Just started DS9 from beginning. Which episodes should I SKIP?

[Too Much Fun]

Well, I like "Fascination", but I can see why others wouldn't. It's one of the most overtly comedic episodes, so I can understand why some might find it too goofy, but it makes me laugh. Also, as a big fan of Dax, I strongly agree with all recommendations to avoid "Meredian"...it does a huge disservice to the character is just generally contrived, boring, and poorly written.

I hated a lot of season 1, generally from the period of "Move Along Home" to "If Wishes Were Horses", where I thought a lot of the stories were just boring, too full of technobabble, or too silly. I don't think you'd be missing much if you skipped a lot of those. "If Wishes Were Horses" was pretty funny, though. "Dramatis Personae" is worth watching at least for the scene with O'Brien and Sisko when he's building a clock, which I think is one of the funniest scenes in the whole series.

How much you like "The Foresaken" may depend somewhat on how you feel about Lwaxanna Troi, although I never much cared for the character and liked her a lot more after that episode. I thought the season finale stunk, and found "Duet" forgettable, but a lot of people here like those, so you might like them as well. I was debating even bothering with the later seasons after how much season 1 annoyed me, but season 2 is quite solid from start to finish. You may be really turned off by the end of season 1 like I was, but trust me, it gets better.

 

[neogothboy74]

I wouldn't skip any. I mean, you waited this long to watch the show...why not do it right?

Just sayin....

Plus, even when the A story isn't that great, the B story usually is. And since DS9 is so serialized, it is always taking a chance to skip any episode past the end of season 2. After that, the core of the story really gets going and you risk missing a key piece of information that you will need later.

And trust me...coming in here and asking about something you are confused about because you skipped this episode or that is not nearly as fun as getting the full story through actually watching the episodes.

Yes. What PKTrekGirl said. And even the first 2 seasons have storylines that are important to later episodes and to the other Treks as well. They might not seem like it at first, but by Season 5 the various plotlines start crossing over into one another - it's really very cool. You'll be glad you didn't skip anything by that point. Plus a lot of the episodes people are telling you to skip, are some of my favorites, and introduce very important plotlines; I'm rather shocked by these choices actually.

 

[Eddie Roth]

I thought the season finale stunk, and found "Duet" forgettable, but a lot of people here like those, so you might like them as well.

See, this is where the disagreement begins. Were you to follow this negative assessment, you would miss out on what I consider one of the Top 20 episodes in ALL of Star Trek, Duet.

 

[Deckerd]

Also most of the Ferengi esp are worthless except for the 'Magnificent Ferengi'

Oh I loved the one about the Great River.

My avoid list is anything Mirror/Alternative Universe, which are the biggest load of slop the writers ever came up with. The same goes for holosuite episodes although I confess a soft spot for Vic Fontaine.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

I thought the season finale stunk, and found "Duet" forgettable, but a lot of people here like those, so you might like them as well.

See, this is where the disagreement begins. Were you to follow this negative assessment, you would miss out on what I consider one of the Top 20 episodes in ALL of Star Trek, Duet.

Yeah, Duet is mindblowingly good! And a lot of people don't like the Bajoran political stuff at the end of Season 1--but I do because to me it seems (excuse the pun) extraordinarily prophetic. I was absolutely stunned when I rewatched those episodes over ten years later.

 

[Thor Damar]

I thought the season finale stunk, and found "Duet" forgettable, but a lot of people here like those, so you might like them as well.

See, this is where the disagreement begins. Were you to follow this negative assessment, you would miss out on what I consider one of the Top 20 episodes in ALL of Star Trek, Duet.

Yeah, Duet is mindblowingly good! And a lot of people don't like the Bajoran political stuff at the end of Season 1--but I do because to me it seems (excuse the pun) extraordinarily prophetic. I was absolutely stunned when I rewatched those episodes over ten years later.

Are we talking RL prophetic or Wormhole Prophetic? I can't remember most of the first season accurately enough to know for sure.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

Real-life prophetic. It seems to mirror certain news events, though I won't go into detail so as not to pull the thread off topic.

 

[Thor Damar]

Real-life prophetic. It seems to mirror certain news events, though I won't go into detail so as not to pull the thread off topic.

Ah, I think Memory Alpha will be my friend on this one (especially as I only have Series 7 on VHS, mostly for the Damar storyline!).

It might also depend whose news media you are looking at, I'm from the Mother Country( yes THAT one) and our news might be different in some aspects to yours.

I would also like to retract my previous statement about the Ferengi Esp, it was too broad a condemnation for my liking and I apologize for it.

 

[CorporalClegg]

Profit and Loss --
BTW, I hate Whispers, I know alot of ppl love it-but the Chief's disaster shows are boring to meDon't miss from S2:

See, I really like Profit and Loss. Star Trek does Casablanca. Sure, it's not a cinematic masterpiece like the later, but it's still a lot of fun.

And I do sort of agree with you on Whispers. I liked it the first time. The problem is, on all subsequent viewings any tension and suspense gets blown right out the door and it winds up being kinda boring.

Yeah, Duet is mindblowingly good!

Yup. If even just on the grounds of Yulin's performance which I think is one of the three best in Star Trek history.

 

[Robotech Master]

Yeah, just watch the whole thing.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Try watching a few S1 episodes just after "Emissary" - if you like them, watch everything. If they annoy you, then start skipping the "bad ones."

S1 - watch
Emissary
Battle Lines
In the Hands of the Prophets
Duet

...then start using Jammer's site to guide you. Anything under three stars is questionable. Under 2.5, probably don't bother.

Exceptions: Season 5's "Doctor Bashir, I Presume." watch that one - it has important info about Bashir (and Jammer was too hard on it, giving it 2 stars because of a silly B plot). Also watch "Empok Nor," it's fun. And in S7, watch "Extreme Measures" since it's part of the overall end-of-series wrapup.

Other than that, the bad episodes are not part of the overall plot arc so if you skip them the first time thru and change your mind, you can watch them afterwards and no great loss.

 

[Eddie Roth]

^^ Don't encourage him, Temis!

 

[urbandk]

alright. that jammer has quite a useful guide. we'll use some discretion and common sense. i'm definitely skipping anything with Q, lwaxana troi, mirror universe, sloppy time travel, and ferengi cabaret. thanks for the help, folks.

 

[Robotech Master]

You're missing out if you skip the first few mirror universe episodes.

Also, if you skip everything below 2.5 stars you are gonna miss a lot of episodes that play directly into the arc of the show.

 

[apenpaap]

alright. that jammer has quite a useful guide. we'll use some discretion and common sense. i'm definitely skipping anything with Q, lwaxana troi, mirror universe, sloppy time travel, and ferengi cabaret. thanks for the help, folks.

Yeah, Q's DS9 episode is bad, and Lwaxana isn't great either, but the mirror eps are awesome, and there are a lot of good time travel eps too. Though the Ferengi episodes are mainly just sillyness, you should really try them, as there are some pretty good ones. (BTW, the first reference to trhe Dominion is in a Ferengi episode)

 

[Astraea]

But if you don't watch Q's DS9 episode, you'll never recognize the following line of dialogue:

Spoiler: All you need to know from Q-Less

"You hit me! Picard never hit me!"
"I'm not Picard."

I have a weakness for MU eps. And you can't skip all the Ferengi episodes - at the very least, you need to watch Little Green Men and The House of Quark. (Oh no! Little Green Men is both a Ferengi episode AND a time-travel ep.) And if you skip all time-travel eps, you'll miss The Visitor, which is on a lot of Top 10 lists.

And I'd agree: Extreme Measures isn't a good episode by any stretch, but you have to watch it in order to advance the plot (or I suppose you could just read Jammer's review of the episode.

 

[DeafPoet]

If this is your first time watching it, watch everything. Turn your brain off for "Profit and Lace" though.

Not all DS9 episodes are created equal, obviously, but I can't think of one offhand that's a total waste of time. Other than "Profit and Lace" that is

 

[psikeyhackr]

If you can collect a complete list of what everybody says not to watch the only thing to do will be to not watch the entire series.

Watch Babylon 5 instead.

LOL

psik

 

[Thor Damar]

If you can collect a complete list of what everybody says not to watch the only thing to do will be to not watch the entire series.

Watch Babylon 5 instead.

LOL

psik

.
I do agree that B5 is another great series to watch from beginning to end.

 

[apenpaap]

Watch Babylon 5 instead.

BLASPHEMY!!!!