Watching DS9 all the way through (for the first time ever)

Discussion in 'Star Trek: Deep Space Nine' started by Evil Robert, Sep 12, 2017.

  1. Bad Thoughts

    Bad Thoughts Vice Admiral Admiral

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    If you read Fifty Year Mission, there is a strong sense of camaraderie, perhaps stronger than on TNG, but it was among the writers.
     
  2. Ometiklan

    Ometiklan Captain Captain

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    I did read it, which was why I was mentioning it. I think it showed some camaraderie between the staff and actors, though not as much as within groups (like you mention, the writing staff) because they were often separated by their jobs. The appreciation for the actors also comes through more strongly in other media, like the special features and the documentary stuff (interviews, etc.).
     
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  3. Bad Thoughts

    Bad Thoughts Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Sorry, I wasn't speaking directly to you, but to the thread in general. Certainly, their was a lot of respect between the actors (except perhaps not for Farrell), but that they found the work physically and emotionally challenging. What tended to divide them was their acting styles. JG Hertzler tells a story about the filming Far Beyond the Stars in which Auberjonois and Brooks got into a shouting match about what kind of anger a particular scene called for.
     
  4. BobR

    BobR Lieutenant Red Shirt

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    I've been through the entire show a number of times, and every time I get near the end I get a twinge of anxiety again.

    Each time I finish the show I feel as if I have lost something. It is almost like losing touch with a group of old friends all at once.
     
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  5. dub

    dub Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    I wonder if that shouting match was a technique to have genuine anger appear in the scene(s)?

    I totally relate to this. It doesn't feel that way with any other Trek series for me. That's not to say I didn't love the other series as well. I think the episodic nature of the other series makes it an easier pill to swallow when you get to the end. You can always visit any other episode as a rerun and it will be satisfying on its own. DS9 was built on arcs, characters, relationships and an itch to be serial, and I think that's where the sense of loss comes in. You can't just go back and watch an episode and enjoy it on its own. You can, but it's not nearly as satisfying as starting over completely and experiencing the build up all over again. But it's never the same as that first viewing experience. I'm always remembering the first time I watched the series and the emotions I felt. I'm jealous any time I find out someone is watching the series for the first time. I don't get that sense of jealousy when people watch other Trek series. It's always exciting to me when people watch any Trek, but this series was incredibly touching. And there is such a painful desire to know where these characters went from the finale. I'm curious what happens to characters in other series, but it's just tons stronger with DS9. I know people will disagree with all of that, but the good thing is I KNOW there are others who relate! :)
     
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  6. Bad Thoughts

    Bad Thoughts Vice Admiral Admiral

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    No, it was a genuine argument about how much anger Auberjonois should portray as Pabst, although it is possible that Brooks was trying to provoke Auberjonois in order to get what he wanted.
     
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  7. Ometiklan

    Ometiklan Captain Captain

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    I can see Brooks doing that, he seems like a very intense person. And I can see Auberjonois arguing vehemently as he seems to really care about the craft of acting too.
     
  8. BobR

    BobR Lieutenant Red Shirt

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    So good to know I'm not alone.

    This may be controversial, but for me Enterprise probably comes next in terms of engendering nostalgia. Not as strong, but it is still there. I'm sure we all relate to the different shows in our own ways.
     
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  9. MacLeod

    MacLeod Admiral Admiral

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    One way to look at that, is the actors were passionante about doing the scene in the way they each felt was best.
     
  10. cwellslovell

    cwellslovell Lieutenant Junior Grade Red Shirt

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    Its funny because in my humble opinion DS9 is the only one of the ST series that actually improves with distance and time from its original airing. TNG has that perfectly distilled utopian Rodenberry vision and I think even more than TOS is what he most wanted Trek to be but can sometimes seem, sadly, naive today.

    VOY and ENT can be seen as compromised by Berman, Braga era where large cultural commentary was sacrificed to formula and ratings reviews often.

    But DS9, probably because of Moore, has this weird vibe to it that for our time only becomes more and more relevant. When I watch it and realize that it ended two years before 9/11 and yet is entirely about the societal conflicts that we grapple with in the post 9/11 world... it really is an incredible accomplishment.

    Moore took so much of that into BSG but by that point was in direct conversation with these issues in real time. I think the most incredible part about DS9 is what it is saying religious extremism, political blowback, melting pot cultural sensitivity, contextual rule bending, race relations, all of the stuff that reads so differently from its original airdate til now, but it was trying to anticipate and warn. Trying to grapple before the A's of current events followed the Q's of the series.

    I agree it isn't always the most seamless of ST series in terms of repeat watching navigability. But in terms of enduring rewards and emotional impact it is a height of artfulness and empathy that I think ST might never reach again.
     
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  11. Evil Robert

    Evil Robert Admiral Admiral

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    ENT gets that anxious twinge at the end for me because S4 was so brilliant, the series found its legs, history and lore was finally being tied into the story and you have that sadness of what could'v been (for a hypothetical season 5).
     
  12. Satron

    Satron Commander Red Shirt

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    Another love letter to DS9 (language):
     
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  13. Jedman67

    Jedman67 Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Some subplots are totally cringeworthy. For example, the Dukat and Kai Wynn plot thread was horribly annoying and boring.
     
  14. Balok's Decoy

    Balok's Decoy Commodore Commodore

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    I've been watching DS9 all the way thru this year as part of my Every Series Every Movie Marathon but haven't finished it yet. Took a loooooong break after Far Beyond the Stars. Now I'm getting back into it. It's such a fucking good show. I can't believe it took me so long to get to it.
     
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  15. Betelnut

    Betelnut Ensign Red Shirt

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    Binging it for the first time now. I'm halfway through season 5. Enjoying it with some ups and downs. Agree that the supporting characters really make the show (Quark, Garak, Ducot, Eddington, Nog, Rom). Of the main characters, Sisko, O'Brien, Odo, Worf are my favorites. I'm finally coming around on Kira. Dax and Bashir are the weakest, imo.

    Looking forward to seeing what happens next!
     
  16. COPE

    COPE Ensign Newbie

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  17. COPE

    COPE Ensign Newbie

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    Great post. Have watched DS9 five times. Call me watch you want but it is the best damn series. If pay attention you see a lot of our gadget comes ds9 not to mention ipad. By the way, dukat is n amazing character so Cork. I also believe ds9 has the best captain.
     
  18. Athena28

    Athena28 Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    In the Pale Moonlight reaffirms my love for Garak. (While DS9 isn't my favorite, I just loved this episode.)
     
    Last edited: Feb 26, 2018
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  19. Riker'sMailbox

    Riker'sMailbox Lieutenant Commander Red Shirt

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    I finished watching for the first time last week.

    DS9 is the 2nd Trek series I watched, the other being TNG. I think DS9 has to stand apart from the other series because it is a totally different show. The other Trek series were about being in a mobile ship that encountered every manner of other species and then moved on to the next thing. The long arc stories set this apart and I find it difficult to really compare and contrast. Even comparing Picard and Sisko seems like a fool's errand since they had totally different categories of challenges to overcome.

    The characters in DS9 had the most "human" reactions to trying situations. While I love the Roddenberry Utopia of TNG, I find characters that are not afraid to dip into the shadows to be more compelling.
     
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  20. Kilana2

    Kilana2 Vice Admiral Admiral

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    For me it were the DS9 novels that made me watch the whole show from the beginning. And I loved it. DS9 didn't have prime time slots on German TV, so I bought the DVDs.
     
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