My only attempt at showing DS9 to my wife is "Q-less!"

[AFEK ESLCAFE W]

I am an expat American who has been living in South Korea for almost 3 years now. I have been married for over 2 years now, and my beautiful Korean wife who obviously did not grow up with Star Trek in this culture (It's not part of the Korean popular mainstream.) knows that I am into it like gangbusters.

The thing is, since my wife does not actively like this show (And I don't blame her at all, because I always wanted to marry a wife who was not into Sci-Fi or Star Trek, but into her own things.), she only watches it when I happen to be watching it on the big screen TV.

Anyways, I only brought a few Trek DVDs to watch here in South Korea. Now, all I have with me are the 11 feature films -- which are the only commercially available Korean subtitled Star Trek DVDs available in the world -- and "Star Trek: Fan Collective - Q." So the only DS9 episode my wife will ever catch is "Q-pid and that is the sole impression she will have of this entire series. Not from "The Wire," "The Search, Parts I and II," "Improbable Cause/The Die is Cast," "The Way of the Warrior," "In Purgatory's Shadow/By Inferno's Light," or "In the Pale Moonlight" but solely this one ---> The one where Sisko socks out Q for calling him "Benji!"

 

[RandyS]

Well, In my opinion, you showed your wife one of DS9's best episodes. Of course, I really like the Q character so I'm biased in that direction. Conventional wisdom is that outside of his TNG appearances, the Q episodes are typically hated, but I don't feel that way.

Why can't you show your wife the rest of Star Trek? Is it simply because she doesn't like it? Or because they are unavailable in Korea? What DVD region is that anyway? 3? 4?

 

[Mage]

^^^
I love the Q character aswell, but I can't agree with it being one of ds9's best episodes. The only really good part was Sisko knocking Q on his a@#. The rest of the episode kinda muddled along, starting when this new and unexplored region of space was already being explored by a human. Kinda took something from the whole concept really.

 

[AFEK ESLCAFE W]

Why can't you show your wife the rest of Star Trek? Is it simply because she doesn't like it?

I only have the Region 3 DVDs with the Korean subtitles to show my wife, so the 11 feature films are what she will primarily view and get an understanding of Star Trek, which is unfortunate especially for the fact that one of those films is Star Trek: Nemesis.

I do own the "Q Fan Collective," Region 1 with only English subtitles. My wife can watch the episodes visually, but won't be able to follow the deeper narrative.

These are the only Trek I have with me in South Korea.

Also, my wife is not into Star Trek, and that is completely 100% fine with me. She checks it out when I am watching it on the big screen TV in our living room, but if I happen to be watching an occassional episode available on Youtube, she won't bother peeking over my shoulder to watch it. Trek is my own thing, and I'm content with that.

 

[AFEK ESLCAFE W]

Or because they are unavailable in Korea? What DVD region is that anyway? 3? 4?

My wife has only seen out of the Star Trek I have available on DVD:


In their entirety -

TWOK
STAR TREK '09


Seen most of -

GEN


Glimpses, here and there -

TMP
TSFS
TVH
TFF
TUC
FC
INS


Has not seen -

The 14 Q episodes I have on DVD
NEM

 

[Brikar99]

I also don't care much for 'Q-Less.' It feels too much like a grab for TNG viewers and then 'Heyyyy we're different, but we're not, but we tricked you into watching it, kinda!'

John de Lancie puts in a fine performance, as always, but the mystery of the episode isn't all that compelling and the idea of Q pining over Vash is pretty 'meh' in my mind.

 

[AFEK ESLCAFE W]

I also don't care much for 'Q-Less.' It feels too much like a grab for TNG viewers and then 'Heyyyy we're different, but we're not, but we tricked you into watching it, kinda!'

John de Lancie puts in a fine performance, as always, but the mystery of the episode isn't all that compelling and the idea of Q pining over Vash is pretty 'meh' in my mind.

I am in no hurry to rewatch the following Q episodes again on DVD anytime soon:

True Q
Q-less
The Q and the Grey
Q2

 

[You_Will_Fail]

Wow, don't show her Q-less!

 

[Bad-Wolf]

When I want to introduce Star Trek to someone, I usually start with something like "Far beyond the Stars" or "Past Tense". Because in my opinion these are pretty good examples of what the science-fiction is all about. And only after that I show more "geeky" episodes, which can be a bit boring for someone who doesn't especially like science-fiction.

 

[Trevacious]

Don't do it. DS9 can wait a while until you stock up on more DVDs.

 

[You_Will_Fail]

When I want to introduce Star Trek to someone, I usually start with something like "Far beyond the Stars" or "Past Tense". Because in my opinion these are pretty good examples of what the science-fiction is all about. And only after that I show more "geeky" episodes, which can be a bit boring for someone who doesn't especially like science-fiction.

Both those episodes would put me off so much. They're both preachy to the extreme.

 

[RoJoHen]

When I introduce people to TV shows, I make them watch the first episode. And then I make them watch the second episode. And then the third.

It seems to work for me.

 

[Paradon]

People who are not into Trek tend to enjoy DS9 more than the rest from personal observation. I think it's more like "Boardwalk Empire" than a sci-fi... [laugh]

 

[AFEK ESLCAFE W]

I also don't care much for 'Q-Less.' It feels too much like a grab for TNG viewers and then 'Heyyyy we're different, but we're not, but we tricked you into watching it, kinda!'

Since my wife doesn't know much about TNG either, from her perspective it would be like Q belongs on DS9 as much as the regulars do considering it's the only DS9 episode she will quite possibly ever get a glimpse of.

Wow, don't show her Q-less!

This episode will be her only impression of DS9.

There is nothing in there that explains Sisko's role as the Emissary, Bajoran internal politics, the foreshadowing of the Dominion, Garak's espionage and intrigue, etc.

Commander Sisko knocking out Q for calling him "Benji" IS NOT the Sisko I want my wife to see. It doesn't showcase him like "Past Tense, Parts I and II," "The Adversary," "The Way of the Warrior," "Visionary," "Rapture," "For the Uniform," "Far Beyond the Stars," and "In the Pale Moonlight."

Now with "Death Wish," "The Q and the Grey," and "Q2," they more-or-less show what Voyager was about "warts and all," and the main draw for those episodes for my wife isn't because of the fact Q is in them but because there actually is a woman captain in command of a starship. And my apologies for saying the name "Captain Kathryn Janeway" on the DS9 boards, because those words rarely go together on in here in the 11 years I've been lurking through these boards.

But, alas when I am bored on a rainy day, and "Q-less" being only 1 of 14 episodes of Star Trek I have on disc here in South Korea...SIGH...

When I want to introduce Star Trek to someone, I usually start with something like "Far beyond the Stars" or "Past Tense". Because in my opinion these are pretty good examples of what the science-fiction is all about. And only after that I show more "geeky" episodes, which can be a bit boring for someone who doesn't especially like science-fiction.

My wife is not into science-fiction. Period.

When I introduce people to TV shows, I make them watch the first episode. And then I make them watch the second episode. And then the third.

It seems to work for me.

This does not necessarily work, because sometimes the first initial episodes are generally not the best episodes of the entire series as a whole.

Don't do it. DS9 can wait a while until you stock up on more DVDs.

Sadly, Sisko knocking out Q for calling him "Benji" will be the sole impression she will have of DS9.

Sure, it would have been more impressive had she seen episodes such as where the USS Defiant leads a fleet of Federation, Klingon, and (later Romulan) vessels together against the Dominion and the Cardassians in "Sacrifice of Angels" and "Tears of the Prophets," but oh well...

People who are not into Trek tend to enjoy DS9 more than the rest from personal observation. I think it's more like "Boardwalk Empire" than a sci-fi... [laugh]

Conversely, since my wife is not into science-fiction at all, she won't give DS9 a try if she finds even TNG to be "out of the ordinary."

 

[RoJoHen]

When I introduce people to TV shows, I make them watch the first episode. And then I make them watch the second episode. And then the third.

It seems to work for me.

This does not necessarily work, because sometimes the first initial episodes are generally not the best episodes of the entire series as a whole.

It's never failed me before.

People generally know that the first episodes of a show are a little rough, and they are more willing to accept it.

I've always thought the notion of showing people the best episodes first was very bizarre. Part of what makes great episodes great is where they are placed in the context of the rest of the show, after you've gotten a chance to know the characters and understand the general format.

 

[AFEK ESLCAFE W]

When I introduce people to TV shows, I make them watch the first episode. And then I make them watch the second episode. And then the third.

It seems to work for me.

This does not necessarily work, because sometimes the first initial episodes are generally not the best episodes of the entire series as a whole.

It's never failed me before.

People generally know that the first episodes of a show are a little rough, and they are more willing to accept it.

I've always thought the notion of showing people the best episodes first was very bizarre. Part of what makes great episodes great is where they are placed in the context of the rest of the show, after you've gotten a chance to know the characters and understand the general format.

So, you are telling me for example with TNG, I show her "Encounter at Farpoint," "The Naked Now," and "Code of Honor" in order and that will draw her into that show?

Seriously, "Code of Honor?!"

 

[RoJoHen]

That is absolutely what I would do if were introducing someone to TNG.

Of course, I don't introduce people to shows unless I'm sure they'll like them. TNG is not a show I would ever waste my time showing to people now. It has aged terribly.

 

[AFEK ESLCAFE W]

That is absolutely what I would do if were introducing someone to TNG.

Of course, I don't introduce people to shows unless I'm sure they'll like them. TNG is not a show I would ever waste my time showing to people now. It has aged terribly.

Unless it's the serialized LOST format, I say "Fuh git aboud id!"

 

[RoJoHen]

No, I just mean it looks like shit, and the characters are boring.

 

[Brikar99]

I also don't care much for 'Q-Less.' It feels too much like a grab for TNG viewers and then 'Heyyyy we're different, but we're not, but we tricked you into watching it, kinda!'

Since my wife doesn't know much about TNG either, from her perspective it would be like Q belongs on DS9 as much as the regulars do considering it's the only DS9 episode she will quite possibly ever get a glimpse of.

Then you probably shouldn't bother to show it to her at all. She's bound to like it even less, considering how entirely dependent on back-story it is.