Closing Klingon War chapter to get back to 'Cardassians and Bajorans'

[Navaros]

The Klingon plotline was important to the writers. "We were in the process of realizing how we could change the situation with the Klingons, and essentially bring an end to the Klingon war," says Echevarria. "We wanted to close the chapter on it and get back to what the franchise had been, which was Cardassians and Bajorans. It hadn't occurred to us yet to ask the question, 'What if the Cardassians had joined the Dominion?'"

That's a quotation from the DS9 Companion, talking about what the writers were thinking towards the end of S4 and start of S5.

I was never a huge fan of turning Season 4 into a pointless Klingon war that fizzles out into nothing, but I can see how the writers were hamstringed into doing that by TPTB inserting Worf into the show to boost ratings.

However, despite me not being a huge fan of the Klingon war, I certainly like it a lot more than hearing Bajorans whine about the occupation and/or tell me for the 10 millionth time how the Prophets are gods who always guide them.

In other words, although the Klingon war wasn't spectacular, it was still an improvement over what Echevarria was getting at when he says the show was about "Cardassians and Bajorans".

The truly great episodes of DS9 prior to the Klingon war were character studies, not Bajoran stories. Bajoran stories were in fact IMO a step backwards in quality from the character study episodes that were irrelevant to Bajorans (ie: The Wire, Necessary Evil).

I used to think that it's a shame that DS9 writers wasted Season 4 on a pointless Klingon war, but after reading the Echevarria quotation it made me reconsider. It looks like they may have reverted to back to a lot of lackluster S1 and S2 style Bajoran stories in S4 if TPTB didn't interfere by adding Worf. With that in mind, I'm glad they did a pointless Klingon war instead.

It is also a blessing that they realized to make Cardassia join the Dominion in Season 5 because that too prevented them from reverting back to lackluster S1 and S2 Bajoran stories.

In this thread I am asking you what you prefer: the Klingon war, or S1 and S2 style Bajoran stories?

 

[Thor Damar]

Re: Closing Klingon War chapter to get back to 'Cardassians and Bajora

I would say that I preferred the Klingons go insane storylines (AKA the Klingon war) mostly because of the dramatic possibilities that it presented.

I did not like the neutering of the Cardassian Empire, but that's just my personal opinion.

 

[JustKate]

Re: Closing Klingon War chapter to get back to 'Cardassians and Bajora

I liked some of the Klingon episodes, but...

But I think the interaction between the Federation, Bajorans and the Cardassian Union was what gave DS9 its...edge. It's grittiness. Klingons are just Klingons, you know?

 

[Thor Damar]

Re: Closing Klingon War chapter to get back to 'Cardassians and Bajora

I liked some of the Klingon episodes, but...

But I think the interaction between the Federation, Bajorans and the Cardassian Union was what gave DS9 its...edge. It's grittiness. Klingons are just Klingons, you know?

True but they did make excellent Dominion puppets which gave us the excellent 'Cardassia joining the Dominion' storyline.

 

[JustKate]

Re: Closing Klingon War chapter to get back to 'Cardassians and Bajora

I know - and yay for that! But they didn't need most of a season to achieve that, IMO.

 

[Thor Damar]

Re: Closing Klingon War chapter to get back to 'Cardassians and Bajora

I'm in complete agreement with you on this, besides if I had to hear one more of Worf's 'we Klingons aren't good at peace' speeches it would have been too soon.

Damn fool didn't know the first thing about how to monologue correctly.

 

[JustKate]

Re: Closing Klingon War chapter to get back to 'Cardassians and Bajora

It's a very specialized talent.

 

[Vulcan Princess]

Re: Closing Klingon War chapter to get back to 'Cardassians and Bajora

I prefer the Bajoran and Cardassian stories, as well as the Maquis stories. The Section 31 stories and the Romulan stories were great as well. Klingons seem a bit dull to me, blathering about honor like a broken record.

 

[PorthosShadow]

Re: Closing Klingon War chapter to get back to 'Cardassians and Bajora

I don't believe that the brief war with The Federation was a waste of time. It did several things, plot wise.

1. It did distract and temporarly weaken two major powers in the alpha quadrant.

2. It was a constant reminder that the threat the Dominion represented wasn't going anywhere and would have to be dealt with one way or another.

3. It further weakened Cardassia and make them more desperate, a desperation that ultimately pushed them into making a deal with The Dominion.

4. It led to the elimination of The Maqui which I suppose could have been interesting as a futher story line but it was put out its misery quickly.

5. Finally, in the end what was left of Cardassia became the prime example of just how bad The Dominion could really be. I think really they were made an example of in the show because Earth, Bajor, Kronos, ect.. could never fall, thats just not Star Trek.

 

[PSGarak]

Re: Closing Klingon War chapter to get back to 'Cardassians and Bajora

5. Finally, in the end what was left of Cardassia became the prime example of just how bad The Dominion could really be. I think really they were made an example of in the show because Earth, Bajor, Kronos, ect.. could never fall, thats just not Star Trek.

I agree, but sadly, I see that as an inherent weakness with Trek, not a strength. I found it a little too convenient that the big, bad Cardassians, an obvious analogue to various historical Earth totalitarian governments, got so completely neutered in the end. I think there were a lot of missed storytelling opportunities taking it in that direction. I also think that what they did to Gul Dukat, basically just because Alaimo was so successful at portraying him in a more nuanced way than they intended, was a travesty.

Having said that, I understand why they made the decisions they did about the Klingons and how it served the overall arc of the story. I'm one of the ones who find the Klingons a bit dull in comparison to the more subtle races such as the Romulans and the Cardassians. The Bajorans bring me close to tears with boredom, though. The only thing that tips me toward Bajoran driven stories is the underlying subtext of the Cardassian involvement.

I have no trouble rooting for the bad guy if the bad guy does what he does well and has more motive than just, "Blarg! I'm eeeeeviiiillllll!"

 

[Navaros]

Re: Closing Klingon War chapter to get back to 'Cardassians and Bajora

Klingons seem a bit dull to me, blathering about honor like a broken record.

True, they certainly do. But although extremely annoying, that IMO is still less annoying than Bajorans constantly blathering on about the occupation, the prophets, and the Emissary.

 

[DevilEyes]

Re: Closing Klingon War chapter to get back to 'Cardassians and Bajora

Klingons seem a bit dull to me, blathering about honor like a broken record.

True, they certainly do. But although extremely annoying, that IMO is still less annoying than Bajorans constantly blathering on about the occupation, the prophets, and the Emissary.

Except that occupation is a very real thing that happened to them and lasted for 60 years and that they very much felt - by losing their family members, being starved and mistreated, seeing people killed, etc., and you bet you'd be talking about it if you grew up under those circumstances.

Whereas Klingon 'honor' is a catchphrase that the Klingon use to justify everything they do. I've had enough of warmongering hypocrites talking about honor and courage in RL, thank you very much, I don't need to watch them in fiction, too.

 

[Anwar]

Re: Closing Klingon War chapter to get back to 'Cardassians and Bajora

It worked out for me. It fit perfectly with what Lovok said at the end of "Die is Cast" over how the Feds and Klingons were the only forces left in the Dominion's way. Thus something to weaken them both (a war) would fit perfectly as a Dominion plot.

Plus it gave a good reason to get rid of the Maquis and have the Cardassians join the Dominion.

 

[Jono]

Re: Closing Klingon War chapter to get back to 'Cardassians and Bajora

I enjoyed the extra dimension the Klingon Empire added to the scene, it really started to feel like the Dominion and the threat they posed was not just one that would worry Deep Space 9 or the Federation but something that was shaking up the entire quadrant. Plus it was good to see the Cardassians put in their place; when you play with the big dogs you have to be prepared to get mauled.

 

[Too Much Fun]

Re: Closing Klingon War chapter to get back to 'Cardassians and Bajora

However, despite me not being a huge fan of the Klingon war, I certainly like it a lot more than hearing Bajorans whine about the occupation and/or tell me for the 10 millionth time how the Prophets are gods who always guide them.

In other words, although the Klingon war wasn't spectacular, it was still an improvement over what Echevarria was getting at when he says the show was about "Cardassians and Bajorans".

The truly great episodes of DS9 prior to the Klingon war were character studies, not Bajoran stories. Bajoran stories were in fact IMO a step backwards in quality from the character study episodes that were irrelevant to Bajorans (ie: The Wire, Necessary Evil).

It looks like they may have reverted to back to a lot of lackluster S1 and S2 style Bajoran stories in S4 if TPTB didn't interfere by adding Worf. With that in mind, I'm glad they did a pointless Klingon war instead.

It is also a blessing that they realized to make Cardassia join the Dominion in Season 5 because that too prevented them from reverting back to lackluster S1 and S2 Bajoran stories.

I couldn't agree more, except with your criticism of the Klingon war arc. I don't think the war was pointless. I think it gave us a fresh perspective into Klingon culture and the volatility of the relationship between the Federation and Klingon Empire, which had not been explored as thoughtfully in a long time at that point. I loved that storyline and I think it's one of the reasons season 4 is my favourite season overall. Those Bajoran stories killed the series for me every time they were its focus, and I still find much of the first two seasons unwatchable because of them.

But then, these are just my biases. I've always been partial to Klingon-centric episodes. I could almost always rely on the episodes that focused on Klingons in TNG to be highlights of their respective seasons, which I believe is for the most part because of Ronald D. Moore's involvement in them. I also don't think the Cardassians ever really got interesting until they had the Dominion to play off (aside from a few cool Garak moments and the deliciously twisted triangle between Dukat, Kira, and Ziyal).

 

[Anwar]

Re: Closing Klingon War chapter to get back to 'Cardassians and Bajora

And it served to remind us that DS9 was not some closed-off bubble series, it involved the entire Trekverse and should not have just focused on the Cardassians as the only major AQ race involved.

 

[Kira Nerys]

Re: Closing Klingon War chapter to get back to 'Cardassians and Bajora

I prefer the bajoran stories with the trouble with the Feds,had more of a stronger backstory if they had choosen to pursue it.

 

[Robert Treat]

Re: Closing Klingon War chapter to get back to 'Cardassians and Bajora

If the Romulans, Klingons, Cardassians, Dominion and Maquis wanted to slug it out amongst themelves, I would have just let them. Maybe we could have had Brunt make a business deal with Weyoun.

 

[PSGarak]

Re: Closing Klingon War chapter to get back to 'Cardassians and Bajora

If the Romulans, Klingons, Cardassians, Dominion and Maquis wanted to slug it out amongst themelves, I would have just let them. Maybe we could have had Brunt make a business deal with Weyoun.

The problem with that is that whoever wound up victorious, or whoever wound up forming the most powerful alliance would then turn around and be a major threat to the security of the rest of the quadrant. The Dominion was a fire that needed to be stomped out as quickly as possible before it spread. No telling what they would have done with their advanced cloning and breeding programs once they had Cardassian, Klingon, and Romulan DNA to play with. Keep in mind that over time, they managed to dominate almost all of the Gamma Quadrant even after being persecuted and driven out of a lot of systems. I have no doubt the Alpha Quadrant would have eventually suffered the same fate had they been allowed to form a major stronghold.

 

[Anika Hanson]

Re: Closing Klingon War chapter to get back to 'Cardassians and Bajora

I prefered the Klingon stories. The Bajorans as a whole never really interested me. In fact I prefered it more from the Cardassian angle, they seemed more interesting as a race and their politics were more dynamic and engaging for me.

I always found the Klingon's to be an interesting race, prehaps one of the most in Trek, hence the interest in their stories.