S06.E05: Favor the Bold

[John Potts]

Quote

 

Sisko mounts an attack to re-take DS9, while Rom faces charges as an enemy of the Dominion state.

 

Now I'm no Strategist, but it always seemed a dubious decision on the part of Starfleet to retreat from DS9 and attack a shipyard instead. Now, months later, it seems Starfleet has finally realised that... it was a dumb decision to give up DS9. We are repeatedly told that if the Dominion can bring reinforcements in from the Gamma Quadrant, our heroes are screwed, so they absolutely have to keep the minefield up. And if that's not bad enough, the minefield was Rom's idea and Starfleet just planned on leaving the wormhole open. Sometimes I wonder what happens to officers that get promoted to the Admiralty...

There were some nice interactions on DS9 (well, Terok Nor) - as a Jeffrey Coombs fan I loved his interactions with both the Founder (it's great seeing him being so self satisfied with how close he was to the Founder, only for her to cut him down to size - and then him lording it over Gul Dukat over how he was obsessed with irrelevant matters "Good ears, Bad eyes"). Also like seeing Quark being heroic - I'm sure he'd justify it by the Rules of Acquisition, but he was sticking his neck out one hell of a lot further than you would expect from a purely mercenary character.

Now, on to the Sacrifice of Angels!

[readster]

The problem that started on TNG to Voyager was how the hell any of these people ever became Admirals or the fact they wanted to put it as: "They have been behind a desk too long." Do soldiers of old lose who they are to boracay and laziness? Oh sure, it happens. However, I remember watching the various Star Trek's in the 90s and went: "Do any of these admirals know anything?" Seem like it was: "Hey, you should be promoted, here be an admiral." "Duh... OK, me in charge now!" 

[legaleagle53]

10 minutes ago, readster said:

The problem that started on TNG to Voyager was how the hell any of these people ever became Admirals or the fact they wanted to put it as: "They have been behind a desk too long." Do soldiers of old lose who they are to boracay and laziness? Oh sure, it happens. However, I remember watching the various Star Trek's in the 90s and went: "Do any of these admirals know anything?" Seem like it was: "Hey, you should be promoted, here be an admiral." "Duh... OK, me in charge now!" 

Now you know why in Star Trek: Generations, Admiral Kirk warned Captain Picard not to let Starfleet Command promote him.

[readster]

9 hours ago, legaleagle53 said:

Now you know why in Star Trek: Generations, Admiral Kirk warned Captain Picard not to let Starfleet Command promote him.

Which is funny both in Star Trek the Motion Picture and last year with Star Trek Beyond. How both versions of Kirk thought about taking a desk job as Admiral and then realized it was a mistake. Because as Kirk Prime said: "When you are in that seat you make a difference." Sadly, what Admiral did we ever see do that? Hell, back in the original series when Commodores were shown, they were like: "Duh, what me do?" Apparently going to rank 5 and 6 meant your brain left you. 

[legaleagle53]

13 hours ago, readster said:

Which is funny both in Star Trek the Motion Picture and last year with Star Trek Beyond. How both versions of Kirk thought about taking a desk job as Admiral and then realized it was a mistake. Because as Kirk Prime said: "When you are in that seat you make a difference." Sadly, what Admiral did we ever see do that? Hell, back in the original series when Commodores were shown, they were like: "Duh, what me do?" Apparently going to rank 5 and 6 meant your brain left you. 

I'd say that Admiral Ross was an exception to that rule.  He genuinely seemed to get how difficult it was for Sisko to maintain his objectivity towards the Bajorans while at the same time fulfilling his role as the Emissary, especially when Sisko had those visions warning Bajor that if it joined the Federation at that time, a "plague of locusts" would destroy the planet.  Ross reluctantly supported Sisko in sounding the warning, even though at that time everyone else was in full favor of admitting Bajor to the Federation.  As it turned out, Sisko was right -- if Bajor had joined the Federation before the Dominion War started, it would have been the first direct target and casualty of the Founders, the Vortas, and the Jem'Hadar.  By staying OUT of the Federation, it avoided becoming a target in the war, and the "plague of locusts" bypassed it altogether and attacked Cardassia Prime instead, as Sisko had also predicted.

Edited June 17, 2017 by legaleagle53

[readster]

10 hours ago, legaleagle53 said:

I'd say that Admiral Ross was an exception to that rule.  He genuinely seemed to get how difficult it was for Sisko to maintain his objectivity towards the Bajorans while at the same time fulfilling his role as the Emissary, especially when Sisko had those visions warning Bajor that if it joined the Federation at that time, a "plague of locusts" would destroy the planet.  Ross reluctantly supported Sisko in sounding the warning, even though at that time everyone else was in full favor of admitting Bajor to the Federation.  As it turned out, Sisko was right -- if Bajor had joined the Federation before the Dominion War started, it would have been the first direct target and casualty of the Founders, the Vortas, and the Jem'Hadar.  By staying OUT of the Federation, it avoided becoming a target in the war, and the "plague of locusts" bypassed it altogether and attacked Cardassia Prime instead, as Sisko had also predicted.

I will agree, Ross was pretty confident. I even like how he said: "I never liked this Emissary Role" yet he realized why it was so important. 

[blueray]

I like how they developed Ross. The difference between him and other random admirals we see, is that he was a recurring character. The few I can think of are only in one episode or in a two parter. Basically serve as the baccaratic person who doesn't understand or remember how it really is and really only there to have conflict. DS9 allowed Ross to get developed more and for him to see where Sisko is coming from, as well as the allow the audience to care what he says. Also he seemed a lot more confident in his job than others.

Edited June 17, 2017 by blueray

[John Potts]

That was one thing I liked about Sisko - he wanted to become an Admiral. It's a reoccurring complaint from Trek Captains about  Admiralty "not understanding" what it's like at the frontier, but they want to avoid actually doing the one thing that might actually change things and join the Admiralty (except Janeway). They seem to act like classic pampered teenager - chafing at authority but not actually claiming responsibility themselves!

[readster]

3 minutes ago, John Potts said:

That was one thing I liked about Sisko - he wanted to become an Admiral. It's a reoccurring complaint from Trek Captains about  Admiralty "not understanding" what it's like at the frontier, but they want to avoid actually doing the one thing that might actually change things and join the Admiralty (except Janeway). They seem to act like classic pampered teenager - chafing at authority but not actually claiming responsibility themselves!

Yep and something Sisko didn't want, he wanted to be the change, be in charge and make things better for everyone. Instead, he and even Picard were shown "desk 24th century TV suits" who had a one track mine and hated if they had to do anything or remembered what it was like when they were Captains to begin with. I remember in the original series with the Commandant how Kirk had said: "You forgot what it's like to be in that chair. How?" 

[starri]

"Don't let them promote you, don't let them transfer you..."