For many of us who grew up with Star Trek (when it aired or in syndication), the original series is a thing unto itself. While it can be easily argued that it does not have the narrative depth of later series, it did introduce us to iconic characters that we cherish to this day. I consider TOS, the original series, to be put on its own untouchable pedestal.
I was a late comer to Next Generation, only watching the last few seasons when it aired, and when Voyager came out my wife and I were fairly faithful watchers of the show. Deep Space Nine? Not a chance. At that time of my life the idea did not appeal to me and I can say with a large degree of certainty that in my ignorance I used the phrase “Deep Sleep Nine” in describing it.
Then something interesting happened.
In February of 2007, the History Channel aired the Christie’s auction celebrating the 40th anniversary of Star Trek. It was a fascinating show that brought on such a wave of Star Trek nostalgia that it dominated my thoughts for days. I found myself most fascinated with the large shooting model of the space station used in the series Deep Space Nine. The model was incredible and I couldn’t understand why I hadn’t realized years ago just how cool it was from a design perspective.
A few months later I found myself standing in Barnes and Noble with Season One in my hands. I came home and, later that night, my wife and I sat down to watch episode one. We were hooked. Friends who watched the show when it aired point to the fact that it took a while for the show to become good. I don’t know if it was different because of the fact that we were watching back to back to back episodes on DVD or if it was because we both had a thirst for Star Trek that we didn’t previously realize we possessed, but we loved the show right from the start. A few episodes in we decided that we wanted Tori to watch it with us and we tore through the first four seasons. I literally was buying DVD sets every couple of weeks.
The course of life and the honest realization that we were not going to be happy when this series ended made us slow down, and over the last year we have dipped into the series more slowly, savoring episodes and stepping away for chunks of time before continuing.
Last night it all came to a bittersweet end as we watched the last 2 episodes (3 hours) of Star Trek Deep Space Nine.
It would be foolish of me to say that we loved every episode. No doubt there were stinkers in the bunch, but we fell in love with the characters so quickly that even the less-than-stellar episodes were ones that allowed us to get to know these characters more fully. Unlike many of the other Star Trek series, even Voyager, DS9 is surprisingly fresh and contemporary looking, even though almost 10 years have passed since the airing of the final episode. That fresh look, achieved in large part because the creators were attempting to do something original with the series, went a long way towards our becoming completely lost in the Star Trek universe once again.
In my adult lifetime I have attended many Star Trek conventions and have been quite starstruck in meeting various celebrities and listening to them discuss their roles. It wasn’t until I became so completely engrossed in DS9, however, that I understood that next level of fandom, that pure love of these people who have personified characters onscreen in such a way that they become a part of your consciousness and become old friends. I cannot help but wish a DS9 laden convention would be crop up in my vicinity in the next few weeks! I have had the privilege of seeing Chase Masterson, Armin Shimerman, Rene Auberjonois, Max Grodenchik, and Avery Brooks at Star Trek conventions in Tulsa, OK many years past and I appreciate that experience so much more now that I’ve become a fan of DS9.
The reason so many of us take television series and books to our heart and cherish them is because they have characters in them that we become deeply attached to. More often than not, my absolute favorite television series have achieved that status because of the relationships between characters, and DS9 is a series chock full of relationship dynamics that made for fascinating television. This soon after the ending of the series for me, I would be hard pressed to pick a favorite character or a favorite relationship. I enjoyed them all so very much.
The antagonistic friendship between Odo and Quark.
The ‘you’re an idiot but I love you’ dynamic between Quark and his brother Rom.
The multi-layered relationship between Sisko and Jadzia Dax.
The growing relationship between Odo and Major Kira.
The mutual respect and friendship between Doctor Bashir and Garak.
The enmity between Gul Dukat and Captain Sisko.
The romance between Worf and Dax.
The relationships that holographic character Vic Fontaine had with so many of the crew, particularly Dr. Bashir and Nog.
The growth of Leget Damar as a character and his interactions with Dukat, Weyoun, and Kira.
When you start to list them, you realize the list could become a monster! By making the series one that actually followed a time line which allowed the characters to grow and work towards common goals, the writers had 176 episodes to form bonds and relationships that become nearly too numerous to mention. While I say it is hard to pick favorites, there are relationships that made a major impact on my love of the series:
The father and son dynamic between Captain Benjamin Sisko and his son Jake was a particularly satisfying one. I have not been a fan of children on the various Star Trek series. I admire and respect Wil Wheaton as an intelligent, entertaining science fiction geek. But I didn’t like the character of Wesley Crusher. When Voyager picked up the Borg children, I wanted to scream. I never once felt that way about either Jake Sisko or Nog. As a father I am often disappointed with the way that we are portrayed on television and movie screens. It is rare that such a satisfying father/son relationship is seen, and even more rare when genuine affection is demonstrated. This is a problem in real life as much as it is in television. To see a father who would kiss and touch his son with genuine parental affection was so refreshing and I admire the writers and both actors for giving us this relationship.
The relationship between Jake and Nog was also very satisfying. Once again, seeing kids in a science fiction series that were interesting and engaging and not annoying was such a novelty for me that I couldn’t help but love seeing these two interact onscreen.
The friendship between Chief Miles O’Brien and Dr. Julian Bashir was also one that carried with it a deep satisfaction for me. Over the course of my lifetime I have come to realize the importance of having good male friends. Somewhere between childhood and adulthood, particularly in those racing hormone years of our teens and early twenties, relationships with the opposite sex dominate male thinking. If we don’t recognize our need for deeper male relationships I think we are less whole and I certainly think life is much less satsifying without those. I have been fortunate to have a really close friend who, despite the miles between us, has been with me since my college days and has seen me go through a variety of life changes and has always been there. I also have been blessed with very close male friends since I moved to Kansas City ten years ago. These relationships are among the most satisfying in my life and as I watched O’Brien and Bashir interact on screen, rushing off to holo suites to re-enact battles from the past, I saw myself and my own relationships in them. I engage in talks about sports and comics and books and television and films, etc. with my friends that are every bit as involved as the time these two spent together on their various adventures, and it was with a true bittersweet feeling that I watched these two characters say their goodbyes in the final episode.
There is so much more I could say about DS9: Section 31, the entire Cardassian storyline, Bajor, the mirror universe, the wormhole, Vic Fontaine’s music–a particular favorite as I love that era of music and it added an amazing dynamic to the show–and so much more. It truly has been an immersive experience watching this series. The way the writers added an ongoing spiritual dimension to the show was so refreshing in comparison with the way that religion and belief systems are lampooned or treated with derision in many other stories. Watching Benjamin Sisko grow from doubt to belief to the embracing of his calling was an incredible experience. The many and varied enemies in this series were so creative and well done. Gul Dukat who underwent so many transformations and shifts during the series stands out as one of the most well-realized villains in the history of television. Louise Fletcher was marvelous as Kai Winn, the religious leader that you loved to hate. She really gave that role depth. Each time she showed a little glimmer of remorse or change and then went back to her old ways you just despised her more. The Dominion storyline, with the founders and characters like Weyoun, was also very satisfying. I was impressed with how early hints about the Dominion were dropped into the series as it made the entirety of the series feel much more like it was planned out from the very beginning.
SPOILER ALERT
Although I knew very little about DS9 before watching the series, I did know that Terry Farrell left the show before its completion and that they killed off her character, Jadzia Dax. I did not share this fact with my wife or daughter. As I watched the show and grew to really love the character, the agony of knowing that she would eventually die and yet not knowing when it was going to happen, was quite palpable. In fact I actually discussed this on a few occasions with my friends at the comic shop. When it finally did occur I stopped the episode and told Mary and Tori about how I had known this was going to happen and how, as silly as it sounds, I really suffered with that knowledge through every episode leading up to that point. My wife still didn’t quite believe it until Ezri Dax came on the show. As much as I missed Terry Farrell and Jadzia Dax, Nicole de Boer was wonderful as Ezri Dax and it makes me sad that we didn’t get to see her for many more seasons than we did. She was a delight.
As the series began I didn’t realize just how much I was going to grow to love the Ferengi. By and large they were the clown characters of the series, with so much of what they did played for laughs. However, the writers and the actors/actresses didn’t allow the Ferengi to be a one-note race. There was surprising emotional depth to many of the Ferengi-centric episodes and they did such different things with Quark and Rom and Nog that you couldn’t help but like them.
Although my love for DS9 lies almost solely with the characters, it was the look of the space station itself that first drew me in to the series. I have spoken before about my thoughts on the relationships between men and machines and how I think that is born out in our love of the various ships in science fiction. That was no less true with DS9. DS9 itself was one cool piece of design. The fact that it was a Cardassian outpost gave it a look unlike any of the previous Star Trek architecture/design. I love DS9, inside and out. I was very excited when they introduced the Defiant to series. That was one kick-ass cool starship.
There were also one or two Federation space stations…and those in the know will have to help me out with more specific information…that the crew visited in a couple of DS9 episodes that were like three dimensional representations of a John Berkey painting that I was blown away by. As I said earlier, Mary and I did not find DS9 to be dated at all and we were both very impressed with the design of the show.
I do not really have many complaints about the series. I would have liked to see more of Leeta in the series. I was predisposed to like her character after seeing the lovely Chase Masterson at a Star Trek convention or two and I was pleased when her character turned out to be one that was so fun. Leeta and Rom’s relationship, especially in the episodes leading up to their revealing their feelings, was too much fun to watch.
I would like to have had at least one or two more episodes to more fully flesh out the way they tied up the various story threads, but this is a very minor complaint. I really enjoyed the way they tied up the Ferengi storyline in the next to last episode and I thought the two hour finale was great. It was just a bit too fast, but that had as much to do with the fact that each minute I watched was one less minute I had left to go, as it did with the show itself.
Ferengi Rules of Acquistion Number 97: Enough…is never enough.
And so it is with Deep Space Nine. With the state of the world today, it could be viewed as profoundly silly to develop such a strong affection for any vehicle of entertainment. But as we all know, story is such an important component to our lives. It is a part of our past, present, and future that allows us to examine various issues, to be inspired, to relate in new and different ways to our world and those around us. In addition it is my firm belief that having a balanced life that includes entertainment is integral to being fully human and getting the most out of existence. It is with a deep sadness that I type this today. Mary, Tori and I sat aside Friday night specifically to watch the end of this series that we all grew to love so much. It was with both excitement and melancholy that we sat down last night to watch the end. I awoke today with that same melancholy. I am genuinely disappointed that there are no more episodes of Deep Space Nine for us to watch. And while I can and will read more about the characters in the novels, it is not quite the same thing. One of the things that I purposely did with each episode of this series was to watch the title sequence. Though it remained essentially the same (with minor changes) throughout the series, I knew that it was going to be important to me, in a geek sort of way, to enjoy the music and the visuals of the title sequence because the series was finite. It was going to end. Thus, seeing it for the last time before an episode that we had not yet seen was also sad. And when the camera panned away from DS9 for the final time (a scene that we relived several times in the handful of worthwhile extras on that final DVD) my sadness was complete.
For those of you who have watched and treasured this series either during its original run or since that time via DVD, I feel privileged to join you. It is with great satisfaction that I proclaim DS9 as my favorite Star Trek series ever and its end only serves to make me wish that this venerable series would find its way on television again. I am not among the naysayers who feel that Star Trek should not make its way back to television. I do believe they need to find a unique way to present it, as the creators of DS9 did. I don’t want to see any more prequels nor do I want my beloved characters changed. I do, however, miss the fact that Star Trek is not on television. Starting something new is a risk, but:
Ferengi Rules of Acquisition Number 62: The riskier the road, the greater the profit.
I welcome your comments and conversations about Deep Space Nine. I haven’t said more than a small portion of what I would have liked to have said in this post and so if you want to talk at length about your feelings about the series, characters, etc. please feel free to do so.
Despite the fact that I am sad at its ending, I could not be more satisfied with the experience of DS9 than I am. It was marvelous and a true joy and if I ever get the chance to meet any of the writers, creators, or cast at any future conventions I will heartily express my thanks to them for the memories I will treasure forever. To be able to experience this as a family was a real treat and makes the series all the more special. Good bye DS9, you will be missed….
wow! I’d say you were impressed!.. very impressed!
I too have met Avery and Rene and Armin (they are all super nice people!!) At the next Chiller Show in March Rene will be there along with Michael Dorn and Walter Koenig. I hope they don’t cancel, it’s been a long time since I’ve talked to Walter. I shich I could get a copy of an old book of his, that I have but somehow it got waterlogged.. its Chekov’s Enterprise, but the cover I want is hard to find. it’s light blue with walter and the Enterprise behind him. If you have never read this book and can find a copy (even a different cover) it’s really funny! I never realised what a sense of humor he had until I read this book!
*note to self* spellcheck! grrrrrrr “I wish I could get a copy” If is “shished instead of wished” it wouldn’t get me anywhere!!
I was a big Star Trek fan when I was a kid. My parents and I used to watch TNG every week, and it was such a big deal for me because I got to stay up past my normal bedtime. (The things that make you happy when you’re little!) I think I was nine or ten when DS9 premiered, and it was a big event in our household. We watched the first couple of episodes, then quit because my parents decided they didn’t like it. Your post has got me thinking that I ought to go back and give the series a shot on my own. It sounds like exactly the kind of television I like best.
Wow, I’m impressed with your post. My husband is a huge star trek fan and can tell you the name of every episode of the original series. He just has to see the first two minutes and will tell you what it is about. I loved each and ever different iteration of the show. Hubby didn’t like Kate Mulgrew very much but stuck it out. Unfortunately Star ship enterprise lost us even though I love Scott Bakula. We are currently introducing our 9 year old to the original series and he has fallen in love with Tribbles.
Your post makes me want to go back and revisit Deep Space Nine. I liked so many of the characters and like you, felt a deep sense of loss when the series ended. We get so attached. The same goes for books – at least for me there are some characters that you just develop a connection and your sad when the story ends.
Enjoyed reading your post.
I used to go to a friend’s house every week to watch DS9 despite the fact that it was on Thursday night and I had to go to work the next day. It didn’t start until 10.30 and we inevitably had to chat about the episode as well as any number of other topics!
Your post brings up memories of good time. Good Times!
Feel our pain carl, feel our PAIN!!!!!
Cameron: I’m feeling it, my friend. I’m feeling it! Its been going on all day. I feel like I should go check myself in to some kind of DS9 detox center!
Marg: Those are wonderful memories. It sounds like a terrific way to watch any television series.
Robin: I salute you and your hubby. I have a special place in my heart for all devoted Star Trek fans. At some point I need to go back and watch Voyager again just to see what I think of it now that some years have passed.
Memory: All of my DS9 loving friends encouraged me to stick it out past the first few episodes because it just got better and better. I consider it good luck that my wife and I loved them from the very start so we didn’t have to be convinced to keep watching. I would definitely encourage you to give it another try. As a TNG fan you’ll certainly love O’Brien and Worf, although I truly believe you’d love all the characters once you got into it.
Deslily: I’ll keep a look out for that book. I was thinking of you when I typed this post because I know how big of a fan of the original series you are and the special relationships you had/have with the cast. I hope they don’t cancel either and that you have time to visit with him.
Funny coincidence _ I’m watching DS9 now; one of the channels here (NZ) repeats double episodes every Sunday. I will admit to enjoying Voyager more, but the more I see of DS9; the more I’m drawn into the stories. And who doesn’t love a really good story?
I think DS9 was my favorite of the Star Trek series also. I, of course, watched TOS when I was a kid in re-runs. There were so few good sci-fi things on at the time you watched every bit you could find ;p I liked (and still like) Next Gen, but I found that DS9’s grittier feel was a welcome addition to the universe. I don’t own the series on DVD, and it’s been a while since it has ran on TV… you make me want to go out and start acquiring seasons right away, my husband will -not- be your fan! LOL!
The youngster is seriously addicted to the Star Trek franchise. Right now she’s involved in the third season story arc of Enterprise with Captain Archer as he battles the Xindi.
Our reproduction tribble finally arrived a couple weeks ago, and she still uses her reproduction TOS communicator and phaser. Remind me one day to post an image of the Enterprise control panel I made for her.
I hate to say it, but I can’t stand DS9. All the characters and plots annoy me. All of them. Every time. And yes, I’ve tried a lot of different episodes.
However, I feel the way about TOS that you do about DS9 I think, so I definitely understand your attachment and applaud it. 🙂
Fate: No worries, we all know that entertainment is a ‘to each his/her own’ type of thing. I certainly feel strongly about TOS which is why I prefaced the post by setting it aside in its own category. It will always be the most special because of my childhood connection to it, but DS9 is certainly my favorite if I were forced to compare them.
Suzanne: That is too cool. I was not a fan of the few episodes of Enterprise and I’ve heard bad things and also good things from those who stuck with it. I’m sure in my quest for more Trek I’ll end up Netflixing Enterprise at some point.
Astaryth: Apologize to your hubby for me! 🙂 ‘Gritty’ is a good description, it was definitely a more gritty series. I’m glad I picked up the first 4 seasons. To save money though I ended up netflixing 5 and 6 and borrowed 7 from a friend.
Maree: That is great. I’m jealous as I certainly wish now I could go back and be watching these for the first time. I’ve really felt the loss so much today.
Did you know that Terry Farrell (“Jadzia Dax”) is making her stage debut this month (February 2009)? She’s starring with her husband (Brian Baker, “The SPRINT PCS Guy”) in Love Letters at Hershey Area Playhouse in Hershey, PA. Check it out at HersheyAreaPlayhouse.com.
Sadly, I never made it past the first few episodes of DS9, but I feel the same way about Babylon 5 as you do about DS9. If you’re looking for a new box set to start in your post DS9 blues I’d recommend B5. Again, stick it out for a few episodes, but I’m sure you’ll be sucked in all over again.
I grew up watching TOS at supper time. For a long time, it was my favorite. Then TNG came along and I fell in love with it. When DS9 began, it quickly became my favorite and it still is my favorite Star Trek series. I enjoyed Voyager and Enterprise but no other Trek series was as good as DS9 in my opinion. The books that pick up where the series left off are good but not as good as the show. I would have liked to see the series continue the way the books kept the storylines going. At some point, I plan on reviewing the DS9 series on my site. Thank you for keeping the memories alive with your excellent commentary.
Well it sounds like I need to check out Deep Space Nine! I think we’ve talked about this before, but I never really got into DS9. I watched a couple of episodes and then stopped. I was just to distraught over TNG being over. But I think my wounds have healed enough now to give it a go!
Chris: I cannot believe that you wouldn’t fall as hard for this as Mary, Tori and I did if you gave it a shot and really got into it. The final three seasons have some of the most incredible storylines.
Jim: You’re welcome. Couldn’t help it really, it just had such an amazing impact on us. My wife and I have both laughed at ourselves several times this weekend because we cannot stop lamenting the fact that it is all over. I hope you do review it, and soon. I need other places to go talk about it!!!
Stuart: I will probably check out Babylon 5 at some point. During the DS9 phase my wife and I have really been enjoying Farscape and I do want to finish those as well. You need to watch all of DS9 and I’ll watch all of Babylon and we can compare notes.
Derek: That is great. Sure wish I lived closer and could check it out.
Great post Carl. Do you subscribe to the theory that hairless Sisko = better DS9? 😉
Haven’t seen all of DS9 but I was a big fan for a couple of seasons. Don’t remember why I stopped watching it… but it always seemed like the most intelligent of the Star Treks. Maybe I’ll have to go dvd shopping at some point 🙂
Fence: Yes, I definitely subscribe to that theory. He didn’t quite seem like the real Sisko until he lost that hair! 🙂
I wouldn’t argue about it being the most intelligent. I think the ongoing storylines that carried throughout all seven seasons coupled with some very interesting single issue episodes made the series very intelligent and groundbreaking as far as Star Trek series go.
Wow! I’ve been a Trekkie for ages. I have all DVD-boxes of TNG, DS9 and VOY. Although TNG is my favourite, I love DS9 because of the different angles, interesting plots (per episode and ongoing ones) and great personalities!
I think each and every show had something special about them. I found something to like in all of them, from The Original series right up and thru Enterprise. I also liked Babylon 5, and the short lived Earth 2 ! I have no idea why i love to watch all the shows but do not enjoy reading the books!… and I even have a few original books that DeForest signed for me (paperback and turning brown!) because they were McCoy stories!.. and I still didn’t read them! *sigh… anyway , because of all this chit chat I am doing a small post of Walter Koenig tomorrow, just for you Carl lol..
Deslily: I’ll be looking forward to that post! I am so hoping that he shows up to that con so that you can see him. I’ve read several of the original Trek novels and really enjoyed them. I like being able to hear their voices in my head when I read thanks to seeing them on the show so many times.
Tink: I wish the DVD sets would all drop some more in prices. I’d like to pick up the rest of the DS9 series that I don’t have to complete the collection. Someday…
As a huge fan of anything Star Trek I loved your post! I always considered DS9 my second favourite Star Trek, but many people disagree with me and tell me so! I thought it was just so well-done! And, even though I have seen all the other shows in their entirety, I still love DS9. I was so sad when it went off the air. I was older, too… TNG was a great show, but I was still pretty young when it started and I mostly watched it later in reruns. DS9 was something that I watched from the very first episode, so it was a different experience. Actually, TNG was almost off the air before I decide I actually liked the show. I remember my sister used to watch it with my father and I always said “What a stupid show!” Now, though, I love Star Trek and I bet she hasn’t watched an episode in years!
That was my long-winded way of saying I liked your post…
I love DS9! You mentioned many of the same things I loved about that series. Some of my favorite episodes were the Ferengi episodes – I loved Rom and Quark. And I thought Jadzia was the best. I’m working through watching The Next Generation at the moment, but when I’m done with those, I’m moving on to DS9. Right now, I’m really looking forward to the change!
DS9 how we miss thee? As much as I love the love the TOS I grew up watching as rerun’s during dinner time, my true Star Trek love is DS9. The characters were so well written that I still feel as if I know them today. I haven’t been able to let go of them so I read on in their continuing adventures through the novels today ( the books are great as well ). I was lucky enough to watch these all as they aired many years ago and I really should share them with my kiddos as well. It would be fun to revisit them since so much time has passed.
I also will add my praise for Babylon 5 which ran around this same time period as DS9. People used to say the shows were too similar which couldn’t be farther than the truth. They both involved space stations but from that comparison on they were totaly different shows. Where they both shined though was in characterization. I can’t recommend both series enough.
My favorite DS9 characters: 1. ( by a mile ) Garak. I loved how you just never new what he was up too. Just a simple tailor my ass! 2. Damar – His characters journey was wonderfully written. 3. Sisko – Once he shaved the hair. He transformed into a real leader at that moment. 4. Bashir/O’Brien – True friendship. 5. DS9 the station itself. Coolest design ever for a space station. 6. Quark/Rom/Nog – You have to love the Ferengi family dynamic.
Villains we loved to hate: Gul Dukat, Kai Winn, Weyoun, All Founders except Odo, Section 31, Gowron, and the Prophets.
I loved the way they handled Kira’s religious journey on the series. Always in a respectful and interesting way.
Thanks for the post Carl. DS9 is a memory lane I love traveling down as much as possible.
My favorite Scifi TV series in order:
1. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
2. Babylon 5
3. Firefly
4. Farscape
5. All other Star Trek series ( TOS,Next Gen,VOY,ENT )
6. Stargate SG-1/Atlantis
7. Space Above and Beyond
Those are all of the tv shows I can think of right now that I have loved. I’m sure I’m forgetting something though. 🙂 There have been many others that I have enjoyed but not to the degree of those listed above.
ack! space above and beyond ! I couldn’t think of the name of that show! loved it too.. and Farscape! (I have a few autographs from them!)
what jeff… no battlestar galactica?
I actually really really liked DS9. I watched the first season of each of the Trek permutations, (excepting the original series which i watched ALL of!!!) and would then wander off for a while. Always coming back to them just before they’d end and then having to catch up in syndication. I always felt that DS9 was more consistent with the quality of their shows. TNG started off slow, really slow…then about 3 years in was going great guns. Sorry never really cared for Voyager, nice ship design that was about it for me.
Unlike Deslily, i actually liked the books better than most of the shows, especially the original series, they had some wonderful authors (also some stinkers, as with everything). I have most of the early Star Trek books, some are so fragile i’m scared to try to re-read them. Star Trek and Star Wars will always be staples in my reading/watching menu. But, i actually liked Babylon 5 and Farscape better i think. Loved Firefly! but didn’t discover it until it was out on dvd. Have stuck with Stargate Atlantis thru thick and thin, sorta drifted in and out with SG-1 tho, “bad me”. I actually really enjoyed Enterprise.
Favorite DS9 characters: Odo and Garak
SG: consistent is a good descriptor for DS9. They really did maintain a good level of consistency throughout the series which is one of the many reasons why I think the show stands up so very strongly a decade after its final episode.
I’ve enjoyed all the original Trek books that I’ve read. There are some really good stories in there and I hope to find the same thing when I read some DS9 novels.
Deslily: I know he watches Battlestar faithfully…it will be interesting to see what all of you BG fans think once it is all over and done.
Jeff: Your enthusiasm for the show certainly played a large part in me knowing that it was worth the investment to just jump in and buy some of these right from the start. Kira’s journey was really interesting. I liked the way they allowed her character to grow and change through the 7 seasons in all aspects of her life. It was very satisfying to see. I’m sure we’ll get to Babylon at some point, especially since Mary and I seem much more content to watch these older series on DVD rather than doing the week to week thing of watching them live. 😉 Ha! Seeing Firefly on your list makes me sad once again that the show didn’t get its full due. I think of how much I love those characters after just one short season and a film and compare them to the feelings I have about the DS9 characters after 7 seasons and I realize that having more time to actually spend with characters certainly increases the impact they have on you.
haha! i love this post! i love that kind of fandom. i wanted to call it “consuming”, but its actually the opposite of that. people call it consuming as if it consumes one – but in fact, it gives so much, it doesn’t take.
i rather enjoyed “deep space” too – mainly for avery brooks who i just love watching being a badass!
Carl – You see now after 7 seasons I just couldn’t let those characters go and why continue to read about them in the novels.
Deslily – Battlestar Galactica – I thought long and hard about both the old series and the new and while I have watched them all and like them I just don’t love them. The old series was fun to watch growing up but I tried watching some rerun’s of them on the Scifi channel a few years ago and they were just awful to try to watch now for me as an adult. As for the new series, I have watched it faithfully from the mini-series on. It’s got a very interesting story but I just don’t love the characters. They’ve all done things at times that give me the chills. I know that this on purpose and what the writers are going for but in the long run I know this series will never have a special place in my heart because I don’t love the characters. I’m certainly glad I’ve watched the show don’t get me wrong and I really like it. I think it so often makes me uncomfortable due to the darkness of story though that I feel it keeps me from truely loving the show. Does that make sense? I hope so.
Sorry…just not a fan. My dad LOVED the old Star Trek, and I’ve probably seen every episode at least 2 or 3 times. Beyond that, I’ve never gotten into Star Trek at all. (I do have to say the new movie looks really good…being the huge Heroes fan that I am, I’m psyched to see Sylar as Spock!
Hey….stop my blog. I drew your name for the Dan Simmons book, The Terror!! I just need your home address. I have it somewhere, but by the time I find it….the book will be out of print!
I grew up watching the original series, and eventually went through all of them except for that prequel series. I’ve been thinking about starting over at the beginning and doing them all again. I watched the first episode of TOS on Netflix a couple weeks back and then caught several of the early ST:TNG shows on the Sci-Fi channel. But I’m thinking I’d like to systematically go through them all in order.
Carl, you really do make your enthusiasm contagious.
Jim
Awesome post! I was like many and skeptical of DS9 at first but after buying season 1 on dvd I found myself running to the store when I’d finish a season to pick up the next.
I watched DS9 every week. I was disappointed that we never saw any of those characters in the movies. (Worf doesn’t count.) Odo was my favorite character, and–strangely–the most “Human” to me.
I was indifferent to Louise Fletcher until the Kai Winn role. Now, I absolutely can’t stand to watch anything that she is in. I HATE her. Kai Winn is the character I have hated most in any television or film ever.
The husb and I have also found DS9 to be the least dated series and we love so many of the things that you did. I think that the best part of this series over other ones is that so many of these characters believed in something (more than just the prime directive).
I have an award for you on my blog at
http://www.mytwoblessings.blogspot.com
Have a good day.
Great write-up! DS9 is by far my favorite Trek series and second overall only to Babylon 5. I’ve always believed that having recurring stories and subplots that carry into the next episode, works so much better then weekly episodes that wrap things up neatly without loose ends. Sure it makes it harder to jump in mid-season or mid-series but it adds more depth to everything. It also helps to have an incredible ensemble cast!
DS9 is my favorite of all the Trek. I love them all (even furrowed brow boy). I just love the premise; the undeniable hope and promise that this franchise sees in the human spirit. I love the goofiness, the over the top technobabble. But most of all I love the characters.
Before we ever had a child I told Boy Toy that I hoped if we did have a child that their relationship would be like Jake and Sisko’s. As father and son they are not afraid to show affection. They hug, they kiss and they love each other deeply. Now that I have my own 4 year old boy this means even more to me. Maybe he will hate to show affection at some point growing up. But if I can get him hooked early enough just maybe…. I love that Sisko is the Emissary. I love how they deal with religion in this series. Never once do they say this is the only way, simply this is how Bajor does it. It is a part of their life the way breathing is. I am slowly re-watching these. I have all of the seasons and have had them for years (thank God for gifts) But I am only on season 3. I savor this series. (plus I am easily distracted —oohhh Stargate— shiny)
I am glad to see you have come to the light. I think there are those that get it and those that don’t. And those that don’t can be broken down into 2 categories. 1) folks like Fate (to name a few) they tried it, wasn’t their cup of tea, they moved on. Or 2) those brainless whelps that feel you are somehow in the same category as…the AIG executives. How nice to read a discussion where there seems to only be the #1’s here…even if they haven’t seen the light
ps… to the # 1’s that was a smily face at the end there…just sayin
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts, Me. It is great to listen to people sing DS9’s praises having become such a tremendous fan of the show myself. I hadn’t thought about it in a few days and now that I read your comment I am again really missing the series.
Keith: Great points, I couldn’t agree more. I will be giving Babylon 5 a try someday.
Robin: Thanks so much for the award! I am so sorry that I missed seeing this until now. Don’t know how I overlooked this comment.
Kristen M: It was very interesting to see how much belief played a part in this series. And I can see why you would hate Louise Fletcher after this. She was so good at being so very awful.
Wayne: Now that I’ve watched the series I too am really disappointed they didn’t follow up with any movies with these characters.
Matthew: Thanks, I was skeptical about it years ago but was obviously wrong since it turned out to be such a great, wonderful, incredible series.