I can watch certain episodes of DS9 over and over. With Game of Thrones, once I watched an episode, I have no desire to see it again. As for their famous cliffhanger, part of it was spectacular, granted, but that love scene between Jon and Dany was lame, hardly lived up to the hype, and we are supposed to spend years wondering why Tyrion was upset about it. Again, lame.
I liked Thrones and George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire books for the same reason I adore Star Trek, and DS9 best of all: characterization. Just like Trek, what's seen on TV is just the beginning. The expanded universe (novelizations, other books, comics, etc.) makes everything so much richer. Most fans of Thrones like what Jon and Dany symbolize more than the characters themselves. Readers and viewers, like the people of Westeros (and "Planetos") project onto both characters their own stuff. But isn't that also true of Sisko, another "Chosen One?" (As a fan of both science fiction and fantasy, I think I'm a sucker for "Chosen One" narratives. I think it's because I'm a late Gen-Xers, and was influenced by Star Wars and Reeves' Superman. Star Trek I like because of the ensembles, but let's face it, the Captains of each series are kinda Chosen Ones in their own right.)
I can’t stand the way GRRM writes, but I’ll spend ages reading the Wikis to learn about the world. As for chosen one narratives, I assume you’re familiar with Dune? Can’t help thinking Sisko might have been a little bit of a let down.
I, too, liked Sisko being the "Emissary" and that whole line of story, but they didn't quite know where to go with it. As for viewers putting their own stuff onto Jon and Dany, sure, of course, and my hair color now is the same color as Dany's, as I liked her look. But, I like Kira and Dax as women and people far more than Dany. They come across as "real," not so much Dany. As for Dune, I didn't like him much. He treated his wife terribly and was a drug addict.
The end of The Emissary storyline was terrible. All he had to do was knock Dukat into the pit. A loose stone could have been ‘the emissary’. I don’t know which ‘dune’ you’re talking about... I meant the novel by Frank Herbert.
I'm talking about the same novel. You didn't get how terrible he was to his wife. And that he and others were drug addicts. What do you think the spice was?
My favorite novel by Herbert is called The Santaroga Barrier, another novel about drug addicts. That was a reoccurring theme in this writing, actually.
Agreed, Benjamin Sisko is my favorite character on DS9 and his plotline by the end of the series was not very good. I would've liked the writers to input some of that "Far Beyond the Stars" elements in the end of the series, with a pinch of "Emissary" to make the linear non-linear theme sync in the finale, since it was re-introduced a bit during season 7's premiere.
I heard tell that the writers were upset that people actually liked Dukat and so they made him totally evil and crazy. As for Sisko being your favorite character, I don't know if I could choose a favorite. I liked so many of them. Kira, Odo, Jadzia, Quark and Garak are among my favorites. I also loved Vic.
An absolute necessity to keep civilization running, it was a medication that made people live longer and enhanced their minds.
Or it’s just a genuinely strange description... I’ve only read the first Dune, so I’m guessing the really mean to his wife thing comes in the next ones. While they are all technically drug addicts, it felt like a weird reason to dislike the book. Also, you referred to Dune as ‘him’.
I'm referring to Paul Atreides. In the original novel, Dune, he was married to Irulan, but he married her for political reasons only. He was really in love with his soulmate, Chani. He treated Irulan terribly, but it wasn't her fault that he was in love with someone else. I didn't dislike Dune, not at all. "Whoever controls the spice controls the universe" Paul Atreides
But in season three the deposed Vedk told Sisko about a trial by fire (or something similar) in the episode where the Cardassians cone to the station to set up a communication relay. He could have said a 'fiery end'. It was prophetic.
At its finest, it was the best written Star Trek. At it worst, it wasn't. It's my second favorite Star Trek series.
You made good points. Something (I'm not sure exactly what) tells me that Breaking Bad was a far better show than DS9. But I don't have any urge to rewatch that show. But I have rewatched many DS9 episodes and have enjoyed doing so. And I will probably continue to do so. If a show good enough for somebody, then I suppose it's good enough.