TheGodBen Revisits Deep Space Nine

[Kestrel]

DGCatAniSiri wrote:

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She was also the voice of Eliza Maza on Gargoyles, so I tune out what she's talking about and picture her having a conversation with Goliath instead of Sisko.

Personally I'd give it another star just for that. I may perhaps love Elisa Maza a little too much.

TheGodBen wrote:

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Ah, Moulin Rouge. I watched it with my first girlfriend while building myself up mentally for my first kiss which happened later that night, so I was a little distracted and barely paid attention to the plot. Something about Obi-Wan Kenobi and a windmill, if I remember correctly.

And an elephant, don't forget the elephant.

[Ln X]

I don't have anything to say about Rivals, the worst episode of DS9 I've ever watched (and I'm watching it tonight to keep up with TheGodBen). Question are moobs, manboobs? If so then I dig that graph, it moobified me!

[Admiral Shran]

TheGodBen wrote:

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If this had just been an episode about Quark and a business rival while O'Brien and Bashir play space-racquetball, it would have been better off.

That hits the nail right on the head concerning Rivals. What was so wrong with a story about Quark facing some competition on the Promenade mixed in with some building of the O'Brien-Bashir friendship that they felt it needed all the nonsense thrown in?

Now granted, a story like that probably wouldn't have been great, but it probably would have been in the two-and-a-half star range for me. I most likely could have appreciated it the same way I did ENT: Precious Cargo - as an enjoyable little fluff episode.

[TheGodBen]

Kestrel wrote:

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And an elephant, don't forget the elephant.

There was an elephant in Moulin Rouge? Wow, I really wasn't paying attention.

Ln X wrote:

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Question are moobs, manboobs?

Yup, manboobs. And O'Brien had the finest pair or moobs in Star Trek, not too saggy and with just the right amount of fur.

[Admiral Shran]

TheGodBen wrote:

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O'Brien had the finest pair or moobs in Star Trek, not too saggy and with just the right amount of fur.

Okay then.

[Seven of Five]

Just makes him more realistic really!

And what of Bashir in his skin tight thingy? Sure it was ugly, but it didn't leave much to the imagination.

The rest of the episode is just another meh, which were getting used to now. Come on season two, wake up! *shakes it vigorously*

[Admiral Shran]

Given some of the remaining episodes to come before the season picks back up in quality, I'm not so sure you want to shake that too hard.

[TheGodBen]

The Alternate (***)

I'd like to be generous to this episode and say that it served as a subtle hint of what is to come, just like all the Dominion references that are being thrown about recently, but it doesn't really. In fact, one of the problems with this episode is that it tantalisingly suggests early on that it may reveal information about Odo's background, but it abandons that element halfway through the episode so that it can do a monster story. I know that the writers had nothing planned for Odo's people at this point in the show, and they had originally planned not to show them at all, but it still feels like a bait-and-switch to seem to offer new information about Changelings and tell a different story instead. And what about that lifeform they found that was similar to Odo? Once it dies they just forget about it. Why can't they go back to that planet and look for another one? Vortex did a better job hinting at Odo's people and the guy in that episode was pretty much lying.

What the episode does provide is an insight into Odo's past and how he came to interact with humanoids, and the resentment he harbours for Dr Mora Pol. Firstly, I don't get why everyone thinks that Odo views Mora as a father figure, unless they're basing that on their shared hairstyle, which seems like an odd thing to decide parenthood on. ("I'm sorry Captain Sisko, but ever since you shaved your head it has become clear that you're not Jake's real father. We're taking him away now.") Anyway, some toxic gas causes Odo to develop multiple personality disorder, which makes about as much sense as everything else about Odo's "biology". Odo's Hyde personality is acting out against the Jekyll personality's resentment of Dr Mora and tries to kill him, which leads to a scene where Odo melts and is eventually caught in a forcefield so that the gas can be removed, or something like that. Honestly, I was pretty tired while watching the episode and the second half began to lose my attention.

In summary, I liked the Odo/Mora stuff, I wasn't so fond of the monster stuff, and the episode gets a bonus point for having Admiral Jarok in it.

Form of... something: 11

[MrBorg]

The Alternate always confused me.

At first, I thought it was that Odo-like creature that somehow caused Odo to become a monster.

But apparently it was just gas. WTF.

I wish they would have done something with that ancient colony place in the future. Maybe establish it as the original homeworld of the Changelings or something.

[Nerys Ghemor]

I'm trying SO hard to avoid an immature joke about Odo having gas...

[Seven of Five]

Wow, I wonder what sort of fart Odo would turn into if he could? Just a minute - Kira seemed pretty happy at the end of Chimera...

Can't believe I went there.

This episode averages out to merely alright. It's sort of interesting with seeing Odo's 'father,' and he gets a little development. The story takes a silly turn though, as you say in your review GodBenny. It's a shame, as the focus is on the uninteresting. But feh, it's more interesting than what we've had for the last few episodes now. (Not hard.)

[Admiral Shran]

Another average episode - certainly not as bad as the previous three episodes, but certainly not great either.

Something I pointed out in Shatnertage's review which I'll also point out here - at the end Mora says "My God, what have I done." He should have said "By the Prophets, what have I done."

Yeah, it's nipicky, but it really irks me.

[Nerys Ghemor]

Whoops...much as I believe in giving God His due, bad writing is bad writing!

[Admiral Shran]

Exactly. It's another indication that TPTB still weren't completely interested in developing the world as fully as they should.

[Skywalker]

I recall Kira saying "my god" at least once, too. I just can't remember which episode it was, now.