Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

[FlyingBeastie]

Not to copy Si, but I too for the past few weeks have been rewatching a Star Trek- Deep Space Nine that is. I never watched it originally cos', well, let's just say I wasn't quite old enough to really pay attention to it- as a youngin' action packed shows like Xena and Buffy were easier to enjoy as opposed to the intrigue offered by DS9.
I feel bad for DS9 though. Like Final Fantasy 9 (what it is about 9's??) I feel like it often gets forgotten and tossed aside as just another show, or people assume it wasn't any good. One thing that irks me most is that people figure it wasn't any good just cos' it was on a space station rather than an Enterprise.
I have to say, personally, it's pretty hard for me to get into shows, and I can safely say from what I've been watching (haven't seen it till the end yet) its a damn fine show with really great characters and fantastic writing (none of that, "Take the cheese to sickbay" or "there's coffee in that nebula" nonsense from Voyager) and magnificent acting(yep, I have a crush on Garak and Dukat, can you blame me??)
So, yeah, I just wanted to make a post to see if there's some love out there for this oft neglected part of the Star Trek series.

[Martin Penny]

DS9 is by far my favourite Trek series, and I think it stands head and shoulders above the others in terms of writing.

Some people always say that it took about four seasons to get interesting, but I don't think that's the case. Season One is a little slow, but in the first two seasons alone, there is more continuity and character development than any other Star Trek series had at that point.

It's a shame it doesn't seem to get as much attention as TNG, which, apart from a handful of excellent episodes each season - I find to be a very mediocre and overrated series.

[Si Hunt]

I'll be starting an episode by episode Deep Space Nine run-through in a month or two (I'm on Season 6 of TNG now, so it won't be long til I finish), so we could all follow it through together if you wanted - and anyone else interested too.

Si.

[FlyingBeastie]

I concur Martin. I've seen a handful of episodes of season 2 and 3 and didn't find any of them in the least bit slow or interesting. I also think it's becoming my favourite of all of the Star Trek series, even though i've never been a huge Trekkie of either TOS or TNG.
Sure thing Si! My brother is pretty much almost like assigning episodes for me to watch like homework so i'm watching the main stories here and there, as well as some of the stand alone episodes. And since i'm back at school i'll probably watch them on the weekends, so don't worry about catching up

[Anthony Williams]

Best. Trek Series. EVER.

I'm watching through it at the mo, and am up towards the end of Season 4. I'll certainly chip in my thoughts when Si starts review it

Ant x

[Wayne]

My overview in brief:
Superb pilot in 'Emissary', but followed by the dullest season in the history of Trek IMHO. S1 really is boring pretty much in its entirety.
S2 gets a bit better with the Maquis stuff, & the introduction of Jem Hadar, (or however the hell you spell it) which eventually leads to some really good stuff, But i still think that much S2 also suffers from being way too slow.
For me, S3 is the turning point. Story arcs are starting to build nicely & the pace really picks up by the end of the season.
S4 thru S7 - DS9 has truly arrived. For the most part, bar the occasional mundane O'Brien family soapiness, & those awfully contriving to be funny & thus not being funny Ferengi episodes - DS9 is possibly my fave of all the Trek spin-offs from here on in.
A lot of people attribute it to Worf joining, but it's not really that, although the character really did come into his own throughought DS9, far more than TNG. But for me it's more about writing of superb stories, charaterization, & for me the Dominion War story arc, & all the Cardassian stuff made for the most exciting continued story arcs that just got/get really addictive & compulsive viewing in a way that far exceeds TNG for me personally.
The mirror universe episodes were also hugely enjoyable, & 'Trials & Tribulations' is a brilliant hommage to the original series. Some bemoan the transformation of Dax in the final season, but i think it worked very well, & besides which, it was the quality of the storylines which kept the Trek franchise at it's best during this time.

I'm an odd one with Trek, because i was brought up on the original series, so i had/have a huge fondness for that. It took me ages to get to like TNG, but like DS9, it got better as it went along.
Voyager was more like TNG, in that it had some really great episodes, but a lot of really average ones as well, where you just felt that Trek was treading over a lot of the same old ground, & also some of the characters didn't really sparkle, (especially dull Harry Kim!)& they used the Borg stuff way too much.
Personally i'd rate DS9 above both TNG & Voyager, & i'd say the same for 'Enterprise', although i seem to the only person in the world who really liked it. I think S3 of 'Enterprise' is up there with the best of DS9 in terms of exciting, interweaving storylines. I was gutted when it got cancelled, as i thought it was a definite improvement on Voyager!
Although i suppose when it comes down to it, i pretty much like all Trek to a greater or lesser extent. I've got everything there is on dvd except for S1 of DS9, which has barely any redeeming episodes after the pilot!

[FlyingBeastie]

Some bemoan the transformation of Dax in the final season, but i think it worked very well,

i prefer Ezrie Dax 100 times over Jadzia Dax- Jadzia put me to sleep whenever she was on screen, i guess that's attributed to the fact the actress was trying to get out of her contract from day 1 haha

[Wayne]

I liked them both to be honest. I think both actresses did a good job, but i think Ezrie/Nicole got a lot of unfair comparisons & flak.

[FlyingBeastie]

Jadzia had her moments, but overall, i have to say she was the character i got least excited for...

[Rob McCow]

Jadzia? It was all about Garrick and Morn really. Two of Trek's most lovable characters!

[Wayne]

Garrick

Who's going to be the pedant today?

[Rob McCow]

Ah, Deep Space 9. With it's characters such as Gull Ducket, Benjemen Psisco, Major Keera, Ohdoe, Jadsia Daks, Myales and Cakehole O'Brian and Doctor Julien Bachier. Then there are the Ferenghi, Kwaork, Nug and Rohm. Never mind the Buggorans such as Ky Wind.

[Anthony Williams]

[tongue in cheek]and then, of course, there was Ezrie[/tongue in cheek]

Ant x

[Wayne]

@u guys.

[stuartdg]

Fantastic show;my favourite of all the Trek series.Great characters,largely strong storylines,and a real sense of a beginning,middle and end

[SiHart]

I liked season 1! I didn't like season 2 much as I was pretty bored by Bajoran politicking, but although I haven't seen much of season 3 to this day I think there's a pretty sharpish incremental increase in quality, especially when it was emulating the other (superior) space station based Sci-fi show made around the same time... B5...

I think it benefitted from being left alone by the other Trek bigwigs who always seemed to prefer Next Gen or Voyager.
Si xx

[Martin Penny]

Personally i'd rate DS9 above both TNG & Voyager, & i'd say the same for 'Enterprise', although i seem to the only person in the world who really liked it. I think S3 of 'Enterprise' is up there with the best of DS9 in terms of exciting, interweaving storylines. I was gutted when it got cancelled, as i thought it was a definite improvement on Voyager!

Your not alone there Wayne, I really like the last two seasons of Enterprise. I even thought the first two seasons were okay, it's just a shame they didn't start the story arc stuff until season three.

Voyager is just dire, not just the worst Trek series, but one of the most boring sci fi series ever.

[Wayne]

Your not alone there Wayne, I really like the last two seasons of Enterprise. I even thought the first two seasons were okay

Agreed!
I liked it pretty much from the word go. And yes i really like S4 as well. But i do think S3 was their best.

[FlyingBeastie]

I think there's a pretty sharpish incremental increase in quality, especially when it was emulating the other (superior) space station based Sci-fi show made around the same time... B5...

Lest we forget the fact Rick Berman and Ira Steven Bher actually read the story of Babylon 5 before it was picked up by the network- so its easy to say that DS9 was more than just coincidentally similar to B5- I mean even the character of Dukat is in both shows!
This is all according to my brother anyway, I was never personally a big follower of B5
I just saw Through the Looking Glass and Shattered Mirror today- pretty entertaining episodes, although SM was pretty dark considering, well, the death of Jennifer.
However, Garak never gets boring-I simply love him!- especially when he's put in a collar by Worf

Awesome Garak quote of the day: "Regent, perhaps its time to remove you august presence from the battlefield"

[Martin Penny]

Awesome Garak quote of the day: "Regent, perhaps its time to remove you august presence from the battlefield"

Garak is brilliant, and really should have been made a regular character. Towards the end of the series he appears in most episodes anyway.

I really like the mirror universe episodes, they were always entertaining. Unfortunately, they have a very dissappointing conclusion in the final series.

[FlyingBeastie]

Garak is brilliant, and really should have been made a regular character. Towards the end of the series he appears in most episodes anyway.

I really like the mirror universe episodes, they were always entertaining. Unfortunately, they have a very dissappointing conclusion in the final series.

"no! no! don't tell! mustn't tell!"

But yes, Garak really is one of the greats up there, so is Dukat- he so charismatic! {Even though he's pretty much the equivilant of Hitler...} but who could resist him in episodes like Return from Grace with his dilemma about his daughter Ziyal who was born out of wedlock between Dukat and a Bajoran slave during the occupation?...that and the sand spine incident too

[Phillip Culley]

Lest we forget the fact Rick Berman and Ira Steven Bher actually read the story of Babylon 5 before it was picked up by the network- so its easy to say that DS9 was more than just coincidentally similar to B5- I mean even the character of Dukat is in both shows!
This is all according to my brother anyway, I was never personally a big follower of B5
I just saw Through the Looking Glass and Shattered Mirror today- pretty entertaining episodes, although SM was pretty dark considering, well, the death of Jennifer.
However, Garak never gets boring-I simply love him!- especially when he's put in a collar by Worf

Awesome Garak quote of the day: "Regent, perhaps its time to remove you august presence from the battlefield"

My one problem with Shattered Mirror is that despite never even being mentioned before, as soon as Worf appears on DS9, suddenly he's a major player in the Mirror Universe (the same goes for Ezri as well).

Granted, one of the conceits of the mirror universe episodes is that despite the complete and utter improbability that all the cast of DS9/TOS/ENT appear together it does happen, but it does feel stretched out when new characters suddenly appear...

[FlyingBeastie]

I just saw a whole lotta episodes involving "Bajor Bajor Bajor", namely "Homecoming", "The Circle", "The Siege", "Life Support", and "Destiny".
All really great episodes, however, i can't help but post an awesome quote from Quark speaking to Odo during "The Circle" when everything was turning into a clusterfluck with the whole "Circle" attacks:

"We've got to leave! Well, I do, anyway; you can just turn into a couch."

[Martin Penny]

That's a pretty good run of episodes, Frank Langella is great as Jaro - took me ages to realise it was him as he was uncredited. Louise Fletcher is great as Kai Winn as well.

And Quark is just great, he adds a lively presence to the series that was absent in all the other Treks. Unfortunately, whenever he gets paired with Rom, the episode tends to be awful.

[FlyingBeastie]

hmm, well i beg to differ- Little Green Men and The Magnificent Ferengi were rather entertaining i thought- then again, those are the only Ferengi oriented episodes ive seen thus far (...i lie...i saw Profit and Lace and i'm still scarred by it actually...)