Rhonda Lancaster

The Death of Vedek Bareil and Saving an Unlikely Friendship

Rhonda’s Take on 3.13 “Life Support” For thirty years, I’ve blamed Kai Winn for the death of Vedek Bareil. She is, of course, the driving force in his poor medical decisions that lead to his death, but she doesn’t seem to be at fault in the shuttle explosion that sends him to death’s door. SheContinue reading “The Death of Vedek Bareil and Saving an Unlikely Friendship”

“Past Tense”: Social Commentary and Character Development Create a Classic

Rhonda’s take on 3.11 & 12 “Past Tense”: Parts 1 & 2 What more can I add to the conversation about this well-regarded set of episodes from Deep Space Nine? Little that hasn’t already been said, but, if you’re reading this blog, you must care what us Ponderers think, so here goes. Unlike some twoContinue reading ““Past Tense”: Social Commentary and Character Development Create a Classic”

Zanthi Fever turns DS9 from Dark Trek to Rom-Com

3.10 Rhonda’s Take on “Fascination” It’s interesting that this tale of unrequited love followed two episodes where our female leads experienced at least infatuation–Dax with her ill-fated romance with Deral in “Meridian” and Kira with her ill-fated interest in Riker (thinking it was Will, being kidnapped when it turned out to be Thomas) in “Defiant.”Continue reading “Zanthi Fever turns DS9 from Dark Trek to Rom-Com”

When Kira falls for the Riker charm

3.9 Rhonda’s take on “Defiant” How can you go wrong with an episode featuring Marc Alaimo as Gul Dukat sparring with Avery Brooks as Commander Sisko? Jonathan Frakes appearing as Will/Thomas Riker is simply (as Boimler from Lower Decks would say) “Captain Kirk with Trip Tucker sprinkles”! Nana Visitor’s master performance was the Maraschino cherryContinue reading “When Kira falls for the Riker charm”

“Meridian”: The Full-on “Ick” Factor, AKA The Episode that Killed this Blog (Almost)

We don’t often bring our personal lives into these reviews, but it feels important to acknowledge that the last time we posted to Ponderings from the Promenade was in February of 2022, nearly three years ago. I won’t bore you with the details, but I will squarely place blame on “Meridian” for putting the finalContinue reading ““Meridian”: The Full-on “Ick” Factor, AKA The Episode that Killed this Blog (Almost)”

Garak and Quark question love and loss

Rhonda’s Take on Episode 2.18: “Profit and Loss” “That’s the thing about love. No one understands it, do they?” Garak delivers this line at the close of the episode, but it so concisely summarizes the theme of the episode, I’m using it as a starting point. During this episode, we follow Quark’s love story andContinue reading “Garak and Quark question love and loss”

Jadzia finally gets her episode

Rhonda’s Take on Episode 2.17: “Playing God” Finally, Jadzia Dax is featured in a story about Trill! I’ve often talked about what a great ensemble show Deep Space Nine is, and it is, but Jadzia Dax has been underserved through the first season and a half. We’ve had two previous episodes about the Dax symbiontContinue reading “Jadzia finally gets her episode”

Romance and familial bonds in “Shadowplay”

Rhonda’s Take on Episode 2.16: “Shadowplay” If you asked me to describe any Star Trek show, I don’t believe I would think to include “romance,” but this episode reminded me how much romance does exist in the franchise. I’m not talking about the one-episode stands Kirk had in TOS or the cerebral on-again/off-again Imzadi relationshipContinue reading “Romance and familial bonds in “Shadowplay””

Questions of philosophy

Rhonda’s Take on Episode 2.15: “Paradise” You know something is going to go wrong in an episode called “Paradise”! As soon as we land on a planet that has eschewed modern technology, we know our modern tech-reliant engineer and commander are in for trouble. Points of Discussion What is Alixus guilty of? She manipulated theContinue reading “Questions of philosophy”

Risky storytelling is a successful ploy

Rhonda’s Take on Episode 2.14: “Whispers” This episode uses my least favorite storytelling technique: the fakeout. I am not a published novelist, memoirist, or scriptwriter. My published writings include entertainment reviews for several online sites and a handful of poems and short stories in literary magazines or anthologies. However, I consider myself a student ofContinue reading “Risky storytelling is a successful ploy”