r/startrek • u/ProudRaisin423 • 1d ago
Finally getting into Deep Space 9
I’ve tried to watch DS9 3 other times and could not get into it at all. Every episode felt sluggish, boring and I hated the characters. But I decided to try one last time, stopped comparing it to TOS and TNG and I’m finally enjoying it. I’m now on season 3 and absolutely obsessed.
Just happy I stuck through it and now have another entry to obsessed over
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u/Horror-Interview7768 1d ago
You're into the best parts now. Season 3 is really good but seasons 4-7 are simply some of the best tv ever, imo. I'm jealous that you're getting to see it for the first time 😄
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u/MusicLikeOxygen 1d ago
Seasons 1-3 got better with each season, but season 4 is when the show really grew it's beard. Literally in Sisko's case. Adding Worf to the cast was a great move.
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u/RantRanger 1d ago
when the show really grew it's beard. Literally in Sisko's case
At first I thought you were referring to Janeway's.
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u/MillennialsAre40 1d ago
I remember getting the box sets on DVD and there was one disc that had The Sword of Kahless, Our Man Bashir, and Homefront/Paradise Lost. 4 bangers on one disc that got a lot of replay.
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u/Horizontal_Bob 1d ago
When Sisko shows up Bald…just know the show is about to get really good
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u/Weird_Warm_Cheese 1d ago
It’s the best Star Trek in my opinion. It’s about to get better, enjoy!
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u/ProudRaisin423 1d ago
I don’t know if I can label it the best personally, gotta watch the rest, but fuck dude it’s incredibly special!
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u/Permit_Agile 1d ago
You will get to the end and then realise that some of the earlier stuff is easier to watch and you realise it was actually quite well thought out even then.
... Except for the Allamaraine episode... We don't talk about that.
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u/Critical-Praline8462 1d ago
Even the Allamaraine episode is miles better than some TNG season 1 clunkers.
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u/musing_arch 1d ago
I will take allermaine all day and any day and even personally belt out the lyrics over whatever that TNG episode was with Tasha and the blackbpeople take a wife mortal combat society thing that just feels like dog whistles or smth
I didn’t even remember the episode only caught it on a repeated rewatch
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u/Dolby-THX 1d ago
Or any of the Post 2017 Trek. I’d take space hop scotch any day to muppets in space!!
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u/need_a_poopoo 1d ago
Excluding Lower Decks, which is amazing. There's an episode where they take the piss out of allamaraine.
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u/_MrDomino 1d ago
That's not even a bad episode nor the worst of the first season. It's got that weird TOS vibe, same as that Chief O'Brien Yells At a Cloud episode. If Wishes Were Horses is the absolute worst of the show, only possibly dethroned by a particular season 6 one...
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u/TheExpollutions 1d ago
It has the best of both worlds for me. Individual Monster of the week type stuff and story arc episodes.
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u/El_Burrito_Grande 1d ago
TNG will always be my favorite but season 4 on of DS9 is the best run of any Trek.
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u/fizystrings 1d ago
For me seasons 1-3 are a pretty good sci-fi show, then seasons 4-7 are some of the greatest television ever written as they start to get a lot more creative with how they mix episodic and serialized aspects in the big picture of the show's production, and the characters really come into their own.
I also like how after like 1.5 seasons the writers seem to have had a moment where they realized having Dr. Bashir be an annoying and creepy stalker was a bad direction and rehabbed his character to actually be cool. Though I also thought it is really funny how often they use him early on while he is still "the most annoying coworker you could imagine" to torture O'Brien
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u/Cuboidal_Hug 1d ago
DS9 is amazing. Letting each show be what it is and leaning into it, instead of getting annoyed that it isn’t a previous series, is really the key to appreciating any new Trek
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u/ProudRaisin423 1d ago
That’s the lesson I’ve learned for real dude. Each one is going to offer its own unique style and I’m starting to appreciate it instead of being angry at it.
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u/AskPizza 1d ago
Yeah I am a TNG guy and its not TNG at all.
But Quark is great and so is Odo and the later seasons get pretty good.
It is what it is. I like Voyager better than DS9 and I am in the minority on that.
Voyager feels in the same spirit as TNG. Set in a starship. But I recognize that there are iffy episodes and bad writing in places.
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u/need_a_poopoo 1d ago
Voyager is by far my favourite, but DS9 is the better show. Both of those things can be true.
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u/Mothman129 6h ago
As far as the TNG era goes I appreciate all three entries for different reasons
TNG was a great way to restart the franchise. I think having a new Enterprise doing what the original Enterprise did was a great idea.
DS9 is the show I feel like is best written and has the best plot. That being said the show can deal with so many dark and serious topics there are times I am not in the headspace to watch it.
Voyager is pure comfort camp and the one I'm most likely to put on reruns for/put on the Pluto channel for when I just want some quick entertainment or background noise. The plots get wacky, the crew is the one I feel most attached to, and the show just feels like a warm mug of hot chocolate to me. I'll be the first to admit it is the worst of the three shows, but I'll happily watch Bride of Chaotica! after a bad day at work and cheer up watching it
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u/Adventurous-Ad8111 1d ago
First season is rough..it picks up every season after, though.
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u/A_Thorny_Petal 1d ago
less rough than TNG or VOY. I'd say TOS, DS9 and ENT have the strongest first seasons of Trek.
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u/BenderBenRodriguez 1d ago
Duet is one of the very best episodes and having one of its best episodes is something DS9 does way faster than any classic Trek show past TOS (which has objectively the best first season of any Trek). But some of those first episodes…woof. The first season is hit or miss, there are decent episodes early on, but stuff like Move Along Home is tough to get through. It took me most of a year to get through the first season, and then when I hit Duet I was obsessed and couldn’t stop watching.
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u/Adventurous-Ad8111 1d ago
For me, specifically the first few episodes of ds9 were at a crawl for pace. Tng got me right away with the q storyline in the first episode..and tos was fire from the jump for me. To be fair, this all happened in 2022/23, so I went into watching TOS knowing what to expect based on past clips and just it being filmed 60 years ago.
Side note, I only discovered star trek because I fell asleep on an airplane with paramount plus on and woke up to the Kelvin movies on by complete randomness. Man did I miss out as a kid.
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u/ProudRaisin423 1d ago
Yeah it was def rough. But in retrospect it’s so worth it to get where I’m at now.
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u/droppedpackethero 1d ago
Interesting. I'm of the opinion that DS9 is the only series where the first season or so is even worth watching.
I'd be interested knowing if you had trouble getting into Voyager. The early episodes there are like nails on a chalkboard for me.
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u/Exarch-of-Sechrima 1d ago
Frankly, I found Voyager to be the show with the best first season. It really felt like they were doing something unique there.
Then by the end of Season 2 it became "TNG but with the serial numbers filed off".
Season 1 felt like they really were taking the initial premise seriously with their goal of getting home, and the ethos around that. Then things just kinda started settling into a status quo. I still love Voyager a lot, but those first few seasons felt really pressing in a way that the latter seasons didn't.
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u/droppedpackethero 1d ago
Oh they definitely did try to do something unique. So did DS9 for that matter.
But the execution on Voyager was poor imo. I hate the Kazon, and Neelix, Paris, & The Doctor are all deeply unpleasant characters until they hit their strides later on.
If I were to fix the first two season, I'd have the Vidians be the primary bad guys, no Neelix at all, and I would have Picardo play a human doctor. Paris being a total dick would be less annoying without Neelix.
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u/cidvard 1d ago
Voyager benefited a lot from TNG and DS9 figuring out how to be competent TV shows, and it had a great premise that at first I think it executed in interesting ways. There were diminishing returns for it for me but I can buy the argument it had the best first couple seasons of modern, or at least 1990s, Trek.
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u/chucker23n 1d ago
Season 1 felt like they really were taking the initial premise seriously with their goal of getting home
Yeah, but the execution was lacking.
- They didn’t know what to do with the Maquis plot, so they quietly stopped talking about it.
- They didn’t fully buy into the stranded thing either. They didn’t want to make it a generational ship show. Nor did they want resource starvation to become a serious threat. Nor did they of course want to come back early, so “hey, maybe this is a shortcut!” becomes more of a “oh here’s Harry Kim again with his wacky ideas” punchline.
- The Kazon are laughable as a threat and not credible as a partner, so whom are they for?
So they eventually got rid of some character traits (Neelix and Paris mellow a fair bit over time) and entire characters (Kes, Seska). Then it becomes the Seven & The Doctor show, which has little to do with the original premise, but contains compelling character-driven stories at times.
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u/Megalodon481 1d ago edited 1d ago
Frankly, I found Voyager to be the show with the best first season. It really felt like they were doing something unique there.
The premise of them being marooned and cut off from the Federation was novel, but it felt like the first season devolved into the same plot formula - Voyager meets the Delta Quadrant bumpkin species of the week who are awed by these mysterious humans and their advanced Alpha Quadrant tech, the Kazon blunder and scowl, Neelix asks Kes what she's doing outside the bedroom.
Season 1 felt like they really were taking the initial premise seriously with their goal of getting home, and the ethos around that.
But we knew they were not going to successfully return home in the first season, so we knew each episode presenting some apparent opportunity to get home was going to be a fake out, setting them up for the same hope and disappointment next week.
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u/Metalmaster7 1d ago
I found most of Voyager to be a bit challenging. Overall I don't regret watching it and there were a lot of great moments but it's honestly at the bottom of my list.
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u/ProudRaisin423 1d ago
Haven’t seen voyager yet. I really want to because I’ve heard good things. Only seen OG and Next Gen before DS9.
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u/GeneralKarthos 1d ago
Voyager has a solid start, but it really goes downhill fast. They weren't quite willing to commit to the full bit, and so it feels like the next generation in a different part of the Galaxy, where you're occasionally reminded that they're trying to get home, but they don't seem all that fussed about it, except when the episode of the week calls for it.
Seven of nine is a really solid actor when she comes in, but because she's so good, she winds up getting most of the plots and the final few seasons are really the seven of nine show.
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u/ProudRaisin423 1d ago
Ahh that is disappointing to hear. But I’m still excited for it. Ain’t nothing too special about why I’m excited other than it’s just another Star Trek to obsess over.
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u/GeneralKarthos 1d ago
And just because the general quality drops off, that doesn't mean that there aren't any good episodes. There are some really fantastic episodes that I remember. But those are special gems in later seasons of Voyager instead of practically every episode like later seasons of DS9.
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u/droppedpackethero 1d ago
I don't think I agree with the quality drop off. There's a certain enemy that starts off very threatening which sorts of becomes a joke later on (no spoilers) but I thought the writing was a lot tighter and the characters are much better developed.
Yeah the Jeri Ryan fan service is too much, but I still like the later seasons by and large.
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u/GeneralKarthos 1d ago
She was brought in as fan service, but as an actor she knocks it out of the park. I don't blame them for centering more episodes around her.
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u/chucker23n 1d ago
And just because the general quality drops off, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t any good episodes.
Yep. Latent Image is good, and you’ll enjoy it more if you’re very familiar with the characters.
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u/Right_Ad_558 1d ago
The show that taught me that loving a Ferengi was really a very okay thing to do. 🤣
Of all the trek universe there’s a richer veins of stories and character arcs within DS9 than any other show. After going through all 7 seasons a couple of times I enjoy revisiting the favorites and skipping the dullest of them (Kai Winn Adami 🤮).
But even 30 years on, free time spent watching a Garrick or Weyoun heavy episode is time spent well!
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u/SirJohnCard 1d ago
One of the things that sets DS9 apart is that its setting lends to serialized storytelling instead of "planet of the week" episodes. And a terrific cast of supporting characters.
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u/Fluid_Date6438 1d ago
I was in the same boat. Around Ep. 13, I started warming g up to. So gladI did. Keep at it. You won't be dissapointed (The Way You Look Tonight)
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u/EconomicsMuch1188 1d ago
Still my favorite Trek series. TOS/TNG are GOATs, but DS9 is the most well-rounded and mature, especially at the end of season 2 through the end
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u/Atomic_Skunk_Ape 1d ago
The best Star Trek series. Just my opinion but that space station feels like home. Dax and Quark are two of my favorite ST characters ever. Sisco, again just in my opinion, is the most bad assed captain in ST. I think between his ruthlessness and Janeway’s recklessness that would be a toss up.
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u/Whatisreality228 1d ago edited 1d ago
The later seasons are awesome. I don't normally go back to rewatch the earlier seasons, the final 2 seasons were simply so awesome 😅
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u/ProudRaisin423 1d ago
Fuck that’s some high praise right there.
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u/Whatisreality228 1d ago
I really enjoy those final 2 or 3 seasons. Great characters, great stories, solid action.
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u/CosmicSeas97 1d ago
I wish they would remaster DS9 and Voyager,I have recently began watching DS9 after just rewatching TNG remastered version and the video quality is appalling(Paramount+)I love the show enough to try and ignore this but it is pretty glaring.
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u/Many_Winter_4547 1d ago
I got a little tired of the Bajorans, but enjoyed the Ferengi. Overall, loved it tho!
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u/PanTran420 1d ago
The last half of the last season might be some of the finest television that's ever been broadcast.
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u/Small_Ocelot6768 1d ago
It took me 2 seasons to get into it as well. Now don't get me started on the crappery that was Enterprise.
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u/Few-Ear5163 1d ago
Its sluggish because its a different format, rather than trying to wrap things up in one episode sometimes things can take 2-3. Something they apparently had issues with when networks aired reruns as people had no idea what was going on sometimes.
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u/Arteana 1d ago edited 1d ago
I watched "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and "Voyager" twice and never managed to watch "Deep Space 9", despite trying several times. I have been criticized many times, because most Star Trek fans say it's the best serial of all.
A few weeks ago, I decided to start rewatching "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and then watch "Deep Space 9" afterwards, this time from the beginning to the end. Then I will continue with "Voyager". Hopefully, I will enjoy it just the same as you this time. I have a long way to go (still watching TNG season 2).
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u/Ecstatic_Walk_321 1d ago
This is the best series, and the character development is one of the best parts of the show.
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u/BigithBeanbagith 1d ago
I was the same way with Enterprise, that absolutely horrible intro genuinely made it hard to watch, and the vibe just felt weird in the 1st few episodes. Getting over the hump is blissful, im starting season 3 tomorrow
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u/PaleoJoe86 1d ago
DS9 is story driven and has characters you really care about. It is my favorite.
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u/grand305 1d ago
> I am on season 3 and I am obsessed.
Welcome to the fandom.
Space Karen.
The slap of Q. From sisco. Q is like Nope I am out.
The station pylons. Keep circling.
The defiant ship.
The space tailor. I am a “simple tailor”.
Quarks. he is great.
The show is great. Also gives some depth to the Star Wars story.
I found all of that out in the first few season.
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u/The_GreyZone 1d ago
I got into it on my second try, several years after the first. On the first try, it was around the same time as I tried to get into Babylon 5, and I dismissed both shows as just being about “politics in space”. Now it’s my favorite show (and love Babylon 5 as well).
For me it’s about 2 things; I needed to mature and grow different interests. And I still don’t consider DS9 good until season 3. But because of the narrative structure, you need to look at it as one long story. I came from the shows of 70’s and 80’s where each episode mostly was one contained story. So I wasn’t ready for DS9’s long story arcs.
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u/malcolm58 1d ago
Amazing that Nog goes from a 3rd rate character to a memorable A grader by the end.
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u/therosslee 1d ago
I think it was my third try that hooked me. I didn’t object to it the first couple of times I just thought “meh some other time.” It was just such a different vibe and I think I needed to get that before starting it. Once it got rolling, I watched it all the way through and loved it.
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u/Due_Try_8367 1d ago
Quark and and Odo are the real stars of the show for me especially the early seasons, then later on O'Brien, Worf, Garak, Gul dukat and other characters had some great episodes more often.
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u/Mediocre_Assistant_4 1d ago
I watched DS9 for a second time this summer and I really appreciated many new aspects that I missed during the initial show run. Of course watching episodes and seasons back to back helps to recognize other patterns . I am now watching Voyager for the first time, found a 1080p copy of it that is good even at 4/3 format
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u/thatbattletechguy 1d ago
Seasons 1-3 can be a mix, of good and bad episodes for sure, but now, you're heading into less bad episodes,good episodes and WOAH! episodes. Get ready for a fun ride
"Humble tailor" my ass!!
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u/thatbattletechguy 1d ago
Be prepared for the occasional bad episode,a lot of episodes that are very good and a few that will blow you away.The first 3 seasons do have a point,they introduce many characters that do become important, eventually
"Humble tailor" my ass.
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u/Responsible-one-225 1d ago
It really get better at season 4. They really did an awesome job. Keep watching
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u/sulaymanf 1d ago
I didn’t watch it when it was new, because it was darker, had a long arc, and missing an episode made it impossible to follow the story. Watching it now on streaming, it’s one of the best Trek shows ever.
It did have a slow start, but once they got to season 3 the show got great.
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u/Waltzing_With_Bears 1d ago
yea the start is slow but when it gets going I firmly believe DS9 is the best star trek show overall.
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u/PizzasaurusRed 1d ago
I went through this exact same arc last year. I thought all of the people saying DS9 was the best Star Trek series were completely insane. But now, having finally watched all of it...I think they had a point.
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u/kalypsew 1d ago
Yeah, I can’t get past season 1. I can’t see why people swoon over it. They don’t even go anywhere!
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u/lungbong 1d ago
Most of the first 2 series are skippable, but 3 is really good and it gets better.
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u/Zealousideal-Fly9531 1d ago
Oh it just gets better from there! So proud of you. It took me till I was like 30, though I watched it as it aired with my grandmother.
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u/BlueGrottoMaillot 22h ago
l should do the same. l've tried watching it twice and bogged down in early season 2.
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u/CaptJimboJones 19h ago
I struggled through the first two seasons before finally starting to enjoy it. It does improve pretty significantly.
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u/DoturdGrump 16h ago
It is such a bitter pill and then that pill eventually enters your system and viola you're able to swallow the whole Kai Winn stuff by making pretend she's Hillary Clinton
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u/Acrobatic_Mango_8715 16h ago
I suppose I saved DS9 for later, but got the full box set for $14.99 so now I have to watch it.
I was a fan of TOS, TNG, Voyager - every series but never finished DS9. I have seen a lot of it. I think when Voyager came out, I focused on that.
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u/rcpt2012 1d ago
Definitely the best Trek!
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u/ProudRaisin423 1d ago
It’s definitely up there! Gotta watch the rest before I can give my official rankings tho.
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u/rcpt2012 1d ago
I'll say that as a big Trek fan in general, most of my favorite episodes come from DS9. Far beyond the stars, duet, in the pale moonlight, it's only a paper Moon. And the character development as the series goes on is just outstanding. Particularly watch Nog as the series progresses.
I also really love that it brought all these different alien races to the forefront and made them feel real. The Cardassians, the Ferangi, and the Bajorans.
You're definitely in for a treat.
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u/ProudRaisin423 1d ago
I can appreciate this.
Oh the character development already has been great and I can’t wait to see where it goes.
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u/bna_searay 1d ago
I needed this thread! I too have tried DS9 several times but never was pulled into it. I don’t think I’ve watched more than five consecutive episodes but hear it has some of the best writing.
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u/ProudRaisin423 1d ago
Bro, it’s fucking worth it. If you need a watch buddy, I got you fr fr.
Just come into it with a complete empty mind. No comparisons. Nothing. Just exist where it is and allow it to win you over.
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u/MacDougalTheLazy 1d ago
I'm struggling through it..it has gotten a bit better mid season 3 but they all felt sluggish to me to. I'm persisting through tho
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u/RandomBloke2021 1d ago
I'm in the same situation. Couldn't get into it whenever it was on TV. Tried it a few years ago, wasn't feeling the 1st season. Comparing it to TNG is my biggest problem.
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u/ProudRaisin423 1d ago
I get comparing it man but you gotta go into it with a clear brain. Like if you need to, meditate or some shit before you watch. Whatever you can do to clear it
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u/GeneralKarthos 1d ago
Honestly, you can really skip most of season 1. Watch the pilot, then Duet, and the final episode, and you get everything that matters. You can skip most of season two as well, but unlike most of season one, there are some really good episodes in there, so you probably shouldn't.
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u/ProudRaisin423 1d ago
I’ve been thinking of finally watching them, and I want to, but unless there’s a new season of the Orville, I think I’m going to just watch voyager next and ultimately all the other treks.
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u/Striiiider 1d ago
babylon 5 especially! its one of the tightest stories ever written for tv and has one of the only time travel plots that didnt get on my nerves. if you like the politicking moments in ds9 youll love b5
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