As I mentioned above, I think this is a season that would really benefit from dropping certain episodes. I think the season as it is is jarring because it has some of the most amazing DS9 material but also some of the worst episodes and/or individual moments that tend to hurt the overall experience.
Here are the episodes that I would drop:
- Sons and Daughters: There's good material in the Kira/Dukat part but I wonder why on earth they decided to bring back Alexander let alone at this point. The episode hurts the pacing and quality of the opening six parter, I think, which IMHO would work much better without this.
- Resurrection: At this point, the Mirror Universe had lost any appeal in my eyes. This episode IMHO was a lame attempt to bring back Bareil for an episode which is both unnecessary (at least in this form) and badly executed.
- The Magnificent Ferengi: Yes, it's one of the more enjoyable Ferengi episodes but I just can't get over the fact that they wasted Keevan like this.
- Who mourns for Morn?: Not bad but nothing I'd miss in the slightest. It's amusing but simply not funny enough, I think.
- Honor among Thieves: Basically, a good episode but I think it suffers from a bad premise. It seems ludicrous to me to send O'Brien on a mission like this.
- Change of Heart: Again, not a bad episode. Here, it's the ending that guts the story in my view. This is where Jadzia should have died IMHO. The way it is, it seems silly to send a married couple on a mission like this and we learn nothing new about Worf or Dax, I think.
- Wrongs darker than Death or Night: Again, there's a problem with the premise. Sisko and Kira both seem to believe Kira's actually going back in time (which is in line with Trials- and Tribble-ations) and don't really seem to have a problem with it (The Prophets will take care that the timeline will be ok? And what about the events in Trials- and Tribble-ations?).
- Profit and Lace: I don't dislike this as much as others (I think it's pretty standard goofy Ferengi material, actually) but the season IMHO would definitely be stronger without it.
- Time's Orphan: This feels like it's ripped straight from TNG or VOY to me (I think something like this is actually this case IIRC) and as a consequence, it feels very much out of place. I find it hard to watch, pointless and just plain annoying.
What that leaves is - IMHO - a much more focused, much stronger season 6 with 17 episodes:
- A Time to Stand
- Rocks and Shoals
- Behind the Lines
- Favor the Bold
- Sacrifice of Angels
- You are cordially invited
- Statistical Probabilities
- Waltz
- Far beyond the Stars
- One little Ship
- Inquisition
- In the Pale Moonlight
- His Way
- The Reckoning
- Valiant
- The Sound of her Voice
- Tears of the Prophets
