DS9 "The Reckoning"

[Yukaphile]

She thinks an unarmed person standing nearby is a legit military target. That I can't get behind. I don't agree with that. Yeah, she's a fanatic.

[Fuzzy Necromancer]

She thinks an unarmed person standing nearby is a legit military target. That I can't get behind. I don't agree with that. Yeah, she's a fanatic.

Again, all of Kira's fanaticism comes from her political ideology and guerilla warfare tactics, not from her religious beliefs. She's never said "The Prophets want me to kill this guy!" or "prepare to be Smited for your Blasphemy!"

[Yukaphile]

Okay, I get ya there.

[Durandal_1707]

While Jake was obviously in danger there's at least some reason to think that the Prophet would be a bit careful with the Emissary's son

The Prophets almost killed the Emissary himself in "Rapture". They don't have a good handle on the concept of death itself. I don't think they have the experience to know how to be careful.

Jake was going to die.

[Yukaphile]

^ This. Exactly this. We brought this topic up over in the Sarah Sisko discussion thread, that they are so far removed outside the concept of linear time they don't even know what consent is, and thus using an innocent woman to spawn a baby meant nothing to them. That's rape, no matter which way you cut it. I think the line Colonel Tobin had about Darth Nihilis from KOTOR 2 fits the Prophets here.

"It is because he sees planets, stars... not people. To him, the planet below, the station with its teeming life, only that is massive enough to demand his attention."

I think the same applies here.

[bluebydefault]

I think this is one of the reasons its hard to write stories with really powerful creatures or all powerful entities that are suppose to be good but don't really intervene. They could solve all the problems the heroes face and save lives and stop evil but they don't and there is never a really good reason for it. It isn't just with DS9 but with other shows and movies. It usually makes them look like assholes who can't be bothered of there isn't a good reason stated by the writers other than well it does take the drama out if they do solve all the problems.

That being said I liked this episode more than Chuck for various other reasons.It was still entertaining. I think the idea of these guys have to fight and there is a good reason shut up we know what we are doing angle from the prophets annoys me. They really couldn't just tell him.

[Yukaphile]

That's why they establish Q as a trickster. Hell, even Voyager wanted to paint the rest of the Continuum as stagnant, that they had done it all, hence why they never got involved.

I loved it too. It's just the stuff with Sisko letting his son die rubbed me the wrong way. I'd have probably ranked it... maybe a 6 or 7.

[Cassandra]

I think this is one of the reasons its hard to write stories with really powerful creatures or all powerful entities that are suppose to be good but don't really intervene. They could solve all the problems the heroes face and save lives and stop evil but they don't and there is never a really good reason for it. It isn't just with DS9 but with other shows and movies. It usually makes them look like assholes who can't be bothered of there isn't a good reason stated by the writers other than well it does take the drama out if they do solve all the problems.

Yeah, trying to depict beings that are both omnipotent and benevolent in fiction amounts to trying to solve the theological problem of evil, which philosophers have been arguing over for many centuries without any definitive resolution. Fiction certainly isn't going to come up with an easy answer.

[CharlesPhipps]

Bluntly, it's something that just applies to Star Trek as well.

As the Federation does not intervene because of various reasons both good and bad. "Solving problems" even with omnipotence is something that gene really hated as he seemed to think there was inherent value in struggle--which is a weird attitude for a utopian technopoly.

[clearspira]

^ This. Exactly this. We brought this topic up over in the Sarah Sisko discussion thread, that they are so far removed outside the concept of linear time they don't even know what consent is, and thus using an innocent woman to spawn a baby meant nothing to them. That's rape, no matter which way you cut it. I think the line Colonel Tobin had about Darth Nihilis from KOTOR 2 fits the Prophets here.

"It is because he sees planets, stars... not people. To him, the planet below, the station with its teeming life, only that is massive enough to demand his attention."

I think the same applies here.

This is off topic, but I think that quote describes why The Doctor is such a great character when written correctly. All of time and space to cruise around in, all of these world ending events he stops, and yet he is more than happy to stop and play football with you. Or to quote the episode Father's Day:
"Rose, there's a man alive in the world who wasn't alive before. An ordinary man - that's the most important thing in creation. The whole world's different because he's alive.''