Character Insight No. 243: Best of Quark

Welcome back to Character Insight! This week, we continue the Best Of series for Deep Space Nine with a look at Quark, the bartender and business owner aboard the station.

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Although we see Ferengi from the beginning of TNG, Quark as a main character represents an opportunity to dive much deeper into the race and their background and traditions.  Of course, his black market ways often draw the ire of station security constable Odo, as evidenced in this counterplay in the episode Profit and Loss.

QUOTE (from Profit and Loss, S2):
Odo: I heard an interesting rumour today.
Quark: Only one? I started at least twelve.
...
Quark: I never told you this, Odo, but I consider you as dear to me as my brother.
Odo: [laughs contemptuously] I've seen how well you treat him. 

Quark and his brother Rom end up in many silly adventures together, like when they travel back in time to 1947 Earth when trying to drop off Nog at Starfleet Academy in the episode Little Green Men.

QUOTE (from Little Green Men. S4):
Quark: What's that disgusting smell?
Nog: I think it's called tobacco. It's a deadly drug. When used frequently, it destroys the internal organs.
Quark: If it's so deadly, then why do they use it?
Nog: It's also highly addictive.
Rom: How do they get their hands on it?
Nog: They buy it in stores.
Quark: [stunned] They buy? If they buy poison they'll buy anything. I think I'm gonna like it here.

Quark's best customer is Morn, who never is seen speaking on screen.  Although the best Morn episode is definitely Who Mourns For Morn, Quark expresses his gratitude for his best customer on many occasions, such as in this clip from the episode The House of Quark.

QUOTE (from The House of Quark, S3):
Quark: Now I know we're doomed.
Rom: Why, brother?
Quark: Rule of Acquisition 286: When Morn leaves, it's all over.
Rom: There is no such rule.
Quark: There should be.

Even though the latter seasons of DS9 grow darker thanks to the Dominion War, Quark's personal stories always bring levity thanks to things like the Grand Nagus becoming romantically involved with Quark's mother.  In the episode Ferengi Love Songs, Quark is able to push off the pesky investigations of Brunt, a Ferengi Commerce Authority liquidator who is always trying to bring Quark down for infractions against Ferengi practices, thanks to the help of the Nagus.

QUOTE (from Ferengi Love Songs, S5)
Quark: What are you doing in my closet?
Brunt: Conducting official FCA business.
Quark: In my closet?
...
Brunt: I want you back in business. It gives me an opportunity to keep my eye on you, because one day you are going to make a mistake, and on that day, you're going to lose more than your license!
Quark: But that day is not today. Now, back in the closet, where you belong.

Quark was played by Armin Shimerman, who is also known for roles as Principal Snyder on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and as Andrew Ryan in the Bioshock video games.  Despite coming up on his 70th birthday, Shimerman still acts and does voice work today.
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Character Insight No. 242: Best of Dr. Julian Bashir

Welcome back to Character Insight! This week, we continue the Best Of series for Deep Space Nine with a look at Julian Bashir, the chief medical officer aboard the station.

https://archive.org/details/CharacterInsightEp242

Dr. Bashir had an interesting childhood, struggling with school at young ages before his parents moved with him to a planet that offered genetic engineering treatments to improve their child.  He was originally named Jules, but when he finds out about the genetic engineering at age 15, he rebels and changes his name to Julian, as we learn in the episode Dr. Bashir, I Presume.

QUOTE (from Dr. Bashir, I Presume, S5):
Dr. Julian Bashir: You used to be my father. Now, you're my architect - the man who designed a better son, to replace the defective one he was given. Well, your design has a built-in flaw: it's illegal.

Although Julian was originally afraid of doctors and their power, likely based on what happened in his childhood, an incident at the age of 10 changes Julian's path.  We see this in the episode Melora, where a girl dies because of a lack of medical knowledge that could've saved her, and this causes Julian to dedicate his life to medicine and helping others.

QUOTE (from Melora. S2):
Dr. Julian Bashir: I sat there and watched her die. The next day when we returned, his guide told us we could've treated her with a simple herb that was growing all around.  I could've saved her life.
Melora: And so, you started to study medicine.
Dr. Julian Bashir: Actually, first, I started to study tennis...turned out I had more natural talent at medicine than tennis.

Bashir and the mysterious Cardassian tailor Elim Garak interact a lot in early seasons of the show, as Bashir tries to see behind the layers of Garak.  One episode full of this counterplay is a silly holodeck episode called Our Man Bashir, in which Garak appears as a character in Bashir's secret agent program and has plenty of illuminating conversations with the Doctor.

QUOTE (from Our Man Bashir, S4):
Dr. Julian Bashir: You'll be fine. It's just a flesh wound.
Garak: That was awfully close. What if you'd killed me?
Dr. Julian Bashir: What makes you think I wasn't trying?
Garak: Doctor, I do believe there's hope for you yet.
Dr. Julian Bashir: Well, I'm so relieved!

Although the Doctor eventually pairs up romantically with Ezri Dax when that character changes in the final season of the show, his true love is clearly Miles O'Brien.  These two are always sharing life stories and hanging out, a highlight of which is in the episode Extreme Measures.

QUOTE (from Extreme Measures, S7)
Chief O'Brien: [of Keiko] She always said I... I liked you more than I liked her.
Doctor Bashir: That's ridiculous!
Chief O'Brien: Right.
Doctor Bashir: Well, maybe, maybe you do, a bit more.
Chief O'Brien: What? Are you crazy? She's my wife, I love her!
Doctor Bashir: Of course you love her - she's your wife.
Chief O'Brien: Yeah.
Doctor Bashir: I'm just saying, maybe you like me a bit more, that's all.

Julian Bashir was played by Alexander Siddig.  He and Nana Visitor were briefly married and have a son together named Django.  He's had a number of great TV roles including as a villain on 24, as Ra's al Ghul in Gotham, and as Dorian Martell in Game of Thrones (insert theme)...ahh yes, it's almost time for winter to arrive, and then Star Trek Discovery right after that!
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Contact me with segment suggestions @BuckeyeFitzy on Twitter! Thanks!

Character Insight No. 241: Best of Kira Nerys

Welcome back to Character Insight! This week, we continue the Best Of series for Deep Space Nine with a look at Major Kira Nerys, the Bajoran major who serves as Bajoran liaison and second-in-command aboard the station.

https://archive.org/details/CharacterInsightEp241
https://archive.org/details/CharacterInsightEp241
Major Kira transitioned from a lead antagonist of the Cardassians when they occupied Bajor to an important ally when the Cardassians got in over their heads against the Klingons and later the Dominion.  The highlight of Kira's transition with the Cardassians and character growth is seen in the episode Return to Grace, in which she and Gul Dukat are forced to have lengthy conversations while they track down a Klingon ship that destroyed a Cardassian outpost.

QUOTE (from Return to Grace, S4):
Major Kira Nerys: The fact of the matter is, I've already been where you're going. I've lived the life you're choosing - fighting, hit and run, always outgunned, living on hate and adrenaline... It's not much of a life. And it eats away at you, so that every day a little bit of you dies.

Kira is also an important character for helping the viewer understand the history and some of the religious beliefs related to the wormhole Prophets.  That leads the Major to state some compelling truths at times, including this quote from the episode Covenant.

QUOTE (from Covenant. S7):
Colonel Kira: I have always found that, uh, when people try to convince others of their beliefs, it's because they're really just trying to convince themselves.

Another similar quote about faith comes from the episode Accession, where Odo fails to understand some of Kira's logic.

QUOTE (from Accession, S4):
Odo: I don't understand.
Major Kira: That's the thing about faith. If you don't have it you can't understand it, and if you do - no explanation is necessary.

However, the high point for Kira's character and one of the best episodes in DS9 period was Duet, in which the complicated layers to the Cardassian-Bajor conflict are revealed in a series of Kira's interrogations of a Cardassian war criminal.  While she originally wants to kill the Cardassian, she eventually has a change of heart that is revealed in the final moments when another Bajoran kills him.

QUOTE (from Duet, S1)
Major Kira: Why? He wasn't Dar'heel! Why?
Kainon: He's a Cardassian! That's reason enough!
Major Kira: No!... It's not.

Major Kira was played by Nana Visitor, who is also known for roles as a child in One Life to Live and more recently in Family Guy.  She was also briefly married to Alexander Siddig, who played Dr. Bashir.  She's definitely one of my favorites, but I'm biased, having named my second daughter Kira as well.

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Character Insight No. 240: Best of Jake Sisko

Welcome back to Character Insight! This week, we continue the Best Of series for Deep Space Nine with a look at Jake Sisko, the son of Commander Ben Sisko.

https://archive.org/details/CharacterInsightEp240


Jake is a teenage character that grows with the show, and while he is the subject of many awkward storylines, he does add a unique dimension to the role of commanding officer as the parent of an only child.  As you might expect, Jake gets into a lot of shenanigans with fellow youngster Nog.

In the episode In The Cards, Jake convinces Nog to come off some money to help Jake acquire the perfect present for his father, a baseball card.  But not without significant complaining and debate.

QUOTE (from In The Cards, S5):
Cadet Nog: It's not my fault your species decided to abandon currency-based economics in favor of some philosophy of self-enhancement.
Jake Sisko: Hey - watch it! There's nothing wrong with our philosophy. We work to better ourselves and the rest of Humanity.
Cadet Nog: What does that mean exactly?
Jake Sisko: It means... it means, we don't need money.

Jake does not follow the path of his father, and we see him address this different desire in the episode Shadowplay.  It's a typical type of conversation that all parents can relate to, and an important part of Jake's story arc in this show.

QUOTE (from Shadowplay. S2):
Jake Sisko: Dad... I don't want to join Starfleet.
Commander Sisko: Since when?
Jake Sisko: S-snce forever. Starfleet is too much like you. I need to find what's me.
Commander Sisko: It's your life, Jake. You have to choose your own way. There is only one thing I want from you: find something you love. Then do it the best you can.
Jake Sisko: I'll try.

Jake develops a passion for writing, and we see this lead him to an important life lesson in the episode Nor The Battle To The Strong.  Jake is trying to write a profile on Doctor Bashir, but he ends up with a much better life story to write when they are diverted to help a Federation colony under attack from Klingons.  Jake reacts in much different manners to save his life when Klingons attack multiple times, and it makes him learn one of the truisms of humanity.

QUOTE (from Nor The Battle To The Strong, S5):
Jake Sisko: The battle of Ajilon Prime will probably be remembered as a pointless skirmish. But I'll always remember it as something more - as the place I learned that the line between courage and cowardice is a lot thinner than most people believe.
Commander Sisko: It takes a lot of courage to look inside oneself, and even more to write it for others. I'm proud of you, son.

One final good character piece centered on Jake is The Visitor, in which we see a grown up writer Jake in an alternate timeline.   Jake Sisko was played by Cirroc Lofton, who had a number of acting credits as a youth but has only recently appeared in the TV series Renegades after a 9 year break from acting.  His uncle is longtime pro baseball player Kenny Lofton.

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Contact me with segment suggestions @BuckeyeFitzy on Twitter! Thanks!