One of my favorites is the episode where Odo and Quark crash landed on a planet and they were forced to climb to the peak of a mountain to get out a distress call.
If DS9 aired today it would be widely recognized by EVERYONE as the greatest ST series of all time. But because it aired in the shadow of TNG and ran concurrently with Voyager (which was placed as the premier show in the premier timeslots with better marketting), DS9 was overlooked by many at the time. The show was way ahead of its time, and audiences are just now realizing that. Even modern critics who have gone back & watched the series are singing its praises, proving just how well it aged too. Really hope the rumored DS9 season 8 comes to fruition in some capacity. I could watch 7 more seasons of this show EASILY.
One of the reasons I like Discovery so far is because it's very much doing something thematically similar to Deep Space 9. And if you want a Season 8 I've heard that the DS9 novel series is really good.
The fact that DS9 and Babylon 5 shared a concept (and that DS9 was the pitch B5's creator made prior to making B5) and ran at the same time didn't help. Also the whole "season long plot arc" wasn't as ubiquitious as it is now and people actually liked Voyager's "reset button" at the time because it was more conventional to an audience used to sitcoms and the like. DS9 has some good scenes, but only Garak and maybe Odo measure up to any of the top 8 characters on B5.
While this is true, I believe it is precisely the reason why DS9 is so great. The focus was on Voyager, and they proceeded to make it a cheap TNG knock-off. All the while Ira Steven Behr and the others could pretty much do what they wanted and nobody was paying attention. Had DS9 been in the spotlight, the studio would have interfered too much and dulled it's sharp edges.
@@RowanJColeman - "One of the reasons I like Discovery so far is because it's very much doing something thematically similar to Deep Space 9." The difference is that DS9 established its story world and characters first, before plunging them into all-out conflict. The Dominion war felt like a bold change as Starfleet officers with familiar Federation ideals were tested in ways that hadn't really been shown before. STD launches into all out war from virtually the first minute. Almost without exception the whole first season is just a dismal parade of misery and death with an unlikeable, treasonous main character and a supporting cast that aren't much better. Tilly was the only one worth a damn. Whereas DS9 earned its conflict, STD feels anti-Trek - an emotionally vacant action spectacle made by people with little understanding or care for Roddenberry's vision of the future. STD is therefore an entirely appropriate acronym. I hate everything about it. But I'll probably still watch season 2 :-S
I think Only a Papper Moon is also an amazing episode. Some really great performances. And the way it used such a personal story of grief to bring the larger dominion war into focus. To be honest there are so many great DS9 episodes.
I just finished a binge watch of DS9, and I think it is the best Star Trek series overall. Also, Garak is my favorite character, with Odo being my favorite main character.
@@AndrewChapman It's a rocky start with the first two seasons, with some flashes of brilliance. However, in the third it really starts to pick-up pace, and the main plot of the rest of the series comes into focus. If anything, it's worth watching _solely_ for Far Beyond the Stars. That episode is amazing.
@@liesdamnlies3372 Yeah, I did see the later seasons a few years ago and enjoyed "Far Beyond the Stars". One of our channels over here started showing DS9 from the first season, so I've taken the opportunity to watch from the beginning.
Ferengi as the Area 51 aliens from the 50s was hilarious. The ep where Nog has lost his leg and Vic helps him back from his loss and PTSD, tragic and beautifully done.
DS9 is always the hardest for me to narrow down to favourites, because so many of the best episodes are interconnected. Siege of AR-558 and Paper Moon. Call to Arms is epic on it's own, and sets up the whole arc to conclude with Sacrifice of Angels. I love the ending arc where Kira trains the Cardassian resistance and we see Odo slowly overcome by the Founder plague while O'Brian and Bashir are dealing with Section 31. But the deeper into the series you get, the less the storytelling is about individual episodes vs ongoing character arcs spread across multiple episodes.
*WORF* says the way TOS Klingons looked is something they don't like to discuss! LMAO. That is everything I've ever loved about ST all wrapped up into a single scene!!
I think that's true for most people. It's either Voyager or Enterprise, and to be honest both are extremely similar in tone and presentation. Enterprise is basically Voyager in a different setting and closer to 21st century attitudes
I think it also had to do with DS9's consistency. As compared to Next Gen, it doesn't have many single episodes that rival the likes of Tapestry or Inner Light (though I'd argue the superb arcs make up for that). Nor does it have any where near the number of true turds that Next Gen was capable of, such as the aptly named Disaster or the total waste of film that was Q-pid. For the love of God there was an episode that had Luaxana Troi AND Alexander, and I'm pretty sure they use it to torture political prisoners in North Korea.
How is it not awesome? The acting is fantastic, the story is epic, the characters are developed, the action despite it not being the focus is quite good, and there are episodes that will make you laugh, cheer, and cry. My favorite TV series of all time.
I have to admit that I seen every star Trek episode multiple times. I love them all but DS9 is far and the way my favorite. its not just planet after planet of disconnected story but 7 seasons of one great story
DS9 needs no less than a top 30 list, and even then it is leaving many out. I think a "best moments" list should also be included. While the episode "Heart of Stone" may or may not make a top list, the moment when Nog bears his soul to Sisko as to exactly why he wants to join Starfleet is still one of my favorite moments of all time, and illustrates exactly why DS9 is such a great character-driven show, where the secondary cast is every bit as important (if not moreso) than the main. Nog and Garak in particular
I loved the ending scenes, especially when Darok, Martok's aide, came to Kor with the sole purpose of giving him his final chance to die in battle and salute one of the greatest warriors in the history of the klingon empire. The glow in Kor's eyes when he realizes that he can redeem himself, serve the empire one final time and die an honourable death. His short, but fitting goodbye to Worf and then his final (onscreen) words, the only fitting for a klingon warrior: "long live the empire". One of the best klingon episodes in the whole franchise and a great goodbye for the character.
DS9 is my favorite Star Trek Series! There were so many complex characters and skilled Shakespearean actors cast. It was the most thought provoking Star Trek series. The long story arc permitted the characters to develop and transition. People had family and personal relationships I have watched the entire series several times.
I mentioned above, Nog is one of my favorite. He goes from a troubled and troublesome Ferengi youth to something totally different more than once. If his "Because I don't want to end up like my father!" moment wasn't strong enough, to see him later combat PTSD is just as powerful. You never would have seen this level of character growth in TNG or Voyager, even Data's overall development cant quite compare
One thing DS9 had that the other Star Trek shows didn't have was a great supporting cast that backed up the staring cast. Morn, Dukat, Gen. Martok, the female changeling, Dumar, Nog, Rom, Letta, and so many others. To this day. DS9 still doesn't get the love or credit it deserves.
well, it always does (and will) from me. It is also the example I cite to compare the new Discovery. How? Well, when DS9 first came out, I was on the hate bandwagon. I objected to it, I said "its not true Star Trek" etc. etc. etc.... and regrettably all for arbitrary reasons too. It wasn't until years after it ended that I looked back and truly appreciated what it was. I have ever since then promised I would never pre-judge a show, and wait until its complete run before rendering any kind of "final judgment". After all, TNG didn't start getting legitimately "good" until its third season. Yet, so many who use TNG as a gold standard refuse to allow the same consideration for any new show. Yes, its different,... but DS9 was different too, and its differences were what made it truly great. It stumbled at first, just like they all do, but once it found its footing, it ran HARD, just as TNG did. Given time, DSC may do the same. Besides,... IDIC also applies to things we don't like as well, otherwise it loses all meaning
Just last night I finished a marathon of this series. There is truly some masterful writing in this series that goes beyond any of the other series. The characters are rich and developed and portrayed by actors with skill beyond the norm. So many things to discuss. What a master's level class this series alone could provide.
One of my favorite episodes will always be The Siege of AR-558. Quark gives a wonderfully damning indictment of the Federation, and he's right. It also really shows just how bad the Dominion War could be. And also...just, everything with Nog. Even before Aron Eisenberg's passing this was one of my favorites.
My favorite Trek? IT'S REEEEEEEEEAL! My list might go: In the Pale Moonlight, The Visitor, Children of Time, Necessary Evil, Blood Oath, The Die is Cast, Duet, The Hunted (the one with Tosk?), Hard Time, Rocks & Shoals. It's so hard though to pick even just 10. And then you have all those great episodes at the end arc that kind of run together.
The war ark really runs 2 seasons plus, back to the end of S 5 right through to the series finale. Also, just to be honest, when Worf joins in S4, the show just keeps getting better year after year. I hated seeing Ezri replace Jadzia too, but even so, S7 compensated for her loss in alot other ways, but still you felt it in the first few eps and w/the struggles Worf had w/it.
KMy favorite episode is Children of Time. Old Odo only cares about saving Kira's life. I would feel and do exactly the same. Always Save The Girl. It's also cool that Kira finally finds out about Odo's feelings from Old Odo.
Lanokia Nakachiev Most consistently good but at the same time it throws away the idealistic morals of TNG and replaces them with 20th century morals which led to some pretty dark things in our past... I mean defeating an enemy by targeting civilians for example is something I wished Sisco would have been relieved of command foe
The Visitor made me cry. And if you knew how little I cried back when it came out, you would understand how much that episode touched me. DS9 is my favorite Star Trek. I love it.
Personally, Tribbleations and Bada Bing Bada Bang are my favorites. Probably because I have a soft spot for when characters who usually have such serious stories and interactions just have some god damn fun
It had darkness, and humor. Both are necessary for greatness, something that gets lost today (though we do get to see eyeballs removed on screen--thanks Ronald Moore).
For me TNG was the best with DS9 being the second best, problem I found with DS9 is that it had too much of todays mentality but in the future which didn't make much sense to me whereas TNG more or less showed us a diffrent vision of humans for the future. Now I know some will say that DS9 is more relateable because it's showing us humans of today in how we act but we are talking the 24th centurey here, the way of thinking of humans by then will likely be very diffrent then today and not by choice but because of tech progress. Hence why I liked the vision of TNG better then DS9 even thought both are great shows and to me the best of Star Trek.
Lloyd Bonifide Voyager was alright but it was a bit too dark like someone forgot to pay the electric bill lol, I mean really, what ware they thinking, yes they are on the other side of the galaxy but really, lighting on the ship will consume little to no energy compared to a lot of the other systems on the ship.
Indeed! Hell, I would love to return to this timeperiod and see more Dominion-War (maybe with some (Vice-)Admiral as the main character, someone who is a diplomat at first (like Picard) and has to face reality and become a Warrior!) and especially the aftermath of that war (show me a more militarized Federation that still holds its ideals high, but is more willing to defend them by force of arms!)
Another honourable mention go to the season 5 episodes "In Purgatory's Shadow" / "By Inferno's Light," a key moment in the series where everything changes and a few big twists spice things up, and where we see several characters at their very best.
Wow! You've included almost all of my favorite episodes! One episode I might have included is _For the Uniform_. I really liked the anti-moral of that episode. Sisko is dangerously obsessed with catching his guy and getting his revenge, but does he pay for it? No. He catches him and everything works out fine.
There are some excellent DS9 episodes, and this just about covers it. "Way of the Warrior" with Michael Dorn joining the crew is a sort-of impasse, where the show goes from good, to brilliant. "In the Pale Moonlight" is one of the best episodes of the entire franchise.
You missed "The changing face of Evil" Where The Breen attack Earth and the USS Defiant is destroyed along with the Klingon and Romulan fleets, that sent chills up and down my spine.
and then there's the epic Fan-funded documentary followup to the show: "What We Left Behind" I am so immensely proud of being one of the first few thousand to get on board funding it.. Cant think of money better spent for a worthy cause. Now we';re all waiting to see what happens with the record setting one for VOYAGER.... highest crowdfunded project in history.
I know that I am about a year late to this party, but I thought that I would comment anyway. The one episode that I am really surprised didn't make the list and that no one else has commented on is "Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges", if only for Dr. Bashir's impassioned speech at the end when he confronts Admiral Ross about collaborating with Sloan and Section 31. That one scene in many ways encapsulates the entire premise of the series in regard to the Dominion War story arch and directly echoes another great Bashir speech from one of my favorite Season 3 episodes "Past Tense" (Parts 1 &2), where he asks Sisko the question "if something were to happen to the Federation, if we were scared enough or desperate enough, would we stay true to our ideals or will we just end up back here?" [referring to the corruption and social injustices of our modern world]
Bar Association was one of my favourites. Its perhaps the only time Trek ever actually directly tackles labour relations under capitalism which is odd given its history as a show about post capitalism. Rom's evolution as a character really showed at this point and him reciting Marx to Quark defiantly was such a chilling moment.
Beyond how good a Trek episod it is. The messages found within it speak to so many truths of the world, then and now. That for it to go unseen by more feels like a crime!
One of things I love about Duet is Kira's attitude change and growth throughout it. It moves from all Cardassians are guilty, to guilty by association. Then she starts struggling with her conscience and desperately tries to find ways to make him guilty. She finally nails him as guilty only to find out he wasn't a War Criminal. The end dialogue is brilliant. After the Bajorian kills him he justifies it by saying: "He's Cardassian, that's reason enough", to which she sadly says "No...It isnt" It's a complete 180 on her views earlier.
If I might add some of my favorites: Season 2, Episode 26: The Jem'Hadar Season 3, Episodes 1 & 2: The Search, Parts I & II Season 3, Episode 9: Defiant Season 5, Episode 1: Apocalypse Rising Season 5, Episode 14: In Purgatory's Shadow Season 5, Episode 15: By Inferno's Light
I'm always very reluctant to post on this sort of thread, it sitting here on UA-cam for over two years now, BUT the theme of a "10 Best of, …." gives me an opportunity to finally recommend my single most favorite episode of DS-9. That being "It's Only a Paper Moon." Arguably, the longest single kind of tales the entire line of ST franchises have produced are the anti-war themed ones. From the TOS ones (too many to quick-list here), all the way up to today, for me, the ones that go deep into the personal trauma of the combatants themselves, the stuff can be incredibly powerful, especially for people who have had to survive the real thing. Nog coming back with an artificial leg after "The Siege of AR-558" episode and hiding in Vic Fontaine's 1960 Vegas nightclub is, I argue, one of the MOST realistic scripts ever written for a Sci-Fi TV show. The fact that it's the 24th century and modern med-tech of the day replaces the lost limb entirely (for all intents & purposes, it IS Nog's leg, exactly like the first one) is irrelevant to the lingering effects of PTSD that's taken hold of Nog's mind. What he struggles with hauntingly, heart-rending real to any vet who's suffered similarly, take my word for that.
My favorite Sci-fi show of all time! So many memorable characters with such a great core cast, and lots of nice diversity. I'd be hard pressed to pick favorite episodes or characters, as there are just so many!
They really had a great pilot in “Emissary.” I also love “Rocks and Shoals.” Sisko desperately trying to save the Jem’Hadar, but Remat’iklan determined to bow to the fate the Founders condemned him to, never fails to give me goosebumps.
So many great episodes in this show, but my favourite has to be The Wire. The way it explores Garrack's character is nothing short of a narrative masterpiece that completely changed my perspective on the character, not only for the future of the show, but retroactively as well, enhancing my enjoyment of his earlier scenes.
I like "Homefront" and "Paradise Lost" in part for the reasons you listed. I would add a couple of things: It deals with the politics of trying to keep order and prevent panic. It deals with the actual threat of the Founders. It deals with the military leaders trying to create a crisis. Is it because they really believe that they are right and this is the only way to move it forward? Do they want to grab power? Maybe some of both? It deals with the effects of the crisis and the characters' choices on individuals. It also has a good B-plot: Jake, Ben, and Joseph. Why don't you visit? On both sides. How long are you going to keep running the restaurant? Are you seeing your doctor? Are you taking your medicine? I think that a lot of people with aging parents could relate to this. It also has a C-plot: Nog trying to fit into Starfleet Academy. Then, all plots overlap and interact.
I agree with most of these choices, but one of my personal favorites is "Shadow Play" from Season 2. It helps build Jake's maturing character in a way that his episodes in Season 1 couldn't and it provides some great character development for Odo, as well, making him more sympathetic.
Prime Directive is, and always has been, complete bullshit. Even it's biggest cheerleader, Picard, is perfectly happy to break it when it suits him, and in the proccess proved that breaking it can be a constructive force.
Gotta put my vote in for Rocks and Shoals. Vedek Yasim's "protest" on the promenade was a moment that redefined what a TV show could do. And the way it changed Kira was profound. Her conversation with Odo afterwards was incredible in its depth and simplicity. Add to that the sympathy we get for the Jem Hadar as they march obediently to their demise, and the way Sisko cares more for their welfare than their own Vorta does, the establishing shot of the ship crashing onto the planet... And as someone else noted, you said "Quark's shop" when you meant Garak's. Otherwise, a great review. Keep up the good work :-)
All very valid selections. Love these and love YOU for acknowledging Gul Dukat as the best Trek villain of all time!! :) Missing: The Ascent, Explorers, Little Green Men.
Other standout episodes of DS9: *whispers* : *little green men* : *children of time* : *honor among thieves* : *inquisition* : *times orphan* : *crysalis* : *what you leave behind* (series finale). The episodes this video mentions are also awesome. *duet* and *visitor* and *in the pale moonlight* are especially amazing. Like you, I ultimately decided that DS9 was the best StarTrek series.
The Magnificent Ferengi was always a favorite of mine since it injects a bit of humor in an otherwise tense season plus who isn't amused at seeing Iggy Pop as a Vorta getting financial advice from Quark's mom.
Early on in the run, I had decided that DSd9 was my fave. A buddy of mine held to believing that TOS was the best... Until "In the Pale Moonlight". At that point DS9 went from #2 to #1. It is literally that episode which makes you question how far YOU would go to protect X. It should be on the list of best episodes of anything ever.
Great list. What made DS9 great was Sisko being forced to debate and even compromise his own morals. Instead of black and white, Sisko was forced into grey areas that made him do bad things for what he considered for the greater good. Rather than make him some sort of anti-hero, he struggled with those decisions.
Dude I have just found your channel and binge watched most of your star trek episodes. I agree with virtually all your picks for best and worse. I have spent the last couple of years binge watching all star trek shows after being a fan as a kid i found an episode of voyager on tv and thought what the hell. I was re hooked.. Thank you for your good work on your episodes..
I think DS9 had the most elaborate mention of alien drinks & food. Kanar, Tarkelean Tea, Supernova, warp-core-breach etc etc I also like all the eps with Vic Fontaine - Jazz music, theyre so pleasant and nostalgic.
As a true science fiction fan for 40 years of my 44 year lifespan, I’m so glad people are finally recognizing ST:DS9 as what it really was: adult Trek! Ira said, many times, that DS9 was the franchise. Voyager was for the kids. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t the future of Star Trek. Rewatch, relive, and rebuild the franchise. Discovery is a nightmare.
I will always contend that DS9 is the pinnacle of Star Trek. It is the best acted, best written, and best presented Star Trek series. TNG was great but DS9 shows the gritty realism of the universe in a way no other Trek show has. It's not only good sci-fi, it's good story telling
The 1950's Sisko episode is fantastic. I think it is my favourite of the whole show. What I especially enjoyed was how the magazine was an extremely thinly veiled representation Campbell's Golden-age Astounding. To the extent you could identify his stable of favourite writers; Asimov, C.L. Moore and Kuttner, Harry Harrison and others. Absolutely fantastic and very, very well acted on every side. I am sorry you did not list at least one episode involving 'Section 31'--they did win the Dominion War for the Federation after all! S31 is also probably captaining the Discovery right now as well.
Too many great eps to choose from. Would have thought about including: Children of Time The Circle Trilogy Tacking Into The Wind Necessary Evil For the Uniform For the Cause Our Man Bashir Inter Arma Enim silent Leges The Quickening
I hate the Circle trilogy. It was the low point of DS9, following a very weak first season, and I stopped watching DS9 after this. I started watching again and getting a fan after I "accidently" watched the Improbable Cause/The Die Is Cast-twoparter.
Love The Circle, I still don't get why it never shows up on anyone's "best" lists. That one scene in Kira's quarters was brilliant. And Frank Langella may be the single best actor to appear on DS9. He was that good.
10. Tacking into the Wind 9. Call to Arms/ Time to Stand 8. Broken Link 7. In the Pale Moonlight 6. The Homecoming/The Circle/The Seige 5. Tears of the Prophets/Image in the Sand 4. In Purgatory’s Shadow/By Inferno’s Light 3. Far Beyond the Stars 2. Way of the Warrior 1. The Visitor
Agree with all of these! I did also love Looking for Par'mach in all the Wrong Places, loved that episode! And the one where Jake and Nog are running around trading like mad to get the baseball card for Sisko. That was a fun episode. It had so many interesting side characters, many of whom had their own episodes, Morn, Quark, Gul Dukat, Damar, Rom & Leeta and so many others! The only one I didn't like was Kai Winn. I hated her from the very start. But then again, I think we are supposed to!
Subscribed. This stuff is fantastic. You are well-spoken, well-researched, and your production quality is great. Why so few subs? How can we help spread the word? Get on the Trekkie twitter and reddit channels if you haven't yet. I can help.
Thanks very much, that's nice of you to say :) I guess help out by sharing my stuff with people who'd like it. I also just started a Patreon yesterday. I have a video about that coming soon. I'll have a look at the reddit stuff. Never quite got into that site. Thanks again for enjoying my work :)
... I came on this video ready to shoot you down immediately, waiting for you to miss the Episode Duet... The fact it was the very first episode you mentioned. 0:07 brought the biggest smile on my face. Thank you very much.. The rest of the episodes.. think the term NAILED IT!!! comes to mind..
DS9 season 4, episode 19, "Hard Time", was a pretty good episode that had a similar psychological mind bender as Inner Light from TNG. I think it should have been considered top 10.
This list is bulletproof! A couple episodes that come to mind to contend for a spot in this list are "Cardassians" and "It's Only a Paper Moon". The first for world-building, character development of Bashir, Garak, O'Brien, and Dukat. The second is probably the best Nog episode in the series, a character that showed more character development than almost any other character in the series.
One of my favorites is "Take Me Out to the Holosuite." It was a great way to have some fun and lighten the mood in the middle of wrapping up the Dominion War arc. The crew plays a baseball game against a crew of Vulcans captained by an old rival of Sisko's from way back. Some people feel it was a sign that DS9 was running out of story ideas, but I enjoyed. Of course, there's also the one where Vic Fontaine's holodeck program hits a plot twist where gangsters take over the hotel. It was so cool seeing SIsko and his friends going in and beating the gangsters by pulling an "Ocean's Eleven" type heist. Sisko singing with Vic at the end was great! Avery Brooks has a good singing voice.
"Way of the Warrior" pays off one of the greatest call backs in TV history. In "The Emissary"when the Cardassians scan the station they decide that the weapons they see are created by trickery. When the Klingons scan the station they decide the exact same deception is taking place. However, the station is now armed with the exact weapons they FAKED in the pilot episode.......
I have watched this episode at least 10 times and I am surprised you haven't mentioned it. " Once More unto the Breach". Koor tries to get one last shot at being a true Kling-on Warrior only to fight senility and being old. In the end he makes the ultimate sacrifice by slowing down the Kardiasians. John Colicos gives a masterful performance as Koor and goes down as a Dahar Master..
STAR TREK : DS9 episode FAR BEYOND THE STARS was groundbreaking because it showed how RACISM SEXISM are universal and may affect humans someday when the human race goes into space
Not my exact list but pretty damn close and can't argue with any of the explanations and breakdowns of the episodes chosen. Bravo! A worthy list for Trek's greatest series!
If you have access to antenna tv (which I highly recommend btw - cut the cord & save a ton of $), they show all the Treks 6 nights a week on a station called Heroes & Icons. Look it up online to find out what channel it's on in your area.
Yep. Best of the series in my opinion as well. And I love TNG and Voyager and the original. DS9 just had it all figured out. A great balance of long story arc combined with the individual episode format in a way none of the other shows could match. I can't argue with any of those choices but I would also say that Rocks and Shoals and Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges are as good as any of those. My absolute favorite is In the Pale Moonlight though. It's just such a great story, well shot, and simply super clever.
Great review, man. You and I love DS9 for the same reasons. It's the Federation out on the edge, where things are not so clear cut and simple as back on clean, perfect Earth. Again, good job, and keep up the reviews!
I might show my age here, but I still to this day remember the impact "In The Pale Moonlight" had on me after I watched it. I was still in high school at the time, and recommended it to all my family who are Trek fans to watch. It wasn't the turning point to why I already was in love with DS9, but it damn sure cemented it into permanency.
Being african american..."far beyond the stars" was tough tough to watch but an accomplished story...Thank you Gene Roddenberry for inspiring people to achieve a better humanity...
One of my favorites is the episode where Odo and Quark crash landed on a planet and they were forced to climb to the peak of a mountain to get out a distress call.
how do you upvote twice?
The Ascent
One of mine too. Bout time those two got into it.
If DS9 aired today it would be widely recognized by EVERYONE as the greatest ST series of all time. But because it aired in the shadow of TNG and ran concurrently with Voyager (which was placed as the premier show in the premier timeslots with better marketting), DS9 was overlooked by many at the time. The show was way ahead of its time, and audiences are just now realizing that. Even modern critics who have gone back & watched the series are singing its praises, proving just how well it aged too.
Really hope the rumored DS9 season 8 comes to fruition in some capacity. I could watch 7 more seasons of this show EASILY.
One of the reasons I like Discovery so far is because it's very much doing something thematically similar to Deep Space 9. And if you want a Season 8 I've heard that the DS9 novel series is really good.
sadly if DS9 was released today it would be SJW focused and would be canceled after a few seasons.
The fact that DS9 and Babylon 5 shared a concept (and that DS9 was the pitch B5's creator made prior to making B5) and ran at the same time didn't help. Also the whole "season long plot arc" wasn't as ubiquitious as it is now and people actually liked Voyager's "reset button" at the time because it was more conventional to an audience used to sitcoms and the like.
DS9 has some good scenes, but only Garak and maybe Odo measure up to any of the top 8 characters on B5.
While this is true, I believe it is precisely the reason why DS9 is so great. The focus was on Voyager, and they proceeded to make it a cheap TNG knock-off. All the while Ira Steven Behr and the others could pretty much do what they wanted and nobody was paying attention. Had DS9 been in the spotlight, the studio would have interfered too much and dulled it's sharp edges.
@@RowanJColeman - "One of the reasons I like Discovery so far is because it's very much doing something thematically similar to Deep Space 9."
The difference is that DS9 established its story world and characters first, before plunging them into all-out conflict. The Dominion war felt like a bold change as Starfleet officers with familiar Federation ideals were tested in ways that hadn't really been shown before. STD launches into all out war from virtually the first minute. Almost without exception the whole first season is just a dismal parade of misery and death with an unlikeable, treasonous main character and a supporting cast that aren't much better. Tilly was the only one worth a damn. Whereas DS9 earned its conflict, STD feels anti-Trek - an emotionally vacant action spectacle made by people with little understanding or care for Roddenberry's vision of the future. STD is therefore an entirely appropriate acronym. I hate everything about it. But I'll probably still watch season 2 :-S
Just seeing some scenes from "The Visitor" brings tears into my eyes. That episode is hauntlingly beautiful and deeply sad.
Classic Garak : '' I believe in coincidences ... Coincidences happen every day ... But, I don't trust coincidences ''.
I think Only a Papper Moon is also an amazing episode. Some really great performances. And the way it used such a personal story of grief to bring the larger dominion war into focus. To be honest there are so many great DS9 episodes.
Chlomoe McNamara-Bates so good
The ones with Garak are the best.
I just finished a binge watch of DS9, and I think it is the best Star Trek series overall. Also, Garak is my favorite character, with Odo being my favorite main character.
@@mikem2771 I'm currently watching my way through DS9. Just finished the first season and about to start on the second season.
@@AndrewChapman It's a rocky start with the first two seasons, with some flashes of brilliance. However, in the third it really starts to pick-up pace, and the main plot of the rest of the series comes into focus.
If anything, it's worth watching _solely_ for Far Beyond the Stars. That episode is amazing.
@@liesdamnlies3372 Yeah, I did see the later seasons a few years ago and enjoyed "Far Beyond the Stars". One of our channels over here started showing DS9 from the first season, so I've taken the opportunity to watch from the beginning.
Highly agreed
Ferengi as the Area 51 aliens from the 50s was hilarious. The ep where Nog has lost his leg and Vic helps him back from his loss and PTSD, tragic and beautifully done.
DS9 is always the hardest for me to narrow down to favourites, because so many of the best episodes are interconnected. Siege of AR-558 and Paper Moon. Call to Arms is epic on it's own, and sets up the whole arc to conclude with Sacrifice of Angels. I love the ending arc where Kira trains the Cardassian resistance and we see Odo slowly overcome by the Founder plague while O'Brian and Bashir are dealing with Section 31. But the deeper into the series you get, the less the storytelling is about individual episodes vs ongoing character arcs spread across multiple episodes.
100% agree. It's not like VOY which is easy because they only had 10 good episodes :D
DelDuio Yeah Voyager is my least favourite in the franchise.
*WORF* says the way TOS Klingons looked is something they don't like to discuss! LMAO. That is everything I've ever loved about ST all wrapped up into a single scene!!
I think that's true for most people. It's either Voyager or Enterprise, and to be honest both are extremely similar in tone and presentation. Enterprise is basically Voyager in a different setting and closer to 21st century attitudes
I think it also had to do with DS9's consistency. As compared to Next Gen, it doesn't have many single episodes that rival the likes of Tapestry or Inner Light (though I'd argue the superb arcs make up for that). Nor does it have any where near the number of true turds that Next Gen was capable of, such as the aptly named Disaster or the total waste of film that was Q-pid. For the love of God there was an episode that had Luaxana Troi AND Alexander, and I'm pretty sure they use it to torture political prisoners in North Korea.
you should called this video "Why Star Trek Deep Space Nine is Awesome"
FATBRUCELOL APPLEBEE it's not
How is it not awesome? The acting is fantastic, the story is epic, the characters are developed, the action despite it not being the focus is quite good, and there are episodes that will make you laugh, cheer, and cry. My favorite TV series of all time.
You said it! Best Trek series by far. The grittiest and most realistic. Bad things happen and this series showcases how people react and deal with it.
I Agree DS9 is the best Trek tv show and sisko is my favourite Starfleet captain, he's more relatable and is just as flawed as the rest of us
I have to admit that I seen every star Trek episode multiple times. I love them all but DS9 is far and the way my favorite. its not just planet after planet of disconnected story but 7 seasons of one great story
100% agree
DS9 is my favorite Star Trek series as well.
DS9 is my favorite star trek show too, seen it 4 times, will watch it again, it's my favorite show of all too
I'm watching rn . TV Station H&I
No AR-558, and its PTSD follow up Its only a Paper Moon? I also loved Once more unto the Breach, who doesnt love Kor?
Yeah too many great episodes to narrow down
DS9 needs no less than a top 30 list, and even then it is leaving many out.
I think a "best moments" list should also be included. While the episode "Heart of Stone" may or may not make a top list, the moment when Nog bears his soul to Sisko as to exactly why he wants to join Starfleet is still one of my favorite moments of all time, and illustrates exactly why DS9 is such a great character-driven show, where the secondary cast is every bit as important (if not moreso) than the main. Nog and Garak in particular
Dukat and Garak are 2 of my most favourite Trek characters in all of Star Trek
Kor's final episode is truly fantastic. The singing on the bridge at the end is just perfect.
I loved the ending scenes, especially when Darok, Martok's aide, came to Kor with the sole purpose of giving him his final chance to die in battle and salute one of the greatest warriors in the history of the klingon empire. The glow in Kor's eyes when he realizes that he can redeem himself, serve the empire one final time and die an honourable death. His short, but fitting goodbye to Worf and then his final (onscreen) words, the only fitting for a klingon warrior: "long live the empire". One of the best klingon episodes in the whole franchise and a great goodbye for the character.
DS9 is my favorite Star Trek Series! There were so many complex characters and skilled Shakespearean actors cast. It was the most thought provoking Star Trek series. The long story arc permitted the characters to develop and transition. People had family and personal relationships I have watched the entire series several times.
Boris De Laine my favorite too
Boris De Laine - Mine too!
I mentioned above, Nog is one of my favorite. He goes from a troubled and troublesome Ferengi youth to something totally different more than once. If his "Because I don't want to end up like my father!" moment wasn't strong enough, to see him later combat PTSD is just as powerful. You never would have seen this level of character growth in TNG or Voyager, even Data's overall development cant quite compare
One thing DS9 had that the other Star Trek shows didn't have was a great supporting cast that backed up the staring cast. Morn, Dukat, Gen. Martok, the female changeling, Dumar, Nog, Rom, Letta, and so many others. To this day. DS9 still doesn't get the love or credit it deserves.
well, it always does (and will) from me. It is also the example I cite to compare the new Discovery. How? Well, when DS9 first came out, I was on the hate bandwagon. I objected to it, I said "its not true Star Trek" etc. etc. etc.... and regrettably all for arbitrary reasons too. It wasn't until years after it ended that I looked back and truly appreciated what it was. I have ever since then promised I would never pre-judge a show, and wait until its complete run before rendering any kind of "final judgment". After all, TNG didn't start getting legitimately "good" until its third season. Yet, so many who use TNG as a gold standard refuse to allow the same consideration for any new show. Yes, its different,... but DS9 was different too, and its differences were what made it truly great. It stumbled at first, just like they all do, but once it found its footing, it ran HARD, just as TNG did. Given time, DSC may do the same.
Besides,... IDIC also applies to things we don't like as well, otherwise it loses all meaning
Just last night I finished a marathon of this series. There is truly some masterful writing in this series that goes beyond any of the other series. The characters are rich and developed and portrayed by actors with skill beyond the norm. So many things to discuss. What a master's level class this series alone could provide.
STAR TREK : DS9
episode
THE VISITOR
makes me cry at the end
" to my father , whose coming
home "
that quote alone deserved
an EMMY
My wife and I cried throughout the entire episode. We were a mess. :-)
@@gbisaga
💖 🌹
One of my favorite episodes will always be The Siege of AR-558. Quark gives a wonderfully damning indictment of the Federation, and he's right. It also really shows just how bad the Dominion War could be. And also...just, everything with Nog. Even before Aron Eisenberg's passing this was one of my favorites.
It's Only a Paper Moon
4:07 "Quark's tailor shop"...
It is Garak's shop dude
Well Garak and Quark do much look alike ;) just kidding. I was... OMG how dare you ^^
Yes I got that too simple little mistake lol 😁.
Shut up Weasley!
wesley,shut up
Jukrates Yes, but imagine if Quark actually did own a tailor shop.🤔
My favorite Trek? IT'S REEEEEEEEEAL!
My list might go: In the Pale Moonlight, The Visitor, Children of Time, Necessary Evil, Blood Oath, The Die is Cast, Duet, The Hunted (the one with Tosk?), Hard Time, Rocks & Shoals.
It's so hard though to pick even just 10. And then you have all those great episodes at the end arc that kind of run together.
The war ark really runs 2 seasons plus, back to the end of S 5 right through to the series finale. Also, just to be honest, when Worf joins in S4, the show just keeps getting better year after year. I hated seeing Ezri replace Jadzia too, but even so, S7 compensated for her loss in alot other ways, but still you felt it in the first few eps and w/the struggles Worf had w/it.
Most of those are solid episodes, but I fail to get "The Visitor". It's just a standalone episode, and not even an interesting one.
Its pretty amazing dude I get sad every time I watch it
It's a FAAAAAAAAAAAAAKE!
KMy favorite episode is Children of Time. Old Odo only cares about saving Kira's life. I would feel and do exactly the same. Always Save The Girl. It's also cool that Kira finally finds out about Odo's feelings from Old Odo.
Best Star Trek show hands down. IMHO
Lanokia Nakachiev Most consistently good but at the same time it throws away the idealistic morals of TNG and replaces them with 20th century morals which led to some pretty dark things in our past... I mean defeating an enemy by targeting civilians for example is something I wished Sisco would have been relieved of command foe
The Visitor made me cry. And if you knew how little I cried back when it came out, you would understand how much that episode touched me. DS9 is my favorite Star Trek. I love it.
Personally, Tribbleations and Bada Bing Bada Bang are my favorites. Probably because I have a soft spot for when characters who usually have such serious stories and interactions just have some god damn fun
The Siege of AR-558 should have made this list.
That one is brutal, but I'd agree.
I just wish the Actor for Jadzia Dax stayed on for the final season. That would make this show 10/10
she wanted less work but the producers wouldn't allow it, they wrote her out of the show instead.
@@kennethbailey9802 I know. Such a tragedy. Especially since they only had 1 more season afterward.
DS9 is my favorite of the series because, overall, it is darker, more action pact, more pragmatic, and more human than any of the others.
It had darkness, and humor. Both are necessary for greatness, something that gets lost today (though we do get to see eyeballs removed on screen--thanks Ronald Moore).
DS9 was the best trek show. Just brilliant writing, scripts, acting directing. Just got better and better.
Richard O Avery Brooks pretty much ruined DS9 for me.
For me TNG was the best with DS9 being the second best, problem I found with DS9 is that it had too much of todays mentality but in the future which didn't make much sense to me whereas TNG more or less showed us a diffrent vision of humans for the future.
Now I know some will say that DS9 is more relateable because it's showing us humans of today in how we act but we are talking the 24th centurey here, the way of thinking of humans by then will likely be very diffrent then today and not by choice but because of tech progress.
Hence why I liked the vision of TNG better then DS9 even thought both are great shows and to me the best of Star Trek.
Bleah. TNG was best, then Voyager. Then TOS, then Enterprise. DS9 brings up the rear.
Lloyd Bonifide Voyager was alright but it was a bit too dark like someone forgot to pay the electric bill lol, I mean really, what ware they thinking, yes they are on the other side of the galaxy but really, lighting on the ship will consume little to no energy compared to a lot of the other systems on the ship.
Indeed! Hell, I would love to return to this timeperiod and see more Dominion-War (maybe with some (Vice-)Admiral as the main character, someone who is a diplomat at first (like Picard) and has to face reality and become a Warrior!) and especially the aftermath of that war (show me a more militarized Federation that still holds its ideals high, but is more willing to defend them by force of arms!)
Another honourable mention go to the season 5 episodes "In Purgatory's Shadow" / "By Inferno's Light," a key moment in the series where everything changes and a few big twists spice things up, and where we see several characters at their very best.
Wow! You've included almost all of my favorite episodes! One episode I might have included is _For the Uniform_. I really liked the anti-moral of that episode. Sisko is dangerously obsessed with catching his guy and getting his revenge, but does he pay for it? No. He catches him and everything works out fine.
I always felt that Eddington was in the right but Sisko is too bound to his rigid Federation ideology to realize it.
For the Uniform is excellent. Especially that scene where Sisko goes total beast mode YOU BETRAYED YOUR UNIFORM!!!!!
Sisko chewing up the scenery was one of the best aspects of DS9.
Eddington's speech was brilliant.
The fact there is no fallout bugs me on that episode.
There are some excellent DS9 episodes, and this just about covers it. "Way of the Warrior" with Michael Dorn joining the crew is a sort-of impasse, where the show goes from good, to brilliant. "In the Pale Moonlight" is one of the best episodes of the entire franchise.
You missed "The changing face of Evil" Where The Breen attack Earth and the USS Defiant is destroyed along with the Klingon and Romulan fleets, that sent chills up and down my spine.
"What We Leave Behind" should always deserve a mention.
Perhaps the finest finale in television history.
Better than The Fugitive.
and then there's the epic Fan-funded documentary followup to the show: "What We Left Behind" I am so immensely proud of being one of the first few thousand to get on board funding it.. Cant think of money better spent for a worthy cause. Now we';re all waiting to see what happens with the record setting one for VOYAGER.... highest crowdfunded project in history.
Absolutely agree with your Top 10. Most of the 'Ferengi' episodes are among my favourites. Especially 'Little Green Men.'
I know that I am about a year late to this party, but I thought that I would comment anyway. The one episode that I am really surprised didn't make the list and that no one else has commented on is "Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges", if only for Dr. Bashir's impassioned speech at the end when he confronts Admiral Ross about collaborating with Sloan and Section 31. That one scene in many ways encapsulates the entire premise of the series in regard to the Dominion War story arch and directly echoes another great Bashir speech from one of my favorite Season 3 episodes "Past Tense" (Parts 1 &2), where he asks Sisko the question "if something were to happen to the Federation, if we were scared enough or desperate enough, would we stay true to our ideals or will we just end up back here?" [referring to the corruption and social injustices of our modern world]
I'm not entirely convinced by Bashir's rant to Ross(I feel like the actor isn't good at shout-acting) but yeah that episode is great!
Bar Association was one of my favourites. Its perhaps the only time Trek ever actually directly tackles labour relations under capitalism which is odd given its history as a show about post capitalism. Rom's evolution as a character really showed at this point and him reciting Marx to Quark defiantly was such a chilling moment.
@7:47 I think he means "the ends justify the means".
Excellent video. I personally feel that every human being should watch "Far Beyond The Stars".
Well, it is Star Trek's best ever episode so I more than get your point
!
Beyond how good a Trek episod it is. The messages found within it speak to so many truths of the world, then and now. That for it to go unseen by more feels like a crime!
DS9's "Inner Light" basically.
Dude, that ending scene with Brooks was stunning.
God the amount of great episodes in DS9 is just so hard to narrow down to 10.
No one ever talks about "For the Cause" as a good episode. I love it
One of things I love about Duet is Kira's attitude change and growth throughout it.
It moves from all Cardassians are guilty, to guilty by association. Then she starts struggling with her conscience and desperately tries to find ways to make him guilty. She finally nails him as guilty only to find out he wasn't a War Criminal.
The end dialogue is brilliant.
After the Bajorian kills him he justifies it by saying:
"He's Cardassian, that's reason enough", to which she sadly says
"No...It isnt"
It's a complete 180 on her views earlier.
If I might add some of my favorites:
Season 2, Episode 26: The Jem'Hadar
Season 3, Episodes 1 & 2: The Search, Parts I & II
Season 3, Episode 9: Defiant
Season 5, Episode 1: Apocalypse Rising
Season 5, Episode 14: In Purgatory's Shadow
Season 5, Episode 15: By Inferno's Light
I'm always very reluctant to post on this sort of thread, it sitting here on UA-cam for over two years now, BUT the theme of a "10 Best of, …." gives me an opportunity to finally recommend my single most favorite episode of DS-9.
That being "It's Only a Paper Moon."
Arguably, the longest single kind of tales the entire line of ST franchises have produced are the anti-war themed ones. From the TOS ones (too many to quick-list here), all the way up to today, for me, the ones that go deep into the personal trauma of the combatants themselves, the stuff can be incredibly powerful, especially for people who have had to survive the real thing.
Nog coming back with an artificial leg after "The Siege of AR-558" episode and hiding in Vic Fontaine's 1960 Vegas nightclub is, I argue, one of the MOST realistic scripts ever written for a Sci-Fi TV show.
The fact that it's the 24th century and modern med-tech of the day replaces the lost limb entirely (for all intents & purposes, it IS Nog's leg, exactly like the first one) is irrelevant to the lingering effects of PTSD that's taken hold of Nog's mind. What he struggles with hauntingly, heart-rending real to any vet who's suffered similarly, take my word for that.
This is a favorite of mine also. I have a huge soft spot for Nog, and the portrayal of his PTSD was heartbreaking and brilliant.
Actaully, the Klingon episode "Once More Unto a Breach" deserves at least honorable mention (no pun intended!).
Hail KOR! The Dahar Master!
My favorite Sci-fi show of all time! So many memorable characters with such a great core cast, and lots of nice diversity. I'd be hard pressed to pick favorite episodes or characters, as there are just so many!
They really had a great pilot in “Emissary.” I also love “Rocks and Shoals.” Sisko desperately trying to save the Jem’Hadar, but Remat’iklan determined to bow to the fate the Founders condemned him to, never fails to give me goosebumps.
One of my favorites also.
So many great episodes in this show, but my favourite has to be The Wire. The way it explores Garrack's character is nothing short of a narrative masterpiece that completely changed my perspective on the character, not only for the future of the show, but retroactively as well, enhancing my enjoyment of his earlier scenes.
I remember watching this for the 1st time as I was recovering from years of pain pill addiction, and it nailed the story of an addict so damn well.
I cried my heart of the first time I watched "The Visitor"
I like "Homefront" and "Paradise Lost" in part for the reasons you listed. I would add a couple of things:
It deals with the politics of trying to keep order and prevent panic.
It deals with the actual threat of the Founders.
It deals with the military leaders trying to create a crisis. Is it because they really believe that they are right and this is the only way to move it forward? Do they want to grab power? Maybe some of both?
It deals with the effects of the crisis and the characters' choices on individuals.
It also has a good B-plot: Jake, Ben, and Joseph. Why don't you visit? On both sides. How long are you going to keep running the restaurant? Are you seeing your doctor? Are you taking your medicine? I think that a lot of people with aging parents could relate to this.
It also has a C-plot: Nog trying to fit into Starfleet Academy.
Then, all plots overlap and interact.
“Far Beyond the Stars” was one of the best ST episodes I’ve ever seen and no one can change that.
I agree with most of these choices, but one of my personal favorites is "Shadow Play" from Season 2. It helps build Jake's maturing character in a way that his episodes in Season 1 couldn't and it provides some great character development for Odo, as well, making him more sympathetic.
In the pale moon light is positively the best.
No doubt, lot's of greatness to go around but this was head and shoulders above the rest.
I agree...the prime directive challenged for survival?
Prime Directive is, and always has been, complete bullshit. Even it's biggest cheerleader, Picard, is perfectly happy to break it when it suits him, and in the proccess proved that breaking it can be a constructive force.
@Nick Murphy Yep. Totally agree. Such a fantastic episode. Pacing, the way it's shot, acting, story line...it's all perfect.
Gotta put my vote in for Rocks and Shoals. Vedek Yasim's "protest" on the promenade was a moment that redefined what a TV show could do. And the way it changed Kira was profound. Her conversation with Odo afterwards was incredible in its depth and simplicity. Add to that the sympathy we get for the Jem Hadar as they march obediently to their demise, and the way Sisko cares more for their welfare than their own Vorta does, the establishing shot of the ship crashing onto the planet...
And as someone else noted, you said "Quark's shop" when you meant Garak's. Otherwise, a great review. Keep up the good work :-)
luv ds9
All very valid selections. Love these and love YOU for acknowledging Gul Dukat as the best Trek villain of all time!! :) Missing: The Ascent, Explorers, Little Green Men.
Other standout episodes of DS9: *whispers* : *little green men* : *children of time* : *honor among thieves* : *inquisition* : *times orphan* : *crysalis* : *what you leave behind* (series finale). The episodes this video mentions are also awesome. *duet* and *visitor* and *in the pale moonlight* are especially amazing. Like you, I ultimately decided that DS9 was the best StarTrek series.
The Magnificent Ferengi was always a favorite of mine since it injects a bit of humor in an otherwise tense season plus who isn't amused at seeing Iggy Pop as a Vorta getting financial advice from Quark's mom.
Early on in the run, I had decided that DSd9 was my fave. A buddy of mine held to believing that TOS was the best... Until "In the Pale Moonlight". At that point DS9 went from #2 to #1. It is literally that episode which makes you question how far YOU would go to protect X. It should be on the list of best episodes of anything ever.
Great list. What made DS9 great was Sisko being forced to debate and even compromise his own morals. Instead of black and white, Sisko was forced into grey areas that made him do bad things for what he considered for the greater good. Rather than make him some sort of anti-hero, he struggled with those decisions.
You didn't mention any of the final ten episodes... definitely Changing Face of Evil and Tacking into the Wind are amazing
Yeah, the final ten episodes (except for "Extreme Measures") rank up with the first six season-ten episodes (except for "Sons and Daughters").
Dude I have just found your channel and binge watched most of your star trek episodes. I agree with virtually all your picks for best and worse. I have spent the last couple of years binge watching all star trek shows after being a fan as a kid i found an episode of voyager on tv and thought what the hell. I was re hooked..
Thank you for your good work on your episodes..
DS9.... the best series overall.
In the Pale Moonlight is my favorite episode of any Star Trek. I love it so much.
My favorite episode was 'Hard Time'.
I think DS9 had the most elaborate mention of alien drinks & food.
Kanar, Tarkelean Tea, Supernova, warp-core-breach etc etc
I also like all the eps with Vic Fontaine - Jazz music, theyre so pleasant and nostalgic.
As a true science fiction fan for 40 years of my 44 year lifespan, I’m so glad people are finally recognizing ST:DS9 as what it really was: adult Trek! Ira said, many times, that DS9 was the franchise. Voyager was for the kids. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t the future of Star Trek. Rewatch, relive, and rebuild the franchise. Discovery is a nightmare.
I will always contend that DS9 is the pinnacle of Star Trek. It is the best acted, best written, and best presented Star Trek series. TNG was great but DS9 shows the gritty realism of the universe in a way no other Trek show has. It's not only good sci-fi, it's good story telling
I love "The Way of the Warrior" too, especially when they acknowledge the loss of the Enterprise-D from Generations.
A great list here, and DS9 became my favourite series from season 4, although 'The Search' for me was the beginning of the show's winning stride.
"Rocks and Shoals"
"Hold on...!" "I tore my pants...!" I loved this episode too! Thanks for mentioning😉
Duet is definitely my favorite ds9 episode. Great twist at the end
The 1950's Sisko episode is fantastic. I think it is my favourite of the whole show.
What I especially enjoyed was how the magazine was an extremely thinly veiled representation Campbell's Golden-age Astounding. To the extent you could identify his stable of favourite writers; Asimov, C.L. Moore and Kuttner, Harry Harrison and others. Absolutely fantastic and very, very well acted on every side.
I am sorry you did not list at least one episode involving 'Section 31'--they did win the Dominion War for the Federation after all!
S31 is also probably captaining the Discovery right now as well.
Well done! So glad you included Waltz and Duet. DS9 is just the best of all the ST series. 😎👍
I would certainly have picked an Eddington episode, probably "for the uniform".
That moment when Sisko commits an act so shocking, even Worf is stunned silent.
Duet may be my favorite star trek episode period. Harris Yulin's performance is devastating.
Too many great eps to choose from. Would have thought about including:
Children of Time
The Circle Trilogy
Tacking Into The Wind
Necessary Evil
For the Uniform
For the Cause
Our Man Bashir
Inter Arma Enim silent Leges
The Quickening
I hate the Circle trilogy. It was the low point of DS9, following a very weak first season, and I stopped watching DS9 after this. I started watching again and getting a fan after I "accidently" watched the Improbable Cause/The Die Is Cast-twoparter.
Love The Circle, I still don't get why it never shows up on anyone's "best" lists. That one scene in Kira's quarters was brilliant. And Frank Langella may be the single best actor to appear on DS9. He was that good.
10. Tacking into the Wind
9. Call to Arms/ Time to Stand
8. Broken Link
7. In the Pale Moonlight
6. The Homecoming/The Circle/The Seige
5. Tears of the Prophets/Image in the Sand
4. In Purgatory’s Shadow/By Inferno’s Light
3. Far Beyond the Stars
2. Way of the Warrior
1. The Visitor
Gods, Far "Beyond the Stars" could have been its own series. Sooo good.
the visitor was an excellent episode
I actually rewatch the whole series and it's brilliant!
Agree with all of these! I did also love Looking for Par'mach in all the Wrong Places, loved that episode! And the one where Jake and Nog are running around trading like mad to get the baseball card for Sisko. That was a fun episode. It had so many interesting side characters, many of whom had their own episodes, Morn, Quark, Gul Dukat, Damar, Rom & Leeta and so many others! The only one I didn't like was Kai Winn. I hated her from the very start. But then again, I think we are supposed to!
I loved all of these picks, as a trekky the first season of DS9 was rough, but what followed was a masterpiece!
Subscribed. This stuff is fantastic. You are well-spoken, well-researched, and your production quality is great. Why so few subs? How can we help spread the word? Get on the Trekkie twitter and reddit channels if you haven't yet. I can help.
Thanks very much, that's nice of you to say :) I guess help out by sharing my stuff with people who'd like it. I also just started a Patreon yesterday. I have a video about that coming soon. I'll have a look at the reddit stuff. Never quite got into that site. Thanks again for enjoying my work :)
... I came on this video ready to shoot you down immediately, waiting for you to miss the Episode Duet... The fact it was the very first episode you mentioned. 0:07 brought the biggest smile on my face. Thank you very much.. The rest of the episodes.. think the term NAILED IT!!! comes to mind..
DS9 season 4, episode 19, "Hard Time", was a pretty good episode that had a similar psychological mind bender as Inner Light from TNG. I think it should have been considered top 10.
It gave me nightmares, still does. A dream I can never wake from. A punishment that would never end.
This list is bulletproof! A couple episodes that come to mind to contend for a spot in this list are "Cardassians" and "It's Only a Paper Moon". The first for world-building, character development of Bashir, Garak, O'Brien, and Dukat. The second is probably the best Nog episode in the series, a character that showed more character development than almost any other character in the series.
DS9 is by far the best Trek series in my opinion.
One of my favorites is "Take Me Out to the Holosuite." It was a great way to have some fun and lighten the mood in the middle of wrapping up the Dominion War arc. The crew plays a baseball game against a crew of Vulcans captained by an old rival of Sisko's from way back. Some people feel it was a sign that DS9 was running out of story ideas, but I enjoyed.
Of course, there's also the one where Vic Fontaine's holodeck program hits a plot twist where gangsters take over the hotel. It was so cool seeing SIsko and his friends going in and beating the gangsters by pulling an "Ocean's Eleven" type heist. Sisko singing with Vic at the end was great! Avery Brooks has a good singing voice.
...and subscribed.
...and thank you
"Way of the Warrior" pays off one of the greatest call backs in TV history. In "The Emissary"when the Cardassians scan the station they decide that the weapons they see are created by trickery. When the Klingons scan the station they decide the exact same deception is taking place. However, the station is now armed with the exact weapons they FAKED in the pilot episode.......
I'm surprised you didn't mention any Section 31 episode.
I thought those episodes were kind of dorky. Same with the mirror universe episodes. Everything else was GOLD.
Yes I was hoping to see "inter arma enim silent leges"
I have watched this episode at least 10 times and I am surprised you haven't mentioned it. "
Once More unto the Breach". Koor tries to get one last shot at being a true Kling-on Warrior only to fight senility and being old. In the end he makes the ultimate sacrifice by slowing down the Kardiasians. John Colicos gives a masterful performance as Koor and goes down as a Dahar Master..
STAR TREK : DS9
episode
FAR BEYOND THE STARS
was groundbreaking because
it showed how
RACISM
SEXISM
are universal and may affect
humans someday when
the human race goes into space
Not my exact list but pretty damn close and can't argue with any of the explanations and breakdowns of the episodes chosen. Bravo! A worthy list for Trek's greatest series!
How Come Deep Space 9 isn't shown on Reruns on any Network Cable or Broadcast?
just binge watch on NETFLIX
I don't have NEtFlix, but is Deep Space NIne on Netflix?
HoldenNY22 Original, TNG, Voyager, DS9 and some movies are on Netflix
Oh and Enterprise
If you have access to antenna tv (which I highly recommend btw - cut the cord & save a ton of $), they show all the Treks 6 nights a week on a station called Heroes & Icons. Look it up online to find out what channel it's on in your area.
Yep. Best of the series in my opinion as well. And I love TNG and Voyager and the original. DS9 just had it all figured out. A great balance of long story arc combined with the individual episode format in a way none of the other shows could match.
I can't argue with any of those choices but I would also say that Rocks and Shoals and Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges are as good as any of those.
My absolute favorite is In the Pale Moonlight though. It's just such a great story, well shot, and simply super clever.
In the Cards!
Great review, man. You and I love DS9 for the same reasons. It's the Federation out on the edge, where things are not so clear cut and simple as back on clean, perfect Earth. Again, good job, and keep up the reviews!
More like about 11% of the galaxy is at stake.
I might show my age here, but I still to this day remember the impact "In The Pale Moonlight" had on me after I watched it. I was still in high school at the time, and recommended it to all my family who are Trek fans to watch. It wasn't the turning point to why I already was in love with DS9, but it damn sure cemented it into permanency.
Welcome to the 40s dude. Your going to make some friends around here.
Great list but i think in the pale moon light and way of the warrior should be switched but that purely my opinion
Adam Spencer - he said the list was in no particular order.
chrinamint im aware of that. I just said in my opinion....in other word its a perfect list
Adam Spencer I'm just saying they weren't in an order to switch.
You can't switch the order of something that isn't put in order.
Oh, I'll get in the pit but there won't be no killin', if you know what I mean ;)
Being african american..."far beyond the stars" was tough tough to watch but an accomplished story...Thank you Gene Roddenberry for inspiring people to achieve a better humanity...
Disagree with top spot, not even close to something like Duet.
It's in no particular order
There is no top spot