Why Bother Introducing Ezri Dax in Season 7?

[Trek4Ever]

Seriously, this question has been nagging me whenever I think of the final season of the show.

Introducing a character so late in the game didn't really make sense to me (except as a chance to finally allow a Dax and Bashir to have a relationship), I think introducing her and devoting a few episodes to her took away from the show's momemtum.

Frankly I think the writers could have used her slots instead on the other regulars (esp. the underused Jake Sisko) or some more exploration of the Dominion War or the Pah Wraiths.

 

[C.E. Evans]

Even though Jadzia Dax was gone, the introduction of Ezri Dax was (in a way) further testament that the Dax character could live on with another host. It also injected something new into a series that was now seven years old.

 

[Admiral Shran]

The most basic reason was that they needed another female main character. But it is true that she added something new to the show.

 

[Rush Limborg]

Even though Jadzia Dax was gone, the introduction of Ezri Dax was (in a way) further testament that the Dax character could live on with another host. It also injected something new into a series that was now seven years old.

This. And there are a few other reasons:

-It gave the writers a chance to finally really explore the host-symbiont relationship. TPTB have even noted that, in hindsight, they'd have had Ezri's kind of character from the beginning, for that reason.

-They wanted to make sure there wouldn't be just one female lead.

-Ezri's vulnerabilities helped bring another element of "heart" to the show. Ezri's conflict was very identifiable--she had a great responsibility thrust upon her, which she feared she couldn't handle...but she holds firm, and triumphs.

One of the things that set apart DS9 was how character-driven it was. (As it were, that's why I always get a big kick at reading all the claims that Ezri was "useless" and "irrelevent to the plot". Plot? DS9's strength was the characters, who controlled the plot.) Ezri's addition was simply another element of living proof of that.


As to the contention that she took away from the rest of the final season...well, frankly, I've often asserted that TPTB should have stuck it out and done an eigth season, to tie up all the loose ends.

 

[SchwEnt]

I agree. Why bother?

We all know about the Dax symbiont living and moving on to another host. We didn't need to see the next incarnation to know it. When a host dies and the symbiont moves on, you gotta expect not having them around anymore.

I can see maybe an eps or three to show the new Dax and get an idea. But a full-time regular? This late in the series?

And it's not as if Ezri Dax was some outstanding compelling all-time great character. DS9 already had dozens of much better characters in the stable to finish up with in the last season. They had plenty to work with, didn't need to bring in Ezri.

Yeah, why bother?

 

[TiberiusMaximus]

I found the final season of DS9 to be a bit of a mess, to be honest. I tend to agree with Rush - an eighth season would have helped things out a lot. Sadly, that's not what we got...instead it was a rush job that left threads hanging everywhere. I didn't even bother finishing the season, I was so disappointed.

I do understand that it seems odd to introduce a new regular so close to the end of the series - but did TPTB always plan to end it there? Or did they just run out of money/time and try to wrap it up? If anyone knows, that would be helpful and interesting. Because the point is rather moot if the intention was to continue for another season or so, giving Ezri time to be properly established. As it was, I found her characterization a bit rushed - but I still liked her. (Rushbo, is it weird that I keep using your name as a verb? )

You know what TPTB shouldn't have bothered doing? What's worse than adding a regular character at the last moment? Killing a regular character at the last moment like the stunt they pulled with Trip. Now, I realize that character death injects drama - but in the last episode? That just makes it a downer ending. But I digress...this is not the ENT forum....

 

[Gul Re'jal]

While I am not an Ezri fan, I think the idea was good to show that continuity of joinings for Trills. They could have done a better job with Ezri's character, though. The only good thing I find in her was a complete confusion that an unprepared Trill host had to go through after joining with a symbiont of lifetimes of experiences, when she didn't know where she ended and other lives started.

 

[Rush Limborg]

I found the final season of DS9 to be a bit of a mess, to be honest. I tend to agree with Rush - an eighth season would have helped things out a lot. Sadly, that's not what we got...instead it was a rush job that left threads hanging everywhere. I didn't even bother finishing the season, I was so disappointed.

I do understand that it seems odd to introduce a new regular so close to the end of the series - but did TPTB always plan to end it there? Or did they just run out of money/time and try to wrap it up? If anyone knows, that would be helpful and interesting. Because the point is rather moot if the intention was to continue for another season or so, giving Ezri time to be properly established. As it was, I found her characterization a bit rushed - but I still liked her. (Rushbo, is it weird that I keep using your name as a verb? )

Meh. That tends to be a gag I myself like pulling.

As for the show...I'd say they'd already planned it to be seven seasons. Namely...Martok's line near the end of Season Six, along the lines of, "By this time next year, we'll be on Cardassia!"

 

[Kelthaz]

I liked Ezri, but the show didn't have the time to introduce a new character, wrap up the Dominion War, and wrap up the Emissary arc.

 

[TheLobes]

They needed another female lead. I really wish she'd been there from the start, or at least a bit earlier. I dislike the character, but mostly because I didnt feel like the writers knew what to do with her, never really bringing the character into focus. Seems that would have been rectified if her presence had been established early on.

 

[Rush Limborg]

^I agree. I and others have often discussed what it would have been like, had Ezri been the counselor assigned to O'Brien after "Hard Time".

There, she and Julian's relationship would have had a lot of time to develop--he is deeply grateful for her helping his friend, as the pair works together for Miles's recovery.

They hit it off--and though she goes back to, say, the Academy to finish her degree...she comes back every once in a while as a recurring secondary (perhaps Julian goes to Earth for an ep, and they go to dinner).

Eventually, she gets assigned to DS9. When Jadzia dies, Ezri has to take the symbiont due to an emergency. As Bashir, who's become close friends with her, helps her to cope with this...their relationship begins to blossom.

 

[TheLobes]

I dont know about the Bashir bit, i hated the abundance of relationships on DS9. Agree with the rest of it though, those sound like good ideas. Everything I hate about Ezri being put in the series could have been helped by a few prior appearances.

 

[Jono]

Adding Ezri as a full time character was a misuse of time. As someone else has already mentioned I would have preferred if they brought back Dax that this new Dax was only on for one or two episodes and then actually moved on with its life instead of just been Jadzia lite.

Unlike most of the other series DS9 already had several strong recurring female characters, two of them were even major antagonists and they could have been brought into the fore more to balance things out.

 

[chardman]

I'm gonna assume that in addition to a number of reasons that have already been stated, that they already had a number of trill based stories in the pipeline (perhaps even a few they'd already paid for) that they didn't want going to waste just because Terry Farrell decided to opt out. Ergo a new trill was needed for those stories to work. And while they could have introduced an entirely new character, continuing with a new incarnation of the Dax character gave the new trill a bit of history and, dare I say it, continuity with the other characters.

 

[TheLobes]

I dont know who would have decided that 'Field of Fire' was worth keeping...

My big problem with Ezri, or any new Dax, is that it meant none of the other characters could really mourn Jadzia's death. She was pretty fun and people enjoyed her company, you know, except Worf. I would have prefered to have her death actually give series seven some dramatic tension, then let the remaining characters bond over the death and go off to the final fight. I think thats somethign that could have been done if Ezri had been established earlier.

 

[Chuckles]

I would have preferred the Dax symbiont to go to a male host, and have that host come to DS9 to say goodbye to Worf. Then I would still have used Nicole, but made her character Romulan. Still have her young and a bit naive about other species. Eventually learning that the Romulan way isn't all it's cut out to be.

 

[TheLobes]

I would have preferred the Dax symbiont to go to a male host, and have that host come to DS9 to say goodbye to Worf. Then I would still have used Nicole, but made her character Romulan. Still have her young and a bit naive about other species. Eventually learning that the Romulan way isn't all it's cut out to be.

I really didnt think Nicole worked well in the show, other than being seductive to male nerds.

 

[Rush Limborg]

^(Seductive to--*snort*!)

Frankly, Nicole was an excellent addition. Again, she brought a fresh perspective to the show, with her young-at-heart, Jimmy-Stewart enthusiasm and idealism. Originally, Bashir was the idealist--but all the years of experience toned it down. The show, with its increasingly dark tone, needed some idealism--some "innocence", if you will--to contrast it.

 

[pimp]

For me Ezri really really got on my nerves, her voice, innocence and clueless understanding of whats going on in the station basically in my view they should have bought another character in if they really wanted one otherwise don't add one at last season when things are being wrapped up and main focus was on the war.

 

[Rush Limborg]

^I'd hardly accuse her of "clueless understanding of what's going on in the station."

For her voice--well, I'd say Natalie Portman's and Rachel McAdams's voices are somewhat similar in pitch.

And her innocence--again, that's a bit part of what makes her so appealing, for the reasons I stated in my previous post.