DS9 Versus: A viewing experient

[Sykonee]

Week 11: (Ending 12.13.98)
VOY - Thirty Days (Airdate 12.09.98)

Okay, so even if you thought last week's episode was ham-fisted, you had to at least give it credit for trying to bring some grey issues to VOY. And really, that's been a bit of a continuing trend this season, despite the ups and downs in how such issues are being handled. There's been a slightly darker tick (depression, survivor guilt, mental trauma, attacks on morals) and Thirty Days keeps it up. Granted, we're not reaching DS9 levels here, but it has been noticeable.

First tho', I want to give kudos for a proper sci-fi idea for a planet, one made entirely of water. They even give a plausible explanation for it! When they first mentioned there was desalinization involved in those underwater structure, I thought, "How can they be removing saturated minerals when there's no landmass in the first place?" Then they give their explanation, that the water was probably once on a rocky planet, and was somehow extracted thousands of years ago. Sweet Jesus, that's awesome! Covering all bases, yet also keeping some mystery about it too.

This is honestly a very strong episode for Tom. Sure, there may be a bit of a retcon regarding his love of 'the bounding main', but it's fine here. And lo, he remains an ensign? That makes two demotions on this ship now. At this rate, by the time they get home, it'll be a ship full of junior officers! (or wait, did she demote Tuvok back in Prime Factors? I can't remember anymore, since it's never been brought up again. ...uh oh.)

My only complaint is that Paris didn't look nearly as disheveled as one should after thirty days in confinement (solitary or not). Did the guard offer to cut his hair during that time?

Weekly Winner
VOY

Next:
VOY - Counterpoint

 

[Bones2]

Granted, we're not reaching DS9 levels here...

Bias

So next up is Counterpoint. Which is brilliant. Then Latent Image. Which is great. Season 7 DS9 just can't compete with that. I've decided I love Voyager.

 

[Sykonee]

Week 12: (Ending 12.20.98)
VOY - Counterpoint (Airdate 12.16.98)

First: where was Tuvok and Vorik hiding at the end? MAJOR PLOT HOLE THERE!!! Negative one million points.

Okay, that obvious nitpick out of the way, this was another pretty good episode. For the first time in, like, forever, ol' Mulgrew gets to actually play a character, rather than just be The Captain. I don't think anyone would buy Kashyk (the wookie planet??) suddenly becoming The Good Guy - I certainly didn't - so it's interesting in watching how things play out in the end. Neither party trusts the other, yet come to a mutual affection nonetheless. For a brief moment before they have to return to their rolls on opposite sides, they make a connection, turning the episode semi-tragic in the end that things had to turn out the way they did.

Incidentally, anyone else get a B5 vibe from this episode? Oh Black-Suited Telepath Hunters, you'll never go out of fashion.

Weekly Winner
VOY

Next:
DS9 - It's Only A Paper Moon
B5 - A Call To Arms

 

[Seven of Five]

I liked both Thirty Days and Counterpoint. They weren't classic episodes of Voyager but it was interesting to see the writers pushing (albeit temporarily) characters in different directions. The next DS9/B5 double header looks much more interesting really.

 

[Sykonee]

Week 13: (Ending 01.03.99)
DS9 - It's Only A Paper Moon (Airdate 12.30.98)
B5 - A Call To Arms (Airdate 01.03.99)

No, you would never have thought. Don't go saying you could see it possibly happening. No one did, especially way back in S1. Nog, carry an entire episode? Balderdash! He and Jake, sure, no problem. But not Nog on his own.

Yet, here it is. Nog, carrying an entire episode, with Vic Fontaine, of all people, in support. Insane, I says. How can this work? By getting to the core of Nog's trauma, that's how. No matter what your opinions of Nog or Vic were in their early episodes, you can't deny the chemistry these two characters have in this episode, much less the heartfelt confessionals both give. Daring of DS9 to do this, and amazing that they pulled it off. Let's see VOY do the same with, say, Naomi Wildman and Vorik carrying an entire episode.

It's still mostly a character piece tho', so can't really compete with B5 in Major Event mode. That's right, folks: this veteran decided to come out of retirement for one more bout, and even brought a few new tricks to the ring. New ships, new effects (sweet Mary, the jump gate light-show looks awesome!), new music, new characters, new... series? Whoa, hey! I thought we were done with B5, but if this Crusade show is-

Oh, it won't be airing until the summer. Hm, I guess that rules out any chance of me covering it then (or does it?).

Anyhow, despite a couple nitpicks (early pacing, telegraphed Heroic Deaths), this was a solid TV-movie for the B5 franchise. Vejar's behind the camera, so you're practically guaranteed quality there, and aside from Galen, all the actors are on point. Not as good as In The Beginning, but much better than the other two.

Weekly Winner
B5

Next:
DS9 - Prodigal Daughter

 

[Kai Winn]

yes, season for season ds9 promised to start action at long last, but what you get is nog dealing with ptsd. how comes he can spend day and night on the holodeck because he's a bit sulky, but molly got a few hours only, even though her removal caused real trauma? bashir tinkered a new brain for bariel not long ago, but can't make a leg for nog, so he had to go to a starbase?

 

[Seven of Five]

Nog was 'a bit sulky' because he had his leg blown off? Anyway I would imagine that Nog was transferred to the nearest medical facilty after his injury, as opposed to waiting for a ride back to DS9 just to have Bashir give him a new leg.

I really appreciate Paper Moon - it's a brilliant episode highlighting Nog's troubles. He hid away in the holodeck, not wanting to let go the cane he didn't physically need any more, and hit out against his friends when they tried to help him. His struggling to move on from what happened and live continued to add a more realistic tone to the ongoing war.

I would give DS9 the win over B5 really. I agree that the movie is miles better than the dreck that was Thirdspace and River Of Souls. I certainly enjoyed the story, and it's a shame that the potential laid down here was not fully realised in a full series of Crusade. It was, however, setting up a new series, and was busy introducing new characters and a mission. It doesn't have the emotional pull that Paper Moon did.

 

[TheGodBen]

Nog was 'a bit sulky' because he had his leg blown off?

Some people apparently learn about the psychology of warfare from Monty Python.

I'd also give the win to It's Only a Paper Moon, it's a fantastic story for Nog and utilised Vic really well. Both of them were really dodgy characters when first introduced, so the fact that there's a meaty, character-based episode centred around the two of them shows just how good DS9 could be.

A Call to Arms is okay as an action movie, but it's let down in several areas (the music and Galen mostly). On an emotional level, it doesn't compare to DS9.

 

[Pemmer Harge]

Not as good as In The Beginning, but much better than the other two.

I don't really agree with this - I'd definitely rank Thirdspace ahead of this one and possibly The River of Souls as well. It has good features - nice effects, good direction, a nice central performance from Bruce Boxleitner, Tony Todd showing up - but I think it rather bites off more than it can chew. One of the great things about the series was how it built up these epic conflicts and got us emotionally invested in them and the characters. This worked a lot better in an episodic TV format than as a 90 minute special (excluding In the Beginning, which, as a prequel, is a special case). It can't possibly match the impact of The Long Twilight Struggle, Severed Dreams or Endgame. Plus there's the problem that there aren't really that many Babylon 5 characters in it - Sheridan, Garibaldi, Lochley, Zack and I think that's it. I like all those people, but I miss the days when you could rely on Londo, G'Kar or Delenn appearing to spice things up!

I give this week to DS9. It's Only a Paper Moon, despite seeming to have all the ingredients for disaster (it's a holodeck episode about Nog and Vic Fontaine, yay!) is actually really cool. It's an excellent follow-up to The Siege of AR-558 and a unique and affecting story.

 

[Sykonee]

Week 14: (Ending 01.10.99)
DS9 - Prodigal Daughter (Airdate 01.06.99)

Has it been 11 days since I last did this? Uh, um... what excuse can I give here? Heavy school load? Nope, that's never delayed me so long. Work? Nah, nothing's changed there. Distracted by new DVD box sets? Mm, a bit, but surely I could squeeze in just one DS9 episode in the meantime, right? But wait, it's this episode. Man, I don't want to watch that one right now. Maybe later. And later, and later, and later...

Y'know, Prodigal Daughter isn't bad-bad; it's no Meridian. It's just... so frightfully dull. Hands up over who's interested in an Ezri backstory? Well, that might be okay, but who's interested in Ezri's family troubles? Yeah, thought so.

I'm actually quite surprised that this one was universally derided by the writers and production crew as the worst of S7 - the actors do a decent enough job given the material. I'd think the next DS9 episode would earn that honor. However, we won't find out about that for a little while yet. Heh, no, I'm not going on yet another unexplained hiatus. VOY's just returning for a couple solo weeks first.

Weekly Winner
DS9

Next:
VOY - Latent Image

 

[Pemmer Harge]

Very rarely have I been so bored watching DS9 as I was during Prodigal Daughter.

 

[Geck]

I didn't mind it much when it originally aired - certainly not great, but I didn't think it was that bad or even boring. However, I've been unable to sit through it even once in the 12 years since... The handling of the O'Brien plot always bugged me. I wish we could have followed that instead.

The biggest novelty of the episode for me now is seeing a young Kevin Rahm, who I've enjoyed in many things since.

 

[Sykonee]

Week 15: (Ending 01.24.99)
VOY - Latent Image (Airdate 01.20.99)

Aww, they flashback to the Kes years without giving us a glimpse of Lien again. I'm a Sad Sykonee...

VOY keeps up its somewhat greying of the series, bringing up the moral implications of Doc's nature. At first I thought this might be a retread of Measure Of A Man, but rather than focusing entirely on whether he has a living soul and, as such, his rights, we're given the opportunity to see him dwell on paradoxic philosophical quandaries that gives him no peace of mind. Okay, this is VOY, so chances are this won't be brought up again; still, I was surprised the episode didn't tidily wrap up at the end credits. Doc's still in the throes of every late-night stoner's worst nightmare (erm, yes, I've been there before), yet provides just enough of a window of hope for him to get out of that philosophical feedback loop. Either that, or the hash finally started to wear off. Doc's gotta stay outta the medicinal from now on, if y'know what I mean.

Weekly Winner
VOY

Next:
VOY - Bride Of Chaotica!

 

[Pemmer Harge]

Latent Image is probably my favourite episode of Voyager. I love how the Doctor agonises over having saved his friend rather than a mere acquaintance and the scene where he has a breakdown in the mess hall was very memorable.

Oh, and I really liked how what we'd tend to assume are the Doctor's paranoid delusions actually turn out to be true. The other characters really are conspiring against him!

 

[Bones2]

Voyager's bloody brilliant.

 

[TheGodBen]

Latent Image would be a fantastic episode if only it had an ending.

 

[Seven of Five]

Latent Image is Top 10 VOY for me, though it's yet another EMH episode without follow-up. And yes, a mention of Kes would have been nice. All in all though, a million times better than Prodigal Daughter.

 

[Kai Winn]

VOY keeps up its somewhat greying of the series, bringing up the moral implications of Doc's nature. At first I thought this might be a retread of Measure Of A Man, but rather than focusing entirely on whether he has a living soul and, as such, his rights...

a shame you will quit this thread before author, author, which is the remake of measure of a man, but way better.

don't forget to point out that the doc isn't wearing his mobile emitter in bride of chaotica.

 

[DevilEyes]

Latent Image is one of VOY's best episodes.

 

[Sykonee]

Week 16: (Ending 01.31.99)
VOY - Bride Of Chaotica! (Airdate 01.27.99)

Silly. Goofy. Charming. Just like any scene featuring Captain Proton, really. Dunno if putting the ship in jeopardy was really necessary, but how else would you be able to convince Janeway to play the part? Ain't no way she's gonna put up with rationed "Coffee. Black." anymore.

It's a fun episode, but there's nothing to analyze here, 'specially so without any competition this week. Movin' on.

Weekly Winner
VOY

Next:
DS9 - The Emperor's New Cloak
VOY - Gravity