Random Thoughts On Deep Space Nine...
Nov. 20th, 2008 09:22 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
athersgeoSo. Been on a bit of a DS9 kick again (it's like comfort eating, only fewer calories) - and there are a few things (!) that have come to my notice about the show.
1) I was trying to work out a real world analogue for the Bajoran faith and people, given that most of the species in the Trek universe do have real world analogues. Just as a really obvious example, you have the Romulans and their Roman style of government. There are plenty more, but that's the really, REALLY glaringly obvious one. So, as Quark says in episode one, "I love the Bajorans, such a deeply spiritual people" which got me to thinking: Just what did the Bajoran faith remind me of? They have a certain amount of ancestor worship; holy texts filled with all kinds of prophesies and wise words; they have religious orders. At the same time, they don't seem to have any kind of religious dietary requirements (there doesn't, for example, seem to be any requirement not to eat meat) and although they're generally peaceful, there doesn't seem to be any kind of sanction if they bear arms. I think the closest I could come was Buddhism, which isn't terribly close (given that Buddhists are supposed to respect life and not go around killing things), but it then led me to wonder: Are we supposed to see Bajor as a Trek-version of Tibet? And if so, does that mean Cardassians are analogous with the Chinese?
2) Speaking of Cardassians, do they *REALLY* sleep in their uniforms/day clothes/whatever or is it just that the Trek makeup team couldn't figure out what a Cardassian should look like unclothed? For example, you have Legate Ghemor having medical treatment and lying in bed, under blankets, dressed in the same suit he arrived on the station in ('Ties of Blood and Water'), you have Damar repeatedly going to sleep in his uniform/armour (several instances during season 7, although possibly excused since Damar is struggling with drink at that point), Garak apparently also sleeps in his clothes ('The Wire' for one example) but he does at least get a surgical gown and whatnot when receiving treatment ('The Wire'). Puzzling...
3) Watch 'Badda Boom Badda Bing' closely. The countman Ezri gives the martini to when they actually carry out the plan (as opposed to the simulation run), is one of the Klingon actors (obviously minus the heavy duty latex!).
4) Speaking of Klingon actors, another amusing one is the realisation that the Vulcan captain in 'Emissary' is also General Martok later in the series. Talk about going from one end of the spectrum to the other!
5) When I originally watched season 7 of DS9, I really enjoyed the Dukat/Winn storyline. Watching it again, it just makes me cringe and I'm not quite sure why...
6) At one point during season 4, it's fairly clear that the writers were going down the route of Kira and Dukat getting together - right up until Nana Visitor dug her heels in and said "No!". All things considered, I think she was probably right, but at the same time...how different would Dukat's arc have become had they actually gone down that route?
1) I was trying to work out a real world analogue for the Bajoran faith and people, given that most of the species in the Trek universe do have real world analogues. Just as a really obvious example, you have the Romulans and their Roman style of government. There are plenty more, but that's the really, REALLY glaringly obvious one. So, as Quark says in episode one, "I love the Bajorans, such a deeply spiritual people" which got me to thinking: Just what did the Bajoran faith remind me of? They have a certain amount of ancestor worship; holy texts filled with all kinds of prophesies and wise words; they have religious orders. At the same time, they don't seem to have any kind of religious dietary requirements (there doesn't, for example, seem to be any requirement not to eat meat) and although they're generally peaceful, there doesn't seem to be any kind of sanction if they bear arms. I think the closest I could come was Buddhism, which isn't terribly close (given that Buddhists are supposed to respect life and not go around killing things), but it then led me to wonder: Are we supposed to see Bajor as a Trek-version of Tibet? And if so, does that mean Cardassians are analogous with the Chinese?
2) Speaking of Cardassians, do they *REALLY* sleep in their uniforms/day clothes/whatever or is it just that the Trek makeup team couldn't figure out what a Cardassian should look like unclothed? For example, you have Legate Ghemor having medical treatment and lying in bed, under blankets, dressed in the same suit he arrived on the station in ('Ties of Blood and Water'), you have Damar repeatedly going to sleep in his uniform/armour (several instances during season 7, although possibly excused since Damar is struggling with drink at that point), Garak apparently also sleeps in his clothes ('The Wire' for one example) but he does at least get a surgical gown and whatnot when receiving treatment ('The Wire'). Puzzling...
3) Watch 'Badda Boom Badda Bing' closely. The countman Ezri gives the martini to when they actually carry out the plan (as opposed to the simulation run), is one of the Klingon actors (obviously minus the heavy duty latex!).
4) Speaking of Klingon actors, another amusing one is the realisation that the Vulcan captain in 'Emissary' is also General Martok later in the series. Talk about going from one end of the spectrum to the other!
5) When I originally watched season 7 of DS9, I really enjoyed the Dukat/Winn storyline. Watching it again, it just makes me cringe and I'm not quite sure why...
6) At one point during season 4, it's fairly clear that the writers were going down the route of Kira and Dukat getting together - right up until Nana Visitor dug her heels in and said "No!". All things considered, I think she was probably right, but at the same time...how different would Dukat's arc have become had they actually gone down that route?
