"life support" and Bareil

[Sybok]

So, Im watching DS9 through and I had forgotten a lot of the details, this episode in particular.

I did not like it at all, for starters I finally started to like bareil after that troi episode where he gets the hots for dax and then they kill him off and the treaty that bareil insists he risk his life for leaves me extremely unsatisfied because it (to me at least) seem too trivial and distant as a viewer and to top it off unrealistic - how could the doctor ethically allow that to happen AND how the heck could they rely on advice from at first a sick person and then from a sick person with half a brain??

imo stupid episode, the first truely bad yet (wait, second, the dax falling in love with a total stranger alien in one day then decieding to live with him forever and sisko and everyone is cool with it totally is the worse so far in my re-watching of ds9)

so now that i vented, thoughts?

 

[DS9Continuing]

I never really understood why they decided to jam the B-story about Nog in there too. It had nothing to do with the A-story and just took up time that could have been used to flesh the A-story out to the point where it actually made sense or made us care about the characters involved.

But no, we get scenes about Nog being a dickhead to girls at the dinner table. (Still, at least one could maybe argue that this story provided the impetus for Nog to go the complete opposite direction in "Heart of Stone," which I think we can all agree was the best idea his character ever had.)

EDITED to add:

Memory Alpha has this quote from the DS9 Companion:

Although the producers were happy with both the A-story and the B-story as individual stories, they were not happy with their combination in this episode. According to Ira Steven Behr, after viewing the first set of dailies which included scenes from both stories, the producers were beyond shocked, and a feeling swept through the room like, "What the hell have we done?" The decision to have a grim A-story and a humorous B-story was Ronald D. Moore's, who explains, "I said to everyone, 'This is such a grim episode, we should have a light B-story, maybe let Jake and Nog do some fun stuff.' It sounded great in concept, and I enjoyed writing the scenes, but, man, such a mistake!"

So at least - as with LHWIWS - they knew they were making a dog.

.

 

[Brikar99]

I couldn't stand Bareil, and most of that lay on the actor playing him. He was just so dull and lifeless. I could never grasp what it was Kira saw in him. And then in this episode he's supposed to act more dull and lifeless and I could barely tell the difference.

 

[DS9 Gal AZ]

You know, there's a reason the guy was nicknamed "Bore-ile."

 

[RoJoHen]

I couldn't stand Bareil, and most of that lay on the actor playing him. He was just so dull and lifeless. I could never grasp what it was Kira saw in him. And then in this episode he's supposed to act more dull and lifeless and I could barely tell the difference.

Yeah, I agree. I mean, I accepted that Kira loved him for the sake of the story, but the guy himself really was incredibly dull. I much prefered the MU version.

 

[BennyRussel]

The only character more boring the Bareil was Shakaar. I saw nothing in his character that interesting at all.

Nerys certainly had a "type" -- before Odo at least.

 

[Brikar99]

The only character more boring the Bareil was Shakaar. I saw nothing in his character that interesting at all.

Nerys certainly had a "type" -- before Odo at least.

Shakaar had a better actor in the role (I guess), but his character was written far less interesting. I could see the potential of Bareil as a character if they'd simply hired an actor who could do more than spout his lines in a sleepy monotone.

 

[Tiberius]

I never liked his performance, but then again, I thought he did much better as the mirror version of bareil. Probably just the actor trying to sound calm and wise.

 

[Paradon]

Actually, that's the charm of DS9... That's what makes people tune in every week...because it's unpredictable. You wouldn't think doctor Bashir would do that, but he did. Plus I think at least he was compitent enough to decide what he wanted at first.... We hate to see it happen, but that's what makes it so interesting.

 

[Sandoval]

What difference does it make if he was boring? Is everyone else's spouse/partner a test-pilot for rocket-propelled roller skates or something then?

Or just mine?

 

[Tosk]

I never cared much for Bareil either, but he did end up serving an important purpose...emotional baggage for Nerys.

 

[Navaros]

Life Support is a truly great episode. It is the only episode in which I can stand Bareil.

The Bareil actor plays him as if he is playing an (barely) animated Mannequin, not a Bajoran person.

Life Support is the only episode in which his (non-)acting style actually fits with the character.

The ethical dilemma that Life Supports presents is intriguing.

Best of all, as always, Louise Fletcher is amazing in Life Support. She has stated that she was sick while filming it, but I don't notice her acting ability lessened in any way.

,we get scenes about Nog being a dickhead to girls at the dinner table.

IMO Nog's "She's soooooooo DUMB!!!" line is one of the most hilarious lines ever in Trek. Eisenberg's delivery is perfect. I can watch that line a million times and I'll still ROFL every single time.

 

[Enterprise is Great]

The only character more boring the Bareil was Shakaar. I saw nothing in his character that interesting at all.

Nerys certainly had a "type" -- before Odo at least.

Her type was square and boring. She had no chemistry with Bareil and Shakar...just with Odo. Those two were such stiffs. I couldn't tell if it was the actors or the writing or both.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

The only character more boring the Bareil was Shakaar. I saw nothing in his character that interesting at all.

Nerys certainly had a "type" -- before Odo at least.

Her type was square and boring. She had no chemistry with Bareil and Shakar...just with Odo. Those two were such stiffs. I couldn't tell if it was the actors or the writing or both.

Completely agree. What awful dull characters they were. Couldn't care less about them dying or leaving.