A Case of Gowron Face

Ever have a case of Gowron face?

Play button cross-eyed

I just wanted to take a brief break half-way through the final arc to mention two fun casting things:

1. I've always loved watching the guest star credits roll over the beginning of the episode.  I loved it in Law & Order and I love it now.  When I was watching "Chimera,"in which Odo meets a long lost Changeling, I noticed that one of the guest stars had the last name Hertzler, which I recognized as the last name of the actor who plays the Klingon character Martok (J.G. Hertzler).  I surmised that Hertzler was playing the Changeling, whose make-up is completely different from a Klingon's, so you really couldn't see any facial resemblance, but you could hear a touch of Martok in the Changeling's voice.  I'd guessed that this Hertzler and J.G. were brothers, but when I read Memory Alpha after the episode, it turned out the same actor plays both characters.  I didn't realize it, but this is something that happens fairly frequently in the Star Trek TV shows, especially with two characters of different species with different face make-up.
2. I would never have picked this out on my own if I hadn't read it on Memory Alpha, but the same actor (Jeffrey Combs) plays two recurring characters on DS9: Brunt (Ferengi) and Weyoun (Vorta).  I'd gotten to know Jeffrey Combs as the actor who plays Weyoun, and when I one time saw him credited for Brunt I just figured I remembered the name wrong.  Once again the make-up distinguishes them completely, and I still can't detect any similarity in their voices or physical mannerisms.  Combs plays both characters equally well and without a trace of one in the other.  It baffles me further when you see that Brunt towers over the other Ferengi meanwhile Weyoun is usually shorter than the people he shares the screen with.  Combs stands at 5'7", a good height for feeling tall in some situations and short in others (I know it well), but it's still some amazing differentiation.

Embarking on an arc

I'm about to begin the much talked-about (on Memory Alpha) ten-hour, nine-episode arc that ends Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.  I already know some things about the way the series ends, since I've been reading the Memory Alpha article on each episode after I watch it, but there's still plenty to discover.

Odo, I think I'll miss you most of all.

Questions posed of kittens

Are you a kitten?
To what do I owe the pleasure?
Are you hungry?
Where's the other one?
Do I have kittens?
I have TWO kittens?
What's YOUR problem?
Do you mind?
What's that smell?
Kitty cats?

Their answers:

Yes
Meow
Yes
Who?
Yes
Yes
Meow
Meow
Meow
Yes

Dough Minnie In

If you showed me the word "DOMINION" on a piece of paper and asked me to pronounce it, I'd give you duh-MIN-yin.  Everyone on DS9 seems to really enunciate that first syllable, making it sound almost like its own word: DOUGH-MIN-yun.  You also get some people paying homage to that second "I," sounding like the title of this post: dough minnie in.

I never gave this conscious thought, but when yesterday I had the opportunity to say the word "Dominion" out loud several times (in reference to the game), I found myself pronouncing it like they do on the show (the first one I mentioned, without Minnie), so I guess it sunk in and stored itself somewhere, like an acid flashback.

Can I use treasure to buy ketracel-white?

Dominion's a great game, by the way.  I hadn't played it in years, and I think every time I played it before, it was with experienced gamers, so this was the first time I had to teach the game.  At first the rules seemed hopelessly complex, but once we got into the groove it was really awesome.  You get to say words like "duchy" and "smithy."

I've been very bad about posting, particularly about DS9.  My last DS9 post was in April at which point I was on season three, and now I'm well into the seventh and final season.  OOPS.  Maybe after I finish the series I'll do a huge post (that no one will read) summing up my feelings on the whole thing.  I will say this: I recently watched the baseball episode.  Odo as umpire was adorable, especially him rehearsing in his office.  The linked page has a lot of fun facts about the episode, too, like how Max Grodénchik is actually a talented ball player despite his performance as the non-athletic, clumsy Rom.