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…