O'Brien - is he actually the 2ndary protagonist?

[at Quark's]

O'Brien is also unique in that he was a character who had the closest thing to a typical family life. He began as a bachelor. Then, he married Keiko, had Molly and Kirayoshi, and even added a cat to his brood.

What happened to his tarantula during all of that, though? I sure hope it didn't get eaten by the cat, or squashed by Keiko.

 

[Jayson1]

What happened to his tarantula during all of that, though? I sure hope it didn't get eaten by the cat, or squashed by Keiko.

Barclay accidentally killed him like 1 minute after the camera stops filming in "Realm of Fear." He tried to stay cool and not freak out but in the end he started screaming and yelling and waving his arms all about and they made contact with the tarantula knocking it on the ground.

It scurried over to another chair and climbed up but that was just when Worf came in and he was going to sit on that chair and when he sat down he didn't notice the little fella was in his spot and smoosh. Poor guy went to that spider heaven in the sky.

 

[Dee1891]

So first, I do apologise that this may lack some substance.

I've been doing a DS9 rewatch (thanks mostly to Farscape and Oddish doing that excellent thread on comic synopses) and it feels to me in, at least the first 3 seasons, that he fills the role of the 2nd lead behind Sisko, maybe 2a and 2b with Kira.

So many episodes utilise him as a key player - and to good effect - and it isn't without note that Through The Looking Glass has him as the lead Terran.

Episodes such as the one with Ruhgal and the one with him and Keiko going on holiday and him getting arrested by the Cardassians push him front and centre.

My thinking is that, due to him having the greatest backstory of any from the off due to his time in TNG that it made sense to draw on it until the others could catch up.

Maybe I'm full of it and it is just because I like Colm Meaney as an actor that I am drawn to his part in episodes but I think it stacks up.

What are you thoughts people?

I regard Nana Visitor as the show's second lead behind Avery Brooks.

Characters that DSC, for example, will most definitely NEVER have.

DSC has or had Sylvia Tilly.

 

[Farscape One]

Kira was the best written female character in the franchise precisely because they didn't focus on gender. She was written not only consistantly, but was growing year to year.

Regarding Tilly on DISCO, that may have been true in season 1. But definitely not season 2, because of Pike, thanks in no small part to Anson Mount's portrayal of him. Season 3 and 4, also no. Aside from Burnham, pretty much everyone became a secondary character, and not certainly not a lead or co-lead.

 

[at Quark's]

I agree that Kira is the 2nd lead character.

But I also think that narratively speaking, O'Brien is more important than it may appear at first glance - he might be something of a 'hidden protagonist' even if he's not the most central character of the show.

 

[kkt]

DS9 is a great example of an ensemble cast. Everyone gets some worthwhile acting to do.

 

[Oddish]

DS9 is a great example of an ensemble cast. Everyone gets some worthwhile acting to do.

And it was the only classic Trek to really do so.

 

[Dee1891]

But definitely not season 2, because of Pike, thanks in no small part to Anson Mount's portrayal of him.

What about him? I saw nothing interesting about Christopher Pike. I still don't.

 

[Farscape One]

Anson Mount exudes a great deal of charisma, thoughtfulness, and natural humor. His take on Captain Pike has been nothing short of excellent. He brought a new layer to Pike that is very interesting to explore... him actually knowing his fate.

And his line of dialogue here, one of my favorites of a captain...

"You're a Starfleet captain. You believe in service, sacrifice, compassion… and love."
"Through the Valley of Shadows"

Pike is an extremely heroic figure because he knows his horrible fate, yet does what is needed to save everyone. I find him very compelling because even though it is heroic to knowingly sacrifice your life to save others, I find it even more heroic to know you will be irradiated, mutilated, and left a vegetable to save others. (I freely admit a personal bias, because I personally would rather be dead than survive that.)

For me, Captain Pike definitely overshadowed most of the lead characters on DISCO season 2.

 

[Oddish]

He was an awesome character, which explains why they brought him back for a full series.

 

[Farscape One]

Very true. Pike was probably the single best element of season 2 of DISCOVERY. (Which frankly needed him, because the Red Angel, Section 31, and Control mess of that season truly would have made it an even bigger chore to watch without him.)