An Abridged DS9

[Bad Thoughts]

Here's a list of episodes that I gave to a friend of mine after I convinced him to watch DS9. He wasn't much into Star Trek, loved BSG, and I thought he'd enjoy some Ronald Moore worked on before that had some of the qualities in BSG. However, I suspected that he wouldn't sit through all the episodes, and I had read people who were looking forward to a serialized show were often disappointed with the first two seasons (I think it was even the subject of a podcast, but I can't remember where). I just noticed the same complaint raised in a General Discussion thread. Anyone, I tried to distill the story down to 60-70 episodes, not all of them necessarily the best, but the ones that, IMO, tell the story.

Emmisary
The Nagus
Duet
In the Hands of the Prophets
Cardassians
Necessary Evil
The Maquis I and II
Whispers
The Wire
The Collaborator
The Tribunal
The Jem'hadar
The Search I and II
Second Skin
Defiant
Heart of Stone
Destiny
Improbable Cause/The Die is Cast
The Way of the Warrior
The Visitor
The Sword of Kahless
Homefront/Paradise Lost
Return to Grace
Bar Association
Accession
Hard Time
For the Cause
To the Death
The Quickening
Broken Link
Looking for Par'mach in All the Wrong Places
Nor the Battle to the Strong
Things Past
Rapture
For the Uniform
In Purgatory's Shadow/By Inferno's Light
Blaze of Glory
In the Cards
Call to Arms
A Time to Stand
Rocks and Shoals
Behind the Lines
Favor the Bold
Sacrifice of Angels
Waltz
Who Mourns for Morn?
Far Beyond the Stars
Change of Heart
Inquisition
In the Pale Moonlight
Tears of the Prophet
Image in the Sand
Shadows and Symbols
Treachery, Faith and the Great River
The Siege of AR-558
It's Only a Paper Moon
Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges
Penumbra
Til Death Do Us Part
Strange Bedfellows
Changing Face of Evil
When It Rains
Tacking into the Wind
Extreme Measures
Dogs of War
What You Leave Behind

 

[R. Star]

The thing about posting "abridged" lists, is if you ask ten different people, you'll probably get at least fifteen different lists. I always just encourage people to watch the series and formulate their own opinions rather than seek out others. Not everyone is going to like the same thing and even the universally bad episodes have people that enjoy them.

 

[Bad Thoughts]

The thing about posting "abridged" lists, is if you ask ten different people, you'll probably get at least fifteen different lists. I always just encourage people to watch the series and formulate their own opinions rather than seek out others. Not everyone is going to like the same thing and even the universally bad episodes have people that enjoy them.

I'm obviously not going to defend my list as the best, the most essential, etc. It's an abridgment, and as such, involves choices about not only what one thinks is good, but also what the original product achieves and what one could get out of it. We should all read The Iliad in its entirety, yet selections therefrom help get discussions moving. I posted my list because I didn't want to be disingenuous: I've obviously thought about what side of the series should be presented.

Of course, the list is a suggestion. The man, for whom I wrote this, watched more of seasons one and two than I recommended (personal matters have made it difficult for him to continue, though he skips around when he has the time). He liked the high politics of BSG, and I thought I'd give him more of the same.

Nonetheless, I bring it up because abridging the series comes up often, and I've seen it discussed on this board, though not with much thought. Your critiques could be applied to anyone who recommends only watching the last 4-5 season, skipping 1-3. Is that better than handpicking the episodes? Indeed, there are good episodes pre-Worf, and bad episodes post-Worf. More importantly, there are ok episodes that tell a lot of story that come before season 4. Conversely, I might include different episodes for someone else, maybe including the more irreverent episodes (like more Ferengi or more mirror universe).

So even if everyone might pick a different set of episodes--let them!--I don't think different approaches invalidates abridging as an exercise.

 

[R. Star]

Wow, a bit defensive there? I didn't criticize you at all, or invalidate your approach. I just posted my opinion on abridging and lists.

Anyways, I'd include Season 1's Past Prologue simply because it introduces Garak.

 

[Bad Thoughts]

Not defensive, just long-winded.

 

[jpv2000]

Anyways, I'd include Season 1's Past Prologue simply because it introduces Garak.

I would agree. Gotta love that Garak.

 

[jimbotron]

If I were to abridge DS9, I'd start by including every episode that had Garak, Dukat, and/or Winn. When they're in it, the plot thickens.