What is/are the reason(s) why you enjoy DS9?

[Elephant999]

The more I rewatch, the more I appreciate DS9. I have never understood the dislike for DS9 from some quarters. DS9 is so richly layered and tackles difficult subjects head on.

I also think it’s fairly unique in the strength of the supporting cast.

And yeah, I have a soft spot for Damar too!

 

[Bad Thoughts]

Building off past episodes.

So many great reasons have been listed already, and I don't know which is most important. However, I feel that DS9 cared more to insert elements into episodes that could be further developed and looking back at old episodes for new opportunities. There aren't many points where I feel we are starting over with a character. Seldom is there a story that I feel won't be exploited down the road. Even when it was being episodic, development of characters and themes was constant. Seldom did things get too plot heavy, as which tends to happen with serialization. Even an episodelike Call to Arms is full of character moments, building off what was already established.

 

[Armus]

The warmth of the characters and high energy atmosphere of the station. When the producers created DS9 they invested everything in the sets, the costumes, the makeup, and the extras. Coupled with solid writing, they created a believable fictional community with depth and vibrancy.

 

[Riker'sMailbox]

Good timing for this question. I just started my first DS9 rewatch and was quickly reminded how this is my favorite ST series. The main characters are flawed. That will always make them more interesting than the Roddenberry-esque dream teams that make up the other series (which I also adore). The writers were able to go deeper into stories, build more complex characters.

They also tried to make the villains more fleshed out. Dukat is a horror show. But, he started out with more ideals that other Cardassians and loved his half Bajoran daughter.

Mostly, though, I am from the USA and think it resonates with some of what is happening here. Just watched 'In the Hands of the Prophets' last night and it was scary to see the similarities between Vedeck Winn and the Christian fundamentalists yelling that we need to teach creationism and how Moses impacted the Bill of Rights.

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

DS9 felt real.

The characters, the station, the ambience... I felt I was actually living on that station every time I watched it.

It really did! These weren't just characters placed in a setting, they were people living in the universe.

 

[Nakita Akita]

I was hesitant to watch DS9 at first after enjoying TNG, however, I was easily hooked.

For me, I liked the darker tone, the story arcs and the conflict between characters that showed their flaws.

I also think it’s aged better than TNG.

For me it's a reasonable alternative for the rest of us who know that we would never be "top of our class" of the " youngest person to ever such and such".
Or just realizing that all of Starfleet and the federation can't be stationed on the Enterprise.

It's where those of use that graduated or whatever could reasonably actually be that's in space.
Sure you could end up on a planet getting to study exciting new plants or animals, if you're in to that but really, it's still just a planet. It rains more or it rains less, there are this and that plant or animal, it's still just a planet.
The station is out in space. Even if it's not moving to some other boring planet each week or month or year, you get to see all the
Alien people interacting, you'd get meet all sort of different people.
Generally you're not in emminent danger every other week (except summers)

For me the show is my comfort place.
I'd have loved to live there.
Way more interesting than a typical Star fleet station, less "military" walking around more regular people getting up to no good.
Etc.

 

[at Quark's]

A lot of the reasons why I like DS9 the best have been mentioned above, complex politics, "grey" characterisations, interesting multidimensional foes, etc., etc, etc.

However, I must also add that having seen it at a certain age (around 25) probably helped in my case. I'm in my mid-40's now and I only saw the much-hyped Babylon 5 a few years ago. And while I recognised the show's quality and "overtones" were comparable to those of DS9 , it didn't quite 'capture' me the way DS9 did back then... "yeah, that's a nice melodramatic touch but it isn't quite believable these characters would actually act that way in those circumstances, now is it?".... until I realised I had changed and become somewhat more 'down to earth' in the last 20 years, perhaps somewhat more cynical too. I therefore suppose that it's very possible that, were I to see DS9 now for the very first time, I would have a similar reaction to that show. But as it is, I'll always have a soft spot for DS9 and I still return to it regularly.

 

[Elephant999]

Me too, it’s something I often go back and watch on Netflix.

I think it’s typical of the ST of the 80’s and 90’s however I think it has aged considerably better than TNG with it’s no conflict mission statement, and I’m a huge fan of both.

 

[CommanderRaytas]

Mostly, though, I am from the USA and think it resonates with some of what is happening here. Just watched 'In the Hands of the Prophets' last night and it was scary to see the similarities between Vedeck Winn and the Christian fundamentalists yelling that we need to teach creationism and how Moses impacted the Bill of Rights.

Good point. I re-watched that bit where the school gets bombed for not teaching religion as fact, and it gave me the chills in ways it never used to back in the day.

 

[Winterwind]

I find DS9 vastly superior to TNG. DS9 had better characters, better acting and better writing. Looking back, the best thing I can say about TNG is it brought Star Trek back to television.

 

[at Quark's]

Mostly, though, I am from the USA and think it resonates with some of what is happening here. Just watched 'In the Hands of the Prophets' last night and it was scary to see the similarities between Vedeck Winn and the Christian fundamentalists yelling that we need to teach creationism and how Moses impacted the Bill of Rights.

That's not even what scared me most about them, either in the real world or in DS9. What scares me most, both in Winn and the real world is the hypocrisy (*) … professing to follow a religion of peace and love, yet at the same time be willing to use violence, hateful lobbies, or other manipulative tactics to further your own cause.

(*) Of some, of course not of all groups… just as there also were good (or at least, upright) conservative Vedeks in DS9.

 

[Galactic Alignment]

Last month I started rewatching DS9 from Emissary onwards, for the first time in many years, and for the first time with my partner. (We’re also watching Discovery S2, and last year did a “greatest hits” of TOS and TNG on Netflix.) She (against my expectations) started liking the series a few episodes in – I asked what she liked about it, and she explained how she found it structured like one of those American “workplace dramas” she generally watches, with more memorable characters than the other Treks she’d seen. Which is an interesting observation to contemplate.

 

[GulBahana]

I like the dark themes and the willingness to show flaws in any character. TNG and DS9 are my favorites and are like the Yin and Yang of Trek.

 

[Kor]

The Ben and Jake relationship.

Kor

 

[Amaris]

The characters, especially the dynamic between Quark and Odo. I thought Avery Brooks was terrific as Commander Sisko: he was often kind and even gentle with others, but his voice boomed when he was angry, or action needed to be taken immediately. Such gravitas served him well. Garak, of course, who was my favorite character of the series.

The setting is another reason. A once unimportant ore processing facility sitting on the ass end of Federation space becomes the central hub of activity between the Alpha and Gamma quadrants thanks to a stable wormhole.

The themes of the series, especially the religious and ethical themes were very well done. DS9 didn't like to give straight, pat answers to everything. Sometimes it was very gray, and I love that they chose to explore those shades of gray.

The look is another key aspect of the series I enjoyed. The design of the station, the lighting, the uniforms, the aliens, DS9 kind of hit that sweet spot for me in what I was looking for. It felt like space.

 

[Galileo7]

Runabouts

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I have always loved science-fiction production design, especially spaceships. That is why I enjoy the NG "Timescape" episode because it is the only time we see the aft living compartment set of the Runabout.

 

[Galactic Alignment]

Watching the Ferengi comedy episodes, it often feels like I’m watching Space Chuckle Brothers... and no, I don’t consider that a bad thing