Vorta telepathic abilities

[Dream]

This was just another example of the DS9 writers making it as they went along. There was never any kind of long term plan.

 

[Tosk]

You say that like it was some big secret.

Very few shows do, and those that do they usually end up changing along the way anyway.

 

[Timo]

I wish they used it more as well,i remember watching my brother play a DS9 video game where if you attack a Vorta they will use it on you,it was so cool.

Yeah, in "The Fallen" you can fight more or less evenly with a telekinetic Vorta by wielding a Breen-style shock-stick (amazing what you can find in a FPS!). But it does hurt.

Perhaps in the "real" Trek universe, those telepathic bolts were a prominent characteristic of the Kurillian species that Eris claimed to be a member of, and Eris was given this ability in case our heroes had already heard rumors about this species and would see a discrepancy if Eris lacked the ability?

In this theory, the ability would serve no practical use in other contexts, and would not be introduced to all Vorta. Either it was a harmless light show (and both Sisko's stunning and the breaking of the forcefield barrier were faked with technology), or it was a semi-decent stunning tool but not really worth the hassle (much like in "The Fallen").

Timo Saloniemi

 

[jpch]

I wish they used it more as well,i remember watching my brother play a DS9 video game where if you attack a Vorta they will use it on you,it was so cool.

Yeah, in "The Fallen" you can fight more or less evenly with a telekinetic Vorta by wielding a Breen-style shock-stick (amazing what you can find in a FPS!). But it does hurt.

Perhaps in the "real" Trek universe, those telepathic bolts were a prominent characteristic of the Kurillian species that Eris claimed to be a member of, and Eris was given this ability in case our heroes had already heard rumors about this species and would see a discrepancy if Eris lacked the ability?

In this theory, the ability would serve no practical use in other contexts, and would not be introduced to all Vorta. Either it was a harmless light show (and both Sisko's stunning and the breaking of the forcefield barrier were faked with technology), or it was a semi-decent stunning tool but not really worth the hassle (much like in "The Fallen").

Timo Saloniemi

hehe well that is true,but it would have given the Vorta more character and allowed them to be more then just the brains behind the Jem'hadar. i think its scary to know that someone can do that to you :P it makes them more imposing.

 

[Sindatur]

I wish they used it more as well,i remember watching my brother play a DS9 video game where if you attack a Vorta they will use it on you,it was so cool.

Yeah, in "The Fallen" you can fight more or less evenly with a telekinetic Vorta by wielding a Breen-style shock-stick (amazing what you can find in a FPS!). But it does hurt.

Perhaps in the "real" Trek universe, those telepathic bolts were a prominent characteristic of the Kurillian species that Eris claimed to be a member of, and Eris was given this ability in case our heroes had already heard rumors about this species and would see a discrepancy if Eris lacked the ability?

In this theory, the ability would serve no practical use in other contexts, and would not be introduced to all Vorta. Either it was a harmless light show (and both Sisko's stunning and the breaking of the forcefield barrier were faked with technology), or it was a semi-decent stunning tool but not really worth the hassle (much like in "The Fallen").

Timo Saloniemi

hehe well that is true,but it would have given the Vorta more character and allowed them to be more then just the brains behind the Jem'hadar. i think its scary to know that someone can do that to you :P it makes them more imposing.

Could be that's why the writers dropped it. The Vorta already had the Jem'hadar as enforcers, not giving the Vorta any defensive powers of their own, kept them from being "Too strong" on their own, and made their Jem'Hadar enforcers all the more important them

 

[jpch]

Yeah, in "The Fallen" you can fight more or less evenly with a telekinetic Vorta by wielding a Breen-style shock-stick (amazing what you can find in a FPS!). But it does hurt.

Perhaps in the "real" Trek universe, those telepathic bolts were a prominent characteristic of the Kurillian species that Eris claimed to be a member of, and Eris was given this ability in case our heroes had already heard rumors about this species and would see a discrepancy if Eris lacked the ability?

In this theory, the ability would serve no practical use in other contexts, and would not be introduced to all Vorta. Either it was a harmless light show (and both Sisko's stunning and the breaking of the forcefield barrier were faked with technology), or it was a semi-decent stunning tool but not really worth the hassle (much like in "The Fallen").

Timo Saloniemi

hehe well that is true,but it would have given the Vorta more character and allowed them to be more then just the brains behind the Jem'hadar. i think its scary to know that someone can do that to you :P it makes them more imposing.

Could be that's why the writers dropped it. The Vorta already had the Jem'hadar as enforcers, not giving the Vorta any defensive powers of their own, kept them from being "Too strong" on their own, and made their Jem'Hadar enforcers all the more important them

oh!!!That is a good idea

 

[Ometiklan]

You know, I never got the impression that Eris killed herself when she "beamed" out. Maybe I am misunderstanding the arguments of a couple of the posters here, but that seems to be what some people are arguing.

I just always figured that when she disappeared and there was no ship in range that it was just further proof of how outmatched we were by the Dominion's technology. It is a call back to the Odyssey being destroyed easily and a simple set up for an ominous enemy.

 

[Timo]

that seems to be what some people are arguing.

That seems to be what the heroes believed to have happened - and what the writers wanted the audience to believe happened. Neither factor should force the audience to actually think it happened, though, especially in light of later evidence.

In retrospect, it was quite probably superior technology at work. At the time of the episode's airing, though, it could equally well have been fanatic dedication to the Dominion at work: another suicide attack to show that not only the Jem'Hadar but in fact anybody related to this sinister organization would be willing to sacrifice her, his or its life at the drop of a hat, with a smile on her face.

Beaming to oblivion was a classic ending to villains in Trek, after all: NOMAD, Tox Uthat and Lore were disposed of that way (even if Lore rebounded). Here a villain would volunteer - what a horrid thought, and what a horrid villain!

Timo Saloniemi

 

[dub]

The writers definitely didn't forget about Eris and her telekinesis. They hoped the audience would, though. And most did forget it.

I'm one of those people who forgot about it. I watched the whole series last year for the first time on Netflix, and somehow I forgot about that ability when they picked up that thread again. It's funny, because I'm watching the series again (this time with my wife), and this time when I saw that energy shoot out of that Vorta's chest, I thought...wow, I guess the writers decided to drop that idea. But then again, my wife is always reminding me how awful my memory is!

 

[Sindatur]

that seems to be what some people are arguing.

That seems to be what the heroes believed to have happened - and what the writers wanted the audience to believe happened. Neither factor should force the audience to actually think it happened, though, especially in light of later evidence.

In retrospect, it was quite probably superior technology at work. At the time of the episode's airing, though, it could equally well have been fanatic dedication to the Dominion at work: another suicide attack to show that not only the Jem'Hadar but in fact anybody related to this sinister organization would be willing to sacrifice her, his or its life at the drop of a hat, with a smile on her face.

Beaming to oblivion was a classic ending to villains in Trek, after all: NOMAD, Tox Uthat and Lore were disposed of that way (even if Lore rebounded). Here a villain would volunteer - what a horrid thought, and what a horrid villain!

Timo Saloniemi

I never for a second got the impression Eris was meant to have killed herself. if was quite clear to me (even if the opposite was intended to be what I took away) that she simply beamed onto a cloaked ship (Or somehow transported a long distance.

They did intend to bring her back, but, the actress was never available when they wanted her, so, that's more evidence their intention wasn't to kill her, because the Clone thing didn't get invented until they killed off Weyoun and deciedd he was just too awesome for a one shot, and invented the clone thing