René Echevarria René Echevarria is a Cuban - American writer , producer and story editor of many and episodes . He also appeared as a holographic bar patron in the final episode of " Deep Space Nine " , . Star Trek . Echevarria preferred writing dialogue for the " Star Trek : Deep Space Nine " characters over the " Star Trek : The Next Generation " characters . Echevarria commented : " " In a lot of ways , I find it much easier and much more enjoyable to write for ST : DS9 . I think the characters feel more real to me and more vivid . I remember sitting down to write a scene between Geordi and Beverly and not knowing what these people have to say to each other . After seven years , we really don ' t know that much about them . ST : TNG was pitched at a sort of heroic level – like a fable . In the end , these characters were all wonderful , nice people who got along with each other . On ST : DS9 , I think the characters are much more real people who have back stories and problems and ways of looking at the world . The problem of writing a scene between Riker and Geordi was that you just didn ' t know what they would say , and you couldn ' t keep going . On ST : DS9 , when you sit down to write a scene between Bashir and O ' Brien , they talk to you as you write them . Their voices are so clear . You find yourself thinking , ' Oh no , what have I done ? I ' ve written a nine - page scene . It should only be two ! As a writer I find that more satisfying " " . ( " The Pen is Mightier Than the Sword " , " Star Trek Monthly " , issue 29 ) Echevarria participated in filming of the documentary " What We Left Behind " . Biography . After graduating with a degree in history from Duke University , Echevarria moved to New York to pursue a career in theater . In 1985 , he was assistant director to a production of the Victor Muniz play " Darts " and appeared in a production of " Lower Depths by Gorky " . In 1986 , he starred in a production of the Kristin McCloy play " Isosceles " at the Chelsea Theater , and in 1987 , he appeared in the La Marna Theater adaptation of the Aeschuylus play " Oresteia " . Echevarria collaborated with McCloy on the full - length play " Prepared " , which was presented at the World ' s End Theater in London in 1988 and was performed at the Edinburgh Festival that same year . In 1989 , while working as a waiter in New York , he wrote his first script for , . As a result he became a regular writer for the show and was also a regular writer for . His 30 - plus episodes of " Star Trek " have earned him a Humanitas nomination , a Peabody nomination , two Hugo nominations , and a NASA Vision award for Best Depiction of Humanity ' s Future in Space . In 1994 , he received a Special Achievement award from the Latino Media Organization HAMAS . In 1998 , he developed the scenario for " " . After " Star Trek " he was supervising producer on the critically - acclaimed , but short - lived CBS series " Now and Again " distributed by Paramount Pictures . In 2000 , he signed on as co - executive producer for the short - lived James Cameron FOX series " Dark Angel " as part of an overall multiyear with 20th Century FOX Television to develop new projects for the studio . In 2004 , Echevarria created " The 4400 " and has since produced shows such as " Medium " , " Castle " , " Terra Nova " and " Teen Wolf " .