fatalism-and-villainy

[fatalism-and-villainy]

Another thing about The Search is that part 1 features a minor ethical conflict between Bashir and Sisko, namely Sisko giving the order to leave the landing party behind at the Dominion outpost while they’re being attacked by the Jem’hadar and Bashir vehemently objecting to it. Once they’ve escaped, he presses Sisko as to what’ll happen to Dax and O’Brien, and Sisko acknowledges they’ll be interrogated, but keeps himself determinedly focused on the mission. But it’s clear from his face that it physically pains him to have to give the order to abandon them.

This is, I think, a running thread between Sisko and Bashir - Bashir embodies for Sisko a system of morality that prioritizes regard for life above all else. It’s one that Bashir’s position allows him to uphold relatively uncomplicatedly (though of course it becomes less so given what his experiences with Section 31 push him into), whereas the burden of command requires Sisko to make more pragmatic decisions. (This also applies to Sisko being bound by the rules of diplomacy - Bashir is able to be direct with Winn and call her a coward to her face, when Sisko could never do so. Same with Dukat.)

In retrospect this particular interaction functions as a setup for In the Pale Moonlight, in which it’s Bashir who objects to Sisko potentially creating collateral damage in his machinations. And that wouldn’t have the same effect if it were a cast member other than Bashir.

[fatalism-and-villainy]

Day 26 of squab september!

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What do the DS9 crew call each other?

Season One Observations:

Sisko:

Is most likely to introduce himself as "Commander Benjamin Sisko" (7 times), or as "Benjamin Sisko" (5 times).

Is more likely to be called "Commander" than "Sir" by Kira (35:8), Odo (15:2) and Quark (9:0).

>> Kira does not call him Sir until e13; Odo only in e16 (when harassed by Lwxana)

Is more likely to be called "Sir" than "Commander" by Miles (66:20)

>> Even more likely E1-9 (35:5), only twice as likely e10-19 (31:15)

Is just as likely to be called "Sir" as Commander by Julian (22:20)

Dax exclusively calls and refers to him as Benjamin.

Otherwise is referred to as Sisko (esp. by Odo) or Commander Sisko.

Sisko talks to everyone the most.

Kira:

Is most likely to introduce herself as "Major Kira Nerys" (3 times).

Is most likely to be called Major by everyone. In the first half, O'Brien also calls her "Sir" in a few episodes; Bashir and Dax call her "sir" once.

Is most likely to be referred to be others as "Major Kira".

Is occasionally called or referred to as "Kira", but not often.

Odo:

Is most likely to introduce himself by mentioning he is "Chief of Security" (2 times).

Is called "Odo" more than "Constable" by Kira (9:6) and Quark (15:1)

Is called "Constable" more than "Odo" by Sisko (16:11)

Is usually referred to as Odo

Julian:

Is called "Doctor" most by Sisko (43:7 "Dr Bashir"), and exclusively so by Kira (5x), Odo (5x) and Quark (1x).

Is exclusively called and referred to as "Julian" by Dax.

Is most often referred to as "Dr Bashir". Sisko also refers to him as "our doctor" and "my doctor", and Sisko, Kira, Odo and O'Brien all refer to him as "Bashir" on occasion.

Miles calls him "Doctor" once, "Julian" four times (all in Episode 13, after Julian has asked for this), and "Sir" three times (again, all in E13).

Dax:

Most frequently refers to self as "Dax".

Sisko is most likely to call her "Dax", but also "Lieutenant" in very formal situations. He calls her "Old Man" 4 times, in e1, 7, 9 and 10.

Julian will call her "Jadzia" (4x) or "Dax" (4x), depending on how casual the situation is.

Miles calls her "Lieutenant" exclusively (3x), as does Kira (1x).

She is usually referred to as "Dax" (9x) or "Lieutenant Dax" (10x) by everyone, or by Julian as "Jadzia" (2x).

Miles:

Most likely to call himself "O'Brien".

Miles is most often called "Chief" by everyone, although it takes a while for that to start. (Kira and Sisko begin calling him "Chief" in E4.)

In first half, is almost just as likely to be called "Mister O'Brien" as "Chief" by Sisko (10:16) and Kira (7:7); from episode 10 that changes to 3:10 for Sisko and 0:1 for Kira.

Is most likely referred to as "O'Brien".

Wow, that took less time than I thought it would when I began this - I'm definitely looking forward to seeing if any trends continue or change going forwards! If you want to look for yourself, the spreadsheet is here :)

[fatalism-and-villainy]

a lot of really annoying media discourse on tumblr comes down to people having a hard time accepting that both of the following are true at the same time:

for any work of fiction interesting enough to be worth talking about, there will be multiple equally plausible and valid interpretations that are possible - and by interpretations here i don't just mean headcanons about minor details, i mean how you read the core themes and character arcs. and very often some of those equally valid interpretations will directly contradict each other and that's ok

not EVERY interpretation is valid, some are genuinely just dumb as hell and unsupported by the text

[fatalism-and-villainy]

Benjamin Sisko in The Search… I brought up Behind the Lines as an example of Sisko being unsatisfied with sitting behind a desk rather than being part of the action, but I’d forgotten that that characterization was explicit earlier on. From this exchange with Dax:

DAX: You know, after Jennifer died I never thought I would see you this passionate about something again. SISKO: Two months ago I would have agreed with you. Then I went back to Earth and I spent all those weeks debriefing at Starfleet Headquarters. And I, I used to get a thrill just walking into that building. I'd look around at the Admirals and think, one day that's going to be me. One day I'm the one that's going to be making the big decisions. DAX: Curzon always thought that was very funny. SISKO: Did he? DAX: What I mean is, he could never see a set of Admiral's stars on your collar. He thought that just making the decisions would never satisfy you. You had to implement them, see the results, face the consequences. Curzon always thought you were the kind of man who had to be in the thick of things, not behind some desk at Headquarters.

And then, in the Founders’ simulation, the admiralship is invoked, almost in the manner of a temptation from the devil:

NECHAYEV: It's the price of peace, Benjamin. SISKO: Well, if you ask me, the price is too damned high. What is the Federation supposed to get out of all this? BORATH: Our friendship. Isn't that enough? NECHAYEV: And you, Benjamin, get a promotion. Captain Sisko. It's an important step toward that admiralcy you've always wanted.

Naturally, Dax was right, and Sisko doesn’t bite. Part of his objection to the proceedings stems from being undermined - despite finding the Founders, he’s shut out of negotiations in the simulation and has no say about what happens to DS9. Any promotion would render him complacent in the Federation’s appeasement of the Dominion, a process in which he’s had no agency. But he also objects to the Federation abandoning Bajor to the Dominion. Even this early on, before he’s embraced his role as Emissary, Bajor’s wellbeing is one of his biggest priorities.

All of this is to say that Benjamin Sisko is not a man who’s truly inclined towards power for its own sake - however, he will seek it and grasp it with both hands if it’s in service of something for which he feels personal responsibility or within which his ethical principles are based. This is also central to Accession, in which Sisko is initially relieved to be able to relinquish the role of Emissary, but becomes increasingly uncomfortable with Akorem’s handling of the role and finally puts his foot down when a man gets murdered as a consequence of bringing back the caste system.

Fast forward to season 5, when Sisko puts his Starfleet career at risk by warning the Bajorans not to join the Federation, and then later encourages them to sign a non-aggression pact with the Dominion. The latter is an uncomfortable concession, and superficially similar to the Dominion’s promise to protect Bajor in the simulation, but independence from the Federation allows Bajor to escape the war unscathed. Sisko’s duties as a Starfleet officer - to which his initial mission to bring Bajor into the Federation have long been yoked - have been eclipsed by his loyalty to Bajor.

[fatalism-and-villainy]

Sexting: do I inspire an angry and lustful version of cuteness aggression in you?

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DS9 | 4.01

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My most insane ship I kinda entertain is mirror! Kira and prime! Ziyal just because I feel like it would be Hannibal levels of absolutely horrific

[fatalism-and-villainy]

By the way. While I'm Jezri blogging. I think that during this post-breakup friendship they should either a) spontaneously sleep together again at some point as a response to emotionally fraught external circumstances, or b) have an emotional intimacy that toes the line between friendship and romance and leads those around them to think they're sleeping together and makes their respective romantic partners feel really uncomfortable. Or both.

Laying out my vision for a Julian and Ezri post-breakup friendship that forms over long distance after a bit of a period apart. They both thrive on being able to shoot random thoughts at each other in text form, and so their dynamic really flourishes across the reaches of subspace and each of them assumes as position as one of the other’s closest friends and confidantes. However, although fitting themselves into couple form was not ideal for them, I do not think friendship would “fix” them, but rather that they would foster some of the same codependency and general weirdness about each other that they did as a couple.

At the time when they first got together, they represented a breath of fresh air for each other. He had a sense of fun and general silliness that I think genuinely appealed to her, as someone prone to getting in her own head at times, and he was drawn to her innocence despite eight lifetimes worth of worldliness (as his dialogue with Miles suggests) and the fact that she was relatively new to the war that had been grinding everyone down. Post-canon, they retreated into their own little bubble, because their closest friends had left and in being in command put Kira at a bit more of a remove from everyone. And Ezri especially had lost Benjamin, who was a major source of clarity and support for her, and so she leaned on Julian for the same thing. The bubble served them for awhile but eventually it started to run low on breathable air.

So the shape of their eventual friendship is that in some ways it’s based on the same escapism that defined their romantic relationship, especially given the way long distance friendship kind of exists out of time and the rhythms of day to day life. And he has a deep-seated need to Help and she’s fiercely loyal to people she perceives as Her People, so they extend themselves way too far to in dealing with each other’s problems. She pushes herself to be a cheerful buffer when he’s depressed or bogged down with work, because it’s a reprieve from her own life, and when she’s in crisis mode or having doubts about the direction her life is taking, she’ll fall back on him, because they were so intimate at a vulnerable time in her life. And he’ll stay up until 3 am talking her through it and neglect his other relationships and responsibilities, because he’s really bad at setting boundaries around that and because being the strong and calm and collected one feeds his self-image. (And because after watching Jadzia die and not being able to save her, he’s not going to be able to be normal about Dax ever again, and the protective impulses are extremely hard to resist.)

They’re both willing to throw a lot aside in order to come to the other’s aid when needed, and it’s a testament to the strength of their bond, but it can also be a liability.

[fatalism-and-villainy]

From Best to Worst as Rated on IMDB: Hannibal

Hannibal (2013 - 2015) Season 01 Episode 10 “Buffet Froid” Directed by John Dahl

8.7/10

[fatalism-and-villainy]

Hey, thanks! I appreciated seeing your thoughts.

Yeah, the “reward for Julian’s character development” angle is one I’ve seen allusions to, though I haven’t closely looked into the writers’ motivations behind it. The “woman as reward” framing is a common pattern - I have the same problems with Kira/Odo and Rom/Leeta (compounded by the fact that I don’t like those pairings).

One reason the execution of Julian/Ezri in the show doesn’t bother me as much as it could is that Ezri’s feelings are still given a fair amount of screentime - their perspectives on getting together are about equally weighted - and they’re both equal participants in actually pursuing a relationship. (Those perspectives are… frustratingly content-free, but what can you do.)

Faint praise aside, my headcanon is actually similar to yours. I think Julian was attracted to Ezri-qua-Ezri, and - after his initial comment about Jadzia’s eyes fell incredibly flat - I think during their relationship he was quite scrupulous about not treating her like Jadzia, in ways that actually caused problems. (Problems in the form of, for example, Ezri casually mentioning something they did together and forgetting that it was actually one of Jadzia’s memories, and Julian getting very visibly tense and upset in response, and as a result Ezri feeling the need to compartmentalize in ways that were difficult and unintuitive.) And his dialogue about why he’s drawn to her feels distinct to me from why he was drawn to Jadzia:

But there was something, something about her, wasn't there? Something that made me happy, anyway. She was this old soul and yet so young at heart, and, and, I don't know what I'm saying.

It actually reminds me of his dialogue about Sarina back in Chrysalis:

She's wonderful, Miles. I've never met anyone like her. She's brilliant, sweet, everything's new to her. Being with her is so refreshing. She takes such delight in what she's experiencing. It makes me appreciate things I usually take for granted.

My sense is that during season 7, Julian is drawn to women who reflect a kind of newness, a freshness of perspective, because to him they represent an uncomplicated joy in day to day life that he’s missing during a time period when he’s very traumatized and feeling extremely grim. It’s definitely not the healthiest thing to project onto a potential partner, but it’s a different flavour of unhealthy from what it sometimes gets classified as. (This is also, as much as I love Garashir, why I can't see that pairing immediately happening post-canon - Garak is not the kind of person Julian can project those needs onto.)

On Ezri’s part, I think there’s a jumble of things going on.

She’s got several… layers of reactions to Julian that sort of grind against each other like tectonic plates. In their initial meeting, she’s put off by his misguided attempt at flirtation, but he’s also someone she knows and trusts deeply, so she can’t really mentally put him in the “opportunistic fuckboy” box.

On the other hand, I think he’s the kind of personality she’s inclined to be a bit swept away by. Her reasons for being attracted to him that she gives Worf are that he’s handsome and charming, and she seems to have a taste for romanticism (thinking of the scene where she finds it “sweet” that Odo wants to go to services to spend time with Kira - I find Odo in that scene wildly uncomfortable lol, but that’s one place where Ezri and I have a difference of opinion). Julian has the kind of affect and very classical approach to relationships that she’d be into, at least in the short term. But that charm he holds for her is complicated by the fact that she already knows him so well as a friend, so he’s been de-mythlogized somewhat - I suspect that internal contradiction is part of why she’s worried a romance will ruin their friendship.

And yeah, I agree with your last paragraph in that Ezri is still in a very vulnerable place by the end of the show, especially with Ben missing and Worf having left the station, and she associates Julian with safety. Something underdiscussed about Julian and Jadzia’s friendship imo is that Jadzia was actually very vulnerable around Julian on multiple occasions - sometimes by circumstance (such as in Invasive Procedures and Starship Down) but sometimes by choice (in Equilibrium, when she’s worried about going back to Trill, she goes to Julian for comfort; in Rejoined she asks him to be a buffer at dinner with Lenara).

I also think that Ezri looks for the kind of stability in Julian that she sought with Ben at the beginning of the season - this post helped give me the idea of Ezri seeing Julian in some ways as a replacement for Ben. Julian and Ben are imo similar in a lot of respects, especially in their emotional intelligence and clarity of insight, and it’s plausible to me that Julian would end up filling a similar role for Ezri in Ben’s absence. And I do think her leaning on Julian would be gratifying for him at first, but after a while start to feel to him as though she’s putting him on a pedestal. I have a line in the fic I’m writing right now about him feeling that he could never have been the person she wanted him to be, and that - as well as the mismatch between her still being something of a stranger to him at first vs her knowing him very well - would become a source of conflict between them.

I also really dislike the argument that Julian only used Ezri as a replacement goldfish for Jadzia, because he really doesn't - it is set up that way somewhat at their first meeting, but their later interactions have nothing to do with Jadzia, and when he does articulate something of why he's drawn to her, it seems to be about Ezri's specific qualities, rather than because she reminds him of Jadzia.

That said - it's honestly really frustrating to me that that's the case! Jadzia should have featured much more prominently in the development of their relationship, because even forming a friendship with someone who carries the memories and some inherited traits and mannerisms of a dead friend is an inherently fraught process, never mind pursuing a romantic relationship. And it's even more fraught once you add in the history of "unrequited crush + latent but never acknowledged attraction" that's hanging over that whole dynamic.

Like... of course I ship it! How could I not? I love triangulation and I love that there's inherently a third person between them at all times, a third person who's unreachable but always inescapably present. I love the shadows of grief and regret and the potential that there was a weird amorphous grey-area energy hanging over the whole Julian-Jadzia friendship, even when that friendship was least likely to become romantic, and I love how that clashes with the more conventional courtship mold that Julian and Ezri try to contort themselves into in canon.

And none of the implications of that are unpacked at all in canon. I think the fandom refrain of "they'd obviously be toxic and a trainwreck" - even coming from people who think the ship is interesting - is a reductive overcorrection, but I do understand it, because the ship as it develops later in season 7 is so anodyne and generic to me, in ways that feel discordant with the characters and their history. So while the criticism "he's just using her as a replacement for Jadzia" is imo not actually textual, holy god do I wish it were. Or at least, I wish they'd both been able to display more fear and trepidation at the possibility that that might have been happening.

[fatalism-and-villainy]

I made jambalaya last night on a whim and it was entirely because I rewatched DS9 s2e26 "The Jem'hadar" and saw Benjamin Sisko making it

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And I do mean anything. Literally anything about him

Star Trek fandom saw trap where you have to say something about Julian Bashir without using the word "twink"

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the bisexuality was there. it didnt change anything. it didn't save anyone. there were just too many forces against it. but it still matters that the bisexuality was there

[fatalism-and-villainy]

STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE 1993 – 1999・2x03 The Siege

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Another thing fandom needs to start doing more of is projecting on tops.

There are delicious amounts of psychological distress you can inflict on that guy once you get into his head. The brainworms of forcing agency and initiative on someone who genuinely is Not Fucking Ready For It are exquisite.

[fatalism-and-villainy]

Thinking about “Tribunal” and the Cardassian saying “confession is good for the soul” as the underlying philosophy behind their judicial process. The way it’s known and accepted that a public confession is truly for the benefit of public spectators rather than the accused, and yet it’s still construed as a mechanism of healing and enlightenment for the confessor. The process of inciting the performance of acquiescence to the authority of the state is framed as an internally corrective process, and in quasi-spiritual terms as well.

It’s a construction that resembles a secularized version of Catholic confession, but also of modern therapy, and the trial itself is conducted using the framework of therapy - Kovat asks O’Brien if he was abused as a child, and tries to construct a psychological profile of him, as part of the process. And the rituals of the court - the back and forth between Kovat and the others regarding the evidence against O’Brien - are designed not to establish the truth but to prompt this inner change in the accused, this “[concession] to the wisdom of the state” and shift from defiance to “equanimity.” The unveiling of the crime on the day of the trail is part of the charade - the institutional investigative processes are turned inward towards the accused, the state tells them what is wrong and corrupt in them. The accused is a device to demonstrate the corrective power of the state, presented for public entertainment and edification through the showmanship of a trial, and yet in a manner that is ostensibly for internal betterment.

This particular framing brings to mind for me Foucault’s discussion of the incitement to discourse in The History of Sexuality Vol. 1, about the Catholic process of confession as a means of regulating and controlling sexuality, and makes me wonder how the mechanisms of (secular) confession might function in more diffuse avenues of life in Cardassian society. I highly doubt they have therapy or any concept of mental health, but something comparable that serves the purpose of reinforcing conceptions of morality and proper behaviour for Cardassian citizens is something I can see being upheld institutionally as well as interpersonally.