Were the Dominion War episodes good for Star Trek in general, were the episodes written to try and get better ratings for the series?
James
James
Dominion War
- Thread starter James Wright
- Start date
The DW was the best thing that ever happened in Trek.
Absolutely true!
The Dominion and the Dominion War is the masterstroke that puts DS9 head and shoulders above every other Trek show. Along with many other things too, but the Dominion/Dominion War is one excellent tangible building block in that achievement.And no, they weren't written to try to get better ratings. Behr et. al had to fight tooth and nail to do the the Dominion War at all. Berman was vehemently opposed to it and when he finally agreed to allow it, he wanted the whole entire war over in 4 episodes at the very maximum. The fact that we got as much Dominion War as we did in the DS9 series just goes to show how dedicated the showrunners were to fighting against Berman's status quo of no-conflict Trek in order to make a high-quality show. Likewise, Berman was also vehemently opposed to serialization but they still put as much of it into DS9 as they could despite his opposition, which also ties into why the Dominion War is amazing and DS9 is the best Trek show.
The DS9 showmakers wrote those episodes because they knew it makes for great television, not because they were trying to get higher ratings.
If you want to know something that was done to get higher ratings, it was TPTB (Berman level and higher) adding Worf and Klingons to the show in Season 4; several of the players in DS9 have admitted that that was done solely to increase ratings.
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I wouldn't say it was done for ratings (as it's been reported Berman wanted them to wrap it up quickly in S7 when they actually made it a 11 episode arc). But rather as it's good storytelling.
I'd say it was good for Star Trek, to the point where they tried something similiar in the 3rd Season of Enterprise (a multi-episode foreground major war arc).
I'd say it was good for Star Trek, to the point where they tried something similiar in the 3rd Season of Enterprise (a multi-episode foreground major war arc).
It was good for me as a viewer, although it might have had a negative effect on Trek overall due to how divisive it was at the time. Frankly, I don't care. I'd rather two seasons of engaging and compelling Trek over an entire series of the "safe" stuff that Voyager mostly produced.
I'll be the minority voice. I kinda lost interest in DS9 with the coming of the Dominion.
I think the Dominion War was good for trek. There were some great stories that came as a result of the conflict, and it really gave the universe a chance to expand. Part of the attraction of sci-fi in general is the neat technology that writers have the chance to develop.....and it was certainly nice to see all of the different types of ships from several different races. I don't think this point is any bigger than several others which made DS9 a great show and the Dominion War a very worthy story....but we got a chance to see a lot more of the technology because of it.
Yes.
Now the Trekkie peaceniks might not have liked it but most of the remainder of prolly liked it to loved it.
DS9 painted war in its glory and horror w/out being preachy. I loved it. It showed that sometimes you have to fight for what you believe in and there are dreaded costs-lives and treasure
I don't know how war was avoided w/the Romulans w/all the shit they pulled during TNG
Now the Trekkie peaceniks might not have liked it but most of the remainder of prolly liked it to loved it.
DS9 painted war in its glory and horror w/out being preachy. I loved it. It showed that sometimes you have to fight for what you believe in and there are dreaded costs-lives and treasure
I don't know how war was avoided w/the Romulans w/all the shit they pulled during TNG
Berman was just trying to protect the franchise, DS9 continually lost viewers over its run while TNG maintained or grew its audience, so it makes sense on some level to try and make DS9 be more like TNG. Of course, that's what was happening on Voyager yet their ratings were declining too.
Berman also saw himself as the protector of Gene Roddenberry's vision, and that vision didn't include war or groups like Section 31. For example, Memory Alpha has this to say about TNG's Gambit:
Berman also saw himself as the protector of Gene Roddenberry's vision, and that vision didn't include war or groups like Section 31. For example, Memory Alpha has this to say about TNG's Gambit:
He wasn't the sort of guy that was happy with attempts to break out of the "Roddenberry box". I don't agree with Berman on that and think Trek would have been better creatively without him, but he is not the bogeyman that some make him out to be.
Episodic stories doesn't automatically have to mean "anomoly of the week."
Does anyone else feel that Berman having a bust of Roddenberry staring at him in his office is kind of weird?
Indeed.Tell that to the Voyager writing staff
Harry: Tuvok, I'm picking an unusual reading off the starboard aprox 2million kilometers
Tuvok: Can you identify?
Harry: No, but its emitting temperatures over 200 degrees Kelvin....
Chakotay: Capt to the bridge
Janeway: What's goin on?
Chakotay: Picked up yet another anonymous reading-this appears the 15th
this month
Janeway: I'm on my way
(shot of sickbay....Doctor....now 7 how's that new orgasmatron I implanted in your inguinal area........... 7 of 9: It was quite adequate doctor)
Janeway: Harry report
Tuvok interrupting Harry: scans show a large cylindrical shaped anamoly aprox 70 meters in height by 32 meters in width...filled w/a hot liquid...organic in nature.
Janeway: Red alert,...Tuvok charge phasers.....arm photon torpedoes....
Tuvok: may I remind the captain that we only have 22 left
Janeway: you mean 83 don't you Tuvok
Tuvok: no I mean 22
Chakotay: I'll go down and count!
Janeway: Do it! You're a good friend Chakotay!
Harry: My scans show that the object is a large coffee cup, filled w/ coffee
Janeway: What?! I'm beaming over to investigate this myself
Chakotay
sensing it was time for their episodic argument) Katherine, it...might....be dangerous........Janeway: me danger are old allies Chakotay...but you're a good friend
Janeway:beam me me over....
Tuvok: Tuvok to Janeway...are you OK?
Janeway: ..........I think we've found heaven or nirvana.......you know that place I never believed in
Chakotay: Katherine, will you require cream and sugar?
Janeway: (chuckling) no Chakotay I like it black, but you're a good friend!
Tuvok: (thinking) she never said that directly to me
Doctor: Doctor to Janeway.....
Janeway: go ahead doc
Doctor: I have prepared a strong sedative for you when you arrive back on Voyager, you will need a your fling w/the roaming coffee cup
Janeway: .........mmmmmmm, ooooooooo, mmmmmmm
Doctor: Captain?
Janeway: doc.....belay that order I gave you for that gizmo implantation like 7's.....this'll do me just fine................
I found the Dominion War episodes comforting in a way. That's not to say I love war or anything...it's just that whenever it became obvious that an episode would be focused on the war, I could almost always rely on it to be a solid one.
Unlike a lot of people here, none of my personal favourite episodes are Dominon War ones as I tend to favour more 'standalone' stories, but I still found Dominion War episodes generally a guarantee of quality TV.
In the war arcs at the start of seasons 6 and 7, I found almost every episode among the most engaging in the whole run of the series, with a few exceptions like "Sons and Daughters", "Behind the Lines", and all the Winn/Dukat stuff in the "The Final Chapter".
Unlike a lot of people here, none of my personal favourite episodes are Dominon War ones as I tend to favour more 'standalone' stories, but I still found Dominion War episodes generally a guarantee of quality TV.
In the war arcs at the start of seasons 6 and 7, I found almost every episode among the most engaging in the whole run of the series, with a few exceptions like "Sons and Daughters", "Behind the Lines", and all the Winn/Dukat stuff in the "The Final Chapter".
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