Dr. Bashir and Quark on TNG, Your Thoughts?

[patlandness]

I'm speaking of their respective appearances on TNG in "Birthright, part I" and "Firstborn".

Did you like them? Did the TNG writers do them justice?

Just curious.

 

[Kegek]

Yes, and yes. I always thought it was neat that Armin Shimerman - who had appeared as one or two different Ferengi over TNG's run, including one of the first in "The Last Outpost" - would make his last TNG appearance as the definitive Ferengi, Quark. It's one of the better moments of a largely dull episode.

Likewise, "Birthright Part I" is also pretty dull, and the most fun stuff is the DS9 crossovers. Seeing Worf on the Promenade years before he became a regular on DS9 is a particular treat, as as LaForge and Crusher (who never appeared on DS9. Crusher's one of the few TNG regulars never to even appear on a subsequent show.) The interaction with Data and Bashir, though... well, it's obvious it was written for Dax. But I like Bashir better, so I'm fine with the scene.

As a fan of both TNG and DS9, though, I doubt I'm representative of the feelings of this board.

 

[Apogeal Alpha01]

I remember Birthright, and I thought Data's journey in cyber-dreaming pretty interesting. Worf's quest was great. But I don't remember either Dr Bashir or Quark playing siginificant or memorable roles. Hell, I don't even remember the station in that epp. It was a TNG show.

Why am I commenting?

 

[PKTrekGirl]

I've not seen either of those episodes in a long while...but I don't remember being crazy about either of them.

I don't remember hating them...but I don't remember being crazy about them either.

 

[Bill Morris]

I don't have that ep on tape, but I certainly remember Bashir's asking if Data's hair grew. That was fun, at least.

 

[Tralis]

Apogeal Alpha01 said:
I remember Birthright, and I thought Data's journey in cyber-dreaming pretty interesting. Worf's quest was great. But I don't remember either Dr Bashir or Quark playing siginificant or memorable roles. Hell, I don't even remember the station in that epp. It was a TNG show.

Why am I commenting?

Its been a very long time since I have seen that episode. What makes you say it was for Dax?

 

[Kegek]

^
Actually, I said that. I was going by Memory Alpha, which says Bashir's role in "Birthright Part I" was indeed written for Dax but Terry Farrell was too busy with DS9 so the role fell to Sidding El Fadil and was thus rewritten for Bashir. Think about it: The two science officers from each show teaming up. That was the basic idea.

Similarly, in DS9's second season episode "Crossover", the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance plot was largely an excuse to include a cameo by Worf. But Michael Dorn was busy with TNG, so some of his lins went to a new Klingon called Telok, and some to Garak.

Bashir was the only DS9 regular - besides future regular Worf - to appear in "Birthright". Quark appeared in a completely different episode, "Firstborn." Again, I believe this scene was written for Sisko (per the same source), but Brooks was busy and Shimerman got the job. Fancy that. Basically Riker and Quark have a bit of a chat over subspace, the Enterprise-D doesn't go back to DS9 again.

 

[Faldor]

I rewatched First Born recently, basically the Enterprise is trying to find the Duras sisters and find an episode guide that tells them they'd recently been on an episode of DS9, so they call them up and get... Quark?

I found Bashir on TNG to be a little out of character, but then I havent seen the earlier seasons in an age so that could be part of it

 

[Smiley]

They were both in character and helped move the episodes along. If I had been watching both shows as they aired, I would have loved these cameos.

 

[InklingStar]

As I watched TNG and DS9 chronologically from the beginning, it was a treat to see those cameo crossovers. It reinforced the idea that it was one big universe. Seeing Bashir on the Enterprise and the TNG crew on the Promenade and in the Replimat was fun.

 

[sbk1234]

I always felt they gave Bashir something to do to justify his being there, but Quark's appearance seemed more contrived to me. It just seemed to make more sense that the Enterprise crew would be interacting with the station's Starfleet personell, or at least the official Bajoran crew, than the bartender.

 

[nx1701g]

sbk1234 said:
I always felt they gave Bashir something to do to justify his being there, but Quark's appearance seemed more contrived to me.

If I recall correctly Quark's appearance made perfect sense in the episode. Riker contacted Quark for his blackmarket contacts and because Riker had a lot of Quark's latinum owed to him. Riker cancelled the debt for information and Quark would sell information for latinum even if it was a good customer. Remember a contract is a contract - but only between Ferengi.

 

[Crewman6]

I would say it's far from "obvious" the part was written for Dax.

Or at least they re-wrote it to perfectly tailor to Bashir. I loved his participation in "Birthright", he was his usual charming, occasionally a bit awkward self (as he was in the early seasons.) Not essential to the story, really, but great to see the crossover.

Hell, I love most cross-overs, anyway, and this one was well-done.

It did feel a bit odd that Riker would contact DS9 to talk to Quark, of all people. But, they wrote that to the character's strength. It makes sense that Quark would know the rumors and gossip more than Sisko.

A cute scene. Non-essential, obviously, but fun.

Hell, I wish TNG had more of 'em (and vice versa).

We should have had Geordi in "You Are Cordially Invited." Or Riker.

Alas....

 

[MeanJoePhaser]

Crewman6 said:
We should have had Geordi in "You Are Cordially Invited." Or Riker.

Alas....

Why not Deanna Troi, Worf's ex? Then instead of some Klingon ritual mumbo-jumbo, the episode can be about Worf's conflicted feelings.

Or not.