I'm embarking on a full re-watch of this show. I haven't seen any of it in 9 years (got all 7 seasons for Christmas back in 2010), and I have forgotten a great deal, as up to that point, I had not watched it since its original airing, and had only seen about 1/3 of the total episodes.
So, this is going to be a lot of fun. I remember thinking that S1 was a slog. It think it's particularly hard because, like most post-TOS Trek outings, these shows are still looking for an identity in their first seasons, and with DS9 in particular, they hadn't gotten to the primary "arc / theme" yet.
Here's my brief comments and rating of each S1 episode:
Emissary: 5/5
This is not only one of my favorite DS9 episodes, it is one of my favorite Star Trek stories ever. If this had been a stand-alone movie set in the Trek universe, it still would have been a favorite. The personal journey of Sisko, the tie-back to BOBW, the introduction of the spiritual culture of the Bajorans, and the appropriate sprinkling of classic Trek themes make this one an absolute winner.
Past Prologue 3/5
Pretty average episode, but better than I remember. We see developing themes here of the conflict that the Federation will face with Bajor, as well as the conflict Major Kira will face throughout the first season. Good performances from Jeffery Nordling cement this as a solid outing.
A Man Alone 2/5
Odo is one of my favorites, but this introductory "character episode" fell a bit flat for me. Murder mysteries involving a main character as a suspect are always a bit blah. Also, Kieko's subplot was really annoying.
Babel 3/5
I remember liking this one more the first time I saw it. It was a solid outing...but I wish they had taken advantage of the virus's effects for humor sake a little more. Great stuff with Chief O'Brien running around trying to keep the station running on duct tape and wire. I enjoyed the resolution.
Captive Pursuit 4/5
We all knew Chief O'Brien could be a great character if he had more time to shine. Here's the proof. This was one of my favorite S1 episodes when I first watched the series. It reminded me of some of the better TNG episodes. Tosk was a cool character, and the resolution was well done.
Q-Less 2/5
Vash and Q are two of my favorite recurring TNG guest characters, but the magic just isn't there. It makes me wonder whether a big part of it is each character's (and actor's) chemistry with Patrick Stewart. There was some minor fun here, but it was largely just a hodgepodge waste. Not offensive by any stretch, just kind of useless.
Dax 2/5
I remembered wanting to like this the first time I saw it, but thinking it was pretty lackluster. I can't get over how Dax just sits there with a half-grin on her face for most of the episode. I think it was an attempt at a sensitive character study and classic Trek "ethical dilemma" plot, but it didn't ring enough bells.
The Passenger 2/5
This is average, stereotypical late-season TNG stuff. Not ugly, but completely forgettable. I knew as soon as the dying bad guy in the opening act grabbed Julian by the throat what was going to happen. This hasn't been a good string of episodes.
Move Along Home 3/5
I didn't hate this one nearly as much as most people seem to (perhaps I should go over to the "Unpopular Opinions" thread next. It was a surreal, interesting episode that was played for fun. TNG did a lot of these, and I always liked them. Also, Quark is such a delightful a$$hole, it makes his groveling worth it.
The Negus 1/5
I can't stand the Ferengi episodes. I love Quark, Rom and Nog...but I can't stand the broader "let's explore the Ferengi culture" outings. Oh well...personal taste I guess.
Vortex 3/5
Sets the stage for Odo's backstory...but otherwise pretty forgettable. And, the performance of the guest actor who plays Croden just doesn't hit the mark. There are some interesting visuals in the episode, and I like that it sets the table (probably unwittingly) for what is yet to come.
Battle Lines 4/5
One of this season's most memorable episodes. It features the return of Kai Opaca and sets the stage for the turmoil on Bajor that is yet to come. Also, the sci-fi premise is an interesting one, and it is played so well as to have you really feel the hell that these prisoners are in. Also, another episode that allows Nana Visitor to do some brilliant work.
The Storyteller 4/5
I disliked this a lot when I first saw it, but this time through I really enjoyed it. It was fun to see the very first seeds of the O'Brien / Bashir bromance planted. the stuff on Bajor is a bit hokey, but well played. The B-story with Nog and Jake trying to befriend a young Bajoran leader was also very well executed, and pretty endearing. Overall, a very solid episode.
Progress 5/5
Another example of how Kira Nerys is one of the best characters in the franchise. This "forced relocation" episode is much smaller in scale and much BETTER in execution and impact than Star Trek Insurrection or TNG Journey's End. Brian Keith absolutely shines here, and the production values are great...making his home and land feel like the kind of place worth dying for. I also love watching Jake and Nog trying to sell Yamok Sauce and self-sealing stembolts. Excellent all around.
If Wishes Were Horses 1/5
Blah. Feels like DS9 trying to have it's "The Naked Time" moment and coming up short.
The Forsaken 2/5
Some good Odo stuff here, but Lwaxanna Troi episodes from TNG fall into the same bucket as Ferengi DS9 episodes. Not much to be happy about here.
Dramatis Personae 4/5
Lots of fun. I often enjoy the "main characters succumb to alien influence" episodes, as it gives everyone a chance to stretch a little. Watching Nana Visitor vamp around as a scene-chewing baddie was a lot of fun...and Brooks plays the quietly eccentric evil guy very well. I love that Odo and Quark have to save the day here...good leveraging what will become a classic relationship.
Duet 5/5
Is there any Kira episode that isn't good? Enough has been said about the brilliance of this episode, that there's not much I can add. A perfect example of how you don't need phasers and time travel to do great Star Trek (and I LOVE phasers and gimmicky time travel).
In the Hands of the Prohpets 4.5/5
This was a brilliant way to end the first season. First Louise Fletcher is a teeth-grinding villain...and one of my favorites of the entire franchise...Winn is just so hateful and twisted, it's fantastic. This is also an example of how to BEST handle faith and science in the Trek universe, as opposed to the ham-handed, eye rolling, sophomoric lecturing we got in TNG on the topic. This sets the stage beautifully for what is to come. I also love how the director subtly frames each scene that Chief O'Brien's Bajoran assistant is in so as to visually hint that something is amiss.
So, overall my memory was fairly accurate. This was an uneven season. It seemed to nail the more character-driven stuff and the "Bajoran culture" stuff very well. The standard sci-fi TNG style plots it did not hit as well. Where my memory was NOT accurate, however, was in thinking that this would be a slog to get through. It was not. I killed S1 in 5 days, and I am not typically a binge-watcher. Even the weak episodes had great character stuff, and that's what makes Trek great to me...so this was much easier to get through than VOY or TNG re-watches have been (I'm still in neutral on both).
Looking forward to blasting through S2.
So, this is going to be a lot of fun. I remember thinking that S1 was a slog. It think it's particularly hard because, like most post-TOS Trek outings, these shows are still looking for an identity in their first seasons, and with DS9 in particular, they hadn't gotten to the primary "arc / theme" yet.
Here's my brief comments and rating of each S1 episode:
Emissary: 5/5
This is not only one of my favorite DS9 episodes, it is one of my favorite Star Trek stories ever. If this had been a stand-alone movie set in the Trek universe, it still would have been a favorite. The personal journey of Sisko, the tie-back to BOBW, the introduction of the spiritual culture of the Bajorans, and the appropriate sprinkling of classic Trek themes make this one an absolute winner.
Past Prologue 3/5
Pretty average episode, but better than I remember. We see developing themes here of the conflict that the Federation will face with Bajor, as well as the conflict Major Kira will face throughout the first season. Good performances from Jeffery Nordling cement this as a solid outing.
A Man Alone 2/5
Odo is one of my favorites, but this introductory "character episode" fell a bit flat for me. Murder mysteries involving a main character as a suspect are always a bit blah. Also, Kieko's subplot was really annoying.
Babel 3/5
I remember liking this one more the first time I saw it. It was a solid outing...but I wish they had taken advantage of the virus's effects for humor sake a little more. Great stuff with Chief O'Brien running around trying to keep the station running on duct tape and wire. I enjoyed the resolution.
Captive Pursuit 4/5
We all knew Chief O'Brien could be a great character if he had more time to shine. Here's the proof. This was one of my favorite S1 episodes when I first watched the series. It reminded me of some of the better TNG episodes. Tosk was a cool character, and the resolution was well done.
Q-Less 2/5
Vash and Q are two of my favorite recurring TNG guest characters, but the magic just isn't there. It makes me wonder whether a big part of it is each character's (and actor's) chemistry with Patrick Stewart. There was some minor fun here, but it was largely just a hodgepodge waste. Not offensive by any stretch, just kind of useless.
Dax 2/5
I remembered wanting to like this the first time I saw it, but thinking it was pretty lackluster. I can't get over how Dax just sits there with a half-grin on her face for most of the episode. I think it was an attempt at a sensitive character study and classic Trek "ethical dilemma" plot, but it didn't ring enough bells.
The Passenger 2/5
This is average, stereotypical late-season TNG stuff. Not ugly, but completely forgettable. I knew as soon as the dying bad guy in the opening act grabbed Julian by the throat what was going to happen. This hasn't been a good string of episodes.
Move Along Home 3/5
I didn't hate this one nearly as much as most people seem to (perhaps I should go over to the "Unpopular Opinions" thread next. It was a surreal, interesting episode that was played for fun. TNG did a lot of these, and I always liked them. Also, Quark is such a delightful a$$hole, it makes his groveling worth it.
The Negus 1/5
I can't stand the Ferengi episodes. I love Quark, Rom and Nog...but I can't stand the broader "let's explore the Ferengi culture" outings. Oh well...personal taste I guess.
Vortex 3/5
Sets the stage for Odo's backstory...but otherwise pretty forgettable. And, the performance of the guest actor who plays Croden just doesn't hit the mark. There are some interesting visuals in the episode, and I like that it sets the table (probably unwittingly) for what is yet to come.
Battle Lines 4/5
One of this season's most memorable episodes. It features the return of Kai Opaca and sets the stage for the turmoil on Bajor that is yet to come. Also, the sci-fi premise is an interesting one, and it is played so well as to have you really feel the hell that these prisoners are in. Also, another episode that allows Nana Visitor to do some brilliant work.
The Storyteller 4/5
I disliked this a lot when I first saw it, but this time through I really enjoyed it. It was fun to see the very first seeds of the O'Brien / Bashir bromance planted. the stuff on Bajor is a bit hokey, but well played. The B-story with Nog and Jake trying to befriend a young Bajoran leader was also very well executed, and pretty endearing. Overall, a very solid episode.
Progress 5/5
Another example of how Kira Nerys is one of the best characters in the franchise. This "forced relocation" episode is much smaller in scale and much BETTER in execution and impact than Star Trek Insurrection or TNG Journey's End. Brian Keith absolutely shines here, and the production values are great...making his home and land feel like the kind of place worth dying for. I also love watching Jake and Nog trying to sell Yamok Sauce and self-sealing stembolts. Excellent all around.
If Wishes Were Horses 1/5
Blah. Feels like DS9 trying to have it's "The Naked Time" moment and coming up short.
The Forsaken 2/5
Some good Odo stuff here, but Lwaxanna Troi episodes from TNG fall into the same bucket as Ferengi DS9 episodes. Not much to be happy about here.
Dramatis Personae 4/5
Lots of fun. I often enjoy the "main characters succumb to alien influence" episodes, as it gives everyone a chance to stretch a little. Watching Nana Visitor vamp around as a scene-chewing baddie was a lot of fun...and Brooks plays the quietly eccentric evil guy very well. I love that Odo and Quark have to save the day here...good leveraging what will become a classic relationship.
Duet 5/5
Is there any Kira episode that isn't good? Enough has been said about the brilliance of this episode, that there's not much I can add. A perfect example of how you don't need phasers and time travel to do great Star Trek (and I LOVE phasers and gimmicky time travel).
In the Hands of the Prohpets 4.5/5
This was a brilliant way to end the first season. First Louise Fletcher is a teeth-grinding villain...and one of my favorites of the entire franchise...Winn is just so hateful and twisted, it's fantastic. This is also an example of how to BEST handle faith and science in the Trek universe, as opposed to the ham-handed, eye rolling, sophomoric lecturing we got in TNG on the topic. This sets the stage beautifully for what is to come. I also love how the director subtly frames each scene that Chief O'Brien's Bajoran assistant is in so as to visually hint that something is amiss.
So, overall my memory was fairly accurate. This was an uneven season. It seemed to nail the more character-driven stuff and the "Bajoran culture" stuff very well. The standard sci-fi TNG style plots it did not hit as well. Where my memory was NOT accurate, however, was in thinking that this would be a slog to get through. It was not. I killed S1 in 5 days, and I am not typically a binge-watcher. Even the weak episodes had great character stuff, and that's what makes Trek great to me...so this was much easier to get through than VOY or TNG re-watches have been (I'm still in neutral on both).
Looking forward to blasting through S2.
Reminds me of the recent DVD re-release, which had me blue for Blu all too soon...
