Hey All, I posted an article about TV/Movie tearjerkers to my blog. Long story short, I'm a big cry baby and proud of it. DS9's "The Visitor" made the list. If you want to check it out, head over to https://wp.me/p8wVHj-ad. To those who do, thanks! I appreciate every visit. ☺ Jack
Sisko_is_my_captain, I can definitely see how having kids can effect you on viewing. My perspective is as a son who wishes his father was more emotionally available. My Dad is a great, caring man who loves me (and vice versa), but I never got a kiss on the forehead or played baseball with him on the holodeck.
I think it works both ways. My father gave me self-doubt and low self-esteem, but very little affection. My mother apologizes every year almost a dozen times each year for how he behaved since he passed away. I found the episode to be moving when it first aired, certainly capitalizing on the relationships the series had established. However, since my son was born, the episode is incredibly moving. It revealed a lot about what family relationships could be, and cemented Sisko as a good model of fatherhood in my mind.
I keep wanting to show this episode to my parents, but there's never been a good opportunity. They live several hours away, so I have limited options. They're certainly not going to watch it just because I say they should.
The character of Sisko is the greatest inspiration for positive fatherhood for me personally. Sometimes when I'm with my son I see Ben and Jake in the back of my mind's eye. It was lovely to read about the real life caring and connection between Avery Brooks and Cirroc Lofton during (and after) filming. Seeing Lofton in the recent cast photoshoot sporting a look that was eerily like Ben Sisko gave me such a nice feeling, especially considering Brooks' absence.
It's a pity Avery Brooks isn't participating in the DS9 documentary. Hell I'm probably in it due to the DS9 Indigogo dinner last July, yet he isn't! What a weird world.