I have watched so many episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine over the course of the last few days. I can’t remember the last time I was quite so hooked on a TV show to the exclusion of almost everything else — even gaming — but Deep Space Nine definitely has its hooks in deep.
Of course, part of the reason I’ve been able to enjoy so many episodes over the course of the last few days is because I’ve had a couple of days off work. Andie was having a long weekend away with some online friends, so I decided to take a couple of days off to just decompress and unwind also. And it turns out enjoying some quality TV and mostly staying away from the Internet has been exactly what I wanted and needed.
I’m currently on the third disc of season 6 of Deep Space Nine — yes, I’m doing this old-school, on DVD (not quite as old-school as when I was first watching the show on VHS, mind!) — and I think I’m into stuff I haven’t seen before. I say “I think” because the episode I just watched seemed quite familiar — or perhaps it’s just because it reminded me of another episode. I can’t be quite sure. I’m fairly convinced that I haven’t seen beyond season 5 before, but… well, I guess it doesn’t really matter. I’m enjoying it either way.
It saddens me a bit that TV isn’t made like this any more. Sure, there are Netflix series and what have you, but those are shot and budgeted in a completely different way, and it leads to quite a different feel. It’s rare for a new streaming show to last more than a couple of seasons, and some folks describe them as “8 hour movies”. One of the reasons Deep Space Nine in particular works so well is that while it is serialised and has definite arcs — particularly at this point in its run — it also isn’t afraid to spend an episode on just being a character piece, or doing something a bit weird.
This is good for the mood and helps the show feel varied. The Dominion War overarching storyline could easily have just gone unrelentingly bleak and worked well, but I feel it works even better with interludes like Worf and Dax’s wedding, or Kira dealing with the Mirror Universe counterpart of her deceased lover, or Julian contending with genetically modified humans who didn’t end up quite as well-adjusted as him.
I’m looking forward to seeing how some aspects of the series end up. Gul Dukat being utterly broken by the death of his daughter was without a doubt an incredibly significant moment for the series, so I’m looking forward to see what happens with him from there. And of course, there’s still plenty to resolve with Sisko that I suspect will continue right up until the very end.
It’s easy to see why this is such a well regarded series, and one which many people consider Star Trek’s absolute peak. I do find it quite funny that when it first started airing, some people considered it “the boring one”, though, and many of those folks didn’t come around until season 4. Part of the show’s strength is that slow build; while I’m sure it could have told a similar story over far fewer episodes, it wouldn’t be the same show without us just having the opportunity to live with these characters for so long.
I suspect I will cry at the finale, whatever form that takes. I have remained unspoiled on that for many years now, though, so I’m looking forward to finally experiencing it for the first time when I do eventually get that far.
Should probably sleep now, though. Or maybe one more episode…?
Want to read my thoughts on various video games, visual novels and other popular culture things? Stop by MoeGamer.net, my site for all things fun where I am generally a lot more cheerful. And if you fancy watching some vids on classic games, drop by my YouTube channel.
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