• The new B5TV.COM is here. We've replaced our 16 year old software with flashy new XenForo install. Registration is open again. Password resets will work again. More info here.

ST:DS9 Marathon

G

Glacophane

Regular
I'm pretty excited, starting next monday Spike TV is going to be showing DS9. I havent seen it since it ended. It's 7 hours of DS9 on Monday. Get your vcrs or Tivos ready. (For people like me who havent bought the DVD's) :p
 
I LOVED DS9 once they got their story arc going. I think they had some of the best chemistry of all the Trek shows. A lot of parallels can be drawn between DS9 and B5, but I think DS9 did a good job of standing on its own.
 
I started buying the DS9 dvd's too. But I am so glad cable tv is finally showing to a broad audience this wonderful series.

From the time "before Trek sucked" IMHO.

TNG and DS9 rival for my favorite Trek series.

(I know DS9 many claim was ripped off of B5. O.K. so I even think it probably was. It was still the best of Trek.

:eek:, errrr, the best of Trek that didn't star Patrick Stewart, I mean. :eek:)
 
I'll buy the DVD's someday when I have more money. I have a hard time buying dvd's of a tv show that is still being broadcast. I work all day Monday but I think I will tape it and watch them later. That would be a helluva lot of eps to watch. But now that Im single again, what else am I gonna do? :p

I really liked this series as well because it was a bit darker and different from TNG and TOS. I never missed an ep when it was originally on. As much as I liked the show, it was Kira that had me coming back from week to week. ;)

"There are FOUR lights!"
 
I've just seen the end of season five, and the first episode of season six. And it reminds me why I still think DS9 is the best show ever made.
 
(I know DS9 many claim was ripped off of B5. O.K. so I even think it probably was. It was still the best of Trek.
Click to expand...
The more I watch DS9 the more similarities I do see between it and B5 to think several of the concepts were a ripoff. It is different enough though that I can still enjoy it. In fact it seems that DS9 "tries" to have a cohesive story like B5 did, but didn't quite pull it off. Even without the true story arc they do a very good job at telling lots of shorter stories and I do also think it is the best of Trek series. Garak's charater IMO far outshines anyone in DS9.

Heck, the more I watch the Lord of the Rings trilogy, I also start to see where people could argue that lots of B5 concepts were taken from the LOTR. I never thought so before, but after watching the trilogy...I hate to admit it, but I see it. Again, like DS9, there are enough differences that it doesn't ruin the experience for me though.
 
Heck, the more I watch the Lord of the Rings trilogy, I also start to see where people could argue that lots of B5 concepts were taken from the LOTR. I never thought so before, but after watching the trilogy...I hate to admit it, but I see it.
Click to expand...

I do too.

For instance, you could say the Vorlons are kind of like wizards; the Minbari are old, reverant, and dying out just like Elves; the Centauri social structures in some ways resemble that of Men; the Humans are rising underdogs just like the Hobbits; and Narns are kinda, sorta similar to Dwarves (okay, I'll admit, that one's the weakest parallel).

There are 4 Humans on the command staff and 4 Hobbits in the Fellowship. There is a slight similarity between the relationships of Sheridan & Delenn and Aragorn & Arwen. There are various "Eye" references in B5, just like the eye of Sauron is a big deal in LotR. Same with the massive amount of "Shadow" symbolism and analogies in both stories. The name Lorien *could* be an homage to Lothlorien in LotR.

Etc., etc...

I know (from personal experince, on these boards, a few years ago) that someone will want to argue with me, saying these comparisons are weak and that if you try hard enough you could extrapilate similar parallels in plenty of other movies, books, or TV shows. I'll save you the trouble... I know.

AND... I am by no means implying that JMS intentionally tried to map out direct parallels between everything in B5 to everything in LotR.

AND... It's undeniable that there are a plethora of original ideas in B5, or at the very least, some very original, creative. and satisfying ways of combining already-used ideas (including sources other than Tolkien).

BUT... I personally can't help but think there are certain similarities that *could* have been anywhere from blatant and intentional homage to purely accidental coincidences, with subconscious inspiration falling somewhere in between. Plus, I think any similarities between LotR and B5--even those imagined by crazy people like me--are a little more obvious and plausible than other similarities, for instance, between LotR and Star Wars or between LotR and Star Trek.

(Disclaimer: Not trying to make a rant out of this, just a humble opinion, but being defensive because the last time I brought it up, it didn't go over too well.)

---

And as for DS9... It's my favorite of the Star Treks too. I'm in the camp that believes that it really *did* start off as a ripoff of JMS's ideas. However, with different people implementing it, it still turned out different. And even when it got progressivly better AND progressively more similar to B5 (those two things *might* be related), it was still different and separate and enjoyable on it's own.

I still like B5 better though.

As for a DS9 movie, I doubt we'll ever see it. DS9 is close to being a love-it or hate-it kind of show, while TNG's appeal had more levels. If TNG movies are running out of steam, I'm not sure DS9 would have the support to make it to the big screen. Even if it deserves it story-wise, Paramount is all about money, and I doubt a DS9 movie would bring in the $$$'s.
 
The thing B5 parallels more than anything else is E.E. "Doc" Smith's "Lensmen" books.

In these, two powerful races, one defending Order, the other pledged to Chaos, use genetic manipulation to create superbeings.

Sound familiar?

Also, JMS has said he was a big fan of these books.
 
I remember one particular failed plot attempt in DS9 concerning some Bajoran terrorist group calling themselves "The Circle" or something of the sort... they spraypainted their logo wherever they went... nothing ever really became of it, especially after they started involving the Cardassians in the show a lot more.
 
Yea it was like a mini-couix (sp). It came and went pretty quick. They did some "seeding" for the whole Dominion arc in Season 2 before they brought it forward at the end of S2 and start of S3. The Maqui was always a favorite part of DS9 for me. The Maqui arc removed the need for that whole "circle" thing IMO.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Members online

Total: 105 (members: 1, guests: 104)

Share this page

Back
Top