DS9 Versus: A viewing experient

[TheGodBen]

I mean, who wouldn't love to have a sexy seductress stimulating your synapses as you create a timeless work of art?

I wouldn't, I rather have sex with the sexy seductress. Not that I'd want to have sex with Onaya, her face reminded me of Death, and not the cool Discworld Death.

As for the rest of The Muse, it was utterly disappointing, all they did was play covers of Quiet Riot tracks. I don't know why. I don't know why. Anymore. Oh no.

 

[Tallis Rhul]

Not that I'd want to have sex with Onaya, her face reminded me of Death, and not the cool Discworld Death.

She was a bit funny looking... and she had a voice like a bag of rusty nails being dragged over a squadron of blackboards...

 

[Seven of Five]

The Muse was yukky. The least said about it the better...

The Thaw was a really enjoyable episode though, and it's good to see it happening on VOY. I loved the discussion of fear, and I particularly love the ending where the clown is left alone with fake-Janeway's haunting voice.

It's typical though that B5 would drop bombshells this week though to beat VOY to the top spot. I loved how Bester was slowly becoming more and more involved in the arc, and the looming threat of the Shadows never seemed more tense.

Next week's schedule looks like a doozy though. Fantastic week!

 

[Kai Winn]

Next:
DS9 - For The Cause
VOY - Tuvix
B5 - Interludes And Examinations

i dare to bet on tuvix, with b5 a close second, and the ds9 effort a distant third. interludes and examinations is quite good, but a bit excessive with action and all sorts of story arcs, one subplot or two are fine in one episode, but there seem to be a dozend.

 

[Sykonee]

Week 31: (Ending 05.12.96)
DS9 - For The Cause (05.06.96)
VOY - Tuvix (05.06.96)
B5 - Interludes And Examinations (05.09.96)

I'd heard plenty about Tuvix, the controversy and the ever popular "Janeway killed Tuvix!" meme (or was that popular?). So watching it for the first time here, I couldn't help but wonder what the big deal was. The episode proceeds as typically as any VOY episode, with quaint character moments and a search for technobabble cures and ...oh. My. That bridge scene. Goodness. Then... that 'death march'... It nearly makes up for an otherwise pedestrian outing. Unfortunately, there's no denouement, and this episode screams for one. Either Tuvok or Neelix talking to Janeway and Kes about the whole ordeal; Janeway silently walking away from sickbay just isn't enough. Lord knows we won't get one as a follow-up in a subsequent episode, as VOY has by now earned itself a reputation of seldom doing so. Instead, we're left emotionally distraught but empty, with no proper reflection provided by the characters.

Speaking about follow-ups, DS9 gives us an episode that finally brings back the Maquis (remember them? No, the Voyager ones barely count anymore). And, what's this? Characters that we know are sympathizers/members? And they're close to Sisko!? So perhaps Eddington's master plan was a little too easily accomplished but the real crux of the story here is the relationship between Sisko and Yates, and For The Cause does an excellent job at portraying the dilemma of two people who've developed a close, intimate bond with each other, but currently find themselves on opposite ends of their professional lives. Though it may not have quite the climax that Tuvix did, For The Cause does trump it in letting the tension gradually grow throughout the episode, and provides a satisfying conclusion in that it gives Sisko and Yates a chance to reflect on what's happened and where they'll go from here, all the while shaking the series up a little in the process.

And speaking of shaking the series up, B5 certainly did that this week. Damn that JMS... Sheridan manages to get the Vorlons directly involved with the Shadows, leading us to believe things are finally going in favor for Our Heroes, then he tears it all down by having Franklin resign as The Series Doctor (wha..?), sending Londo back into the hands of the Shadows (no!), and offing Kosh (NO!). We go from jubilation to despair all in the course of twenty minutes. Damn that JMS...

Wait, an emotional, series-altering death of a major character? With a proper denouement regarding it in the episode itself (the touching, bittersweet scene of Kosh's ship's final voyage)? Yeah, the Treks gave some decent competition but B5 takes the week. The events in IaE were far more poignant to its series than the Treks offered.

Weekly Winner:
B5

Next:
DS9 - To The Death
VOY - Resolutions
B5 - War Without End, Part 1

 

[Kai Winn]

well, you have a liking for substantial body counts, and tumultuous twists in the plot. no hope that voy could satisfy you in the next week either.

 

[Seven of Five]

For The Cause was good, but not one of the best Maquis episodes. It was good that the status quo was shaken somewhat, but the treachery of Eddington was a bit too telegraphed.

Tuvix was another really good VOY episode - that's two in a row? I do wish there had been some sort of follow-up, and the ending was too sudden, and there wasn't appropriate closure to the matter. Despite this though, the episode does a good job intergating Tuvix into the crew, whilst the emotional dilemma builds for Kes and Janeway in particular.

Interludes and Examinations wins for me too, though. B5's third season is easily my favourite, and this episode carries on the stellar run the show is on at the moment. Kosh appearing to Sheridan in his sleep as his father was very poignant, as was Sheridan yelling out Kosh's name when he awoke. Kosh actually dying was totally mental - he had seemed so invincible up to that point. With Londo swaying back towards the Shadows and Franklin resigning, the whole thing was a massive sucker punch. Loved it.

 

[VDCNI]

I vaguely remember the B5 episode but at this point my interest in the series was fading.

For The Cause was ok - not DS9 at it's best but watchable.

Tuvix was more interesting in concept than the average Voyager but I found it quite dull all in all - I just didn't care what happened to him really.

 

[Pemmer Harge]

All good episodes.

Tuvix was well-executed and compelling to watch, although I can't say I enjoyed the bridge scene. Certainly an episode that provokes a reaction though.

For the Cause is the point where Season 4 recovers from its weak middle and it provides a good start to the Eddington arc. I don't think the Maquis have been this interesting since TNG Preemptive Strike. It's not an out and out classic, but its sequel is and this episode paved the way for that.

Interludes & Examinations is one of the big ones and I found it very effective, especially the departure of Kosh's ship, which is surely one of the classic Babylon 5 moments. Certainly the most satisfying of these three episodes.

 

[Kegg]

Honestly I felt Eddington became a Maquis because they no longer had any use for him. The idea of a Starfleet security officer was a solid one, but after the addition of Worf (who yes was no longer a security officer but, ahem, Worf) the character - who really had nothing to him anyway - had nowhere to go. The only thing I recall him doing in season four is "Our Man Bashir," since they needed somebody to do the dull tech-the-tech scenes while Our Heroes get to camp it up as Bond characters.

And something with a similar vacuum were the Maquis. Deep Space Nine had half a dozen major players in the series at this point - Klingons, Ferengi, Dominion, Bajorans - and they all had recognizable recurring characters - Gowron & Martok, Zek, the Female Foundeer, Kai Winn - ...but nothing for these rebel guys. They had a leader in their founding episode but he was dull as sin; and Jonathan Frakes had been written off.

So here you have two loose ends you can do crap all with. Why not just stick them together and pretend it makes sense? Oddly enough it does, because Eddington was so unformed his treachery may come out of left field but it's not inconsistent to his character because there's really very little to that character at this point. It was one of the practical arc solutions DS9 was pretty good at.

I'd heard plenty about Tuvix, the controversy and the ever popular "Janeway killed Tuvix!" meme (or was that popular?).

There was a meme?

Discussing the implications of the episode and whether or not Tuvix deserved to die was a longstanding thorn on the Voyager forum - but you're right, it's a shocking ethical problem wrapped up in a mostly forgettable episode (that meandering teaser where Neelix pisses off Tuvok so they can get something to do this week is a case in point).

 

[Seven of Five]

Yeah, I agree that the episode could have reached the point where Tuvix is sperated back into Neelix and Tuvok sooner, and then had some closure at the end. Could have been a two-parter if done right.

 

[Sykonee]

Week 32: (Ending 05.19.96)
DS9 - To The Death (Ending 05.13.96)
VOY - Resolutions (Ending 05.13.96)
B5 - War Without End, Part 1 (Ending 05.16.96)

Y'know, it never felt this busy when TNG, DS9, and B5 were duking it out two years prior. Things were simpler, oh so much simpler. TNG was sucking pretty bad in the tail end of its seventh season, DS9 was slowly climbing out of its mid-season funk, and B5 continued its shaky first season with numerous peaks and dips of quality. All in all, it was easy to pick out who a clear winner was if all three shows were on during the same week. Write the quick little blurb and opinion, then move on.

And although this week's winner is pretty obvious again (B5, with yet another Event Episode, this time as the first of a two-parter no less!), I feel like I'm doing the shows an injustice if I don't give them props in what they get right.

DS9 had a solid episode for the most part. Yeah, the final 'battle' was about as lame as Trek battles tend to get (I'd like to see it redubbed with the classic TOS battle music -that'd be awesome!), but everything leading up to it was great. The tension between the crew and the Jem'Hadar, Weyoun, and even little character moments for the regulars, like O'Brien giving Dax his farewell letter. It's those kind of moments that has made DS9 a show worth continuously watching.

VOY, despite having more problems of its own this week (convoluted premise, a... monkey? ), was alright as well. Even though it was technically a reset episode, it didn't really feel like one. There's a bit of resentment on Janeway and Chakotay's part in having to resume their posts but, for the sake of the crew, they were going to have to put aside whatever intimacy that had developed between them and carry on as usual. Might this storyline develop in subsequent episodes? (er, I wouldn't hold your breath, Pretending-He's-Watching-These-Shows-As-They-Aired-Sykonee) And though it's a well-worn Trek plot, I still enjoy seeing a Vulcan (or Android) in command of a ship. It's fun to watch them have to adhere to silly human emotions with their command decisions.

But let's not beat around the bush. B5 wins decisively this week. Sinclair returns! Zathras returns! Babylon 4 returns! Vejar returns! (behind the camera, that is) And Sheridan gets 'unstuck' in time, only to meet ...a very pissed off Emperor Mollari!!!? Oh... my. This show just keeps piling the surprises on, doesn't it.

Weekly Winner
B5

Next:
DS9 - The Quickening
VOY - Basics, Part 1
B5 - War Without End, Part 2

 

[Pemmer Harge]

OK, I have no idea where War Without End part I ends and part II begins, but this as a whole is very entertaining. It's always seemed to me like an episode with a lot of "fan appeal", as it were: Sheridan and Sinclair together at last! A scene on the Minbari homeworld! Multiple Vorlons! You-know-who at the end! Some of the little details of the time travel stuff are a bit confusing, but it's definitely a satisfying follow-up to Babylon Squared (indeed, it's better). I didn't expect the Sinclair arc to be resolved so well I must say. Oh, and the flash fowards were very good.

To the Death is a lot of build-up with little pay-off, but the build-up is good and it introduces Weyoun. It's nice to get more Dominion stuff and although this isn't quite a classic, it's good to watch and continues DS9's return to form.

Another good week next time.

 

[Kegg]

I do feel bad for DS9 here. "To the Death" and "The Quickening" are very excellently solid outings, and for markedly different reasons - a fun Dominion romp that finally gives the Vorta their voice, and DS9's one really neat medical drama with Bashir in an unsettling situation. Any other week they'd probably pick up a gold star and go home, but they have to be against "War Without End", don't they? Life ain't fair.

 

[TheGodBen]

Yeah, the final 'battle' was about as lame as Trek battles tend to get (I'd like to see it redubbed with the classic TOS battle music -that'd be awesome!)

My last attempt at that only earned 3 stars, so I'll be buggered if I'll bother doing that again. *grump*

(We need a grumpy smiley.)

 

[Seven of Five]

To The Death is a solid DS9 episode, with really good buildup that, sadly, goes nowhere. A cut to black would have been better! The introduction of Weyoun is a big, big positive for the series though.

Retrospect, again is solid. There was always a lot of chemistry between Janeway and Chakotay, and they would have made a nice couple. It would have been wrong - the captain and first officer dating would be a bit unprofessional. Here though, out of the comfort zone of Voyager, Kathy and Chuckles are left on their lonesome. It's a nice episode (nothing stellar) as the two adapt to spending the rest of their lives together. Did anything happen? I like to believe it did, as it adds a nice subtext to their scenes together in the future.

Again though, B5 trumps both this week. War Wihout End weaves Sinclair back into the mix, whilst dotting around time, filling in mysteries from past seasons. Excellent episode, and what a bizarro cliffhanger! I've only ever watched on DVD, so I just get right on with the next episode. I can just imagine having watched part 1 though and waiting furiously for part 2.

 

[Seven of Five]

Oops

 

[DevilEyes]

I love To the Death. It's not an episode full of big events, but we learned more about the Jem 'Hadar and their relationship to the Vorta, and it has some of my favorite dialogue from the show - Jadzia's conversation with one of the Jem 'Hadars (it was around that time that I started to realize that Jadzia, whom I considered a bit dull in the first couple of seasons, was actually awesome) and O'Brien's own version of the Jem 'Hadar pre-battle vow.

Retrospect, again is solid. There was always a lot of chemistry between Janeway and Chakotay, and they would have made a nice couple. It would have been wrong - the captain and first officer dating would be a bit unprofessional.

Personally, I find the whole "they are not allowed to date" thing rather silly. I find it very hard to believe that the Voyager crew would still be upholding every single Starfleet rule and regulation, even though they were so many light years from home, Starfleet and their worlds, and likely to remain in the Delta Quadrant for the rest of their lives. And if Janeway can't date any of her crew, who else is she going to date? Who is Chakotay going to date - he is the superior officer to everyone else on the ship? (Well, maybe not to Neelix... ) The only other options they had were holograms and casual affairs with random aliens (how fortunate that there were so many humanoid aliens in the Delta Quadrant, and that even the very non-humanoid had the habit of faking human shape... otherwise it might have been a little... awkward ).

And let's look at the only issue there really is about the captain dating the XO - that it might interfere with the way they fulfill their duties on the ship. For instance... if they got too close, maybe Chakotay wouldn't be able to provide a decent balance and check of captain's power, which would be especially important at times when the captain isn't acting rationally (say, in Equinox)... maybe he would instead start caving in to Janeway all the time...

oh wait...

They were already "in bed" in every other way, what difference would it have made if they also started doing it literally? If I were one of the crew of VOY, I'd be far more concerned that Chakotay had no balls to ever stand up to Janeway, than I'd be about them sleeping together.

Then again, if I were one of the VOY crew, I'd always be happy, satisfied, feel like a part of one big family, and would always support the captain in everything she does, because that's how I'd be written.

 

[Seven of Five]

I didn't mean to say I don't think Janeway and Chakotay shouldn't see any of the crew, just not each other.

 

[TheGodBen]

Personally, I find the whole "they are not allowed to date" thing rather silly.

Don't you understand that the captain dating the first officer is not a good idea?