101 reasons why I love DS9
Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 3:43 am
(NOTE: This is NOT a "101 reasons why DS9 is better than any other Star Trek serie". I will tell things that are mostly subjectives, and so can you. Off course, some of the things will be comparative to other series, but that doesn't make these other series any less good than how you can find them.)
1. The Visitor. Best. Episode. Ever. I cried the first time I saw it, and I always have something in my eyes when I see it. It is... a really good story. The only thing that ever came close to that sort of story was "The Inner Light" (TNG), but it didn't even came close of The Visitor.
2. The Quickening. The whole story was good, but.. but I haven't ever had the same sentiment than the first time I saw Bashir holding the baby to his mother, "He doesn't have the Blight!". It was... a true miracle, which I really felt it..
3. This serie wasn't about "The Best Starship in the Federation". It wasn't about a group of military people, the best of all in their morality. It was about... life in space. Real life, with the melange of "Starfleet Pure Brass" with an ex-terrorist, a policeman and a petty thief.
To me, this made the whole story more... believable. The people in it weren't shining beacons of morality. Hell, most of them weren't even TRYING to be.
4. Garak. ENNOUGH SAID. He made the day at every episode
5. Klingons. More Klingon culture than the other series (so I think), and, most of all, they made Klingon culture more.. believable. They explained some of the extremist (and quickly fashionned) Klingon ways introduced into DS9 (why would Honorable warriors use a cloaking device? How can a klingon ship run if everyone can challenge you for leadership?).
They introduced a wide variety of different klingons character, which also was great.
6. Ferengis. Even more than Klingons, DS9 made the Ferengi actually a believable (even if they mostly were farces) species, with cultures & all. Shimmerman got the job saying to himself that he would correct the horrible mistakes he made during "The Last Outpost". Mission accomplished. Now, Ferengis are a true 3-dimensional specie.
7. Talking of Ferengi, Herman Shimmerman. The Quark character added so much life to the whole series. Even the poor Neelix-rip off wasn't close to it.
8. Terry Farrel. Here is a Star Trek chick they didn't had to dress like a slut (sorry for the moderators) to make us drool. She was.. energetic, funny. She was a real character, with much more emotions that I would even put into Dienna Troi. (and I won't even talk about T'Pol & 7o9)
9. Dukat. Ever seen a Trek villain going through so much... shades? You think he is a petty military dictator, then you wonder if he's ok. Then you think he wants to hit on Kira, then he is a MAJOR military dictator. Then he is a madman, then a religious fanatic. Talk about character development. Not Trek villain ever went trough so much.
10. Far Beyong the Star. Great episode
11. Vic Fontaine. That.. man, which first stroke me as an odd character, was actually a pleasant change from the dark tone set during wartime. We actually got to listen to great performed-music during Trek episodes!
12. Battle of AR-885 (something like it). Great, dark episode (if you can get past the stupid strategy involved). You see Starfleet get dirty fighting over a piece of land.
13. The Prophets, and the whole... strange relationship we are being put against during the whole serie. Are they Gods, or just aliens with a glimpse of the future? Should we do what they ask? If yes, is it because they are gods, and tell us so, or because we trust it is in our best interest?
I know it.. kinda violate the Pilote Episode's premise. And in some way, it violate Gene Roddenburry's vision of religion (which I always found extremist), but I think the way DS9 dealt with the prophets was great. The writers kept some sort of.. spirituality in the air, always keeping us off-balance about the very standing of the prophets.
However, I think the serie was TOTALLY respectful of Gene Roddenburry's vision on one thing: It told us to be wary of religious organisations, and of people who tell they "act trough the ways of God" (I don't think somebody can actually trust Kai Winn). The good religious peoples are the humble ones, who rely upon themselves to get things done (Kira, Bareill)
(I hope using 13 opening arguments isn't bad luck. Any other peoples have their # to add?)
1. The Visitor. Best. Episode. Ever. I cried the first time I saw it, and I always have something in my eyes when I see it. It is... a really good story. The only thing that ever came close to that sort of story was "The Inner Light" (TNG), but it didn't even came close of The Visitor.
2. The Quickening. The whole story was good, but.. but I haven't ever had the same sentiment than the first time I saw Bashir holding the baby to his mother, "He doesn't have the Blight!". It was... a true miracle, which I really felt it..
3. This serie wasn't about "The Best Starship in the Federation". It wasn't about a group of military people, the best of all in their morality. It was about... life in space. Real life, with the melange of "Starfleet Pure Brass" with an ex-terrorist, a policeman and a petty thief.
To me, this made the whole story more... believable. The people in it weren't shining beacons of morality. Hell, most of them weren't even TRYING to be.
4. Garak. ENNOUGH SAID. He made the day at every episode
5. Klingons. More Klingon culture than the other series (so I think), and, most of all, they made Klingon culture more.. believable. They explained some of the extremist (and quickly fashionned) Klingon ways introduced into DS9 (why would Honorable warriors use a cloaking device? How can a klingon ship run if everyone can challenge you for leadership?).
They introduced a wide variety of different klingons character, which also was great.
6. Ferengis. Even more than Klingons, DS9 made the Ferengi actually a believable (even if they mostly were farces) species, with cultures & all. Shimmerman got the job saying to himself that he would correct the horrible mistakes he made during "The Last Outpost". Mission accomplished. Now, Ferengis are a true 3-dimensional specie.
7. Talking of Ferengi, Herman Shimmerman. The Quark character added so much life to the whole series. Even the poor Neelix-rip off wasn't close to it.
8. Terry Farrel. Here is a Star Trek chick they didn't had to dress like a slut (sorry for the moderators) to make us drool. She was.. energetic, funny. She was a real character, with much more emotions that I would even put into Dienna Troi. (and I won't even talk about T'Pol & 7o9)
9. Dukat. Ever seen a Trek villain going through so much... shades? You think he is a petty military dictator, then you wonder if he's ok. Then you think he wants to hit on Kira, then he is a MAJOR military dictator. Then he is a madman, then a religious fanatic. Talk about character development. Not Trek villain ever went trough so much.
10. Far Beyong the Star. Great episode
11. Vic Fontaine. That.. man, which first stroke me as an odd character, was actually a pleasant change from the dark tone set during wartime. We actually got to listen to great performed-music during Trek episodes!
12. Battle of AR-885 (something like it). Great, dark episode (if you can get past the stupid strategy involved). You see Starfleet get dirty fighting over a piece of land.
13. The Prophets, and the whole... strange relationship we are being put against during the whole serie. Are they Gods, or just aliens with a glimpse of the future? Should we do what they ask? If yes, is it because they are gods, and tell us so, or because we trust it is in our best interest?
I know it.. kinda violate the Pilote Episode's premise. And in some way, it violate Gene Roddenburry's vision of religion (which I always found extremist), but I think the way DS9 dealt with the prophets was great. The writers kept some sort of.. spirituality in the air, always keeping us off-balance about the very standing of the prophets.
However, I think the serie was TOTALLY respectful of Gene Roddenburry's vision on one thing: It told us to be wary of religious organisations, and of people who tell they "act trough the ways of God" (I don't think somebody can actually trust Kai Winn). The good religious peoples are the humble ones, who rely upon themselves to get things done (Kira, Bareill)
(I hope using 13 opening arguments isn't bad luck. Any other peoples have their # to add?)
