Jennifer Lien

[Orphalesion]

"THE QUICKENING" is an excellent episode. It's what I use as the reason why Bashir is my favorite doctor in the franchise.

Not saying he wasn't good I that episode, and yes it is an excellent episode.
But wouldn't any of the Star Trek doctors done what he did in the same situation? I think they would have.

... Okay, maybe not Phlox (he'd have claimed some nonsense about evolution and failed to help anybody) but the others would have

 

[Farscape One]

It's not just what he does on the planet. The key thing is the end. Even though he created a vaccine to save their children from getting the Blight, he still kept trying to find a cure for the adults because they were still dying. Even with a hard fought victory of finding the vaccine, he still keeps going. That drive is one of the reasons why he's my favorite.

Another is he has the best bedside of any of them. We see that a lot here, too.

And also, possibly most importantly, he doesn't impose his beliefs on his patients.

 

[fireproof78]

It's not just what he does on the planet. The key thing is the end. Even though he created a vaccine to save their children from getting the Blight, he still kept trying to find a cure for the adults because they were still dying. Even with a hard fought victory of finding the vaccine, he still keeps going. That drive is one of the reasons why he's my favorite.

Another is he has the best bedside of any of them. We see that a lot here, too.

And also, possibly most importantly, he doesn't impose his beliefs on his patients.

When people ask why do I like Bashir this is the episode that stands out.

 

[dupersuper]

As I always say when this comes up; the Golden Girls had gay recurring characters in the 1980s.

Soap had a gay (nearly trans) main character in the 70s. Barney Miller had gar recurring characters in the 70s. WKRP and Night Court had trans guest stars in the 80s. Northern Exposure had a gay wedding in the 90s.

 

[Guy Gardener]

Soap had a gay (nearly trans) main character in the 70s. Barney Miller had gar recurring characters in the 70s. WKRP and Night Court had trans guest stars in the 80s. Northern Exposure had a gay wedding in the 90s.

The gay kid in Soap offered to go trans for his macho foot ball player boyfriend in episode three. Willing to undergo the surgery "for love" is not the same as revealing a hidden truth about yourself. Billy Crystal's character spent the end of the series in love and cohabitating with a lesbian. They were both still firmly homosexual, but they were straight for each other, which sounds like a cop out. Pressure from the outside probably forced the producer's hand.

You know who the most surprising early gay was for me?

Perry Mason.

Extras and boyfriends were the same thing to him.

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[Oddish]

Thanks for reminding me to rewatch DS9's 'The Quickening.' Adore that episode but haven't seen it in years. I have a cold so I know that'll make some cosy bedtime viewing

"THE QUICKENING" is an excellent episode. It's what I use as the reason why Bashir is my favorite doctor in the franchise.

And it also has the bit with Quark's "little advertisements".

Soap had a gay (nearly trans) main character in the 70s. Barney Miller had gar recurring characters in the 70s. WKRP and Night Court had trans guest stars in the 80s. Northern Exposure had a gay wedding in the 90's.

And DS9 had "Rejoined". I expect it might have been their way of "testing the waters", seeing if audiences would handle homosexuality on Trek. Though most of the responses I was aware of seemed positive enough, some people were decidedly upset.

I understand that many people, especially those with 2020's sensibilities, feel that Berman was morally wrong in not trying to challenge the establishment with more gay moments, and even a gay character. However, it's perhaps not a surprise that he thought with his wallet, especially in a franchise that was already steadily losing viewers.

 

[Farscape One]

YES! The Quark jingle! Another classic teaser.

I actually tried to find that mug that sings the jingle for my wife, because Quark is her favorite character. Alas, it doesn't exist.

 

[Oddish]

Well that's just a crime.

 

[unimatrix7]

YES! The Quark jingle! Another classic teaser.

I love the part where his name spins around.



Sorry I'll go now.

 

[Oddish]

I will come to Quark's.
And believe me... I will have fun.

*Oddish heads in the same direction as Unimatrix7*

 

[at Quark's]

It's not just what he does on the planet. The key thing is the end. Even though he created a vaccine to save their children from getting the Blight, he still kept trying to find a cure for the adults because they were still dying. Even with a hard fought victory of finding the vaccine, he still keeps going. That drive is one of the reasons why he's my favorite.

The episode ends with him diligently working on a cure in his lab. And after that, we don't hear anything about it again. Well, once, in Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges he gives a lecture about it, so presumably he hadn't dropped the subject altogether. Did he find a cure in the end?

One wonders though if Sisko ever brought it up with Weyoun during one of their later diplomatic talks 'You claim all the Dominion wants is order, peace and prosperity for all. Could you please explain why you inflicted that blight on the Teplans, then?'

 

[unimatrix7]

The episode ends with him diligently working on a cure in his lab. And after that, we don't hear anything about it again. Well, once, in Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges he gives a lecture about it, so presumably he hadn't dropped the subject altogether. Did he find a cure in the end?

One wonders though if Sisko ever brought it up with Weyoun during one of their later diplomatic talks 'You claim all the Dominion wants is order, peace and prosperity for all. Could you please explain why you inflicted that blight on the Teplans, then?'

That lecture seemed a weird thing to do to a room full of Romulan politicians/military leaders/spies. Of course they wanted to weaponise it - probably against a Federation colony.

 

[at Quark's]

That lecture seemed a weird thing to do to a room full of Romulan politicians/military leaders/spies. Of course they wanted to weaponise it - probably against a Federation colony.

And Bashir was shocked when Koval seemed more interested in the virus itself (and replicating it) than in his vaccine. Which brings up the question whose idea it was to give a lecture on that subject in the first place? Was it Bashir's (naïve) ideas about 'medicine without borders', or did Sloane engineer it somehow, knowing that Koval would bite?

 

[Summer Solstice]

I love The Quickening but in general Bashir annoys me. Quark is my favourite DS9 character too.

Friends had a lesbian wedding in about 1995.

 

[Guy Gardener]

I love The Quickening but in general Bashir annoys me. Quark is my favourite DS9 character too.

Friends had a lesbian wedding in about 1995.

Brothers 1984.

It ran for 5 years on showtime, and the main character was gay.

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John Forsythe's son is Gay in Dynasty 1979.

In the pilot, he says (something like) "I wish it was still illegal to be gay!"

Oh...

Bert and Ernie have been knocking boots in a shared domicile since the early 70s.

 

[Oddish]

Friends had a lesbian wedding in about 1995.

Brothers 1984.

And Bugs Bunny married Elmer Fudd in the 1950 cartoon "The Rabbit of Seville". Of course, the consummation consisted of him dropping Fudd into a giant cake with "The Marriage of Figaro" frosted on it.

Jokes aside, yes, some shows crossed the line decades before Trek (first same sex kiss, 1995, first gay character was Sulu in the reboot, over a decade after). But remember also that in some states, it was illegal to date a member of your own sex until 2003, and the laws were not repealed by the will of the people in those states (but by the Supreme Court deciding that what consenting adults do in the bedroom isn't the state's business). So obviously, in the 90's and early 00's, there was still a strong opposition to same-sex romance. Indeed, I work in a liberal district in one of the bluest states on the Union, and I still regularly have to deal with kids making homophobic comments, the same stuff I remember hearing back in the 80's. And if it's still around today, after decades of concentrated efforts by the media to eradicate it, think how much stronger it was back in the 90's, just a few short years after the AIDS crisis. This might have been a dragon that Rick Berman wasn't willing to risk starting a fight with.

Bert and Ernie have been knocking boots in a shared domicile since the early 70s.

With seperate beds, though. Not sure that totally counts.

 

[Guy Gardener]

And Bugs Bunny married Elmer Fudd in the 1950 cartoon "The Rabbit of Seville". Of course, the consummation consisted of him dropping Fudd into a giant cake with "The Marriage of Figaro" frosted on it.

Jokes aside, yes, some shows crossed the line decades before Trek (first same sex kiss, 1995, first gay character was Sulu in the reboot, over a decade after). But remember also that in some states, it was illegal to date a member of your own sex until 2003, and the laws were not repealed by the will of the people in those states (but by the Supreme Court deciding that what consenting adults do in the bedroom isn't the state's business). So obviously, in the 90's and early 00's, there was still a strong opposition to same-sex romance. Indeed, I work in a liberal district in one of the bluest states on the Union, and I still regularly have to deal with kids making homophobic comments, the same stuff I remember hearing back in the 80's. And if it's still around today, after decades of concentrated efforts by the media to eradicate it, think how much stronger it was back in the 90's, just a few short years after the AIDS crisis. This might have been a dragon that Rick Berman wasn't willing to risk starting a fight with.



With seperate beds, though. Not sure that totally counts.

Ozzie and Harriet had separate beds.

 

[Orphalesion]

This might have been a dragon that Rick Berman wasn't willing to risk starting a fight with.

Eh no, from what I've read he simply didn't like my people.
And you know he still portrayed Star Trek as "progressive" and "brave", when it was really behind the times.

 

[Oddish]

Ozzie and Harriet had separate beds.

Of course they did. Because people never had sex in the 50's. Children were delivered by the stork.

 

[fireproof78]

Eh no, from what I've read he simply didn't like my people.
And you know he still portrayed Star Trek as "progressive" and "brave", when it was really behind the times.

Well, he had a party line to keep up.