Thanks! It's either going to be Saturday or Sunday. Sunday is much more likely.
After that, it's back to my (re-)watching at least one episode of VOY, DS9, and B5 every week. In that order.
Re-Watching DS9
- Thread starter Lord Garth
- Start date
After that, it's back to my (re-)watching at least one episode of VOY, DS9, and B5 every week. In that order.
"Defiant" (2nd Re-Watch)
Rarely do I comment on episodes after watching a YouTube Reactor, but I was watching Jen Murray's reaction to "Defiant", a few things jumped out to me, and I couldn't not mention them. Sometimes you don't pick up on things until you watch them twice within a (relatively) short timespan.
It never registered with me before, or it just plain went into my short-term memory, that this is the episode where Dukat found out that the Defiant has a cloaking device.
It's revealed in this episode that the Obsidian Order had something going on in the Orias System... and the payoff for that is the Order's half of the combined Obsidian Order and Tal'Shiar Fleet that sought to destroy the Changeling Homeworld in "The Die Is Cast". It totally went over my head that the seeds for "The Die Is Cast" were planted as early as here. And, of course, Korinas would already know about the Defiant's cloaking device, because she would've found that out from the Tal'Shair.
Korinas praising Sisko and wishing Dukat could be more like him is another way to show the tension between the Obsidian Order and Central Command in a way that shows us instead of just telling us.
EDITED TO ADD: "Accession" is coming!
Rarely do I comment on episodes after watching a YouTube Reactor, but I was watching Jen Murray's reaction to "Defiant", a few things jumped out to me, and I couldn't not mention them. Sometimes you don't pick up on things until you watch them twice within a (relatively) short timespan.
It never registered with me before, or it just plain went into my short-term memory, that this is the episode where Dukat found out that the Defiant has a cloaking device.
It's revealed in this episode that the Obsidian Order had something going on in the Orias System... and the payoff for that is the Order's half of the combined Obsidian Order and Tal'Shiar Fleet that sought to destroy the Changeling Homeworld in "The Die Is Cast". It totally went over my head that the seeds for "The Die Is Cast" were planted as early as here. And, of course, Korinas would already know about the Defiant's cloaking device, because she would've found that out from the Tal'Shair.
Korinas praising Sisko and wishing Dukat could be more like him is another way to show the tension between the Obsidian Order and Central Command in a way that shows us instead of just telling us.
EDITED TO ADD: "Accession" is coming!
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We're now officially in the second half of my DS9/B5 re-watch/first-watch!
"Accession"
Sometimes what you think you want isn't what you actually want. Akorem Laan is the answer to Sisko not wanting to be the Emissary. Thanks to Akorem, Sisko doesn't have to be the Emissary anymore. Even with the Occupation over for years now, Bajoran society has been permanently affected. Thanks to Akorem, the Bajorans can return back to the Old Ways before the Cardassians ruined everything. Starfleet is glad Sisko isn't the Emissary anymore, since it untangles them from a hairy situation. Akorem thinks it's his purpose to guide Bajorans to find their way again. All of this is what everyone thinks they want. All of it sounds great to everyone involved.
Except...
Akorem wants the Bajorans to follow a strict caste system. If you're part of X family, you can only do X thing. Not anything else. You don't do what you want. You do what your caste dictates you do. A lot of Bajorans can't do, aren't good at, or don't want to do what their family's castes would say they should do. This type of society is incompatible with Bajor joining the Federation, and Starfleet blames Sisko. Leave it to Starfleet to always have a convenient scapegoat to wash their hands of a situation. Akorem meets with resistance from many. Vedek Porter is overzealous and kills someone for not following their caste.
The Bajorans had spent 60 years without their freedom, they got it back, and now they'd be asked to give up freedom in a different way. Giving up the freedom to choose they want to do with their lives. I think the lesson to be learned here is that the Old Ways weren't ideal and they shouldn't be looked up as better than they were just because what immediately came afterwards was worse.
This episode is also a turning point for Sisko. Instead of just tolerating being the Emissary, now it's something he actually wants to be. Being the Emissary is now something he's willing to fight for, once he sees that Akorem would be leading Bajor down a wrong path.
When Opaka appears, it's a sign that Sisko is going astray when he steps aside as Emissary. As Sisko realizes he wants to be Emissary, he takes Akorem to the Prophets. Akorem thinks he should be Emissary since he was the Emissary first, but he never learned that the Prophets don't follow linear time. Akorem's someone to test Sisko's resolve.
It was nice to see Opaka again. It was great that after having confirmation that Sisko was the Emissary, he still pushed for Akorem to be able to live a full life in his time.
Kira seems conflicted and unconflicted at the same time. She wants to follow what the Emissary says, whoever the Emissary is, but she's also no sculptor. The really concerning thing is following whatever the Emissary says without question. I think Kira's convinced herself she believes she should follow whatever the Emissary says, whoever it is. But if this were during the first season, she wouldn't have taken what Sisko said as gospel. If Winn were made Emissary (as an extreme hypothetical), I also think she'd have a lot of doubts. So, I think Kira's capable of doubting an Emissary, but she tells herself that she wouldn't. She's convinced herself that she should do what Akorem wants. Until she doesn't have to, because he's not the Emissary. She didn't love sculpting that much!
The B-Story: Keiko and Molly are back, and O'Brien finds out he's going to have a son! Worf's reaction is priceless when Bashir asks if he'll be around when Keiko's second child will be born. "I'll be away. Far away. Visting my parents." Perfect response! No way does he want to go through what happened in TNG's "Disaster" again!
I don't know anything about married life, but I'd like to think that married people can find a balance between being with their spouse and hanging out with friends. But, again, I don't know. What I do know is that Keiko getting O'Brien and Bashir to hang out so she can concentrate on her work was priceless! Shout out to the Battle of Britain costumes O'Brien and Bashir were wearing in the Holosuite!
Overall: I think I'll go with an 8.
"Accession"
Sometimes what you think you want isn't what you actually want. Akorem Laan is the answer to Sisko not wanting to be the Emissary. Thanks to Akorem, Sisko doesn't have to be the Emissary anymore. Even with the Occupation over for years now, Bajoran society has been permanently affected. Thanks to Akorem, the Bajorans can return back to the Old Ways before the Cardassians ruined everything. Starfleet is glad Sisko isn't the Emissary anymore, since it untangles them from a hairy situation. Akorem thinks it's his purpose to guide Bajorans to find their way again. All of this is what everyone thinks they want. All of it sounds great to everyone involved.
Except...
Akorem wants the Bajorans to follow a strict caste system. If you're part of X family, you can only do X thing. Not anything else. You don't do what you want. You do what your caste dictates you do. A lot of Bajorans can't do, aren't good at, or don't want to do what their family's castes would say they should do. This type of society is incompatible with Bajor joining the Federation, and Starfleet blames Sisko. Leave it to Starfleet to always have a convenient scapegoat to wash their hands of a situation. Akorem meets with resistance from many. Vedek Porter is overzealous and kills someone for not following their caste.
The Bajorans had spent 60 years without their freedom, they got it back, and now they'd be asked to give up freedom in a different way. Giving up the freedom to choose they want to do with their lives. I think the lesson to be learned here is that the Old Ways weren't ideal and they shouldn't be looked up as better than they were just because what immediately came afterwards was worse.
This episode is also a turning point for Sisko. Instead of just tolerating being the Emissary, now it's something he actually wants to be. Being the Emissary is now something he's willing to fight for, once he sees that Akorem would be leading Bajor down a wrong path.
When Opaka appears, it's a sign that Sisko is going astray when he steps aside as Emissary. As Sisko realizes he wants to be Emissary, he takes Akorem to the Prophets. Akorem thinks he should be Emissary since he was the Emissary first, but he never learned that the Prophets don't follow linear time. Akorem's someone to test Sisko's resolve.
It was nice to see Opaka again. It was great that after having confirmation that Sisko was the Emissary, he still pushed for Akorem to be able to live a full life in his time.
Kira seems conflicted and unconflicted at the same time. She wants to follow what the Emissary says, whoever the Emissary is, but she's also no sculptor. The really concerning thing is following whatever the Emissary says without question. I think Kira's convinced herself she believes she should follow whatever the Emissary says, whoever it is. But if this were during the first season, she wouldn't have taken what Sisko said as gospel. If Winn were made Emissary (as an extreme hypothetical), I also think she'd have a lot of doubts. So, I think Kira's capable of doubting an Emissary, but she tells herself that she wouldn't. She's convinced herself that she should do what Akorem wants. Until she doesn't have to, because he's not the Emissary. She didn't love sculpting that much!
The B-Story: Keiko and Molly are back, and O'Brien finds out he's going to have a son! Worf's reaction is priceless when Bashir asks if he'll be around when Keiko's second child will be born. "I'll be away. Far away. Visting my parents." Perfect response! No way does he want to go through what happened in TNG's "Disaster" again!
I don't know anything about married life, but I'd like to think that married people can find a balance between being with their spouse and hanging out with friends. But, again, I don't know. What I do know is that Keiko getting O'Brien and Bashir to hang out so she can concentrate on her work was priceless! Shout out to the Battle of Britain costumes O'Brien and Bashir were wearing in the Holosuite!
Overall: I think I'll go with an 8.
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This episode also shows Keiko in a great light. She sees Miles is feeling down about not hanging out with Bashir anymore and concocts that Bashir's depressed. She has good enough instincts about Bashir to know he's feeling the same, which is why she calls him up and says the exact same thing about Miles. She sees her husband is a bit unhappy and is doing what she can to help... just like a real marriage.
Keiko, overall, gets an undeserved bad reputation. And to be fair, I was also not fully on her side side when I was younger, too. Being married changed my perspective completely about her, and I find their marriage is the most realistic portrayal of a couple in the franchise.
Keiko, overall, gets an undeserved bad reputation. And to be fair, I was also not fully on her side side when I was younger, too. Being married changed my perspective completely about her, and I find their marriage is the most realistic portrayal of a couple in the franchise.
I didn't know people had a problem with Keiko.
She'd complain about the station a lot, but if I was actually in the show instead of watching it, I wouldn't want to be on Deep Space Nine either. Too rough-and-tumble for my tastes and being right next to a stable Wormhole that leads right to the Dominion. Thanks, but no thanks. So, I could relate to Keiko in that sense.
My favorite episode with Keiko up to this point is "Armageddon Game" where she pieces together that O'Brien isn't dead, just by watching the fabricated video footage of what happened to him.
I tend to find the portrayal of marriage in DS9 to be realistic, but it is the proclivity of the fans--to prefer the main hero character, to validate the experiences of men over women--that taint how they evaluate Keiko. "Balance" is a small word to load so much on. Certainly, nothing I did before marriage or family that prepared me, and I fooled myself in thinking that just living with another person or having a pet gave me the same experience. O'Brien abbreviated visit to Quark was my life: sitting in a brewery, thinking about that second beer, when a waiter dropped a whole tray of drinks on me. I literally smelled like a bar, but I needed to get home to care for my months-old son. Balance starts with putting spouse and family first. And I understand that O'Brien felt some regret, and I can feel the same appreciation when Keiko tells him to play with Jules, which is why I will tell my wife, "you should go hang with your friends. I've got this one."
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This has me kind of tempted to start a poll to see whether people who have been married tend to view Keiko more favorably than people who've never been married.
FWIW, I did think she was a little shrewish at times, but not necessarily unreasonably so, and usually I could understand where she was coming from.
FWIW, I did think she was a little shrewish at times, but not necessarily unreasonably so, and usually I could understand where she was coming from.
I say go for the poll. Would be interesting to see the results.
Could even have an option of before and after a marriage how one thinks of Keiko. I'm actually curious to see if others felt similarly to how I did about her before and after I got married.
Do it! I'm not sure you would get clean results, as there are still men who think child-rearing is women's work, but I would be interested in the results.
DS9 still on the mind. I came across this song, and it made me immediately think of 1st Season Bashir and Jadzia. 
Oh, I had a dream
For a moment I believed it was true
Oh, I'd have given anything
Just to be there with you
Are you hiding
Somewhere behind those eyes?
I just freeze (I just freeze)
Every time you see through me (see through)
And it's all over you
Electric blue
In too deep (in too deep)
Standing here waiting
As I'm breaking into (ooh)
Electric blue
I can see (I can see)
Can see that it may be just a vision for you
Electric blue
On my knees (on my knees)
Help me, baby (help me)
Tell me what can I do?
Electric blue
Oh, I had a dream
For a moment I believed it was true
Oh, I'd have given anything
Just to be there with you
Are you hiding
Somewhere behind those eyes?
I just freeze (I just freeze)
Every time you see through me (see through)
And it's all over you
Electric blue
In too deep (in too deep)
Standing here waiting
As I'm breaking into (ooh)
Electric blue
I can see (I can see)
Can see that it may be just a vision for you
Electric blue
On my knees (on my knees)
Help me, baby (help me)
Tell me what can I do?
Electric blue
Icehouse. A decent derivative of Roxy Music.DS9 still on the mind. I came across this song, and it made me immediately think of 1st Season Bashir and Jadzia.
Oh, I had a dream
For a moment I believed it was true
Oh, I'd have given anything
Just to be there with you
Are you hiding
Somewhere behind those eyes?
I just freeze (I just freeze)
Every time you see through me (see through)
And it's all over you
Electric blue
In too deep (in too deep)
Standing here waiting
As I'm breaking into (ooh)
Electric blue
I can see (I can see)
Can see that it may be just a vision for you
Electric blue
On my knees (on my knees)
Help me, baby (help me)
Tell me what can I do?
Electric blue
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