Does anyone else cry at the end of Hard Time...

[tomalak301]

Or am I just a sentimentalist who is easy to please. I watched this episode tonight, (I decided it was time to return to watching some DS9 since I haven't seen Seasons 5 or 6 in a long time but I stopped in Season 4 and need to finish that first) and man everyone talks about how great The Visitor is, Season 4 had another emotional episode that often get's overlooked. The episode builds and builds, and then we get to when O'Brien is about to commit suicide (Something Star Trek in the past would never consider) and Julian stops him, that's got to be one of the most heart-wrenching scenes in the entire franchise.

In doing a search for this episode (I do that on occasion, search the episode I just watched to see other reactions to it) one common complaint was this episode was never addressed again. Well, I have two things to say regarding that.

1) Why would this episode need to be addressed again? We saw it really all in this one, the aftermath of the imprisonment and how he is going to get through it. We're left with him going to see councelors (I honestly think this could have been a good one for Marina to make an appearance but I digress) and taking the medicine. I think having another episode going through all that again would have really de-valued this one. Now I can see maybe a passing mention (Kind of like with Picard, The Inner Light, Fistful of Datas and Lessons) but that's really all. I'm not going to hold this episode and how outstanding it was back because it was never mentioned again.

2) If people really do hold this episode back because there was no mention, why does an episode like To the Death get a free pass. In that episode one of the Pylons is absolutely destroyed. Yet in the very next episode, DS9 pulls a Voyager and there is no scratch on any part of the station. There's no mention of any Dominion attack, and the show goes on it's marry way, yet that episode is on a lot of people's great episode lists. I see a small, yet noticeable double-standard here.

 

[Borgminister]

Definitely a powerful episode. What great chemistry those two actors had together...

 

[Joeman]

I think that some of the more hardcore fans may have felt that the effects of that ordeal would have been a bit longer lasting. You see how some people break these shows down around here, as it's more of a hobby than just a show to them. I can see where they're coming from, but I never gave it much thought myself. People just seem to get over things faster on TV shows. However, Picard had some lasting effects from his Borg experience, and it was brought up a few times on down the road, so there is some precedent for bringing up the point.

That being said, I get tears in my eyes during Star Trek more than I'd generally care to admit. I'm sure Hard Time brought on some mist, though I don't recall specifically. Fantastic episode.

P.S. You should see me watching It's Only A Paper Moon, Voyager's Tuvix, or Enterprise's Similitude. I practically get dehydrated. No way would I allow myself to watch those with any friends around. Sheesh!

 

[Magnum]

The only Star Trek episode that ever gave me so much as misty eyes was The Visitor.

On the other hand, Chief O'Brien was made to suffer. It's his lot in life.

 

[Navaros]

1) Why would this episode need to be addressed again? 2) If people really do hold this episode back because there was no mention, why does an episode like To the Death get a free pass. In that episode one of the Pylons is absolutely destroyed. Yet in the very next episode, DS9 pulls a Voyager and there is no scratch on any part of the station. There's no mention of any Dominion attack, and the show goes on it's marry way, yet that episode is on a lot of people's great episode lists. I see a small, yet noticeable double-standard here.

1. Because the entire premise of the episode is that O'Brien is psychologically wrecked. Yet if his problems can be erased with a quick little speech from Bashir followed by a promise to attend counselilng, it completely undermines and makes a joke out of that whole premise. Having it mentioned as a throwaway line would also make it a joke. O'Brien should have continued to have performance issues throughout other episodes, without it being a main plot line again. I.e. in the same way they developed Rom's engineer career as a side plot without devoting an episode to it. The scene you mentioned is especially not heart-wrenching to people who have seen the whole series, because the problem magically goes away by the end of the episode rather than a solution to it being earned through good storytelling in subsequent episodes as it the alleged gravity that the episode presents demands.

2. To the Death is an entertaining episode but has nowhere near enough meaningful content to make it great. I never even noticed the thing that you talked about there, but presuming what you said it true, yeah, they should have done that better.

 

[indolover]

lol.. it's just another "torture O'Brien" episode. I think the writers must have had a credo that "O'Brien must suffer!" in an episode every season.

I think the best ever O'Brien episode was not even in DS9, but The Wounded in TNG. I guess if anything, it gave us grounding in Miles being a soldier, which i guess is why the writers in DS9 always found means to make an episode where he is hurt.

 

[Bones2]

I'm not sure I cried at it (I don't cry at much really), but I found it very moving. Definitely one of my favourite Star Trek episodes of all, and an example of the show at its best. It takes advantage of the sci-fi element and creates a situation where we get emotionally involved. Big favourite of mine, perhaps more than The Visitor.

 

[Lee T]

I didn't cry but yep, O'Brien's lot combined with Meaney's acting skills always combined in powerful experiences. The scene in Tribunal, for exemple, were he explains to Odo how he tries to live each day as the best guy he can be, a man his wife and daughter can respect, is carved in my brain.

 

[Too Much Fun]

I remember the first time I saw this episode and realized it was sort of an evil version of "The Inner Light" and thinking that was such a brilliant twist. DS9 only ever brought tears to my eyes during the Jadzia/Worf wedding and the series finale montage, but the scene with O'Brien and Bashir in this one really moved me.

To the Death is an entertaining episode but has nowhere near enough meaningful content to make it great.

It's hard to be the lone "To The Death" fanboy. It's my second favourite episode after "Trials and Tribble-Ations" and what I call the best 'pure' DS9 episode because it works beautifully without having to resort to some kind of gimmick (like other favourites such as my number 1 or "His Way" and "Take Me Out to the Holosuite" to give it a novelty). It's just a terrific story with solid writing that gives so many of the characters great moments in dialogue and interaction.

 

[RandyS]

No, I didn't cry, but I agree, It's a powerful episode.