I have tried getting into DS9 before, but never really it never really caught on for me. I think it might be to do with starting on the first episode each time. For example, I actually am not a big fan of the first TNG episode of star trek. Yet I enjoy the series almost more than anything. Even though the set up is good and finding out who everyone is and how they all meet. I just don't like the plot of that episode all that much. Strangely, I do like Q a lot haha. Anyway... I would like to know the best place to start which is not in fact the start. I hear DS9 revolves somewhat around story arcs, unlike TNG, but sort of like Voyager and Enterprise. I'd like to be given suggestions on perhaps when the series starts to develop its first very interesting story arc but is also at a place where it's easy to pick up from without knowing too much of the backstory of the series really. Also I'm more than happy to try starting again on just a great episode. I'd really appreciate any suggestions because I'd genuinely like to get into this series because beta and delta quadrant stuff is awesome. I just want to leave as minimal chance as possible of me watching it and it not catching on with me once again, so I created this thread. Thanks in advance if you reply
You could start with the second season finale, The Jem Hadar, which introduces the Dominion, the series' major foe.
Watch Necessary Evil. It's not the pilot but it could be since it shows how Odo met Kira, Dukat, and Quark and it's good film noir. Then you could watch season 2 finale, The Jem Hadar, and just plunge into season 3. If you do that you might want to skip Equilibrium, Meridian, and Fascination.
That would be my suggestion for an "origin story" as well. The other good episode to watch would be Duet. Someone once recommended treating the first two seasons as a prequel. Watch three and four, than circle back to one and two, before preceding to five, six and seven. Or just enjoy them after you have finished seven. I don't know how well that would work, but it seems to have some merit on the surface.
I recommend Progress from Season One. You get that Bajor is recovering from the Cardassian occupation and having to deal with becoming self-sufficient again, that Starfleet has a role in this, and that Kira will have conflicts and divided loyalties. All three of these themes are like vines growing on a Trek trellis with individual shows the leaves or blooms covering the foundational story of DS9.
I’ll repeat what I said before when this question came up: begin with Emissary and then watch Past Prologue and see omnisexual!Garak hit on Dr. Julian Bashir. Then just keep watching. Every episode has SOMETHING worth seeing.
Last year, I started watching DS9 from the beginning and am currently partway through Season 2. I've been writing about my experience here: https://www.trekbbs.com/threads/i-am-watching-ds9-for-the-first-time-some-observations.299822/ My opinion? Start from the beginning and see if you hang with it.
Thank you all very much for your suggestions. I ended up watching "The Jem'Hadar". I thought it was great and would definitely recommend it as a starting location to get into the series. It even had 2 Seinfeld cast members haha. Quark being Kramer's gold caddy and the Jem'Hadar spy girl being the nun that ends up liking Kramer haha. I had a specific liking to a few scenes and features that I think makes this a good starting episode. Sisko seems significantly happier in this episode than he did in episode 1. I always got an angry vibe from him in episode 1. Now there was probably a reason for that, I actually don't even really remember much of the plot of that episode because I hadn't watched a DS9 episode in a while. Something about him being reluctant to take command of DS9 rings a bell, but I don't know how exactly. Anyway... That was one feature that was a nice change from episode 1. The way he and his son interacted in the first scene was also key to grabbing my attention. I think that scene sums up a lot of what star trek is to me and a lot of others. He wanted to go off exploring the galaxy and conduct interesting research and they both seem genuinely excited about it. That's something about TNG, Voyager and Enterprise that is key to their success I think. Was good to see it in DS9 as well. The introduction of the Dominion (maybe they had been introduced earlier in a small way for trade like Quark says?) was also great. It felt similar to when the Romulans had their first appearance in TNG, although more hostile obviously. One other thing. Seeing a galaxy class starship was great as well. Those ships are amazing to watch in the TV shows. It was also quite incredible to see one destroyed like that. The enterprise D got destroyed a few times in some TNG episodes, but you always knew it would be reversed somehow before the episode ended. Yet with the Odyssey it was clear it wasn't coming back and made it more impactful because of that. It also cemented the Dominion as a true threat. So yeah, I strongly suggest this as a starting point to others that are seeking to get into DS9, especially if you might of struggled with other episodes. Thank you once again for the suggestions
I'm glad that you enjoyed it. I watched The Jem Hadar when it premiered in Spring 1994. That show promised to do for DS9 what Q Who(the first Borg show) did for TNG. It promised to take the show into a whole new direction for the following season and enlarge the DS9 universe.
Do you mean do what Q did in episode 1 of TNG? You know actually I always considered the Romulans and Borg to be the 2 parts of TNG that had the most impact on expanding the star trek universe. The Borg being so mysterious and powerful, it always made me wonder where they were and what havoc they were wrecking across the galaxy. Also there is something grand and majestic about Romulans. Even the name 'Romulan Star Empire' sounds like it commands respect haha. However yeah I can also see how the Q and their unique position in the universe and their interaction with the federation also give a sense of awe and wonder.
Q Who was the episode of TNG in the second season where Q brought the Enterprise into Borg space. After almost being overtaken Q returns the Enterprise to Federation space. After that episode the Federation had to prepare for an enemy that they were not prepared to face again. It gave the series a whole new depth, just like the first Jem Hadar show did for DS9.
Of course, you can start with later episodes, when the start is "too hard" for you, but... Because the best part of DS9 is, in my opinion, the way, they built up the stage for the later seasons in the first seasons, I'd say: You've never seen DS9 in the right way, when you didn't start at the beginning. Of course, there's always the one or the other episode that can be skipped, but I just love it how they start with the TNGesque "case of the week"-episodes and went from the "TNG-universe-mood" to the way, the universe worked in the later seasons. For me, this is an integral part of the "myth of DS9" and now, you've skipped that part. It's okay, yeah, but for me, also the later seasons (that are, in my opinion, better than the first, especially season 6 is awesome) wouldn't have worked that way they worked without the earlier seasons.
Oh sorry, I didn't see you wrote "who" after the letter Q haha. I thought you were just talking about Q himself/themselves.
Yeah I understand starting at the beginning of things for people. Just sometimes I start shows far into them and then watch the rest. Like with game of thrones. I started on season 2 and then went back. I wonder if it's got something to do with liking star wars as well Haha Being forced to start with episode 4,5 and 6 and then 1,2, and 3.
Spoiler alert: Just so you know, the vorta don’t have telekinetic powers beyond this episode. Don’t know why. Or why they have them in this one.