When does DS9 get good? (No spoilers please)

I’m on series 2, episode 2.

I'm not interested in Bajoran politics and religion bores me.

I was determined to sit it out until it got as good as people say it does, but my interest is waning.

 

Series 2 is TAS or TNG

 

The general consensus is that it picks up in season 3. But if you don't like it don't feel like it's some sort of obligation or rite of passage.

 

Well, I really liked the pilot...

 

I felt a lot like you at first, but the episode "Progress" gave a pretty strong indication of the shows potential.

I'd say it starts to hit it's stride by season three. It's still easily my favourite Trek show, and probably always will be.

 

I like the first seasons because they lay out the groundwork for latter seasons, like with Bashir and O'Brien, the Dominion etc. So I advise to keep on watching it and by the last episode you will love it

 

Well, there are many episodes that are neither about religion (the prophets, Pah Wraith... what have you) nor Bajoran politics.

Klingons, Dominion, Ferengi, Cardassians, Mirror Universe, Gamma Quadrant, Trill, Holosuite, problems on the station, time travel, Jemadar... A little bit of this a little bit of that!!!

 

You didn’t find “Duet” good? “Progress”, “In the Hands of the Prophets”? Or the opening three-parter? If you really don’t like Bajor episodes, you’ll be pleased to know they were dramatically scaled back from the third season onward as a major new villain is introduced. The focus of the series dramatically shifts more than once. Season three gets better and better with some stunning episodes, and season four is one of the episode-to-episode strongest seasons in the entire franchise. Be patient, it’s like reading a novel. Take it easy and let it unfold.

That said, some second season episodes you can happily skip, because they’re a bit shit/mediocre: “Melora”, “Second Sight”, “Sanctuary”, “Rivals”, “Profit and Loss”.
Essential episodes: “Necessary Evil”, “Shadowplay”, “Blood Oath”, “The Maquis”, “The Wire”, “Crossover”, “The Collaborator”, “The Jem’Hadar”.

 

From "Emissary".

 

As of 2021? When it’s remastered.

 

It’s the only series I’ve never watched and I want something new - I was hoping to see it differently through older eyes and fall in love with a new series

 

I liked the first episodes, but they started getting 'samey'. Yet another ferengi episode (although I don’t hate them), yet another political or religious episode.

I don’t want to knock it, I’m hoping to be grabbed by it at some point

 

I'm not saying I've hated every episode, but they’re starting to blur together a little too much (and I don’t want to give up on it).

 

I’d give up on the show until it’s remastered. I still believe it’s only a matter of time, so there is no point to sitting through all that SD video from the 1990s in this day and age. When that happens, you can skip to Season 3 for a bit more excitement and even more character-driven writing, but the writers like their worldbuilding and various bits from S2 inform future episodes also.

 

Don't hold your breath.

 

Remastering is overrated. Good stories are good stories.

 

I don’t, since I watched DS9 too many times before (U)HD TVs began revealing video flaws. I would rewatch it all again, just not in upscaled SD.

 

If an episode is good, it's good. Watching it from VHS for example doesn't ruin it.

Watching TNG on bluray quality is nice though. I won't probably go back....

 

It doesn't need to be remastered any more than Casablanca needs to be colorized.

 

My favorites in the 2nd half of S2 are:
Whispers, Paradise, Shadowplay, Blood Oath, Crossover, The Collaborator, Tribunal.
Read a summary, watch the teasers, you might like some of those.