So, earlier this month I opened a present from my girlfriend and, lo and behold, it's DS9 S1 on DVD...finally, she submitted to my petulant requests that I take her through a corridor of 90s nostalgia, my favorite Trek series, from the very beginning...
So I thought I'd start a little episode-by-episode review thread and give everyone a chance to post their impressions, dear memories, and moments of nausea from Season 1, starting with the Emissary (next post).
But first, a few general remarks. DS9 is my favorite Trek of all time, mostly because it's set in the 'third world' of space, and though there are preppy Federation types at the helm, far more colorful figures not only abound but often take center stage. The first few years I find far less satisfactory than, say, seasons 4-7, since the early years are more or less Sisko and the crew presiding over a TNG-style episodic series, whereas the latter seasons thrust everyone into a war that allows them to grow impressively.
S1 catches most of the characters in a state from at their most interesting; Sisko is a responsible and clear-headed leader, certainly not unsurprising for Trek, but, having come from 5 years of TNG, and having been acquainted with Picard's flaws and nuances, I tend to be disappointed, especially after his wonderfully vulnerable performance in Emissary; Bashir is far, far from the near-tragic figure he is later revealed to be (though if you look for it there are trickles of it in some of his reactions, not to mention his mysterious need for constant company); the episode centering on Dax assumes we need to be eased into the concept of a joined Trill over the course of an hour; Kira's past is something we endlessly hear about, though never see, leaving us with her sour attitude (Duet gives a great taste of the future complexity of her interactions with Cardassians, though); Odo is a curmudgeon without a much chance to be more ( though again, The Forsaken offers a taste of things to come); the only character who arrives fully alive, as I see it, is Quark: lusty, vivacious, and never to be bullied by human morality. Actually, the interaction between Quark and Odo is often surprisingly as interesting as in later years--the actors must have focused on their preexisting relationship, and they strike me as truly having known each other for years.
All in all, there are plenty of appetizers for those who know what is to come, but hardly enough to convince a newcomer.
I'm thinking a jump to S4 might be the trick.
So I thought I'd start a little episode-by-episode review thread and give everyone a chance to post their impressions, dear memories, and moments of nausea from Season 1, starting with the Emissary (next post).
But first, a few general remarks. DS9 is my favorite Trek of all time, mostly because it's set in the 'third world' of space, and though there are preppy Federation types at the helm, far more colorful figures not only abound but often take center stage. The first few years I find far less satisfactory than, say, seasons 4-7, since the early years are more or less Sisko and the crew presiding over a TNG-style episodic series, whereas the latter seasons thrust everyone into a war that allows them to grow impressively.
S1 catches most of the characters in a state from at their most interesting; Sisko is a responsible and clear-headed leader, certainly not unsurprising for Trek, but, having come from 5 years of TNG, and having been acquainted with Picard's flaws and nuances, I tend to be disappointed, especially after his wonderfully vulnerable performance in Emissary; Bashir is far, far from the near-tragic figure he is later revealed to be (though if you look for it there are trickles of it in some of his reactions, not to mention his mysterious need for constant company); the episode centering on Dax assumes we need to be eased into the concept of a joined Trill over the course of an hour; Kira's past is something we endlessly hear about, though never see, leaving us with her sour attitude (Duet gives a great taste of the future complexity of her interactions with Cardassians, though); Odo is a curmudgeon without a much chance to be more ( though again, The Forsaken offers a taste of things to come); the only character who arrives fully alive, as I see it, is Quark: lusty, vivacious, and never to be bullied by human morality. Actually, the interaction between Quark and Odo is often surprisingly as interesting as in later years--the actors must have focused on their preexisting relationship, and they strike me as truly having known each other for years.
All in all, there are plenty of appetizers for those who know what is to come, but hardly enough to convince a newcomer.
I'm thinking a jump to S4 might be the trick.
