DS9.....Boring after a while?

[Eminence]

First of all, don't get me wrong or think I'm trolling......I used to LOVE LOVE LOVE DS9. It was by and far my favorite ST series for the longest time. I really thought it was the cat's meow..


But lately, I find that when I watch an episode, I find it predictable and boring. No longer does the threat of the Dominion hold any suspense, the relationship of the Bajorans and the Prophets hold any eon-old intrigue....now it's just, "oh yeah, I know what's coming next. Odyssey's gonna get blown up, Dominion's gonna take over the station, Odo's gonna end the war etc."


Have any of you noticed this, that DS9 suffers a rewatchability problem, even more so than Voyager or TNG? Of course, reruns are never quite as exciting as a first run episode, but I think that, because so much of DS9's initial appeal stemmed from the fact that it was serialized, and everything was working up to a big bang, that on subsequent views, it doesn't quite hold up as well. I've noticed that Voyager and TNG don't suffer from this fatigue nearly as much, probably because they didn't put all their eggs in the arc basket.

 

[number6]

Not really. In fact, seeing an episode with in one of the many story arcs the show had draws me back in to watch several episodes in one sitting.

TNG and VOY suffered more from bland and preachy plotlines.

DS9 still rocks on rewatching.

 

[misskim86]

I've never watched just a single episode of DS9 if I watch it I'm watching it in order, it's never boring

 

[NKemp3]

Eminence said:
First of all, don't get me wrong or think I'm trolling......I used to LOVE LOVE LOVE DS9. It was by and far my favorite ST series for the longest time. I really thought it was the cat's meow..


But lately, I find that when I watch an episode, I find it predictable and boring. No longer does the threat of the Dominion hold any suspense, the relationship of the Bajorans and the Prophets hold any eon-old intrigue....now it's just, "oh yeah, I know what's coming next. Odyssey's gonna get blown up, Dominion's gonna take over the station, Odo's gonna end the war etc."


Have any of you noticed this, that DS9 suffers a rewatchability problem, even more so than Voyager or TNG? Of course, reruns are never quite as exciting as a first run episode, but I think that, because so much of DS9's initial appeal stemmed from the fact that it was serialized, and everything was working up to a big bang, that on subsequent views, it doesn't quite hold up as well. I've noticed that Voyager and TNG don't suffer from this fatigue nearly as much, probably because they didn't put all their eggs in the arc basket.

First of all DS9 never place all of its eggs in one basket. Several non-Dominion plots and arc take place during the seven season run.

Secondly the stories are (mostly) so well done that they never get boring just as long as you don't watch them too many times (you can't get bored of anything if you are constantly re-watching it).

Last of all DS9 holds up better than TNG and VOY because DS9 during its broadcast was dipping its toes into the continuous arc/serial storytelling that the current most sophisticated dramas (BSG, The Wire, The Sopranos, Lost, etc) are mastering. Should include B5 too since it really got the ball rolling. Meanwhile TNG and VOY take the popular but simplistic CSI-style of storytelling with problems and conflicts and missions all being accomplished by the end of an episode.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Eminence said:
But lately, I find that when I watch an episode, I find it predictable and boring.

Yep. It's not aging well, and certainly not in terms of popularity.

 

[Ezri]

Starship Polaris said:

Eminence said:
But lately, I find that when I watch an episode, I find it predictable and boring.

Yep. It's not aging well, and certainly not in terms of popularity.

If you watch something over and over again I can understand why you would say it is so predictable. If I watch an American Civil War movie, it should be predictable that the south is going to lose the war. Now, if Grant was surrendering to Lee in Portland Main I would be more than a little shocked.

 

[Apogeal Alpha01]

With, I don't know, 10 - 15 times through the entire series, I pretty much know what's going to happen. But still, someone in the forum will point out something I missed in a scene, sometimes just a different take on the meaning of some dialog, event or character.

Without this forum and the many knowledgeable fans here, I'm sure I'd be bored with it by now. And what would be wrong with that?

How many books have you read several times?

 

[Kegek]

I'm currently rewatching it (up to "Family Business") and I think it holds up pretty okay. The continuity is actually a trifle tighter than I remembered, what with the repetitive references to Bashir's failed question in his medical exams ("Q-Less", "Distant Voices", "Family Business"), subtle hints about shifting galactic politics, and even the odd minor thread being picked up. This is something I'm used to on shows I watch now like Dexter and Jade, but those are serialised above and beyond anything DS9 did so I had assumed DS9 didn't have this attention to detail. One such example is that Odo mentions being found in the Deneiros belt in "Emissary", which means they were hinting at Odo having probably come through the wormhole from the Gamma Quadrant even before they bother to show the wormhole. I know they made this stuff up on the seat of their pants, I've read the Companion, but clearly most of the time they were trying to build on hints they'd already given to answers they did not as yet posess.

This said, I've noticed quite a bit of backtracking - Sisko's description of Garak as someone who never left the station and who avoided fellow Cardassians in "The Die is Cast" is contradicted on both counts in "Cardassians", and he seems to be just a de facto spy in "Past Prologue". Sisko alludes to an apparently deceased father in "The Assignment." Odo says that the Yridians were used by the Cardassians to ship weapons to the Bajorans in "The Maquis" when in fact the Kressari were the ones involved, and so on. The religious significance of Sisko's title of Emissary only becomes clear somewhere in S2 more or less, as if it's an afterthought - which it probably was.

Overall, it can be a trifle dull and plenty of episodes have their share of pointless scenes, but when it's good, it's good. The drama holds no surprises for me, but I'm loving watching it unfold.

Of course, I haven't rewatched DS9 as much as you. This is the first time through in half a decade.

 

[Ezri]

If I keep reading this tread it will get predictable and boring too.

 

[Navaros]

I absolutely totally strongly disagree with the idea stated in the original post. I've watched the DS9 series dozens of times and always find something new and fascinating each and every time. I could never get bored of DS9 even if I've seen every episode a million times.

Mainly with the nuances the many master actors give to everything they do on the DS9 show. Talking about characters like Garak, Weyoun, Dukat, Kai Winn, Quark, Odo, and many more...their performances are fascinatingly complex and require repeating viewings in order to come to notice and appreciate all the little nuances they layer into them.

Example: Sure you know that happens with the Feds and Dominion and all the plot, but did you notice the first couple of times you watched it how Weyoun is bowing politely to, nodding his head etc. to offscreen aliens while walking with and talking to Jake during the occupation? I sure didn't come to appreciate that the first couple of times simply because I was mesmerized by their conversation itself. It was only after having known their conversation word by word, that the other nuances to what Mr. Combs was doing there started to dawn on me. And stuff like that surely wasn't written into the script itself. But when you have a master actor like Jeffrey Combs on the show, it gets into the show anyways.

This is just one example of endless amounts to be found.

For TNG or VOY or ENT I would absolutely agree that they are boring and not rewatchable once you've seen it once or twice, because the plot/story is pretty much all they have making those shows interesting.

But not so with DS9. DS9 is one of the most rewatchable shows of all-time.

 

[exodus]

Watching anything repeatedly would make it predicable & boring.

 

[misskim86]

I think DS9 ages extremely well, you can even pick out political things that hapened well after the shows run that the show could be about. Even the effects are great.

DS9 is what got me to be a trek fan, TNG was nice and all but never really hooked me, although TNG is extremely good for what it is

 

[Ezri]

DS9 made me pic EZRI so I do not think of it as boring.

Well ... maybe I should be Hoshi and really be boring

 

[scottydog]

After repeated viewing of any episode from any series, the great episodes get even better, and the dreadful episodes become even more dreadful.

Also, upon many viewings, in order to prevent boredom, I find myself watching with more goals in mind than simply the goal of being entertained. I take note of the director's choices -- camera angles, lighting, editing. I critique the writing, the timing, the acting, much more so than when initially viewing the episode. Putting an hour-long episode together requires TONS of work, and I try to appreciate all the choices and work that goes into it.

 

[Kegek]

scottydog said:
I take note of the director's choices -- camera angles, lighting, editing.

Agreed. On that note, let me give a nod to Les Landau for 'Second Skin'. There's a very lovely shot where he frames Kira through the diagonal bars of the window, with Tekenny Ghemor off to the side. It's one of the show's more memorable visuals.

I think its largely static camera, symphonic scoring and bright yet somewhat darkened primary colour palette has also stood the test of time very well.

 

[Michael]

scottydog said:
Also, upon many viewings, in order to prevent boredom, I find myself watching with more goals in mind than simply the goal of being entertained. I take note of the director's choices -- camera angles, lighting, editing. I critique the writing, the timing, the acting, much more so than when initially viewing the episode. Putting an hour-long episode together requires TONS of work, and I try to appreciate all the choices and work that goes into it.

Navaros said:
Example: Sure you know that happens with the Feds and Dominion and all the plot, but did you notice the first couple of times you watched it how Weyoun is bowing politely to, nodding his head etc. to offscreen aliens while walking with and talking to Jake during the occupation? I sure didn't come to appreciate that the first couple of times simply because I was mesmerized by their conversation itself. It was only after having known their conversation word by word, that the other nuances to what Mr. Combs was doing there started to dawn on me. And stuff like that surely wasn't written into the script itself. But when you have a master actor like Jeffrey Combs on the show, it gets into the show anyways.

I couldn't agree more.

 

[NKemp3]

Starship Polaris said:

Eminence said:
But lately, I find that when I watch an episode, I find it predictable and boring.

Yep. It's not aging well, and certainly not in terms of popularity.

Actually its aging very well because the sets still look great and will for the next 20 years because of its alien look (the same can't be said about TNG in which for the past ten years that bridge has looked like an overlit lounge---which is why in the movies they gave it a new design and used dimmed lighting). And its storylines have a maturity and darkness to them that, frankly, matches our times. No other modern Trek can say the same.

As for its lack of popularity...please tell me what Trek show has grown in popularity for the past ten years after their run was over? All of Trek has taken a huge hit in terms of popularity and relevance.

 

[Ezri]

Would have to say after thinking it over ... yes DS9 is boring ... gets the anti-depressent ... DS9 is boring ... everyone keep away from sharp objects as you may want to cut yourself if you are a DS9 fan

 

[Trekzilla3k]

DS9 never bores me
and I even like VOY reruns

 

[Cyclopean]

^^VOY's good dumb fun.

DS9? I gave up on it when they added Worf way back when, so I've never seen the war or any of that good stuff.

My friends say it was great, blah blah blah... I gave it another try... It bored the hell out of me when I DVRed it, so I don't bother anymore.

I can live without it.