The Characters' Best Episodes?

[The Borgified Corpse]

To match a thread in the Next Generation forum, which episodes do you think were the best for each of the DS9 main characters?

Captain Sisko. "In the Pale Moonlight." I suspect this will be a pretty universal answer.

Odo. "His Way." That kiss at the end was SO satisfying.

Dr. Bashir. "Our Man Bashir." It's just fun.

Jadzia Dax. I really enjoyed "You Are Cordially Invited."

Jake Sisko. "The Visitor." Really, is there any other choice here? Although, if you want to be different, "In the Cards" is really fun.

Chief O'Brien. "Hippocratic Oath." It's moreso a Dr. Bashir episode but I really like the tense interactions between the two men here.

Quark. Hard to say. His episodes were always the most fun. I'm leaning towards either "Little Green Men" or "The Magnificent Ferengi."

Kira Nerys. "Duet." This is one of my all-time favorite episodes of the series. The interactions between Kira & Marritza are quite powerful.

Worf. "The Way of the Warrior." His introduction to the show was just so kickass!

Ezri Dax. She got a lot of great material in just one season. I particularly like the mid-season entrires "Prodigal Daughter" & "Field of Fire."

 

[Eyes]

Captain Sisko: ItPM sure, but one could also argue a case for Rapture, Past Tense, or Far Beyond the Stars.

Kira: Duet - great especially so early on in the series.

Odo: The Begotten, or Things Past, its great how Odo gets his abilities back, and the Occupation crimes he committed really affect him.

Bashir: Our Man Bashir is great for the fun side, but The Quickening and Inquisition are great looks at our doctor.

O'Brien: Hard Time, while lacking some of the fun of Visionary, it is great at affecting O'Brien's character

Jake: Nor the Battle to the Strong. This just beats the Visitor for me, and is a wonderful look at how Jake copes with the war-torn environment that is DS9.

Quark: Business as Usual. Great episode about the morality of how Quark runs his business. The Magnificent Ferengi is also good for the fun side.

Worf: While there aren't many Worf episodes I like, I did enjoy Rules of Engagement, and Change of Heart was very moving.

Jadzia: Her episodes were generally average, although I enjoyed Facets, and I thought Rejoined was a great exploration of Trill culture. (Okay, okay, it was the lesbian kiss , but I would have enjoyed it without that).

Ezri: Afterimage and Field of Fire are her best outings.

 

[DevilEyes]

Ben Sisko: In the Pale Moonlight

Kira: Duet (but Second Skin and Ties of Blood and Water are also great)

Odo: Things Past, The Begotten or Necessary Evil

Jadzia Dax: To the Death (who says is has to be a centric episode? Second place goes to Trials & Tribble-ations)

O'Brien: Hard Time

Bashir: Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges (another easy choice - though Statistical Probabilities is also a good one)

Quark: The House of Quark

Jake Sisko: Nor the Battle To the Strong (The Visitor is good, but I prefer NTBTTS)

Worf: probably The Way of the Warrior

Ezri Dax: I guess Afterimage

Garak: it's between The Wire and Improbable Cause/The Die is Cast, of course

Dukat: The Maquis (followed by Return to Grace, and one might also make a case for Sacrifice of Angels)

Nog: It's Only A Paper Moon

Kai Winn: In the Hands of the Prophets

Damar: Tacking into the Wind

Weyoun: Treachery, Faith and the Great River, obviously, but if you want one with Weyoun 5, then Tears of the Prophets for that dialogue with about religion and superstitions

Martok: I'm not sure about this one, have to think harder

Rom:... erm... someone help me here. Was he really good in any of the episodes?
edit: Bar Association for Rom.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

Ben Sisko: In the Pale Moonlight

Kira: Second Skin (Duet basically ties--as for Ties of Blood and Water, it could have gotten my vote if not for her utterly reprehensible behavior during the middle section of the episode.)

Odo: Things Past

Jadzia Dax: To the Death (who says is has to be a centric episode? Second place goes to Trials & Tribble-ations)

O'Brien: The Visionary. ("Whispers" was another good one. "Hard Time" was good, but did not have the aftereffects it should have.)

Bashir: Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges

Quark: "The Siege of AR-558"

Jake Sisko: Nor the Battle To the Strong

Worf: not sure...have to think on this one, because I still liked him in TNG: "Parallels" best...

Ezri Dax: Afterimage

Garak: The Wire

Dukat: Indiscretion

Nog: It's Only A Paper Moon

Damar: Tacking into the Wind

Rom:... erm... someone help me here. Was he really good in any of the episodes?

How about the one where he finally told Quark to F off? Not sure of the name of that episode, but it IS a major, defining moment for the character.

 

[DevilEyes]

Rom:... erm... someone help me here. Was he really good in any of the episodes?

How about the one where he finally told Quark to F off? Not sure of the name of that episode, but it IS a major, defining moment for the character.

Bar Association?

O'Brien: The Visionary. ("Whispers" was another good one. "Hard Time" was good, but did not have the aftereffects it should have.)

I loved Whispers, but that was not really our O'Brien.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

That's the one where he decided to get his own job as a technician? If so, then yes.

 

[Jono]

Ben Sisko: I'd probably rate "The Reckoning" and "Explorers" as my favourite Sisko episodes. Ex due to it showing him as just a father rather than a Starfleet officer and "The Reckoning" is probably my favourite of the "religious" episodes. All put "Emissary" high up there. I thought it was pretty gutsy to have our hero reduced to tears in the cold open and I bought his tortured soul act throughout the episode.

Jake Sisko: This has been my toughest choice. "The Visitor" is probably my favourite episodes, but I really enjoyed "In the Cards", "Explorers" and "Nor the Battle to the Strong". I'd probably go with "The Visitor" very closely followe dby "Nor the Battle to the Strong" given it showed our hero being fairly unheroic.

Kira Nerys: "Duet" was a gem so it is hard to go past that. There is also something about "The Darkness and the Light" I find compelling. Probably that it reminds us that Kira is a mass murderer and that she was probably just as "evil" as the Cardassians were in her "former" life.

Jadzia Dax: "Rejoined" gives as an interesting look at Trills. "Playing God" wasn't bad either especially as that other Trill calls Dax on her ways. Oh, and the episode when she was in a bathing suit.

Julian Bashir: "Inquisition" would probably be my favourite Bashir episode. This will probably get me stoned but I don't mind "Chrysalis" either.

Quark: "House of Quark" is one of my top Quark episodes along with "The Ascent".

Odo: "The Ascent" as I mentioned above is one of my favourite episodes.

Worf: "Soldiers of the Empire" and "Change of Heart" are my top Worf episodes.

Miles O'Brien: "Whispers" or "Hard Time"...poor Miles, all his centric episodes involve him getting the crap knocked out of him.

Ezri Dax: Not an Ezri fan but I didn't mind "Field of Fire".

 

[DevilEyes]

Julian Bashir: "Inquisition" would probably be my favourite Bashir episode. This will probably get me stoned but I don't mind "Chrysalis" either.

I'll have to disappoint you, no stoning for you today Not from me, anyway. I like "Chrysalis", I thought it was a good Bashir episode, it's just that I'd put "Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges", "Statistical Probabilities", "Inquistion" and "Hippocratic Oath".

 

[flemm]

Well, a lot of my choices are probably just a function of what I've seen recently, but here goes:

Sisko: The Siege of AR-558, simply because he was quite the bad-ass military commander in this episode.

Kira: Ties of Blood and Water, much healing and personal growth were accomplished here.

Odo: Chimera, he experienced unconditional love for the first time in this episode, the culmination of his life among the solids.

Jadzia: Blood Oath, because this episode was pivotal in creating the character as she would be portrayed for the rest of her time on the show. I was never thrilled with the choices that were made with her character, but this episode worked well.

Ezri: Afterimage. Small sample here, and I don't really like the Ezri-centric episodes all that much, but it was interesting to see her interact with Garak, and I think having a counselor as part of the crew makes more sense on DS9 than it ever did on TNG.

Quark: The House of Quark. My favorite Ferengi episode.

Jake: ...Nor the Battle to the Strong, by a nose in front of In the Cards and The Visitor.

Worf: Tacking into the Wind. Awesome moments for Worf in this episode, just awesome.

Julian Bashir: Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges. Easiest choice.

Miles O'Brien: Hard Time, though it should have been followed up on.

Dukat: By Inferno's Light. Such a great return to villainy on a grand scale.

Nog: Treachery, Faith and the Great River. A great B-story for this character.

EDIT: Forgot everybody's favorite tailor!

Garak: In the Pale Moonlight. An important story for Sisko as well, of course, but to me this episode is the epitome of Garak first and foremost.

 

[carlmarx]

Along these lines, I've thought it'd be cool if they released dvds for each character, like the best-of dvds they have out for TOS and TNG. I think they'd go something like this:

Sisko:
In the Pale Moonlight / Far Beyond The Stars / The Seige Of AR-558 / Rapture

Kira:
Duet / Second Skin / The Darkness And The Light / Tacking Into The Wind

Odo:
Necessary Evil / Vortex / Chimera / His Way

Worf:
Way Of The Warrior 1 & 2 / The Sword Of Kahless / Sons Of Mogh

Dax:
Invasive Procedures / Facets / Rejoined / Field Of Fire

Bashir:
Our Man Bashir / The Quickening / Inquisition / Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges

O'Brien:
Visionary / Hard Time / Captive Pursuit / Honor Among Thieves

Quark:
Little Green Men / The nagus / The Magnificent Ferengi / Rules Of Acquisition

Jake:
Visitor / Nor The Battle To The Strong / Explorers / In The Cards

Garak:
The Wire / Improbable Cause / The Die Is Cast / Empok Nor

Something like that.

 

[flemm]

Along these lines, I've thought it'd be cool if they released dvds for each character, like the best-of dvds they have out for TOS and TNG.

This crossed my mind at some point as well, I think when there was a thread recently about what a "Best of DS9" DVD would actually contain. Just trying to do a "Best of" doesn't produce any satisfying results, but doing DVDs focused on a character or a relationship works quite well.

 

[Admiral Rem]

Sisko: In the Pale Moonlight

Kira: I like Duet as a definitive Kira episode but I also liked the Three Part Opener in Season 7: It showed a Kick-ass Kira and why she was more than ready to lead DS9 - especially with were she ends up at the end of the series.

Odo - In Purgatory's shadow - Odo had a great peice there playing against Andrew Robinson.

O'Brien: Hard Time

Worf - The Way of the Warrior
Bashir: Inquisition

Jadzia Dax: Facets

Ezri Dax: This was hard, although I think the character has had exceptional moments in the POst DS9 novels, from the series itself, I would have to lean towards After Image

Jake: Nor the battle to the Strong.

Quark: The magnificent ferengi is always a favorite... But I really enjoyed Little Green Men.

 

[Arix]

There are so many episodes to choose from, how could I just pick one?

I like most of this list (below) but felt a few more were needed, as well as some of the secondary characters, and some 'relationship' episodes (i.e. an episode which could be considered the best for two characters, not just one)...

Sisko:
In the Pale Moonlight / Far Beyond The Stars / The Siege Of AR-558

Sisko + Jake:
Explorers

Sisko as the Emissary:
Rapture / Accession / The Reckoning / Shadows and Symbols

Kira:
Duet / Second Skin / The Darkness And The Light / Tacking Into The Wind / Ties of Blood and Water

Kira + Odo:
His Way

Odo:
Necessary Evil / Broken Link / The Begotten / Chimera

Worf:
Way Of The Warrior 1 & 2 / The Sword Of Kahless / Sons Of Mogh

Jadzia:
Invasive Procedures / Facets / Rejoined / Equilibrium

Worf+Jadzia:Looking for par'Mach in All the Wrong Places / You Are Cordially Invited / Change of Heart

Ezri:
Field Of Fire / Prodigal Daughter / Afterimage

Bashir:
Our Man Bashir / The Quickening / Inquisition / Doctor Bashir, I Presume / Statistical Probabilities

O'Brien:
Visionary / Hard Time / Captive Pursuit / Honor Among Thieves

Quark:
Little Green Men / The Magnificent Ferengi / Rules Of Acquisition / Family Business

Quark + Odo:
The Ascent

Jake:
The Visitor / Nor The Battle To The Strong

Garak:
The Wire / Improbable Cause / The Die Is Cast / Empok Nor

Dukat/Kira + Dukat:
Covenant / Wrongs Darker Than Death or Night / Return to Grace / Indiscretion / Sons and Daughters

Dukat vs Sisko:
Waltz
Martok:
Soldiers of the Empire

Nog:
Its Only a Paper Moon

Nog + Jake:
Progress / Valiant / In The Cards

..... or why don't I just say ALL of DS9 was great and leave it at that?

 

[DevilEyes]

Interesting idea about relationships and themes...

IMO "Chimera" and "What You Leave Behind" are better treatments of Kira/Odo than "His Way" (which is fine enough, but a) I am not a fan of romantic comedies, 2) I don't think a romcom treatment really suits that relationship).

So I'd put those two for Odo/Kira and substitute "Chimera" with "Things Past" for best Odo episode.

"Emissary" has to be included in the Sisko as Emissary collection, as it starts the entire thing, shows how Sisko became the Emissary in the first place, and is also a better episode than most of the others mentioned as 'Emissary Sisko' episodes. It has to be included in the beginning. "Rapture" and "The Accession" are good, and I don't care if "The Reckoning" or "Shadows and Symbols" gets the boot, personally I'd rather not include either, since I can't decide which I despise more, the Pah-wraiths BS and demon possessions, or the Sarah Sisko possession story.

For Dukat/Sisko, besides "Waltz", you have to include "The Maquis" and "Defiant" from their 'friendier' days. Especially "The Maquis".

 

[apenpaap]

Ben Sisko: In the Pel Moonlight and Far Beyond the St\ars

Kira: Second Skin and Duet, but all of her episodes were great.

Odo: His Way, Ascent, and the one were they go back in time to the Occupation

Jadzia Dax: Facets and Rejoined

O'Brien: Can't really think of a great episode that starred him, but his exchanges with Julian were always great.

Bashir: Our man Bashir, Doctor Bashir I Presume

Quark: The Magnificent Ferengi and Little Green Men

Jake Sisko: The Muse... No kidding, The Visdiot Worf: The Way of the Warrior and the one were he had to choose between saving Jadzia or completing a mission

Ezri Dax: Field of Fire

Garak: Any of his is great, but The Wire stands out

Dukat: The Occupation arc. I loved how he was so much a bad guy in it, but not a caricature like later on,.

Nog: Treachery, Faith, and the great river.

Kai Winn: In the hands of the prophets

Damar: Strange BedfellowsWeyoun: Treachery Faith and the great river

Martok: The Left Hand of Destiny

Rom: The Magnificent Ferengi

 

[DevilEyes]

Odo: His Way, Ascent, and the one were they go back in time to the Occupation

Things Past

Worf: The Way of the Warrior and the one were he had to choose between saving Jadzia or completing a mission

Change of Heart

Martok: The Left Hand of Destiny

episodes, not novels