Absolute worst character in DS9 History: Ezri Dax

[Bad Thoughts]

Basically, Jadzia Dax was not Jadzia so much as she was Dax. As someone pointed out a few pages back, she jumps throu gh so many personalities and granted Terry Ferrel pulls them off pretty well, saving the charcater from being a complete bust....but so much of t hat was supposedly attributed to the symbiot, not the woman named Jadzia.

Ezri, I found far more interesting because the crew DIDN'T bring up her past lives with her, the obvious exception being Worf. I would agree that bringing a brand new character like this was not the best idea; if anything, TIIC should've repla ced Jadzia sooner.

Very interesting observations! But even though I can't argue with that, I still have a softer spot in my heart for Jadzia than Ezri. At least I don't hate Ezri now like I did the first time though.

I'm not sure how well this holds. Of the thirteen episodes focused on the character of Jadzia, only six were focused on the Trill experience. None came after Rejoined. On the other hand, all three Ezri episodes were Trill episodes. Half as many in only a fraction of the time (although given how badly botched the original concept of Prodigal Daughter was, there should only have been two episodes. ) Jadzia was the old soul, perfectly, almost seemlessly integrated. Ezri was the new soul trying to figure out who she was or if her previous ego was even relevant to her new personality. Arguably , Jadzia could have used more of the latter. Instead, she became evermore just an old soul than someone with a complex personality.

 

[SoTrill]

Objectively, she is a terrible character. Fan boys think she's cute so they tolerate her. However, her "assignment" onto DS9 is as unbelievable as the notion that she is a continuation of the Dax symbiot. Even if the writer's were trying to explore a new direction for Dax, there obviously wasn't enough time with her incorporation in the final season. She is boring and, as many note, a huge distraction from the far more significant storylines/characters of the very last season.

 

[apollo1984]

Personally I always prefered Ezri to Jadzia, I think the problem was the fact that Ezri came in at the start of the final season, a season that otherwise should have been dedicated to the dominion war was fragmented by character development on a character nobody knew or even cared enough about at that point.

I think she would have been better received should Jadzia have been replaced sooner maybe at the start of season 6 so there would be 2 season to get to know Ezri as a character rather than forcing all her focus in a final season.

 

[Terok Nor]

I liked her but bringing in a new regular character in the final season of a show with a lot of ground to cover before the curtain fell was a bad idea. I do prefer Jadzia and wish she'd stayed until the end but what's done is done. I strongly disagree Ezri was the worst character in DS9 history. I preferred her to Nog and Jake who always bored me.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Zek and Ishka are far worse than Ezri.

I thought at the beginning of the season Ezri didn't work because the situations were really forced. Some of the Ezri episodes from the early part of the season were some of the series worst. In the final arc I thoguht she came into her own and became a good character.

 

[Anna Yolei]

Personally I always prefered Ezri to Jadzia, I think the problem was the fact that Ezri came in at the start of the final season, a season that otherwise should have been dedicated to the dominion war was fragmented by character development on a character nobody knew or even cared enough about at that point.

I think she would have been better received should Jadzia have been replaced sooner maybe at the start of season 6 so there would be 2 season to get to know Ezri as a character rather than forcing all her focus in a final season.

Agreed. The show couldn't help that Terry Ferrell got an opportunity to jump on, but the show already had a loaded cast. I think they should've written it to be more open and sent Dax on some secret mission that would've explained her absence for the season and worked out something with the producers of Becker to bring her into the fold for the finale.

As it stands, Erzi Dax's development could've been a helluva lot worse.

 

[Anna Yolei]

I'm not sure how well this holds. Of the thirteen episodes focused on the character of Jadzia, only six were focused on the Trill experience. None came after Rejoined. On the other hand, all three Ezri episodes were Trill episodes. Half as many in only a fraction of the time (although given how badly botched the original concept of Prodigal Daughter was, there should only have been two episodes. ) Jadzia was the old soul, perfectly, almost seemlessly integrated. Ezri was the new soul trying to figure out who she was or if her previous ego was even relevant to her new personality. Arguably , Jadzia could have used more of the latter. Instead, she became evermore just an old soul than someone with a complex personality.

I'm way late in responding, but to clarify: what I meant was that it felt like so much of the focus on Dax was specifically Curzon-related. The few Trill stories that didn't worship Curzon don't grate me as much, nor do any of Ezri's because I felt the focus was more on the respective Dax host.

 

[STEPhon IT]

Agreed. The show couldn't help that Terry Ferrell got an opportunity to jump on, but the show already had a loaded cast. I think they should've written it to be more open and sent Dax on some secret mission that would've explained her absence for the season and worked out something with the producers of Becker to bring her into the fold for the finale.

As it stands, Erzi Dax's development could've been a helluva lot worse.

If I could write Jadzia off I would've thrown her into another timeline, and have several stories of her journey through the season until Sisko figures it out and make it link to the series finale. But the series at the time was like paint splashing onto the floor where storylines and plots were streaming from all different directions. To the point where the producers had to leave many of those behind.

 

[bbailey861]

I think Ezri did a fine job of inheriting the Dax symbiont. In the beginning, she did a good job playing the fish out of water character and did a fine job of growing into the role as the season progressed although I admit a couple of episodes in there featuring her character were a bit much. Liked her fine in the series, like her character a lot more in the books.

 

[Bad Thoughts]

I'm way late in responding, but to clarify: what I meant was that it felt like so much of the focus on Dax was specifically Curzon-related. The few Trill stories that didn't worship Curzon don't grate me as much, nor do any of Ezri's because I felt the focus was more on the respective Dax host.

I see your point: the stories tend to focus more strongly on the immediate past life, and we don't get a lot of independent personality. However, I think that those provide for Farrell's stronger moments: when she is interacting with Brooks on the basis of a longstanding relationship.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

The story of how Ezri became Dax did seem a little forced. There just happens to be an unjoined Trill on the ship when there just happens to be a disaster.

I disagree that Ezri was less Daxlike then Jadzia. Jadzia was most influenced by Curzon. Ezri took longer to incorporate the other Daxes into her personality because she wasn't trained and just took less from Curzon. She had Tobin's neurotic streak and ended up with Jadzia's confident forward manner toward the end.

 

[kkt]

Now if you want a bad character, poorly developed, look at Leeta. Almost no backstory, most of her lines were "Oh, Rom!" Masterson did pretty well playing her, but she rarely got to do much besides be Rom's babe.

 

[Jedman67]

The ensemble just got too big in the end. If they were forced to kill off jadzia, they should have just let Dax go and elevate one of the recurring stars to regular. Nog had some pretty awful episodes but he grew a lot in the final 2 seasons. He could have been promoted to fill the gap. The final season spent waaaay too much time on the pah wraith subplot; that could have and should have been eliminated. Ditto for Section 32; as a one-off episode sure; but the whole Bashir and O'Brien hunting for the secret cure for Odo was too much. Vic Fontaine got too much screen time in the final season, he should have been reduced to one or two episodes.

Andrew Robinson should definitly have gotten more screen time, despite him being an enigma, Garak was the most interesting character on DS9, hands down.

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

I like Ezri. After Jadzia died, you knew Dax would be coming back, so introducing a new character in your final season and fleshing them out, whilst also trying to wrap up storylines is going to be a tough balance, but I think they did it well. Ezri wasn't just Jadzia 2.0, she was a character in her own right. She had a few focus episodes, as well as ensemble ones where she contributed, and a couple where she just had a line or two--she didn't dominate or take over the show, unlike on Voyager.

She helped show another side of the Trill and how she really relied upon the past lives to help her through the early days of her Joining, as well as Sisko (a Dax had been his mentor, then his friend, then he became Dax's mentor). Admittedly I wish they'd done something different with her and Worf (unless they'd gone with my last point below), but can't change that now. Plus we also got a counsellor wearing a uniform!

I do think it would've been interesting if they'd made the new Dax host male, with all the interpersonal issues that would've had (would Worf look past the sex and see the person he'd married?). Yes it would've left just one female main cast member, but they could've increased the amount of time Kasidy was on the station, not to mention storylines for Winn and the Female Changeling.

 

[doylem1]

I liked Ezri, it helped Nicole De Boar was so dam cute. But the character herself was interesting. This young woman having several lifetimes of memories and experience thrust upon her as she struggled to maintain her own identity. The only thing they did wrong regarding the Ezri character was introducing her so late into the series. But they didn't know Terry Farrell wasn't coming back for season 7 at the time.
I think a lot of people don't hate the character herself but the screen time it took to establish her taking time away from the Dominion War and possibly the Wynn and Dukat arc, which may have not needed to be so rushed.

 

[Anna Yolei]

I don't think it's fair to blame most of Season 7's development on Erzi's introduction. The show was juggling a LOT of things like Section 31, the one where Nog recovers from losing his leg, a lot of focus on Dukat becoming leader of a cult, to say nothing filler like the baseball episode, the Mirror Universe episode, or the casino heist. Which, I totally liked, but really could've been removed from the season entirely and nothing of value would've been lost...all of that would still made it in even if Terry Farrell stayed.

DS9 suffered less from filler-itis than other series, but it still suffered.

 

[Griffeytrek]

I never cared for the Ezri character. As other have said she felt forced. She felt like a TNG character. She would have much better fit the framing and setting and personality of that show. On DS9 she never seemed to fit with the mood and nature of the show. Especially by its darker 7th season. And the whole Ezri Worf Bashir triangle thing was just downright creepy. Two middle aged men and a schoolgirl? Are we sure Rodenberry was dead by this point? Because that feels like his handiwork?

And don't get me wrong. Nicole de Boer was fine in the role. She was the obligatory cute perky little moppet. No complaints there. It's just the nature and tone of the character felt wrong and out of place. Maybe if they had gone in a different direction with her? Played up that Dax was now suddenly Jakes age? Set something going in that way (hey Jake did like him the older womenz!) and watch Cisco trying to deal with his oldest friend. The "Old Man" dating his son, while the universe goes mad around him. That could have at least been fun. And avoided yet another regurgitation of the 23rd century "Everybody Loves Worf" show. (No seriously what's the deal there? When they run out of ideas they start pairing lead characters with Worf at every turn? Bleah!)

 

[Ds9Defiant1701]

I honestly liked Ezri some little more than Jadzia and it was the proof(exept Barclay) that people with high Stress still exist in this century. Honestly at first i was like if Dax survived who will be the new host? I was like they can't replace Jadzia like that no good actress can replace her then i saw Nicole DeBoer from Dead Zone i was like well maybe i was wrong. Finally she became one of my favorite character and honestly i could totally see her as the new captain in the 2017 series

 

[somebuddyX]

I remember liking Ezri way back when. I liked that she was a bit of a fuck-up and hoped she'd hook up with Jake.

 

[Iamnotspock]

Objectively, she is a terrible character.

Nope, that would be subjective.