Re-Watching DS9

[Lord Garth]

"A Man Alone"

So much for "strictly by airdate". My default mode is normally "strictly by production order", and I put this one on first without even thinking. Sorry about that. Luckily, Babylon 5 hasn't started airing yet, if we're pretending this is 1993, so no big deal.

The murder mystery where Ibudan kills his own clone serves the story but that's as far as it goes. What's really interesting here is how the people living on Deep Space Nine perceive Odo when he's accused of the murder. Some, like several of the Bajorans, use that as an excuse to harass Odo since he used to work for the Cardassians. "Why is he still Chief of Security?" I'm glad they addressed this question early on.

Odo was originally written to be a Clint Eastwood type. I'm not a huge western fan, even though I've seen the Fistful of Dollars Trilogy, so when I think of Clint Eastwood, I think of Dirty Harry, and I can definitely see Odo as Harry Callahan. "Laws may change [...] but justice is justice" and then calling Sisko out on his bullshit when he said, "I personally don't think you're responsible." Odo asks, "How do you know?" When Odo grills Sisko on that, it reminds me of Dirty Harry grilling others, particularly in The Enforcer. But back to DS9.

For the B-story, all I can say is: I'm so glad I don't have kids. That would annoy the crap out of me. To those of you who are parents, I don't know how you do it. Keiko wants to start up a school as a way to feel useful and help give the kids structure and keep them out of trouble. This storyline also does what it sets out to do and no more. Although it does remind me of a 24th Century version of the school on Little House on the Prairie. I haven't seen Little House since I was a kid, but I remember the school with kids of different ages and grade levels all in the same classroom. I feel like I want to say Dr. Quinn might've had the same type of thing too, but I don't remember.

I wish this episode had actually been the first one to air after "Emissary" not only because of addressing the questions about Odo, but also because it gets around to further establishing the character dynamics that "Emissary" didn't have time for. The episode makes clear Sisko and Dax are just friends. It reinforces the idea that Bashir is interested in Dax. Thankfully Bashir's attraction to Dax only goes in one direction. Bashir and Jadzia Dax wouldn't make a good couple. We see the beginning of the Jake/Nog friendship, with neither of their fathers approving. And, of course, the family dynamic between the O'Briens.

All fine, and it really does feel like a Space Western, with DS9 feeling like a station out on the frontier, but none of it exactly shakes the world. I'll give it a 7.

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

Although it does remind me of a 24th Century version of the school on Little House on the Prairie. I haven't seen Little House since I was a kid, but I remember the school with kids of different ages and grade levels all in the same classroom.

A one room schoolhouse.

I suppose it makes sense if you're just getting started, and don't know how many school age kids you're going to have attending, let alone living on the station.

 

[kkt]

Mostly hard on the teacher, having to prepare lessons for kids working anywhere from 1st grade level to 9th.

 

[Frontis]

I like the idea of Odo being a space cowboy, he just got the wrong outfit

 

[trekfan_1]

DOUBLE-EDIT: Yeah. This works. I can live with DVD-quality on a 720p Projector. Thank God.

Good to hear it looks acceptable for you but a general FYI - Some have reported Paramount may have recently ( and quietly) uploaded a cleaner print on Paramount plus .

Paramount working on DS9 HD?

I don't have Paramount+ but just discovered this post which indicates Deep Space Nine looks better on there than anywhere else, including DVD. The person who posted those screenshots speculates that the master tapes may have been rescanned. What do you think? It seems comparable to DS9...

www.trekbbs.com

For me personally, I have noticed a noticeable improvement on PP vs my DVDs and especially way beter than Netflix's version of DS9 ( I'm in Canada where its also available there)

But if it looks good enough to you all is good

 

[Lord Garth]

Good to hear it looks acceptable for you but a general FYI - Some have reported Paramount may have recently ( and quietly) uploaded a cleaner print on Paramount plus .

Paramount working on DS9 HD?

I don't have Paramount+ but just discovered this post which indicates Deep Space Nine looks better on there than anywhere else, including DVD. The person who posted those screenshots speculates that the master tapes may have been rescanned. What do you think? It seems comparable to DS9...

www.trekbbs.com

For me personally, I have noticed a noticeable improvement on PP vs my DVDs and especially way beter than Netflix's version of DS9 ( I'm in Canada where its also available there)

But if it looks good enough to you all is good

Go figure!

I just cancelled my subscription to Paramount+ the other day! Discovery's done, Picard's done, and I'm not paying to support stuff I'm not interested in. But for anyone else, that's great news for them!

I ordered the entire TNG series on Blu-Ray the other day. It arrived yesterday. For DS9 and VOY, a friend of mine (whose film I worked on) picked up a huge collection of DVDs about two years ago from a yard sale for $25, and let me know about it and gave the entire thing to me, so that's how I have those. In this collection was also TNG (in SD), ENT, Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, and The X-Files. All the huge sci-fi shows from the '90s and the early-'00s. All that was missing from this collection was Babylon 5 and Farscape!

"What film was this you were talking about?," someone will ask. A very independent film called Transsexuals from Space. It's a spoof of '50s sci-fi B-movies. It took us over 10 years to make. I was the editor of the film. I also acted in it.

Here's a trailer, which I also edited. In there, you can see me getting zapped by a ray gun. It was fun adding in the special effects! A lot of fun to make the movie as well.

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For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

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Anyway, I'm about to fix something to eat, then I'm putting on the next two DS9 episodes!

_________________________________________

"Past Prologue"

Functionally, this episode serves the same purpose "Heart of Glory" did for TNG. There, Worf's loyalties are tested when renegade Klingons against the changing times want Worf to help them restore the Klingon Empire to its former glory and, in the end, the last renegade standing thinks he's a traitor. "I don't care what you look like, you're no Klingon!" he tells Worf. Here, in "Past Prologue", Kira's loyalties are tested when a Bajoran terrorist, Tahna, wants Kira to help him restore Bajor to its former glory. Similarly, in the end, he considers Kira a traitor.

I think "Past Prologue" handles this subject better than "Heart of Glory" because in the TNG episode there was never any serious doubt of Worf's loyalties no matter how hard a cut-to-commercial break cliffhanger tried with all its music-swelling might. Whereas in "Past Prologue", Kira is genuinely conflicted. She wants Bajor for Bajorans just like Tahna, but she's aware of the reality of Bajor's situation. The Wormhole will help Bajor to grow into a power and the Federation's help is keeping the Cardassians away. Tanha has tunnel vision and is willing to do anything to make sure Bajor is for Bajorans only.

What else elevates "Past Prologue" is how everyone is either trying to manipulate someone, keep someone out of the loop, or bring someone in to the loop: Kira complains to a Starfleet Admiral about Sisko. Tahna makes a deal with the Duras Sisters. The Duras Sisters are willing to let Tahna be captured by the Cardassians after their deal. Sisko encourages Bashir to buy a new suit when Garak asks him to, so Bashir can overhear (that rhymes!) while the Duras Sisters negotiate with Garak. Sisko and Odo keep Kira out of the loop while she has conflicted feelings about what Tahna wants to do. Very intricate. Sisko and Odo keep Kira out of the loop until Kira's finally willing to talk to Odo about her doubts about Tahna, who also has doubts about her.

Then there's Garak. This is the second episode in a row that I'm going to reference Dirty Harry. Garak is played by none other than Scorpio himself, Andrew Robinson! The way Andrew Robinson plays Garak, the character is definitely gay. I wish they had the courage in 1993 to fully commit to it. Too bad.

A bit of trivia, which stands out given the similar themes: Vaughn Armstrong is in both "Heart of Glory" and "Past Prologue". In the TNG episode, he played one of the Renegade Klingons. Here he plays the Cardassian Gul.

All I have to say about this episode. Pretty solid. I'll give it an 8.
_________________________________________

"Babel"

Not much to say about this episode. A virus aboard the station that some Bajoran scientists designed 18 years earlier becomes airborne and affects DS9. It makes everyone talk funny and they have to find a cure. I get a kick out of O'Brien being frustrated with the station, I get a kick out of the Quark/Odo banter, and I find the funny-talk amusing... but there's just not a lot to it there. It kills some time. "Babel" isn't a bad episode but it's the first "mid" episode of the series. I'll give it a 6.

EDITED TO ADD (regarding "Babel"): I can't keep getting this thought out of my head, so I might as well post it. I think they got the barebones inspiration for this episode from "The Naked Time" and "The Naked Now" where the both Enterprise crews keep getting affected by the Psi 2000 Virus one-by-one, except this time they took out the Psi 2000 Virus and took out everyone acting drunk, horny, or with their emotions on their sleeves. They just talk funny and what they say comes out sounding ridiculous.

_________________________________________

That's it from me until after the 4th of July.

Though it's the next few episodes I'm more curious about. Opinions online seem a bit divided, so I can't predict how you'll rate them.

I gave them a 7, an 8, and a 6. So, that's where I landed. I'm on the side of "It's not my favorite, but I'm liking the season."

 

[Lord Garth]

Looking at upcoming airdates: February 22nd, 1993 is going to be hairy.

On that day the following first aired:
"The Passenger" (DS9)
"The Gathering" (B5)
"Birthright, Part I" (TNG) --> DS9 makes an appearance, and Bashir has a main supporting role (as opposed to just a cameo), so I'm including it.

How am I going to sort these out? I'll review them in the order I just listed. When I get to them. Then it looks like no more B5 until 1994.

 

[Farscape One]

Go figure!

I just cancelled my subscription to Paramount+ the other day! Discovery's done, Picard's done, and I'm not paying to support stuff I'm not interested in. But for anyone else, that's great news for them!

I ordered the entire TNG series on Blu-Ray the other day. It arrived yesterday. For DS9 and VOY, a friend of mine (whose film I worked on) picked up a huge collection of DVDs about two years ago from a yard sale for $25, and let me know about it and gave the entire thing to me, so that's how I have those. In this collection was also TNG (in SD), ENT, Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, and The X-Files. All the huge sci-fi shows from the '90s and the early-'00s. All that was missing from this collection was Babylon 5 and Farscape!

"What film was this you were talking about?," someone will ask. A very independent film called Transsexuals from Space. It's a spoof of '50s sci-fi B-movies. It took us over 10 years to make. I was the editor of the film. I also acted in it.

Here's a trailer, which I also edited. In there, you can see me getting zapped by a ray gun. It was fun adding in the special effects! A lot of fun to make the movie as well.

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

Anyway, I'm about to fix something to eat, then I'm putting on the next two DS9 episodes!

_________________________________________

"Past Prologue"

Functionally, this episode serves the same purpose "Heart of Glory" did for TNG. There, Worf's loyalties are tested when renegade Klingons against the changing times want Worf to help them restore the Klingon Empire to its former glory and, in the end, the last renegade standing thinks he's a traitor. "I don't care what you look like, you're no Klingon!" he tells Worf. Here, in "Past Prologue", Kira's loyalties are tested when a Bajoran terrorist, Tahna, wants Kira to help him restore Bajor to its former glory. Similarly, in the end, he considers Kira a traitor.

I think "Past Prologue" handles this subject better than "Heart of Glory" because in the TNG episode there was never any serious doubt of Worf's loyalties no matter how hard a cut-to-commercial break cliffhanger tried with all its music-swelling might. Whereas in "Past Prologue", Kira is genuinely conflicted. She wants Bajor for Bajorans just like Tahna, but she's aware of the reality of Bajor's situation. The Wormhole will help Bajor to grow into a power and the Federation's help is keeping the Cardassians away. Tanha has tunnel vision and is willing to do anything to make sure Bajor is for Bajorans only.

What else elevates "Past Prologue" is how everyone is either trying to manipulate someone, keep someone out of the loop, or bring someone in to the loop: Kira complains to a Starfleet Admiral about Sisko. Tahna makes a deal with the Duras Sisters. The Duras Sisters are willing to let Tahna be captured by the Cardassians after their deal. Sisko encourages Bashir to buy a new suit when Garak asks him to, so Bashir can overhear (that rhymes!) while the Duras Sisters negotiate with Garak. Sisko and Odo keep Kira out of the loop while she has conflicted feelings about what Tahna wants to do. Very intricate. Sisko and Odo keep Kira out of the loop until Kira's finally willing to talk to Odo about her doubts about Tahna, who also has doubts about her.

Then there's Garak. This is the second episode in a row that I'm going to reference Dirty Harry. Garak is played by none other than Scorpio himself, Andrew Robinson! The way Andrew Robinson plays Garak, the character is definitely gay. I wish they had the courage in 1993 to fully commit to it. Too bad.

A bit of trivia, which stands out given the similar themes: Vaughn Armstrong is in both "Heart of Glory" and "Past Prologue". In the TNG episode, he played one of the Renegade Klingons. Here he plays the Cardassian Gul.

All I have to say about this episode. Pretty solid. I'll give it an 8.
_________________________________________

"Babel"

Not much to say about this episode. A virus aboard the station that some Bajoran scientists designed 18 years earlier becomes airborne and affects DS9. It makes everyone talk funny and they have to find a cure. I get a kick out of O'Brien being frustrated with the station, I get a kick out of the Quark/Odo banter, and I find the funny-talk amusing... but there's just not a lot to it there. It kills some time. "Babel" isn't a bad episode but it's the first "mid" episode of the series. I'll give it a 6.

EDITED TO ADD (regrading "Babel"): I can't keep getting this thought out of my head, so I might as well post it. I think they got the barebones inspiration for this episode from "The Naked Time" and "The Naked Now" where the both Enterprise crews keep getting affected by the Psi 2000 Virus one-by-one, except this time they took out the Psi 2000 Virus and took out everyone acting drunk, horny, or with their emotions on their sleeves. They just talk funny and what they say comes out sounding ridiculous.

_________________________________________

That's it from me until after the 4th of July.



I gave them a 7, an 8, and a 6. So, that's where I landed. I'm on the side of "It's not my favorite, but I'm liking the season."

Regarding "PAST PROLOGUE"... I thought the same thing, comparing it to "Heart of Glory". Very solid episode, particularly so early in DS9's run.

Regarding "BABEL"... one thing I always love about this are the scenes with Sisko and Jake. It's very clear they have great chemistry on screen. Totally feel the warmth, love, and concern for Jake when he takes Jake to the converted quarters. Every scene in the series with those two was always a great joy to watch.

 

[Tuskin38]

EDITED TO ADD: Putting "Emissary" on momentarily. I'll be watching it on DVD on my Projector instead of through Paramount+. I think playing it on DVD will make it look better than if I went with streaming. And my projector is 720p, so it'll be even more forgiving of 480p if it's in the highest possible quality.

I can’t speak of the DVD quality as I don’t own them. But the Paramount+ quality is amazing on my 4k TV,

I don’t know if they did something to the footage, or if they use a different source, but it looks better than DS9 on Netflix and looks way better than Voyager does on P+.

Edit: I see this has been mentioned above. That’s what I get for posting before reading

 

[Lord Garth]

I can’t speak of the DVD quality as I don’t own them. But the Paramount+ quality is amazing on my 4k TV,

I don’t know if they did something to the footage, or if they use a different source, but it looks better than DS9 on Netflix and looks way better than Voyager does on P+.

I think it has to do with the source. Netflix used Kafka for its data stream. Paramount+ is connected to Amazon, which uses Kinesis for their data streams.

You might also have a very fast internet speed, which would make everything you stream look better by default. I have a speed that helps me to get by and no more.

Screen captures comparing footage on Paramount+ at the highest possible quality with the footage on DVD would be the best way to really say if they've made any enhancements.

NOTE to Paramount+ if you're reading this (probably not!): If you want to upscale DS9 and VOY on the cheap, do it through Topaz Video AI, using the Proteus setting! Easy to do, relatively quick to do, and it shouldn't be too hard to find people to oversee it.

 

[Lord Garth]

"Captive Pursuit"

Who are you? "I am Tosk." Where are you from? "I am Tosk." What's your favorite thing to do? "I am Tosk." Do you know how to say anything else? "I live the greatest adventure anyone can hope to live." How are you able to do that? "I am Tosk."

But no, seriously, this was an okay episode. And I liked that DS9 tried to make the aliens from the Gamma Quadrant seem more "alien" than what we'd been seeing in TNG lately around this time. The costumes for the aliens hunting for Tosk look VERY '90s, but it's a product of its time so I won't hold the costumes against them.

O'Brien really latches onto Tosk, so we get to see more of O'Brien and we get to see him do more than just be the Engineer or deal with Married Life. He's willing to help Tosk out however he can.

Sisko secretly approves of what O'Brien is doing but has to play it like he doesn't. That fits someone in Sisko's position where he has to balance his role helping Bajor, making first contact with species in the Gamma Quadrant, and representing Starfleet. He can't afford to break rules willy-nilly or it'll effect a LOT. Unlike Kirk and Picard, he can't go planet-hopping from one episode to the next. He's stuck where he is and the consequences of his decisions will be there with him.

I'll finish with the beginning of the episode. It only took six episodes for a Dabo Girl to complain to Sisko about sexual harassment from Quark. In a way, I'm actually surprised it took this long.

Okay, not quite the finish. One more thing. By explaining things to Tosk, O'Brien also explains to the audience how many people live on Deep Space Nine and how many ships typically dock there at any given week. Makes it feel more real.

I'll give this episode a 7.

 

[Farscape One]

"Captive Pursuit"

Who are you? "I am Tosk." Where are you from? "I am Tosk." What's your favorite thing to do? "I am Tosk." Do you know how to say anything else? "I live the greatest adventure anyone can hope to live." How are you able to do that? "I am Tosk."

But no, seriously, this was an okay episode. And I liked that DS9 tried to make the aliens from the Gamma Quadrant seem more "alien" than what we'd been seeing in TNG lately around this time. The costumes for the aliens hunting for Tosk look VERY '90s, but it's a product of its time so I won't hold the costumes against them.

O'Brien really latches onto Tosk, so we get to see more of O'Brien and we get to see him do more than just be the Engineer or deal with Married Life. He's willing to help Tosk out however he can.

Sisko secretly approves of what O'Brien is doing but has to play it like he doesn't. That fits someone in Sisko's position where he has to balance his role helping Bajor, making first contact with species in the Gamma Quadrant, and representing Starfleet. He can't afford to break rules willy-nilly or it'll effect a LOT. Unlike Kirk and Picard, he can't go planet-hopping from one episode to the next. He's stuck where he is and the consequences of his decisions will be there with him.

I'll finish with the beginning of the episode. It only took six episodes for a Dabo Girl to complain to Sisko about sexual harassment from Quark. In a way, I'm actually surprised it took this long.

Okay, not quite the finish. One more thing. By explaining things to Tosk, O'Brien also explains to the audience how many people live on Deep Space Nine and how many ships typically dock there at any given week. Makes it feel more real.

I'll give this episode a 7.

I've always loved this one.

One of DS9's many strengths was making the world feel real and lived in. As you pointed out, using small lines of dialogue like O'Brien's and the Dabo Girl's situation are examples of subtly letting the audience know a lot goes on there. Visually, we get a sense of it getting bigger and busier as more and more aliens appear in the background on the Promenade and in Quark's.

I particularly love Sisko here, especially his smile at the very end. And you can tell O'Brien knows Sisko delayed things to allow him to set Tosk free. This was definitely a great building block for O'Brien's loyalty to Sisko.

Another thing I love about "CAPTIVE PURSUIT" is how advanced the technology seems to be in the Gamma Quadrant. They shut off DS9's shields in seconds, had weapons that blew up a bulkhead in one shot, gauntlets that seemed to absorb phaser fire, and sensors that easily penetrated what O'Brien didn't think could be penetrated. This really set the tone for the rest of the races in the Gamma Quadrant that we meet. (It's a stark contrast to the early years of VOY in the Delta Quadrant just 2 years later.)

 

[Lord Garth]

"Q-Less"

Right upfront, this isn't a bad episode BUT there's no other way to say it than to say it: Q doesn't fit in on DS9. He'll fit it on VOY, but he doesn't fit in on DS9. In fact, I think it actually does more harm than good since Q was there to get TNG fans to watch DS9, if they tuned out after one or two episodes.

Why does it do more harm than good? Look at what Q says about the DS9 characters:

• To Sisko: "Is Starfleet punishing you, or did you request such a dismal assignment?"
• To Sisko about Kira: "She's a feisty one! I'd watch out, Benjy, she might be after your job!" This makes Kira sound like she's a Shelby rip-off even though she's not.
• To O'Brien: "Ah yes. You were one of the little people."
• He makes fun of Bashir, literally behind his back. (More on Bashir later.)
• He calls Quark a troll. Basically, this is looking at Quark as if he's a Ferengi from TNG.

Then he has some other things to say of note to Sisko: "You're much easier to provoke, how unfortunate for you," and "Picard and his lackeys would've solved this hours ago." Then he condescendingly calls them "gang" when telling them where else they should look.

Why is this all a problem? Pretend it's 1993. You're a TNG Fan. DS9 doesn't interest you. You sampled those one or two episodes, like I said earlier, then you checked out. So now Q's making a guest-appearance, and you decide watch it. Then he's pointing out all the reasons he thinks "DS9 sucks!" If I'm only a TNG Fan, if Q's my guy, then I'd be agreeing with him; thinking, "Yeah! This show sucks!" Then I'd tune out out again. If you want to hook TNG fans onto DS9, don't have a character from TNG constantly putting them down. Have them in a story that shows them at their best.

Then there's Bashir. He's trying to go after every woman he can. If she has breasts, he's after her. He's acting like every stereotype people had of Kirk, Riker, and Paris. And he's not doing it very well. "It gets them every time!" when he tries to impress a woman by telling her about the ganglionic fiber. Come on. Bashir's supposed to be in his late-20s, but they have him acting like he's in his teens. The only thing that saves it is O'Brien is rolling his eyes at him. So the show is aware that this is a problem, it's just not a problem in the way they think. The show portrays it as "Bashir and his sitcom level hi-jinks trying to get a date!" I see it as, "He shouldn't be acting like this to begin with!"

Then we get to Vash. I don't have a problem with Vash's side of the story. And I can see why she'd want to have nothing to do with Q. Vash trying to work Quark to sell artifacts for profit I get too. In "Captain's Holiday" from TNG, it was established she was working with a Ferengi before it all went south. They care about profit, she cares about profit. I also get a kick out of her trying to put the artifacts into historical context and then Quark is basically like, "Who cares?" It shows the difference between their attitudes. Vash cares about archeology AND profit whereas Quark just cares about profit.

Two other things that stick out to me:

• Q's recreating of a turn-of-last-century boxing match, complete with the mustache! For those who don't know, the Early-20th Century is my favorite historical period.
  
  
• Q's line about how 1,000 years ago Earth used to have character. "Crusades, Spanish Inquisition, Watergate... but now it's just mind-numbingly dull." I'd love to see Q weigh in on current events, but we won't go there!

So Q had his moments in this episode, I just don't think he was a good fit for this series.

The funniest thing, knowing what I know now, is when Sisko said Vash didn't seem to be Picard's type. After having read the autobiography Making It So, all I have to say is: tell that to Patrick Stewart!

I'll give this episode a 5.

This is one episode I didn't like as much now as I did before.

 

[kkt]

I think a 6 is generous. The only good part was Q finally getting the punch in the jaw he's deserved forever. A super-powerful being was an interesing idea, worth one or maybe two episodes. But the idea that a super-powerful being would find humans interesting is silly. How much time to do most human grownups spend watching an ant's nest?

 

[Lord Garth]

I think a 6 is generous. The only good part was Q finally getting the punch in the jaw he's deserved forever. A super-powerful being was an interesing idea, worth one or maybe two episodes. But the idea that a super-powerful being would find humans interesting is silly. How much time to do most human grownups spend watching an ant's nest?

You know what? I think you're right. I re-read my review and it sounds like I should be giving it a 5. It sounded earlier like I was trying too hard to convince myself not to. (I've edited that back-and-forth part out now.)

The rating should match what I said about it.

 

[Farscape One]

"Q-Less"

Right upfront, this isn't a bad episode BUT there's no other way to say it than to say it: Q doesn't fit in on DS9. He'll fit it on VOY, but he doesn't fit in on DS9. In fact, I think it actually does more harm than good since Q was there to get TNG fans to watch DS9, if they tuned out after one or two episodes.

Why does it do more harm than good? Look at what Q says about the DS9 characters:

• To Sisko: "Is Starfleet punishing you, or did you request such a dismal assignment?"
• To Sisko about Kira: "She's a feisty one! I'd watch out, Benjy, she might be after your job!" This makes Kira sound like she's a Shelby rip-off even though she's not.
• To O'Brien: "Ah yes. You were one of the little people."
• He makes fun of Bashir, literally behind his back. (More on Bashir later.)
• He calls Quark a troll. Basically, this is looking at Quark as if he's a Ferengi from TNG.

Then he has some other things to say of note to Sisko: "You're much easier to provoke, how unfortunate for you," and "Picard and his lackeys would've solved this hours ago." Then he condescendingly calls them "gang" when telling them where else they should look.

Why is this all a problem? Pretend it's 1993. You're a TNG Fan. DS9 doesn't interest you. You sampled those one or two episodes, like I said earlier, then you checked out. So now Q's making a guest-appearance, and you decide watch it. Then he's pointing out all the reasons he thinks "DS9 sucks!" If I'm only a TNG Fan, if Q's my guy, then I'd be agreeing with him; thinking, "Yeah! This show sucks!" Then I'd tune out out again. If you want to hook TNG fans onto DS9, don't have a character from TNG constantly putting them down. Have them in a story that shows them at their best.

Then there's Bashir. He's trying to go after every woman he can. If she has breasts, he's after her. He's acting like every stereotype people had of Kirk, Riker, and Paris. And he's not doing it very well. "It gets them every time!" when he tries to impress a woman by telling her about the ganglionic fiber. Come on. Bashir's supposed to be in his late-20s, but they have him acting like he's in his teens. The only thing that saves it is O'Brien is rolling his eyes at him. So the show is aware that this is a problem, it's just not a problem in the way they think. The show portrays it as "Bashir and his sitcom level hi-jinks trying to get a date!" I see it as, "He shouldn't be acting like this to begin with!"

Then we get to Vash. I don't have a problem with Vash's side of the story. And I can see why she'd want to have nothing to do with Q. Vash trying to work Quark to sell artifacts for profit I get too. In "Captain's Holiday" from TNG, it was established she was working with a Ferengi before it all went south. They care about profit, she cares about profit. I also get a kick out of her trying to put the artifacts into historical context and then Quark is basically like, "Who cares?" It shows the difference between their attitudes. Vash cares about archeology AND profit whereas Quark just cares about profit.

Two other things that stick out to me:

• Q's recreating of a turn-of-last-century boxing match, complete with the mustache! For those who don't know, the Early-20th Century is my favorite historical period.
  
  
• Q's line about how 1,000 years ago Earth used to have character. "Crusades, Spanish Inquisition, Watergate... but now it's just mind-numbingly dull." I'd love to see Q weigh in on current events, but we won't go there!

So Q had his moments in this episode, I just don't think he was a good fit for this series.

The funniest thing, knowing what I know now, is when Sisko said Vash didn't seem to be Picard's type. After having read the autobiography Making It So, all I have to say is: tell that to Patrick Stewart!

I'll give this episode a 5.

This is one episode I didn't like as much now as I did before.

I agree with much of what you said. I will also add that the best early DS9 episodes didn't rely on TNG or were scripts that could have easily fit on TNG.

I do disagree with you about Q fitting in on VOY. Except for "DEATH WISH", I felt the Q episodes there were not good for him. He was basically neutered there. He was alwaysat his best when he was opposite Picard.

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

DS9 is Q checking off a box. The problem perhaps with VOY is that he comes wanting something from them ("Mate with me or make my girlfriend jealous." "Help me with my delinquent boy.") Whereas on TNG, he's usually calling the shots.

 

[Frontis]

I never liked Q and so I don't like Q episodes either. No mather which series.

 

[Lord Garth]

"Dax"

That's more like it! Welcome back, DC Fontana! And great work Peter Allen Fields too! This is the best episode since "Emissary". Not only does it hit differently than it did for me way back when, but I didn't check to see the time once. Always a good sign.

First off, the legal arguments. They really thought both sides of the argument through: Is Jadzia Dax the same person as Curzon Dax? In the end, I think the lines might've probably been blurred just as much for the audience as they were for the Arbiter. Both points of view were that compelling. If you want to know my take, it's this: Jadzia Dax and Curzon Dax are different people. It comes down to Chemistry. Different combinations of chemical bonds create different chemical compounds. So, when you look at it like that, "Dax" is literal science-fiction.

The question that follows goes from Chemistry to a combination of Philosophy and Psychology. Again, this is my stance: Just because you have the memories of a person doesn't mean that you did what that person did. The memories are an inheritance. It doesn't mean you did them. So to accuse Jadzia of crimes Curzon might've committed would be the equivalent of punishing someone for the sins of the father.

This is only my take, however. Someone else can have an entirely different point of view. The stroke of genius in this episode is when Enina Tandro says that Curzon Dax couldn't have been responsible for her husband Arbelon Tandro's death because Curzon was in her bed at the time; rendering all prior arguments moot. That means "Dax" doesn't weigh in on which side is right or wrong, and allows the viewer to decide for themselves.

Another nuance occurs earlier in the episode. When the son, Ilon Tandro, wants to arrest Dax and argues that the Federation has a treaty with his world that recognizes their authority, Sisko and Kira point out that that his world doesn't have a treaty with Bajor and that this is a Bajoran station, so there will have to be a hearing before the arrest an be granted. I love those technicalities, those distinctions, and being able to use beauacracy to work in our main characters' favor instead of against it.

One thing in particular that stands out is how silent Jadzia Dax is once she's accused. For a good long while, if you've never seen this episode before, it's possible to think that Curzon Dax could have been responsible for the death of Aberlon Tandro and she might feel guilt. Then, we find out it's not that. It's about Jadzia wanting to preserve Enina's place in history as The Great Arbelon's Wife. Then Enina decides to take the burden off Jadzia by telling the truth to the Arbiter.

While Sisko, Kira, and Bashir were trying to find ways to come up with arguments for why Jadzia and Curzon Dax aren't the same people, Odo focused on trying to find hard facts by visiting Enina and also looking through logs and transmissions at the time of the incident. Odo was searching for the real, while the others were looking for an argument in the abstract, and both ended up working together.

Finally, the fact that Curzon Dax had an affair shows that DS9 is giving the characters permission to have some very serious flaws. Sisko and Jadzia have connections, in different ways, to this person who had a lot of vices. Curzon having an affair makes me immediately think of Mad Men. I can't help it. It's my favorite show. (Shock and awe, my favorite show on television ever isn't a Star Trek show!) So, I think it added to the episode to have DC Fontana writing it. Especially since she worked on TOS during the Mad Men era.

This episode is an obvious 10.

 

[Farscape One]

"Dax"

That's more like it! Welcome back, DC Fontana! And great work Peter Allen Fields too! This is the best episode since "Emissary". Not only does it hit differently than it did for me way back when, but I didn't check to see the time once. Always a good sign.

First off, the legal arguments. They really thought both sides of the argument through: Is Jadzia Dax the same person as Curzon Dax? In the end, I think the lines might've probably been blurred just as much for the audience as they were for the Arbiter. Both points of view were that compelling. If you want to know my take, it's this: Jadzia Dax and Curzon Dax are different people. It comes down to Chemistry. Different combinations of chemical bonds create different chemical compounds. So, when you look at it like that, "Dax" is literal science-fiction.

The question that follows goes from Chemistry to a combination of Philosophy and Psychology. Again, this is my stance: Just because you have the memories of a person doesn't mean that you did what that person did. The memories are an inheritance. It doesn't mean you did them. So to accuse Jadzia of crimes Curzon might've committed would be the equivalent of punishing someone for the sins of the father.

This is only my take, however. Someone else can have an entirely different point of view. The stroke of genius in this episode is when Enina Tandro says that Curzon Dax couldn't have been responsible for her husband Arbelon Tandro's death because Curzon was in her bed at the time; rendering all prior arguments moot. That means "Dax" doesn't weigh in on which side is right or wrong, and allows the viewer to decide for themselves.

Another nuance occurs earlier in the episode. When the son, Ilon Tandro, wants to arrest Dax and argues that the Federation has a treaty with his world that recognizes their authority, Sisko and Kira point out that that his world doesn't have a treaty with Bajor and that this is a Bajoran station, so there will have to be a hearing before the arrest an be granted. I love those technicalities, those distinctions, and being able to use beauacracy to work in our main characters' favor instead of against it.

One thing in particular that stands out is how silent Jadzia Dax is once she's accused. For a good long while, if you've never seen this episode before, it's possible to think that Curzon Dax could have been responsible for the death of Aberlon Tandro and she might feel guilt. Then, we find out it's not that. It's about Jadzia wanting to preserve Enina's place in history as The Great Arbelon's Wife. Then Enina decides to take the burden off Jadzia by telling the truth to the Arbiter.

While Sisko, Kira, and Bashir were trying to find ways to come up with arguments for why Jadzia and Curzon Dax aren't the same people, Odo focused on trying to find hard facts by visiting Enina and also looking through logs and transmissions at the time of the incident. Odo was searching for the real, while the others were looking for an argument in the abstract, and both ended up working together.

Finally, the fact that Curzon Dax had an affair shows that DS9 is giving the characters permission to have some very serious flaws. Sisko and Jadzia have connections, in different ways, to this person who had a lot of vices. Curzon having an affair makes me immediately think of Mad Men. I can't help it. It's my favorite show. (Shock and awe, my favorite show on television ever isn't a Star Trek show!) So, I think it added to the episode to have DC Fontana writing it. Especially since she worked on TOS during the Mad Men era.

This episode is an obvious 10.

"DAX" is a very good one, and D.C. Fontana's last episode in the franchise.

Peter Allan Fields... his first DS9 script. He was only credited for about a dozen episodes in the franchise, but damn, were his episodes good! (Episodes like "Half a Life", "The Inner Light", "PROGRESS", "DUET", "NECESSARY EVIL", "BLOOD OATH", "FOR THE UNIFORM", "IN THE PALE MOONLIGHT"... other than Ronald D. Moore, I think Fields was the most consistently good writer in the Berman era.)