What If...? A Missed Opportunity for A Star Trek Special?

[Nira Said]

I remember reading something in Memory Alpha, about the Deep Space Nine episode "You Are Cordially Invited." To quote the piece:

"A question that does not seem to be addressed in this episode is where either the crew of the USS Enterprise or Worf's foster family are during Worf's wedding. The absence of the Enterprise crew would indeed be unusual considering the eight years Worf served with them and the personal connections they established. However, one possible explanation is that the Enterprise was too busy with a war-related task, and it may not have been safe enough for the Rozhenkos to travel to DS9 at such a volatile time. The wedding had also been abruptly rescheduled, giving potential guests only seven days notice. In reality, the producers had wanted the Enterprise crew to appear (albeit in non-speaking roles), but only LeVar Burton and Jonathan Frakes could be secured, mainly due to their having offices on the Paramount lot, and it was decided that it had to be all or nothing, so the plan was scrapped."*

Given the "all or nothing" stuff, it was understandable that idea is scratched, but when I first read it, I thought that could've been possible to do, but as a television special. Maybe even as a Christmas Special, given how frequently Doctor Who did Christmas Specials, for example. Two crews joining together for Worf's wedding, two crews who had a big impact in his life, that was definitely a missed opportunity for a television special.

But what do you think? Would it have provided a chance for Star Trek to do a special, holiday-set or otherwise?

*quoted from Memory Alpha, under "Background Information" as follows:
https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/You_Are_Cordially_Invited_(episode)

[Lagar]

I think it certainly would have been a blast! Sadly, Producers and the suits with the money, and the profit-driven system, all come together to spoil art from time to time. It would have to have been profitable enough to pay all those folks to come together at the same time and put on the old uniforms yet again and (hopefully) lose a little weight and remember their accents to play the parts.

We could imagine how such an episode would have played out. How would the two crews have interacted with each other? We saw a little in the first episode of DS9, but there are all kinds of chances for neat moments with those two diverse groups meeting.

[Nira Said]

Oh, it's easy to see the crew interacting: Troi becoming BFFs with Kira and Dax; Data reminiscing with Bashir about his dream experience before he relates with Odo about his experience of temptation (the Borg Queen in First Contact with Data, the Female Changeling with Odo); Riker having fun at the dabo tables as he makes friendly jibes at Quark; Geordi and Miles being nostalgic and Miles commenting on Geordi's new look; Picard and Sisko at a Captain's dinner and Picard mentioning dropping by Sisko's father's restaurant and contributing some of his wine from his vineyard, and at some point expressing disappointment in Gowron (he helped him become Chancellor, after all).

That's how I see it, in my opinion. Don't know how other people would see interactions.