11
2009
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
– BEGIN NERDY STAR TREK TALK –
Zoe and I have been watching Deep Space Nine lately, after someone told us “it gets better in the later seasons”. While we have mixed feelings about the show so far, we keep watching it.
What we don’t like about Deep Space Nine
The number one pet peeve about Deep Space Nine that we have is that all aliens, even during “first contact”, speak English! This just does not make sense. I can accept the all aliens look mostly like humans, except with unique facial features, and that all aliens are at the same level of technological advance, but c’mon people. Not even all Earthlings speak English.
The number two pet peeve is the intro sequence. It is about four minutes too long, and SO boring!
What we like about Deep Space Nine
Star Trek is filled with all kinds of issues of racism, er, specism, especially Deep Space Nine, which sparks a lot of ethical discussion. The Ferengi and the Humans don’t get along very well, especially since it is common and expected among the Ferengi to stab one another in the back for the smallest amount of profit.
How can you treat someone equal when they will not think twice about throwing you out the airlock for a penny?
The most interesting thing about Deep Space Nine is that the show gradually begins to explore different races, or factions, among a species. The idea that an entire planet believes the same thing and follows one leader isn’t very believable.
DS9 starts to explore civil wars on Bajor, after an occupation by the ancient-Roman-like Cardassians. After ousting the evil Cardassians, the Bajorans turn to fighting amongst each other over power over the people.
What do you think? We know that racism is bad – does that extend to alien species, like the Ferengi?
- gav
You really have to fix your RSS feed… all of the links go to zoeandgavin.com/feed/atom.
No they don’t, it is called a universal translator. They only speak English because of that.
“The idea that an entire planet believes the same thing and follows one leader isn’t very believable.”
Why not? Isn’t that the goal? A global society so that we can put aside petty bickering and further society as a whole?
I don’t think it’s that all aliens speak English, but that the universal translator lets them understand each other.
(I seem to know way too much about Star Trek… 
But what doesn’t make sense to me about the universal translator is why Chekov (?) had a Russian accent in the original series.
@Jennifer The UTs were hand held in the original series, as well as there would not really be any point to translating his English into English
The universal translator doesn’t always get it right. The Tamarian and the Skrreeans language didn’t process well. A little latter in DS9 they clue you into the translators being implants in the ear.