The Delta Flyers now covering DS9

[VDCNI]

I enjoyed this week's episode reviewing Bar Association, nice to hear from Chase and some interesting points from Armin as expected. Though less expected was his criticism of some of his fellow actors.

They did get a bit bogged down on the whole money/trade thing without ever considering that the Bajorans do have an money economy still. I mostly forgive them though since it's a complicated topic and the episode doesn't help by saying the Federation hold the lease to Quark's bar.

Garrett was at his most annoying though.

 

[Tosk]

I enjoyed this week's episode reviewing Bar Association, nice to hear from Chase and some interesting points from Armin as expected.

Oh?

Garrett was at his most annoying though.

Oh.

 

[Crewman6]

Garrett was at his most annoying though.

I've never heard Garrett more sweaty and awkward than when he pitched not one, but two dreadful "comic" ideas for missing scenes and none of the other (three!) hosts gave him anything or threw him a lifeline or offered even a glimmer of phony, token amusement.

They just let him twist as he kept going and going with his bad jokes, expecting...laughter or support or something. And finally Robbie was like, "yeah, fine," and they moved on.

It was deeply cringey.

Garrett needs to realize two things:

1) He's not remotely funny
2) Every single one of his impressions just sound like George Takei

 

[Crewman6]

I enjoyed this week's episode reviewing Bar Association, nice to hear from Chase and some interesting points from Armin as expected. Though less expected was his criticism of some of his fellow actors.

They did get a bit bogged down on the whole money/trade thing without ever considering that the Bajorans do have an money economy still. I mostly forgive them though since it's a complicated topic and the episode doesn't help by saying the Federation hold the lease to Quark's bar.

Yeah, Armin's logical gaps were fairly forgivable this time around. He's not at all wrong to say the Federation economy makes no sense, especially in how its supposed to interact with individuals/races/groups that aren't on their "utopian no money" system.

Like, how do UFP members pay for drinks at Quark's (or for anything else outside of the Federation?)

But, yeah, Armin, as usual, forget that Bajor is its own entity. Rom will get paid, since he's working for the Bajorans, not the UFP.

 

[VDCNI]

I've never heard Garrett more sweaty and awkward than when he pitched not one, but two dreadful "comic" ideas for missing scenes and none of the other (three!) hosts gave him anything or threw him a lifeline or offered even a glimmer of phony, token amusement.

They just let him twist as he kept going and going with his bad jokes, expecting...laughter or support or something. And finally Robbie was like, "yeah, fine," and they moved on.

It was deeply cringey.

Garrett needs to realize two things:

1) He's not remotely funny
2) Every single one of his impressions just sound like George Takei

Yeah Armin rarely indulges him but I thought it was telling Chase couldn't be bothered either.

There were a few similar moments across the episode, painful.

Then his comment about Worf and Dax reacting too strongly to the noise they heard as if a space station is just like your own house.

 

[Crewman6]

Yeah Armin rarely indulges him but I thought it was telling Chase couldn't be bothered either.

Robbie finally put him out of his misery, but it was brutal and took way too long. Ugh.

Then his comment about Worf and Dax reacting too strongly to the noise they heard as if a space station is just like your own house.

Yeah, every episode seems to have those kinds of oddball comments where they don't really think things through.

 

[VDCNI]

I like Accession so I was slightly dreading this episode but for the most part it was fine. Armin got a bit pedantic at times but only really at the end with his, why did they only take Akorem's memory and not Sisko's as well did he tip over into ridiculousness. Though to be fair maybe he was just confused after, having made a interesting and perfectly clear comment about the director favouring Nana in coverage, Garret felt the need to repeat his point back to him as if it hadn't been perfectly clear already.

Oh and them slapping themselves on the back at identifying Kira remembering both versions of the poem as a plot hole when it was clearly how the writers intended the Prophets powers over time to work was a bit much.

But then we got to the reviews and it really felt this story more than others was being criticised for what it could never have been. Now was the story explored as much as it could have been with unlimited time, of course not, but in 45 minutes with a B Story it did a good job.

Given they were told the writers had to fight to get it made Robbies, oh it should have been a three parter critique was just a waste of air. And given they had criticised Crossfire for being too soapy and not sci-fi enough suggesting that the O'Brien marriage became the A story with the Emissary introduced slowly as a B plot just seemed perverse.

 

[ananta]

These guys kind of exhausted my tolerance for stupid opinions. Garrett tries too hard and frequently misses the point spectacularly and Robbie has read a couple of books on writing and thinks he has a better grasp of storytelling than the DS9 writing staff. I remember he gave some very limited definition of a good story being somebody having an opinion and having it challenged and changed. There are so many different types of story though.

I’m also not a fan of nitpicking for the sake of nitpicking. All Trek requires a healthy suspension of disbelief. I really like Accession but I just don’t care to hear these guys’ take because I know it would probably just irk me.

 

[Takeru]

I've never heard Garrett more sweaty and awkward than when he pitched not one, but two dreadful "comic" ideas for missing scenes and none of the other (three!) hosts gave him anything or threw him a lifeline or offered even a glimmer of phony, token amusement.

They just let him twist as he kept going and going with his bad jokes, expecting...laughter or support or something. And finally Robbie was like, "yeah, fine," and they moved on.

It was deeply cringey.

Garrett needs to realize two things:

1) He's not remotely funny
2) Every single one of his impressions just sound like George Takei

Can you (or someone else) give me a timecode for this? I must have missed it because I skimmed the video before and I'm not I the mood to watch all of it for this one moment.

 

[VDCNI]

Can you (or someone else) give me a timecode for this? I must have missed it because I skimmed the video before and I'm not I the mood to watch all of it for this one moment.

I have it around the 2hrs and 21 minutes mark. It's in the missing scenes section but you need to be a Patreon to access it.

 

[Takeru]

I have it around the 2hrs and 21 minutes mark. It's in the missing scenes section but you need to be a Patreon to access it.

I'm a Patron, thanks.

 

[Crewman6]

Can you (or someone else) give me a timecode for this? I must have missed it because I skimmed the video before and I'm not I the mood to watch all of it for this one moment.

I dunno. When they do missing scenes, so it's fairly early on in the "bonus" content section.

 

[Crewman6]

Last couple episodes were pretty uneventful. Stupid was dialed fairly low, although I cannot forgive Terry for her glowing review of the deeply mediocre "Rules of Engagement."

 

[VDCNI]

Yes apart from that moment the review podcast was pretty much as dull as the episode itself.

Other than Robbie didn't like the talking to camera moments, though he never really articulated why he didn't particularly well, and praise for LeVar Burton I can barely remember anything else they said.

 

[ananta]

For me, Rules of Engagement is the weakest of the season (aside maybe from The Muse, but I kinda liked the Lwaxana/Odo stuff there).

 

[V'Lias]

I can't tell if it's gotten worse over time, or if my tolerance for it has been dropping, but I'm unfortunately finding a good portion of it a lot less enjoyable than I'd like.

The fairly regular points where one of the hosts makes an observation, (which about half the time either seems pretty obvious or doesn't make sense) the other two jump to congratulate them on their amazing point, then the first one thanks them are particularly tedious. I know everyone has their own style, but it seems many podcasts I listen to have at least one person that keeps the conversation driving forward, and they don't really have that.

 

[Crewman6]

For me, Rules of Engagement is the weakest of the season (aside maybe from The Muse, but I kinda liked the Lwaxana/Odo stuff there).

Weakest actual DS9 episode or weakest Delta Flyers episode? Neither are great, IMO!

 

[Crewman6]

I can't tell if it's gotten worse over time, or if my tolerance for it has been dropping, but I'm unfortunately finding a good portion of it a lot less enjoyable than I'd like.

The fairly regular points where one of the hosts makes an observation, (which about half the time either seems pretty obvious or doesn't make sense) the other two jump to congratulate them on their amazing point, then the first one thanks them are particularly tedious. I know everyone has their own style, but it seems many podcasts I listen to have at least one person that keeps the conversation driving forward, and they don't really have that.

A lot of it has become very dull and predictable, devoid of any true insights.

Robbie's experiences/insights as a director/producer are about the only thing of true interest the show has to offer.

The actual DS9 actors have very little inside dope to offer, as, by their own admissions, they rarely remember anything from production (especially Terry.)

And, very often, the observations are facile and obvious, on a good day. On a bad day, their interpretations and insights are factually, frustratingly just plain wrong.

In terms of just being engaging to listen to, Robbie and Terry are okay, Garrett is often insufferable (and utterly unaware of how unfunny he is) and Armin is quite often deeply annoying.

If I didn't have long commutes a few times a week, I'd probably put this out to pasture.

 

[ananta]

Weakest actual DS9 episode or weakest Delta Flyers episode? Neither are great, IMO!

I meant the weakest DS9 fourth season episode. It’s otherwise a really strong season.

As for DF, I still haven’t forgiven them for their hit job on Homefront and Paradise Lost. A genuinely great (if flawed) two-parter that got treated like a grim autopsy. Those were the worst DF episodes.

I know it’s all subjective, but you know when you begin to lose faith in someone’s opinion? Or being able to relate to it?

 

[Crewman6]

I meant the weakest DS9 fourth season episode. It’s otherwise a really strong season.

As for DF, I still haven’t forgiven them for their hit job on Homefront and Paradise Lost. A genuinely great (if flawed) two-parter that got treated like a grim autopsy. Those were the worst DF episodes.

Agree. The episodes aren't perfect and are certainly hampered by serious budget constraints, but they're still very solid and the themes are timeless and deeply relevant.

I know it’s all subjective, but you know when you begin to lose faith in someone’s opinion? Or being able to relate to it?

I don't respect any of their opinions anymore (if I ever really did.) Robbie is too harsh at times while giving a pass to crap episodes because "they're fun." Terry is often way too forgiving, as well. Garrett is all over the map, at times overly harsh, at other times, as bad as the other in terms of giving a pass to crapola.

And then there's Armin, whose nitpicks are, in addition to being deeply, painfully pedantic, are almost always just plain factually wrong.

Is anyone listening to Cirroc Lofton's podcast? Maybe I should give that one a try.

(Although Cirroc is absent from literally about 100 of DS9s 175 episodes.)