Prefer being on the station or planet?

I honestly prefer the episodes that take place on the station. There's something about the station I love about the show and if I want to see something more, I could just watch any other Star Trek series. No, I understand it couldn't always take place on the station. I understand. I'm just saying, when I'm in the mood for a chill environment, I prefer the episodes set on the station, and in all honesty, it makes this show stand out more. Like the show was focused on having the galaxy come to them, rather than them going to the galaxy. Anyway, what are your thoughts?

 

One way of looking at the six-episode arc is that is was an experiment on whether DS9 could work in a different setting, on spaceship (like the other series). Being stuck on the Defiant and on starbases, without the pedestrians and merchants, enhanced the starkness of the show rather than gave them freedom to explore the universe. And there is palpable joy when they reconnect on the DS9 promenade after the Dominion leaves.

 

For me, it was all good. NuBSG, now there's a show that suffered on the planet. I was so looking forward to them getting back on the Galactica.

 

The shows, and first ten movies for that matter, never had the budget to do planets justice. The tiny, claustrophobic sets work for space ships and space stations, not so much for pretty much any ground location.

 

Definitely prefer the stories on the station. For one, DS9 simply had some of the most impressive set designs of any Trek show. I loved the feel of the Promenade, and I loved the complexity of the architecture of Quark's bar. As much as I love the other shows, DS9 had such a unique look and feel that was best exemplified during stories onboard the station.

 

I tend to prefer the stories that take place on board the station. Oh, how I have imagined being able to be there.

 

The Ascent was great, which I guess is the exception that proves the rule.

They usually don't have the money to build really impressive sets that will only be used for one episode. Starfleet Headquarters, for instance, looked like a pretty standard office suite, I would have hoped for something more impressive.

 

I always loved the DS9 sets. They looked very impressive and I never got tired of them.

Having said that, the six part story arc where they're away from DS9 worked very well. Because it was interesting to see the station back under enemy control, and yes, it was a great moment to see the heroes return home at the end. The reunions were very nice to see.

Sean

 

They definitely did better on the station. Mostly because their station sets were awesome and their off-station sets were meh. Also because their premise made it easier to justify characters from different allegiances acting in the same place on the station.

 

Option three: the Defiant.

 

I prefer stories focused on DS9. That's what the show was about. Going off to planets too much just seems like they're trying to be TNG instead of playing to their own strengths.

All that said, I enjoy the occasional jaunt on the Defiant.

 

Well, I'm one that enjoys Star Trek because its about exploring and traveling among the stars.

 

Right, but during DS9's entire run TNG and Voyager were doing that. Focusing on the station gave DS9 a separate distinct identity.

 

So you aren't up for ST: CSI?

 

One of the big "what ifs?" is that they originally tossed up between a space station, or a planet-based facility on Bajor.

In practice it wouldn't have made much difference when it came to shooting episodes (there'd be planetary equivalents of all the regular sets), but it would make for a very different "feel" for the series.

 

Right, I tire of those episodes where they're on a habitable planet that has a civilization with a population of *fifty*, and they all live in a village that looks like the village from the original Planet of the Apes.

 

I just love Deep Space Nine, so I didn't really mind. Stories both on and off the station were excellent.

The off-station episodes I particularly liked were those filmed in the desert. I believe Season 5 Episode 2, Season 6 Episode 2 and Season 7 Episode 2 were all filmed in the desert, interestingly enough.

For instance, Season 6's "Rocks and Shoals" was an exquisite episode, and the direction and the choice of location contributed largely to this. It brought back good memories of Battlestar Galactica (I watched DS9 after BSG) as well, probably because on BSG, they occasionally had to go down to various planets. The planet in Rocks and Shoals specifically reminded me of the Algae Planet in BSG. Plus, Rocks and Shoals was written by Ron Moore.

 

If DS9 was a surface station, I just don't think the show would have been as successful.

The epic space battles, and the fact that it's a Cardassian station owned and operated by Bajorans and commanded by The Federation, basically makes the show.

 

I enjoyed the episodes on the station as much as the episodes that they were away. Option 3 for me.

I would be. who wouldn't enjoy a Starfleet Intelligence based series?

 

The station itself is like a character on the show, with all the people and goings-on. You can watch all the people in the background at Quark's and wonder about their personal stories, what kind of intrigue some of them might be involved in. It's really the greatest setting of any Star Trek series ever. I do like many episodes that take place off the station, some of them are fantastic. But I love the station the best.