How To Fix DS9 Inconsistencies Within 60 Seconds...

If the writer is good, this is good; sadly, consistency can also lead to stagnation and dwindling creativity.

 

That's a fair point, but what I mean by stability with the writing staff is in reference to keeping an eye on overall arcs, threads, and ideas. When you have too many head writer changeovers, it invariably leads to the new head writer wanting to put their stamp on things instead of keeping a good thing going. While this may sometimes be a good thing, there are a lot of instances where this strategy ends up causing chaos with characters and their development and uneven writing.

DS9 thankfully didn't suffer from that, and while a lot of factors were in play... stellar cast, less interference by the suits, very solid writing staff... having a more singular vision or focus helps keep the writing tight and the characters well nourished.

As proof, DS9 had over thirty characters (leads and recurring) by the end, and damn near none were shortchanged.

 

I could have sworn I heard a diehard Dukat fan screaming in the distance...

..."WALTZ!"...

.

 

I know I am in the minority of thinking "WALTZ" was not just a good episode, but that it made sense this would be what happens to Dukat.

No matter what you think of how Dukat ended up, his character was definitely serviced.

 

Station prefect...
Lower-ranking Subordinate...
Guerilla Fighter...
Cardassian head of state...
Looney bin patient...
And demonic cult leader.
That's quite a journey, especially for a secondary character.

 

^Well, you could complain about character degradation in his case. Especially his later arc, how he devolved from a pretty nuanced -even if evil- character into mostly moustache-twirling eeeeevil after he lost his position as head of state.

 

I more saw it as "crazy as a rat in a tin outhouse". Between the loss of his family and Ziyal's death, he pretty much lost it.

 

IMHO, pretty much everything about Ferengi culture was wack, so having a one-woman revolution fit right in with the wackiness.
One episode that probably has serious inconsistencies is "Explorers" - the sails built so fast, and discovering the warp eddies / rapids or whatever. Lots of weird stuff but I don't have the imagination to make up dialogue explaining it!

 

I doubt Ben's old Bajoran lightship had an intertial compensator, so technically, once it went to warp, he and Jake would have been reduced to the consistency of fresh chunk salsa.

 

Point is, I liked it as it was. I understand they couldn't NOT have women gain some measure of equality, which is why I came up with a way for it to happen that made sense. But, consider what else was also done...
Taxation was introduced.
Welfare was introduced.
The autocracy of the Grand Nagus was abolished, in favor of checks and balances.
In other words, rampant capitalism was replaced by... Federation 2.0

 

That is why they complain, yes. However, after everything I've heard about fans sympathizing with him a little too much, I can understand why Waltz was written. As a creator, the idea of so many followers missing the mark would be cause for alarm.

"We don't disagree on the goal; we just think it should require time and effort."

 

Personally I have a feeling that Brunt took over the whole business and restored the Ferengi Alliance back to what it was.

I agree and that was what was so fantastic with DS9. All those characters who developed. No one were left in the shadows.

Which also proves that you dont have to have only nine main characters. You can have as many as possible if you have good writers who make the stories.

After losing everything, including his daughter, I vcan understand why Dukat became a maniac. There is some sense in the storytelling.

And he managed to be convincing in all that.
No doubt that I see Dukat as the best villain ever in Star Trek!

I can understand that some people think that Dukat just became too much of a lunatic in the later seasons.
But it actually made sense in a way that he was that after all that he'd been through.

 

Riker gets it right in "Angel One" when he discerns revolution and evolution. Given that the Ferengi had been doing business with females of other species for years, it made sense that (1) Ferengi women would wonder why they were oppressed when women in other cultures were not, and (2) Ferengi men would see a vast potential consumer base right at home. Add to the fact that maybe the Prophets hadn't completely changed Zek's mind back, and he had encountered a female who was highly financially capable, and the dominos would fall.

As it was, it was more "Ishka waves her magic wand and POOF! Ferengi females go from chattel to full equality."

 

Indeed. I think much is done in avoiding how extreme grief can be and badly it can damage a person's wellbeing. The blows came at extremely close intervals, the loss of DS9 (retreating against the Federation) and the death of his daughter, another hallmark of failure. He would feel powerless, defeated and even betrayed by the Dominion and Damar. That would make anybody go a little disconnected from reality but Dukat would be searching for power and meaning in a galaxy that no longer made sense to him.