Best Episode of Season 5, Part 1

[Michael]

Thanks for voting in the fourth season polls. This is the first part of the fifth season poll where you have to vote the three episodes you consider to be the best. The five episodes receiving the most votes will go on to the next round. Well, you know the routine.

(Boy, I hate copy/pasting the episode titles into the poll!)

Winners to date:
Duet (Season 1)
The Wire (Season 2)
The Die Is Cast (Season 3)
The Visitor (Season 4)

The poll is open for three days.

 

[Garth Rockett]

That was tough! I would have loved to have voted for about half the episodes in this season, but in the end my picks were:

The Ship
By Inferno's Light
Call to Arms

 

[Art Vandelay]

I can choose only three from this spectacular season? Just imagine how hard it will be with season six, my absolute favorite...

I went with:

The Ascent
Doctor Bashir, I Presume
Call to Arms

I was seriously tempted to choose either "In Purgatory's Shadow" or "By Inferno's Light", two episodes that - although great - always seemed like they were trying too hard to repeat "Improbable Cause" and "The Die Is Cast". (Plus, I never understood why the runabout just sat there in orbit of the prison asteroid, waiting for our heroes to beam aboard. I know this is probably unfair but this was lazy writing, cheating almost.)

 

[startrekwatcher]

Call to Arms--DS9's best finale. I loved the idea of the Federation actually going to War. Lots to like about this--The Weyoun/Sisko insincere exchange; Rom's self-replicating minefield idea; the battle for the station, the sight of the Defiant joining up with the Federation/Klingon fleet; Garak, a man without a country, joining up with Sisko in the Defiant; Garak's scene with Odo discussing how he should have pulled the trigger on Dukat when he had the chance; the interesting and well portrayed power struggle between Weyoun and Dukat as to how Bajor will be treated; Sisko urging the Bajorans to sign the non-aggression pact in order to hopefully keep Bajor safe(plus it played back into the vision of Bajor needing to stand alone and join the Federation); loved the idea of how they broke up the cast with some on the Defiant, Worf with Martok on the Rotarran and Quark/Kira/Odo back on the station with Dukat; Sisko's farewell.

The only things I wasn't too crazy about were the romantic stuff but it wasn't bad at all just not as compelling.

Trials and Tribble-ations

By Infernos Light--I actually think of this and In Purgatory's Shadow as one big episode but for the purposes of the poll I voted for the latter given how it had so many intriguing and wonderful developments that would drive the series until its end--the Cardassians joining the Dominion, Dukat re-emerging as a power player, the Founders strengthening the wormhole making it nearly impossible to collapse, the Klingons come running back to the Federation after being driven from Cardassian space reinstating the Khitomer Accords, Martok joining the cast with the addition of the Klingon contingency onboard the station. I also loved seeing all these different races working together against a common threat whether in the internment camp or assembling a fighting force to prepare for the Dominion attack. Loved the sight of the decloaking Romulan Warbirds.

It was also wonderfully Dominion-like to fake an attack in order to get the Alpha Quadrant forces all in one place in order to eliminate them with minimum effort or committment of resources. This is just one of many reasons why I love the Dominion and consider them one of the great and smart villians in tv. The only thing about this episode I wasn't crazy about was the drawn out repetitive tired Worf/Jem'Hadar fight scenes or the plot convenience of having access to the runabout in orbit

I really can't emphasize what a brilliant move it was by Behr to think to have the Cardassians join the Dominion. It finally refocused the series back on the Dominion which had sadly been sidelined for a while but it brought the Dominion into the Alpha Quadrant in a direct and threatening way setting the stage for the inevitable war.

 

[MyCylon]

Very, VERY tough to pick only three. Here's my pick:

- Trials and Tribble-ations: A beautiful tribute that IMHO works so well because TOS and DS9 are very closely related and the people making DS9 really seem to love the original.

- In Purgatory's Shadow: I love this two parter. I think it's very, very strong. I always have hard time tearing these apart and with some of the elements I don't really remember which part they were in. Having to pick one, I just picked this one but it may as well be part two.

- In the Cards: I think this is a little gem. It's a perfect character piece that comes at just the right time, bringing a brief moment of relief and a feeling of hope. At the same time, it's one of the most hilarious Trek episodes I know. Beware the "soulless minions of orthodoxy"!


Here's the other episodes that are really on a similar level in my mind:

- Nor the Battle to the Strong
- By Inferno's Light
- Call to Arms

 

[Emperor-Tiberius]

This is SO HARD. Season 5 is my favorite DS9 season, and I don't know which to choose and which not to. I love each and every one of them.... This may take some time.

Then again, judging by my current avatar, isn't the first choice a little obvious?

Call to Arms--DS9's best finale. I loved the idea of the Federation actually going to War. Lots to like about this--The Weyoun/Sisko insincere exchange; Rom's self-replicating minefield idea; the battle for the station, the sight of the Defiant joining up with the Federation/Klingon fleet; Garak, a man without a country, joining up with Sisko in the Defiant; Garak's scene with Odo discussing how he should have pulled the trigger on Dukat when he had the chance; the interesting and well portrayed power struggle between Weyoun and Dukat as to how Bajor will be treated; Sisko urging the Bajorans to sign the non-aggression pact in order to hopefully keep Bajor safe(plus it played back into the vision of Bajor needing to stand alone and join the Federation); loved the idea of how they broke up the cast with some on the Defiant, Worf with Martok on the Rotarran and Quark/Kira/Odo back on the station with Dukat; Sisko's farewell.

I agree with that assesment completely. I only want to add, that it is Star Trek's best cliffhanger since BOBW. My favorite since that, at least.

 

[Emperor-Tiberius]

OK, after some thinking, I decided

Trials and Tribble-ations - Franchise's Best
In Purgatory's Shadow - Season 5's Best
By Inferno's Light

Frankly, I feel bad for leaving out so many great episodes. Almost guilty.

Anyway, a great Trek season, nonetheless. One of its very best.

 

[Defcon]

Looking for par'Mach in All the Wrong Places
Trials and Tribble-ations
Call to Arms

 

[Harvey]

For the Uniform
In the Cards
Call to Arms

 

[thestrangequark]

That was tough. Ultimately:
"Trials and Tribble-ations"
"In The Cards"
"Call To Arms"

Though I almost chose "Begotten", simply for the wonderful performance of Rene Auberjonios.

 

[AdmiralGarak]

That was tough. Ultimately:
"Trials and Tribble-ations"
"In The Cards"
"Call To Arms"

Mine, as well.

 

[Evil Twin]

That was tough. Ultimately:
"Trials and Tribble-ations"
"In The Cards"
"Call To Arms"

Mine, as well.

Same here

 

[Geck]

This was almost impossible. Still, IMO, the best season of modern Trek.

I voted for Call to Arms, Trials and Tribble-ations (couldn't resist), and Rapture, which is still my personal favourite DS9 episode of all.

 

[goober007]

wow, so hard to choose only 3.

i ended up with

The Ship
In purgatory's Shadow
By Inferno's Light

i have a feeling In purgatory's shadow and By Inferno's Light is lower than normal because its splitting its own vote. Much like Past tense 1 and 2 in Season 3

 

[Red Ranger]

I voted for Trials & Tribble-ations, For the Uniform, and Children of Time, partlly because they are all so wildly different. -- RR

 

[chancellorjake]

Trials and Tribble-ations
In The Cards
Call To Arms

 

[CommanderRaytas]

Trials and Tribble-ations
Doctor Bashir, I presume
Call To Arms


Though I love the entire season. So many brilliant episodes!

 

[Art Vandelay]

i have a feeling In purgatory's shadow and By Inferno's Light is lower than normal because its splitting its own vote. Much like Past tense 1 and 2 in Season 3

I agree. These polls should be repeated in a few months with all of the mid-season two-parters merged.

 

[Damask]

Rapture: I'm a sucker for Sisko/Emissary stuff. Plus locusts invading Bajor and "he's the Emissary". Damn right he is!

Call to Arms: As mentioned above. The last shot of the Federation going to war

Children of Time: Some nice character work but once again but it's DS9 at its best.

 

[Natural]

Rapture
In Purgatory's Shadow
By Inferno's Light

Tough to pick 3 eps here. Excellent season.