My problem with that relationship was that it came out of the blue. They had started the set-up of the relationship a few episodes earlier, in the episode (“Human Error”) where Seven was experimenting with her humanity on the holodeck. And so she sort of fell in love with Chakotay there. They said something like her could never have these sorts of relationships because she would die, or whatever. The next episode that we shot after that (“Natural Law”), Seven and Chakotay were stranded on some planet together. We specifically asked the producers – Robert and I – “Now, are we going to play this? Is this going to go somewhere? Because, obviously, we’d need to carry something over from…” And they said, “No, no, no, no! Absolutely not. Don’t play any of that. Nothing’s going to happen.”

So, after that one episode we never played any sort of attraction or anything between the two characters. And then, out of the blue, all of a sudden, they’re dating (in “Endgame”). That was a little annoying, especially when you’ve specifically asked about it and they said, “No, absolutely not.” Then, suddenly they’re in love. That was a little… It’s one of the frustrations of network television. And it’s how you learn, also. You have to try to be the babysitter and the protector of your character.

–Jeri Ryan, as per this interview

[this-is-not-jewish]

For those who aren’t Trekkies, these screengrabs come from the Star Trek: TOS episode “Patterns of Force,” in which the Enterprise encounters a Nazi planet (not simply modeled on the Nazis, but actually Nazi—swastikas, Fuhrer and all).

This line makes me chuckle, but at the same time I’ve always wondered just how much trouble William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy (both Jewish) had getting into those uniforms. They were both 14 when the Holocaust ended—old enough to really “get” both the horror of the Holocaust itself and the devastating, direct aftereffects it had on the American Jewish community. My mother once told me she was shocked that Hebrew Schools spend so much time on the Holocaust these days, because in her childhood (she became a bat mitzvah the year after this episode aired) the Holocaust was NEVER spoken about—you would regularly see people with tattooed arms or spend time with other kids with practically no extended family, but you just didn’t ask. It was too raw, too recent, too big.

And then, right in the middle of all that silence, Star Trek did an episode about Nazis.

How did Shatner, a blonde Jew, feel about being the subject of the line “You should make a very convincing Nazi” (played for laughs)? How did Nimoy feel about the scene where a Nazi “expert” examines him and rattles off a list of physical descriptions of him as proof that his character is an inferior race (also played for laughs)? How did they feel about having to put on those uniforms? How did they feel about the episode ending with the typical “everyone is chuckling on the bridge, now go to warp” conclusion? How did they feel about Star Trek even trying to tackle the Holocaust, so soon after it ended?

I have never seen an interview with either actor where anyone asked them about this episode. I have never read an article about the Jewish influence on the series (and there are many, many such articles—not only were Shatner and Nimoy Jewish, so were many of the writers) that discusses this episode. And that bothers me. Yes, I found the episode hugely problematic, and it is not one of Star Trek’s finest plotlines by any stretch—but for all its flaws, this episode has stuck with me more than most, precisely because I have so many questions. So when Trekkies/Trekkers dismiss this episode mockingly as just “that Nazi Planet episode,” it bothers me. Because there is so, so much more going on than that.

I don’t know what the point to this rant is, but when I saw this on my dash, I had to write it. Take it as you will.

[hesdeadjim]

I’m so glad I’m not the only one who thought this…ntm there was some comment about Spock’s appearance in this episode that REALLY bothered me because while it’s fine and dandy to say that Spock is Vulcan…LEONARD NIMOY IS NOT. 

Stick-thin, Alexander Siddig, Tareq, Dr. Bashir on the “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” series, towered in a custom-made suit by the Brit designer Ozwald Boateng. “With a body like mine, a suit has got to be custom-made,” he told Luxist.

http://www.luxist.com/2010/07/30/rsvip-patricia-clarkson-in-cairo-time/ (via deeply-spaced)

tinsnip.tumblr.com

Tinsnip: DS9 S5E22 Children of Time

[tinsnip]

Let’s talk about DS9~~~

Okay, this was a strange one. I was actually putting off watching this episode, because when I saw it about 10 years ago, the Odo/Kira feels were devastating, and I didn’t want to deal with it again.

And this time around, older Odo deeply weirds me out and makes me…

[aceofwands]

I think you really summed up what was so interesting about Odo’s character. That conflict between the person he thinks he is - based on the people he’s gotten to know ‘growing up’ on DS9 - and his inherent Changeling/Founder nature. And, not that I realised this while watching it, but now that I think about it, this moment really sets up a lot of Season 6 in terms of his story arc. We really see him struggle with his whole identity.

And after having seen that struggle and getting to know the Founders more (in seasons 6 and 7), this moment really makes sense to me, because I feel like, without Kira’s influence, and the other friends he’s made on DS9, he COULD become that person. I wonder if that’s what the writers intended all along, because if so I completely missed it before!

Hmmm, how fascinating!

[tinsnip]

Ah, that is fascinating! I bet you’re on to something there. There is a part of Odo’s mental makeup that does trend back towards rigidity, to knowing what’s best for people because they can’t be trusted to make their own decisions, to watching out for people even when the people don’t want him to. That does sound very Founder!

It’s always been sort of teased at. Odo watching Quark on secret channels, Odo saying screw the reports, Odo getting yanked as sole head of security because he doesn’t respect the chain of command - he knows what’s best, and why are people always distracting him with their ideas of what’s right? “Rules change, but justice is justice.” If they would just let Odo make the rules, then the rules would never change again.

Brrrrrrrrr!

(so much fun to have people to talk about DS9 with - thanks!)

[kimcardassian]

i mean none of this is actually new information when you watch the show but damn i didn’t know it was an established Thing

i guess that really does explain the scene at the end of all good things where q is going on about humanity’s true destiny and picard is like “what” and q leans in and almost whispers into picard’s ear but then changes his mind

huh

[tinsnip]

Fuck right off. That’s great!

[deannatroiss]

Pre-Series Screen Tests for Deanna Troi

[tinsnip]

You know what, I unironically like this. It’s weird and a bit off-putting, and that might have been kind of cool for TNG.