The Least Disliked Episode 2023: DS9 Final Rounds

Here we have the winners and runners-up of each season:

Season One: Duet
Wild Card: In the Hands of the Prophets
Season Two: The Wire
Wild Card: The Homecoming
Season Three: Improbable Cause
Wild Card: The Search (I)
Season Four: The Way of the Warrior
Wild Card: Starship Down
Season Five: Call to Arms
Wild Card: By Inferno's Light
Season Six: In the Pale Moonlight
Wild Card: Far Beyond the Stars
Season Seven: What You Leave Behind
Wild Card: The Changing Face of Evil

So now it's time for the final part.

*RULES*

Give what you consider to be the worst/your least favourite episode ONE point, and briefly explain WHY. Be sure to copy and paste the list with your point added. When an episode reaches 4 points, it is eliminated. Then a NEW round begins (in this thread) with the numbers restored to 0. Vote ONCE per round. If 48 hours without a vote passes, the episode currently leading in points will be eliminated, and a new round will begin. And enjoy!

Duet - 0
In the Hands of the Prophets - 0
The Wire - 0
The Homecoming - 0
Improbable Cause - 0
The Search (I) - 0
The Way of the Warrior - 0
Starship Down - 0
Call to Arms - 0
By Inferno's Light - 0
In the Pale Moonlight - 0
Far Beyond the Stars - 0
What You Leave Behind - 0
The Changing Face of Evil - 0

 

One of the hardest final rounds I can remember. I guess I'll start with The Homecoming - very good season 2 fare but not one I point to as among the very best the show had to offer.

Duet - 0
In the Hands of the Prophets - 0
The Wire - 0
The Homecoming - 1
Improbable Cause - 0
The Search (I) - 0
The Way of the Warrior - 0
Starship Down - 0
Call to Arms - 0
By Inferno's Light - 0
In the Pale Moonlight - 0
Far Beyond the Stars - 0
What You Leave Behind - 0
The Changing Face of Evil - 0

 

Wow, this list would make a great DS9 marathon.

My only real disappointment is that "Tacking Into The Wind" didn't make it, it would have been interesting to have all prior champions in contention for this final round.

I'll start with "Starship Down." While exceptional, it is the most "regular" episode on this list. Every other ep has something special about it, or it carries greater significance in the overall story of DS9.

Duet - 0
In the Hands of the Prophets - 0
The Wire - 0
The Homecoming - 1
Improbable Cause - 0
The Search (I) - 0
The Way of the Warrior - 0
Starship Down - 1
Call to Arms - 0
By Inferno's Light - 0
In the Pale Moonlight - 0
Far Beyond the Stars - 0
What You Leave Behind - 0
The Changing Face of Evil - 0

 

I agree with Sakonna. Starship Down is probably the weakest episode left, if not by much.

Duet - 0
In the Hands of the Prophets - 0
The Wire - 0
The Homecoming - 1
Improbable Cause - 0
The Search (I) - 0
The Way of the Warrior - 0
Starship Down - 2
Call to Arms - 0
By Inferno's Light - 0
In the Pale Moonlight - 0
Far Beyond the Stars - 0
What You Leave Behind - 0
The Changing Face of Evil - 0

 

What a list! This is going to be tough!

My vote this round is for "THE HOMECOMING". Great episode, but not as strong as the others.



Duet - 0
In the Hands of the Prophets - 0
The Wire - 0
The Homecoming - 2
Improbable Cause - 0
The Search (I) - 0
The Way of the Warrior - 0
Starship Down - 2
Call to Arms - 0
By Inferno's Light - 0
In the Pale Moonlight - 0
Far Beyond the Stars - 0
What You Leave Behind - 0
The Changing Face of Evil - 0

 

Another vote for The Homecoming, it's just not that interesting.


Duet - 0
In the Hands of the Prophets - 0
The Wire - 0
The Homecoming - 3
Improbable Cause - 0
The Search (I) - 0
The Way of the Warrior - 0
Starship Down - 2
Call to Arms - 0
By Inferno's Light - 0
In the Pale Moonlight - 0
Far Beyond the Stars - 0
What You Leave Behind - 0
The Changing Face of Evil - 0

 

I was never all that wild about "Duet". Personal taste, I guess, I recognize its artistic merit.

Duet - 1
In the Hands of the Prophets - 0
The Wire - 0
The Homecoming - 3
Improbable Cause - 0
The Search (I) - 0
The Way of the Warrior - 0
Starship Down - 2
Call to Arms - 0
By Inferno's Light - 0
In the Pale Moonlight - 0
Far Beyond the Stars - 0
What You Leave Behind - 0
The Changing Face of Evil - 0

 

I could see myself coming for "Duet" fairly soon. It annoys me what a shitty job it does of introing and setting up Neela for the finale! I know they had their plan that it would be the woman from "The Forsaken", but once that didn't work they needed to bulk Neela up a little here if they were going to have her in it at all. Just toss her a few of those Dax lines, that's all it needed to be.

Only with a list this strong would that be a real complaint...

 

One of my issues with it is that it's possible to unmix two people who have been combined at the cellular level with 24th century medicine, but they can't fix a frickin' knife wound.

 

Depends on where the knife hits. That Bajoran likely killed a bunch of Cardassians during the occupation. He might have known exactly where to stab to cause instant death.

It would also explain why Kira didn't immediately call for Bashir... she probably knows just where that death spot is, and being right there, she knew he was a goner.

 

Sometimes my fanwank is also that there is Cardassian-insta-death-poison on the knife.

Delivered to the Cardassian-insta-death spot.

The killer was really covering his bases.

 

Such a thing has been established on DS9... the Maquis used cobalt disilinide, which is deadly to Cardassians but harmless to almost everyone else, to poison the Cardassian worlds in the DMZ in "FOR THE UNIFORM". Granted, it was a nerve agent but it clearly shows that some things can affect only Cardassians.

 

While I appreciate the submarine movie feel of Starship Down and certainly wouldn’t criticize anybody who digs it, I also think of it as a pretty average episode. Probably just doesn’t ring my particular bell.

Duet - 1
In the Hands of the Prophets - 0
The Wire - 0
The Homecoming - 3
Improbable Cause - 0
The Search (I) - 0
The Way of the Warrior - 0
Starship Down - 3
Call to Arms - 0
By Inferno's Light - 0
In the Pale Moonlight - 0
Far Beyond the Stars - 0
What You Leave Behind - 0
The Changing Face of Evil - 0

 

While not an unimportant episode,

In the Hands of the Prophets​

Was the least engaging episode. And all of these others, even "Starship Down" that grew on me since initial viewing, just do more for me. YMMV/



Duet - 1
In the Hands of the Prophets - 1
The Wire - 0
The Homecoming - 3
Improbable Cause - 0
The Search (I) - 0
The Way of the Warrior - 0
Starship Down - 3
Call to Arms - 0
By Inferno's Light - 0
In the Pale Moonlight - 0
Far Beyond the Stars - 0
What You Leave Behind - 0
The Changing Face of Evil - 0

 

Deadline passed - The Homecoming is out. New round:

Duet - 0
In the Hands of the Prophets - 0
The Wire - 0
Improbable Cause - 0
The Search (I) - 0
The Way of the Warrior - 0
Starship Down - 0
Call to Arms - 0
By Inferno's Light - 0
In the Pale Moonlight - 0
Far Beyond the Stars - 0
What You Leave Behind - 0
The Changing Face of Evil - 0

 

The episode's title suggests something worthy of a personals' ad you'll never want to respond to*, but

In the Hands of the Prophets is still the weakest of the bunch, IMHO, for the same humbly reasons.


* I did, once... oops...


Duet - 0
In the Hands of the Prophets - 1
The Wire - 0
Improbable Cause - 0
The Search (I) - 0
The Way of the Warrior - 0
Starship Down - 0
Call to Arms - 0
By Inferno's Light - 0
In the Pale Moonlight - 0
Far Beyond the Stars - 0
What You Leave Behind - 0
The Changing Face of Evil - 0

 

There are only two episodes here that I would call 'weaker' than the rest, simply because the others either pack a bugger punch or are more to my personal tastes.

So I am forced to pick between "IN THE HANDS OF THE PROPHETS" and "THE SEARCH, PART I". The former introduces Winn and Bareil, while the latter introduces the Defiant and the Changelings. (As a seen species, not a myth.)

While both episodes are incredibly important, I feel the latter had much more lasting repercussions... for Odo, the series, AND my love of starships.

So my vote this round goes to "IN THE HANDS OF THE PROPHETS".



Duet - 0
In the Hands of the Prophets - 2
The Wire - 0
Improbable Cause - 0
The Search (I) - 0
The Way of the Warrior - 0
Starship Down - 0
Call to Arms - 0
By Inferno's Light - 0
In the Pale Moonlight - 0
Far Beyond the Stars - 0
What You Leave Behind - 0
The Changing Face of Evil - 0

 

In the Hands of the Prophets because while it introduces the wonderful Louise Fletcher as Winn I didn't really like the assassination plot, I get Winn needed to get Bareil out of the monastery but was there really no better place than a space station full of military personnel? If Winn was smarter she would have orchestrated an assassination attempt on herself, painting herself as the victim who got almost murdered on DS9 would have probably gotten her some sympathy on Bajor.


Duet - 0
In the Hands of the Prophets - 3
The Wire - 0
Improbable Cause - 0
The Search (I) - 0
The Way of the Warrior - 0
Starship Down - 0
Call to Arms - 0
By Inferno's Light - 0
In the Pale Moonlight - 0
Far Beyond the Stars - 0
What You Leave Behind - 0
The Changing Face of Evil - 0

 

I will also go for In the Hands of the Prophets and eliminate it. I love the episode, and what it does for the Bajor story into the second season and the Circle trilogy. The assassination plot is probably the weakest element and it drags it down.

For the fresh batch of voting, I'll revert to voting for Starship Down, which is a good, not great episode.

Duet - 0
The Wire - 0
Improbable Cause - 0
The Search (I) - 0
The Way of the Warrior - 0
Starship Down - 1
Call to Arms - 0
By Inferno's Light - 0
In the Pale Moonlight - 0
Far Beyond the Stars - 0
What You Leave Behind - 0
The Changing Face of Evil - 0

 

The only other episode I consider 'weaker' than all the rest is "THE SEARCH, PART I", so that is my vote for this round.


Duet - 0
The Wire - 0
Improbable Cause - 0
The Search (I) - 1
The Way of the Warrior - 0
Starship Down - 1
Call to Arms - 0
By Inferno's Light - 0
In the Pale Moonlight - 0
Far Beyond the Stars - 0
What You Leave Behind - 0
The Changing Face of Evil - 0