (Jeffrey Combs) and the Dominion.

Written by Ronald D. Moore, "In the Cards" is a cult classic Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode that features witty dialogue, including perhaps the strangest quote in the show's history.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Actor Brian Markinson Delivered DS9’s Most Bizarre Quote Ever

The weirdest quote in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine was uttered by Brian Markinson, who played Dr. Elias Giger, a fringe research scientist. Giger outbid Nog and Jake for the Willie Mays baseball card at the auction hosted by Quark (Armin Shimerman). When he was confronted, Giger got defensive and said:

"I haven't done anything wrong, and I won't be hounded by you and your soulless minions of orthodoxy."

Giger, along with Jake and Nog, repeated "soulless minions of orthodoxy" throughout Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's "In the Cards." The line has lived on throughout the decades since DS9 ended, and is instantly recognized by die-hard fans of Captain Sisko's series. Exasperated by their experience with Giger, Jake and Nog also dropped the immortal quip: "Lions and Gigers and bears. Oh my!"

To Dr. Giger, the "soulless minions of orthodoxy" refers to the establishment scientists and doubters of his research into immortality, and his invention, the Cellular Regeneration and Entertainment Chamber. Giger also gauges who might be a member of the "soulless minions of orthodoxy" by how they react to another of his timeless quotes: "Do you want to die?"

Surprisingly, Weyoun, one of a series of clones created by the Founders, was fascinated by Dr. Giger's work, which echoed his own interest in "creative genetics." Jake and Nog escaped with the coveted Willie Mays baseball card, while Weyoun turned out not to be one of the "soulless minions of orthodoxy" that Giger despised.

Brian Markinson Returned To Star Trek In Strange New Worlds

Image via Paramount+

Brian Markinson returned in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 4 to take over the role of Dr. Phil Boyce. The first doctor ever seen in Star Trek, Boyce was played by John Hoyt in "The Cage," Star Trek's original pilot rejected by NBC in 1965. Markinson's version of Dr. Boyce debuted in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 4, episode 6, "Off-Hour."

Markinson returned as Dr. Phil Boyce in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 4's finale, "Tomorrow's Enterprise." In an alternate, one-year-later future, Boyce was Chief Medical Officer of Captain James T. Kirk's (Paul Wesley) USS Enterprise. However, Boyce is a placeholder CMO, waiting to be replaced by Dr. Leonard McCoy (Thomas Jane).

In the 1990s, Brian Markinson achieved the hat trick of appearing in every Rick Berman era Star Trek series set in the 24th century. Brian played Vorin in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 7, episode 13, "Homeward." Markinson also played Lieutenant Pete Durst and Sulan in Star Trek: Voyager season 1's "Cathexis" and "Faces."

However, Brian Markinson's best and most quotable character dialogue was in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Not even Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has given Markinson a line as memorable as "soulless minions of orthodoxy."

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds are streaming on Paramount+