DS9 season 1 continued
May. 1st, 2003 04:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
altarielMore of DS9 season 1. The rest of it, in fact. There'll be spoilers.
The Passenger
Serial killer that can survive being killed comes on board station. Bashir is possessed and acts badly. Na'toth from B5 is in it. That is all.
Move Along Home
Now, I like this episode, because I think it's like a cross between Dr Who and The Adventure Game. A bunch of aliens come on board the station and make the crew play weird games, cackling evilly throughout. All good clean fun. Apparently they were trying to do The Prisoner.
But the episode does suffer from showing us Sisko, Dax, Bashir and Kira playing hopscotch, with hand movements. Urgh.
The Nagus
Right. This episode. Last time I started watching DS9 through from the beginning, I got ten minutes into this episode and then stopped and got no further with my plan to watch DS9 through from the beginning. My friend Andrew came round the other night and was fondling the DVD set and said, 'You know, I started watching DS9 from the beginning, and about ten minutes through this one I stopped and got no further.'
Let me explain. This is the episode in which Grand Nagus Zek names Quark his successor - with, er, hilarious consequences. You can see my problem, yes? Anyway, I put this episode on and after ten minutes I stopped and didn't watch any more DS9 for about a week and a half.
Which is a real shame because right after I stopped watching (both times) there is an absolutely fantastic spoof of the beginning of The Godfather, with Armin Shimerman doing Marlon Brando (ages before Buffy did it!), which is side-splittingly funny. The lights, the set, Shimerman's performance - it's perfect.
So I should just learn to persevere, really, shouldn't I?
Vortex
Watching this was one of those weird experiences when you keep on falling asleep as you're watching, and you think you've been asleep for five or ten minutes at a time, when in fact you've been asleep for about a second, and consequently the whole episode seems to last the best part of a day.
Battle Lines
This one's a bit like B7's Duel, actually, with the aliens fighting a never-ending war. Grim and a bit gloomy, and with a couple of twists that I think make it better than average.
The Storyteller
A bit too reliant on O'Brien and Nog for my tastes.
Progress
Two very strong performances, from Kira, and from the chap that she's trying to relocate from one of Bajor's moons. Terribly questionable ending, though, in which Kira resorts to... well, in a story I wrote I had Garak drawing the line at this particular means of conflict resolution.
Also the first appearance of the 'self-sealing stembolt' - Peter Allan Fields: not only did he give us there, he also gave us Garak. The man is the Bob Holmes of DS9.
If Wishes Were Horses
This episode has Rumpelstiltskin in it. Yeah.
The Forsaken
This episode has Lwaxana Troi in it. Wait! Come back! It's actually pretty good! Really - even though she's stuck in a lift with Odo for most of it, it's actually pretty good.
Dramatis Personae
I love those kind of plots where people start acting out a previous enacted scenario which has ended badly, and have to break the loop somehow.
It's also plausible in the way that it plays on the distrust that does exist between this set of characters (Bajoran interest versus Federation interests), but it's late enough in the season that you can accept that they've worked together long enough for the stresses not to break them. So the story arc kind of works here (although there isn't really one in this season).
Duet
This episode rocks. It's brilliant. I watch it again and again. A Cardassian arrives on the station, suffering from a rare disease which could only have been contracted had he been stationed at one of the most notorious labour camps on Bajor during the Occupation. A lot of the episode is a two-hander between Kira and the prisoner. As I say, I've watched this one a lot, and I played it on the DVD player on my PC while I was working, listening to it like a radio play. It stands up - the performances are excellent. Great stuff, just what I want from telly.
In the Hands of the Prophets
I had in my head that this was a weakish episode, but I was proved wrong. Lovely new shiny DVD copy certainly helps, better than wretched old video-tape. Religious conflict with a fundamentalist Bajoran order (headed by Vedek Winn - we'll be seeing more of her...) over content of classes at the station's school (wormhole aliens vs. Prophets). Also a good political plot, doing the groundwork for the cracking start of season 2...
The Passenger
Serial killer that can survive being killed comes on board station. Bashir is possessed and acts badly. Na'toth from B5 is in it. That is all.
Move Along Home
Now, I like this episode, because I think it's like a cross between Dr Who and The Adventure Game. A bunch of aliens come on board the station and make the crew play weird games, cackling evilly throughout. All good clean fun. Apparently they were trying to do The Prisoner.
But the episode does suffer from showing us Sisko, Dax, Bashir and Kira playing hopscotch, with hand movements. Urgh.
The Nagus
Right. This episode. Last time I started watching DS9 through from the beginning, I got ten minutes into this episode and then stopped and got no further with my plan to watch DS9 through from the beginning. My friend Andrew came round the other night and was fondling the DVD set and said, 'You know, I started watching DS9 from the beginning, and about ten minutes through this one I stopped and got no further.'
Let me explain. This is the episode in which Grand Nagus Zek names Quark his successor - with, er, hilarious consequences. You can see my problem, yes? Anyway, I put this episode on and after ten minutes I stopped and didn't watch any more DS9 for about a week and a half.
Which is a real shame because right after I stopped watching (both times) there is an absolutely fantastic spoof of the beginning of The Godfather, with Armin Shimerman doing Marlon Brando (ages before Buffy did it!), which is side-splittingly funny. The lights, the set, Shimerman's performance - it's perfect.
So I should just learn to persevere, really, shouldn't I?
Vortex
Watching this was one of those weird experiences when you keep on falling asleep as you're watching, and you think you've been asleep for five or ten minutes at a time, when in fact you've been asleep for about a second, and consequently the whole episode seems to last the best part of a day.
Battle Lines
This one's a bit like B7's Duel, actually, with the aliens fighting a never-ending war. Grim and a bit gloomy, and with a couple of twists that I think make it better than average.
The Storyteller
A bit too reliant on O'Brien and Nog for my tastes.
Progress
Two very strong performances, from Kira, and from the chap that she's trying to relocate from one of Bajor's moons. Terribly questionable ending, though, in which Kira resorts to... well, in a story I wrote I had Garak drawing the line at this particular means of conflict resolution.
Also the first appearance of the 'self-sealing stembolt' - Peter Allan Fields: not only did he give us there, he also gave us Garak. The man is the Bob Holmes of DS9.
If Wishes Were Horses
This episode has Rumpelstiltskin in it. Yeah.
The Forsaken
This episode has Lwaxana Troi in it. Wait! Come back! It's actually pretty good! Really - even though she's stuck in a lift with Odo for most of it, it's actually pretty good.
Dramatis Personae
I love those kind of plots where people start acting out a previous enacted scenario which has ended badly, and have to break the loop somehow.
It's also plausible in the way that it plays on the distrust that does exist between this set of characters (Bajoran interest versus Federation interests), but it's late enough in the season that you can accept that they've worked together long enough for the stresses not to break them. So the story arc kind of works here (although there isn't really one in this season).
Duet
This episode rocks. It's brilliant. I watch it again and again. A Cardassian arrives on the station, suffering from a rare disease which could only have been contracted had he been stationed at one of the most notorious labour camps on Bajor during the Occupation. A lot of the episode is a two-hander between Kira and the prisoner. As I say, I've watched this one a lot, and I played it on the DVD player on my PC while I was working, listening to it like a radio play. It stands up - the performances are excellent. Great stuff, just what I want from telly.
In the Hands of the Prophets
I had in my head that this was a weakish episode, but I was proved wrong. Lovely new shiny DVD copy certainly helps, better than wretched old video-tape. Religious conflict with a fundamentalist Bajoran order (headed by Vedek Winn - we'll be seeing more of her...) over content of classes at the station's school (wormhole aliens vs. Prophets). Also a good political plot, doing the groundwork for the cracking start of season 2...
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2003-05-01 11:48 am (UTC)The Passenger
Serial killer that can survive being killed comes on board station. Bashir is possessed and acts badly. Na'toth from B5 is in it. That is all.
It made us...speak...very...slowly. All...the...time. Also gets one drink in the Dr Who drinking game (someone says "Dok-torrrr"). Help...me....I...am...possessed...by...evil...
Move Along Home
Now, I like this episode, because I think it's like a cross between Dr Who and The Adventure Game.
Our TV broke when
But the episode does suffer from showing us Sisko, Dax, Bashir and Kira playing hopscotch, with hand movements. Urgh.
"Allamarayne, count to four..."
Battle Lines
This one's a bit like B7's Duel, actually, with the aliens fighting a never-ending war. Grim and a bit gloomy, and with a couple of twists that I think make it better than average.
And it let us have EvilPope!Winn. Which is always good.
The Storyteller
A bit too reliant on O'Brien and Nog for my tastes.
But it has BOB slashiness. Lots of it. And it's fucking daft.
Also the first appearance of the 'self-sealing stembolt' - Peter Allan Fields: not only did he give us there, he also gave us Garak. The man is the Bob Holmes of DS9.
Imagine an ep of DS9 written by Bob Holmes. *brain implodes*
If Wishes Were Horses
This episode has Rumpelstiltskin in it. Yeah.
Fucking demented. The Fake!Jadzia is damn annoying/hilarious. I mean, if you wanted your imaginary girlfriend showing up, you'd hope it wasn't the pathetic erotic dream version. (What is it with Trek and filthy dreams? Eh?) But why wasn't he dreaming of Miles, his onetruelifebondlove?!
In the Hands of the Prophets
I had in my head that this was a weakish episode, but I was proved wrong. Lovely new shiny DVD copy certainly helps, better than wretched old video-tape. Religious conflict with a fundamentalist Bajoran order (headed by Vedek Winn - we'll be seeing more of her...) over content of classes at the station's school (wormhole aliens vs. Prophets).
Go Winn! She's evil! Evil chick! Evil chick! Oh, and Kenco.
no subject
Date: 2003-05-01 12:08 pm (UTC)It's a bit Crystal Maze. Oh, that it had a cameo by Ed Tudor-Pole and it would be complete.
Ed Tudor-Pole?!? Richard O'Brien is the One True Crystal Maze host!
"Allamarayne, count to four..."
And I was trying so hard not to remember that...
The Storyteller
A bit too reliant on O'Brien and Nog for my tastes.
But it has BOB slashiness. Lots of it. And it's fucking daft.
Excellent point.
Imagine an ep of DS9 written by Bob Holmes. *brain implodes*
Wouldn't it just rock? A superb double-act of guest characters that threaten to take over the episode. The whole station would go gothic. And none of the female characters would appear.
But why wasn't he dreaming of Miles, his onetruelifebondlove?!
I see your BOB, and I raise you Distant Voices.
Go Winn! She's evil! Evil chick! Evil chick!
You know, that's uncanny, but every time she appeared on screen, after about two minutes I was screeching, 'She's evil! Eeeevil!'
Oh, and Kenco.
Heh!
Re:
Date: 2003-05-01 12:14 pm (UTC)It's almost worth writing that as a fic...
And then there could be a brain in a jar and cannibalism and...yay! But how could the station *get* any more goth?
I see your BOB, and I raise you Distant Voices.
We have yet to Obtain that one. It slashy?
no subject
Date: 2003-05-01 03:21 pm (UTC)I'll look forward to seeing it ;)
And then there could be a brain in a jar and cannibalism and...yay! But how could the station *get* any more goth?
I bet it was gothier under the Cardassians. Lower light and more heat.
I see your BOB, and I raise you Distant Voices.
We have yet to Obtain that one. It slashy?
I am told by my tame experts that it is, but probably not as slashy as Our Man Bashir (as a friend once put it: 'The episode where Garak all but gets into drag and sings Judy Garland songs').
Re:
Date: 2003-05-08 04:05 pm (UTC)Re:
Date: 2003-05-09 01:27 am (UTC)Re:
Date: 2003-05-09 02:51 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-05-01 01:26 pm (UTC)Move Along Home was the episode that sent me screaming under the kitchen table. Of course I've never seen Dr. Who...
For me, Vedek Winn is the most scary character they have come up in the whole series. Maybe because I used to work for the Church. Some parallels to Real Life are truly... unsettling, as Garak would say.
Re:
Date: 2003-05-01 03:13 pm (UTC)Winn is a *brilliant* creation.
In the Sun
Date: 2003-05-02 06:09 am (UTC)Battle Lines This one's a bit like B7's Duel, actually,
That's because as soon as a new science fiction show is announced, TPTB seize the firstborn of the show's production team and hold them hostage until the "Duel" episode is filmed.