Best Star Trek characters

[IanSmithCSE]

Good morning,

I propose Quark from DS9.

It is easy to see him as a novelty character like Chekov (TOS), Neelix (Voyager), Dr Phlox (Ent) or Tilly (Disco) but generally he is a strong anti-federation viewpoint character.

The Ferengi were completely OTT in TNG and I may be biased by the Battlestar reboot and giving Ronald Moore too much influence, but DS9 strikes me as trying to go further than the studio would allow.

In the episode Blood Oath Jadzia a non human federation officer, leaves her post to go off with three Klingons with the sole intention of killing someone. The story was clear that she was going whether leave was granted or not and then the story writers lost their nerve and she didn't kill the bad guy, one of the Klingons did while she was deciding what to do. The episode was also unclear if she killed any of the bad guy's security guards, although the Klingons did.

Then she went back to DS9, got some glares and it was all forgotten by the next episode.

DS9 also had the Bajoran religion having genuine validity, The Prophets/Wormhole Aliens did exist.

So if you allow for some comedic elements to get the character past censorship at the studio, Quark along with O'Brian and Keiko bring quite a lot to think about.

Nog has also been mentioned but again the show seemed nervous about the idea of his arc, they had him abandon his culture to prove that the Federation Way is better than the Ferengi way and when injured in war his injuries weren't that life altering. After a few episodes which seemed as much as about establishing the self aware hologram, Vic, things were back to normal. Had Nog "died well" then the arc would have been much stronger, instead we got the storyline of lots of federation casualties but they were all unknown.

Garak also has a non-federation world view and is a fun character but fails for me because he is another invincible action hero.

Bye

Ian

 

[captain nemo1701]

Dorothy Fontana, one of the 'TNG' writers states here (about 14/ of way down)
https://ew.com/article/2007/09/25/star-trek-tng-oral-history/

A friend of mine since 1987 who worked on the show - Richard Arnold (sadly passed away last month) - once said that a whole slew of jokey ideas were bandied about at script meetings ,but none really had any traction so it was probably a wind-up. May have originated from the 'Eccentrica Gallumbitz triple-breasted whore of Eroticon 3' gag from the Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy.

 

[Edwardoka]

Good morning,

I propose Quark from DS9.

It is easy to see him as a novelty character like Chekov (TOS), Neelix (Voyager), Dr Phlox (Ent) or Tilly (Disco) but generally he is a strong anti-federation viewpoint character.

The Ferengi were completely OTT in TNG and I may be biased by the Battlestar reboot and giving Ronald Moore too much influence, but DS9 strikes me as trying to go further than the studio would allow.

In the episode Blood Oath Jadzia a non human federation officer, leaves her post to go off with three Klingons with the sole intention of killing someone. The story was clear that she was going whether leave was granted or not and then the story writers lost their nerve and she didn't kill the bad guy, one of the Klingons did while she was deciding what to do. The episode was also unclear if she killed any of the bad guy's security guards, although the Klingons did.

Then she went back to DS9, got some glares and it was all forgotten by the next episode.

DS9 also had the Bajoran religion having genuine validity, The Prophets/Wormhole Aliens did exist.

So if you allow for some comedic elements to get the character past censorship at the studio, Quark along with O'Brian and Keiko bring quite a lot to think about.

Nog has also been mentioned but again the show seemed nervous about the idea of his arc, they had him abandon his culture to prove that the Federation Way is better than the Ferengi way and when injured in war his injuries weren't that life altering. After a few episodes which seemed as much as about establishing the self aware hologram, Vic, things were back to normal. Had Nog "died well" then the arc would have been much stronger, instead we got the storyline of lots of federation casualties but they were all unknown.

Garak also has a non-federation world view and is a fun character but fails for me because he is another invincible action hero.

Bye

Ian

A lot of good points, DS9 was certainly a bit braver and bolder than any other TNG-era Trek, but as you say, it sometimes felt like it pulled its punches.

However, you haven't actually given any reason for Quark's elevation to best characterhood. I like him, the chemistry he had with Odo was excellent, particularly considering the amount of prosthetics they both had to wear, and the changes in Quark and Rom, and more broadly in Ferengi society that come from long-term contact with the Federation and its allies are subtle and well-done.

However, Quark comes with issues that disqualify him for me - Quark-centred episodes invariably involve Moogie, Grand Nagus Jar-Jar or Brunt, FCA - all of whom I find to be very annoying with very little in the way of redeeming features or interesting stories.

Moogie is to DS9 what Lwaxana Troi is to TNG (whereas Lwaxana in DS9 is a vastly more enjoyable and nuanced character than she was in TNG).

Edit to add: O'Brien? Comedic? He was practically a study in the effects of PTSD after everything he went through.

 

[matticus]

A friend of mine since 1987 who worked on the show - Richard Arnold (sadly passed away last month) - once said that a whole slew of jokey ideas were bandied about at script meetings ,but none really had any traction so it was probably a wind-up. May have originated from the 'Eccentrica Gallumbitz triple-breasted whore of Eroticon 3' gag from the Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy.

I think there was something similar in Total Recall 1990 (definitely not a joke).