Introducing DS9 to a newbie

[Nobody]

I've started the process of introducing DS9 to my girlfriend. She likes other incarnations of Star Trek, but wouldn't be what you'd call a Trekkie. (Or, the type of fan to visit a message board about it.) As I queued up the first few episodes on Netflix the memories of the first season came back to me, and I realized it kind of sucks and I forgot the Season 3 Rule of Trek spin-offs. While DS9, arguably, has the best first season of any Trek spin-off (and is my favorite overall) it is rough quality-wise the first couple seasons. I've started thinking of the best way to introduce my girlfriend to DS9 without having to tell her, "yeah, it totally gets better," or, "well, it was '94, and you know..." Problem is it has been awhile since I watched the whole series, and I can't remember when certain things happened, etc. And unlike other shows like Babylon 5 or the Star Wars films there doesn't seem to be an accepted best way to introduce someone to the series to get them hooked. So, what's the best way to introduce a sympathetic non-Trekkie to DS9? Is there one? Just start at Season 3 and hope for the best, and revisit seasons 1 & 2 later?

 

[dahj]

Just start at Season 1.
If she likes the other series nothing in the first two seasons should really put her off. If anything those two seasons are the most similar to the rest of Trek.

If you just jump in the middle you miss out on a lot of setup, character growth, introductions of a bunch of recurring character, and some damn good episodes like Duet, Necessary Evil, The Wire, The Bajoran Coup Tetralogy. The introduction of the Dominion is also kinda ruined so definitely watch at least The Jem'Hadar before The Search.

I guess if you're looking for the most consistently great season, that would be Season 4, but that would be like watching Empire Strikes Back without seeing A New Hope...

 

[Nobody]

If you just jump in the middle you miss out on a lot of setup, character growth, introductions of a bunch of recurring character, and some damn good episodes like Duet, Necessary Evil, The Wire, The Bajoran Coup Tetralogy. The introduction of the Dominion is also kinda ruined so definitely watch at least The Jem'Hadar before The Search.

Yeah that's what I keep coming back to is that there are quite a few gems early on and some good world building. However, there are some episodes which are down right cringeworthy to watch. Which is why I'm curious if there is a B5-like solution. Where there are 6-7 episodes of the first season that hit all the main points of the first season, and skip to the second season when things are more solid and the story takes off. The episodes you mention definitely would be on the list. I'm interested to see what that definitive list would be and is adding a fun wrinkle for me in the rewatch in trying to figure it out.

 

[dub]

Sounds like she'd trust your judgment and would be willing to watch it with you straight through. Personally, I said to my wife "it gets really good later, and it's worth watching the early stuff for early sparks of character/arc development." She trusted me and she was not disappointed.

 

[DeepSouthTrekFan]

We usually power through a series' early seasons, realizing most don't hit their stride until season 3. It does help if the newbie likes the Trek universe, since DS9 offers that as well. Maybe add her favorite candy or snack food to helper her through the rough spots, of which there are a few. Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[Goji]

I just skipped "If Wishes Were Horses" and "Move Along Home" when introducing the series to a friend. I may be more forgiving than most, but outside those two I find most episodes hold something of value, even early on.

Hell, they're all better than "Profit and Lace". Season 6 should have known better.

 

[Iamnotspock]

I would definitely start at the beginning, even if you skip a fair bit of the rest of the first two seasons (not that I think you should, but received wisdom has it that the Michael Piller years are a little dull compared to the Ira Behr stuff later on). It's more important with DS9 than any other Trek to start with 'Emissary', as it sets up the premise, which is a bit less straightforward than that of its sister shows.

I think it's the strongest Trek pilot, personally, and you really do need to be introduced to the station, Bajor and its political situation and religious beliefs, Sisko's role as the Emissary, the wormhole, the Cardassians, the nature of the Trill and Dax's relationship to Sisko, and so forth.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

I'd start at the beginning but skip the real bad ones.

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

I think it's the strongest Trek pilot, personally, and you really do need to be introduced to the station, Bajor and its political situation and religious beliefs, Sisko's role as the Emissary, the wormhole, the Cardassians, the nature of the Trill and Dax's relationship to Sisko, and so forth.

"Emissary" is my favourite Trek pilot, it really does do the series that follows justice. Definitely the best place to start.

The first season does have a few duds here and there, but you can skip over them as they typically don't have anything in them that relates to teh bigger stories or character development.

 

[urbandefault]

I just finished a front-to-back rewatch, and the only episode I skipped was "Badda Bing ... ". Looking back, I'd skip all the episodes with the Nagus.

Now I'm into Voyager, and I've already skipped a couple. I probably could have skipped more. Man, they really liked the reset button on that show.

 

[DarKush]

I'm on board with the idea of just starting at the beginning. Yes, not every episode is good, and from what I recall of DS9 Season 1, it was decent, not earth shattering. There was just enough to keep me into it, and then you had great episodes like "Duet" which showed you the promise of the show. I think the Season 1 finale and the Season 2 opener were all one nice little arc. More so than the other Trek series I think starting at the beginning rewards the viewer because you will see character progression, you'll see the arcs mostly bear fruit.