I recently started a binge watch of the whole series. Didn’t make it through the pilot. Of all the series, DS9 has aged the least well for me, and it’s the hardest to take seriously. Best series ever? Not even close.
Hm, in all the points you've mentioned (aging well, pilot episode, being taken seriously) I find DS9 does better than any other Trek
There are a lot of aspects of Voyager I dislike, yet when I decided to survey the series a few months ago, managed to get through sixty episodes, including repugnant ones like Threshold, The Chute and Fair Haven. Those episodes informed my participation in the threads concerning how underrated Voyager is and what type of leader Janeway was. It was my intention to speak in an informed manner, and I believe that I did due diligence. You couldn't even make it to the emotional resolution of DS9's pilot? I think you were looking for reasons to hate it.
I didn’t say I hated it. It’s Star Trek, and I rate it higher than a lot of other TV. But, it was a tough sell the first time, and rewatching it just left me wanting.
Well... I'd say it's the best Trek aside from TOS, but the best TV show? Ever? Probably not. There's a lot of other contenders for that title, I think.
The DS9 pilot just isn't very good, most of the first season is not. It's really like TNG in that regard.
I don't think it is. DS9's pilot and season 1 weren't great, but pretty good and solid overall. In contrast, early TNG was a total mess, not even in the same league.
I think we should not that what is best and what we prefer might not always be the same even when judging the stuff we like. I know for example that "Sopranos" is proably a better show than "Deep Space Nine." I also know I have watched DS9 and other Trek as well way more times than "Sopranos" and other great tv because it is more fun to simply rewatch than some other stuff. I guess it depends on how one defines "best." Jason
Definitely the best Trek series next to TOS, and one of the best science fiction TV rides of all time. While I love aspects of all the other series, and DS9 isn't perfect, it had the best characterization and storytelling overall. I did a rewatch last year. By the time I got to the series finale, I cried and cried... and longed for more. For so many fans, "The Inner Light" is their favorite ep. It's one of my top 10-15, but so many of my other all-Trek faves -- "The Visitor," "Far Beyond the Stars," "Duet," "In the Pale Moonlight," "It's Only a Paper Moon" -- are mostly DS9. There are more DS9 episodes on that list than any other series except TOS. Most Trek fans long to be on a spaceship. Me? I dream of that space station near the Bajoran wormhole. After that rewatch, even hearing the theme song made me smile through my tears. Can't wait for the documentary!
We're all probably nerds, just for being here posting. But I think DS9 is the "nerdiest" of all the Trek shows by a MILE! It's in it's own head the most, with all the Bajoran/prophet/"Ferengi rules"/Dominion & Odo-people stuff. That's not for everyone. Your love/distaste of DS9 will vary depending on your tolerance for that level of detailed nerdiness in you entertainment. As opposed to cleaner, simpler creative escapism (like TOS). If you think DS9 is the "Greatest TV show ever!", good for you. You can tolerate how nerdy that show gets. For me, I'm more entertained by TOS and VOY. Not everyone has an appetite for DS9's brand of entertainment. To say it's the "best" Trek is subjective. To say it's the "best show ever", better than any show of any genre, or subject matter, is simply hogwash!
Yeah, we're all nerds in some way. I mean, there's no way of saying "I'm posting on a Star Trek forum BUT I'M NOT A NERD". Also, we were nerds before it was cool etc. With that out of the way, I greatly disagree with DS9 being the nerdiest, I think TNG takes that crown. TNG's got more theoretical physics based themes (space anomalies, time travel, temporal loops, that kind of thing) than any other Trek, it's more dedicated to a bright future where everything's solved with science, it loves to relieve tension by having the crew being friends playing poker (without actual money), it has its main cast constantly playing Shakespeare and jazz music in front of each other until you vomit, and in general it's more cerebral than any other series. DS9 actually got a lot of flak for not being like that, for being too dark, not following the Roddenberry vision and whatever. But DS9 is a show that's more than any other Trek driven by character interaction. Character interaction is the key to solving problems in DS9. It's not about science, and it doesn't share TNG's tendency to treat religious themes as superstitious nonsense, in fact it embraces them as an integral part of its nature. Another thing is that most Trek series had some super-nerd logical/rational character. TOS had Spock, TNG had Data, and to a lesser extent VOY had Tuvok and ENT had T'Pol. Even DSC stuck to that by having somewhat nerdy characters like Tilly and Stamets. DS9 was the only one that didn't have any character like that. So actually I'm tempted to claim that DS9 was the least nerdy Trek of all.
From a certain perspective , true. DS9 took the science of Star Trek for granted in many instances. However, DS9 could be nerdier in other ways, with more world building and references to old movies.
I'm starting to think of all the treks as just one long running show with different actors and lots of gaps in production
TNG and DS9 are both really fucking nerdy, but in their own unique way, and appealing to different nerd factions. Let me explain visually: This guy loves TNG: This guys loves DS9: