In our most recent Questions of the Day, we discussed our favorite episodes of classic Star Trek and The Next Generation. To conclude the topic, let's talk about Deep Space Nine.

I thought that this series was a bit boring until the Dominion War got rolling in Season 4. Deep Space Nine broke with the episodic tradition to present a long, serialized story arc -- a risky venture, as the broadcasting experience of Babylon 5 illustrates.

Nonetheless, my favorite episode is Season 1's "Duet", not a story from the Dominion War narrative. A Cardassian war criminal passes through the station and is promptly locked up by Major Kira. Gul Darhe'el does not deny his actions, but joyfully boasts of slaughtering Bajorans during his world's occupation of Bajor. Yet as the investigation continues, his story begins to unravel. This is not Gul Darhe'el, but a mere military filing clerk who, overcome with guilt about his participation in war crimes, is pretending to to be Darhe'el. Aamin Marritza's hope is that by going on trial on Bajor, he will force the Cardassian people to come to terms with the atrocities they committed.

Kira wants to hate this Cardassian -- all Cardassians, actually -- but she can't. She can't help but sympathize with Marritza and his misguided attempt to heal the wounds of war.

This episode was a glorious piece of writing. Harris Yulin, a veteran actor of vast experience, executed the role of Marritza masterfully. I can watch it again and again.

What's your favorite episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine?

Image: Paramount

In our last Question of the Day, I asked readers to identify their favorite episode of classic Star Trek. Commenter Kevin R proposed that we talk about some of the other series, including The Next Generation, and I think that's a fine idea.

Mine is "The Inner Light." In it, an alien probe causes Jean-Luc Picard to experience a full life -- including marriage, friends, children, and grandchildren -- in a single moment. Then it was gone, like the civilization that built the probe. It is a sad and wistful tale, brilliantly crafted, and greatly deepened Picard's character.

What's your favorite episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation?

Image: Paramount

Since I was about seven years old, I loved Star Trek and had managed to watch every episode in syndication by the time that I was ten. Although there was competition, to me, the most gripping episode was and remains "The Doomsday Machine." The dramatic tension is riveting, especially when Kirk and Scotty managed to bring the Constellation back into combat and then drive it down the planet killer's throat. And William Windom's depiction of the mad Commodore Matthew Decker was excellent in its exquisite detail. Quite appropriately it was nominated for a Hugo Award and was Jimmy Doohan's favorite. You can watch the whole episode here.

Which is your favorite episode from the original Star Trek?

Image: Paramount

We have a winner in our most recent caption contest! Check it out.

We have a winner in our most recent caption contest!

Check it out.

Welcome to this week's caption contest. The winner, who will be announced on Friday, will get a free t-shirt from the NeatoShop!

So look around the NeatoShop and type in your choice of t-shirt with your caption. Submit only one caption per comment, but you can leave as many comments as you like. Please make sure that you provide a t-shirt selection or your caption will not be considered.

Image credit: unknown, via GearFuse

WINNER -- marcintosh:

Dro Ids just had a bumper crop in Moisture Farmville! Want to play?

Congratulations, marcintosh! You just won a Bad Chewie t-shirt from the NeatoShop!

So the geekosphere has been abuzz all week with the superhero cosplay wedding of Sharon and Neil Vaughan. The bride and groom were dressed as Wonder Woman and Batman, respectively, and guests attended as heroes and villains of various affiliations and universes.

I had a fairly traditional church wedding, which was nice and memorable. But I wonder if it would have been fun to have a geek wedding, perhaps with a Star Trek theme (since Trek is eternal).

If you were to have a geeky wedding, what theme would you go for?

Link via Comics Alliance | Image: SWNS

When I was 10 years old, I got my first computer. It was a Mac Plus, and I used it mostly to play video games. There are some that I fell in love with and would love to play again. Alas, none of them are available to me in a usable form.

The Ancient Art of War (1984) by Brøderbund. This, and its sequel, The Ancient Art of War at Sea, were my introduction to strategy games. Troops consisted of armored knights, unarmored barbarians, and archers. There were forts where soldiers could get a defensive advantage and villages where they could get resupplied. Best of all, you could design your own scenarios in great detail.

Enchanted Scepters (1984) by Silicon Beach. This was a simple point-and-click adventure game about Saber, a hero who must retrieve four mystical scepters from distant lands in order to protect the kingdom from an invasion. Through great effort, I was able to get three of the scepters, but never the fourth.

Dark Castle (1986) by Silicon Beach and its sequel, Beyond Dark Castle, were arcade-style games about Duncan, a prince who must rescue his kingdom from the Black Knight. He enters the trap-filled castle of the Black Knight, defeats his minions, overcomes physical obstacles, and finally encounters the powerful game boss himself. I loved the challenge this game posed to my motor coordination skills.

Hidden Agenda (1988) by Springboard. You play the leader of an imaginary Central American nation called Chimerica in the 1980s. The country has just experienced a revolution and overthrown its US-friendly, but totalitarian government. Various factions are vying for power, and you're in the crossfire as El Presidente. Your goal is to stay in power for three years. This is exceptionally hard, as you face coups from within your government, right-wing and left-wing forces, and American and Soviet-backed agents. The key, I discovered, is to take as centrist a position as possible. The priest, for example, has big plans for the nation's agriculture. Make him Defense Minister. The ex-guerilla likewise has plans for the nation's military. Make him Agriculture Minister. Try to keep both the Americans and the Soviets happy -- or at least not furious at you.

Which old, lost games would you love to play again?

Welcome to this week's caption contest. The winner, who will be announced on Friday, will get a free t-shirt from the NeatoShop!

So look around the NeatoShop and type in your choice of t-shirt with your caption. Submit only one caption per comment, but you can leave as many comments as you like. Please make sure that you provide a t-shirt selection or your caption will not be considered.

Image credit: unknown, courtesy of JohnnyCat.

WINNER -- VonSkippy:

Investigating numerous complaints of extra loud sonic screw driver usage (which as you know is expressly forbidden in the lease you signed).

Congratulations, VonSkippy! You win an I Heart Math shirt from the NeatoShop!

One of the facets of Babylon 5 that I really enjoyed was its realistic depiction of economics. B5 was a departure from the utopian economy of Star Trek where scarcity -- as well as money -- had been largely eliminated. In Babylon 5, there were unions that went on strike and frequent shortages of labor, parts, and just plain cash. A large population of desperately poor people lived on the station in a region called "Downbelow", and a number of major characters dealt with unemployment, indebtedness, and worries about paying their bills.

Scarcity, both for societies as a whole and individuals, was a driving force in the Babylon 5 storyline. So it's a lot like the world that we live in. I liked that.

Which science fiction books, movies, or television shows do you think do a good job of presenting realistic economics?

Image: Baker's Place

Miss Cellania is a veteran of radio and a pro blogger who is currently managing editor of the vast Neatorama publishing empire.


Saruman is a former leader of the Istari, later an agent of Sauron, and a successful wizard of the dark arts.

In a fight between Miss Cellania and Saruman, who would win?

There were many entries in our recent caption contest, and we now have a winner! Check it out.

Link

Welcome to this week's caption contest. The winner, who will be announced on Friday, will get a free t-shirt from the NeatoShop!

So look around the NeatoShop and type in your choice of t-shirt with your caption. Submit only one caption per comment, but you can leave as many comments as you like. Please make sure that you provide a t-shirt selection or your caption will not be considered

Image by Joel Watson, used with permission.

WINNER -- pismonque:

"Pay attention in here, boy, and someday you just might be able to join them."

Great job, pismonque! You win a Mosaic Yin and Yang t-shirt from the NeatoShop!

Welcome to this week's caption contest. The winner, who will be announced on Friday, will get a free t-shirt from the NeatoShop!

So look around the NeatoShop and type in your choice of t-shirt with your caption. Submit only one caption per comment, but you can leave as many comments as you like. Please make sure that you provide a t-shirt selection or your caption will not be considered.

Image credit: unknown, via Boing Boing

WINNER -- Thom:

The tentacles all go to eleven.

Congratulations, Thom! You win a Mosaic Skull t-shirt from the NeatoShop!

Welcome to this week's caption contest. The winner, who will be announced on Friday, will get a free t-shirt from the NeatoShop!

So look around the NeatoShop and type in your choice of t-shirt with your caption. Submit only one caption per comment, but you can leave as many comments as you like. Please make sure that you provide a t-shirt selection or your caption will not be considered.

(Image credit: no idea, but I found it on blastr. It's probably a photoshop, but in any event, if it's not clear, this is a Firefly reference.)

WINNER: cynric --

Has anybody seen our "Firefly class spaceship" drivers cd?!

Congratulations, cynric! You win an Exercise on the Forest Moon t-shirt!