Review and Random Thoughts: "Emissary"

[prelocandkanar]

After giving myself a few years’ hiatus, I’ve begun re-watching DS9. I’d like to post reviews as I go, but I’m not sure that I’ll manage fully-structured, detailed reviews. They may be more like reactions or random thoughts. Take this one, on….

“Emissary”

Comments

[prelocandkanar]

Oh, yes -- I don't know how I failed to mention that "wilderness" scene. It's brilliant. (The writing in this show is just amazing, isn't it? So many quotable lines.)

And the whole "colonialist" thing pops up again and again in a slight variation, with Dukat's "white man's burdan" attitude about the Bajorans.

Lots of people seem to find Kira "shrill" or whiney or brittle -- terms that make *my* feminist instincts go on high alert. I find her amazing. Strong and conflicted, and not afraid to get in someone's face to protect her people. Hell, she's been fighting an underground guerilla war since she could pick up a weapon -- and now, she's not supposed to be a tad strident? If she were a man, that attitude would be expected and respected. Still, she's not stuck in the past; she's struggling to adapt to the new reality of peace, and the need to let the political process push the fight now. More on that next episode.

Yeah, the reaction of a feminist to costuming in Star Trek... what with Dabo girls and the Catsuit Girl of each series. I guess within the context of the story, a scantily-clad Dabo "girl" at Quark's is just a cocktail waitress, and pretty much consistent with the premise. From a meta-viewpoint, well, gotta get and keep that Young Male demographic happy. (At least, Seven of Nine and T'Pol and Jadzia Dax were more than their costuming.) So... where were all the Dabo *boys*???

I'm a major Bashir fan, and I confess, I even like him here, when he's young and brash and pretty stupid. "Frontier medicine" and "heroes," -- snort! I really like how his character evolves during the series, and how different Season 7 Bashir is from Season 1 Bashir. Plus, I think Sid's acting skills really develop, as well.

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[sophia_gratia]

I've been meaning to write something for a while on Kira and emotion - it's a rare thing for a woman in science fiction (or just fiction generally, in any medium or genre) to be both very tough and very emotional. And unproblematically emotional, too - the show generally casts Kira's capacity to feel strongly and to let strong feeling show without compunction in a positive light, and it's something the other characters admire about her, something for which she's respected. Okay, forget fiction, that's rare enough in real life. ... But before this comment becomes a disquisition, I'll just promise the longer version at a later date.

Dabo boys would be incredible. (I kind of love a mid-series Jake who decides to rile his dad by taking a turn as one for a while. Yes. Yes, I love that.)

Bashir took a LONG time to grow on me, but he did indeed - I think I came around to him at about the same pace as O'Brien did, now that I think of it. And now when I rewatch early episodes I just want to pat his adorably naïve little head.