Re-Watching DS9

[Lord Garth]

All of which is to say, while I don't think anyone associated with the Cardassian government or military of the Occupation deserves much in the way of sympathy, I think some can be spared for the people who had no say in their government's actions.

I agree with you, and this is also my stance. And, in-universe, also the stance of the Federation as well as higher-minded Bajorans and extremely pragmatic Bajorans who made the Bajoran-Cardassian Peace Treaty possible.

But...

I wouldn't expect it to be easy and I wouldn't blame any Bajorans who struggled with it, but I got the sense that most of the Cardassian people were no more responsible for the actions of their government than most of the Bajorans were responsible for the actions of Kai Winn.

This is where I'd say most Bajorans are.

It's definitely where Yarka was, since he can't even imagine the possibility that the Serpents could be anything other than Cardassians. I think that since he was stripped of his Vedek title, he saw this as an opportunity for vindication. He could go to the Emissary, say he warned everyone, and if the worst happened, he could say he was right. "I told you so!"

It was nice to see Yarka humbled by this experience. Maybe that'll change his outlook in the future. Maybe not. Since he immediately started telling Sisko about what he believes will happen next. I think he's still looking for some sort of vindication or validation.

 

[DonIago]

Am I remembering correctly that Yarka was played by Erick Avari? He's always a fun time.

If I'm remembering correctly, Yarka causes a fair amount of tumult in the novelverse as well.

 

[Farscape One]

Am I remembering correctly that Yarka was played by Erick Avari? He's always a fun time.

If I'm remembering correctly, Yarka causes a fair amount of tumult in the novelverse as well.

Yes, he was played by Erick Avari.

 

[kkt]

The Cardassians as Germans is not the only possible metaphor. The Cardassians could be the British, and Bajor be India or Ireland. Or the Cardassians could be the United States and Bajor be the Philippines. Or the Cardassians could be the French and Bajor be Algeria.

Cardassia could have extended the occupation longer, but the resistance was becoming more and more of a problem. It was costing Cardassia a lot of money and lives to the point where keeping Bajor was hard to justify.

 

[Lord Garth]

"The Geometry of Shadows" (B5 S2E3)

Spoiler

This one had a lot going on. A lot.

The A-Plot: To start with, it's becoming clear to me that Londo will be less of a comic relief character this season. To borrow from Star Wars for a moment, he's essentially embracing the Dark Side. He no longer seems troubled by the Centauri secretly crediting him for the attack on the Narn in Quadrant 37. And now he's trying to expand his credentials by making it look like he has an endorsement from Elric (Michael Ansara), a Techno-mage. The Techno-mages are treated like magicians because of their advanced abilities. Always great to have Michael Ansara in an episode of something!

It feels to me like Vir had more to do in this episode than in the entirety of the first season combined. This is the first time I'm mentioning him in a review! It also seems to me like Vir is uncomfortable with Londo embracing credit for the attack on the Narn. He questions it at first when Londo sends Vir to make contact with Elric. I get a kick out of the CGI Monster that Elric unleashes on Vir to try to intimidate him. It doesn't work because, as Vir says, he's been working for Londo. As I type this, I just realize that Vir isn't only comparing Londo to a monster, but he's also saying he's worse than a monster! If that's not a signal of what's to come later on, I don't know what is.

Even when Elric makes it crystal clear to Vir that he should NOT be approached again, Londo won't back down. At this point, Vir thinks Londo is crazy. Vir won't say it in as many words, but I can tell that's what he thinks. Londo then tries to manipulate Sheridan into meeting with Elric and arranges for himself to be there, so he can sneak in a photo of him shaking hands with Elric to make it look like an endorsement. This is a move worthy of Quark. Elric catches Londo in the act immediately. Sheridan angrily tells Londo to leave. Something tells me the interactions between Sheridan and Londo aren't going to be as friendly going forward either.

If Sheridan and Londo aren't exactly going to be friends, I don't consider it a loss considering the direction Londo seems to be going in. But one friendship that does form is between Sheridan and Elric. Elric has developed a respect for Sheridan. He even gives Sheridan hope that anything can happen, and I lean towards thinking that we'll see Elric again.

The B-Plot: The fight between the Green Drazi and the Purple Drazi is fucking stupid and I love it! To quote someone else somewhere, "Sometimes you just have to bow to the absurd." Someone could make a crappy reality show about their fights for power. On top of that, they look like the Remans from Star Trek: Nemesis!

Sheridan, quite understandably, doesn't want to deal with this nonsense. So, he promotes Ivanova to full Commander so he can delegate more to her. Ivanova tries to keep the Drazi from fighting each other and ends up breaking her leg. But then, by the end, somehow she ends up becoming leader of the Green Drazi (!!!), the Purple Drazi are contained, and the fighting stops. How this ends is also enjoyably absurd.

The C-Plot: C for Character. Great character work with Garibaldi. All of his reasons for feeling unsure about whether or not to return to duty ring true. He questions himself for not being able to notice that his second-in-charge of Security had managed to fool him last season so completely. He doesn't know if Sheridan even wants him. Sheridan nips that second worry of his in the bud and says he does want him.

So, all that leaves is Garibaldi unsure himself because he doesn't meet his own personal standards. But when the Purple Drazi kidnap Ivanova in the middle of the B-Plot, he figures it out when no one else in Security does, proving to himself that he deserves the job because no one else could figure it out besides him. He saves Ivanova, which enables her to finally find a way to take control of the Drazi situation.

Summing Up: I suspect this probably isn't going to be the absolute best episode of the season, but I like everything about it, and I can't think of a single reason not to give it a 10.

We'll see if it holds later but, for now, that's what I'm going with. Great episode!

Once again, I have to ask: Why the Hell didn't I watch this show when it was first on? Don't answer that, it's a rhetorical question. Stupid young Lord Garth. But at least I get to enjoy it NOW for the first time!

 

[Farscape One]

"THE GEOMETRY OF SHADOWS" is a great one. A 9 or 10 is deserved. I can tell you that it is not the best of the season, but it does belong in that crowd. I'd say there's at least a half dozen episodes this season that can be a 10.

 

[DonIago]

It's a good one, but I'm left feeling as though it feels more portentous than it turns out to be.

...though, it's worth it just for Michael Ansara's performance, and particularly, "I see a great hand, reaching out of the stars..."

the novels would later add Elric's perspective on the events of the episode, which makes everything that happens a bit more tragic.

 

[Lord Garth]

I'm not in the mood to do any re-watches this week. I'll be back at it next week.

 

[JLA]

I've been binge watching DS9 over the last month or so. Pakleds are in many different episodes, just walk on, as far as I know. I remember their appearance in one or two episodes but they're in a lot more than that.

 

[Oddish]

I've been binge watching DS9 over the last month or so. Pakleds are in many different episodes, just walk on, as far as I know. I remember their appearance in one or two episodes but they're in a lot more than that.

I guess they figured out a way to make their ships go.

 

[Farscape One]

I've been binge watching DS9 over the last month or so. Pakleds are in many different episodes, just walk on, as far as I know. I remember their appearance in one or two episodes but they're in a lot more than that.

I noticed the same thing on my last rewatch.

But the real surprise was seeing just how much of a player Morn is. He was with more women than Riker and Kirk combined... twice over!

I guess everyone was horny for Morny...

 

[JLA]

Morn was quite a talker

 

[Oddish]

Maybe their head's not the only thing they have that's big.

 

[Lord Garth]

Time for a Ferengi episode! Like most DS9 episodes, I haven't seen this since Clinton was President. Maybe Bush. So, I don't remember if I liked it or not. Guess we're going to find out! I think this is Moogie's first appearance?

 

[JLA]

Ishka's first appearance was in Family Business, wasn't it? Season 3 episode 23

 

[Farscape One]

Ishka's first appearance was in Family Business, wasn't it? Season 3 episode 23

Correct. Different actress, though.

 

[Lord Garth]

"Prophet Motive"

The A-Plot: Grand Nagus Zek is super-eccentric, just like Luaxana Troi. Maihar'Du is like Zek's Mr. Homm, the silent servant. Just like with a Luaxana Troi episode, with Zek I'm never sure what exactly I'm going to get... but this time was a nice, fun comedy episode.

After Zek, changed by the Prophets, totally re-writes all 285 Rules of Acquisition, I got a huge kick out of Quark and Rom reacting to them. Quark can't take it. He thinks there must be some kind of grand plan, but nope!

When Quark finds out the Prophets changed Zek, he takes him back through the Wormhole and we get to see a Quark Orb Experience. Beat-for-beat they try to recreate some of the Orb Experience that Sisko had in "Emissary". The Prophets said Zek was aggressive and adversarial. When the Zek avatar in Quark's Orb Experience is in the Promenade, he's looking down on Quark from far up above, as if he's judging him, just as the Prophets had judged Zek.

The most brilliant part of this episode was watching Quark negotiate with the Prophets, something I completely forgot about. Quark's winning argument was to not change him and to change Zek back, so the Ferengi wouldn't ask the Prophets what happened to them. The Prophets agree, just to get rid of Quark and send him away mid-sentence! The Prophets might as well have said, "Enough! Please be gone!"

One Prophecy in this episode: Zek, while under Prophet influence, says Rom is the wave of the future for the Ferengi. I wonder if, at this point, the writers knew where they wanted Rom to be at the end of the series and planned his trajectory starting from here? Part of me thinks so, part of me thinks they made it up as they went along. But I don't know.

The B-Plot: It fills out the episode. Dax nominates Bashir for an award he can't possibly win. Everyone hopes he wins, but in the end he doesn't, and pretends he doesn't care. Nothing more to it than that. I can't tell if this B-Plot was there to fill up time because the A-Plot came up short for running-time but, either way, it was inoffensive.

Overall: Better than I expected. Nice to see the Prophets dealing with someone besides Sisko or the Bajorans. Nice to see Bashir in a competition he has no chance in. I give it an 8.

 

[Oddish]

My head canon is still that the Prophets didn't change Zek all the way back, they just made the transformation less visible. After all...

Spoiler

The next four years will see him bring female equality, taxation, welfare, and the end of the Nagus's autocracy to Ferenginar.

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

Turned back the dial and set it to slow-mo. Either than, or his brief experience as an all-out philanthropist planted the seeds of eventual change. That and the sweet whispers of love.

 

[DonIago]

"Prophet Motive"

The A-Plot: Grand Nagus Zek is super-eccentric, just like Luaxana Troi. Maihar'Du is like Zek's Mr. Homm, the silent servant. Just like with a Luaxana Troi episode, with Zek I'm never sure what exactly I'm going to get... but this time was a nice, fun comedy episode.

After Zek, changed by the Prophets, totally re-writes all 285 Rules of Acquisition, I got a huge kick out of Quark and Rom reacting to them. Quark can't take it. He thinks there must be some kind of grand plan, but nope!

When Quark finds out the Prophets changed Zek, he takes him back through the Wormhole and we get to see a Quark Orb Experience. Beat-for-beat they try to recreate some of the Orb Experience that Sisko had in "Emissary". The Prophets said Zek was aggressive and adversarial. When the Zek avatar in Quark's Orb Experience is in the Promenade, he's looking down on Quark from far up above, as if he's judging him, just as the Prophets had judged Zek.

The most brilliant part of this episode was watching Quark negotiate with the Prophets, something I completely forgot about. Quark's winning argument was to not change him and to change Zek back, so the Ferengi wouldn't ask the Prophets what happened to them. The Prophets agree, just to get rid of Quark and send him away mid-sentence! The Prophets might as well have said, "Enough! Please be gone!"

One Prophecy in this episode: Zek, while under Prophet influence, says Rom is the wave of the future for the Ferengi. I wonder if, at this point, the writers knew where they wanted Rom to be at the end of the series and planned his trajectory starting from here? Part of me thinks so, part of me thinks they made it up as they went along. But I don't know.

The B-Plot: It fills out the episode. Dax nominates Bashir for an award he can't possibly win. Everyone hopes he wins, but in the end he doesn't, and pretends he doesn't care. Nothing more to it than that. I can't tell if this B-Plot was there to fill up time because the A-Plot came up short for running-time but, either way, it was inoffensive.

Overall: Better than I expected. Nice to see the Prophets dealing with someone besides Sisko or the Bajorans. Nice to see Bashir in a competition he has no chance in. I give it an 8.

I always remember the B-plot exists, but I can never remember in what episode it exists or where it goes beyond 'Bashir gets nominated for an award'.

I doubt TPTB were thinking far enough ahead for the Rom line to be intended as foreshadowing. It's possible, but the sense I've gotten is that beyond loosely plotting out each individual season they tended to fly more by the seats of their pants.