I am watching DS9 for the first time (some observations)

[Frostscape One]

"PROFIT AND LACE" is one of those very rare episodes I can't defend.

 

[Court_Vince]

I think airing a light episode like His Way right after a heavy episode like In the Pale Moonlight was on purpose. Too many of either light or heavy episodes in a row leads to loss of interest in the series.

Yes, Profit and Lace was a low point. It wasn't very good when it was first aired, and has not aged well.

True I guess it might just be His Way''s plot itself that makes me bored with since I never really cared for romance stories usually

"PROFIT AND LACE" is one of those very rare episodes I can't defend.

And I don't think anyone should try, I feel like it be'd to hard

 

[Court_Vince]

Okay done with Time's Orphan, The Sound of Her Voice, Tears of The Prophets

Time's Orphan
Hey! an O'Brien episode, haven't had one of those in a while. So I really like this episode's concept it also involves Molly and Kirayoshi and we really don't see them play into the plot alot of the time. The execution of the episode itself tho is alright the acting's weird in some places but like in Valiant I can ignore it, watching the O'brien's try and teach Molly about her life after falling into the vortex was nice, watching her slowly pick up concepts gives a nice sense of hope. Of course we know doesn't last for long as adjusting for Molly proves harder than thought. As for the decision to send Molly back... I can't really say I disagree with it nor do I not understand it. From what episode says it seems that Molly wouldn't get what her needed(at least according to Bashir) it also shows what good parents Keiko and Miles are trying to what they think is best for Molly knowing that they'll never see her again... gets you in the gut. And watching Adult!Molly lead Kid!Molly back into present most likely with her knowing it I'll mean she won't exist... Overall alright episode

The Sound of Her Voice
While I like the message and watching crew more or less vent about their issues while talking to Lisa. This episode wasn't interesting to me even with time travel elements it still really didn't do anything for me. There is a nice sweetness to this episode tho mainly with Quark-Odo-Jake subplot and the Irish wake they gave for Lisa. Overall a nice episode

Tears of The Prophets
Oh... This one changes everything I see, Tbh I really don't know where to start. On a light note I love this part of dialogue with Weyoun, Damar and Dukat
GLINN: "Legate Damar, excuse the interruption but we have a problem."
DAMAR: "What kind of a problem?"
DUKAT: "Me. Well, isn't anyone going to welcome me home?"
WEYOUN: "Heroes get welcomed home, Dukat, not failures. Or have you forgotten that under your leadership the Dominion nearly lost this war?"
DUKAT: "As I recall, Weyoun, you were standing right by my side agreeing with every decision I made."
Watching in the beginning Worf and Jadzia talk about a baby is so tragic on rewatches and the foreshadowing with the prophets I guess going to Cardassia was more dangerous than Sisko thought . Loved the battle with invading Cardassia especially seeing all those ships. And the juxtaposition between destroying the weapon platforms to Jadzia's Death... Worf's Death roar afterwords... Heartbreaking. Overall a great tragic episode, Goodbye Jadzia...

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

Profit and Lace
...
And even then I guess/hoped that it couldn't be that bad.
I was wrong.
...
Overall... maybe I should've skipped this one.

If you want to call yourself a Niner you have to take the brilliant with the awful, fortunately the series had few really bad episodes. But part of being a fan of anything is being able to hold your hands up and say "yeah, that was bad", rather than blindly following and agreeing with everything that's put out.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

You should watch every episode at least once, skip the terrible ones later.

 

[Turd Ferguson]

I'm actually rewatching this show for the first time in YEARS. Just finished In the Hands of the Prophets. I'll have to say, Season One was pretty solid. A lot more solid than I remember it being. Even some of the episodes I hated before, like The Storyteller and Move Along Home, I found pretty enjoyable this time. Duet is definitely the standout of the season. Babel was surprisingly relevant nowadays. In fact, I cracked up when Odo was doubting Quark's claim that his bar was an "essential business."

 

[Court_Vince]

If you want to call yourself a Niner you have to take the brilliant with the awful, fortunately the series had few really bad episodes. But part of being a fan of anything is being able to hold your hands up and say "yeah, that was bad", rather than blindly following and agreeing with everything that's put out.

You should watch every episode at least once, skip the terrible ones later.

I know, I know it's just Profit and Lace made me so uncomfortable and somewhat disgusted with "humor" it was using which isn't something that episodes which are usually called the worst do. Like with stuff like Threshold, Spock's Brain, Shades of Gray etc These just (for me at least) come into being absurd and bizarre episodes or in Shades of Gray case just pretty boring which I'm pretty sure all Trek's have. Profit and Lace just comes off as so much worse for me. Though like I said in my post it does have that commissioner scene which I really enjoy, So maybe on rewatches I'll watch up that scene on move on.

 

[Frostscape One]

There are very few episodes in the franchise that I simply can't defend... and I've defended a number of unpopular ones. "PROFIT AND LACE" is one of those rare ones. "THESE ARE THE VOYAGES..." is another.

(Though oddly enough, my wife actually doesn't mind it and even likes the episode. She said putting it in the mind of being an all out comedy does the trick, but even I can't do it.)

"SPOCK'S BRAIN" is pretty bad, but the idea of a brain being the center of a computer for a society is a good one.

"Shades Of Gray" is a bottom of the barrel episode, but at least the concept of is interesting.

"THRESHOLD" is bad, but it's more along the lines of being ridiculous than anything. And it at least has Paris get some character development.

 

[Court_Vince]

Exactly! Like going into VOY territory for a bit, But the beginning parts of Threshold aren't even that bad and like you said gives Paris some development as well some pretty good acting from McNeil

 

[STEPhon IT]

Agreed, and even after DS9 we still don't know a whole lot about Cardassian culture. We can judge how he appears to us, but we certainly don't know enough to be able to place Dukat accurately within his own cultural context.

From the episodes of TNG and on to DS9 1st three seasons were enough to know about the Cardassian culture and the dimensions displayed by Cardassians. The one common thing about those characters were for their love for their country. Dukat and especially Garak were no different but multi-faceted.

 

[The Hanuk Kai]

"PROFIT AND LACE" is one of those very rare episodes I can't defend.

And I don't think anyone should try, I feel like it be'd to hard

I know, I know it's just Profit and Lace made me so uncomfortable and somewhat disgusted with "humor" it was using which isn't something that episodes which are usually called the worst do.

I'm not going to defend the episode, but I will at least point to an aspect that at least could have pointed to a good episode. I think that the scene in which the newly transitioned Quark gets advice about how to behave like a woman had the kernel of a brilliant idea. The scene points to a good deconstruction of how femininity was envisioned pre-2000. The problem--and the problem with the entire episode--is that it focuses far too much on the Ferengi characters, not enough on the women characters. Instead of a scene between Quark, Rom, Nog, Zek, and Leeta, it could have been a scene between Quark, Zek, Dax and Kira. It would then be a scene between people who hold stereotypical views of women versus women who easily defy those stereotypes. Indeed, I would love to see how Kira would react to a bunch of sexist drivel given that Nana Visitor often consciously comported herself as a man when playing Kira.

 

[kkt]

I suppose it depends where you are from, but where I'm from spouting sexist drivel would have gotten you an earful WAY before 2000. I'm thinking late 1960s.

 

[The Hanuk Kai]

I suppose it depends where you are from, but where I'm from spouting sexist drivel would have gotten you an earful WAY before 2000. I'm thinking late 1960s.

So you don't think the results would be different if Dax and Kira challenged Quark on his sexist drivel? I would point to the "Quarktajino scene," which probably did not go far enough in having Kira and Dax express themselves.

 

[Herbert]

Watched The Emperor's New Cloak from season seven

Sigh. Another crappy superfluous mirror universe story. YAWN! There's filler episodes and then there's filler for the filler episodes. That's what this was. Was this piece of drek just an excuse to get Brunt, Ezri, and Vic into a mirror universe episode? And oh yeah, it's got the Nagus too. Shoot me. Shoot me now.

 

[Court_Vince]

Done with Image in the Sand, Shadows and Symbols, Afterimage, Take Me Out to the Holo-suite and Chrysalis

Image in the Sand
Seeing the Sisko's just working at the restaurant was a nice change of pace, and I always like seeing Joseph Sisko. The sense of dejection and melancholy in the air is really emphasized with Worf and Vic's convo leading up to him listening to "All the Way". It's so terribly self destructive, and really makes you feel for him and makes Jadzia's death all the more present. The plotline with Sarah and figuring out who she is was nice and I liked the convo that Joseph and Ben had. The reveal itself doesn't do much for me but I understand why they had it, and I enjoyed the interactions between Kira & Cretak.
But alot of the stuff I that really liked happened in Shadows and Symbols. Overall a good episode that's a bit of slow start. And speaking of that...

Shadows and Symbols
Well I've finally met Ezri and I like her, showing how gaining 8 lifetimes worth of memories can effect someone is an interesting storyline and I can't wait to see how it develops.
Also EZRI: "Ben, maybe my memories are playing tricks on me but have you gotten stranger?" No Ezri, Ben's always been this strange. The call-back to Far beyond the Stars with Benny Russell was awesome, the back-and-forth with what's real and what's not, stuff like that is what makes DS9 so great.
I also loved the build-up of Derna situation with the torpedoes, Kira & Odo's conversation with the blockade and how to deal with the Romulans, the tension is great and you can really feel it as it plays out, and the conclusion of Admiral Ross getting the Warbirds called off was good as well.
Now I found Quark a little annoying during the moments with the Jadzia Sto-Vo-Kor storyline but the action makes up for it. The scene with destroying the Shipyard was amazing watching everything and Worf declaration with getting Jadzia into Sto-Vo-Kor gives the sense of accomplishment I also really liked how every plot concluded together. Overall a great episode and great conclusion for the 2-parter

Afterimage
Alright so I got my wish when it came to Ezri's character and the exploration of that. The character interactions were great(rightfully so considering that episode main theme is character interaction),Sisko and Ezri conversations are lovely, I enjoy the sort of mentor/student vibe that hangs in the air with them. The Garak/Ezri interactions were very nice with Ezri trying to help him and Garak ripping her to shreds(even tho I really don't enjoy that scene) and both of them talking in Garak's shop when they're both at their lowest with Garak just letting it all out and Ezri just being there and offering different viewpoint leading up their convo in The Infirmary (which gives them some good development)...very nice very nice indeed. Miles and Worf's discussion about Ezri, with Miles encouraging Worf to actually talk to Ezri instead of just ignoring her was magnificent really highlights their friendship and past relationship. and Ezri's celebration party for her joining DS9 showing that everyone is getting more comfortable with her is very good as well. Overall a great episode

Take Me Out to the Holo-Suite
Now here's a breather episode I really enjoy, First thing I really like is the pacing of the episode with Solok and Sisko's passive aggressive conversation in his office to SIsko assembling everyone in the Wardroom to the looks on there faces when he reveals what contest they're going fight in, and with Sisko just looking down at the baseball and smiling just great. The scenes where the crew is just trying figure out and make sense of the baseball rules really reminds you of the fact that at least of half Sisko's senior staff is non-human makes it more impressive that remembered any rules at all. It's alot of the little of the little stuff in this episode that I really enjoy, Ezri's line "If you believe Julian. Personally, I'm not sure I'm going to make it.", Sisko asking Kaisdy "how's your throwing arm", Miles chewing scotch gum, Odo expression after Sisko telling him to work on his moves. It's stuff like this that really makes this so much fun for me. The montage with everyone getting into it and practicing(especially Odo practicing "his moves" in his office) only adds to that.
Sisko sharing the story with how his rivalry with Solok started really makes me loves their relationship even more and the Gilligan cut to Kasidy saying "He made me promise not to tell you, so you have to keep this under your hats." along with the all the staff putting all their hands together and the Niner shout, great demonstration of how far all these relationship have developed. Worf and Sisko's fight with Odo about whether it was a Ball or a Strike was hilarious I especially love these lines with Worf's "Do not rush me", Sisko's "What were you doing, regenerating?"
and then Odo's "Gentlemen you are trying my patience" . Ezri's "Fancy Dan" was great helps add even more fun into the game. The tagging bit though might be one of favorite parts just Odo staring and clearing his throat, Worf's "Find him and kill him!" and everyone advising Nog on what to do just great. And Rom finally getting up to the plate everyone making the bunt gesture and him being one to get them a point, and then just Odo's smug smile as takes Solok out. And then everyone clowning on Solok in Quark's what a great ending. Now Solok as a character is kinda weird in sense that Starfleet would allow him stay in without ever addressing his racism towards humans, but given how much fun I have with episode I(like many things) can overlook it. Overall a great that probably I'll rewatch over & over again. P.S. I would kill for that signed baseball.

Chrysalis
The Jack Pack is back! But unfortunately the plot isn't particularly interesting and somewhat forgettable to me(especially compared to the fun I had with Take Me Out to the Holo-Suite). Through I enjoyed the scenes with Sarina and the Jack Pack interacting especially the scene with them singing scales, very sweet. Now the dating plotline with Julian falling in love with Sabrina just didn't stick with me and the fact they were doctor-patient left a bad taste in mouth. There really isn't much for me to say, Overall a meh episode.

 

[Frostscape One]

"Death to the opposition!"

Always loved that line.

 

[CRM-114]

I need to get rolling again. More than a year and a half after I started, I'm still in Season Two!

 

[Court_Vince]

What was the last the episode you saw?

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

"Take Me Out To The Holosuite" has so many great one liners throughout and it was great to see the crew just having fun, something that really shines through in the middle of the war.

Now Solok as a character is kinda weird in sense that Starfleet would allow him stay in without ever addressing his racism towards humans, but given how much fun I have with episode I(like many things) can overlook it. Overall a great that probably I'll rewatch over & over again. P.S. I would kill for that signed baseball.

Starfleet doesn't do anything about many human captain's blatant human-centric racism

 

[arch101]

"PROFIT AND LACE" is one of those very rare episodes I can't defend.

When I last rewatched the entire series, this was the one ep I skipped. I don't think I missed anything relevant.