The Borg footage in Emissary - far too brief to be engaging

[ProtoAvatar]

How does this explain Avatar?

Good point.

Apparently, as long as a product advertises itself as being new (and has the shadow of an argument to back up this advertisement) many will be attracted to it, simply because it is 'new', 'previously unheard of'.

That brings up another good point in that The Borg aspect of Emissary was a big selling point to get fans of TNG to watch. However, the series after wards proved it was more than big explosions. Also, in regards to "Avatar" time will tell weather or not it's a really good movie in the same way DS9 had to prove it's worth over time. Even 17 years later DS9 is still just as good as I remember. Who knows, maybe "Avatar" despite all the flash will still be regarded as a classic in the next ten years.

Avatar is a standard 'classic' story with a lot of special effects - much like Star Wars.
But, unlike Star Wars, he has a LOT of competition when it comes to well-made special effects. Which is why I think it will not leave a lasting impression - the 3D novelty will wear off soon.

 

[Saquist]

Oh I don't think so...
He managed to create an epic story.
That's not often done.

It was still incredible up to the 3 time I saw it.

 

[Withers]

Good point.

Apparently, as long as a product advertises itself as being new (and has the shadow of an argument to back up this advertisement) many will be attracted to it, simply because it is 'new', 'previously unheard of'.

That brings up another good point in that The Borg aspect of Emissary was a big selling point to get fans of TNG to watch. However, the series after wards proved it was more than big explosions. Also, in regards to "Avatar" time will tell weather or not it's a really good movie in the same way DS9 had to prove it's worth over time. Even 17 years later DS9 is still just as good as I remember. Who knows, maybe "Avatar" despite all the flash will still be regarded as a classic in the next ten years.

Avatar is a standard 'classic' story with a lot of special effects - much like Star Wars.
But, unlike Star Wars, he has a LOT of competition when it comes to well-made special effects. Which is why I think it will not leave a lasting impression - the 3D novelty will wear off soon.

I'm inclined to agree. The story of Avatar wasn't in and of itself any more epic than the story of Pocahontas. (In point of fact it was the same story.) If I were to get a massive budget for special effects I could tell the story of Johnny Appleseed but replace him with aliens and apple trees with the seeds for life that spawned all sentience in the universe and I'd walk away with a wheelbarrow full of cash and a super popular movie too. It was the grand telling through the visual medium that made Avatar so popular- not the story itself.

That being the case, in this day and age, there are always better graphics just a few years down the road. When Independence Day came out those were cutting edge graphics. Flash forward ahead a few years and, by comparison to 2012, the graphics look dated. Independence Day isn't thought of as a "classic story" that so happens to have been surpassed graphically- it's just a brick on the path. Once the novelty of the effects of Avatar wear off it'll have much the same fate.

-Withers-​

 

[ProtoAvatar]

Oh I don't think so...
He managed to create an epic story.
That's not often done.

It was still incredible up to the 3 time I saw it.

If you are a visually-inclined person, 'Avatar' is bound to leave a stronger impression - after all, Avatar's strength is well-made special effects.

Personally, I focus more on the plot - and I found it...classic, the plot one finds in fairy tales. In some ways, it was quite simplistic - the humans/villains were quite one-dimensional, for example. This is to be expected from archetypal stories. There was not much originality.

 

[USS Avenger]

devote 15-20 minutes of screentime directly to the Borg brutally kicking the Sisko family's butt.

I am not even sure if the Battle of Wolf 359 lasted 15 minutes. Ths Borg came, they saw, they kicked Starfleet's ass. It really wasn't a battle, it was more like a massacre.

As others have stated, the scene was about the loss of Jennifer Sisko and the effects it had on Ben. He basically lost faith in everything, in himself and in a Starfleet that he had devoted his life to. He saw no hope in the future. From what we saw and heard he basically became a drone after the battle (ironic huh?) Going from assignment to assignment without really caring about himself or his career. Doing his job, but without any feeling. The only thing that kept him going was Jake, and even that just reminded him of the loss of his wife. I thought it was very well done but YMMV.

 

[Tosk]

I was always glad that the Borg were only ever featured in DS9's opening scene. They served their purpose, as they weren't there to be a villain...they were there as a backdrop to set up our main character. The scene showed something that happened years earlier, and we already knew the basic outcome of it. So there was no need to show more. ...And on the other topic, aren't there better places to have yet another tired Avatar debate?

 

[Balok's Head]

I have to agree with most of the posters here; the Borg were there long enough to serve their purpose and that is what they did. I actually just watched Emissary lastnight with my flatmate. A very enjoyable episode, great pace.

DS9 is a great Star Trek series, great characters and stories and Emissary is possible the best Star Trek pilot. When I was watching that episode last night I felt enthralled in what was going on with the characters and the story.
DS9 is possibly the Star Trek series with the most memorable character developments. At the very least, the most broad character developments..

I actually showed my flatmate Way of the Warrior night before last, and he came out into the lounge when he heard the opening credits for 'Emissary'. I think he likes it lol.

YES, I'm converting the first person since my girlfriend!

 

[DS9forever]

"Emissary" correctly showed the Borg as a force of nature that couldn't be reasoned with with. First Contact and Voyager pretty much destroyed that idea.

 

[Weyoun96]

I thought that the episode needed that sequence but they could have extended it, not by a long duration but a few more minutes, just so we see more ships being destroyed. In “Best Of Both Worlds” we saw loads of wrecks but in Emissary we only saw three or four. Granted budget may have been an issue.

 

[DonIago]

In-universe I assumed we were only seeing the beginning of hostilities as well.

 

[Destructor]

Yeah, have to disagree with the OP, I saw this on its original run and it BLEW MY MIND! Incredible visuals for television at the time. Sure, we could do with more of Wolf 359 now, but at the time it was pretty freakin' cool.