Musings in the Dark: Boss Chicks: Jadzia Dax

10/11/2011

Boss Chicks: Jadzia Dax

I'm continuing my appreciation for the DS9 Divas.

Lieutenant Commander Jadzia Dax, played by Terry Farrell, was a joined Trill.  Before I continue my homage to Dax, I need to explain the significance of being joined.  To be joined means that the humanoid Trill is a host to a wise old symbiont.  The symbionts are special and must be protected at all times, to the detriment of the host.  Trills that are joined must undergo rigorous training because they absorb the memories of all of the symbiont’s previous hosts.  Trills that are eligible for joining look upon the event as an honor, and view the protection of the symbiont as their highest priority.  Jadzia was host to the Dax symbiont, a 300-year old creature.  She was Dax’s eighth host.  Her predecessor was a male Trill named Curzon.  Curzon had strong ties to the Klingon Empire.

Now, with that context, I can continue my analysis. Jadzia arrived on Deep Space Nine, and she was an enigmatic, beautiful woman who had a previous relationship with Captain Benjamin Sisko.  The prior relationship was actually with Curzon Dax, who was Sisko’s mentor.  Sisko always referred to Curzon as “old man,” and when Jadzia joined the crew and Sisko realized that she carried the Dax symbiont, and thus had Curzon’s memories, he started calling her “old man.” Because of her experience, she was typically the voice of reason for Sisko and his crew.  She was his confidant and he was hers; they regularly sought advice from one another.  Their bond was strong.

Jadzia was strong enough to handle seven lifetimes’ worth of memories, which is no easy feat.  Because of her experiences, she was able to have an appreciation for various activities.  She played tongo better than most Ferengi, loved to fight, fuck and party.  Jadzia was comfortable with herself and confident, had a zest for life and no shortage of suitors, including the young and inexperienced Dr. Julian Bashir.  Bashir was waaaay out of his league in his pursuit of Dax.  He was no match for her; she was far too much woman for him.  But when Lieutenant Commander Worf reported for duty on DS9, Dax took a liking to him.  She had an appreciation for Klingons & their culture, due to Curzon’s affiliation.  She pursued Worf in a relatively light-hearted way, pointing out that he couldn’t see what was before him.  Worf, lovesick over an unattainable female, Grilka, didn’t realize that Jadzia liked him until she challenged him in a Klingon courtship ritual.  Klingons are a tempestuous lot, and she and Worf became lovers, or par’mach-kai, after she initiated the ritual.  They were known for having rough sex, replete with broken bones, scratches, pulled muscles and dislocated joints.  

Klingon mating rituals don't scare me.  I'd do Worf.
They got married in Season Six.


Dax’s bachelorette party was awesome!  She had a fine-ass Polynesian fire dancer perform.  She punched out her future mother-in-law when she pulled a knife.  Everyone was dancing and drinking (and likely doing other things the camera couldn’t show), and Dax woke up with a massive hangover to the chagrin of her stoic and stalwart fiancĂ©.  One could infer that she slept with the fire dancer, as she certainly intimated that she wanted to.  The wedding got called off, but eventually takes place when Sisko talked some sense into Dax.  Dax and Worf were a good match, and when she abruptly died at the end of Season Six, he was inconsolable.  The Dax symbiont ended up with an unworthy successor. 

Ezri Dax: FAIL!
The writers would have done better either recasting Terry Farrell (the actress) or letting the character of Dax die altogether.  Ezri could not fill Jadzia's shoes.

Chatty Cathy
I liked Dax.  I thought she was a fantastic character.  But there was a shift in her personality somewhere between Season Three & Season Four.  She was this quiet, wise, mysterious female, and then she became gossipy, silly and prone to throwing people under the bus.  She knew everyone’s business and told everybody everyone else’s business, and she did not have a problem discussing hers and Worf’s private life with everyone on the senior staff.  It was clearly a series of “WTF?” moments.

But in spite of these flaws, Jadzia Dax is still a boss chick; if for no other reason than loving a Klingon, wanting his children, and fucking his brains out.  That, my friends, is not something to be taken lightly.



Next:  Captain Kasidy Yates
Previous: Major Kira Nerys


7 comments:

  1. Yay!!!

    Dax was initially one of my favorite reasons for digging DS9. But then....

    But there was a shift in her personality somewhere between Season Three & Season Four.

    I was hoping you would bring this up. I also noticed that they really tried to feminize her during the shift, as though they couldn't stand her androgynous look & demeanor in the first 3 seasons.

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  2. I was fine with Dax's androgyny. It made sense because she had male and female hosts, and it made her even more mysterious, because you just weren't sure. But along the way, somebody thought it would be a good idea to make her more "sociable." Then they went over the deep end with that shit.

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  3. I loved Dax. Along with Bashir and Sisko, she was my favorite character.

    I do understand the writers' decision to recast a new Dax after Jadzia died. After all, what's the point of having a trill with that ability if you don't explore it.

    That being said, I have to conquer, I wasn't feeling Ezri...AT ALL!

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  4. <3 Daz. She and Sisko were always my favorites. I remember watching DS9 as a kid (mom is a bit of a Trekkie) and being so mad when Dax died. I didn't mind Ezri. Now that I look back on it, I feel kinda bad for Nicole De Boer. I think the writer's should have had her play someone else.

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  5. I love Jadzia, she's my favorite star trek girl and loved her and Worf together. I too wish the writers had handled Terry's departure differently (reassign Jadzia in another post during the war or missing in action and be found in the final episodes) I really wanted to see Worf and Jadzia living happily ever after with their baby. They deserved it. I didn't care for season 7 at all

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  6. She's my favorite DS9 character. I loved her so much and I ship her and Worf for life. They're perfect togather.

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  7. Jadzia is awesome. She's my favorite star trek character. Yeah giving Jadzia another assignment during the final season would make a lot more sense than bring an unworthy successor.

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