"It's easy to be a saint in paradise."
Because you demanded it, some more Deep Space Nine blather!
Oh my, this episode was something else. Is it strange that I could quite happily watch Bashir and Garak just talking for an entire episode and be suitably entertained? That was essentially exactly what I was pondering during the teaser, only for the episode to actually be an entire episode of Bashir and Garak talking. Result! Anyway, both Siddig and Robinson bring their A-game in what turns out to be the best episode of the entire series so far (once I got past the disappointment that Bashir and Garak wouldn't be having gritty adventures in downtown Baltimore). Mesmerising, compelling, highly dramatic and refusing to give the audience the easy answers, The Wire continues season two's trend of showing increasingly more teeth in regards to the Trekverse.
Prior to this we had the excellent two-parter The Maquis which was basically DS9 doing a giant shit on the concept of the Federation -- much to my delight -- and Necessary Evil in which we're told even more explicitly so that we don't forget, that one of our leads is a murderer. I love this kind of stuff and I can't wait to see even more.
Random Thoughts:
Oh my, this episode was something else. Is it strange that I could quite happily watch Bashir and Garak just talking for an entire episode and be suitably entertained? That was essentially exactly what I was pondering during the teaser, only for the episode to actually be an entire episode of Bashir and Garak talking. Result! Anyway, both Siddig and Robinson bring their A-game in what turns out to be the best episode of the entire series so far (once I got past the disappointment that Bashir and Garak wouldn't be having gritty adventures in downtown Baltimore). Mesmerising, compelling, highly dramatic and refusing to give the audience the easy answers, The Wire continues season two's trend of showing increasingly more teeth in regards to the Trekverse.
Prior to this we had the excellent two-parter The Maquis which was basically DS9 doing a giant shit on the concept of the Federation -- much to my delight -- and Necessary Evil in which we're told even more explicitly so that we don't forget, that one of our leads is a murderer. I love this kind of stuff and I can't wait to see even more.
Random Thoughts:
- Season two really is such a massive step-up from one. Better writing, better acting, better sets, just better better.
- In particular, Terry Farrell. I mean, she's still not perfect but damn has she stepped up her game, and I conclude that's because Jadzia is just being written in a far, far more interesting way. Interesting like she's actually got seven previous lives worth of knowledge and personalities within her. Y'know, cool stuff.
- Speaking of Jadzia, Blood Oath was terrific. I had no knowledge whatsoever of these returning Klingons from the original series, but the episode still worked beautifully. Great stuff and oddly poignant.
- Dukat is awesome, even if he's kind of like several Babylon 5 characters squashed into one.
- I loved Sisko's remark that he wouldn't be losing any sleep over Dukat's disappointment in him. Sisko is absolutely the coolest Trek captain/commander.
- Second Sight should've been clichéd nonsense, but Avery Brooks' performance and a good script really sold it. Just lovely.
- John Glover turns up in Invasive Procedures and is just as awesome as expected. Can't wait to see him on Heroes.
- I probably would've found Melora much more disposable had it not been Grace Holloway from the Doctor Who TV Movie Thing With Paul McGann as the titular character. Once I got past the whole "oh my god, Grace!" thing, I thought she was very good in it.
- I still can't stand the Ferengi comedy episodes. Rules of Acquisition was almost unwatchable and I would've skipped the fuck out of it had their not been a reference to the Dominion. Profit and Loss was more of a Quark episode I guess, but it was still pretty poor. Honestly, DS9 writers, I like Quark. I like his banter with Odo. I like Nog. I even sort of like Rom. But the Ferengi comedy episodes are shit. I wish it didn't take you until apparently season seven to realise this and get rid of them.