DS9
Like most nerdy lads in the early ‘90s, I was a fan of Star Trek. While I enjoyed the original series, I had more exposure to Next Generation and Deep Space Nine. So, it warmed my heart to see that both of these series are on Netflix Watch Instant. As I began re-watching Deep Space Nine, however, memories about how much I enjoyed the show came flooding back.
Prior to Netflix, I probably had not watched an episode of Deep Space Nine in at least ten years. (Someone had to be showing reruns somewhere, right?) When I first really got into Star Trek, Next Generation was on its way out, and Deep Space Nine was starting. As a result, I probably watched more Deep Space Nine episodes in my youth — I watched Voyager too, at first, but I stopped when they killed off Ensign Hogan (dang land eels!).
Don’t get me wrong, I like Next Generation plenty. But, there is something about Deep Space Nine I enjoy much more. Maybe it is the tension on the station, or how the characters treat each other. I love the scenes between Odo and Quark, with their game of wits and double-talk. But, there is also the touch of respect, to some extent, between the pair.
Quark and Odo
I enjoy the “gray” aspect of Deep Space Nine’s characters — those who aren’t necessarily evil, but not quite flawless. Those who have dark chapters in their past they would rather leave behind, like Kira, a former freedom fighter (or terrorist according to the Cardassians). Sisko has his temper, which makes him more human — we all lose our cool from time to time. Sisko is also unique because his son is on the station — can you imagine Kirk or Picard worrying about their kids?
Look at Sisko this way: He is a widower, father, company man transferred to a run-down branch office in the middle of nowhere, managing a bitter staff who think they should be running the place (insert Emergency Manager joke). Sisko could be your neighbor. His situation is very believable. The only difference is, Sisko’s office is in outer space.
Why I am really glad these episodes are on Netflix is because I can finally watch the later seasons. I wasn’t watching Deep Space Nine too often when the series started to focus more on war towards the end.
And because of this, I am faced with a (good) problem: do I watch the entire series all the way through, or just focus on the Dominion episodes? I thought of skipping around, but then I remembered Battlestar Galactica (which shares a writer in Ronald D. Moore), and its character driven plot.
Long story short, I have about 170 episodes to go. Good thing the show is on Netflix for another 600+ days.
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Daniel J. Hogan is the geek half of Ginger and the Geek. Follow him on Twitter, @danieljhogan.
My wife and I also just started rewatching that series. Get out of our heads! Also, thanks to the proximity of your last billboard to our house, my three-year-old calls his Batman toys Daniel Hogan. Nothing is stranger than real life.
A Batman toy named after me? I’m honored!