A few months ago, i was kind of "re-discovering" YouTubeTV, with all its "remember when this happened" glory. From old episodes of The Cosby Show and Family Ties to watching the opening credits to Dynasty and even Charlie's Angels, I was deep in the well of this tool from Computer Heaven. My favorite thing to watch, of course, was Trek, with particular emphasis on DS9. Depending on my particular inspiration and curiosity for that night ("Jake? Kira and Odo? Dukat confronts Sisko", etc.?) i was able to view a critical mass of what remains to this day my favorite series ever. The experience almost approached watching them in first-run, except i often chose not to watch them in order (sorry).
While not every episode was available, plenty of "mundane", and quieter character/issue/plot episodes were available, and reminded of how well DS9 grew and developed over time. Well, upon my recent attempts to replicate this experience, i found that overwhelmingly, the critical mass of DS9 material was, stupidly, tributes to the war, its lead up, extended battle montages, with maybe a few "cool" non-war specific moments thrown in (Worf's snapping of Weyoun's neck, for example, and of certain Garak innuendoes and "badass Sisko" moments of course). I do think there were some of the usual fanwank episodes preserved in the over thousand "videos" (please people, for the love of all that is good, DO NOT mix a ds9 episode with music from Foreigner or Coldplay. Have mercy, please.) - "Duet", "The Visitor", "Far Beyond The Stars", and of course, "WYLB", but one has to dig through countless videos of the aforementioned war and battle and sexy war lead up footage to even find these. And the way these creators of these montages tout this, with a kind of unrestrained "oooh look how cool euphoria" in their text induced some serious rolleye activity on my part.
Which begs the question, why all the emphasis on war? Note that i see this as an ever-common sentiment around these parts as well, that DS9 was good b/c either it was ABOUT war, or that its pursuit of a previously unexplored path of an ongoing war was a direct subversion of all that TNG-uber Roddenberry Trek was about, and that, by definition, makes DS9 "kewl". Added to that, for instance, is the sentiment, that Seasons 6 and 7 should have been a complete, all-war arc, and that many of the stand alone eps. that "interrupt" the war - as if these characters have nothing else worthwhile going on in their lives - were "jarring", "unnecessary", and symptomatic of a lack of courage on the part of the writers and producers.
The thing is, when i watched DS9 in its most of its first-run from mid-Season 3 through the finale, i dont remember watching DS9 like that, as if i was just watching for the next war intrigue/morally grey action and/or political episode. Those were great, but I remember falling in love with the characters, the uniqueness and possibilities of the setting(s), the skillful ways that the writers would show and not tell us what is "the good", or at least "the possible good", the way the show truly incorporated Trekkian values while also raising questions about previous assumptions, and even watching the show fulfill Sisko's words in "Emissary" that the characters explore their lives, everyday. I remember really being into episodes like "Destiny", "Accession", and "Rapture", as well "Children of Time", "Facets", "Defiant", "Explorers", "A Simple Investigation", "Dr. Bashir, I Presume" and "Business As Usual". As goofy as some them were, lighthearted comedy romps like "Looking for Par'mach", "You are Cordially Invited", and "The Magnificient Ferengi" always managed to put a smile on my face and even a nice warm, glow in my cold heart
. I really dug "The Assignment", "Empok Nor" and "Rejoined", non of which were about the war. And of course, "FBTS", while informed by Sisko's momentary despair during the war, covered a much bigger canvas than that.
These were all part of the DS9 journey for me, and made the character, and show, an extremely rich and rewarding journey through a particular point in time and place in the stars. THIS WAS NOT ALL ABOUT THE WAR.
The war, in my opinion, was one leg on the journey - a very transformative and informative leg, albeit, but one leg nonetheless. And i dont think this two year conflict could have been as rich overall if DS9 had not had so many previous non-war episodes as well as the "stand alone interruptions" during the war that reminded us of the essential "humanity" (or stand-in humanity, whatever) of all these characters.
DS9 WAS NOT ROME, or nuBSG, or even The Wire. It was NOT some cable TV show about showing an ongoing, sexy canvas of constant war, nastiness, or the worst of human depravity. It readily acknowledged that those existed, and that they may even pose constant challenges, act as a frequent Newton's Law - for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. It acknowledged that these may sometimes cast a heavy shadow, a pall over characters who otherwise constantly attempt to do good and engage in self-improvement. It put to the challenge many of the somewhat more trite presumptions of TNG/VOY trek. And it showed how opposing forces may eventually leave no choice but to forcefully opposed, even in a military fashion. But in the end, DS9 was about a group of persons who are forced both by ideals and circumstance to pursue higher good, to act courageously for the good, often by forging previously unthinkable paths and relationships (Klingons and Feds, for instance, or Quark as part of the resistance movement during the six parter) and had their core values tested, tried and stretched. It truly was about the journey, not the destination.
So then I have to ask, why the reduction, by both naysayers and especially the current crop of fans, of DS9 as "the war show?". Am i missing something?
While not every episode was available, plenty of "mundane", and quieter character/issue/plot episodes were available, and reminded of how well DS9 grew and developed over time. Well, upon my recent attempts to replicate this experience, i found that overwhelmingly, the critical mass of DS9 material was, stupidly, tributes to the war, its lead up, extended battle montages, with maybe a few "cool" non-war specific moments thrown in (Worf's snapping of Weyoun's neck, for example, and of certain Garak innuendoes and "badass Sisko" moments of course). I do think there were some of the usual fanwank episodes preserved in the over thousand "videos" (please people, for the love of all that is good, DO NOT mix a ds9 episode with music from Foreigner or Coldplay. Have mercy, please.) - "Duet", "The Visitor", "Far Beyond The Stars", and of course, "WYLB", but one has to dig through countless videos of the aforementioned war and battle and sexy war lead up footage to even find these. And the way these creators of these montages tout this, with a kind of unrestrained "oooh look how cool euphoria" in their text induced some serious rolleye activity on my part.
Which begs the question, why all the emphasis on war? Note that i see this as an ever-common sentiment around these parts as well, that DS9 was good b/c either it was ABOUT war, or that its pursuit of a previously unexplored path of an ongoing war was a direct subversion of all that TNG-uber Roddenberry Trek was about, and that, by definition, makes DS9 "kewl". Added to that, for instance, is the sentiment, that Seasons 6 and 7 should have been a complete, all-war arc, and that many of the stand alone eps. that "interrupt" the war - as if these characters have nothing else worthwhile going on in their lives - were "jarring", "unnecessary", and symptomatic of a lack of courage on the part of the writers and producers.
The thing is, when i watched DS9 in its most of its first-run from mid-Season 3 through the finale, i dont remember watching DS9 like that, as if i was just watching for the next war intrigue/morally grey action and/or political episode. Those were great, but I remember falling in love with the characters, the uniqueness and possibilities of the setting(s), the skillful ways that the writers would show and not tell us what is "the good", or at least "the possible good", the way the show truly incorporated Trekkian values while also raising questions about previous assumptions, and even watching the show fulfill Sisko's words in "Emissary" that the characters explore their lives, everyday. I remember really being into episodes like "Destiny", "Accession", and "Rapture", as well "Children of Time", "Facets", "Defiant", "Explorers", "A Simple Investigation", "Dr. Bashir, I Presume" and "Business As Usual". As goofy as some them were, lighthearted comedy romps like "Looking for Par'mach", "You are Cordially Invited", and "The Magnificient Ferengi" always managed to put a smile on my face and even a nice warm, glow in my cold heart
. I really dug "The Assignment", "Empok Nor" and "Rejoined", non of which were about the war. And of course, "FBTS", while informed by Sisko's momentary despair during the war, covered a much bigger canvas than that. These were all part of the DS9 journey for me, and made the character, and show, an extremely rich and rewarding journey through a particular point in time and place in the stars. THIS WAS NOT ALL ABOUT THE WAR.
The war, in my opinion, was one leg on the journey - a very transformative and informative leg, albeit, but one leg nonetheless. And i dont think this two year conflict could have been as rich overall if DS9 had not had so many previous non-war episodes as well as the "stand alone interruptions" during the war that reminded us of the essential "humanity" (or stand-in humanity, whatever) of all these characters.
DS9 WAS NOT ROME, or nuBSG, or even The Wire. It was NOT some cable TV show about showing an ongoing, sexy canvas of constant war, nastiness, or the worst of human depravity. It readily acknowledged that those existed, and that they may even pose constant challenges, act as a frequent Newton's Law - for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. It acknowledged that these may sometimes cast a heavy shadow, a pall over characters who otherwise constantly attempt to do good and engage in self-improvement. It put to the challenge many of the somewhat more trite presumptions of TNG/VOY trek. And it showed how opposing forces may eventually leave no choice but to forcefully opposed, even in a military fashion. But in the end, DS9 was about a group of persons who are forced both by ideals and circumstance to pursue higher good, to act courageously for the good, often by forging previously unthinkable paths and relationships (Klingons and Feds, for instance, or Quark as part of the resistance movement during the six parter) and had their core values tested, tried and stretched. It truly was about the journey, not the destination.
So then I have to ask, why the reduction, by both naysayers and especially the current crop of fans, of DS9 as "the war show?". Am i missing something?
Let me tell ya, that opinion is really shared by the majority!!! lol
