Did you miss the Bajorian poltic's episodes in later seasons.

[Jayson]

I enjoyed that aspect of the early years of show and I wish they had been utlized more in the later years as well. I'm glad they gave us the Dominion stuff but the Carddassians were incorpated into the new premise of the show and Bajorians I felt sort of fell through the cracks. Didn't even get any real payoff to them wanting to join the Federation.


Jason

 

[Deranged Nasat]

I do feel that the Bajorans - or at least Bajor itself - suffered from underuse in the later seasons. I'm not sure I'd call this a complaint on my part, because we got plenty of other engaging arcs and Bajor did still intersect with them to some degree (the Dominion treaty in late season five/early season six, for example, or Winn-the-false believer vs Sisko the emissary). Something had to fall between the cracks and I suppose Bajor-centric politics wasn't the most engaging of topics (although I always enjoyed it). And of course the show does expand its focus quite deliberately - Deep Space Nine itself grew from a lowly frontier outpost to a hub of commerce to one of the most essential military installations in the quadrant, so it makes sense that the eye would shift from Bajor ("local" politics) to a wider view of the whole Trek galaxy.

Still, I would have liked the question of Bajor's future to have been played with a bit further - after "Rapture" the whole issue of where Bajor stands with the Federation is largely ignored. Also, while there are still many interesting stories touching on Bajor's political situation - the Dominion treaty, staying neutral but essentially supporting whoever currently controls the system, standing up to the Romulans (and is Bajor not neutral anymore by this point - it seems to be suggested several times that they're part of the Federation's alliance?), the rise of the pah-wraith cult - these aren't tied into any overarching portrayal of the planet's current status, which is a bit disappointing.

Still, as I say, there wasn't room for everything, and there's always the novel continuation, which does, in my opinion, an excellent job of keeping the wider focus while simultaneously returning Bajor to the fore.

 

[Seven of Five]

Yes I definitely missed the Bajoran stuff in later seasons. The show did well with the storylines that were explored, so I can't be mad or anything. It's just a shame that they were placed on the back-burner. Bajor's future in the Federation was left hanging in the balance in Rapture, but it wasn't followed up.

 

[Ln X]

The Bajoran episodes were good, however I figured that by season four, things politically on Bajor had settled down, and all the interesting Bajoran political episodes before season four were very relevant when Bajor was in a mess. But once Bajor was on a sound political footing, I just don't see the point of having more episodes regarding Bajoran politics.

What the writers did with episodes about Bajor was delve more deeply into the Bajoran spirituality and the Prophets. This was a very good step, and the episodes produced were, in my opinion, far more interesting than all the Bajoran political episodes (take Accession for instance).

 

[MacLeod]

I think one of the only things missing re: Bajor was resolving it's admission into the Federation. I also think this could easily have been solved by having Kira in a Starfleet Uniform at the end.

 

[Photon]

Not No but

Heck no

 

[The Dominion]

Yeah, I'm surprised they didn't have Bajor join the Federation in the end. That was something that was expected to happen from the beginning, and then there isn't even an epilogue about it?

 

[DS9forever]

I'm still a little unhappy we never even heard the name of Bajor's capital city.

 

[indolover]

No. I hated those episodes. IMO, the show became classic when the Dominion arc started. Season 1 was (bar a few episodes) pedestrian.

 

[Ln X]

No. I hated those episodes. IMO, the show became classic when the Dominion arc started. Season 1 was (bar a few episodes) pedestrian.

You're right there, Season 1 for the most part was quite dull. Still the writers rectified things from Season 3 so all is forgiven. Having said that if Season 1 had been more interesting perhaps the TV ratings would have been higher for the rest of DS9's stay on TV?

 

[Seven of Five]

Yeah. I love DS9 but season one was mediocre (even with the excellent Emissary, Duet and In The Hands of The Prophets). It was full of episodes that wouldn't have been out of place on TNG.

There were perhaps two problems; TNG fans thinking that they could get the same stories but with characters they already know and love on TNG. And secondly, people who perhaps tuned into TNG and didn't like it, who then tuned into DS9 for something different, only to find the same.

 

[Crewman6]

And secondly, people who perhaps tuned into TNG and didn't like it, who then tuned into DS9 for something different, only to find the same.

I think you must be the only person who thought DS9 was "too similar" to TNG in those early days.

If anything, there was a great deal of criticism because the show "wasn't Star Trek" to many fans since it was so different structurally from both TNG and TOS, which were both obviously about ships wandering the galaxy.

I just posted a lengthy defense of Season 2 (and the early seasons in general) in the "should I skip to season 3" thread.

I really love those early seasons - especially S2 - because they are weird and different and eclectic. The Dominion War, though extremely cool and powerful and well-handled - dominated the series and made it very homogenous.

The early seasons were different and surprising - the episodes felt very unique and unusual. The show wasn't about just one thing.

Granted, now that Ds9 is on netflix, I'll admit I have only a passing interest in going back to much of Season 1. The show was in its infancy and was finding its footing.

But I'm glad I saw those episodes at the time and enjoyed them then. But most of them are not great enough to demand multiple views.

But I still hold that Season 2 is the show's single best year.

And, yeah, the Bajoran politics were a big part of that year and I lament how that aspect was diminished in later seasons.

The producers even admitted they couldn't be bothered with Shakaar after a while and just kind of swept everything under the rug.

 

[Amaris]

I loved the politics of the series. For me, the whole war arc became tiring.

 

[Navaros]

Heck no

No. I hated those episodes. IMO, the show became classic when the Dominion arc started. Season 1 was (bar a few episodes) pedestrian.

I agree with both of you x100 000 billion.

Bajoran politics are what makes a good portion of DS9's first 2 seasons unwatchable.

DS9 became great when they threw that on the backburner, and put the Dominion and other things on the frontburner.

The only way to improve things even further would have been to completely jettison all Bajoran stories and characters right out of the series.

And secondly, people who perhaps tuned into TNG and didn't like it, who then tuned into DS9 for something different, only to find the same.

I think you must be the only person who thought DS9 was "too similar" to TNG in those early days.

I agree with Seven of Five, IMO DS9 Season 1 is exactly the same as TNG. I.e. random space diseases of the week; random aliens of the week, random Q appearance of the week, etc.

However, I am bewildered as to why that did not help DS9's ratings. I am not a TNG fan, but if I was, I would think that I'd be thrilled that DS9 Season 1 was mostly just producing more TNG.

Although as a not-TNG-fan, I'm happy that replicating TNG didn't work and hence they cut that out.

 

[Sindatur]

Though I loved the Domion War Arc, I also really enjoyed all the Bajoran Politics and Religion, that's what made for good episodes in S1 and S2

 

[Worf'sParmach]

Count me in as not being a fan of the Bajoran religion/politics episodes. The Dominion and subsequent war arc are what hooked me. That said, I like the character of Kira and her story. I was even okay with the Emissary stuff, that is until Sisko disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Not a fan of that at all.

 

[Worf'sParmach]

I agree with Seven of Five, IMO DS9 Season 1 is exactly the same as TNG. I.e. random space diseases of the week; random aliens of the week, random Q appearance of the week, etc.

However, I am bewildered as to why that did not help DS9's ratings. I am not a TNG fan, but if I was, I would think that I'd be thrilled that DS9 Season 1 was mostly just producing more TNG.

DS9 Seasons 1 and 2 were broadcast at the same time as TNGs 6 & 7. My mom was a DS9 fan, I remember watching a few episodes and thinking "This is just like TNG but without actually going anywhere and without a real Captain. I'll just watch TNG." I definitely felt that way when Q showed up on the station.

It wasn't until TNG was over and DS9's 3rd season that I started liking it. Partly because TNG was gone and it was all that I had left. And that's the season when it began departing from TNG's mold and taking on it's on form. It grew to become my favorite Trek, and I was die-hard TNG so that's saying something.

 

[Gotham Central]

The Bajoran episodes were good, however I figured that by season four, things politically on Bajor had settled down, and all the interesting Bajoran political episodes before season four were very relevant when Bajor was in a mess. But once Bajor was on a sound political footing, I just don't see the point of having more episodes regarding Bajoran politics.

What the writers did with episodes about Bajor was delve more deeply into the Bajoran spirituality and the Prophets. This was a very good step, and the episodes produced were, in my opinion, far more interesting than all the Bajoran political episodes (take Accession for instance).

This is probably the most logical reason for Bajor's ever diminishing role in the series. It calmed down. Plus, from the Bajoran perspective, once the Dominion arrive on the scene, the Bajorans once again the Bajorans have a unifying threat...they would have less reason to fight amongst themselves with the whole quadrant in danger. Plus, once the Klingon's attack in the Way of the Warrior, DS9 becomes something of a Starfleet garrison...so its a good bet that more Federation supplies ended up on Bajor.

 

[Tina Lawton]

To answer the OP question: No.

 

[Kira Nerys]

I certainly missed the bajoran politics/religion episodes they added character and difference to the show more so than any other trek .The public didn't agree apparently ,no taste .