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Prefect of Bajor
Aug. 18th, 2012 12:13 amBeen rewatching some early Deep Space Nine episodes, and I think I’m coming to grips with why I never warmed to Sisko the way I did to Picard or Janeway.
Now, DS9 did make an effort to break away from TNG’s model of Starfleet and the Federation as always right, and a lot of early episodes are focused on the justifiable tensions between Sisko and Kira. On the other hand, I’m not sure the writers intended to so completely take Kira’s side, yet I’m struggling to think of an episode where I found Sisko’s position more sympathetic than Kira’s. If anything, I find myself sympathising more with the Bajoran extremists than anyone in the regular cast.
The problem, to me at least, is that Sisko begins the show not actually wanting to be at Bajor, and when he does decide to stay, it’s because of a connection he’s made with the Prophets, not the people of Bajor themselves. As the show went on, it tried to show him developing a connection to Bajor – but that initial perception I had of him, as a guy who doesn’t really want to be there, who doesn’t really care for the Bajoran people, and who is only there to carry out his duty to the Federation, really coloured my opinion of him.
After all, the Federation’s involvement in Bajor is deeply questionable – the Bajoran nationalists are right, the Federation wants Bajor as a member, they actively oppose Bajoran independence. Deep Space Nine itself is a deeply weird situation; the idea of what’s effectively Bajor’s main port operating under Federation administration and, seemingly, Federation law, calls to mind the Unequal Treaties and colonialism in Asia, not any sort of relationship based on mutual respect.
Now granted, Sisko does end up opposing Bajoran membership in the Federation – but only, again, because of his relationship to the Prophets, not as part of any sort of dialogue with the Bajoran people. Sisko’s relationship towards Bajor always seemed to be far more about his relationship to the Prophets – and their relationship to the Bajorans was always strictly one-sided. The Bajorans might worship them, but the Prophets had no real connection or, it sometimes seemed, interest in Bajorans in return.
The funny thing is, I’m not actually that fond of the Bajorans myself – but something about the way Sisko in the early episodes was always the one who had to dismiss their justifiable concerns about Federation influence to create conflict with Kira really rubbed me the wrong way, and continued to colour my impression of the character for the rest of the series.
Now, DS9 did make an effort to break away from TNG’s model of Starfleet and the Federation as always right, and a lot of early episodes are focused on the justifiable tensions between Sisko and Kira. On the other hand, I’m not sure the writers intended to so completely take Kira’s side, yet I’m struggling to think of an episode where I found Sisko’s position more sympathetic than Kira’s. If anything, I find myself sympathising more with the Bajoran extremists than anyone in the regular cast.
The problem, to me at least, is that Sisko begins the show not actually wanting to be at Bajor, and when he does decide to stay, it’s because of a connection he’s made with the Prophets, not the people of Bajor themselves. As the show went on, it tried to show him developing a connection to Bajor – but that initial perception I had of him, as a guy who doesn’t really want to be there, who doesn’t really care for the Bajoran people, and who is only there to carry out his duty to the Federation, really coloured my opinion of him.
After all, the Federation’s involvement in Bajor is deeply questionable – the Bajoran nationalists are right, the Federation wants Bajor as a member, they actively oppose Bajoran independence. Deep Space Nine itself is a deeply weird situation; the idea of what’s effectively Bajor’s main port operating under Federation administration and, seemingly, Federation law, calls to mind the Unequal Treaties and colonialism in Asia, not any sort of relationship based on mutual respect.
Now granted, Sisko does end up opposing Bajoran membership in the Federation – but only, again, because of his relationship to the Prophets, not as part of any sort of dialogue with the Bajoran people. Sisko’s relationship towards Bajor always seemed to be far more about his relationship to the Prophets – and their relationship to the Bajorans was always strictly one-sided. The Bajorans might worship them, but the Prophets had no real connection or, it sometimes seemed, interest in Bajorans in return.
The funny thing is, I’m not actually that fond of the Bajorans myself – but something about the way Sisko in the early episodes was always the one who had to dismiss their justifiable concerns about Federation influence to create conflict with Kira really rubbed me the wrong way, and continued to colour my impression of the character for the rest of the series.