Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

[Drunk Monk]

DS9 has long been the gap in my Trekkie fandom. During the 90s when it aired, i was doing so many concerts that I was living DS9. The show never appealed to me. I’ve only caught a few eps here and there over the years. Apart from Sisko & Dax, I disliked all the characters. But I figured I’m an incomplete Trekkie without it so one of my NYE resolutions was to watch it all, all 7 seasons.

Just finished s1. It was a slog. I suppose i get it better now. Theres just this Star Wars cantina aspect to all the different species - like what are props & makeup gonna do today? Some of the other characters are warming up to me but I have the same issue with Odo as I did with Data - here’s this one of a kind being that doesn’t even quite know himself and yet they let him in starfleet (well, Odo isnt starfleet but you get my meaning). Sisko continues to impress and Dax, well, I was close to her in person at Galaxy con - she was across the isle from Worf when I interviewed him - and she’s still lovely. 

I shall continue to boldly go…

[Drunk Monk]

S2 done. It ends with the beginning of the Dominion war. Fun to see a starship blow up. This season was better. Im finding my groove with the cast. So many of the characters are intentionally annoying. But the Blood Oath ep that reunited the TOS Klingons with Dax was great and the mirror universe ep (which I had seen before) was ok - would’ve been better with a mirror universe Dax in a midriff baring empire uniform. Uhura knocked it out of the ballpark with that.

[Drunk Monk]

S3 done. This season had some gems. Riker’s transporter clone, the time travel 2-parter that went to SF 2024, Majel reprising Troi, another mirror universe ep, some odd Dax eps, an eerily relevant ep with the Kai assuming power in Bajor. but too much Ferengi biz. I just don’t care for the Ferengi schtick. 

The other ST quality i miss is the human v science as in Kirk/Spock, Picard/Data, Archer/T’Pol, Janeway/7, Mariner/T’Lyn… that’s such a metaphor of ST that this feels off without it. Still plays out like Star Trek’s cantina. 

Also the writers dwell on a lot of dream and hallucinatory sequences that just aren’t that trippy. They fail the acid test. ST should be super trippy when it chooses to go there.

Nevertheless, I am enjoying it. it’s become a comfort watch. I’m more about escapism than ever lately, and this is solid escapist fare.

Boldly going into season 4…

[Drunk Monk]

Season 4 seen

This season improved dramatically. The inclusion of Worf and the escalation of the Dominion conflict has made for more battles, although ST space battles are still mostly mediocre (they’re caught between doing big ship battles and more Star Warsy stuff). Sisko & Dax are still good. Odo, Kira & Quark still annoy me. O’Brian & Bashir annoy me too. I’m done with Ferengi & Bajoran stories. More Klingon stories please (fingers crossed that the Gowron cliffhanger goes there). 

Still a comfort show. Just 3 more seasons to go…

[Drunk Monk]

S5 seen. Still enjoyable and some episodes are quite good. I particularly enjoy the Klingon eps for their warped sense of a warrior code. And finally, the season finale cliffhanger begins the Dominion war.

2 more seasons to go but we’ll let go of our Paramount subscription until Starfleet Academy launches early next year. So this will go on hold for me until then. 

LL&P

[Drunk Monk]

S6 done. It was ok. The Dominion war comes and goes. The caricature alien races feel like translucent metaphors, often overplayed as ST does, especially the ferengi, the jem’hadar & the Torta. I’ve softened my disdain for many of the characters out of fatigue - they’ve just worn me down and now I accept them. There’s been a few outstanding eps that keep me engaged and the end of this season ramped up, particularly with the death of Jadzia, which I felt was a bit lame. I thought that would hit harder because she’s one of the few characters that I’m fond of but I find the new Dax more compelling than I thought I would. Dax needs its own spin-off series.

One more season to go and I’m already about 5 deep. Gotta finish before out P+ expires, unless we get some sweet Black Friday offer or deep discount somewhere.

[Drunk Monk]

Seen. 

Now I have seen all the Star Trek. Well, I may have missed a few eps of TNG & VOY, but I'm not going back for that. I'm sure I forgot a lot of them too. 

My opinion of DS9 has shifted. I get it now. Still not my fav series but I respect the tone change and what it did to the franchise. The final ep was solid, unlike so many other of the series which ended in time-twisted flashbacks. 

Kinda makes me wanna watch Lower Decks again, because there's so many jokes in there that I didn't get.

[Drunk Monk]

What We Left Behind: Looking Back at Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (2018)

This was an excellent documentary, so much so that it made me rethink DS9’s overall impact and significance. Watching it now it feels contemporary but DS9 was the 90s and we’ve come far since then. The doc gathers a remarkable number of cast members and creatives for reflections. The writers create a potential story for what could’ve been season 8, depicted in storyboard animation. There’s lounge singing by several cast members who are surprisingly good and it’s a delight to see everyone without makeup. Lots of bts tales and revelations. And even some charming self parody, especially during the end credit scene. I spotted a friend, a major Trekkie, in one of the fan pix, unsurprising because he’s at all the events and has more trek cosplay than anyone I know. Quite entertaining and a must watch after the finale.