Best Season 1 episode besides Duet

[Beard of Sisko]

I would say Dramatis Personae, at least as far as enjoyment goes. Avery Brooks is delightfully cheesy and hamfisted throughout, particularly when he damn near blows out the audio when shouting at O'Brien.

Ordinarily, I don't like out-of-character stories, but this one works better than most. Probably because the entities aren't fabricating a conflict as much as they're exacerbating one that was already there. So technically they aren't so much acting out of character, but rather in character excessively. Plus, unlike many other similar episodes, it's not immediately obvious that they're acting strange.

Also, I don't know if O'Brien backhanding Dax was intended to be humorous, but it cracks me up every time.

 

[Tosk]

Gotta be Emissary for me. Still my fave Trek pilot.
If that one is DQ, then In the Hands of the Prophets. You can really see how DS9 was already starting to shed the "TNG on a station" approach and to do its own thing.

 

[FanST]

In the Hands of the Prophets was awesome. Also liked Captive Pursuit.

 

[Relayer1]

Progress.

It was the episode that convinced me about DS9.

 

[Michael]

I think for me personally “Progress”, “Emissary”, “Captive Pursuit”, “Dramatis Personae” and “In The Hands of the Prophets” are all the right answers to this question. Especially “Progress” I'd consider an underappreciated gem of early Deep Space Nine. Powerful performances by both Nana Visitor and guest actor Brian Keith and an understated, rather quiet script are what make the episode for me. It's also one of those episodes where my view on it kinda shifts the older I get. I don't think my younger me was able to fully appreciate the situation Mullibok finds himself in. That's not to say I see myself ever becoming as stubborn as him, but I feel like I have a better understanding now where he's coming from.

I do however think that much of the strength of the first season lies in strong character scenes (more often than not involving Odo and Quark) strewn across all the episodes, rather than entire individual episodes. I'm sure that's something you probably only going to notice once you're already a fan of the show and its characters and then go back to rewatch the first season, but what always strikes me as really working on the show right from the get-go is how well the characters work and especially how well they work together (barring some odd choices here and there that were later ignored or corrected).

Also, I don't know if O'Brien backhanding Dax was intended to be humorous, but it cracks me up every time.

Not gonna lie, this kind of reads differently after seeing how and why this poster went up in flames yesterday.

 

[TheSeeker]

Not gonna lie, this kind of reads differently after seeing how and why this poster went up in flames yesterday.

I was just thinking the same thing.

 

[Ragitsu]

"Vortex" is one of the best titles of all time.

 

[somebuddyX]

I've never seen "Dramatis Personae."
Outside "Emissary" and "Duet" I remember liking "Progress", "If Wishes Were Horses", "Captive Pursuit", "Babel" and in the last couple of years I watched "In the Hands of the Prophets" for the first time and it was really good. Kira and Sisko's talk at the end of that episode and her offering to help him with his report is now one of my fave moments in the whole series.

 

[Vger23]

“Emissary” by a mile. Easily the best Star Trek pilot in terms of introducing a new setting, characters, and premise all while telling a great science fiction story and connecting to a pivitol moment (Wolf 359) in Trek history.

If we disqualify “Emissary” because it’s a 2-hour pilot, I’d say “Progress” which cemented Kira as my favorite DS9 character and told a simple but powerful tale.

I actually like both stories better than “Duet” anyway.

 

[Oddish]

Obviously, the amazing "Emissary" is the best. Better than "Duet", I thought.

"The Forsaken" had its moments (Lwaxana was actually kind of fun in that one). I liked the Jake and Nog subplot in "The Storyteller". And there was something very noble and tragic about Opaka's end in "Battle Lines".

Regarding "Progress", it was interesting because it turned the old trope with the little guy taking on the big heartless corporation on its ear: the corporation won, and the little guy got ground to paste under the wheels.

 

[Trek Survivor]

"Emissary" is top notch but to be honest, there's a lot of season 1 I enjoy.

"The Nagus"
"Battlelines"
"Captive Pursuit"
"Qless"
"Dax"

 

[tomalak301]

Battle Lines was a great episode, and it featured the guy who plays Mike in Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul. (Johnathan Banks) I really wish they would have followed up on Opaka, maybe included her somehow in Season 7 as Sisko's help against Dukat?

 

[STEPhon IT]

Emissary. Love the levels of emotions expressed by Avery Brooks; after that pilot I was all in on the journey of Benjamin Sisko.