DS9 Season 4 feedback then and now

Discussion in 'Star Trek: Deep Space Nine' started by Sarxus, Mar 26, 2019.

  1. Sarxus

    Sarxus Lieutenant Commander Red Shirt

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    Hello folks!

    I just came across this quote from a season 4 review on DVD Verdict by Eric Profancik (I don't find the original review unfortunately, maybe it's not online anymore, so this comes from Wikipedia):

    "[...] But I do have to say that season four is the weakest to date. […] Many of the episodes seemed inconsequential and didn't play as well as other efforts."

    I think this is very interesting, regarding nowaday's consensus that DS9 started to actually become really good with this particular season. I mean, everyone's entitled to his or her opinion and it's only one quote by one person, but I just found it interesting to discover this point of view which seems to differ a lot from how the season is mostly regarded today.
     
  2. Seven of Five

    Seven of Five Stupid Sexy Flanders! Premium Member

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    What a strange verdict. Season 4 is one of the most consistent seasons.

    Well IMO I guess, and just like everyone else. If everyone was the same there would be no point coming here! :techman:
     
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  3. Bad Thoughts

    Bad Thoughts Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Consensus is that season 4 is when it got good? More like it was when everything was firing on all cylinders, working at peak levels.

    I think that there are some people who feel that season 4 lacks focus because of the Klingon War stuff. Since it is eventually displaced, they feel it is a waste of time. I think such critiques tend to have a singular view of continuous storytelling and serialization.
     
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  4. Seven of Five

    Seven of Five Stupid Sexy Flanders! Premium Member

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    Like me? I think it's a wonderful season, it's just a shame they had to stray from their original plan with the Dominion because of the studio order.

    To be fair they made the Klingons work in their favour, even if it took until season five to put everything back on track.
     
  5. Nakita Akita

    Nakita Akita Commodore Commodore

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    As they say:
    Opinions are like noses, everyone has one.
     
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  6. Sarxus

    Sarxus Lieutenant Commander Red Shirt

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    I don't know anything about that, what was the original plan?
     
  7. DS9forever

    DS9forever Commodore Commodore

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    Vulcan was to leave the Federation; the Federation think their government was taken over by Changelings.
     
  8. Galactic Alignment

    Galactic Alignment Captain Captain

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    Vulxit? If it ended up anything like Brexit, it’d be gruelling, arduous hell. :confused:
     
  9. cultcross

    cultcross Postponed for the snooker Moderator

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    I'm just coming to the end of season 4 in my rewatch. The Klingon thing does feel so out of left field, and you can tell the writers don't really buy it because it doesn't get much development so much as references to off screen events, while their favoured Dominion arc gets a lot of strong chapters. But the season contains so many gems that it doesn't really matter. Homefront/Paradise Lost remain some of DS9's best work, and The Visitor is extraordinary. Little Green Men is a Ferengi episode that actually works, the Dukat/Ziyal storyline is well executed, and even the visit to the mirror universe is light on stupidity. Hard Time is brutal and both Bashir episodes, Hippocratic Oath and The Quickening take him down a peg or two (although it could be argued are too similar in premise to be so close together). Probably the season's only definite miss is The Muse although I'd hear arguments for Starship Down, which tried to do a submarine movie with gas and it didn't quite work.
     
  10. Sarxus

    Sarxus Lieutenant Commander Red Shirt

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    Agreed. I have seen most episodes only one time so far, also from this season, but from what I remember looking through the episode list (and considering those I have already rewatched) it seems to me that season 4 is really one of the strongest. "The Way Of The Warrior", "The Visitor", "Rules Of Engagement", all great episodes and there are still much more. There are episodes with stunning action, lots of emotions and also really funny ones like "Little Green Men" or also "Our Man Bashir" or "Bar Association". There's something for everyone in this season and even though I don't remember each of its episodes perfectly, I don't recognize any from which I know I didn't like them at all.
     
  11. Farscape One

    Farscape One Vice Admiral Admiral

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    This is, of course, only my opinion.

    But I feel DS9 season 4 is the closest thing to a perfect season STAR TREK ever produced. Only half of one episode, "THE MUSE", didn't work... Onaya, the 'Creativity Vampire' as I like to call her. The Lwaxana/Odo story was nice, because it gave a lot of dimension to Troi and gave Odo some great scenes and dialogue, particularly his reason for 'marrying' her.

    "THE WAY OF THE WARRIOR" - possibly the best season premiere of the franchise.

    "HIPPOCRATIC OATH" - great Bashir/O'Brien outing, and Worf went through some growing pains here.

    "THE VISITOR" - one of the greatest episodes of the franchise. I cry every time to this day.

    "INDISCRETION" - great Kira/Dukat episode. He got some incredible scenes, and Sisko and Kasidy got a nice storyline.

    "REJOINED" - an excellent love story. Dax was well utilized here.

    "STARSHIP DOWN" - superb way of using the cast. Worf got some great lessons in command here.

    "LITTLE GREEN MEN" - one of the most fun episodes of the series.

    "THE SWORD OF KAHLESS" - a Klingon treasure hunt with Kor. I love how Worf and Kor were not under some influence while they bickered.

    "OUR MAN BASHIR" - Bashir as James Bond. With Garak. There is no end to the awesomeness of this one. This episode is ALWAYS an immediate rewatch when it airs.

    "HOMEFRONT"/"PARADISE LOST" - great two-parter. We meet Sisko's dad, and we see just how much damage the Dominion can do. Without ever firing a shot.

    "CROSSFIRE" - Rene Auberjonois really sold this episode. And the scenes with him and Quark were among the best between them. Also a nice reminder that Bajor IS a big part of DS9.

    "RETURN TO GRACE" - Dukat's meatiest episode. He got some real depth here. You really couldn't help but root for him, which makes his eventual turn to the Dominion sting that much more.

    "SONS OF MOGH" - one of the best Worf episodes. From his decision to go through with the ritual to what he does in the end, this was a rollercoaster for him.

    "BAR ASSOCIATION" - excellent development for Rom, who finally steps out of Quark's shadow. And a nice B story with Worf.

    "ACCESSION" - we return to Sisko being Emissary, and it was quite well crafted and executed. Another nice reminder of Bajor.

    "RULES OF ENGAGEMENT" - what could have been a typical courtroom drama was actually a really good look into Worf's motivations, and great camera work with the flashback scenes with the crew looking directly INTO the camera.

    "HARD TIME" - O'Brien REALLY gets it rough here. Great concept, and superbly acted by Colm Meaney. If you don't root for O'Brien, you have no heart.

    "SHATTERED MIRROR" - a fun mirror universe episode, and one of THE best Defiant battle sequences ever done... even more impressive is that it was still pretty heavy model work. Watching her fight while circling around DS9 was a truly beautiful thing to behold.

    "THE MUSE" - I already mentioned my piece on this one above.

    "FOR THE CAUSE" - a lot of nice twists in this one, it kept you on your toes.

    "THE QUICKENING" - an excellent Bashir story, his ego gets dropped a few notches. But it truly shows how decent a human being he really is.

    "TO THE DEATH" - one of my favorite episodes, it gives a really close look at Jem'Hadar culture. You DO NOT screw with these guys. And we first meet Weyoun... the best Vorta ever.

    "BODY PARTS" - a great Quark episode, all these years of growth hit their peak here. Along with Garak, Worf, and Odo, Quark continues the trend of "Deep Space 9: Outcast Central". And THE most creative way to write in a pregnancy of an actress I've ever seen.

    "BROKEN LINK " - a nice way to tie-in what Odo did last year, and a good way to end the season with those last few words.


    I am nearly at the season 3 finale on the rewatch with my wife. I cannot tell you how much I am looking forward to rewatching this season, and for her to see it the first time.
     
  12. Armus

    Armus Commodore Commodore

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    Season 4 is one DS9's best seasons, and several episodes are classics. "The Quickening" comes to mind as one of those shows. Its powerful story of determination. It has some amazing location work and guest stars. It's one of those shows, like "Past Tense", that could have been a TNG episode if TNG ever attempted something as ambitious.
     
  13. DS9forever

    DS9forever Commodore Commodore

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  14. CommanderRaytas

    CommanderRaytas DISCO QUEEEEEEN Rear Admiral

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    Only to be cancelled at the last minute for being illogical.

    I liked the show from the start and think it took a bit of a dive in season seven...the more black-and-white morality was a step back, I think, but even this season has great stuff, such as any scene with Damar and Weyoun in it.
     
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  15. Sakonna

    Sakonna Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Exactly what I was about to post -- there's no other season of any Star Trek that doesn't have at least two fully failed episodes. Season 4 only has half a failure. It's such a solid collection of episodes, all providing great variety but also feeling more cohesive than any of the other seasons. DS9 never did a better job of balancing all their many arcs and serving their huge tapestry of characters.

    Also, I just realized that I would consider season 4 the best of all four of the Berman-era Trek shows... huh.

    Though it was all accidental, I also appreciate how perfectly "Quickening" tracks with the eventual Bashir genetic engineering retcon. Unlike, say, "Distant Voices", which makes no sense whatsoever given what we eventually learn, "The Quickening" is actually enhanced and deepened by the reveal. With that backstory, it makes perfect sense that Bashir would get particularly obsessed with this disease, and uniquely convinced that he has what it takes to cure it.
     
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  16. Armus

    Armus Commodore Commodore

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    "The Quickening" is also cool because it shows the mercilessness of The Dominion and its effect on life in the Gamma Quadrant, from the commoner's perspective. I wish DS9 did more episodes like it.
     
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  17. tomalak301

    tomalak301 Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    What does it mean to say an episode is inconsequential? Does it mean it doesn't conform to the main arc? Fine, but they provide developments to characters in a way that heavily serialized shows with limited seasons can't. Episodes like The Visitor shows the deep bond between father and son. Hard Time shows how severe PTSD can get. Bar Association and Little Green Man push the Farengi storyline forward, with one being a big one for Farengi civil rights. I would even disagree with the whole idea that the Klingon storyline was out of left field considering what the Founder said in Die is Cast.

    Season 5 is my favorite season in all of Star Trek, but Season 4 comes really really close. There's so much great episodes, minus a few like Sword of Khaless and The Muse. DS9 was starting to get good in Season 2, season 3 was getting better albeit there was some inconsistency, but Season 4 and 5 had the show firing on all cylinders.
     
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