The One Thing You Could Change...

[Oddish]

Two possibilities for me:

Runner up: A more interesting doctor. The only character less interesting than Dr. Julian Bashir was Alternate Universe Scruffy Bashir.

Winner: Don't destroy the Ferengi just because they aren't politically correct enough for you. And if you can't handle that, at least don't make the changes happen in such a stupid way. Instead of Ishka's Magical One-Woman Culture Transform, feature a growing movement of females doing what our suffragettes did: fighting for greater equality.

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

Runner up: A more interesting doctor. The only character less interesting than Dr. Julian Bashir was Alternate Universe Scruffy Bashir.

I remember when I first started watching DS9, Bashir was a really irritating character, though that was kind of the way he was written, young, over-confident, inexperienced and idealistic, but as he gets older and gets to know his new surroundings he leveled out and grew as a person (I do think his friendship with O'Brien is one of the most genuine and real of the franchise). It would've been nice had the genetic engineering element been something in there from the beginning with him trying to hide it (though I guess it is hinted at due to his story of his mistake in his exams), but he is shown to be brilliant from day one so it's not like it's completely out of nowhere though.

 

[Kira Nerys]

I would not have had the Ezri character it seemed the writers were trying to put together a whole character into one season. whereas, Terry Ferrell had six years to perfection, Jadzia. If they had wanted a continuation of the Dax character, make it one or two episode series arc. I would have added a little more of the Curzon Dax, character maybe a flashback episode that would have shown the friendship between Sisko and Curzon,

 

[thribs]

I would add some Sovereign’s and other FC ships to the battles. Have less Miranda’s

 

[Oddish]

I would not have had the Ezri character it seemed the writers were trying to put together a whole character into one season. whereas, Terry Ferrell had six years to perfection, Jadzia. If they had wanted a continuation of the Dax character, make it one or two episode series arc. I would have added a little more of the Curzon Dax, character maybe a flashback episode that would have shown the friendship between Sisko and Curzon,

Mixed feelings there. I liked Ezri as a character, and thought it was a clever concept, having her be an example of Joining gone wrong (most initiates are handpicked and trained carefully; with Ezri it was just "we're putting a slug in you, hope you don't mind").

BUT... the pretext for adding her to the station crew was a little flimsy (a station counselor who was more neurotic than her patients). And, you're right: there wasn't time to develop her properly, especially with a war going on. And did anyone care about the Ezri/Bashir ship? I put it up there with 7/Chakotay in my "pairings I don't give a rat's posterior about".

 

[thribs]

I liked the Bashir pairing, but I loved Ezri. Far better than Jadzia.

 

[Bad Thoughts]

And did anyone care about the Ezri/Bashir ship?

I loved Ezri, but I thought that the relationship with Bashir wasn't interesting. She was closer in age to Jake and Nog. Indeed, she was probably a cadet at the same time as Nog. Even if neither possible pairing would be perfect, at least they would all be at comparable levels of maturity.

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

I loved Ezri, but I thought that the relationship with Bashir wasn't interesting. She was closer in age to Jake and Nog. Indeed, she was probably a cadet at the same time as Nog. Even if neither possible pairing would be perfect, at least they would all be at comparable levels of maturity.

I would be all for an Ezri/Jake relationship, if only for Sisko's reaction to his former mentor dating his son

 

[Orphalesion]

Oh man, Ezri/Jake would have been Gold.

 

[Oddish]

I agree, that would have been far more interesting... the change in the dynamic between Sisko and Dax would have made for several good episodes. Which is probably why it didn't happen; there wasn't time to do it justice.

 

[Orphalesion]

Which, once again is why I'd bring in Ezri sooner. Start of season 4 or 5

 

[Oddish]

Would that they could have done so, but alas, DS9 went by 3-year contracts. That's why Sisko was able to adopt his "Hawk" look in S4. His contract for years 1-3 stipulated that he have hair. So unless they deleted Jadzia in "The Adversary" (very doable, and would have made more sense than just knocking her out), they were stuck with her for awhile longer.

 

[Orphalesion]

Would that they could have done so, but alas, DS9 went by 3-year contracts. That's why Sisko was able to adopt his "Hawk" look in S4. His contract for years 1-3 stipulated that he have hair. So unless they deleted Jadzia in "The Adversary" (very doable, and would have made more sense than just knocking her out), they were stuck with her for awhile longer.

I never liked Jadzia's character that much (well I didn't mind her until "Dax", then it was over for me), so I'd have nothing against her exiting at the end of season 3.

 

[Not A Dominion Spy]

I never liked Jadzia's character that much (well I didn't mind her until "Dax", then it was over for me), so I'd have nothing against her exiting at the end of season 3.

Well then we never would’ve had Ezri’s character arc.

 

[Oddish]

Well then we never would’ve had Ezri’s character arc.

Or it would have been four times longer.

 

[Not A Dominion Spy]

Or it would have been four times longer.

And four times less interesting

 

[Oddish]

There was a lot more they could have done with Ezri, simply because she wasn't prepared for what happened to her. She was Joining gone wrong, big time.

 

[Not A Dominion Spy]

There was a lot more they could have done with Ezri, simply because she wasn't prepared for what happened to her. She was Joining gone wrong, big time.

I agree, but there wouldn’t have been the same character dynamic with Worf, which was still a big part of her arc

 

[Oddish]

Good point. Ezri's relationship with Julian wasn't nearly as interesting.

 

[Orphalesion]

Well then we never would’ve had Ezri’s character arc.

But you're missing the important part; we would have had three less years of putting up with Jadzia (j/k...mostly. And I stress again this is nothing against Terry Farrel, just against Jadzia)

We would have still had Ezri's arc as " the new Trill who never signed up for a symbiont and got one anyway". It's just that we would have had said arc in Season 4, where it wouldn't have had to compete with the series' end game arc.
Beyond that this setup for a character could have provided arcs and plot bunnies for her character for the rest of the series, including a possible relationship with Jake at some point.