DS9: Prodigal Daughter

[sayla0079]

I did kind of liked the idea that Ezri became a psychiatrist because she came from a dysfunctional family.

It would explain some things.

[HighPriest]

So, part 1 Full Motion on this is already blocked by CBS.

On the topic of the episode's content, I agree with the position that Ezri is an interesting character concept that never really had a chance to get the arc she needed. "Rookie suddenly possessing generations of knowledge" could have been an interesting to see evolve over 3-ish seasons. Trying to cram it into one season was nowhere near sufficient to succeed.

I think that in this context, other newer additions like Vic or "filler" episodes like the baseball game are neither here nor there - it's not something that could have been resolved with an additional episode or two of runtime crammed into a single season. It needed more in-setting time to show an actual evolution, not just throwing more screentime at her. At best, that would have transformed the season into "the Ezri show", which I don't think even her biggest fans would advocate.

Overall, season 7 is my least favorite for DS9, and the discussion here really highlights why - there are just too many things added, not enough satisfactorily concluded. Admittedly, part of that is because the early seasons were so much stronger than most other Trek series. Comparing this to season 1 TNG is still hugely in DS9's favor, and might even pass the last season of TNG. Put this up against, say, Sub Rosa, or Take Me Out to the Holosuite up against Genesis, personally I'd take the DS9 clunkers.

[CharlesPhipps]

I admit I really liked this episode and felt it was really strong:

* It showed there's non-Federation shithole worlds with humans and other races.

* It showed the seedy underbelly of groups like the Orion syndicate.

* It gave us some more insight into how capitalism functions next to the Federation.

* Ezri's awful family is awful but it's not "try hard" awful either like Tasha Yar.

* I liked the twist about which family member was the murderer.

* It actually tied in well to O'Brian's episode. He did his best to save the man's family but she got herself killed because she was a criminal who learned nothing.

* The unmentioned fact that her kids have probably disappeared into the system or poverty and will never be seen again.

[McAvoy]

I admit I really liked this episode and felt it was really strong:

* It showed there's non-Federation shithole worlds with humans and other races.

* It showed the seedy underbelly of groups like the Orion syndicate.

* It gave us some more insight into how capitalism functions next to the Federation.

* Ezri's awful family is awful but it's not "try hard" awful either like Tasha Yar.

* I liked the twist about which family member was the murderer.

* It actually tied in well to O'Brian's episode. He did his best to save the man's family but she got herself killed because she was a criminal who learned nothing.

* The unmentioned fact that her kids have probably disappeared into the system or poverty and will never be seen again.

Everything about the episode I love. Has its flaws. But it shows the flaws behind that porcelain perfect facade of the Federation

[CharlesPhipps]

Well, it's not a Federation World and I think that by itself is notable.

There's plenty of people from the Federation worlds who choose NOT to live in Utopiaville.

[Deledrius]

Which only makes the Federation look even better by comparison.

But I guess they have their freedom, for whatever that's worth under the thumb of the Syndicate.

[Sir Will]

Its also a shame that any extra time she may have had was stolen by Vic Fontaine AKA DS9's Neelix.

Oh BS he did. Chuck already called people out for grossly overstating how much screentime he had over the last 2 seasons. He was done poorly in his first episode, that's all. Yes, he was a major character in 2 episodes in S7. And both were better than the stories they came up with for Ezri. That's on the writers/ Paper Moon is a highly regarded episode and Nog is the main character there. And the heist episode. A fun fluff piece like Bashir's Bond program that could have had any setting but they chose Ocean's 11 at Vic's.

Two episodes too many.

Both are great episodes.

[Fianna]

Well, it's not a Federation World and I think that by itself is notable.

There's plenty of people from the Federation worlds who choose NOT to live in Utopiaville.

It's that whole "explore strange new worlds - seek out new life and new civilizations" kick.

[McAvoy]

Well, it's not a Federation World and I think that by itself is notable.

There's plenty of people from the Federation worlds who choose NOT to live in Utopiaville.

Actually makes you think about the composition of Federation territory. It has to look like Swiss cheese. Like a planetary system that wants nothing to do with the rest of the galaxy let alone the universe. Federation may have some sort of moral obligation to protect them but they are not part of the Federation even on friendly terms.

Same goes for even member world species like the Trill (are they members?). We can assume Ezri's planet is a colony of Trill. Maybe not every major colony of a species will follow its home world's example of joining the Federation.

[CrypticMirror]

Well, it's not a Federation World and I think that by itself is notable.

There's plenty of people from the Federation worlds who choose NOT to live in Utopiaville.

Same goes for even member world species like the Trill (are they members?).

They aren't, at least not in the TNG/DS9 era, they are independent but Federation aligned. Whether they are in the late STD era, I don't know.