Review: Thoughts on 3 Star Trek TV series

About two years ago I decided to rewatch each Star Trek series in the order it came. I first watched the old series (OS), then Next Generation (NG), then Deep Space 9 (DS9).

Yes, I’ve seen them all before but hadn’t watched them with the depth I gave it this time. Here are some of my after thoughts…

The OS is in a league not to mention era of its own. It only lasted three seasons but that was apparently enough to spawn everything else. I cannot say much except its a classic and the themes covered in each episode had tremendous depth. Cheesy effects or the occasional middle of the line dialogue didn’t detract from my reception, as the stories made up for it most of the time. Characters I was most fond of: Kirk, Spock and McCoy.

When I first watched NG I remember being fascinated with the new Star Trek. It definitely took some getting used to but I was only in my early teens so I didn’t think that much about it. Nevertheless, this time around I found it extremely enjoyable, at least when the focus wasn’t on Doctor Crusher, Counselor Troy and occasionally the mild mannered engineer Geordi. There were some great stories and what I liked most overall was the character development that seven seasons allows.

What baffled me the most, though, was Commander Riker who’s such an odd ball. He’s like the perpetual student in command the whole way through and I’m not saying he doesn’t shine. He had some important moments that the lives of each character depended on. Don’t get me wrong; actor Jonathan Frakes is a trooper and and directed some fantastic Star Trek episodes. Riker is just so not here and not there, and cautious. A real enigma. But I guess that’s what makes a good captain; you have to be alert for the whole crew including the captain.

Most fond of characters: Picard, Data, Worf.

Now onto DS9. There’s so much to say but in brief it goes like this:

With such endearment to Kirk and Spock and my friends in NG I can’t believe I’m actually going to say it but this series beats all the others including Voyager and Enterprise in character development. Also, the number of characters that matured over the course of each season was truly remarkable. Furthermore, the secondary characters which took on sometimes major character roles in so many episodes was surprising.  Gal Dukat? Garak? The Ferengi, the Founders and their cohorts? Amazing. And it worked.

At first I was so annoyed with Major Kira’s winning, Jake Sisko, and Miles O’Brien and Keiko, and Doctor Bashir. Eventually that changed because the characters changed but in a natural kind of way. It wasn’t like Captain Sisko’s hair clinic where he went bald over a few episodes.

Meanwhile, I thought the later addition of Warf was brilliant. He brought the Klingons so much closer to home and I don’t really care if the reason for his presence was better ratings. Also, it’s too bad Terry Farrell couldn’t hold on for one more season as Jadzia Dax but alls well that ends well, I guess. Still she met a ridiculous death. It could have been much more heroic but then we wouldn’t have had Worf barely getting himself killed helping Jadzia reach the Kilngon afterlife, Sto’Vo’Kor.

Characters I was most fond of: Captain Benjamin Sisko, Odo, Quark, Warf and the later Major Kira.