DS9 TV Awards

[Too Much Fun]

I've got another ambitious poll-like thread idea, but no actual poll this time because making polls based on all the questions I have here would take more threads than I can count! Recently I was thinking about how I used to love the MTV Movie Awards as a kid because it always had cool categories that 'real' award shows like the Oscars would never have, like "Best Kiss", "Best Fight", "Best Villain", etc.

I also appreciated how they'd always give "Best Movie", the biggest award of the night, to movies that were not just cool and popular among young people, but also full of great acting and writing, yet seen as unworthy of "Best Picture" status by the Academy because they generally didn't take themselves as seriously or strive to be as realistic or 'mature' as Oscar bait (they were more focused on being entertaining - i.e. "Terminator 2: Judgment Day", "Pulp Fiction", and "Scream").

I've been disappointed in the MTV Movie Awards in the last few years as they've continued to give the best movie award to movies that are popular, but not to movies with as much substance as those that won in the nineties (i.e. "Napoleon Dynamite", "Transformers"), but I still like its concept as a show that rewards coolness in movies and throws in those fun categories that the stuffier award shows would never include.

As I get towards the end of the watching DS9 and reflect back on it (only have 'the final chapter' left) I was thinking it might be fun to think about what awards I'd give if I ran something like the classic MTV Movie Awards about this show. Then I imagined it might also be enjoyable for forum members to add their two cents about my ideas for that. So I came up with a list based on opinions I've read here (as well as my own) about what people, episodes, and events in DS9 would be most deserving of such hypothetical awards. I put about 5 nominees in each category, as I think that's approximately the standard for award shows.

As always I have to warn that there will probably be some omissions that many take issue with, but I hope people can still get a kick out of my nominees (and happily select their preferences) in spite of that. You can also feel free to add your own suggestions.

If people really dig this idea, I could do the same for "Star Trek" and "Star Trek: The Next Generation", but first things first, let's look at DS9! Please note that certain people who clearly could have been nominated in two categories (i.e. Jeffrey Combs and Mark Alaimo both for characters and performances) may have been limited to one, just for the sake of variety. I put my personal picks in bold. If there are enough votes, I'll put the final winners (based on everyone's votes) in the same format eventually. And the nominees are...

Breakthrough Performance
(based on which actors were rather obscure or had little-to-no experience before "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" and ended up giving a very memorable performance in playing the character they did on the show)

Cirroc Lofton as "Jake Sisko"
Aron Eisenberg as "Nog"
Max Grodénchik as "Rom"
James Darren as "Vic Fontaine"
Casey Biggs as "Damar"

Best Female Performance
(It was hard to leave out Terry Farrell since Jadzia is my favourite character, but realistically, I knew she wouldn't get a lot of votes, and I think it would be more depressing for me to see her not get a single vote than it is to exclude her.)

Nana Visitor as "Kira Nerys"
Penny Johnson as "Kasidy Yates"
Salome Jens as "Founder"
Louise Fletcher as "Kai Winn"
Nicole De Boer as "Ezri Dax"

Best Male Performance
Avery Brooks as "Benjamin Sisko"
Rene Auberjonois as "Odo"
Colm Meaney as "Miles O'Brien"
Siddig El Fadil/Alexander Siddig as "Julian Bashir"
Andrew J. Robinson as "Elim Garak"

Best Villain
Gul Dukat
Kai Winn
Weyoun
Mirror Kira
Brunt (FCA)

Best Onscreen Duo
Miles O'Brien and Julian Bashir
Odo and Kira
Quark and Rom
Worf and Martok
Jake and Nog

Best Kiss
Odo and Kira ("His Way")
Ezri Dax and Worf ("Penumbra")
Jadzia Dax and Lenara Kahn ("ReJoined")

Best "WTF?" Moment
Gowron...is a Changling!
Sisko and Garak lie to the Romulans
Dukat is possessed to murder
Bashir's true nature is revealed ("Who were those people?")
Garak tortures Odo

Best Fight
Quark vs. Grillka's bodyguard ("Looking for par'Mach...")
Worf vs. Garak ("Broken Link")
Odo vs. Changeling ("The Adversary")
Worf vs. Jem'hadar Soldier ("To the Death")
Sisko (as Joran) vs. Jadzia Dax ("Facets")

Best Episode
"Duet"
"The Visitor"
"Trials and Tribble-Ations"
"In the Pale Moonlight"
"What You Leave Behind"

 

[intrinsical]

Breakthrough Performance
Aron Eisenberg as "Nog"

I am always amazed at Eisenberg's acting range, from the child looter in "Emissary", to noob Starfleet cadet, to Dominion War veteran, and even as a very convincing Starfleet captain in "The Visitor"

Best Female Performance
Nana Visitor as "Kira Nerys"

Out of the five ladies, its hands down Nana Visitor for me.

Best Male Performance
Rene Auberjonois as "Odo"

It was a close fight between Auberjonois and Robinson. Both are such accomplished actors who play their respective characters to perfection. Auberjonois won purely for me because we got to see more of Odo than Garak, so I felt he had the tougher job and thus is more deserving.

Best Villain
Weyoun

It has to be Weyoun. Jeffrey Combs has to win this! :P

Best Onscreen Duo
Miles O'Brien and Julian Bashir

Best Kiss
Jadzia Dax and Lenara Kahn ("ReJoined")

Best "WTF?" Moment
Garak tortures Odo

I would have chosen Senator Vreenak's "It's Faaaake!" moment. The first time I saw it on telly, I was so tense for the advertisments to end so I can know Vreenak's answer. Out of the five choices, Garak and Odo's torture scene was the most emotional for me.

Best Fight
Worf vs. Jem'hadar Soldier ("To the Death")

Best Episode
"In the Pale Moonlight"

For me, it was either "The Visitor" or "In The Pale Moonlight". Out of all the DS9 episodes, these are the only ones I still pop in the DVD player quite regularly. Unfortunately, only one can be chosen and at this current moment in time ITPM affects me more than The Visitor.

 

[Navaros]

Breakthrough Performance
(based on which actors were rather obscure or had little-to-no experience before "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" and ended up giving a very memorable performance in playing the character they did on the show)

Cirroc Lofton as "Jake Sisko"
Aron Eisenberg as "Nog"
Max Grodénchik as "Rom"
James Darren as "Vic Fontaine"
Casey Biggs as "Damar"

Best Female Performance
(It was hard to leave out Terry Farrell since Jadzia is my favourite character, but realistically, I knew she wouldn't get a lot of votes, and I think it would be more depressing for me to see her not get a single vote than it is to exclude her.)

Nana Visitor as "Kira Nerys"
Penny Johnson as "Kasidy Yates"
Salome Jens as "Founder"
Louise Fletcher as "Kai Winn"
Nicole De Boer as "Ezri Dax"

Best Male Performance
Avery Brooks as "Benjamin Sisko"
Rene Auberjonois as "Odo"
Colm Meaney as "Miles O'Brien"
Siddig El Fadil/Alexander Siddig as "Julian Bashir"
Andrew J. Robinson as "Elim Garak"

From those on this list it's a toss-up between Auberjonois and Robinson, however, really I must add Shimerman, Alaimo, and Combs (both as Weyoun and Brunt) to the nominees. Each of those performances was played immaculately to the utmost of human potential, therefore it is impossible to determine which one was 'better'.

Best Villain
Gul Dukat
Kai Winn
Weyoun
Mirror Kira
Brunt (FCA)

Tie between Winn, Dukat, Weyoun, and Brunt. Once again, all immaculately-played and for the most part, immaculately-written. Once again, impossible to determine which one was 'better'.

Best Onscreen Duo
Miles O'Brien and Julian Bashir
Odo and Kira
Quark and Rom
Worf and Martok
Jake and Nog

Can't really say any of them are the Best Onscreen Duo. I'd have to nominate Weyoun/Sisko, Weyoun/Odo, Weyoun/Dukat, Weyoun/Damar, Winn/Sisko, Winn/Kira, Dukat/Sisko, Odo/Quark as all better than those on the list, and for which one is best, once again, indeterminable.

Best Kiss
Odo and Kira ("His Way")
Ezri Dax and Worf ("Penumbra")
Jadzia Dax and Lenara Kahn ("ReJoined")

Best "WTF?" Moment
Gowron...is a Changling!
Sisko and Garak lie to the Romulans
Dukat is possessed to murder
Bashir's true nature is revealed ("Who were those people?")
Garak tortures Odo

Best Fight
Quark vs. Grillka's bodyguard ("Looking for par'Mach...")
Worf vs. Garak ("Broken Link")
Odo vs. Changeling ("The Adversary")
Worf vs. Jem'hadar Soldier ("To the Death")
Sisko (as Joran) vs. Jadzia Dax ("Facets")

Best Episode
"Duet"
"The Visitor"
"Trials and Tribble-Ations"
"In the Pale Moonlight"
"What You Leave Behind"

Easily ITPM out of that list, the other 3 don't even come close IMO. I'd put dozens of other DS9 episodes on the list of that category before I'd put the 4 other than ITPM that are on there now.

 

[od0_ital]

Breakthrough Performance
Aron Eisenberg as "Nog"

I'd say that Aron Eisenberg gets this one, not that he's done much since DS9, but still...Nog really developed as a character over the course of the series, and it was done in a realistic way, thanks in part to how Aron portrayed the character for seven seasons.

Best Female Performance

Nana Visitor as "Kira Nerys"

Another character with slow, but deliberate growth and change over the course of seven seasons. Goin' from a xenophobic, angry woman to helpin' the Cardassians while wearin' a Starfleet uniform was awesome, and I can't wait to get the series on DVD so I can watch it all over again.

Best Male Performance

Rene Auberjonois as "Odo"

What?

Best Villain

Gul Dukat

I was hopin' for a major smackdown between Sisko & Dukat, and didn't really get it. But, other than that, and a couple of other bits with the gul (Pah Wraith cult leader? really?!), I thought he was the best villian DS9 had to offer.

Added bonus that he was there from the beginnin', too.

Best Onscreen Duo

Odo and Kira

I loved the relationship between these two, from bein' the outsiders on their own station, surrounded by Starfleet, to trusted friends, confidants, and finally, lovers.

Best Kiss

Odo and Kira ("His Way")

'bout freakin' time we agreed on something!

"Who needs dinner, baby?"

Best "WTF?" Moment

Garak tortures Odo

I certainly didn't expect it to come to that, and I damn sure wasn't expectin' the make-up job they put on Rene to make Odo look tortured.

That Garak wound up beggin' Odo for information just so he could turn the machine off...that was an awesome moment for both characters. Garak didn't want to do it, and Odo didn't want to make it easy for him.

Best Fight

Odo vs. Changeling ("The Adversary")

Leave to Odo to be the first Changeling to harm another, and do it by throwin' him against the unshielded warp core of the Defiant.

Bonus points for O'Brien sayin' he didn't have time to play "choose the changeling"!

Best Episode

"Duet"

Love this episode, and its my favorite of the ones ya listed.

 

[Wicca who Wonta]

Breakthrough Performance
Aron Eisenberg as "Nog"

He grew alot as an actor during the years.

Best Female Performance
Nana Visitor as "Kira Nerys"

Nana Visitor was able to deal with Kiras character development and make it believable.

Best Male Performance
Rene Auberjonois as "Odo"

I'm among the minority that thinks that Avery Brooks is an actor without much depth. He seems to play the same character in everything he does. The one that impresses me is Rene Auberjonois since he handled Odo's challenges well.

Best Villain
Kai Winn

I hated the character but the show hadn't been half as good without her and the storylines involving her.

Best Onscreen Duo
Odo and Kira

Their relationship was well developed and they were very cute together.

Best Kiss
Odo and Kira ("His Way")

Thinks had been building up to that moment for a very long while and the writers handled it well!

Best "WTF?" Moment

Garak tortures Odo

I didn't think it would come to that.

Best Fight
Sisko (as Joran) vs. Jadzia Dax ("Facets")

I'm not very interested in fights so I just picked one.

Best Episode
"Duet"

I love this episode, it's one of my very favourites! And it really gave Kira some character development.

 

[od0_ital]

^

I knew there had to be a reason we get along so well. You're my favorite Wicca, Ripley.

 

[Wicca who Wonta]

^ Thanks! And you're my favourite Odo!

 

[Vulcan Princess]

Breakthrough Performance: Casey Biggs as Damar. He did an amazing job bringing Damar to life.

Best Female Performance: Nana Visitor as Kira Nerys. She could act circles around the rest of the cast.

Best Male Performance: Colm Meaney as Miles O'Brien. This was a close call, but he's just slightly ahead of Rene Auberjonois.

Best Villain: Gul Dukat. He's so evil, yet so charming, and he's multifaceted.

Best Onscreen Duo: Miles O'Brien and Julian Bashir. This was another close call. Before Odo and Kira began a romantic relationship, I would have picked them as the best duo, but the romance killed it for me. (I preferred it when it was just Odo's unrequited love for Kira. That created more drama.)

Best Kiss: None of the above. I would have chosen the "kiss that wasn't" - At the end of Kira's orb vision in "The Circle", just as she and Bareil are about to kiss, and then the vision ends. Great acting from both Nana Visitor and Philip Anglim, and great directing. That scene just oozed chemistry.

Best "WTF?" Moment: Sisko and Garak lie to the Romulans. I've often wondered what the Romulans would think if they ever found out. They would either be really really ticked off, or they would gain a new respect for Sisko for acting like a Romulan.

Best Fight: Quark vs. Grilka's bodyguard. This scene makes me laugh every time I watch it. Quark's speech is perfect.

Best Episode: Duet. This one is a heavy, thought-provoking episode. I love episodes that deal with redemption.

 

[Too Much Fun]

Best Onscreen Duo
Miles O'Brien and Julian Bashir
Odo and Kira
Quark and Rom
Worf and Martok
Jake and Nog

Can't really say any of them are the Best Onscreen Duo. I'd have to nominate Weyoun/Sisko, Weyoun/Odo, Weyoun/Dukat, Weyoun/Damar, Winn/Sisko, Winn/Kira, Dukat/Sisko, Odo/Quark as all better than those on the list, and for which one is best, once again, indeterminable.

This is a valid point, but I guess I should have clarified that "onscreen duo" refers to individuals with a friendly relationship. Those other choices you listed are all excellent pairings that lead to many interesting scenes and interactions between characters, but they are generally antagonistic or if not overtly antagonistic, not quite friendships.

Thanks to everyone who voted so far. I am enjoying the explanations for votes and keeping track of and counting them up. I agree with a lot of the choices so far, but to be honest, I really hope some of the other episodes get votes, particularly "Trials and Tribble-Ations", my personal favourite.

I'm not going to rig the votes so what I like wins, but I'll be disappointed if "Duet" gets the most votes. I knew I had to include it since it's so popular, but I'm not a big fan of that episode (the only thing I really like is the guest performance). I'm surprised there hasn't been a lot of support for "The Visitor" after all the love for it in other threads.

 

[Snaploud]

Breakthrough Performance
(based on which actors were rather obscure or had little-to-no experience before "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" and ended up giving a very memorable performance in playing the character they did on the show)

Max Grodénchik as "Rom"

Best Female Performance
(It was hard to leave out Terry Farrell since Jadzia is my favourite character, but realistically, I knew she wouldn't get a lot of votes, and I think it would be more depressing for me to see her not get a single vote than it is to exclude her.)

Louise Fletcher as "Kai Winn"

Best Male Performance

Colm Meaney as "Miles O'Brien"

Best Villain

Gul Dukat

Best Onscreen Duo

Worf and Martok

Best Kiss

Jadzia Dax and Lenara Kahn ("ReJoined")

Best "WTF?" Moment

Bashir's true nature is revealed ("Who were those people?")

Best Fight

Worf vs. Jem'hadar Soldier ("To the Death")

Best Episode

"The Visitor"

 

[RyuRoots]

This is a fun idea! I think it'd be cool to have a TNG one of these.

Breakthrough Performance
Aron Eisenberg as "Nog"
VERY tough choice between him and Casey Biggs because both Nog and Damar started out as no-name background characters and became a heroic freedom fighter/martyr and a respected Starfleet Lt. by the end of the show, and I find that I really cared about Nog and what happened to him. It's amazing to me how well Eisenberg sold Nog both as a Ferengi and as someone who really wanted to make something of himself and eventually an officer.

Best Female Performance
Nana Visitor as "Kira Nerys"
Nicole De Boer as "Ezri Dax"
I simply can't pick. Kira was a favorite of mine from day 1, and in only a single season Ezri manages to really captivate me and, along with Kira, be one of my favorite Trek characters along Picard, McCoy, and the EMH. Visitor gave some real tear-jerker performances (Her reaction to "You're on the other side, now." in Progress and her time spent with Sisko in Starship Down spring to mind), and De Boer really does an amazing job of bringing Ezri Dax to life and making her someone interesting and unique in such a short amount of time that I really wouldn't imagine possible. And for the record, I think all of the names mentioned were terrific, including Terry Farrel as Jadzia Dax.

Best Male Performance
Avery Brooks as "Benjamin Sisko"
Again, good lord what a difficult choice. All of these actors were absolutely fantastic and brought some of Trek's most interesting regulars to life. But I have to give it to Brooks as The Sis-ko. More than a lot of people he was amazing at conveying emotions well, sometimes without speaking a word. And I love watching his speeches.

Best Villain
Gul Dukat
No question. He was a great villain because sometimes, just sometimes, I'd wonder if he was really as 'off' as he might've seemed. But he was always the villain, and always fun to watch, especially if he had Sisko or Weyoun to play off of.

Best Onscreen Duo
Miles O'Brien and Julian Bashir
It was really great watching their friendship grow and evolve and see them become good friends, particularly since I liked the Chief on TNG. It was cool to see him find a best friend, and their banter was very often amusing (such as the "So...you wish Keiko was a man." bit at the beginning of Hippocratic Oath).

Best Kiss
Jadzia Dax and Lenara Kahn ("ReJoined")
Because it had the most emotional impact of those 3 in its story for me. There was a bittersweetness to it, and it made that final scene, with Jadzia staring at her from the second floor of the Promenade so very sad. It was beautifully handled, I think.

Best "WTF?" Moment
Sisko and Garak lie to the Romulans
Particularly when it's revealed that the original plan all along was to kill Vreenak. Bravo.

Best Fight
Worf vs. Jem'hadar Soldier ("To the Death")
Hm, not much to say here.

Best Episode "What You Leave Behind"
To be perfectly frank, I think you'd have to be out of your [insert colorful metaphors here] mind to consider Trials and Tribble-ations. It's a fun romp, but that's like saying STIV has the best plot of an ST movie. But that's me. Anyhow, I'm not sure I could ever pick a single episode to be the 'best' from Deep Space Nine. There are so many episodes that absolutely blow me away with the quality of storytelling, general coolness, and great characters that narrowing it to 1 would be impossible. But of this list, What You Leave Behind is a grand epic of an ending, and by far the best of these.

 

[arasam22]

aww, is voting over? or are those bolded ones just your choices, TMF?

 

[Possum]

Breakthrough Performance
Cirroc Lofton as "Jake Sisko"- The only reason I gave Lofton the edge over
Aron Eisenberg is I'd think it'd almost be harder to play a human as far as making a character interesting. I always liked Jake better but I think it'd be harder to play Jake also.

Best Female Performance
Nana Visitor as "Kira Nerys"- Always liked her. Thought she played off of Brooks well as his sorta adversary in the first couple of years and she did well as a trusted officer and friend later on.

Best Male Performance
Avery Brooks as "Benjamin Sisko"/Rene Auberjonois as "Odo"- To me this is a toss up. Loved them both.

Best Villain
Gul Dukat- No question. Started out hating him, grew to like him, ended up hating him. Played well off of Garak and Kira too. Alaimo was amazing.

Best Onscreen Duo
Miles O'Brien and Julian Bashir

Best "WTF?" Moment
Sisko and Garak lie to the Romulans- This moment made the show totally different from the rest of the post TOS series.

Best Episode
"The Visitor"- I wish I could see this episode again for the first time.

No Best Kiss vote for me. Odo and Kira's possibly- but by the time it finally happened it was like Northern Exposure (get it over with already- it has been dragged out far too long). Plus a pall was put over their relationship for me by including Fontaine-ick.

 

[Too Much Fun]

aww, is voting over? or are those bolded ones just your choices, TMF?

Bold ones were just my choices. I wasn't going to calculate final votes and announce winners until a lot of people had voted. Since the thread seemed to die without a lot of votes being cast yet, I was going to just forget about it without ever posting a final tally, but if people like Possum continue keeping it alive, there may be hope for it yet!

 

[DevilEyes]

I would've posted my picks, but I need to rewatch the episodes with those fight scenes, since I really can't remember any of them!

 

[arasam22]

oh sweet... well i'll vote then!

breakthrough performance
Max Grodénchik as "Rom"

Best Female Performance
Nana Visitor as "Kira Nerys"

Best Male Performance
i HAVE to go with Andrew J. Robinson as "Garak," but Colm Meany was a clooose second.

Best Villain
Gul Dukat. i LOVE weyoun, but... i have to go with Dukat in the end.

Best Onscreen Duo
JULIAN AND O'BRIEN!! lol. <3

Best Kiss
kira and odo... just because i *heart* both of them.

Best "WTF?" Moment
Garak tortures Odo... both of my favorite characters together in an incredibly poweful scene...

Best Fight
Sisko (as Joran) vs. Jadzia Dax ("Facets")

Best Episode
oooh, such a hard one. i'm going to have to go with... in the pale moonlight. the visitor was amazing, but in the pale moonlight was so... o.O