Was Ezri Dax a poor choice?

[Dukhat]

In my opinion, it was a huge mistake to even revive the character of Dax for the final season. No matter who they cast, whether it be Nicole deBoer or Angelina Jolie, and no matter how good or bad they acted, there would not have been sufficient time to develop the character, and what development they could do would distract from the Dominion War arc they were trying to wrap up. And that's exactly what happened. There were at least five episodes devoted directly or indirectly to the development of the Ezri Dax character, who would only be on the show for a year, and those five shows could have instead focused on the war. That way, the finale wouldn't have been as rushed as it was.

And it didn't help at all that Ezri Dax was basically a whiny little kid.

 

[Ezri II]

In my opinion, it was a huge mistake to even revive the character of Dax for the final season. No matter who they cast, whether it be Nicole deBoer or Angelina Jolie, and no matter how good or bad they acted, there would not have been sufficient time to develop the character, and what development they could do would distract from the Dominion War arc they were trying to wrap up. And that's exactly what happened. There were at least five episodes devoted directly or indirectly to the development of the Ezri Dax character, who would only be on the show for a year, and those five shows could have instead focused on the war. That way, the finale wouldn't have been as rushed as it was.

And it didn't help at all that Ezri Dax was basically a whiny little kid.

Not sure it would have been a good idea to spend 28 episodes with the Dominion War. Case in point, ENTERPRISE spent all there time with the Xindi and the more they spent on them the less time they had to wrap up the war with them. The characters of ENTERPRISE in my judgment are more under developed then any group of characters.

Think it was good to have a new dax. As it did give the characters a season to make their feelings understood how they felt about Jadzia. If there was not Ezri Dax and they just dumped the idea about talking about her. In my judgment, it would have made Jadzia end up more like a redshirt that never gets talked about again.

 

[indranee]

Enterprise only spent Season 3 on the Xindi. the lack of overall character development on ENT's part basically comes from bad writing, not the Xindi war.

DS9 did not suffer from bad writing (on the whole).

 

[Morfius]

There has been talk since the ending of Deep Space 9 that Ezri Dax was a poor choice as a replacement. Would love to understand your personal feelings with Ezri Dax.

Was Ezri Dax a bad idea because of the actor?
Was Ezri Dax a bad idea because of the writters?
Was Ezri Dax a bad idea as it was adding a new Dax to DS9?

You can add more and I will debate with you.

Ezri Dax was a bad idea because then suddenly had a cousiler, when they never needed one before and I don't even remember her doing any actual couciling!
Also without Jedzia, they had no scientist. Why wasn't the Science officer replaced?

 

[Ezri II]

Enterprise only spent Season 3 on the Xindi. the lack of overall character development on ENT's part basically comes from bad writing, not the Xindi war.

DS9 did not suffer from bad writing (on the whole).

TRUE!

 

[Marie1]

^^ One thing I will grant- at first they needed a Science officer for exploration- the Wormhole, GQ, even for fixing Bajor. But during a war, a lot of people need a councilor. Not sure how much Ezri did tho.

 

[Ezri II]

^^ One thing I will grant- at first they needed a Science officer for exploration- the Wormhole, GQ, even for fixing Bajor. But during a war, a lot of people need a councilor. Not sure how much Ezri did tho.

Think councilor Ezri needed a councilor herself.

 

[Marie1]

... true. Esp. since she was a) just joined and b) not really "supposed to be" joined, that would have maybe helped her pull herself together better.

 

[jamestyler]

Ezri Dax was a bad idea because then suddenly had a cousiler, when they never needed one before and I don't even remember her doing any actual couciling!
Also without Jedzia, they had no scientist. Why wasn't the Science officer replaced?

O'Brien needed a counselor in Hard Time and the character was only mentioned, never seen. In the Sound of her Voice the entire talked to the injured captain as if she was a counselor as they needed to talk and get things off their chest - the war was getting to them.

Looking back, and I don't think it was planned that way, it was great to have that and then bring in someone who could listen.. that and they cut to Jadzia when O'Bien said one of them would be lost... nothing to do with Ezri's job - just a nice touch.

With the war stuff happening Ezri only really acted directly as a counselor to Garak and used her knowledge to aid in a psych profile in Field of Fire. She was involved with Nog but just helped Vic when she saw Nog was responding to him instead...

The important thing though was that she wouldn't walk in as a carbon copy of Jadzia, she would be different and allow others to react to that difference - Worf and Bashir being the most obvious examples of that.

 

[Admiral_Young]

I think it would have been interesting to see Sisko and Worf deal with Jadiza's death without the complexity of Ezri if they'd chosen that direction to go in. Ezri was fine, not sure why they didn't just make her a junior science officer since she was an ensign at the time of the shuttle accident anyways and skip the counsellor position which didn't make sense.

Going back a few pages to a poster who said the character of Dax was irrelevent or whatever to the series...I would highly disagree as Dax had and was a mentor to Ben during a tough period in his life and helped to shape the man he became after the death of his life. Jadiza continued that friendship despite an awkward time in their relationship...Ezri presented almost a role reservation in terms of their professional relationship where Sisko was mentoring her and she was prone to making mistakes and learning from them. I liked the progression of Ezri's character and didn't really mind the Mirror Universe version either...and liked her ending up with Julian at the series finale.

 

[Odo's_Bucket]

I think Ezri should have been on one or two episodes tops, so we would know about her and where the symbiant had gone, but then she should have been transferred to another assignment. I think that there should have been a rivalry between her and Sisko also. It would have been cool if she had shown up and decided that she didn't like Sisko. Maybe a result of having not been prepared to join with a symbiant and Ezri's personality colliding with Dax's memories.

 

[Ezri II]

I think Ezri should have been on one or two episodes tops, so we would know about her and where the symbiant had gone, but then she should have been transferred to another assignment. I think that there should have been a rivalry between her and Sisko also. It would have been cool if she had shown up and decided that she didn't like Sisko. Maybe a result of having not been prepared to join with a symbiant and Ezri's personality colliding with Dax's memories.

A rivalry with Ezri and Sisko, I cannot even think that would work. Sisko a Captain and Ezri started as an Ensign. Sisko a tall man and strong, Ezri a small woman. Rivalry is with two people or two groups with an equal balance with each other.

 

[Jono]

I think Ezri should have been on one or two episodes tops, so we would know about her and where the symbiant had gone, but then she should have been transferred to another assignment. I think that there should have been a rivalry between her and Sisko also. It would have been cool if she had shown up and decided that she didn't like Sisko. Maybe a result of having not been prepared to join with a symbiant and Ezri's personality colliding with Dax's memories.

Given the previous two hosts had very favourable impressions of Sisko and Ezri and Sisko had never met it would be hard for her not to be heavily influenced into viewing Sisko as her friend as soon as she was joined. Maybe if she had been prepared for a joining and did the years of preparations she wouldn't have let those feelings and emotions overwhelm her so. Maybe she would have then been more able to form a more 'independent' view of Sisko then the one she had.

Pretty sure she also pointed out that her joining effected her original relationships negatively. The only other time we saw a joining we saw a similar thing, though in that case the humanoid Trill was a nut job to begin with. It would have been interesting if they went more into Jadzia's life before she was joined, maybe introduce someone from her life back then and have an episode focused on how joining changed Jadzia.

 

[Ezri II]

Thinking about it, Ezri Dax should have been kieeded off near the end of the last season.

 

[Odo's_Bucket]

A rivalry with Ezri and Sisko, I cannot even think that would work. Sisko a Captain and Ezri started as an Ensign. Sisko a tall man and strong, Ezri a small woman. Rivalry is with two people or two groups with an equal balance with each other.

I don't mean sword battles or cage fighting. I mean a dislike for Sisko which leads to arguments and spatting.

 

[Ezri II]

A rivalry with Ezri and Sisko, I cannot even think that would work. Sisko a Captain and Ezri started as an Ensign. Sisko a tall man and strong, Ezri a small woman. Rivalry is with two people or two groups with an equal balance with each other.

I don't mean sword battles or cage fighting. I mean a dislike for Sisko which leads to arguments and spatting.

It would make Sisko weak because he could transfer her off DS9. If they fight all the time with arguments and spatting, why not place her on a ship and say bye.

 

[Jono]

If Erzi disliked Sisko I doubt she would have wanted to stay on DS9.

 

[Ezri II]

If Erzi disliked Sisko I doubt she would have wanted to stay on DS9.

She did send in her resignation only to take it back. That is strange in a way. As an officer in a time of war.

 

[dreadpiraterose]

I think Ezri should have been on one or two episodes tops, so we would know about her and where the symbiant had gone, but then she should have been transferred to another assignment. I think that there should have been a rivalry between her and Sisko also. It would have been cool if she had shown up and decided that she didn't like Sisko. Maybe a result of having not been prepared to join with a symbiant and Ezri's personality colliding with Dax's memories.

Given the previous two hosts had very favourable impressions of Sisko and Ezri and Sisko had never met it would be hard for her not to be heavily influenced into viewing Sisko as her friend as soon as she was joined. Maybe if she had been prepared for a joining and did the years of preparations she wouldn't have let those feelings and emotions overwhelm her so. Maybe she would have then been more able to form a more 'independent' view of Sisko then the one she had.

Pretty sure she also pointed out that her joining effected her original relationships negatively. The only other time we saw a joining we saw a similar thing, though in that case the humanoid Trill was a nut job to begin with. It would have been interesting if they went more into Jadzia's life before she was joined, maybe introduce someone from her life back then and have an episode focused on how joining changed Jadzia.

I agree. Ezri definitely would definitely have gone in viewing Sisko as a friend.

 

[Odo's_Bucket]

A rivalry with Ezri and Sisko, I cannot even think that would work. Sisko a Captain and Ezri started as an Ensign. Sisko a tall man and strong, Ezri a small woman. Rivalry is with two people or two groups with an equal balance with each other.

I don't mean sword battles or cage fighting. I mean a dislike for Sisko which leads to arguments and spatting.

It would make Sisko weak because he could transfer her off DS9. If they fight all the time with arguments and spatting, why not place her on a ship and say bye.

That's the point. I wanted her to leave. Go back and read my original post again.