The convention of using the symbiote’s name as a kind of surname for a joined Trill is really odd to me. At least, as it translates into our culture, perhaps their own culture has different conventions
But the thing is, “Jadzia” and “Dax” are different people. When you address her as “Lieutenant Dax”, you’re effectively addressing the symbiote while when you address her as “Jadzia”, you’re addressing the host. So, it’s not the same as, say, the distinction between saying “Captain Sisko” and “Benjamin”, because “Sisko” and “Benjamin” refer to the same person
So, it seems to me that it would make more sense to simply treat “Jadzia Dax” as a single name (”Jadzia-Dax”), and then using either “Jadzia” or “Dax” by itself would be reserved for times when one is referring solely to the symbiote or solely to the host
And there’s certainly precedent for treating aliens as having single names. Worf’s full name is “Worf Son of Mogh”, but “Son of Mogh” isn’t treated as a surname. He’s “Lt Worf” not “Lt Son-of-Mogh” or “Lt Moghson”. And Spock was only ever Spock, and there’s no official canon for his surname (there’s a semi-canonical name but I can’t remember it)
i can sort of see how the connection of people who shared a symbiote is comparable to a family, as another line of descent comparable to patrilineal surnames. it makes sense that in trill culture, your symbiote becomes more important and that it sort of replaces any other kind of family tree you had before. it fits in a lot with how trills pre and post joining are considered different people. at least, this was the easiest way that i could make sense of this question when i watched it. i wonder if joined trills are technically disowned by their family too, if their culture sees the joined trill as a new person (or maybe trills don’t ever have last names? it’s been a while) (i can also see joined trills being disallowed from receiving inheritances, so that you can’t profit from just having had previous hosts. there is also that law about meeting people who knew a past host, i guess they’d have a lot of laws to avoid joined trills abusing their status for money or power or connections)
also damn i really wish ds9 had done more with the revelation that the trill government was lying to its population about how being symbiont compatible isn’t NEARLY as rare they claimed it was
oh worm
I imagine that Trill society must be painfully classist, though not in wealth as we tend to think it. Imagine competing for a promotion or a position with someone who is joined and you aren’t. That person has multiple life times of “work experience” and you have…what? 20 years? Yeah, you’re not getting that job. Imagine spending your youth practicing and instrument, then the guy down the street gets joined to the symbiont that was a concert performer 90 years ago. Two weeks of practice and he’s now as good at that guy. Welp…looks like you just lost your concert schedule. Can you imagine the bitterness in a society like that?
things I think about a lot in regards to joining politics:
– there would be symbionts with sensitive political information who are probably passed only to pre-selected Trill already working in the government to protect information.
– maybe a secret intelligence organzation that’s actually been made up of the same group of symbionts since its beginning.
– black market symbiont sales to off-world Trill from exiled Trill looking to make money for their families or to settle debts when they are near death.
– the Comission would probably perpetuate the idea that an indifferent to or anti-joining position should be considered radicalized and negative on the Trill home world, and yet it would be a pretty standard sentiment for off-world dwelling Trill.
– (many off-world Trill may have emigrated from Trill for that reason)
– Trill society supports capital punishment at least via forced unjoining.
– a host would take on any trauma the symbiont’s previous hosts endured post joining, but because of the risk of having the symbiont be deemed ‘unfit to be rejoined’ upon its current host’s death, they probably wouldn’t talk about it with anyone??
– in short the Comission is probably an incredibly corrupt and powerful organization.
I love all of these ideas about Trill society. I really do wish they’d been explored more.
jake sisko as a character is the antithesis of wesley crusher and the ultimate evidence that child characters can actually be well executed even in shows such as star trek, as long as you develop them as, you know, actual kids instead of insufferable genius special boys
interesting how ben sisko thinks and philosophizes and struggles morally as much as any other star trek captain (cough picard cough) and regularly uses strategy and wits and manipulation to outsmart his enemies rather than approaching conflicts through force (this is the man who walked onto the station and within like an hour had smooth-talked quark into sticking around, before even dukat showed up)
and also is a single dad and a good dad and the only captain who is a parent within the show, a family man, and generally as a character has a complex inner life and complex motivations and goals and methods of achieving them
but the one main element of his character some segments of the fandom seem to focus on is action man, gets shit done, and while that’s true enough sometimes especially compared to other captains (cough picard cough) the main thing anyone seems to cite is that he punched q in the face that one time and that’s it and what’s more i’ve frequently seen him be ascribed qualities that as far as i can tell he really does not have in any greater abundance than any other star trek captain, like, uh, angry, for example, hmm
which how anyone can do a critical reading of ds9 that leads them to come away thinking that anger is a prominent feature of benjamin lafayette sisko’s personality or motivations when throughout the show he’s often the voice of measured reason, juxtaposed with kira nerys, former terrorist, is beyond me, except actually it’s not at all because like I Know Why, but, you know
🍓🧀 (archive) 