I adore the development of Jadzia in DS9. It's gradually, lovingly done. This episode certainly is a fun, lighter DS9 hour with excellent development of Dax -- really picking up what Dax (the episode in season one) and Invasive Procedures had earlier established. Look how she grows ever more interesting and confident. I adore how she gets on with the Ferengi -- and is better at Tongo than Curzon Dax was. Seeing her judge another Trill initiate to see if he is ready really has given us the best look at Jadzia herself yet.
Unfortunately, Arjin the initiate is a bit of a loser. And the sci-fi plot is a HUGE loser. As interesting as it wants to be, it sadly just sits there looking ridiculous for half an hour. There's even a whole scene where Jadzia is gradually spewing technobabble for nearly a whole minute studying this "universe" where we just don't know what she's saying. It turns out later that she may have discovered evidence of life in this shiny bauble. But... the things she says... don't really indicate life -- unexplained they are. UFOs don't mean aliens. And science must come before leaping to insane conclusions. A few seconds later we're hearing about a civilization that must have transpired in this time. Um...
Um...
Yeah, it requires emptying your brain for about ten minutes. Fortunately, when Sisko discusses the challenges of deciding what to do what it really looks like is a sweet conversation with Jake about who he's dating. Yes, this is what matters. And this is why I love this series. Characters' journeys matter far more than the nonsense stories -- even as I can fall for any great sci-fi nonsense.
In the end, it is certainly Jadzia's development that matters here. If I could divorce it from the terrible science I would.
Unfortunately, Arjin the initiate is a bit of a loser. And the sci-fi plot is a HUGE loser. As interesting as it wants to be, it sadly just sits there looking ridiculous for half an hour. There's even a whole scene where Jadzia is gradually spewing technobabble for nearly a whole minute studying this "universe" where we just don't know what she's saying. It turns out later that she may have discovered evidence of life in this shiny bauble. But... the things she says... don't really indicate life -- unexplained they are. UFOs don't mean aliens. And science must come before leaping to insane conclusions. A few seconds later we're hearing about a civilization that must have transpired in this time. Um...
Um...
Yeah, it requires emptying your brain for about ten minutes. Fortunately, when Sisko discusses the challenges of deciding what to do what it really looks like is a sweet conversation with Jake about who he's dating. Yes, this is what matters. And this is why I love this series. Characters' journeys matter far more than the nonsense stories -- even as I can fall for any great sci-fi nonsense.
In the end, it is certainly Jadzia's development that matters here. If I could divorce it from the terrible science I would.