First-Timer's Impressions of Deep Space Nine

[Jimmy Bob]

Invasive Procedures

Oh, it's one of those "let's figure out what Trills are all about" episodes, where Jadzia is a minor character.

So. To join makes you elite. Thus Jadzia is elite.

To prepare for joining, a trill spens his or her entire lifetime of postponing living until after the joining.

Verad was psychologically incapable of starting to live his own life, just because he had waisted so many years to not living for one single moment... and that never arrived.

So he's pissed off. And steals himself a worm. And John Glover acts him nicely, there was a charming nervousness about the character.

Once joined he's like Curazon Dax, but evil. That Curazon must have made one hell of an impression on the worm. But it seems that the host is the master of the worm, the worm is just a passive part of the symbiosis. Despite all references to Curazonity, Verad still directed what this new Dax was all about.

Which just shows more and more how Jadzia lacks character.

I think I got it. Though confused about the change in Verad. Was there a change, or was Verad just more honest after the joining?

And what did happen to him? Did he die? He looked so retarded after that second surgery. And my, those trills have weird stomachs.

Nice to see Tuvok again. And Sisko is one hell of an observer and manipulator. He is a very insightful man.

The moral of the story: be happy with what you have.

 

[Jimmy Bob]

Cardassians

Garak! Finally!

There is something peculiar about the relationship of Bashir and Garak. It's just interesting to watch. And Bashir himself was pretty swashbuckling in this episode.

Umm... whoa. This was so much better than Invasive Procedures. All that clever political conspiracy and that diplomatic demagougery. Wonderful.

There were a lot of interesting things revealed in this. Like O'Brien's knee-jerk disgust towards cardassians contrasted with his "not all cardassians are bad" speech to the boy.

And of course the whole thing of war orphans and adoptive bajoran parents in general. What was the boy's name? Ruga? I think Ruga will always have something of bajoran in him, because according to some theories, it doesn't matter what you're born as, but how you're raised.

So, the "nonsense" your government feeds into you in public schools marks your national and cultural identity, and historical memory.

I use the word nonsense, because it's my belief that differences are only programmed into us, and they would stop existing if people would stop believing in differences. Because they exist only in their heads. And since our heads interpret the world for us, they seem to exist in real world too.

Or whoever raises you - of course we are raised by our families, but our families also follow some ideology or worldview.

So in essence born to a christian family, brainwashed by a denomination, born to a rich family, brainwashed by delusions of aristocracy.

So yeah, that boy is bajoran. And is going to have some of that with him for the rest of his life. Perhaps a future leader of the bajoran religion in Cardassia? Could happen.

Garak: "But you don't need me to tell you anything. Just notice the details, they're scattered around like crumbs on the table we share."

Garak's gay. There Bashir, I noticed the details for you.

 

[TheGodBen]

You know, I never saw the gay thing with Garak, even when rewatching the early episodes I don't see it, all I see is Garak. Andrew Robinson definitely tried to play him gay until the producers told him to knock it off, but it went completely over my head.

Cardassians is good, but it is really Garak that sells it for me, he notches it up to a great. It's a pity we don't get to see that monocle again, the only thing cooler than Garak is Garak wearing a monocle.

Invasive Procedures... it's okay, but I can't stand how Quark sold out the command staff and nothing happens afterwards. This episode crossed the line from Quark being greedy into him being an accessory to attempted murder, and that wasn't a good choice. Luckily, everyone forgets this ever happened.

 

[apenpaap]

If you enjoyed "Cardassians", you should consider reading "The Never-Ending Sacrifice" (After you watched the whole show, though, as it contains massive spoilers). It focuses on Rugal after being sent back to Cardassia, and is one of the best Trek books around.

 

[Pemmer Harge]

Invasive Procedures is OK, but it's another Dax episode that tells us nothing about Jadzia. Fond though I am of her, there's a case to be made that the Good Dax Episode is DS9's equivalent of the Good Troi Episode.

 

[DevilEyes]

And what did happen to him? Did he die? He looked so retarded after that second surgery. And my, those trills have weird stomachs.

I thought that he didn't die (he had the symbiont for a short time, and as far as I remember they said the neural links weren't that strong yet so he was able survive the reversed procedure), but we don't see him ever again on the show.

He makes a comeback in one of the stories from the anthology The Lives Of Dax (which is also very good, and I recommend it - but also after you see the entire show, as its framing story contains big spoilers about what happens to Dax in later seasons) and in the comic Divided We Fall (which takes place after the series finale).

I also second the recommendation of The Never-Ending Sacrifice.

You know, I never saw the gay thing with Garak, even when rewatching the early episodes I don't see it, all I see is Garak. Andrew Robinson definitely tried to play him gay until the producers told him to knock it off, but it went completely over my head.

Well, more accurately, Robinson said he played him as "omnisexual". Which he could still be, without it contradicting certain other storylines from the show. I can see it, there is a certain campiness in his behavior, as well as ambiguity in his interactions with Bashir, though one could as well just ascribe it to his shifty nature and a habit of keeping people on their toes Let's say that it's possible that Garak is not attracted to Bashir at all, but that I wouldn't be surprised if he was. Unlike with many other characters that people try to make bisexual or gay in slash fanfiction but I just don't see it at all and it is often silly, here it actually makes sense.

Speaking of books, Andrew Robinson's novel A Stitch in Time - yes, Jimmy Bob, the actor himself wrote a novel about his character, which is BTW also excellent, and also should only be read after the finale because of the spoiler factor - suggests that Garak is bisexual, but only in one casual remark, while the main love interests are all female. I'm guessing that Robinson wanted to incorporate Garak's bisexuality/omnisexuality in it, but that's probably as far he could take it.

 

[Teiwaz]

You know, I never saw the gay thing with Garak, even when rewatching the early episodes I don't see it, all I see is Garak. Andrew Robinson definitely tried to play him gay until the producers told him to knock it off, but it went completely over my head.

Really???
That never even entered my head. Well well well.

I suppose he does have that odd enigmatic smile he wears when he'd baiting someone with another lie.

Someone should paint him, He'd make a great Cardassian Mona Lisa.

Just watched upto the end of Season 4 - ohhh, I never realised how many episodes I managed to miss when it was on telly.
The Quickening had tears in my eyes, the ending was just SO bitter-sweet.
Body-parts was a wonderful Quark episode.
and Broken Links makes me hunger for the next episode Now!!! Wanna wanna wanna Wahhhhh!!

If I can't find Season 5 in hmv tomorrow they'll be a one-man riot, letters to my MP, young hippies running through the streets, burning raping and shooting etc...

 

[Jimmy Bob]

Melora

Unlike that certain creepy bajoran guy, that Bashir is quite a charmer. I was ready to go to a dinner with him myself.

It was a good episode. What I really liked was how it expanded the universe... vulcan composers, klingon restaurants.

I liked watching Melora and Bashir together, so much that I was afraid that it might end with Bashir's experiment going horribly long and Melora unable to function ever in either gravity, and being a mentally and physically retarded for the rest of her life. Fortunately it had an happier ending. So I was somewhat relived that it had a average action finale instead.

The finale was safe, but safe is nice sometimes. Otherwise the b-plot with Quark and killer guy was uninvolving. For a moment you might have thought that perhaps there is something grey going on there... but then the guy just ends up being a ruthless asshole who deserved those 8 years in prison anyway. But fortunately the a-plot was emotionally involving enough to cover all that.

Beautiful soundtrack too. I laughed when the klingon guy started singing though.

 

[apenpaap]

The Klingon chef was way underused. I think we only see him in like 3 episodes.

 

[TheGodBen]

I thought he only appeared in this episode, but apparently he appeared in Playing God too. Still, the Klingon restaurant is frequently referenced from here on out even if we don't actually see it all that often.

I'm not a fan of Melora, it was better than the standard Trek romance-of-the-week episode, but it was still a Trek romance-of-the-week episode and those tend to be reserved for characters that the writers are having trouble getting a handle on. For example, Harry Kim's The Disease, Dr Crusher's The Host, or the upcoming Sisko episode.

 

[Gagarin]

Is it just me or did Garak dissapear for like 15 episodes in season 1/2?
And what's with all the Cardassian computers hanging around still?

 

[Jimmy Bob]

One thing that I found interesting about Melora. They play tennis in the future, but not baseball? Are they crazy? What is wrong with them? Can't stand tennis.

 

[Jimmy Bob]

Rules of Acquisition

This is just so ridiculous. The ferengi are the most ridiculous species ever. With a leader like Grand Nagus who has this really annoying voice and all that jewish-gypsy stereotypes plus naked women.... my god.

I liked the episode though. At first I thought it was Nog though, before I saw the boobs. I guess I can't really differate between ferengi.

Why is Rom so mentally retarded? And why does Morn make me think of Farscape?

Dominion? Supreme Evil so soon? I got shivers of dread. Feels so... nice. Of course I'm spoiled about the importance of Dominion, because you people always speak about the Dominion War whenever you can in other Trek forums.

I fell for the story. Light and sometimes cute. It was nice to watch it. I found the ending to have that sort of old movie vibe to it. You know, be a man and lose the girl and then sadly remain in the bar alone.

Jadzia: "I know you better than that Quark."

No you don't. In fact, I'm not really sure you've ever had a meaningful dialogue with Quark before. And when did you become so... what's the right word.... wordly? Experienced?

You know, suddenly Jadzia is this type of woman who can write a 1000-page Guidebook to Men, based on her experiences alone. Sort of walking-talking personality test. Because she knows so much about men, and once you sleep with her, she'll have you all figured out and can tell you everything about you. That type of woman.

I don't mind. It's just that she didn't seem to be the type in the first season.

 

[Pemmer Harge]

One thing that I found interesting about Melora. They play tennis in the future, but not baseball?

Doesn't really surprise me. Surely tennis is the more popular sport?

Anyway, I rather enjoyed Rules of Acquisition. One of the better Ferengi episodes in my book.

The next episode is good...

 

[Danny99]

Rules of Acquisition

This is just so ridiculous. The ferengi are the most ridiculous species ever. With a leader like Grand Nagus who has this really annoying voice and all that jewish-gypsy stereotypes plus naked women.... my god.

I've been waiting for a long time for another person to come along with these sentiments.

I never understood the love for the Ferengi, especially Quark and Rom. Nog at least went and made something of himself.

 

[Jimmy Bob]

I've been waiting for a long time for another person to come along with these sentiments.

I wonder about these sentiments. Since I love Quark.

It's just their culture and society is just utterly ridiculous. It's like every negative stereotype in Earth's history given life in one species. And that just makes me laugh in that "can it get any more ridiculous" way.

"So, now their women can't wear clothes? What next?"

 

[TheGodBen]

Is it just me or did Garak dissapear for like 15 episodes in season 1/2?

Yes, he completely went missing between Past Prologue and Cardassians, presumably because the show didn't focus on the Cardassians so much in season 1. When they started doing more Cardassian stories in season 2 they brought him back for a few episodes, and then they realised he was so awesome that they brought him back more often. Remember, he's not a main character, and he's only in 33 of the 173 episodes, but he's such a great character that it felt like he was in more.

And what's with all the Cardassian computers hanging around still?

It's a Cardassian space station.

One thing that I found interesting about Melora. They play tennis in the future, but not baseball? Are they crazy? What is wrong with them? Can't stand tennis.

Are you crazy? Tennis is a great sport, far more interesting than baseball. Tennis/badminton/squash or other sports of that nature are the only sports I can even enjoy playing.

But I am a complete and utter nerd.

Why is Rom so mentally retarded?

Rom's not retarded, he's just socially inept, and he has been under Quark's thumb for so long that he has trouble forming opinions of his own. He remains a mostly comic character, but it will eventually become apparent that Rom is not an idiot, he just acts that way because Quark always treated him that way.

Dominion? Supreme Evil so soon? I got shivers of dread. Feels so... nice. Of course I'm spoiled about the importance of Dominion, because you people always speak about the Dominion War whenever you can in other Trek forums.

Aha, I knew you had to hear of them somehow! Your claims about not being spoiled were lies! Lies!

Don't get your hopes up, nothing big will happen with the Dominion soon, right now you are still in the foreshadowing stage. They threw the first mention of the Dominion into a Ferengi comedy episode on purpose, that way nobody would think it was a big deal, but clearly that doesn't work if you've already heard of the Dominion and know that they're going to be a big deal. There will be a few more mentions of the Dominion in upcoming episodes, will you catch them all? (Pokémon!)

I don't mind. It's just that she didn't seem to be the type in the first season.

Welcome to Jadzia 2.0. The original concept for the character was that she would be wise beyond her years, sort of like Spock, but by season 2 they realised that it wasn't working so they rejiggered her. Now she's more of a tom-boy/party-girl; she enjoys wrestling and gambling and drinking and all sorts of things that Jadzia v1.01 wasn't into. You can view it as her integrating the experiences of Dax's past lives into her own if you wish.

 

[AJBryant]

I laughed when the klingon guy started singing though.

I always refer to that as DS9's "Lady and the Tramp" moment.

I wish, though, that the instrument he was playing would have been more convincing. The strings were too loose, and no way could it have produced those sounds.

 

[Danny99]

I've been waiting for a long time for another person to come along with these sentiments.

I wonder about these sentiments. Since I love Quark.

It's just their culture and society is just utterly ridiculous. It's like every negative stereotype in Earth's history given life in one species. And that just makes me laugh in that "can it get any more ridiculous" way.

"So, now they're women can't wear clothes? What next?"

I've heard before that the way the Ferengi were written allows us to analyze ourselves as they are basically 21st cenutry humans.

 

[Jimmy Bob]

God, I wrote they're when I meant their. Hate it when that happens.

I've heard before that the way the Ferengi were written allows us to analyze ourselves as they are basically 21st cenutry humans.

Doesn't make sense.