A Few of my Favorite Things: Day 4

DAY 4 - STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE

I love Star Trek.  It's got certain qualities that I haven't seen in other sci-fi television or movie series.

Conversely, I used to like Star Wars.  But that was a long time ago. I grew out of that phase sometime during the Special Edition Trilogy.  I didn't realize it until the nightmare that was the Prequel Trilogy, but I think that's where Lucas lost me and Roddenberry took over.

See, from my point of view, Star Wars is purely about one story: here's what happened to these people during this war (also...bonus incest!)

Trek has always offered more than that.  The characters are deeper.  The stories often have an undertone.  And, of course, TV series format has the added advantage of giving an audience the same characters over an extended period.  It allows for emotional bonds to be built and characters to develop real personalities.

To add some specificity... Deep Space Nine has proven itself to be the deepest of the Trek series.

Now don't get me wrong... deep down, the Enterprise will always have a dear place to me.

That's our favorite lady...

And Jean-Luc Picard is still the best Starfleet captain out there (and Data is still the best science officer).

I think they can see us...

But Deep Space Nine had a stationary vantage point that made the story revolve more around how the characters responded to what proved to be their extra curricular activities.  See... Sisko and company couldn't just up and fly around the galaxy like Picard could.  The direct consequences of each episode could be felt for seasons to come.

Add in some of the more thought provoking show elements, and you've got a hell of an enjoyable and re-watchable series in the works.

Some of my favorites, in no particular order:

1) The Prophets - what if God was really a super powerful alien who actually proved to be confused with how we perceive the universe?  The Prophets understood what Bajor was, and who the Bajorans were... but they couldn't really guide Bajoran lives from point A to B to C... because to them, points A, B, and C are all already done.  No linear time to guide them.

2) The Cardassian/Bajoran relationship - just what happens when an oppressed people is practically forced to change their relationship with their bitter rivals overnight?  We still hear the horror stories of the Holocaust today... and the wounds of American slavery are still recent in the eyes of history... but we're talking 50 or 100 years removed.  How do those people who were directly involved cope only days or weeks or months after the fact?

Also, I can't forget my sweet Deep Spaceball Nine hat.

Best hat I ever got.

So, at any rate, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, I salute you.  Welcome to my favorite things.

A toast to the Favorite Things from the Alpha Quadrant's greatest bromance!