The MOST Disliked Episode of DS9 - Season One...

[Farscape One]

This is a twist on a game that is played here, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I am very curious to see the results.

Here's the game. The basic idea is your standard elimination game. I'll provide a list of the episodes for each season and you need to eliminate your most favorite or the one you deem the 'best.' Please provide an EXPLANATION for why you are eliminating your choice and be sure to copy and paste the list with your choice removed. Finally, wait six hours and leave at least 2 eliminations by other posters before you eliminate another episode.

No tactical voting! You cannot remove an episode because you feel they would threaten your preferred episode's chance to win. Pretty simple. Enjoy!

Hall of Champions (or Failures?)
2011 - "PROFIT AND LACE"
2018 - "LET HE WHO IS WITHOUT SIN..."

Season One -

EMISSARY
PAST PROLOGUE
A MAN ALONE
BABEL
CAPTIVE PURSUIT
Q-LESS
DAX
THE PASSENGER
MOVE ALONG HOME
THE NAGUS
VORTEX
BATTLE LINES
THE STORYTELLER
PROGRESS
IF WISHES WERE HORSES
THE FORSAKEN
DRAMATIS PERSONAE
DUET
IN THE HANDS OF THE PROPHETS

 

[Farscape One]

I will get the ball rolling by saving "CAPTIVE PURSUIT". This was the first alien to come through the wormhole, and Tosk really seemed so different. And the concept of the episode was just awesome. And I loved O'Brien being the one befriending him and end up helping him keep the hunt on. Excellent episode all around. Plus, I refrained from going to what I think will be the obvious choice to be saved first. I'm sure I'm not the only one who is thinking it.

EMISSARY
PAST PROLOGUE
A MAN ALONE
BABEL
Q-LESS
DAX
THE PASSENGER
MOVE ALONG HOME
THE NAGUS
VORTEX
BATTLE LINES
THE STORYTELLER
PROGRESS
IF WISHES WERE HORSES
THE FORSAKEN
DRAMATIS PERSONAE
DUET
IN THE HANDS OF THE PROPHETS

 

[Garth Rockett]

Emissary is saved. What a great pilot episode. It does drag in the middle a little, but I like how they introduce all the characters, and it is one of the best first contact situations we've ever seen in Star Trek. The moment where the Prophets tell Sisko that he is the one that keeps bringing them back to Jennifer's death. His line, "I exist here," gets me choked up every time. Powerful stuff.

PAST PROLOGUE
A MAN ALONE
BABEL
Q-LESS
DAX
THE PASSENGER
MOVE ALONG HOME
THE NAGUS
VORTEX
BATTLE LINES
THE STORYTELLER
PROGRESS
IF WISHES WERE HORSES
THE FORSAKEN
DRAMATIS PERSONAE
DUET
IN THE HANDS OF THE PROPHETS

 

[Bad Thoughts]

Saving Duet. Set tone for the rest of the series, created an important narrative for the Cardassians that didn't yet exist. Compelling performance from Visitor. Yellin was towering in this episode.

PAST PROLOGUE
A MAN ALONE
BABEL
Q-LESS
DAX
THE PASSENGER
MOVE ALONG HOME
THE NAGUS
VORTEX
BATTLE LINES
THE STORYTELLER
PROGRESS
IF WISHES WERE HORSES
THE FORSAKEN
DRAMATIS PERSONAE

IN THE HANDS OF THE PROPHETS

 

[Sakonna]

"In The Hands Of The Prophets" was a wonderful finale. It gives us Winn, one of the great Trek characters. It's an episode that ages fantastically well... religious extremism is a topic that, sadly, seems to never stop becoming more relevant. This also represents the moment where they finally figured out what their approach was going to be vis a vis Bajor and Sisko-as-Emissary.

PAST PROLOGUE
A MAN ALONE
BABEL
Q-LESS
DAX
THE PASSENGER
MOVE ALONG HOME
THE NAGUS
VORTEX
BATTLE LINES
THE STORYTELLER
PROGRESS
IF WISHES WERE HORSES
THE FORSAKEN
DRAMATIS PERSONAE

 

[BigDaveX]

"The Nagus" is the first episode I'll save from this series, not only for introducing a great recurring character in Zek, but also for being the point where the Ferengi started to feel like a distinct society, having previously been generic antagonists at best, and idiotic caricatures at worst.

PAST PROLOGUE
A MAN ALONE
BABEL
Q-LESS
DAX
THE PASSENGER
MOVE ALONG HOME
VORTEX
BATTLE LINES
THE STORYTELLER
PROGRESS
IF WISHES WERE HORSES
THE FORSAKEN
DRAMATIS PERSONAE

 

[Orac]

I'll save Q-Less for the 6 fingers gag. LOL.
(I'm a terrible human being)

PAST PROLOGUE
A MAN ALONE
BABEL
DAX
THE PASSENGER
MOVE ALONG HOME
VORTEX
BATTLE LINES
THE STORYTELLER
PROGRESS
IF WISHES WERE HORSES
THE FORSAKEN
DRAMATIS PERSONAE

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Removing Progress. I think both the A and B stories here work. The No-Jay consortium, Kira coping with being 'The man'.

PAST PROLOGUE
A MAN ALONE
BABEL
DAX
THE PASSENGER
MOVE ALONG HOME
VORTEX
BATTLE LINES
THE STORYTELLER
IF WISHES WERE HORSES
THE FORSAKEN
DRAMATIS PERSONAE

 

[Bad Thoughts]

Saving Battle Lines. Clunky story, by Opaka is always awesome, and I actually felt loss the first time I saw the episode.

PAST PROLOGUE
A MAN ALONE
BABEL
DAX
THE PASSENGER
MOVE ALONG HOME
VORTEX
THE STORYTELLER
IF WISHES WERE HORSES
THE FORSAKEN
DRAMATIS PERSONAE

 

[Farscape One]

I will save "DRAMATIS PERSONAE". A Joe Menosky penned episode, he always delivers the goods. I think the placement of this kind of episode, with a 'mutiny' on the station, was perfect... if it was any later in the series, it wouldn't have rung true. But having it at the end of the first season, they get to develop some trust, but not enough yet that they become as tight knit as they end up. And I thought the concept was great, with essentially replaying a coup from another race. In a way, bringing mythology into an episode, which is a trademark of 'the Italian Bereau'.

PAST PROLOGUE
A MAN ALONE
BABEL
DAX
THE PASSENGER
MOVE ALONG HOME
VORTEX
THE STORYTELLER
IF WISHES WERE HORSES
THE FORSAKEN

 

[Sakonna]

"A Man Alone" is one of those eps with a fair number of flaws, but I still regard it fondly because it shows a lot of early promise. This is where they started to get the hang of how to use the station properly, with this A/B/C story structure. I like how Netflix puts this one immediately after the pilot, unlike in original air, when "Past Prologue" went first. But I think "A Man Alone" plays so much better as the second episode -- that positioning alone improves it.

PAST PROLOGUE
BABEL
DAX
THE PASSENGER
MOVE ALONG HOME
VORTEX
THE STORYTELLER
IF WISHES WERE HORSES
THE FORSAKEN

 

[BlueStuff]

VORTEX is safe, I like the profundity with which Odo's search for his people is given.

PAST PROLOGUE
BABEL
DAX
THE PASSENGER
MOVE ALONG HOME
THE STORYTELLER
IF WISHES WERE HORSES
THE FORSAKEN

 

[Farscape One]

"A Man Alone" is one of those eps with a fair number of flaws, but I still regard it fondly because it shows a lot of early promise. This is where they started to get the hang of how to use the station properly, with this A/B/C story structure. I like how Netflix puts this one immediately after the pilot, unlike in original air, when "Past Prologue" went first. But I think "A Man Alone" plays so much better as the second episode -- that positioning alone improves it.

PAST PROLOGUE
BABEL
DAX
THE PASSENGER
MOVE ALONG HOME
VORTEX
THE STORYTELLER
IF WISHES WERE HORSES
THE FORSAKEN

"A MAN ALONE" was the first episode produced after the pilot, so that is likely the reason it is on that order. And I do agree with your assessment about the A/B/C stories.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

For me this decision is between Dax and Move Along Home. I love the 'trapped in a game' premise even if it was poorly executed in many ways. Also I like the way they tried to analyze the 'same person vs new person' aspect of Dax, and think it's underappreciated how it all turns out that Dax was willing to die for a woman she loved in a previous life. Reminds me of the song Long Black Veil by The Band.

I'm so tempted to remove the super-hated Move Along Home, but if I'm being 100% honest, I have to go with Dax. If I somehow get another vote, Move Along Home is next.

PAST PROLOGUE
BABEL
THE PASSENGER
MOVE ALONG HOME
THE STORYTELLER
IF WISHES WERE HORSES
THE FORSAKEN

 

[BigDaveX]

The Forsaken. By far and away the best of Lwaxana's three outings on this series, and a strong contender for the best Lwaxana story overall.

PAST PROLOGUE
BABEL
THE PASSENGER
MOVE ALONG HOME
THE STORYTELLER
IF WISHES WERE HORSES

 

[BlueStuff]

I'll save THE STORYTELLER for really beginning the O'Brien/Bashir bromance.

PAST PROLOGUE
BABEL
THE PASSENGER
MOVE ALONG HOME
IF WISHES WERE HORSES

 

[Tosk]

Past Prologue must be my choice, if for no other reason than a certain tailor making his first appearance.

BABEL
THE PASSENGER
MOVE ALONG HOME
IF WISHES WERE HORSES

 

[tomswift2002]

Move Along Home. I just watched it a few weeks ago and really liked how Quark was placed in the position of deciding everyone’s fate.

BABEL
THE PASSENGER
IF WISHES WERE HORSES

 

[Farscape One]

Okay, I didn't realize someone beat me to this episode. Looks like I missed it by only a minute or so.

Then my next save will be "IF WISHES WERE HORSES". Those imagination aliens were a very interesting concept, and I think it was a shame we never saw them again.

BABEL
THE PASSENGER

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Eliminating Babel.

Both are pretty weak episodes. But Bashir as Ray....Yu....Van....TiCK....KA.... is one of the hammiest performances we ever see in the show. Babel is just all around mediocre, at least it has a few fun moments between Odo and Quark.

THE PASSENGER