Jadiza or Ezri...

[2 of 10]

I Love DS-9...

However, the way they killed off Jadzia was so very lame, it almost makes me consider that they "jumped the shark" on that episode. Sisko takes the Defient on a Star Fleet mission of some importance, and for some reason they leave Jadzia, who is a decorated Star Fleet Bridge Officer in charge of a Bajorian Space Station, should not that honor gone to Maj Kira, who after all was the Bajorian officer for Bajor on DS-9.

Then after she dies at the hand of the Pah-wraiths infulenced Gul Dukat at the Bajorian Temple, so, after 6 seasons of being in my opion the most dynamic character on DS-9, the best they could come up with was a very short scene with Worf, and then showing Sikso morning over her casket. That's it, no funeral scene, no nothing. In the very episode before this one. "The Sound of her Voice" at least they had a wake, for a person you never even saw on DS-9, they gave her a better send off then they did for Jadzia. Miles, however, did set the stage for someone dying soon in the wake scene. Talking about how someday this circle will be missing one of them.

They then replace Jadzia with Tinker-Bell, I did like Ezri, however, there was a scene in "Afterimage" in which Garek really puts her in her place. That was a great scene.

Finally, does anyone really know why Terry left DS-9, I have read comments from both Terry and Paramont, they both say they wanted her to stay. Terry says she would have loved to stay for the last season. Paramont says that Terry wanted out of her contract, so she could join the "Becker" show,to play a bartender. Heck, if she wanted to play bartender, why could she just have resigned her commission and become a Dabo Girl at Quarks instead...

 

[Jim Steele]

Ezri was hotter.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

It seems I'm very much in the minority here...but while Ezri was by far the less mature character, I actually found myself able to connect with her more, mainly because when I finally got to watch Season 7 early this year, I had found myself very much in the same position in life as she had: young, awkward, and in a job where I felt like I was WAY in over my head. I brought in a LOT of academics (two undergrad degrees and a master's), yet I couldn't figure out how the hell I was expected to fit my boss's expectations to be a manager when I'd come into the job not only with no experience in the company, but no work experience to speak of at all. And I'd just recently been called on the carpet for not developing as fast as my manager had hoped. My performance appraisal was coming up and suffice it to say, "on edge" was a massive understatement to describe the way I felt.

So...for all her many imperfections, when I watched those episodes, it really felt like seeing a mirror of my own situation at the time. That same scene in "Afterimage" you're describing, where Garak lit into Ezri so badly--while he was right in one sense, that factually speaking, Ezri really was in way over her head, I could really sympathize with how it must have felt to be on the end of such a cruel form of honesty when she was already in so much turmoil.

Maybe it was just a matter of life experiences lining up at exactly the right time--but in the end, I could understand where Ezri was coming from.

(Incidentally, I disagree with how that character has been handled in the DS9 relaunch books. Let's just say that I, in charge of Starfleet's Personnel department, would have a different track in mind.)

 

[Seven of Five]

In my current rewatch I'm liking Jadzia a bit less due to Terry Farrell's sometime wooden performances. I'm only in season 3, I'll see if my opinion changes because I remember being quite sad when she was killed off when I originally watched the show.

I think Ezri received much better character development than Jadzia ever did, but considering that it was all crammed into the already-bursting-to-the-brim season 7, she was really annoying me by the time the series ended. Both characters could have been handled much better for sure, but I think I like Jadzia just that smidgen more.

 

[LeadHead]

I Love DS-9...

Finally, does anyone really know why Terry left DS-9, I have read comments from both Terry and Paramont, they both say they wanted her to stay. Terry says she would have loved to stay for the last season. Paramont says that Terry wanted out of her contract, so she could join the "Becker" show,to play a bartender.

I remember reading somewhere that she wasn't hapy that the scientist aspect of her character largely disappeared once the Defiant showed up. Going from Science officer to Helmsmen basically.

And if memory serves, she wasn't released from her contract. Her contract was up, the cast had signed contracts through the sixth season, she chose not to resign for year seven. I remember that there was concern that Avery Brooks and Michael Dorn wouldn't sign on for the last season as well. Brooks and Dorn both signed on, but Dorn requested that his use be reduced in the season. Explaining his infrequent presence in the first half of the season, usually being in the form of one or two scenes per episode unless the episode was specifically Worf-Centric.

 

[cultcross]

Certainly at the time it was clear Farrell herself wanted out (not to re-sign, whatever - her decision, I mean), and it wasn't anything to do with the producers or writers. If she's now saying otherwise, it certainly didn't emerge at the time or even appear that way - and it's tempting to ask whether she's just trying to excuse the fact she left for Becker of all things.

 

[trentman359]

Ezri was hotter.

I'm only in season 3 but this I can agree with.

 

[Navaros]

Both Jadzia and Ezri were completely useless characters, with zero plot relevance whatosever, that dragged the show down, but at least the Ezri actress was good at acting.

 

[scottydog]

They were both eye-candy. Jadzia was simply more mature eye-candy. My only complaint is that too much of season 7 was devoted to needlessly developing a character (Ezri) who wasn't going to be around long enough to need developing.

 

[cultcross]

Ezri definitely trumps Jadzia. I liked Jadzia's character, in particular her scenes with Sisko always brought out the best in that character and it was nice to see a mature male/female close friendship portrayed on a franchise which tends to way overdo "sexual undertones".

But I jsut liked Ezri more - the character was quirky, funny, sweet, and had an awkwardness which made her interesting and unique. Plus, deBoar was loads mroe attractive

 

[JoeD80]

Paramont says that Terry wanted out of her contract, so she could join the "Becker" show,to play a bartender. Heck, if she wanted to play bartender, why could she just have resigned her commission and become a Dabo Girl at Quarks instead...

That's pretty much the reason right there. Becker was a network show so the pay was likely higher than DS9 which was syndicated.

 

[Damask]

I like Jadiza but I think Ezri;s character was more interesting. I found that "I didn't want to be joined" followed by her gradually becoming Dax was interesting.

 

[Jim Steele]

Ezri definitely trumps Jadzia. I liked Jadzia's character, in particular her scenes with Sisko always brought out the best in that character and it was nice to see a mature male/female close friendship portrayed on a franchise which tends to way overdo "sexual undertones".

But I jsut liked Ezri more - the character was quirky, funny, sweet, and had an awkwardness which made her interesting and unique. Plus, deBoar was loads mroe attractive

Absolutely agreed.

 

[Marie1]

According to IMDB, Paramount moved Ferrell to Becker... now, I'd imagine that was a bit of a career choice on her part too. But she claims she begged the writers not to kill off Jadzia... and they just thought she was being a whiny actress. I prefer Jadzia- her intelligence, wit.. Ezri was just... weird somehow... not enough control over Dax's memories.

 

[Fencer]

According to IMDB, Paramount moved Ferrell to Becker... now, I'd imagine that was a bit of a career choice on her part too. But she claims she begged the writers not to kill off Jadzia... and they just thought she was being a whiny actress.

The writers provided reason why they killed off Jadzia which was that they felt that it wouldn't make sense for Jadzia to leave Worf and that if she did they would have to keep providing reasons why she wasn't scene.

I obviously prefer Ezri.

(Anybody else think this has been remarkable tame compared to the old days?)

 

[cultcross]

But she claims she begged the writers not to kill off Jadzia... and they just thought she was being a whiny actress.

This was floating around at the time, although 'begged' is probably a bit too strong. Farrell certainly wasn't keen on killing off Jadzia but the writers knew there wasn't any other plausible way to get her off the show, with her connection to Worf to explain away. According to the companion, it was also a fairly unexpected decision so they didn't have time to build up a departure arc.

 

[Marie1]

But she claims she begged the writers not to kill off Jadzia... and they just thought she was being a whiny actress.

This was floating around at the time, although 'begged' is probably a bit too strong. Farrell certainly wasn't keen on killing off Jadzia but the writers knew there wasn't any other plausible way to get her off the show, with her connection to Worf to explain away. According to the companion, it was also a fairly unexpected decision so they didn't have time to build up a departure arc.

True... she spend several seasons on Becker... I guess she couldn't go on a year or two's vacation... unless she'd been captured... maybe in a POW camp... hmmm

 

[Jono]

Paramont says that Terry wanted out of her contract, so she could join the "Becker" show,to play a bartender. Heck, if she wanted to play bartender, why could she just have resigned her commission and become a Dabo Girl at Quarks instead...

That's pretty much the reason right there. Becker was a network show so the pay was likely higher than DS9 which was syndicated.

If I was her I'd probably do the same and head leave, especially if she was getting more money and had a guarantee that I'd get more then a year's work out of Becker.

Personally, I preferred Jadzia then Ezri. Found Ezri to be a whiny annoying character.

 

[SoM]

Sisko takes the Defient on a Star Fleet mission of some importance, and for some reason they leave Jadzia, who is a decorated Star Fleet Bridge Officer in charge of a Bajorian Space Station, should not that honor gone to Maj Kira, who after all was the Bajorian officer for Bajor on DS-9.

That was because of Change of Heart - after that, Sisko gave strict orders that Worf & Jadzia were NEVER to go on the same mission again. Since Worf went, Jadzia had to stay behind and mind [strike]the shop[/strike] DS9.

Kira and the Defiant though... that was a cluster. After Worf appeared, they made the decision to jump him over Kira in the Defiant officer order, but she was still 2iC of DS9 itself. But she still had rank on the Defiant, and periodically took it out (in By Inferno's Light, for instance, where she was the one in charge of the Defiant when the Bashir Changeling was discovered taking a runabout into the Bajoran star, and ordered Jazdia to go to warp in a solar system to catch him in time). Either she should have been second-in-command of BOTH the Defiant and DS9 (since the Defiant crew was the DS9 crew), or she shouldn't have had rank on the Defiant at all since she wasn't a Starfleet officer.

 

[smeos]

I saw on one of the DVD extras that Terry Farrell wanted her death, if there had to be one, to be in "Change of Heart". I have to agree with her there, Worf sacrificing his wife for the sake of the mission would have been some heavy stuff.

As to who I like more, Jadzia was first, and that's where it ends for me. Bringing in a new Dax with one season left was kind of distracting, IMO. There were some other things that could have used the time rather than fleshing out a character who wasn't going to be around long, anyway. I think they should have just slid Garak into the main cast and left it at that.

Star Trek needs to learn that it's okay to actually kill off characters every now and then.