For the most part, sure — at its best it was absolutely brilliant. But there were plenty of stale filler episodes and some clunkers too, which shouldn’t dissuade anybody from watching it. And yeah, there were plenty of people who drifted away early on because it was different and darker. (Which is one reason I find it actively funny when people call Discovery dystopian because the Burn had happened; DS9 went much, much darker than anything any later series ever did.)
Is DS9 worth binging?
- Thread starter TechnoGoose
- Start date
Using the word “binging” is an attempt to be artful and clever? Not a high bar then, I guess.
Yet,it's a linguistic phenomena. How often do you hear something is tremendous, but the earth isn't moving or no one is shaking?
Sure, but these are not the same thing. Surely there’s a difference between “That show was so bad, it literally killed me!” and “I binged that show for several hours.”
Take it up with a linguist.
Physician, heal thyself.
Hi, English language professor here.
There’s nothing wrong with saying something is tremendous, when in fact it’s just rather good.
This is an example of human beings using language to exaggerate for effect. It’s not new.
To binge something literally means to do something to excess, often in a way that many would consider to be too much.
So, binging television. Works fine. It’s not any kind of attempt to be arty or clever*. It’s only a language phenomenon in the sense that all language mutates and develops over time. Been happening for millennia.
*Though some might say armchair kvetching with authority, when you have no solid basis to talk about the subject at hand might be an attempt to be arty and clever.
I'm not making a moral judgement, but the word has undergone semantic weakening, no? Would that not affect the strength of the word binging outside of therapy contexts?
i dont think its good for binging. way too many episodes. iits more of episode-2 per day kind of show. at least for me. its not like the marvel movies which are all light hearted and good for binge. some of the episodes on ds9 are really "heavy"
One thing I'll say about binging: it's hard to absorb anything.
Enterprise was a show I stopped watching after six episodes during first run. I couldn't get into it to save my life. I watched the entire series in 2010, fairly quickly. I wanted to give the series a second chance, and then it ended up becoming something I had on in the background while I did other things. Then I forgot over 90% of it. Never watched it again until 2020, during the Quarantine. I went through the series pretty quickly again. It was the Quarantine, what was I going to do? Once again, I didn't absorb much of it. All I got was: "I didn't like the first three seasons, the fourth season was okay but it wasn't enough, I'm not watching this again." As far as specifics or talking about it at-length? I've got nothing for you.
Breaking Bad, like I said before, I binged all 62 episodes in a week. How much did I absorb? Just the broad strokes, as glued to it as I was. Whereas I watched Better Call Saul all throughout its run. Week after week, when it was on, for seven years. So, if anything, from my point of view: Better Call Saul is the main show and Breaking Bad is the sequel series I vaguely remember.
Looking at Enterprise, looking at Breaking Bad, all I can say when it comes to DS9 is: I think it's worth binging, but I don't recommend it. Take your time with it.
Enterprise was a show I stopped watching after six episodes during first run. I couldn't get into it to save my life. I watched the entire series in 2010, fairly quickly. I wanted to give the series a second chance, and then it ended up becoming something I had on in the background while I did other things. Then I forgot over 90% of it. Never watched it again until 2020, during the Quarantine. I went through the series pretty quickly again. It was the Quarantine, what was I going to do? Once again, I didn't absorb much of it. All I got was: "I didn't like the first three seasons, the fourth season was okay but it wasn't enough, I'm not watching this again." As far as specifics or talking about it at-length? I've got nothing for you.
Breaking Bad, like I said before, I binged all 62 episodes in a week. How much did I absorb? Just the broad strokes, as glued to it as I was. Whereas I watched Better Call Saul all throughout its run. Week after week, when it was on, for seven years. So, if anything, from my point of view: Better Call Saul is the main show and Breaking Bad is the sequel series I vaguely remember.
Looking at Enterprise, looking at Breaking Bad, all I can say when it comes to DS9 is: I think it's worth binging, but I don't recommend it. Take your time with it.
Last edited:
It started out lukewarm with a handful of AWESOME moments, kept building up, became THE best Trek installment by season 4 with both lore-progressing newfound directions and continuing worldbuilding, while also building upon what it laid out for some neat payoffs. Sisko also gets to do interesting and thought provoking things that neither Kirk nor Picard would have done, so DS9 is pushing the borders of the show. "Paradise" from season 2 always springs to mind for a jaw-dropper surprise, but the show's loaded with them and the more you get into the characters, the more satisfying the show will be for the directions it goes in. "Duet"'s another great example, albeit not Sisko-focused. I can't say much without spoilers.
Rewatching has given me a greater appreciation of earlier episodes as well.
It's a neat journey.
As was TNG's.
When people say "Kirk vs Picard, who wins?" to me, I answer "Sisko".
Being a long one at 7 seasons, don't binge too much at once either. Premature burnout isn't fun either. For any show. The experience is always best savored. Unlike that certain event my long-time ex liked to go to, but I digress.
You're not going to like every episode enough to rewatch them all. That's simply impossible. But it makes it easier to remember what is rewatchable for those return visits to the show.
Side note: Peter Capaldi ("The Thick of It", "Doctor Who", et al) almost got the role of Sisko. IMHO we're far better off with Avery Brooks, who has the sort of eclectic nature that makes for a good character. Shatner had his nuances. Stewart has his. So does Brooks.
Rewatching has given me a greater appreciation of earlier episodes as well.
It's a neat journey.
As was TNG's.
When people say "Kirk vs Picard, who wins?" to me, I answer "Sisko".
Being a long one at 7 seasons, don't binge too much at once either. Premature burnout isn't fun either. For any show. The experience is always best savored. Unlike that certain event my long-time ex liked to go to, but I digress.
You're not going to like every episode enough to rewatch them all. That's simply impossible. But it makes it easier to remember what is rewatchable for those return visits to the show.
Side note: Peter Capaldi ("The Thick of It", "Doctor Who", et al) almost got the role of Sisko. IMHO we're far better off with Avery Brooks, who has the sort of eclectic nature that makes for a good character. Shatner had his nuances. Stewart has his. So does Brooks.
Well, he was among those who auditioned, at least. As did Anthony Stewart Head. As did Siddig El Fadil.
Giles as Sisko?
Kirk is always the correct answer, but Sisko is badass for sure.
...I want to watch these versions of DS9...
...but Avery Brooks made the role his own, and I don't know that the others could have had the same relationship with Jake that he brought to it.
None of these are as wild as imagining a world where Yaphet Kotto of all people got the role of Picard (reportedly he was offered the role and declined). I have such a hard time imagining how his intensity and presence would have fitted the wholesome vibe of The Next Generation. But maybe it’s just that I can’t imagine Lieutenant Al Giardello as a quiet, intellectual and introspective captain of the Enterprise.
i binged through seasons 2 and 3 but stopped at 4. i'm gonna continue. but just wanted to point out that one episode you get bored with can take out the winds of your sails if you know what i mean. like if i watch an episode that bores me i dont want to watch anymore
Similar threads
