From: bn981@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Ryan Mathews)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.startrek.current
Subject: DS9: There's always hope...
Date: 9 Jan 1993 04:12:48 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)
Reply-To: bn981@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Ryan Mathews)
NNTP-Posting-Host: slc4.ins.cwru.edu


BLAST!  Stinkin' machine went down!  I was gonna post this yesterday.
Hopefully original opinions follow, possibly with some spoilers:

I watched the premiere of DEEP SPACE NINE Thursday night.  Well, really
I only *watched* about 1/3 of it.  The other 2/3 I suffered through.

DS9 looks GREAT!  The sets, costumes, models, special-effects were all
top-notch.  As usual, modern STAR TREK looks more like a movie than a
TV show.  But the technical parts of a show are only half of it.  Acting
and writing make up the other part, and DS9 was incredibly lacking in
those areas.

I can not think of a single character on this program that really grabs
my attention.  The aliens: the Ferengi Quark, the Jell-o glob Odo, and
what's-her-face the Trill, are interesting for the novelty of their
physical forms, but I see nothing interesting in their personalities at
all.

Sisko was an incredible disappointment.  Perhaps I'm spoiled by the
performance of Patrick Stewart, who certainly outshined everyone else
in the DS9 premiere, but Sisko's character seemed wooden to the extreme.
To be fair, that's his character, but in his memories of happier days,
you'd think he'd be able to emote believeably.  Sisko seems so lifeless;
I'm not convinced it's not just lousy acting.

Odo.  I'm not sure I can accept Clayton from BENSON as a tough-guy 
security officer.  Maybe he'll improve, but his attitude seems so forced.

As for everyone else, what is there to say?  The Major is no different
from umpteen other Tough Bitches I've seen in movies and TV.  Dr. Bashir
might have potential, but he was practically ignored.  The Trill may be
different, but you wouldn't know it to watch her.  Quark is no different
from any other Ferengi, except perhaps that we get to see that Ferengi
have a parental instinct just like any other sentient race.  As for good
ol' Miles O'Brien, well, he's a nice, familiar face, and I like his accent,
but, let's face it, he's never been the most exciting TNG character.  I
especially disliked the way they glossed over the fact that Keiko won't
be joining him.

There were good parts.  I like the basic concept.  That phrase "Why do
you exist here?" actually had me stumped almost until the aliens
revealed what they meant.  A guy who resents Picard for having been
Locutious was intriguing, one of the few times I actually believed the
man's acting.  But over all, this show, plot-wise, was mediocre bordering
on awful.  (IMHO, of course.)

Still, like the subject says, there's always hope.  I remember how I felt
after watching "Encounter at Farpoint": neat characters, but awfully laid-
back for Star Trek, overly pompous ending, really boring in parts.  Yet
look at TNG now.  It's my favorite program of all those currently being
broadcast, and I've never missed an episode, except by accident.  TNG
really took two years to get up to speed, IMHO, and thankfully, it was 
given that chance.  If DS9 is given the same chance, they should be able
to work the bugs out.

The premiere is being rebroadcast on Saturday here in Cleveland.  I think
I'll give it a second look.  Maybe I'll like it better the second time
around.
			---------- Ryan Mathews
-- 
Email: bn981@cleveland.freenet.edu      DISCLAIMER:  Any resemblence of this
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