I bought the season 6 boxset DVD this afternoon, and was wondering what everybody thinks about this season in particular?
Season six is usually mentioned as being the best season of the series. Personally, season four is my favorite.
It has the two best episodes of the series in it: "In The Pale Moonlight" and "Far Beyond the Stars." It does struggle to find its voice a little, though, after the first seven episodes. Season four and five are probably more consistent -- though season six has greater highs.
S6 is undoubtedly DS9's best in terms of serialization. Unfortunately, that also became its greatest weakness. It builds up so much good will, anticipation, and excitement with the initial Occupation Arc that nearly any following diversion from the war comes off as superfluous, pointless fluff. And sadly, there are quite a few such 'fluff' episodes scattered about S6.
an up and down season. Strong start with the occupation arc, ended weakly by "SOA," uneven after that, weak finish. Not among the best seasons.
I find Season 6 to be very good but very uneven. I mean yeah they opened with the great occupation arc (Even though Sons and Daughters wasn't all that great) and there were some magnificent episodes like In the Pale Moonlight, Far Beyond the Stars, the Sound of her Voice, Tears of the Prophets, and many others, but there was also some episodes that I'm not fond of and really really dislike here too. Episodes that people like (Who Mourns for Morn and the Magnificent Ferangi) are ok, but kind of overrated. Then this season provided my two least favorite and most detestable episodes back to back: Valiant and Profit and Lace. For those two episodes alone I call this season uneven and not as good as Season 5 or 4.
I think "Valiant" is rather good, actually, but there's little you can do to defend "Profit and Lace." It's one of the worst episodes the series, and probably the worst episode of late-period Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
Valiant is one of the weaker episodes. I didn't care for it much. I critise VOY when ignores previous plot elements from Trek and DSN doesn't get an exemption.
I'm just starting to watch season six - it does start off really strong so I'm not surprised it can't maintain that momentum.... can't wait to get to the really good ones.
The opening six-episode arc is likely the greatest six-hour stretch in the history of Star Trek. (Maybe?) After that, the season on the whole is very good. There is so much build-up and anticipation that it is hard to tie everything up in season 7 and provide the pay-off.
After watching Homefront/Paradise Lost, I actually got more angry at Valiant. What the hell was red squad still doing in service. They were accessories to an attempted treason. That's reason enough to disband that entire subsection of the academy.
"Valiant" isn't actually that bad imo, I rewatched it and found it to be pretty good. "Profit and Lace" is also enjoyable. The only one I woudn't rewatch would probably be "Far Beyond the Stars", what a pile of preachy, pointless, irrelevant crap.
I do think Far Beyond the Stars is MASSIVELY overrated, but I wouldn't go so far as to say it's a pile of crap.
The episode keeps hitting us over the head that "It's supposed to be a classic." It's like calculatedly pre-selling "The City on the Edge of Forever" and "Yesterday's Enterprise" as CLASSICS even before they have aired and the viewers can form their own opinions about it. The allegory is just too in your face all the time. It's just too self-aware of itself for what's it's trying to accomplish as an episode that the viewers end up saying "We get it" way long before the final curtain.
Anyhow... As this thread demonstrates, S6 also has some of the most contentious episodes of any season of DS9.
Agreed on all accounts. Profit and Lace is quite funny if you don't take it too seriously. The guest characters in Valiant are annoying as heck, but all in all it's still a decent episode because the story is at least engaging. Far Beyond the Stars is quite an overrated episode. I liked seeing the alien characters out of their make-up and costumes, but that was about it. Everything else in the episode was extremely dull.
Also one of my favorite seasons. Just finished watching "Rocks and Shoals". So many terrific quotes. Especially the scenes between Nog/Garak, Sisko/the Third, and the Third/Vorta Keevan. "I may not be First, but I am the unit leader. You may discipline me, but only I discipline the man. That is the order of things." Naturally Ronald D. Moore wrote this episode. Terrific writer.