DS9 Season 4 - The Most Emotional Season?

[tomalak301]

By emotional, I guess what I'm talking about is the season that really does a great job with the drama and reasonates well with the viewer. Yeah DS9 focuses more on the war aspect in later years, but in wrapping up Season 4, I'm realizing how many episodes just pull at the heart-strings in a way in terms of the story being told, or really getting involved with the characters, or both.

The reason I bring this up, is because I just saw one of DS9's most underrated stories, The Quickening. Here we are taken to a world suffering a massive virus and we don't have to care about these people. We'll never see them again, but the episode is written in such a way that yeah I care about what happens, and even though I've seen it many times, the ending always makes me really really happy. Everyone, from Bashier to Travean makes this episode work, and seeing the Baby with no legions and the hope that brings this episode to the climatic end is just really really cool.

So I'm watching this episode, and the other night I watched Hard Time, and I'm thinking, there's really not another season that does emotion as awesome as Season 4. Yeah you have the obvious ones, this one, Hard Time, and The Visitor, but then you have stuff like the end of For the Cause where Sisko has to arrest his lover, or Rejoined and homosexuality done right. I don't think any other trek shows did this much to attract a viewer emotionally as DS9 season 4, and even though I consider Season 5 better, Season 4 produced some of the best Star Trek had to offer.

So, to make this a topic, which season emotionally resonates with you the most. And if none do, is there any season that hits close to home for you and your life? And if the answer is no to both those questions, I just really really wanted to talk about this episode...and who could forget Kukalaka and the Come to Quarks bit. It really is one of the best episodes the series has, easily top 10

 

[SISKOTODAX]

Season 5 is my favorite but I agree with you that season 4 does emotion very well. It has a lot of emotional episodes that showcases a lot of the cast. It really spreads the wealth around.

Sisko: The Visitor, For the Cause, Homefront
Jake: The Visitor
Jadzia: Rejoined
Bashir: The Quickening
Miles: Hard Time
Odo" Crossfire, Broken Link
Worf: Sons of Mogh
Kira: Starship Down
Dukat: Indiscretion, Return to Grace

Heck by Ferengi episode standards, Bar Association for Rom and especially
Body Parts for Quark are emotional episodes. I think for several characters their season 4 focus episode may be the most emotional episode they had for the entire run of the show.

 

[tomalak301]

You know, the more I see Bar Association, the more I like it, even though I think Rom comes across as a big a-hole at the end. Interesting you should mention Starship Down. Season 4 also seemed to really want to build on Destiny in terms of Sisko and Kira's relationship and how Kira looks at him as the Emissary, at least in Accession.

 

[tomalak301]

Fine another question so I don't have a thread which is dead on arrival.

I just saw Broken Link (Very understated season finale in my opinion) and I was wondering from those who saw the series in original run, what was your reaction when Gowron was revealed as a changeling. Yeah from Apocalypse Rising, it took some steam away from that reveal, but blocking that out of the mind for a second, what was your reaction.

For me, and the first time I was going through it on DS9, I thought it was just really cool. I only wish they had kept it in the premiere and it really was Gowron. I guess they couldn't since it might have been stretching a bit that both Cardassia and the Klingon Empire was overthrown, but I wonder the storyline possibilities on that one.

 

[Faldor]

I remember being quite young when I first saw that and finding it a really compelling cliff hanger, As Gowron had been part of Trek since TNG

 

[SISKOTODAX]

Broken Link is a solid season finale with a very good final scene. I love gowrons menacing voice in the background. I like that Gowron was not the changeling. It makes the founders seem even sneakier. They always try to get their enemies to destroy or weaken each other before they finally attack. They trick Odo into thinking that Gowron is the founder and if the federation takes Gowron out then things would be much worse between the federation and the klingons. Also, the founders would still have their changeling in place.

 

[RegFan]

Season 4 may very well be the most emotional season and perhaps that's the reason it's my favorite season. I really loved Hard Time and The Visitor. The only problem with the former episode is that it takes O'Brien only one episode to recover. You'd think that wouldn't happen in a serialized series like DS9.

 

[DevilEyes]

Season 5 is my favorite but I agree with you that season 4 does emotion very well. It has a lot of emotional episodes that showcases a lot of the cast. It really spreads the wealth around.

Sisko: The Visitor, For the Cause, Homefront
Jake: The Visitor
Jadzia: Rejoined
Bashir: The Quickening
Miles: Hard Time
Odo" Crossfire, Broken Link
Worf: Sons of Mogh
Kira: Starship Down
Dukat: Indiscretion, Return to Grace

Heck by Ferengi episode standards, Bar Association for Rom and especially
Body Parts for Quark are emotional episodes. I think for several characters their season 4 focus episode may be the most emotional episode they had for the entire run of the show.

Don't forget Hippocratic Oath - the first episode that made us feel for a Jem'Hadar.