ebonlock: (prettylij1)
ebonlock ([personal profile] ebonlock) wrote2004-01-23 08:22 am

"Real frontier medicine!"

Finally launched into DS9 last night and despite remembering just how good the series was, I was stilled moved, impressed, and floored by "The Emissary". I was reminded why, years ago, when I watched that episode (which my sisters had thoughtfully taped for me as I had to work that night) I said aloud, "This is the best Star Trek ever made". I stand by that claim to this day.

The hardest part about watching the ep was trying not to completely break down and cry while Ben Sisko faced up to some harsh realities and dealt with the death of his wife. I fell a little in love with the character at that point and he certainly became my favorite commander/captain in the episode. I did allow myself a few tears when he finally realizes what the Prophets are trying to tell him and weeps for Jennifer. *sigh* Now that's damn good sci-fi. Can't wait for "A Man Alone", yay, Odo!

Other than that I was pleased to end the day with about a hundred calories to spare on my target (1,500 a day). Finally I feel like I'm really back in the swing of things diet-wise and it's wonderful. The tricky bit will be maintaining it this weekend. But, if I don't bring any junk into the house I can't be tempted to eat it. And generally I'm too lazy to go out just for snack food, so that's working in my favor. Must also squeeze in some time to work on the choreography.

Oh and in dance related news there's a sale going on this weekend to help Paloma (the owner of Lunatic Fringe) who lost her store to a fire. Should be some great items and great prices if anyone's interested. I intend to stop over on Saturday afternoon and see what they've got. It's supposedly in the courtyard where Lunatic Fringe used to be (Sunnyvale) and normal store hours. For more details go here.

Also I think I need to see ROTK again this weekend, if anyone's interested drop me a note in the comments or give me a call.

[identity profile] tersa.livejournal.com 2004-01-23 09:10 am (UTC)(link)
Hmm! I have no plans other than relaxing this weekend, another viewing of RotK would not be amiss. :)

I'm glad you guys have started DS9 up. I really like the show, too. :)

[identity profile] ebonlock.livejournal.com 2004-01-23 09:20 am (UTC)(link)
Hmm! I have no plans other than relaxing this weekend, another viewing of RotK would not be amiss. :)

Woo! I'm thinking matinee, probably Sunday if that would work for you.

I'm glad you guys have started DS9 up. I really like the show, too. :)


I feel bad for Aelf, though, I know the series backwards and forwards and I'm afraid I'm going to be spoiling a few future plotlines for her.

[identity profile] tersa.livejournal.com 2004-01-23 10:08 am (UTC)(link)
Woo! I'm thinking matinee, probably Sunday if that would work for you.

That, in fact, would be perfect. :) Because I will see if I can suborn my housemate into watching "Sharpe's Eagles" with me tomorrow, and I can deliver onto you both discs for your viewing pleasure. When you're done, all you would need to do is drop them in the mail to return. And then I can get the two-discs for "Gormenghast". >:)

I feel bad for Aelf, though, I know the series backwards and forwards and I'm afraid I'm going to be spoiling a few future plotlines for her.

*giggle* We're having that problem, too. I've seen end of season 3 to the end. [livejournal.com profile] tavella has seen *some* of the later episodes, but not all. And [livejournal.com profile] cyranocyrano hasn't seen any of them. So, occasionally, T-- asks questions about future plotlines or accidentally drops spoilers before being reminded that C-- hasn't watched them, not helped by the fact that C-- occasionally makes remarks that sound knowledgeable about the show, and/or guesses right on where the plot is going. :>

I'm sure she'll enjoy it, anyway, knowing how much you like it. :)

[identity profile] aelfsciene.livejournal.com 2004-01-23 12:53 pm (UTC)(link)
Ooh, I'd like to see Gormenghast, please? I've heard much about it, and keep referring to the evil kitchen boy, without having ever seen him. ^_^;

And it was funny, watching "Emissary" last night, realizing that I must have watched the pilot several times when it first aired, because of how well I remembered some of the bits. Especially Kira; I had a major hero-worship thing for her going on, and think I, er, practiced some of her lines in the mirror more than once. Wearing the ear cuff today in honor of that. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing more--I have no recollection of how far I got into the series before being swallowed whole by college.

[identity profile] centerfire.livejournal.com 2004-01-23 11:52 am (UTC)(link)
I have long been of the mind that DS9 stands as the best of all the various Trek series, in large part because it diverged from the episodic Trek formula and developed its characters, as well as story arcs, across the entire run. I also thought that DS9 took more risks than did the other series: DS9 indulged some real moral gray areas and told some pretty edgy stories compared to TOS, TNG, Voyager, or Enterprise.

Other things:

  1. Of all the Trek captains, Sisko has been the one I've best been able to relate to.
  2. Julian is my favorite doctor, Miles is my favorite engineer, and their relationship is one for the ages (I practically broke down and wept during the second part of "What You Leave Behind", when Miles takes one last look around his quarters right before he leaves for Earth, and finds the missing Jim Bowie figure from the giant diorama of the Alamo that he built with Julian).
  3. There simply wasn't a character like Garak on any other series.
  4. Dammit, I don't care what anybody else says: I liked Ezri.

Still, taken together, DS9 pales in comparison to Firefly as the best science fiction I've seen in the past ten years.

[identity profile] ebonlock.livejournal.com 2004-01-23 12:36 pm (UTC)(link)
I have long been of the mind that DS9 stands as the best of all the various Trek series, in large part because it diverged from the episodic Trek formula and developed its characters, as well as story arcs, across the entire run. I also thought that DS9 took more risks than did the other series: DS9 indulged some real moral gray areas and told some pretty edgy stories compared to TOS, TNG, Voyager, or Enterprise.

Good gods, if we keep this utterly agreeing with one another thing up we're seriously going to start scaring people :)

Can't argue with a single word you've said, though. I would add that one thing that really appealed to me was the spiritual element that was really the first time any Trek had tried to deal with the subject. I mean beyond the "Silly people, your 'god' is just an alien, see?" episodes in TOS. I loved the are they/aren't they murkiness of the Prophets/wormhole aliens, particularly when compared to the "bow down and worship us" attitude of the Founders. That whole storyline took on such wonderfullly "mythic" connotations.


Of all the Trek captains, Sisko has been the one I've best been able to relate to.


And certainly the only one I'd really want to serve under. And he punched Q right in the face, how could you not love a man who could do that?

Julian is my favorite doctor, Miles is my favorite engineer, and their relationship is one for the ages (I practically broke down and wept during the second part of "What You Leave Behind", when Miles takes one last look around his quarters right before he leaves for Earth, and finds the missing Jim Bowie figure from the giant diorama of the Alamo that he built with Julian).


See that relationship (as well as Julian/Garak) was one of the main appeals to me too. Instead of just saying, "Oh, they're friends" (see Geordi/Data), the writers actually took the time to develop it. A concept almost unheard of in Trek-dom. Of course part of the applause has to go to the actors, all of whom had major input into their characters.

There simply wasn't a character like Garak on any other series.


Amen. This series was the first to make me actually like a Klingon as well (Martok). If you haven't already you really should read Andy Robinson's novel about Garak. Fascinating stuff based on the "Garak Diaries" he kept during filming.

Dammit, I don't care what anybody else says: I liked Ezri.

Oh I liked her too, not quite as much as Jadzia, but she was too cute not to like. Too well written as well.

[identity profile] cyranocyrano.livejournal.com 2004-01-23 04:19 pm (UTC)(link)
|| Picard never hit me!

Given my limited exposure (TOS, one or two episodes of TNG, and passing glances at Enterprise and Voyager, and sporadic exposure to STTAS) I'd agree that it's the best Trek.

[identity profile] razorjak.livejournal.com 2004-01-24 01:11 pm (UTC)(link)
Deep Space 9 is definately the best Trek to ever be put out. Though I think it lost a bit near the end trying to one up Babylon5 with the scope of it's war.

Sisko is DEINFATELY the one captain shown so far that I would serve under gladly. And DAMN if Garak wasn't my favorite character ever. Though I was disappointed that they dropped the allusions to his being homosexual and simply made him one of the first "metrosexuals" in space.

[identity profile] ebonlock.livejournal.com 2004-01-27 08:52 am (UTC)(link)
Deep Space 9 is definately the best Trek to ever be put out. Though I think it lost a bit near the end trying to one up Babylon5 with the scope of it's war.

Yeah I would agree that the final season wrap-up was somewhat of a disappointment, but up until then the series kicked serious ass and I still say that "The Visitor" was just about the finest hour of television I've ever seen. Though "In the Pale Moonlight" comes a close second :)

Sisko is DEINFATELY the one captain shown so far that I would serve under gladly. And DAMN if Garak wasn't my favorite character ever. Though I was disappointed that they dropped the allusions to his being homosexual and simply made him one of the first "metrosexuals" in space.


Ahh, but that's what we have fanfic for :) Garak is one of the best slash characters ever, and so many incredibly talented authors did such wonderful things with him....and to him...heh. I was always quite fond of Garak/Bashir myself, though Garak/Odo had a lot going for it too.

And I liked the fact that for Garak conversation was often the equivalent of, or even better than, sex. Once Andy put it in those terms in an interview a few years back I kind of nodded and thought, yeah, that makes a lot of sense.