The MOST Disliked Episode of DS9 - Season Four...

[Farscape One]

This is a twist on a game that is played here, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I am very curious to see the results.

Here's the game. The basic idea is your standard elimination game. I'll provide a list of the episodes for each season and you need to eliminate your most favorite or the one you deem the 'best.' Please provide an EXPLANATION for why you are eliminating your choice and be sure to copy and paste the list with your choice removed. Finally, wait six hours and leave at least 2 eliminations by other posters before you eliminate another episode.

No tactical voting! You cannot remove an episode because you feel they would threaten your preferred episode's chance to win. Pretty simple. Enjoy!

Hall of Champions (or Failures?)
2011 - "PROFIT AND LACE"
2018 - "LET HE WHO IS WITHOUT SIN..."

Season Four -

THE WAY OF THE WARRIOR
THE VISITOR
HIPPOCRATIC OATH
INDISCRETION
REJOINED
STARSHIP DOWN
LITTLE GREEN MEN
THE SWORD OF KAHLESS
OUR MAN BASHIR
HOMEFRONT
PARADISE LOST
CROSSFIRE
RETURN TO GRACE
SONS OF MOGH
BAR ASSOCIATION
ACCESSION
RULES OF ENGAGEMENT
HARD TIME
SHATTERED MIRROR
THE MUSE
FOR THE CAUSE
TO THE DEATH
THE QUICKENING
BODY PARTS
BROKEN LINK

 

[Farscape One]

I was going to begin with "THE VISITOR", but that would likely be done by someone right after me. So I will start by saving "OUR MAN BASHIR". I love James Bond, and this episode was a great, fun homage to that franchise. And the concept was a pretty original use of the 'holodeck trouble' type of story. I always watch this when it reruns.

THE WAY OF THE WARRIOR
THE VISITOR
HIPPOCRATIC OATH
INDISCRETION
REJOINED
STARSHIP DOWN
LITTLE GREEN MEN
THE SWORD OF KAHLESS
HOMEFRONT
PARADISE LOST
CROSSFIRE
RETURN TO GRACE
SONS OF MOGH
BAR ASSOCIATION
ACCESSION
RULES OF ENGAGEMENT
HARD TIME
SHATTERED MIRROR
THE MUSE
FOR THE CAUSE
TO THE DEATH
THE QUICKENING
BODY PARTS
BROKEN LINK

 

[Sakonna]

When it was first announced Michael Dorn was coming over, I hated the idea, but "Way Of The Warrior" turned out to be a brilliant redirect of the series. This ended up being the best version of the DS9 cast, and the best version of Worf as a character.

Also, it really shows off how much world-building they had done -- they're playing on such a large canvas here, and it's so satisfying how developed everything is.

THE VISITOR
HIPPOCRATIC OATH
INDISCRETION
REJOINED
STARSHIP DOWN
LITTLE GREEN MEN
THE SWORD OF KAHLESS
HOMEFRONT
PARADISE LOST
CROSSFIRE
RETURN TO GRACE
SONS OF MOGH
BAR ASSOCIATION
ACCESSION
RULES OF ENGAGEMENT
HARD TIME
SHATTERED MIRROR
THE MUSE
FOR THE CAUSE
TO THE DEATH
THE QUICKENING
BODY PARTS
BROKEN LINK

 

[JirinPanthosa]

I was going to begin with "THE VISITOR", but that would likely be done by someone right after me. So I will start by saving "OUR MAN BASHIR". I love James Bond, and this episode was a great, fun homage to that franchise. And the concept was a pretty original use of the 'holodeck trouble' type of story. I always watch this when it reruns.

Isn't that tactical voting, not voting for your favorite because you think it's safe anyway?

Now I have to use my vote on the Visitor whereas if you were honest I could have used it for something else. (If any rules invocations happen change my vote to Hard Time)

HIPPOCRATIC OATH
INDISCRETION
REJOINED
STARSHIP DOWN
LITTLE GREEN MEN
THE SWORD OF KAHLESS
HOMEFRONT
PARADISE LOST
CROSSFIRE
RETURN TO GRACE
SONS OF MOGH
BAR ASSOCIATION
ACCESSION
RULES OF ENGAGEMENT
HARD TIME
SHATTERED MIRROR
THE MUSE
FOR THE CAUSE
TO THE DEATH
THE QUICKENING
BODY PARTS
BROKEN LINK

 

[Brennyren]

I'll come to the rescue of "Little Green Men," because that was some funny, funny stuff. Just reading the name makes me picture the human officers smacking themselves on the side of the head in imitation of Quark and Co.

HIPPOCRATIC OATH
INDISCRETION
REJOINED
STARSHIP DOWN
THE SWORD OF KAHLESS
HOMEFRONT
PARADISE LOST
CROSSFIRE
RETURN TO GRACE
SONS OF MOGH
BAR ASSOCIATION
ACCESSION
RULES OF ENGAGEMENT
HARD TIME
SHATTERED MIRROR
THE MUSE
FOR THE CAUSE
TO THE DEATH
THE QUICKENING
BODY PARTS
BROKEN LINK

 

[BlueStuff]

Hard Time was an excellent story, brilliantly performed. It's kinda hard to believe that O'Brien would ever be the same afterwards, but that's no fault of the episode itself.

HIPPOCRATIC OATH
INDISCRETION
REJOINED
STARSHIP DOWN
THE SWORD OF KAHLESS
HOMEFRONT
PARADISE LOST
CROSSFIRE
RETURN TO GRACE
SONS OF MOGH
BAR ASSOCIATION
ACCESSION
RULES OF ENGAGEMENT
SHATTERED MIRROR
THE MUSE
FOR THE CAUSE
TO THE DEATH
THE QUICKENING
BODY PARTS
BROKEN LINK

 

[Farscape One]

Isn't that tactical voting, not voting for your favorite because you think it's safe anyway?

Now I have to use my vote on the Visitor whereas if you were honest I could have used it for something else. (If any rules invocations happen change my vote to Hard Time)

HIPPOCRATIC OATH
INDISCRETION
REJOINED
STARSHIP DOWN
LITTLE GREEN MEN
THE SWORD OF KAHLESS
HOMEFRONT
PARADISE LOST
CROSSFIRE
RETURN TO GRACE
SONS OF MOGH
BAR ASSOCIATION
ACCESSION
RULES OF ENGAGEMENT
HARD TIME
SHATTERED MIRROR
THE MUSE
FOR THE CAUSE
TO THE DEATH
THE QUICKENING
BODY PARTS
BROKEN LINK

I would have voted for "THE VISITOR" at some point, anyway. Both that and "OUR MAN BASHIR" hold special places in my heart for different reasons.

I was not trying to be tactical, but if it came across that way, I do apologize.

 

[BigDaveX]

Homefront. The first half of a strong two-parter, provided one of the first proper looks into life on 24th century Earth, and introduced the awesomeness that is Joseph Sisko.

HIPPOCRATIC OATH
INDISCRETION
REJOINED
STARSHIP DOWN
THE SWORD OF KAHLESS
PARADISE LOST
CROSSFIRE
RETURN TO GRACE
SONS OF MOGH
BAR ASSOCIATION
ACCESSION
RULES OF ENGAGEMENT
SHATTERED MIRROR
THE MUSE
FOR THE CAUSE
TO THE DEATH
THE QUICKENING
BODY PARTS
BROKEN LINK

 

[Bad Thoughts]

I'm saving Bar Association. It's is easily one of the best Ferengi episodes, and it gives a jab at Federation values.

HIPPOCRATIC OATH
INDISCRETION
REJOINED
STARSHIP DOWN
THE SWORD OF KAHLESS
PARADISE LOST
CROSSFIRE
RETURN TO GRACE
SONS OF MOGH
ACCESSION
RULES OF ENGAGEMENT
SHATTERED MIRROR
THE MUSE
FOR THE CAUSE
TO THE DEATH
THE QUICKENING
BODY PARTS
BROKEN LINK

 

[Tosk]

Indiscretion, y'all.

HIPPOCRATIC OATH
REJOINED
STARSHIP DOWN
THE SWORD OF KAHLESS
PARADISE LOST
CROSSFIRE
RETURN TO GRACE
SONS OF MOGH
ACCESSION
RULES OF ENGAGEMENT
SHATTERED MIRROR
THE MUSE
FOR THE CAUSE
TO THE DEATH
THE QUICKENING
BODY PARTS
BROKEN LINK

 

[Trek Survivor]

I'm going to save "Shattered Mirror". Loved this when I first saw it; it doesn't necessarily stand up to close scrutiny but the action, Nog dying, Worf/Garak and the Sisko family drama all make it worthwhile to me.

HIPPOCRATIC OATH
REJOINED
STARSHIP DOWN
THE SWORD OF KAHLESS
PARADISE LOST
CROSSFIRE
RETURN TO GRACE
SONS OF MOGH
ACCESSION
RULES OF ENGAGEMENT
THE MUSE
FOR THE CAUSE
TO THE DEATH
THE QUICKENING
BODY PARTS
BROKEN LINK

 

[tomswift2002]

PARADISE LOST. I don’t remember much about Season 4, but I do remember that Paradise did feature a Babylon 5’s Admiral Leighton.


HIPPOCRATIC OATH
REJOINED
STARSHIP DOWN
THE SWORD OF KAHLESS
CROSSFIRE
RETURN TO GRACE
SONS OF MOGH
ACCESSION
RULES OF ENGAGEMENT
THE MUSE
FOR THE CAUSE
TO THE DEATH
THE QUICKENING
BODY PARTS
BROKEN LINK[/QUOTE]

 

[Garth Rockett]

For the Cause. I love the Eddington trilogy that spans seasons four and five. Although For the Uniform is favorite, this episode gets the arc off to a really good start.

HIPPOCRATIC OATH
REJOINED
STARSHIP DOWN
THE SWORD OF KAHLESS
CROSSFIRE
RETURN TO GRACE
SONS OF MOGH
ACCESSION
RULES OF ENGAGEMENT
THE MUSE
TO THE DEATH
THE QUICKENING
BODY PARTS
BROKEN LINK

 

[Farscape One]

I'm going to save "Shattered Mirror". Loved this when I first saw it; it doesn't necessarily stand up to close scrutiny but the action, Nog dying, Worf/Garak and the Sisko family drama all make it worthwhile to me.

HIPPOCRATIC OATH
REJOINED
STARSHIP DOWN
THE SWORD OF KAHLESS
PARADISE LOST
CROSSFIRE
RETURN TO GRACE
SONS OF MOGH
ACCESSION
RULES OF ENGAGEMENT
THE MUSE
FOR THE CAUSE
TO THE DEATH
THE QUICKENING
BODY PARTS
BROKEN LINK

"SHATTERED MIRROR" had quite possibly THE best Defiant fight sequence, with her very gracefully maneuvering around the station while fighting the Klingon ships. It was gorgeous. "THE WSY OF THE WARRIOR" did her justice, too... both directed by James L. Conway, one of only 6 people to direct every spinoff except DISCOVERY. And his episodes were always excellent ones... "DUET", "NECESSARY EVIL", "FOR THE CAUSE", "DEATH WISH", "IN A MIRROR, DARKLY", among others. I always got excited when I saw his name on the credits because I knew it was going to be a great episode.

 

[Farscape One]

"TO THE DEATH" is not dying. I always loved the Jem'Hadar, and with this episode, we got to learn A LOT about them... enough to really be scared of them, because these guys do not play. And the performance by Clarence Williams III was really superb, and of course Jeffrey Combs as Weyoun. So good, they devised the Vorta being clones just to bring him back. And it was a nice callback to TNG's "Contagion", which is another favorite of mine. Well directed by LeVar Burton, who did a lot of great episodes... one of only 6 people to direct every spinoff except DISCOVERY.

HIPPOCRATIC OATH
REJOINED
STARSHIP DOWN
THE SWORD OF KAHLESS
CROSSFIRE
RETURN TO GRACE
SONS OF MOGH
ACCESSION
RULES OF ENGAGEMENT
THE MUSE
THE QUICKENING
BODY PARTS
BROKEN LINK

 

[Sakonna]

"Rejoined" Trek's most successful ROTW, I think, and probably the best Dax episode as well... no better ones are coming to mind. A really beautiful, moving story. And it's nice that there's at least a single Berman-era Trek episode that handles LGBT issues well. The execution is perfect... they knew they had to get it right, and they did.

HIPPOCRATIC OATH
STARSHIP DOWN
THE SWORD OF KAHLESS
CROSSFIRE
RETURN TO GRACE
SONS OF MOGH
ACCESSION
RULES OF ENGAGEMENT
THE MUSE
THE QUICKENING
BODY PARTS
BROKEN LINK

 

[Sakonna]

one of only 6 people to direct every spinoff except DISCOVERY.

Burton, Conway, I'm sure Frakes... who are the other three?

PARADISE LOST. I don’t remember much about Season 4, but I do remember that Paradise did feature a Babylon 5’s Admiral Leighton.

Didn't J. Michael Straczynski have a whole crazy rant against DS9 for this? Robert Foxworth couldn't shoot what Starczynski intended to be his last Babylon 5 appearance because DS9 had booked him for this two-parter, I think? Which, if I am remembering correctly, was complete nonsense. I subsequently ended up working in casting and this was my biggest pet peeve, it's such an obnoxious and disrespectful way of regarding your actors, I wanted to scream at producers all the time: when you know you need the actor for a certain episode, book them! If they book other work in this time, you have no one to blame but yourself. People don't have to wait around not working and not making money because you're taking forever to get your act together.

 

[BigDaveX]

Rules of Engagement is hereby acquitted. A story that could easily have been very dull and derivative, helped immensely by its framing device.

HIPPOCRATIC OATH
STARSHIP DOWN
THE SWORD OF KAHLESS
CROSSFIRE
RETURN TO GRACE
SONS OF MOGH
ACCESSION
THE MUSE
THE QUICKENING
BODY PARTS
BROKEN LINK

 

[BigDaveX]

Burton, Conway, I'm sure Frakes... who are the other three?

If I'm not mistaken, the full list is LeVar Burton, James L. Conway, Les Landau, Winrich Kolbe, David Livingston and Mike Vejar. Frakes didn't actually direct any episodes of Enterprise.

 

[Brennyren]

Didn't J. Michael Straczynski have a whole crazy rant against DS9 for this? Robert Foxworth couldn't shoot what Starczynski intended to be his last Babylon 5 appearance because DS9 had booked him for this two-parter, I think?

I don't remember a rant. (Which doesn't mean you're wrong, to be sure; I wasn't exceptionally up on the behind-the-scenes stuff.) I do remember a clip from Babylon 5's blooper reel. In the actual scene, the bit player explained that Hague, the Foxworth character, had been killed -- not too surprising in a war scenario. In the blooper reel:

Sheridan: Where's Admiral Hague?
Bit Player: (heavily) Admiral Hague...is on Deep Space Nine. His agent overbooked him; there was nothing we could do.