As to the first part, you're focusing on numerics to the exclusion of the main point (which kinda seems like your goal). For my formative years, I didn't know people could "tan" (even though I and my family did get darker in the summer, and get lines where straps hit, etc). For 250ish out of 350ish years, Dax was…

@avclub-da2cfbc3287da0f4f985aa7350b8831b:disqus But why are "spots" the thing that makes her a Trill? If anything, I would think it would be the worm in her belly.

No, you misunderstand me. I can tan, and I know what tan lines are. With white friends, I have joined in conversations about tans — for their sakes. But it's not a thing I think about, culturally speaking. I'm not sure why this is so difficult to understand, but the concept of "tanning" is one I had no idea existed…

But why would she see herself as someone "with spots" as opposed to humans as "monocolored or "unspotted"? Why wouldn't she say something like, "I prefer the smooth nose to the pointy ears"? After all, she is surrounded by mainly Bajorans at a Bajoran space station.

Oh thanks a bunch! That's exactly what I was thinking of, and now I remember what I was grasping for —- My cousin and I "made up" -iggity when we were little (I guess we heard it somewhere), and I was floored when I heard it in that movie. What a great movie.

Actually, you inadvertently proved my point — I'm black, and I'd never think to say that. I get that gingers tend to not tan easily, so I understand what you're saying, but as a medium-skinned black person, the idea of "being tan" is as abstract to me as "having spots" is to Dax.

I agree. He starts out a strong character, unlike Dax and Bashir for example, but not a fully formed one like Odo and DS9 O'Brien.

Unfortunately, that extends to every alien race (except humans), and half the races on Star Trek are Earth-stereotype analogues. 
Not only are the characters racist to each other, aliens often refer to themselves from a human-centric point of view (surprisingly, Ferengi are some of the least prone to do this). In "In…

@avclub-0c3e626d1a287cdc48c77515c8dcc243:disqus Shakaar was in a total of 3 episodes - the one where we meet him, the one where he and Kira start dating, and the one where Kira gives birth. Isn't that nuts? It seemed like his semi-genial blandness was so omnipresent, but nope.

Yes, I recall my friend and I doing "iggity" because we read or watched it. I think maybe it was in a book, maybe?

Pig Latin uses "ay". This language uses "iggity". I'm specifically talking about the "iggity". So no.

I feel like "iggity" is a reference to something, another pair of siblings with a secret language, and for the life of me, I can't think of what. Can anyone help?!

Also, what's fascinating about Ringer/Revenge, is that in addition to being set in similar worlds, both shows keep hitting similar plot points. Both had early episodes (the second episode of both shows, I think), about how vile and conniving the 1% can be — but Revenge killed it with a double fakeout about how greed…

Apparently, the producers asked him to change his voice completely by lowering it an octave or two.  But that's not something Siddig happens to be physically capable of. So he came up with this raspy whisper instead, but when they reviewed the episode, it didn't work, so they asked him to overdub the Vantika lines.…

I dunno, I find that between rewatching the first and final times Simon and Alisha had sex, my Iwan Rheon fantasies are doing pretty well.

Agreed! He's turned into the heart and conscience of the group — I'm not sure how a newcomer could fill that role without being preachy.

I'm increasingly disappointed with the show for similar reasons. [Most of] the characters on Community have displayed growth and learning — and copious backsliding — even though it's much more of a cartoon than 30 Rock, and has had far fewer episodes to boot.

I'm guessing you didn't read the review. Like, not even the first sentence. (It's "Wallis").

Yup! I wish all shows did previews like Mad Men's. I can always watch them, and they make me very excited about the next episode, but they reveal absolutely nothing about the plot.

I think Regina separating Emma and Henry might mean an even more drastic reduction in the amount of Henry screentime, so it seems the writers are able to recognize and fix problems with the show. So, once again, for about the fifth episode in a row, I'm once again committing to try just once more episode to see if the…