Anyone else impressed by how they handled Ezri?

[Sam_I_Am]

I mean, it must be hard difficult to introduce a character for the final season of such a complex show.

But they managed to give Ezri:
- great development without too much focus. Still don’t know how she manages to be one of the most developed characters despite being on one season that was most focused on the war
- some great episodes focusing on her (sans Prodigal Daughter
- a unique personality that didn’t undermine Jadzia’s legacy
- great interactions with the remaining DS9 cast, especially Sisko, Bashir, Worf, and Garak
- enough screen time that she could come into her own without detracting from the finalisation of the series arcs of the other main characters
- a unique sense of humour that added to the show (I love her stealing the runabout and mimicking static)
- the chance to allow Worf to grow, eventually letting her remain a member of the House of Martok (and her great argument that Worf was the most honourable Klingon she knew and what that meant if he was just going to allow Gowron to remain corrupt and send Martok on quasi-suicide missions just for a vendetta).
- sole great comedy moments like her space sickness and struggles dealing with her past hosts
- the same status of any full 7-season character: we felt we knew her just as well
- with all we learn about Trill transitions/customs, it did feel like we should learn about that, ie seeing it in actions

 

[Bad Thoughts]

I think Ezri's presence was positive, but uneven. The character worked best when fitting into the social life of the station, especially as Worf's ex. However, they didn't use the character well as a professional. There is only one episode in which she plays the therapist, but mostly as a pretext to reveal her inner dialogue. Toward the end of the season, she is just younger Jadzia, on the bridge, doing tactical stuff. (yes, she inherited Jadzia's skills, but another officer could have taken the position.)

 

[BillJ]

No.

 

[AntonyF]

Yeah I like her, and think overall she's good.

She was probably a bit of a blessing for them. The writers said they were pretty burnt out by that time and having someone new gave them something new to write about and a new impetus in the final season. So a lot of those positive derive from that - that she was a gift to the writers for a fresh angle.

 

[fireproof78]

Ezri is definitely an interesting character, and by the end of the season she feels more integrated with the crew despite one season of development.

 

[XCV330]

I like how they handled Ezri, for the most part. Ezri was allowed to be a character in her own right rather than Jadzia’s “remember how cool I USED to be” baggage which, between that and uneven relationships, she never climbed out from under
.

 

[Tosk]

(yes, she inherited Jadzia's skills, but another officer could have taken the position.)

Another officer did take Jadzia's position. Jadzia was the pilot, Ezri was not. She was on communications.

 

[Bad Thoughts]

Another officer did take Jadzia's position. Jadzia was the pilot, Ezri was not. She was on communications.

More generally speaking as a bridge officer.

 

[Tallguy]

I've said elsewhere that I think that (by accident) Ezri completes the Trill storyline for the audience. After six seasons of Jadzia we get to go through what Sisko went through and what Worf will go through.

 

[kkt]

Toward the end of the season, she is just younger Jadzia, on the bridge, doing tactical stuff. (yes, she inherited Jadzia's skills, but another officer could have taken the position.)

If they'd introduced another officer to fill out the bridge crew they would have needed a backstory... or been just a mystery costar with no interest at all.

 

[somebuddyX]

I kind of like what they did with Ezri. I don't like they were able to just shove the slug into Ezri without any ramifications for Trill culture that someone who never trained to be joined got a free slug. It's also a bit weird she just up and leaves her life on her ship and never goes back. Isn't there some taboo of Trills going hanging out with their old friends? They made a whole episode about it! How was Sisko/Dax able to get away with that twice? I also don't really care for her and Worf or her and Bashir or even Jadzia and Worf for that matter. Nicole did a good job though.

 

[Oddish]

I think that...
1. They shouldn't have killed off Jadzia in the first place. It was not a good time to bring in a whole new character, with one season left to go and the action cycling up.
2. Ezri as a character had considerable potential, which was wasted by the needs of the series. Having a Trill who wasn't vetted, wasn't trained, wasn't precisely matched with their symbiont, and was dealing with serious neurosis as a result... there was potential.
3. I agree that it seemed overly contrived to have Ezri operating a station on the Defiant and carrying a rifle into battle just like Jadzia would have.
4. Worf had already lost one love... did he really need to lose another?
5. Ezri + Bashir = meh

 

[Poltargyst]

I think that...
1. They shouldn't have killed off Jadzia in the first place. It was not a good time to bring in a whole new character, with one season left to go and the action cycling up.
4. Worf had already lost one love... did he really need to lose another?

Sometimes real life interferes in the making of tv shows.

 

[kkt]

I think that...
1. They shouldn't have killed off Jadzia in the first place. It was not a good time to bring in a whole new character, with one season left to go and the action cycling up.
2. Ezri as a character had considerable potential, which was wasted by the needs of the series. Having a Trill who wasn't vetted, wasn't trained, wasn't precisely matched with their symbiont, and was dealing with serious neurosis as a result... there was potential.
3. I agree that it seemed overly contrived to have Ezri operating a station on the Defiant and carrying a rifle into battle just like Jadzia would have.
4. Worf had already lost one love... did he really need to lose another?
5. Ezri + Bashir = meh

1. was really out of the show's hands. Can't blame the show or the writers.
2. I think they did use her potential pretty well. This was a chance to show a freshly joined Trill who hadn't had enough training, and thus a greater than usual period of confusion.
3. Ezri was a Starfleet officer which presumably includes at least some small arms training.
4. People get killed sometimes. Grief is the price you pay for love.
5. Agreed. Allowing Ezri to go to work on DS9, maybe that's allowed, but dating someone who Jazdia dated besides? Come on. Besides, they had lousy chemistry.

 

[Oddish]

Sometimes real life interferes in the making of tv shows.

They could have managed it by simply having Dax appear in fewer episodes. There was no need to take the nuclear option.

 

[Tosk]

They could have managed it by simply having Dax appear in fewer episodes. There was no need to take the nuclear option.

That wasn't an option because it was decided by the studio that Farrell could not be a part-timer.

In this case "real life interference" was the Powers That Be.

Allowing Ezri to go to work on DS9, maybe that's allowed, but dating someone who Jazdia dated besides?

When were Jadzia and Julian dating?

 

[Oddish]

In this case "real life interference" was the Powers That Be.

Regardless of who, I think it was bad for the show and ruined a great potential character by not giving her time for actual development. I consider killing off Dax one of DS9's four major missteps. Considering that I point out over 30 on VOY, that's not bad.

 

[Tosk]

Regardless of who, I think it was bad for the show and ruined a great potential character by not giving her time for actual development. I consider killing off Dax one of DS9's four major missteps.

With the behind-the-scenes fracas done and Farrell leaving the show, the writers could only kill Jadzia or say that she just went somewhere else for the final season.

I'm eternally glad they went with option 1.

 

[Oddish]

And I agree to disagree.

 

[Tosk]

You'd prefer that another character said, "Jadzia was reassigned"?