tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400152815785368447.post8080176397775363606..comments2024-03-15T07:28:47.064-05:00Comments on Treknobabble: Deep Space Nine, Season 5: Let He Who Is Without Sin... Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400152815785368447.post-24388306890545278802021-10-07T21:00:18.567-05:002021-10-07T21:00:18.567-05:00I just rewatched this episode recently, and honest...I just rewatched this episode recently, and honestly? It actually kind of aged better than I expected it to... I mean, it's still a terrible episode of television and a brutal, pointless character assassination of Worf, but hear me out:<br /><br />Fullerton's rhetoric resembled that of contemporary "intellectual dark web" mainstay Jordan Peterson. And the way that Worf was drawn into the movement (due to women problems, no less) via arguably fascist dogwhistles & compelled to commit senseless stochastic terrorism was eerily reminiscent of certain political happenings today. <br /><br />I still think it was an awful episode, don't get me wrong, but it somehow stood out as less hollow in 2021 than it did even in 2014. Most likely not for the reasons intended, but the episode *could* have been somewhat prophetic if it was completely retooled to focus on how the fascist pipeline ensnares certain lonely and impressionable youth. I guess it wasn't pointless though.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03652802368863062669noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400152815785368447.post-2708995074903307592014-07-06T20:35:02.545-05:002014-07-06T20:35:02.545-05:00Tell us how you REALLY feel, Poppy...
Yeah. I thi...Tell us how you REALLY feel, Poppy...<br /><br />Yeah. I think the two potentially interesting stories were totally skirted here - how Risa can exist, and the effect its existence might have on the denizens of the rest of the Trek universe.matthewweflenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07540521459703556959noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400152815785368447.post-79966120341462320432014-07-06T16:52:22.219-05:002014-07-06T16:52:22.219-05:00continued: Speaking of lame: that scene where Dax ...continued: Speaking of lame: that scene where Dax takes off her robe and Worf goes on about how he once saw a sunset in some nebulae or something and thought it was the most beautiful thing ever until he took a look at her bikini bottom/crotch - was so lame and made me wanna puke. Seriously. <br /><br />Another reason why I believe the writers were seriously thinking they were creating this oh so romantic and endearing persona here, completely oblivious to the fact that nothing about what Worf did was either endearing or romantic. I cannot imagine that any woman with two ounces of brains on her would find a man who thinks a piece of ass in a bathing suit is more beautiful than ANYTHING HE HAS EVER SEEN IN HIS WHOLE VIVID COLORFUL LIFE romantic or endearing - especially when he delivers said line with the same kind of passion and vigor with which he orders a prune juice at the replicator. It was pathetic, as was Worf and that entire scene. <br /><br />Is that Behr's idea of romance? or what he thinks women view as romantic? I dont even...<br /><br />As to the story line about Fullerton: that was also just another clichee. Like the writers wanted to show us that even in the world of Starfleet, even in Paradise, there are radicals like that - entities who just oppose everything for the sake of opposing it and they enjoy it too. <br /><br />The idea of a society whose entire culture is that of prostitution essentially does seem weird too and it begs all sort of questions about how they evolved, how they managed to not be conquered or even make it this far - what their culture is about, their family structure etc. if all they do is be a tourist planet, did they start of this way? How? If they did, who would have conducted R&D and all the other stuff that leads to technological innovation, including warp capabilities etc? I mean who is running that weather control system? The natives or some other third planet in exchange for...? what? <br /><br />But alas I couldnt think about all this for too long because of that thorn in my sight, Worf, obliterating all such concerns with his constant whining and complaining....:) That fucking guy...poppyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09064123327462038174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400152815785368447.post-71537342643275829232014-07-06T16:45:26.144-05:002014-07-06T16:45:26.144-05:00"Oh Worf, how many times did I want to slap y..."Oh Worf, how many times did I want to slap you in the face in this episode, let me count the ways...." <br /><br />I really am not sure what the writers were thinking here with the characterization of Worf, but this episode officially turned him into a gigantic and tumbling dick weed. He is mean, rude, hurtful, anal retentive; he has no sense of humor or any redeeming qualities even. And I disagree that his behavior merely borders at abuse. It IS abuse. From the way he was treating Dax - following her every move, questioning her and her "loyalty" all the time and accusing her of not being loyal to him (like she was a dog) to the way he was (again) talking about and to Quark ("tell the Ferengi to go back into his room"), judging Bashir and Leeta, ruining the fun for everyone by constantly pissin' and moaning about stuff and being this black cloud of misery hanging over everyone's head (like the Death Eaters in Harry Potter), to the terrorist act he engaged in and for which he barely got a soft slap on the wrist, if that. That is abusive behavior - emotional abuse. <br /><br />What we saw isnt a model for romance. It's a blueprint for abuse.<br /><br />Because someone who constantly pressures their partner to be someone they're not in order to sufficiently prove their love will never just be okay with anything less than their bullshit ideal. I cannot imagine people, Dax including, finding this type of coercion and manipulation romantic, appealing or evidence of love. <br /><br />I think the writers were going for the "asshole who is endearing and soft on the inside" trope or something. I really believe at this point, especially with respect to the ending where he is sort of "redeemed" by Dax and all after he confesses his (phony may I add) childhood story about having learned the hard way to be reserved around us fragile, soft boned humans blah blah fart - is telling me the writers really were thinking they are creating a multi layered, fascinating character here. Like the toughie with a heart of gold (see all those episode where he is the only one getting along with babies - yoshi etc.) Only that in this case it backfried as the line between assholish and endearing is a thin one and the writers just generously crossed it. <br /><br />See, if you make the character completely unlikable and cross that line, so to speak, you missed the mark and he no longer is endearing. <br /><br />Watching this episode was aggravating as Worf's complaining didnt stop - it went on and on and what was most annoying to me is how everyone took it - even Dax. Everyone was giving this unevolved caveman the benefit of the doubt and a break. Dax was pathetic and a totally codependent. Like women who end up in abusive relationships but keep making excuses for the abuser (he had a bad day, rough childhood etc etc). <br /><br />And really nothing was explained in the end except for that truly lame and desperate attempt to put a vulnerable face to Worf's assholishness with that story of him having caused the death of a human as a kid when playing rough. One would think that such a, rather relevant fact, would have been mentioned at some point in the course of two series.<br /><br />Because, this way it sounded just made up (which it probably was); like the writers came up with this retroactively in order to make sense of this clusterfuck of a character they had just created. It just did not fit into the character and was very internally inconsistent in that regard. <br />poppyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09064123327462038174noreply@blogger.com