Legend has it that the reason the Trill's looked changed between TNG and DS9 was because they didn't want to hide Terry Farrell's face behind a lumpy prosthetic.  

Make of that what you will... 

Good point. Sometimes less is more, especially when dealing with technologies that are there just to facilitate the plot. Personally, I still don't get how someone can tap a communicator and say "Sisko to Odo" and instantly get the reply "Odo here". Until the caller has finished his sentence, how does the device know whom to contact? And once it does, shouldn't there be a delay until the reply comes? But it's better to just not think too much about it.



Absolutely! DS9 was the best series, in my opinion, in terms of pacing continued sub-plots and individual episodes.



Good call on Dukat. At one point he was on the verge of becoming my favourite DS9 character! The series was remarkable in its nuanced treatment of alien cultures. Sure, the Bajorans were introduced as "the good ones, the oppressed, the underdogs" and the Cardassians as "the bad ones, the occupiers, the fascists". But over time we got to see many bad aspects of Bajoran culture, and many good ones of the Cardassian's. In the final analysis, nothing is ever as simple as most TV shows make it look like, and DS9 reflected that beautifully.

Agreed, agreed! Regarding the Star Wars prequels, though, I think that the films' good intentions were betrayed by sloppy writing... I think Anakin's conversion would have worked far, far better had it been based on his opposition to the Jedi council trying to murder a democratically-elected chancellor (since that's what the Jedi were doing). His already-established sympathy for imposed peace and order could then have simply been allowed to come to fruition, bringing him squarely on the side of the empire. Palpatine, instead of turning into a grandiloquent and cackling caricature, could have remained his manipulative self, insisting that only a strong hand could put an end to such civil unrest. 

George Lucas decided instead to give us a credibility-stretching explanation, that Anakin was so emotionally imbalanced that the mere fear of losing his wife would lead him to slaughter a houseful of children. That wasn't necessary... Anakin was halfway there anyway, what with his estrangement from the council and his annoyance with democracy's inefficiency. He could have turned imperial first and turned against his friends, leading to Padme leaving him, leading him to grow ever more violent. No need to resort to such silliness as that ploy about stopping death or keeling over because one has lost the will to live!

Anyhoo, back to real-life villains... One thing should always been remembered by writers : no villain is a villain in his own eyes.

Regarding communicators, I always liked to think that the initial communication (i.e. "Picard to Riker") was heard across the ships intercom by all, and once Riker tapped his badge in response, the channel was closed and just the intended parties stayed in touch at that point.

Again, just more head canon.

S2 e20-21
The Marquis Part 1-2

Dax and Kira are on the bridge doing regular traffic stuff when a departing Cardassian ship explodes, killing all aboard.

As far of the investigation, some guy Sisko knows pops by... he's pretty bitter about how things have gone, though. Calvin (his friend) seems like he likes the Cardassians a lot more than anyone else does.. which is interesting.

Some mysterious people do stuff.. not idea why yet. Then Dukat turns up in Sisko's quarters. He claims to know what happens, and Sisko heads out with him in a Runabout.

They head out, and find Federation and Cardassian ships fighting each other, with no response to Dukat.

Meanwhile, Quark tries to seduce some Vulcan chick that I assume is related in some way. Turns out she's an illegal arms dealer, to Quark's shock.

Duka and Sisko head to the demilitarized zone, and find out the Caradassians are being terrorized but Federation citizens, and have a confession from the guy who blew the ship up (he was one of the people shown earlier). Of course, he killed himself (according to the Cardassians) after his taped confession... so tensions are high.

Kira, of course, assumes the Cardassians are the bad guys, and is mad Sisko doesn't agree.

Dukat gets kidnapped, including the Vulcan woman, and a group called the Marquis take credit. Sisko chases them, and his buddy Calvin is their leader. After they try to recruit each other, The Marquis shoot Sisko, Kira, and Bashir and leave.

A Federation Admiral comes by and gives a lot of platitudes that piss Sisko off. He preaches to the choir some.

They figure out Quark talked to the Vulcan, and arrest him. They actually keep him in jail this time.

The Cardassians don't want Dukat back, so Sisko goes hunting. Odo comes along. The Marquis Vulcan tries unsuccessfully to mind meld info from Dukat... the Federation come in for the save before they start torturing him.

After a stand-off, Dukat forces everyone to start shooting, and the good guys win and take prisoners. Dukat claims he's the fall guy for Central Command causing trouble, and promises to help if Sisko helps him.

The go out and find a gun runner, with Dukat intimidating the guy into submission.

Back at the station, Quark lectures the Vulcan on how she's illogical, which is pretty fun.

Dukat finds out where a Cardassian weapon depot is, and they find out the Marquis are planning on attacking it from the Vulcan. Sisko tries one more try to get to Calvin, and fails.

They have a dog fight, and the federation stop the raid, but Sisko lets Calvin escape, must to Dukat's dismay.



Notes:

They like to throw in 'girl talk' every so often. I hate it. I feel like it cheapens the characters more than showing how good a friends they are (Which I assume is the goal).
If everyone in the Federation likes baseball, why did isn't it still around.
Another chapter in the 'what the heck is latinum worth, anyway'... Quark is counting the days take, and he's got at least 50 bars out on the table.. in plain site of the customers. What happened to 5 being a lot? If he makes that much every day, why was a suitcase even that exciting?
LOVE Sisko and Dukat's discussions.. hilarious.
Calvin is a terrible, terrible actor.
Having Kira and Bashir go with him was very TOS.. but didn't make much sense. Up until know, he always brought O'Brien.. and usually Dax. Kira shouldn't be anywhere near Cardassians that might be good guys.
The more I watch this show, the more I picture the Cardassians as the greatest Beaucracy in the galaxy... they all act like accountants.
Dukat is pretty damn awesome here, though I can't figure out what side he's on.
Odo throwing his arm like a lasso? Awesome.
Yup, Dukat is awesome.. can he be in charge of DS9 again?
Wow, great two-parter.. why was this not on like 20 episodes ago?

I think it's interesting how religion is such an important and recurring theme in DS9. Obviously you have the Bajoran religion, but there have also been nods to the spiritual beliefs of the Ferengi and the Klingons, as well as to various other aliens. Given this, I think it's rather odd how all the humans seem to be completely secular. In some ways, it's not odd, since Gene Roddenberry was a humanist, and most likely a secular humanist at that. Humans living in the 24th century being irreligious would be a natural consequence of his vision of the future. I just think it's fascinating that every other species seems to be more religious than the humans. Are we to infer that these other cultures are less "advanced" because of their religion?

I think that was exactly Roddenberry's inference.  I'd say the Vulcan's were the only other race shown to be on "our level", and not coincidentally, they too had eschewed religion and other illogical concepts (their barbaric cousins the Romulans got stuck bearing the spiritual stuff).