Deep Space Nine Runthrough

12-07-2016 9:31am #1

Since DS9 has been added to Netflix Ireland, I've been making my through it from the very beginning, which I haven't done since their initial air date. I always sing its praise, but this rewatch has made me remember exactly why I enjoyed it.

As I mentioned in the Netflix thread, because it's not about exploration (as such) or many other things the other Treks are known for, and has a stationary position, it allows it to build up a much more character and story driven background.

The first and second season (which I've rewatched so far) make for interesting viewing - the rebuilding of Bajor, the problems that they face because of it, and already in those seasons there are so many fantastically emotional episodes with some great acting -

The Cardasian that surgically altered his face, because he feels he should be punished for doing nothing

especially stands out.

Anyone else rewatching this? What are your opinions for it?

degrassinoel · 12-07-2016 2:18pm

Watched it earlier in the year.

Some very likeable characters, and excellent story arcs.

The Dominion being the all encompassing one. The prophets, Politics and Religion on Bajor in turmoil. The Maquis divide sympathies in the Federation.

But the real attraction for me were characters like Garrak, Dukat, Quark, Weyoun, Martok, Zek, Brunt, Damar, and Kai Winn, who provided the catalysts for the main stars to really shine.

Best in show episode has to be 'In the Pale Moonlight' S6E19
With some really notable ones for me all throughout the series such as

S1 - 'Battle lines'
S2 - 'Rules of Acquisition'
S3 - 'The Die is Cast'
S4 - 'Way of the Warrior', and 'To the Death'
S5 - 'The Ascent'
S6 - 'In the Pale Moonlight', 'The Magnificent Ferengi' and 'Tears of the Prophets'

Fantastic show with very few episodes that i'd skip past to get to the meat.

Owryan · 12-07-2016 2:21pm

Just started a run through on Netflix myself. Interesting seeing how the characters are played in the early episodes compared to the later seasons...... Julian really fancies himself as a ladies man

Drexel · 12-07-2016 2:23pm

I was halfway though a run on American netflix last year or so. Great that I was able to pick it up again

ItHurtsWhenIP · 12-07-2016 2:47pm

degrassinoel wrote: »

...

But the real attraction for me were characters like Garrak, Dukat, Quark, Weyoun, Martok, Zek, Brunt, Damar, and Kai Winn, who provided the catalysts for the main stars to really shine.

...

Ah here. You can't list off all these characters and leave out the most effusive and ebullient of all inhabitants of the station ... Morn!

:pac:

I'll get my coat.

degrassinoel · 12-07-2016 3:05pm

MMFITWGDV wrote: »

Ah here. You can't list off all these characters and leave out the most effusive and ebullient of all inhabitants of the station ... Morn! :pac:

I'll get my coat.

I was going to mention him, but as he has no dialogue at all.. yeah

Still for a guy that never spoke directly in the show he had a huge part in the series, 'who mourns for morn' was a decent episode too

13-07-2016 11:12am

Owryan wrote: »

Just started a run through on Netflix myself. Interesting seeing how the characters are played in the early episodes compared to the later seasons...... Julian really fancies himself as a ladies man

I forgot how creepy the way he was with Dax in the first season (especially) actually was.

Also Starring LeVar Burton · 18-07-2016 5:11pm

I finished a complete re-watch of DS9 there earlier this year on Netflix US - the Star Trek catalogue was one of the main reasons I bothered getting a VPN for Netflix US in the first place, so very happy it's now officially on the auld local Netflix, and seemingly not going anywhere soon with the recent news of Netflix getting first rights for the upcoming series outside of the US & Canada.

Anyway, DS9 is my personal favourite Trek series - it has its flaws like any of the Star Trek franchise, but the supporting characters and overall arc really make it something special.

Josey Wales · 18-07-2016 10:04pm

I only rewatched the entire series a few years ago but it is easily the best of all the Star Trek series.

ScumLord · 23-07-2016 4:53pm

I'd forgotten worf was in this show. I missed that big ugly head of his and the faces he pulls when he oversteps the mark and frightens everyone around him.

The_Valeyard · 20-08-2016 1:57pm

The more I re-watch the show, the more impressed I am with it. It holds up very well.

21-08-2016 8:46am

degrassinoel wrote: »

Watched it earlier in the year.

Some very likeable characters, and excellent story arcs.

The Dominion being the all encompassing one. The prophets, Politics and Religion on Bajor in turmoil. The Maquis divide sympathies in the Federation.

But the real attraction for me were characters like Garrak, Dukat, Quark, Weyoun, Martok, Zek, Brunt, Damar, and Kai Winn, who provided the catalysts for the main stars to really shine.

Best in show episode has to be 'In the Pale Moonlight' S6E19
With some really notable ones for me all throughout the series such as

S1 - 'Battle lines'
S2 - 'Rules of Acquisition'
S3 - 'The Die is Cast'
S4 - 'Way of the Warrior', and 'To the Death'
S5 - 'The Ascent'
S6 - 'In the Pale Moonlight', 'The Magnificent Ferengi' and 'Tears of the Prophets'

Fantastic show with very few episodes that i'd skip past to get to the meat.

How on earth did "The Visitor" not make your list?

degrassinoel · 21-08-2016 10:29am

didnt think it was the best episode of the season

21-08-2016 10:53am

degrassinoel wrote: »

didnt think it was the best episode of the season

:eek::eek::eek:

TheIrishGrover · 21-08-2016 1:03pm

I love DS9. Favourite Trek series. Loved the complexity of the characters and storylines. Much more interesting than the simplistic morality of all the other series. Had a debate with an American fan recently who's favourite series was Voyager. Thought DS9 was worst - Thought it was slow and boring. Says all you need really.

All the characters were great. Even Jake, the token Star Trek kid, and Vic Fontaine were great.

Also working through it again on Netflix. I'm just about 1/2 way through Season 4. Which is great- Loads more to go.

My favourite episodes up to now have been:

1: The Visitor (My all-time favourite episode)
2: Little Green Men
3: Our Man Bashir (Wow, all first 10 episodes of season 4)
4: The Die is Cast
5: Explorers

Still to come:
Far Beyond The Stars (2nd favourite)
In The Pale Moonlight (That monologue)
Ezri Dax
All of season 7

22-08-2016 10:29am

I'm now on Season 4 and what I find interesting is that the tone changes somewhat both before and after the introduction of the Dominion, who are still among the greatest villains in the Trek universe, in my opinion. The fact that the Founders can be absolutely anyone adds in such a fantastic sense of paranoia.

The_Valeyard · 22-08-2016 2:24pm

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I'm now on Season 4 and what I find interesting is that the tone changes somewhat both before and after the introduction of the Dominion, who are still among the greatest villains in the Trek universe, in my opinion. The fact that the Founders can be absolutely anyone adds in such a fantastic sense of paranoia.

Nearly as bad as werewolves

Yeah plot really starts to go forward this season.

Indricotherium · 26-08-2016 3:56pm

Deleted User wrote: »

I'm now on Season 4 and what I find interesting is that the tone changes somewhat both before and after the introduction of the Dominion, who are still among the greatest villains in the Trek universe, in my opinion. The fact that the Founders can be absolutely anyone adds in such a fantastic sense of paranoia.

Some of the best ST is over the second half of DS9 in my opinion.

Spoiler:

I really like it because it give POV's to characters that are not 100% bought in to the Federation message.

Odo is a good character for this, when he is in stoic, detached observation mode. His lack of shock at the revelation that the Federation has a secret police force, more effective than the Obsidian Order, or the Tal Shiar, is a great scene.

Odo:
Personally, I find it hard to believe they wouldn't. Every other great power has a unit like Section 31. The Romulans have the Tal Shiar, the Cardassians had the Obsidian Order.....

One of my favourites in ST.

Quark too, he knows the score.

Quark:
Let me tell you something about Hew-mons, Nephew. They're a wonderful, friendly people, as long as their bellies are full and their holosuites are working. But take away their creature comforts, deprive them of food, sleep, sonic showers, put their lives in jeopardy over an extended period of time and those same friendly, intelligent, wonderful people... will become as nasty and as violent as the most bloodthirsty Klingon. You don't believe me? Look at those faces. Look in their eyes.

It shows that the future-eden of the Federation, is just that, an impossible dream, it is unattainable.

26-08-2016 4:05pm

Indricotherium wrote: »

Some of the best ST is over the second half of DS9 in my opinion.

Spoiler:
I really like it because it give POV's to characters that are not 100% bought in to the Federation message.

Odo is a good character for this, when he is in stoic, detached observation mode. His lack of shock at the revelation that the Federation has a secret police force, more effective than the Obsidian Order, or the Tal Shiar, is a great scene.

One of my favourites in ST.

Quark too, he knows the score.

It shows that the future-eden of the Federation, is just that, an impossible dream, it is unattainable.

Unobtainable for you who sees conspiracy everywhere.
God I would hate to watch Star Trek through your eyes, it would be so depressing.

As usual you use extreme examples to justify your un-supported generalisations. Round and round you go

Indricotherium · 26-08-2016 4:37pm

Deleted User wrote: »

Unobtainable for you who sees conspiracy everywhere.

Hardly a conspiracy theory? Section 31 is a thing and it is shown to be deeply and heavily involved in protecting the day to day luxuries of Federation life

Deleted User wrote: »

As usual you use extreme examples to justify your un-supported generalisations.

Hardly.

Sisko and his entourage all know about the murders and other desperate crimes committed on what seems to be a regular enough basis by Section 31. We've seen news casts in Voyager, We've seen Jake Sisko writing for some sort of news corps. We've even seen the Doctor reach millions with his holonovel.

Sisko is a famous man. He's Eisenhower, Montgomery, MacArthur, Patton.

He surely has the ear of the press. If he truly found the sinister goings on that distasteful, he could blow the lid off the whole thing. But he doesn't. Because even in ST that eden like paradise is unattainable.

Deleted User wrote: »

Unobtainable for you who sees conspiracy everywhere.
God I would hate to watch Star Trek through your eyes, it would be so depressing.

Surely Utopian fiction is depressing by nature when you reference it to the real world we live in?

uck51js9zml2yt · 26-08-2016 4:43pm

I liked Esri .:)

Indricotherium · 26-08-2016 4:57pm

Andrea Huge Shellfish wrote: »

I liked Esri .:)

26-08-2016 5:20pm

Andrea Huge Shellfish wrote: »

I liked Esri .:)

People don't like Esri?

Myrddin · 26-08-2016 5:54pm

Indricotherium wrote: »

Hardly a conspiracy theory? Section 31 is a thing and it is shown to be deeply and heavily involved in protecting the day to day luxuries of Federation life

Yes, in complete and utter secrecy, unlike the others, because outside of very, very, select military circles, it wouldn't be tolerated by any civilian say. As for exposing Section 31, very difficult to do without looking like a complete loon and ultimately being ineffective anyway. They haven't been around for centuries because they're sloppy.

Myrddin · 26-08-2016 5:58pm

Deleted User wrote: »

People don't like Esri?

Much preferred Jadzia

helimachoptor · 26-08-2016 9:08pm

Watching the Ep where Tom riker takes the defiant.

Whats his beef with the Chief?

Evade · 26-08-2016 9:25pm

helimachoptor wrote: »

Watching the Ep where Tom riker takes the defiant.

Whats his beef with the Chief?

There isn't one. Tom knows that O'Brien knows Riker well enough that he might not be able to fool him so he acts like he (as Riker) is annoyed with O'Brien, possibly for leaving the Enterprise.

helimachoptor · 26-08-2016 9:40pm

Evade wrote: »

There isn't one. Tom knows that O'Brien knows Riker well enough that he might not be able to fool him so he acts like he (as Riker) is annoyed with O'Brien, possibly for leaving the Enterprise.

thats what i thought but thinking maybe there was something else

27-08-2016 8:13pm

I'm thoroughly enjoying the episode, Rules of Engagement, where Worf is being investigated for the destruction of a civilian ship. It's an excellent way of telling the story.

degrassinoel · 27-08-2016 11:21pm

Deleted User wrote: »

People don't like Esri?

I think they tried to get a few seasons worth of Dax character development into that last season. By the end of it, i was just kind of left not caring so much what happened to Dax. I didn't care about her relationship with Worf and Bashir and aside from that she was a neurotic mess for a councilor - fair enough, it was understandable but it'd have taken a few more seasons imo to get used to her as a niner

helimachoptor · 28-08-2016 7:26pm

imo, would have preferred the character to die and not be replaced, it would have left a real sense of loss for the last season

Indricotherium · 28-08-2016 7:44pm

helimachoptor wrote: »

imo, would have preferred the character to die and not be replaced, it would have left a real sense of loss for the last season

Chekhov's symbiote though.

degrassinoel · 28-08-2016 7:45pm

khan's earworms? :eek:

Sad Professor · 28-08-2016 8:31pm

I've been re-watching many of favourite episodes the last week and appreciating just how well written this show was.

I haven't watched anything from the 7th season yet. I think the show lost something for me once the war started in season 6. I always thought the Dominion conflict should have remained a cold war in which there was never any outright hostilities between the Dominion and the Federation, just a series of increasingly tense encounters where you got the sense that a war would spell absolute destruction for everyone. However, maybe I'll feel differently this time.

Also early seasons don't get enough love. Second season is one of the best seasons of any Trek show IMO. All the seeds of what was to come were planted there.

Myrddin · 28-08-2016 8:50pm

It takes some doing to trump TNG, but man does DS9 manage it. Hands down the best Star Trek show there is

Indricotherium · 28-08-2016 9:41pm

Myrddin wrote: »

It takes some doing to trump TNG, but man does DS9 manage it. Hands down the best Star Trek show there is

Agreed!

The_Valeyard · 28-08-2016 11:49pm

Sad Professor wrote: »

I haven't watched anything from the 7th season yet. I think the show lost something for me once the war started in season 6. I always thought the Dominion conflict should have remained a cold war in which there was never any outright hostilities between the Dominion and the Federation, just a series of increasingly tense encounters where you got the sense that a war would spell absolute destruction for everyone. However, maybe I'll feel differently this time.

Im the opposite, Im glad the war happened in the show, it gave us a much darker side of the Federation, what they were willing to do to win the war, in some cases just as bad as the Dominion. Making shady deals with Section31, having spies in the top level of Romulan government, removing Romulan senators, tricking them into the war. A plan for genocide to exterminate the founders, etc.

Even some of the characters grew up during the war, like Doctor Bashir, lost his childish attitude in some ways and the war hardened him. O'Brien playing the role of solider again, and fighting Cardassions again. Sisko doing whatever was needed to win that war to stop Federation losses.

Also enjoyed the political changes and State of alpha quadrant powers after the war.

And cannot forget, the massive space battles were pretty cool.

uck51js9zml2yt · 29-08-2016 7:46am

Myrddin wrote: »

It takes some doing to trump TNG, but man does DS9 manage it. Hands down the best Star Trek show there is

I know it's not ST but Babylon 5 got really good as well. Maybe not quiet DS9 but not far off....once you got past season 1 and the continuous incidental music

ItHurtsWhenIP · 29-08-2016 9:02am

Andrea Huge Shellfish wrote: »

I know it's not ST but Babylon 5 got really good as well. Maybe not quiet DS9 but not far off....once you got past season 1 and the continuous incidental music

While I am an avowed Trekkie, I felt that B5 was a more real form of Sci-Fi than Trek and was all the better for it. We saw two men going for a pee for chrisakes :eek:!!! They even washed their hands

!!!

degrassinoel · 29-08-2016 9:19am

decent story, dreadful acting by most of the regular actors, i did like Londo and G'kar though

Indricotherium · 29-08-2016 10:02am

The_Valeyard wrote: »

Im the opposite, Im glad the war happened in the show, it gave us a much darker side of the Federation, what they were willing to do to win the war, in some cases just as bad as the Dominion. Making shady deals with Section31, having spies in the top level of Romulan government, removing Romulan senators, tricking them into the war. A plan for genocide to exterminate the founders, etc.

DS9 painted the picture of this Dark side of the Federation openly, but it was always there to be seen. The number of war crimes perpetrated by the 'heros' in each series is staggering.

Janeway and Picard both build WMD's, essential bio weapons, to target the Borg, Janeway uses hers to initiate what seems like the genocide of of the Borg (countless billions upon billions dead).

It's safe to assume that Janeway didn't end up in the Hague, as the next time we see her, she's been promoted to admiral for her hassle.

It's worth noting that Sisko actually goes rogue to stop the genocide of the Founders, a plan that Star Fleet and the Federation was 100% okay with. He does murder a foreign TD in order to drag a nation into a war though, so I'm not sure if he is even at that?

Myrddin · 29-08-2016 10:05am

Indricotherium wrote: »

DS9 painted the picture of this Dark side of the Federation openly, but it was always there to be seen. The number of war crimes perpetrated by the 'heros' in each series is staggering.

Janeway and Picard both build WMD's, essential bio weapons, to target the Borg, Janeway uses hers to initiate what seems like the genocide of of the Borg (countless billions upon billions dead).

It's safe to assume that Janeway didn't end up in the Hague, as the next time we see her, she's been promoted to admiral for her hassle.

It's worth noting that Sisko actually goes rogue to stop the genocide of the Founders, a plan that Star Fleet and the Federation was 100% okay with.

And so it begins...

He does murder a foreign TD in order to drag a nation into a war though, so I'm not sure if he is even at that?

I must have watched a different cut of that episode. In the one I watched, Garak actually murdered the Romulan.

Indricotherium · 29-08-2016 10:07am

Myrddin wrote: »

I must have watched a different cut of that episode. In the one I watched, Garak actually murdered the Romulan.

Common design

Myrddin · 29-08-2016 10:10am

Indricotherium wrote: »

Common design

I suppose whatever plays into your agenda is good to go eh?

Indricotherium · 29-08-2016 10:16am

Myrddin wrote: »

I suppose whatever plays into your agenda is good to go eh?

There's no supposing at all.

To claim that Sisko, would not foresee that Garak, an assassin, would not kill one or more people in the course of their joint enterprise is laughable.

The case against Sisko for that one is air-tight.

Myrddin · 29-08-2016 10:23am

Wow...just wow :rolleyes: You're invoking 19th century case law to further your agenda about a 24th century fictional event? You'd have been better off sticking to the Nimbus III thing...jeez

Indricotherium · 29-08-2016 10:26am

Myrddin wrote: »

Wow...just wow :rolleyes: You're invoking 19th century case law to further your agenda about a 24th century fictional event? You'd have been better off sticking to the Nimbus III thing...jeez

Hardly my fault that this type of thing is long settled law.

Myrddin · 29-08-2016 10:27am

Indricotherium wrote: »

Hardly my fault that this type of thing is long settled law.

Well, I aint biting...I'll let someone else waste their time today

Indricotherium · 29-08-2016 10:38am

Myrddin wrote: »

Well, I aint biting...I'll let someone else waste their time today

degrassinoel · 29-08-2016 11:01am

Myrddin wrote: »

Well, I aint biting...I'll let someone else waste their time today

Transporter room, One to beam up!

darklighter · 29-08-2016 11:09am

Myrddin wrote: »

It takes some doing to trump TNG, but man does DS9 manage it. Hands down the best Star Trek show there is

I'm amazed when anyone tries to argue that it isnt......its the best by a country mile! (IMO obviously

)

Deep Space Nine Runthrough

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