Terry Farrell and DS9 Season 7

[kirkfan]

I believe, Dax characterization would have been better served if they had used Nicole de Boer from the start but of course they couldn't know.

Of course, "they" might not agree with your conclusion, even with hindsight.

Well, I guess we'll never know.

 

[TPT]

I listened to Terry Farrell’s Delta Quadrant podcast interview, and I sympathize with her. I think Jadzia Dax is a very difficult role to play even for a veteran actor, because this character has memories and experiences spanning multiple lives. Yet Farrell found herself in a situation where she had to play one of the most difficult roles in the show even though she was one of the youngest and thus least experienced actors in the cast.

In terms of a base performance, tuning in on the age of the character may have been difficult. However, I find that some of Farrell's main failures as an actress came under circumstances that were more or less humanly relatable. In Dax, she feels guilty about a transgression and wants to preserve the honor of a former love. In Invasive Procedures, she is facing death. In Equillibrium, she is dealing with memory recovery. These were all standard tropes in television at the time DS9 aired.

I also think that much of what she says in the podcast is inconsistent. You can read this whole thread where I point out to instances in which Farrell's own words seem to contradict what she says about the difficulties of the character. That said, context matters, and she is trying to make her way into the convention circuit, often sitting next to people who felt she had been very unprofessional. Farrell wants to portray herself in a postive light, encourage the adulation that many fans have for Dax, but also have cordial relationships with her former costars. If I may say, she was the "odd old man out" among people with extensive stage experience. Avery Brooks set a serious, professional tone for the set, which worked well for Auberjonois, Shimerman, Visitor, and Meaney, but which was alien to Farrell, a model with acting talent (and I think it is fair to say she had some talent). She may well have been used to work environments that were more accommodating. Now, there is some speculation in what I have written. Nonetheless, putting herself out in public might present its own challenges, making it more difficulty to speak her mind.

I reread this entire thread and I have to say that you’re right… There are some inconsistencies in Farrell’s statements. Thank you for pointing this out to me, since I didn’t pick this up when I listened to the Delta Quadrant podcast.

Having said that, I am interested in what the actors have to say about their experience with Star Trek. So I do appreciate that Farrell takes the time to share her experience on DS9 in interviews and Q&A sessions at conventions.

 

[kirkfan]

At this point, it's hard to take Terry Farrell at her word.

 

[Bad Thoughts]

I listened to Terry Farrell’s Delta Quadrant podcast interview, and I sympathize with her. I think Jadzia Dax is a very difficult role to play even for a veteran actor, because this character has memories and experiences spanning multiple lives. Yet Farrell found herself in a situation where she had to play one of the most difficult roles in the show even though she was one of the youngest and thus least experienced actors in the cast.

In terms of a base performance, tuning in on the age of the character may have been difficult. However, I find that some of Farrell's main failures as an actress came under circumstances that were more or less humanly relatable. In Dax, she feels guilty about a transgression and wants to preserve the honor of a former love. In Invasive Procedures, she is facing death. In Equillibrium, she is dealing with memory recovery. These were all standard tropes in television at the time DS9 aired.

I also think that much of what she says in the podcast is inconsistent. You can read this whole thread where I point out to instances in which Farrell's own words seem to contradict what she says about the difficulties of the character. That said, context matters, and she is trying to make her way into the convention circuit, often sitting next to people who felt she had been very unprofessional. Farrell wants to portray herself in a postive light, encourage the adulation that many fans have for Dax, but also have cordial relationships with her former costars. If I may say, she was the "odd old man out" among people with extensive stage experience. Avery Brooks set a serious, professional tone for the set, which worked well for Auberjonois, Shimerman, Visitor, and Meaney, but which was alien to Farrell, a model with acting talent (and I think it is fair to say she had some talent). She may well have been used to work environments that were more accommodating. Now, there is some speculation in what I have written. Nonetheless, putting herself out in public might present its own challenges, making it more difficulty to speak her mind.

I reread this entire thread and I have to say that you’re right… There are some inconsistencies in Farrell’s statements. Thank you for pointing this out to me, since I didn’t pick this up when I listened to the Delta Quadrant podcast.

Having said that, I am interested in what the actors have to say about their experience with Star Trek. So I do appreciate that Farrell takes the time to share her experience on DS9 in interviews and Q&A sessions at conventions.

Agreed! I may find problems with what Farrell says (or how she presents it), but she talks a fair amount about how the show worked off-camera. I don't generally find convention Q&A informative, so Farrell trying to explain the problems she had on the set gives more depth to the show's backstory.

I hope that in the future, there is some sort of interview of cast members and producers like the ENT Blu Rays. It seems like little gems of information trickle out slowly. I recently watched on youtube video from a convention in England in which Shimerman and Kitty Swink, his wife, talk about inviting over the Ferengi/Quark's bar cast for rehearsals at their house whenever they had a big episode to film. It sounds like another example of how the DS9 cast was hands on with the shaping of the production. Not only would I like to hear more about those kinds of things, I would like them to be in one place.

 

[kirkfan]

I got the feeling though that no matter how many in-depth interviews are made on the subject, there are some essential things that we'll just never get to know.

 

[iMike]

I don't think it's a "this or that - one thing over another" type situation. There were probably many factors at play. We know the principal cast were signed for six seasons with an option for a seventh. I saw an interview on YouTube that Terry Farrell did during an Australian Trek convention (I think it was Australian).

She talked about how she grew weary of what were often eighteen hour days and she wanted to go into comedy. I didn't watch Becker but it had a pretty good run, although Wiki says Farrell didn't appear in the last two seasons of that show. Perhaps if we EVER get DS9 on Blu-Ray the producers and Farrell will be willing to discuss it when interviewed for the VAM. On the TNG VAM Denise Crosby and Wil Wheaton were more than happy to talk about their departures. I was also surprised at how openly they talked about Gates McFadden's firing following the conclusion of Season One and her return for Season Three. There are probably a lot of interesting stories the DS9 cast could tell.

I have grown to appreciate Farrell's absence from the seventh season because it really provided some powerful storytelling for the other characters. My only complaint is the scene in with the Pah-Wraith possessed Dukat attacks her. Jadzia had proven herself combat capable in more than a few situations; I think she should have at least been given the opportunity to kick the crap about of Dukat before he killed her.

 

[Reaper63]

Jadzia was one of my favorite characters, even with the faults in the acting and writing. When she died, I really couldn't see how they were going to recover. she was the perfect person to marry Worf, she grounded Sisko, She could match Quark

Ezri did none of this, but still found a home. I would have much preferred if Jadzi stayed, but without Farrel it would have been impossible to pull off.

 

[Sidewinder]

My only complaint is the scene in with the Pah-Wraith possessed Dukat attacks her. Jadzia had proven herself combat capable in more than a few situations; I think she should have at least been given the opportunity to kick the crap about of Dukat before he killed her.

That's another thing that bothered me, it was such a weak way to kill off a character who had been there for 6 seasons. Let her go out swinging.

 

[Reaper63]

Agreed with the lame death. Might have been better had Dukat been armed, and fired, not just a magical death

 

[STEPhon IT]

I would had rather the symbiont dying; leaving Jadzia a shell of herself and retiring. You know, a REAL DS9 story.

 

[kirkfan]

"You mean being murdered by a Pah wraith in cold blood doesn't count?"


Quark.

 

[Reaper63]

I would had rather the symbiont dying; leaving Jadzia a shell of herself and retiring. You know, a REAL DS9 story.

The one issue with this is the Host can not survive the Symbiot If Dax Dies, then Jadzia Dies.

 

[DeepSpaceWine]

I would had rather the symbiont dying; leaving Jadzia a shell of herself and retiring. You know, a REAL DS9 story.

The one issue with this is the Host can not survive the Symbiot If Dax Dies, then Jadzia Dies.

Yeah, that was established earlier, like in "Equilibrium".



Was there any detailed summary of what was going on behind the scenes at Becker? All I've read to date are vague generalities sparse on details.

 

[STEPhon IT]

Yeah, that was established earlier, like in "Equilibrium".



Was there any detailed summary of what was going on behind the scenes at Becker? All I've read to date are vague generalities sparse on details.

How about an earlier episode like the Verad Dax crisis in the episode INVASIVE PROCEDURES.

 

[Orphalesion]

Yeah, that was established earlier, like in "Equilibrium".

How about an earlier episode like the Verad Dax crisis in the episode INVASIVE PROCEDURES.

That was another episode that established that the host would die without the symbiont. Not instantly but "within hours" or something like that. I distinctly remember Sisko telling the Trill who stole Jadzia's symbiont "that young woman is dying because of you!"

Besides all that "Dexless Jadzia" would have gotten us is another season of Farrel unable to act her character in a situation that would reach the limits of actors far better than her.
It would have been episode and episode of "Sadzia" looking "sorta sad/nauseated" and declaring "it's all gone now!"

 

[TheSubCommander]

As much as I like Ezri over Jadzia, and detest Terry Farrell as an actress, I would have been completely fine if after killing off Jadzia, they never introduced Ezri. I think it would have been better if they simply killed the Dax character off, and not replaced it. There were enough cast members, regular and recurring, to have easily filled the void the Dax character left.

 

[kirkfan]

As much as I like Ezri over Jadzia, and detest Terry Farrell as an actress, I would have been completely fine if after killing off Jadzia, they never introduced Ezri. I think it would have been better if they simply killed the Dax character off, and not replaced it. There were enough cast members, regular and recurring, to have easily filled the void the Dax character left.

What would that have accomplished?

 

[STEPhon IT]

I would have been completely fine if after killing off Jadzia, they never introduced Ezri. I think it would have been better if they simply killed the Dax character off, and not replaced it. There were enough cast members, regular and recurring, to have easily filled the void the Dax character left.

Agreed.

Is this thread a Terry Farrell bashfest??? I'm shocked at the mean and horrid sentiments the posters are writing. As if some ACTUALLY knew her personally and she hurt these idiots in some way. I'm wondering can some of the adolescent minds write anything constructive.

 

[kirkfan]

I would have been completely fine if after killing off Jadzia, they never introduced Ezri. I think it would have been better if they simply killed the Dax character off, and not replaced it. There were enough cast members, regular and recurring, to have easily filled the void the Dax character left.

Agreed.

Is this thread a Terry Farrell bashfest??? I'm shocked at the mean and horrid sentiments the posters are writing. As if some ACTUALLY knew her personally and she hurt these idiots in some way. I'm wondering can some of the adolescent minds write anything constructive.

Watch it! You just called posters here, idiots and that's a no no. Perhaps, you should regain some composure before typing your next post.

 

[kirkfan]

amazing how negative comments about members are frowned upon but its ok to deride a star in a show that most people probably never met or dislike based on a whim

Insulting posters is forbidden which is a bit more than just "frowned upon". You'd better get used to it quick, if you want your stay here to be lasting and fruitful.