Article: "To Boldly Stay: How Deep Space Nine Upended Star Trek by Exposing Utopia's Dark Side"

[Aragorn]

New article written about DS9 that was published on io9 today called "To Boldly Stay: How Deep Space Nine Upended Star Trek by Exposing Utopia's Dark Side." Always nice to see something new being written about DS9. Here's the opening paragraph:

If you could condense Star Trek into one core principle, you’d probably choose “to boldly go,” the grand quest that has been the mandate of all Star Trek TV shows—except one. Riding the warp-trail of the groundbreaking Next Generation, Deep Space Nine first premiered 25 years ago, and the new show chose not to boldly go, but to boldly stay, with the story focusing on life aboard a space station. For many fans this seemed far too static, and the show faced a lot of criticism during its time on air. Yet Deep Space Nine only becomes more relevant as the years go by, as the series had a lot to say about the complacency of utopia—and there are many lessons within the show’s seven seasons that we still desperately need to learn, especially if we’re ever going to seek out new life among the stars.

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

Well I've got my reading for this evening sorted!

I love how as time goes by more people seem to realise just how great this show was/is, soon all shall be converted as Niners

 

[Braxton]

This came up on my alerts last night and I read it. Very cool read and their ideas for how to approach the show. I am excited to see what the documentary will be like.

 

[Relayer1]

....soon all shall be converted as Niners

Resistance us futile...

 

[Bad Thoughts]

At the very least, most will concede that DS9 did more with the ideas of the franchise than the other series.

 

[Balok's Decoy]

A solid article addressing a key theme in DS9. The show is a powerful deconstruction of what Trekkies take for granted about the Trek universe. Now I just want to rewatch the whole thing again.

 

[Chuckles]

As someone once said, it's easy to be a saint in paradise!!

 

[BillJ]

Babylon 5 shreds DS9 when it comes to storytelling.

 

[Gibberish]

Babylon 5 shreds DS9 when it comes to storytelling.

What a helpful comment this is.

(For the record, I really enjoy B5 as well, just finished a rewatch of the whole thing last year, but it is not the be all, end all of great TV storytelling that some people make it out to be.)

 

[Bad Thoughts]

Lord of the Rings shreds DS9 when it comes to storytelling.

FTFY

 

[BillJ]

(For the record, I really enjoy B5 as well, just finished a rewatch of the whole thing last year, but it is not the be all, end all of great TV storytelling that some people make it out to be.)

You are right that it isn't the end all, be all of storytelling. But, it still shreds DS9. I'm just tired of hearing how great DS9 is. Reading this board, you would think they created serialized drama.

 

[MakeshiftPython]

You are right that it isn't the end all, be all of storytelling. But, it still shreds DS9. I'm just tired of hearing how great DS9 is. Reading this board, you would think they created serialized drama.

Likely because DS9 was a nice progressive step for Trek television storytelling, but I think there is a lot more appreciation for certain 90s TV shows these days because they were pioneering serialized storytelling on television which set the stage for later shows in the 2000s to refine that format.

 

[Triskelion]

I like DS9 despite Behr's somewhat backhanded ridicule of fandom - and multi-cultural heritages - in making a mundane captain into a "god". As a story it's fine, engaging, worthy of investing one's time and attention, and it pays off nicely. It is a deserving refinement of Trek's fledgling TNG forays; and it is written, produced and acted excellently!

Unfortunately I can't hold Hollywood with the same holy regard they believe us to hold their fake characters and celebrities. Entertainment isn't worship.

 

[Nakita Akita]

From my perspective DS9 is more what the majority of people would be living.
C'mon, the Federation flag ship!
Don't get me wrong, I absolutely adore TNG. But that's a story of about 900 (6) people out of billions and billions of people.

For me television is escapism. Like an old kid, I want it to be Me, there doing that.
Okay sure I want to boldly go with Picard on the flagship, but in reality, as more of a 'Jake' level and type of student, sadly, I don't think they would let me on the flagship.

DeepSpace nine is for those of us that like to dream, but in a realistic fashion.

Utopia? Doesn't that actually mean "unobtainable"?
For me utopia is free food, free place to live, free medical plus the freedom to basically do and go wherever you want.

 

[Gary7]

I struggled with the "soap opera" quality of the show, with many episodes spent thoroughly exploring characters to the point of boredom. I didn't indulge in it when it aired. It would be years later that I'd give it a chance, with a rather painful gap in subsequent Star Trek productions (post Enterprise). And I have to say, I'm very glad this series was made AND on a space station. The static nature of the environment was remedied in time, especially with the addition of the Defiant. Brilliant move. There's so much to like about this series. Granted, not an ideal evolution... as I think they made some mistakes along the way. But no series is perfect. And besides, it's important to have a contrast. My only major gripes are what they did with Dukhat, the Odo-Kira love story, Bashir's genetic engineering superiority, and the reliance on the prophets for "easy solutions." I think they could have done better in these respects. But, I'd rather have what we got than if DS9 never existed.

 

[Prax]

I don't think DS9 portrayed the Federation negatively. I liked how they portrayed Starfleet (unless those Starfleeters happen to be Vulcans). I even liked Sloan, and was sort of on his side in episodes like "Inter Arma." There really weren't any badmirals on DS9, as opposed to several on TNG.

Something related to this topic that bothers me are a few of Sisko's actions(mainly written by Peter Allen Fields), how fans glorify them, and that there were never any consequences for them; essentially justifying those actions.

 

[Tenacity]

The show is a powerful deconstruction of what Trekkies take for granted about the Trek universe.

In some ways DS9 was a reconnection with the universe of TOS' Star Trek, a imperfect universe where things don't usually go as planned.

A walkway around Picard's fantasy-bubble of evolved humans who have the best of everything waiting at their finger tips.