What is DS9's Biggest Misfire?

[Amaris]

Easily this. Like the revelations about The Sisko's parentage in the final season, it takes a credible (very real, very flawed, very human) character and taints them with a backstory that retroactively makes their achievements in overcoming the adversities of their life, as well as all of the character development we've seen them undergo on-screen, seem..... a little less impressive, to be honest.

I've seen some people claim that bringing Alexander back was a bit of a misfire too, but I actually kind of liked what they did with him. Felt like a nice progression from his last TNG appearance, and gave the Worf/Alexander relationship a new aspect.

I would have liked it if we found out, in his background, that he was considered slightly below average in terms of capability, and ended up overcoming that to excel as one of the Federation's greatest physicians.

 

[Sakonna]

My opinion for the worst misfire is the fact that Damar dies. Again, anticlimactically, but in this case it just felt like the writers discarded a character who had received one of the most subtle, interesting and important arcs in the show right at the last moment. It felt like leaving things open to focus on Garak but I think that could still have been done without unnecessarily killing off Damar. I wanted him to be there to rebuild Cardassia, that was where his arc beautifully and naturally led, but alas..

That's interesting, I find Damar's death to be fantastic drama. There's also something necessary in that, given his own past as a murderer. It really seals the redemption. Plus, as Garak says, there's the horror of Cardassia losing so many of their best people and their greatest minds. They had sold Damar as the perfect leader for a new Cardassia, and thus he also has to die in the final act so that we can fully experience the tragedy.

I also think of that group attacking the Dominon headquarters, one of the mains has to die (given that all their Cardassian redshirt companions die), and it shouldn't be Kira or Garak. Garak's final DS9 scene is one of the most perfect arc closures I've seen in a season finale of anything -- the outcast that finally gets to return, to a home that has been all but destroyed.

ETA: and this never really gets explored in the show, but Damar was Dukat's right hand man at the time he was conducting the negotiations for Cardassia to joint he Dominion. He must have been crucially involved in it from the beginning, it seems.

 

[Amaris]

That's interesting, I find Damar's death to be fantastic drama. There's also something necessary in that, given his own past as a murderer. It really seals the redemption. Plus, as Garak says, there's the horror of Cardassia losing so many of their best people and their greatest minds. They had sold Damar as the perfect leader for a new Cardassia, and thus he also has to die in the final act so that we can fully experience the tragedy.

I also think of that group attacking the Dominon headquarters, one of the mains has to die (given that all their Cardassian redshirt companions die), and it shouldn't be Kira or Garak. Garak's final DS9 scene is one of the most perfect arc closures I've seen in a season finale of anything -- the outcast that finally gets to return, to a home that has been all but destroyed.

ETA: and this never really gets explored in the show, but Damar was Dukat's right hand man at the time he was conducting the negotiations for Cardassia to joint he Dominion. He must have been crucially involved in it from the beginning, it seems.

Exactly. Damar paid for his sins by sacrificing himself to save his homeworld, and in doing so, gains salvation. I think it was nicely done, and a great arc for Damar.

 

[JeffinOakland]

Prodigal Daughter where we learn all about a new character (Ezri) nearly halfway through the last season. IMO any time spent on Ezri is time wasted.

 

[Refuge]

Sisko and Garak their arc wasn't realistic. The characters needed to develop more, but they just didn't go anywhere. The missed opportunities

 

[DamarsKanar]

That's interesting, I find Damar's death to be fantastic drama. There's also something necessary in that, given his own past as a murderer. It really seals the redemption. Plus, as Garak says, there's the horror of Cardassia losing so many of their best people and their greatest minds. They had sold Damar as the perfect leader for a new Cardassia, and thus he also has to die in the final act so that we can fully experience the tragedy.

I also think of that group attacking the Dominon headquarters, one of the mains has to die (given that all their Cardassian redshirt companions die), and it shouldn't be Kira or Garak. Garak's final DS9 scene is one of the most perfect arc closures I've seen in a season finale of anything -- the outcast that finally gets to return, to a home that has been all but destroyed.

ETA: and this never really gets explored in the show, but Damar was Dukat's right hand man at the time he was conducting the negotiations for Cardassia to joint he Dominion. He must have been crucially involved in it from the beginning, it seems.

You make a good case for it, I definitely see how it works in that sense - and I don't want to diminish Garak's arc, which I think is great. I guess I just feel as though there was a way to focus on the bleakness and massive losses of Cardassia in the finale whilst retaining a sense that it was still possible to rebuild from there. I like the idea that a seemingly mediocre man like Damar would be the hope for the future. I guess I'm a sucker for mediocre villainous figures being thrust into the spotlight, being forced to make enormous and painful decisions and answer for themselves (it's definitely a character type that I like, a not-so-obvious heroic arc).
It felt like a slightly easier choice to have Damar pay for his sins by dying - I know theoretically it works, but a far more lasting impact would be for him to pay for those sins by having to step up and lead an utterly broken culture that has lost so many of their best people (as observed so wonderfully by Garak in the finale).

 

[Indysolo]

A big misfire was that stupid holographic viewscreen, which was thankfully discarded almost as soon as it was introduced.

Neil

 

[Six of Twelve]

For me one of the biggest misfires is the way Jadzia's death was handled. I like that she died because I feel it was a good opportunity to explore the Trill...but the way she died was so anticlimactic.
My opinion for the worst misfire is the fact that Damar dies. Again, anticlimactically, but in this case it just felt like the writers discarded a character who had received one of the most subtle, interesting and important arcs in the show right at the last moment. It felt like leaving things open to focus on Garak but I think that could still have been done without unnecessarily killing off Damar. I wanted him to be there to rebuild Cardassia, that was where his arc beautifully and naturally led, but alas..

I agree. It seemed his death was like "You may have straightened up near the end, but you're still getting punished for aligning yourself with Dukat and killing Ziyal". There's a good half-written story on FanFiction Net that fleshes your idea where he becomes the leader of postwar Cardassia and works on its rebuilding, but the author unfortunately abandoned it halfway through.

 

[Paradise City]

History is often messy and imperfect like that though. Roosevelt dying before the end of WW2 for example. Damar dying before he could seal the deal on Cardassia, struck me, as kinda like that.

I felt though, in that arc, Kira was far too prominent. It's appropriate she's a prominent advisor of course but she's basically the brains and driving force behind the rebellion whilst the Cardassians give into despair and sarcasm after every setback. They played the whole "isn't-it-ironic" Bajorans fightin' to free their oppressors thing a bit too hard for my liking and Kira is just a bit too omnipotent and multi-talented whilst the Cardassians are always plodding types. Kira appearing in Dominion HQ in a well pressed Starfleet uniform after a long time in hiding as a guerilla just makes it seem a bit too easy. Damar is a character I liked but they could've made him far more dynamic in maturity for my liking.

 

[DamarsKanar]

Yeah I suppose it would have been nice to see a more confident, mature Damar rather than being overshadowed by Kira (though I must say I'm a sucker for Kira as Cardassian resistance fighter, overdone irony or not). In a way though, him living would have felt like that - sure they needed Kira's superhuman resistance skills to take back the planet but Damar could have been shown to step up to the job of leader not just resistance fighter at the end.

But alas, yes, things are messy in reality and of course it's a perfectly plausible and even poetic ending even if it's not how I would have done it. That's what fanfic is for - so I'd like to read that one although it's a damn shame it's ununfinished! Maybe I'll write my own.