This is one of the more spoiler intensive posts if you have been watching along with me. I already knew what was going to happened but in case you don’t, watch the episodes first.

Season Six Finale: hey guys, please don’t get mad. I didn’t like this episode. And not because of Jadzia.

I don’t like the wraith plot line. It feels more supernatural than scifi. They sort of appeared out of nowhere in season six with no real explanation and suddenly there’s this ancient feud we’ve never heard about. The wormhole aliens are at least just that- aliens that live in the wormhole. These are evil things that somehow got trapped in rocks and statues for some reason, two of which have been freed now, and one of which turned off the orbs and also the wormhole which made the wormhole aliens not happy. What I love about science fiction is that it makes sense, and can be explained, within the context of the show or movie. There are exceptions to this as with everything (ex. The Expanse). But in this case, where DS9 has been incredible because of how it’s so well developed, it didn’t work for me.

Jadzia’s death was a little botched to me. It was pretty senseless. Now, I am very well aware of the reason she was killed/the actress left the show, and I totally respect it. That’s not what I mean by senseless. Jadzia spent her whole time on the show living with Klingons, going on Klingon missions, marrying one, and she turned around and was killed by some undefined mystic power. Where’s the honor? Where’s the sense of adventure that defined her character? How hard would it have been for her to be on the mission with Sisko, for something to go wrong there? Why couldn’t Worf have been there with her?

It very much reminds me of Yar’s death in TNG. I was in a thread where someone called it senseless (or pointless, I can’t remember). She was killed by a big ball of tar because it was bored. It feels very similar except Yar’s death to me, was trying to send the message that all unnecessary death is senseless. That life isn’t a toy, that killing won’t solve your problems. Jadzia’s death was more about finding a random way to kill her off.

That said, I was crying hysterically anyway because I loved Jadzia, right up until Sisko made her death about him. He had no way of knowing Dukat was going to sneak onto the station possessed by a demon and kill her (probably because it was completely ridiculous). So he had nothing to do with that. And correct me if I’m wrong but the prophets didn’t tell him not to go on the mission, did they? They sent him a vague message. Which he interpreted as them telling him not to go so he could blame himself. His best friend just died and he was like, “I gotta get myself together.” Not the time, Sisko. It was so heartfelt for about three seconds as he talks about the difference between best friends and mentors (some of my mentors overtime have become my best friends, the people who watched me grow up- more crying). But then he just killed it trying to ask her memory to sort out his problems for him. My personal statements to Sisko: Dude you can figure it out on your own. You’ve only been the emissary for six years? You’re the only one who can talk to the prophets. This is YOUR problem. The symbolism behind taking his baseball home was clever to me, though.

On a completely unrelated note, I’m not seeing the character changes in Dukat that you guys didn’t like. He’s power hungry, we know he’s crazy, and he grasping at straws to get his prestige back. That’s all in character for me. He’s also just going ahead and doing whatever the heck he wants, which is also in character to me. He’s desperate, which is entertaining. But then he got possessed by a wraith and you already know what I think about that.

Season 7 Intro: Image in the Sand: This was better. Sisko’s plotline was still a 2 or a 3 out of 10 for me. Julian, Worf, and Miles were about a 7-8 and Kira’s was a 9-10.

We’ll start with Kira. First off, I love the hair. But I love how she runs the station. She is still looking out for Bajoran best interests, but she recognizes that most of the station is still run by Federation officers and acknowledges that as an authority. She and Odo are a good team. I’m excited about this plotline of Romulan interference and armament encouraged by the Federation because Kira is going to take zero of this crap.

For Julian, Worf, and Miles: this is more fitting for a funeral for Jadzia to me. I expected her death to be more honorable so I’m glad they’re acknowledging her Klingon ties. I’m also glad they are showing Worf’s grief because her death was more about Sisko than her. Worf, Julian, and Miles are making it about her. It feels like a better way to start ending Jadzia’s plotline.

And uh... Sisko’s. I’ll come right out and say it. I’m still not interested in the Bajoran Wraith cult. We’ve gone down some rabbit whole here that I suspect we don’t recover from. It’s not mysterious to me, it’s just weird, in a not great way. Like a really uncomfortable way. But uh... I guess we’re doing this. That’s all I’ve got. I’m nervous I won’t like Ezri but I started the next episode and I honestly kind of love her already. And to end on a positive Sisko note, I love how easily he adapts to new Daxs. She’s still Dax. She still has Curzon. But we’ll talk about that more in the next blog!