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The W - Random - Deep Space Nine Season One on DVD... (SPOILER WARNING)
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ekedolphin
Scrapple








Since: 12.1.02
From: Indianapolis, IN; now residing in Suffolk, VA

Since last post: 490 days
Last activity: 14 days
#1 Posted on | Instant Rating: 4.52
This post contains spoilers of episodes and events on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. So if you haven't watched the series yet, and don't want to know what happens, read no further. What I will tell you is that I highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys science fiction drama.



I know the first season of DS9 has been out on DVD since February, but as I just got it two days ago (and have already gone through the entire season, insanely enough) I thought I'd take a moment to share my thoughts about it.

While Season One of Deep Space Nine wasn't the strongest season the series ever had, it started off so much better than The Next Generation that it's staggering. Many first-season episodes of TNG are actually painful to watch nowadays, but DS9 has many enduring episodes and characters that will live on for decades in the minds of the show's fans. Among the important recurring characters established in the first season are the Ferengi leader Grand Nagus Zek, multi-faced but evil-at-heart Gul Dukat, “plain, simple” Garak, the unscrupulous Vedek Winn and the kind, pious Vedek Bareil. All of these characters appear in multiple post-first-season episodes (all but Bareil make it to the end of the series), and all have their own unique place in the DS9 pantheon.

When it comes to good storytelling and character development, DS9 beats the living heck out of every Star Trek series before and since. I like the fact that on DS9, the writers feel more than free to express the faults of the main characters. The residents of Deep Space Nine aren't the squeaky-clean, evolved and beyond reproach characters that, for the most part, were portrayed on TNG. Major Kira and Chief O'Brien both begin the series being portrayed as racist against Cardassians. Indeed, given what they've both suffered at the Cardassians' hands, who can blame them, really? Both of them are given the opportunity during the series to confront their prejudices and attempt to overcome them. They're not always successful, but the experience helps them both grow as people.

Quark lives his life to be the best Ferengi he can be, which of course makes many of the other characters (except Dax) look down upon him. Yet he is also capable of helping people and displaying great bravery, although he surely wouldn't want that to go around. And who would've thought that Nog, who's first seen involved in a robbery in the pilot episode, would end the series as a Starfleet junior-grade lieutenant?

Anyway... time for some commentary that's based just on the first season. I thought that I'd seen almost every first-season episode, so imagine my surprise and delight when I saw four episodes that I'd never seen before, as well as an entire five-minute segment that we hadn't been able to record when we taped the episode.

I especially liked two of the “new-to-me” episodes: “The Nagus” and “Duet”. “The Nagus” was the series' first Ferengi-based episode, and it really helped to build the personalites of Quark and Rom, two of my favorite DS9 characters. The Rules of Acquisition are mentioned for the first time, and the episode really gives us a glimpse as to what Ferengi society is like-- without feeling the need to degrade or belittle them. My favorite part of the episode certainly has to be the tribute to The Godfather-- it was truly a joy to watch.

“Duet” gets my vote for Best Episode of Season One, and for good reason. A Cardassian named Marritza comes to the station, suffering from a disease that he could only have contracted at the Gallitep labor camp during the Occupation. So to Kira's eyes, he's a war criminal. But Marritza says he only worked under the Butcher of Gallitep, Gul Darhe'el, as a filing clerk. Kira doesn't believe him, and uncovers evidence that Marritza is, in fact, Darhe'el. The prisoner brags about the hundreds of Bajorans he slaughtered at Gallitep, and Kira vows to see him executed. But more evidence is discovered, proving that the prisoner is not Darhe'el after all-- that he is Marritza, an innocent filing clerk, who felt extremely guilty about not being able to stop the atrocities at Gallitep. He wants everyone to believe he's Darhe'el, so he'll be executed and Cardassia will have to face up to its crimes. “Duet” is a brilliant episode, pitting Kira not only against a Cardassian whom she believes is an evil man, but also against her own prejudices. She, like every Bajoran who lived on Bajor during the Occupation, was put through hell by the Cardassians, but for the first time in this episode, she starts to see each Cardassian as an individual. A wonderful story and a great character development for Kira.

Highly recommended. I'm eventually going to get the entire series on DVD.

I'd love to hear anyone else's thoughts about DS9 in general, or the first season in particular. And understand that I'm not knocking TNG... I just like DS9 a lot better, that's all.



“A laugh can be a very powerful thing. Why, sometimes in life, it's the only weapon we have.”
--Roger Rabbit, Who Framed Roger Rabbit

Two-Time, Two-Time Randomly Selected Wiener of the Day, 5/27/02 and 7/3/02

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Since: 12.3.02
From: Your Grocer's Freezer, NC

Since last post: 4165 days
Last activity: 3437 days
#2 Posted on
ekedolphin, you're absolutely right--"Duet" is one of the best DS9 episodes ever and well worth plunking down the dough for the first set. The first season also has other gems--"Captive Pursuit," "Emissary," "In the Hands of the Prophets"

Is it a strongs eason? No. Slightly better than TNG--more episodes clicked than didn't. But for someone who doesn't like Star Trek but digs DS9, well it worked well enough.

And Season 2 is out, which has an ever greater ratio of good episodes to clunkers. If I have a complaint at all about the DVD sets it's that they're really stingy with the extras compared to some of the TNG sets.







-LS

"I don't know if we can beat these bastards." "Maybe not, but we don't have to JOIN them."
A Fan
Liverwurst








Since: 3.1.02

Since last post: 7001 days
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#3 Posted on | Instant Rating: 2.59
Duet was probably their finest hour of the first season. First season was like any first season, they tried everything and kept what worked. DS9 is by far the best Star Trek to date just because it was written like a grand book instead of moral question of the week like TOS and TNG fell into. Voyager and Enterprise just suck.

I thought Season 2 was great, but when they got the Defiant in Season 3 thats when the series took off for me, the Dominion, power politics and the War. I will say I will probably never buy one of the Star Trek sets, because of the price and the lack of extras. I can buy Buffy, 24 Hour and Simpsons for $50 or less and that comes with some good shit. Paramount has done good by the movies, but they are really crappy with the series. I also don't see the point of paying $100 for TNG when TNN runs it constantly. DS9 is tougher to find, but I'm still not going to shell out that money, because I know they'll do another set with audio comemeantries, deleted seasons and the such.

A Fan- Amazingly its Fox that knows how to do DVD sets.
CRZ
Big Brother
Administrator








Since: 9.12.01
From: ミãƒã‚¢ãƒãƒªã‚¹

Since last post: 8 days
Last activity: 2 days
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#4 Posted on

    Originally posted by ekedolphin
    This post contains spoilers of episodes and events on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
Really now, it's been almost TEN YEARS. I don't think a spoiler warning is necessary.



©CRZ™
Ana Ng
Blutwurst








Since: 6.8.02
From: Naples, FL, USA

Since last post: 7281 days
Last activity: 6854 days
#5 Posted on
I *heart* DS9. And while, like any Trek series, season 1 isn't the strongest, "Duet" is probably tied for my favorite episode of that show, along with season 6's "In the Pale Moonlight".

And it's interesting to go back and watch those early episodes, and see the roots and early evolutions of the characters. I hadn't seen many of those episodes since they originally aired. DS9 doesn't run nearly as much in syndication as the other Trek series do.

And the best part of this dvd set- THE PACKAGING. The booklet form is SO nice. I love tv on dvd sets, but the flipout packaging is so cumbersome.

I do agree that these Trek sets are way too pricey, especially when comparing them to the Buffy, Simpsons, and 24 sets, but Paramount probably knows that crazy fans like me will shell out the cash if they love it enough. But the price is a pain... The X-Files sets are really expensive too, which is why I haven't bought any of those.

(edited by Ana Ng on 8.4.03 0342)


Think Happy Kurt Angle Thoughts.
ekedolphin
Scrapple








Since: 12.1.02
From: Indianapolis, IN; now residing in Suffolk, VA

Since last post: 490 days
Last activity: 14 days
#6 Posted on | Instant Rating: 4.52

    Originally posted by CRZ

      Originally posted by ekedolphin
      This post contains spoilers of episodes and events on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
    Really now, it's been almost TEN YEARS. I don't think a spoiler warning is necessary.


You're probably right, but better safe than sorry, I always say. Don't want somebody to bitch at me for telling them storylines if they haven't seen the series.



“What kind of fool are you?”
“My own special variety.”
--Kajada and Odo, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode “The Passenger”

Two-Time, Two-Time Randomly Selected Wiener of the Day, 5/27/02 and 7/3/02

Certified RFMC Member-- Ask To See My Credentials!

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