As a character-driven series that worked hard to develop its characters, and also developed a seriously large landscape, DS9 was smaart enough to pair and/or link certain characters with one another, in a way that repeatedly yielded great drama, pathos, humor and subtle truths. Sisko and Jadzia, Kira and Odo, Garak and Bashir, Odo and Quark - we saw these pairings often, and enjoyed them because the actors worked so well together, and the writers wrote so well for them.
Sometimes, though, the writers would pair two or more characters who we DIDN'T often see together throughout the series, and place them in situations where they had to work togethers, either out of professional duty (i.e they were under orders), or by dint of circumstance (something catastrophic or dangerous occurred).
These episodes, IMO, were often just as satisfying as the regular pairings, and gave our characters a chance to even further develop and expand. Some examples inlude: Kira and Bashir in "Crossover", Sisko and Quark in "The Jem Hadar", Worf and Garak in "In Purgatory's Shadow/By Inferno's Light", Bashir and Jake in "Nor The Battle to the Strong", and Garak and O'Brien in "Empok Nor".
For me, the bset of these were Worf and Garak in "In Purgatory's Shadow/By Inferno's Light". I never, ever imagined Worf and Garak being paired together, but when they had scenes together, I found that I was dazzled. Watching Worf, who is so committed to the concept of honor that he is irritated and disgusted by Garak, but must follow his assignment, and Garak, who's always a character with complicated motivations and uncertain priorities, was pure enjoyment, in the category of "too good to have missed".
Second, would be Bashir and Jake in "Nor The Battle to the Strong". For once, Bashir got to be the experienced, less naive one, who had to help the younger, "green", and ultimately unprepared student.
So, which episodes with non-traditional pairings do you think were the best? And which pairings would you have liked to seen more of?
Sometimes, though, the writers would pair two or more characters who we DIDN'T often see together throughout the series, and place them in situations where they had to work togethers, either out of professional duty (i.e they were under orders), or by dint of circumstance (something catastrophic or dangerous occurred).
These episodes, IMO, were often just as satisfying as the regular pairings, and gave our characters a chance to even further develop and expand. Some examples inlude: Kira and Bashir in "Crossover", Sisko and Quark in "The Jem Hadar", Worf and Garak in "In Purgatory's Shadow/By Inferno's Light", Bashir and Jake in "Nor The Battle to the Strong", and Garak and O'Brien in "Empok Nor".
For me, the bset of these were Worf and Garak in "In Purgatory's Shadow/By Inferno's Light". I never, ever imagined Worf and Garak being paired together, but when they had scenes together, I found that I was dazzled. Watching Worf, who is so committed to the concept of honor that he is irritated and disgusted by Garak, but must follow his assignment, and Garak, who's always a character with complicated motivations and uncertain priorities, was pure enjoyment, in the category of "too good to have missed".
Second, would be Bashir and Jake in "Nor The Battle to the Strong". For once, Bashir got to be the experienced, less naive one, who had to help the younger, "green", and ultimately unprepared student.
So, which episodes with non-traditional pairings do you think were the best? And which pairings would you have liked to seen more of?
