KTR's reflections from another DS9 newbie

[Rigil Kent]

That said, please tell me that this was her first and last appearance on DS9!

No. Sigh. There's at least one more really subpar episode coming up with her in it, and I understand she shows up a third time as well.

[Kevin Thomas Riley]

^ Oh crap!

The last two followed by a season overview:


1-19 Duet

Calling Duet an outstanding episode might be something of an understatement. This is easily one of the best Star Trek episodes I've ever seen. Extremely moving and poignant it is hard to not get emotionally affected by this episode no matter how many times you watch it. It was totally carried by the superb acting of Nana Visitor and guest star Harris Yulin as compassionate and guilt-ridden Cardassian Aamin Marritza.

Duet is also proof that you don't need a lot of action or special effects to create a great story, and this episode was intended to be a money-saving "bottle show". As long as the writing and acting are there you can make a masterpiece and that is what Duet is.

I cannot lavish enough praise for this truly excellent episode.

*****

1-20 In the Hands of the Prophets

Overall I liked In the Hands of the Prophets. It gave us additional insights to Bajoran politics and religion in what is surely just the beginning. This ride should prove very interesting. While I commend DS9 for taking a nuanced stance regarding religion, especially for the otherwise atheist Star Trek, here it did come off as all too blatantly anti-religious with the portrayal of Vedek Winn (God, I hated her, and Louise Fletcher was perfect for the role) and her zealots. On the other hand it showed religious moderates such as Vedek Bareil, which shows that you don't have to be an extremist just because you have spiritual beliefs.

And say what you want about Winn's hit woman, but Neela wasn't really like those suicide bombers we see in the Moslem world today. She tried to make sure, through some rather elaborate measures, that she had an escape route.

In the Hands of the Prophets gets an above average grade and while not containing a cliffhanger per se, it should set up for some interesting storylines in season two about Bajoran politics.

*****

Season One Overview

Overall I'd say that DS9's first season was very uneven, with few really good episodes and a lot of below average ones and even some stinkers (like the "Alamaraine" one). I find that ENT's first season is better, but that DS9's first season is better than VOY's and especially the rather abysmal first season of TNG. Going over the season I noticed that the episodes I enjoyed the most are the ones dealing with the either the background of the characters or the politics of Bajor/Cardassia. The stand-alones have been more disappointing. And I must complain at the appalling amount of technobabble.

I do like Sisko. He's a much better C.O. than Archer or Janeway or even Picard ever was. He's my second favourite after Kirk. DS9 is also much more of an ensemble show and the focus can often be on someone else besides the "big three". I like that. I don't really dislike any regular character even if I am a bit indifferent to Jadzia Dax and Bashir's "new guy" naïveté can get tiresome if he doesn't grow out of it. I enjoy the Odo/Quark sparring. Kira is an interesting and conflicted character and O'Brien is the everyman that you can easily identify with.

Design-wise I like the DS9 station because it is different than the usual "luxury liner" look of most of the 24th century. But then it is a Cardassian station. Still hate the uniforms/costumes, especially the cringe-worthy civilian outfits.

I have translated my ratings into my usual 10-graded system:

1-01-02 Emissary - above average 8
1-03 Past Prologue - above average 7
1-04 A Man Alone - below average 3+
1-05 Babel - slightly below average 4
1-06 Captive Pursuit - above average 7
1-07 Q-Less - the very bottom 2-
1-08 Dax - slightly above average 6
1-09 The Passenger - very below average 3
1-10 Home Along Home - awful 1
1-11 The Nagus - very much below average 3-
1-12 Vortex - above average 7-
1-13 Battle Lines - slightly below average 4
1-14 The Storyteller - below average 4-
1-15 Progress - strong average 5+
1-16 If Wishes Were Horses - below average 4-
1-17 The Forsaken - below average 4-
1-18 Dramatis Personae - below average 4-
1-19 Duet - excellent 10
1-20 In the Hands of the Prophets - above average 7+

Summing up my episode grades I come to the average season grade of 4.82 on my 10-graded scale. Compare that with ENT's first season that gets 6.36.

[Kevin Thomas Riley]

Oh, I've also put all my mini-reviews on my website.

[Kevin Thomas Riley]

Oh, what the heck, here is the season two opening three-parter:


2-01 The Homecoming

The Homecoming was a great start to DS9's second season - and with a three-part mini-arc no less. I liked the reluctant hero legend Li Nalas, and that he had this role to fulfil that he didn't want.

I did think it was a bit strange for Sisko to allow for the rescue on Cardassia IV though. Helping the Bajorans out in their own territory is one thing, but authorizing a raid on Cardassian territory all on his own, with the ramifications that could have on Cardassian/Federation relations was irresponsible. He lucked out.

Shallow side note: I must mention the female alien freighter captain that Quark met - man, she looked smoking in that outfit and even her alien makeup looked awesome. Rowr!

The Homecoming gets a grade of 8 on my 10-graded scale. A great and promising opening.

*****

2-02 The Circle

The Circle was a good follow up to the previous episode. I love political intrigue and these episodes focusing on Machiavellian schemes on Bajor are a treat to watch. Frank Langella makes an interesting and somewhat complex bad guy in minister Jaro. He's not evil per se. He honestly believes this is what's best for Bajor. Nice touch to have him conspiring with Vedek Winn.

Kira carried a lot on these episodes, and while it was a foregone conclusion that she would return to her position at DS9, her experiences down at the monastery with Vedek Bareil was revealing. I even liked the somewhat silly going away scene. It was an important revelation to Kira when she eventually said "these are my friends". Nice!

The rescue of Kira from the Circle came a little too easy. And I seriously rolled my eyes when that Starfleet admiral (Chakotay of all names?) told Sisko that they couldn't interfere on Bajor because of the damn prime directive. Say what? Another example of the inane 24th century interpretation of that general order! The Bajorans don't live in the Stone Age! They're Federation allies and that mean that you should stand by them - and in this case their government - when things get rough and hostile neighbours have no qualms about interfering. If this is Federation modus operandi I'm surprised they have allies at all!

A grade of 8- for The Circle.

*****

2-03 The Siege

The final instalment of The Circle arc was the weakest of them. While still quite above average, its execution was dragging, especially the drawn-out phaser fight on DS9 that wasn't really exciting. But I liked the Bajoran general. He was an honourable man and gave Sisko due recognition.

Being much underused in the two previous episodes I was surprised that I did like Dax in this episode when she and Kira went on a ride on that hidden Bajoran shuttle. They did play off each other well.

The resolution was a bit of a whimper. Suddenly everything just collapsed and I wonder what happened to Jaro and if he will return. One who will not return is Li Nalas, which is perhaps unfortunate. On the other hand his character arc did come full circle (pardon the pun) when he died. And since he was pretty out of his depth anyway, he might not have accomplished much had he remained alive.

I liked Sisko's line that even he would respect the hero legend of Li. On a sidenote, that made me wonder if this is also Archer fate on ENT. We kept being told how great and important he was, but maybe that's just the Archer legend? In reality a lot of other people (like, say, his crew) carried a lot of importance but history elevated his importance.

As the weaker part, The Siege gets a grade of 7+.

[Rigil Kent]

Shallow side note: I must mention the female alien freighter captain that Quark met - man, she looked smoking in that outfit and even her alien makeup looked awesome. Rowr!

That's the purple-haired chick, right? She shows up at least once more (and a third time, I think) and I completely agree about her make-up.

[Kevin Thomas Riley]

Shallow side note: I must mention the female alien freighter captain that Quark met - man, she looked smoking in that outfit and even her alien makeup looked awesome. Rowr!

That's the purple-haired chick, right? She shows up at least once more (and a third time, I think) and I completely agree about her make-up.

Yeah, that's the one!

[Kevin Thomas Riley]

Two additional episodes today:


2-04 Invasive Procedures

I got a disappointed with Invasive Procedures. While another interesting insight to Trill biology, I had expected to see more of what Dax (the symbiont) was like. Instead I never felt that Verad or Verad Dax were all that different, aside for the latter being more confident. Imagine how interesting it would have been if the symbiont had tried and fought its new host? Likewise it would've been interesting if we'd seen more about how Jadzia was like without the symbiont.

And wasn't all too convenient that some plasma storm just had happened to evacuate the station so that it could be boarded? The fact that it was made possible by some rather severe criminal action (again) from Quark makes one wonder why he still goes unpunished after this.

But I admit it was amusing to see Tuvok as a Klingon and Lionel Luthor as a Trill.

In the end, however, I cannot give Invasive Procedures more than a 4 on my 10-graded scale.

*****

2-05 Cardassians

Cardassians was a really good episode. First of all it showed the return of "plain, simple Garak" and Andrew Robinson does a stellar job in the role. I liked that Bashir had grown up and he made a very nice pair with Garak doing their joint investigation. They should team up more often. And one has to wonder exactly were Garak's loyalties lie.

It was interesting to see that the Cardassians aren't all quintessential bad guys, but that there are shades of grey. There is obviously a political struggle going on, and the poor orphans left on Bajor have become pawns in it. I could sympathise both with the kid, Rugal, and with his real father. Gul Dukat is still something of an enigma, but he makes a good bad guy.

I didn't care for Sisko's ruling in the end. To me it seemed clear that Rugal would be better off remaining on Bajor. I also wonder why that was even Sisko's decision. Wouldn't this fall under the purview of Bajoran authorities? Back in Dax he didn't even have authority over his own officer and had to call in a Bajoran arbiter for the extradition hearing.

Cardassians gets a grade of 7- from me.

[Linda]

I like Garak as an enigma. A good spy should be hard to pin down, gregarious so he can get information from people, devious - throwing illusions and half truths in people's paths. Wait until you see the episode "In the Pale Moonlight". As Garak says, "Its all true...especially the lies."

So what is this Garek fascination for us Garek fans? Well, we always tell the truth...when it is logical to do so.

[Kevin Thomas Riley]

Two more episodes:


2-06 Melora

I'm not sure what to say about this episode. I was rather slow and didn't seem to lead anywhere. We have this low-gravity woman, Melora, being rather crippled in our normal gravity environment and she's very defensive about it. Then we have Dr Bashir taking both a professional and personal interest in her, and he engineers some Trek Insta-cure™ treatment that would allow her to function normally at one g. But in the end she declines. So the episode doesn't actually say anything one way or another on the raised issue. A biological sidenote is that there is no way that a being evolving in such a low gravity that we're talking about here should look anything remotely like Melora.

The chemistry between Bashir and Melora was good, but I really don't like these romance-of-the-week plots. Of course Melora will be gone by next episode.

The subplot with a former "business associate" of Quark trying to kill him was really boring. I was actually a bit surprised when it eventually tied into the Melora plot, but even that resolution was unsatisfactory.

I'll give Melora a 4- on my 10-graded scale.

*****

2-07 Rules of Acquisition

Gah, not another Ferengi-centred episode! I suppose we'll have to suffer through those at least once a season. I really didn't care for this, which isn't surprising considering my previously stated dislike for that species and especially all that anti-capitalist crap what permeates whenever they're showcased. I'm surprised that I normally like Quark - in moderation and when he's in clinch with Odo. The "romance" with the female Ferengi disguised as a male wasn't believable, and Quark had no chemistry with her.

The only thing worth something in this episode was the first mention of the Dominion, but I sure wish it had been in a better and more serious episode. And I recognized Brian Thompson as one of those ridiculous-looking Gamma quadrant aliens.

No profit can be made for Rules of Acquisition as it only gets a grade of 2+.

[Kevin Thomas Riley]

Another two:


2-08 Necessary Evil

This is more the kind of DS9 that I really like. The flashback scenes to when the station was Cardassian and Odo was "recruited" as a criminal investigator by none other than Gul Dukat were awesome. I really enjoyed seeing some of the characters meeting each other for the first time. And the insights to Kira and especially Odo was very compelling. The murder plot was also intriguing, spanning both the past and present, and they did a good job of creating something of a film noir environment.

What I didn't quite get is what kind of relation Odo and Kira has, and why her lying about killing that collaborator all those years ago would have such an impact on their relationship. I suppose they're setting up for some deeper feelings between them, but frankly, I'm not getting those vibes.

Necessary Evil gets a well-earned grade of 8+ on my 10-graded scale.

*****

2-09 Second Sight

I didn't care that much for Second Sight. Here we again have a Trek Insta-Romance™ that will be forgotten next week. It didn't help that Sisko's love interest literally wasn't real, but some telepathic fantasy by another woman. Add the fact that there was scant chemistry between the two and I kept yawning.

The terraformer guy was as annoying as someone scratching their nails on a blackboard. I so wanted someone to punch the smugness off his face. I almost cheered when he decided to do a Commodore Decker on that cold sun (that really looked like a huge asteroid) to reignite it.

Sorry, but a 3+ is all this episode gets from me.

[JadziaKathryn]

What I didn't quite get is what kind of relation Odo and Kira has, and why her lying about killing that collaborator all those years ago would have such an impact on their relationship. I suppose they're setting up for some deeper feelings between them, but frankly, I'm not getting those vibes.

I see it. If you've known someone for years, and they turn out to be a killer - does that change everything you've known about them? It brings up a lot of disturbing questions.

[Kevin Thomas Riley]

What I didn't quite get is what kind of relation Odo and Kira has, and why her lying about killing that collaborator all those years ago would have such an impact on their relationship. I suppose they're setting up for some deeper feelings between them, but frankly, I'm not getting those vibes.

I see it. If you've known someone for years, and they turn out to be a killer - does that change everything you've known about them? It brings up a lot of disturbing questions.

It's not like she admitted being a killer. She defended herself when the collaborator surprised her when she was searching for the list of those names. Besides, Odo would know that since she'd been in the Bajoran underground she wouldn't exactly have "clean hands".

[Linda]

I liked the Melora episode, with her choice of continuing to struggle with the gravity of the environment in which she must pursue her career. She wanted the option to be able to return to a life on her homeworld someday, which would have been compromised if she made her working life easier by acceptting Bashir's offer. I realize that a being raised in the environment on her home world would not really look as Human as she did, but that did not bother me too much.

[JadziaKathryn]

Besides, Odo would know that since she'd been in the Bajoran underground she wouldn't exactly have "clean hands".

Well, yeah, but that's abstract, and this is in his face. And it was also one of his first interactions with her, which would make a difference to me. I would wonder - what else don't I know?

[Kevin Thomas Riley]

Two more rather disappointing episodes:


2-10 Sanctuary

I cared even less for Sanctuary. I'm not quite sure what "message" they tried to tell. If it was about the dangers of xenophobia or even of just being sceptical of immigration then it just fell flat. First of all, anyone, no matter how supposedly tolerant that person might be, would hesitate when faced with the notion of three million refugees on their doorstep. It's common sense. Second, it was not like the Bajornas were throwing the flaky aliens to the wolves. Sisko had found them a perfectly acceptable planet to settle on - better than Bajor in fact. What sympathy one might have for those aliens went right out the airlock when they for some inexplicable reason still insisted on settling on Bajor. The shooting down of one of their ships came off as an all too blatant way of hammering "the message" down. To be honest, I found myself not caring one way or the other what happened to these aliens. For having such blind luck they couldn't afford to be picky and they were much too intransigent.

The first act was also a total waste. For some reason the universal translators didn't work and they spent a lot of time just walking around not being able to communicate. That seriously dragged and it didn't even have a pay-off. Suddenly the UTs worked and it became obvious that that sequence was just inserted so they could fill up the hour.

Nothing more than a 2- for Sanctuary. The only salvageable thing about it was that it had the second mention of the mysterious Dominion.



*****

2-11 Rivals

Rivals was another very below average episode. For a long period it didn't seem to be about anything at all, just some random and mostly uninteresting events - sort of "a day in the life of…" story. Then came the con man and the odd game that changed the laws of probability and what little interest I had left went right out. The only good thing about Rivals was the Bashir and O'Brien interaction. I couldn't care less about Quark and his problems with the new competitor. And Bashir's outfit looked all too ridiculous (and man, Siddig is really a stick figure, isn't he?).

So, another grade of 2 goes to Rivals. Man, this season is really a hit and miss so far. Either it's very good or it's very bad.




Yeah, I've found a cap of Kira's bum that I can now use for my grades!