What's your DS9 episode-skipping regimen?

[Navaros]

What types of episodes do you usually or always skip when you watch DS9?

What types of episodes do you love to watch and almost never skip?

What types of episodes do you watch but aren't too excited by?

Post your episode-skipping regimen in this thread.

Here's my episode-skipping regimen:

Episodes I skip because I have little to no interest at all in the subject matter:

- I skip any Bajoran politics episodes, unless they have Louise Fletcher in them, in which case I will watch them solely for her performance.

- I skip any Dax-centric (either Dax) episode across the board, although I watch Meridian for it's amazing B-plot which is 100% irrelevant to Dax, and I literally fast-forward every scene of that episode where Quark is not in it.

- I skip any Kira-centric episode across the board, unless it features Louise Fletcher, or Garak (I love Second Skin solely due to Garak's scenes, couldn't care less about the Kira A-plot though) or Weyoun (I love Ties of Blood and Water solely due to the Dukat & Weyoun C-plot, couldn't care less about the Kira A and B plots).

- I skip any space-disease-of-the-week (ie: Babel, Dramatis Personae) episode across the board. Thankfully DS9 didn't have much of that nonsense other than those two and of course the totally unwatchable drivel, Fascination.

- I generally skip useless-alien-of-the-week episodes (ie: Move Along Home, Q-Less, Sanctuary) although I make exceptions in the rare cases when there is a compelling story (Captive Pursuit) or stellar acting (Vortex, Shadowplay).

- I skip any mirror universe episodes across the board.

- I skip most 'love interest of the week' episodes (ie: for Bashir or Dax or Kira etc.), however I will watch these episodes if they feature Odo or Quark due to their amazing acting performances.

- I skip any episode in which Lwaxana Troi appears across the board, although sometimes I'll fast forward to the Odo scenes in those episodes and watch them only, since it is always fantastic acting by RA.


Episodes I look forward to and almost never skip because I am fascinated by the subject matter:

- I never skip any Odo-centric episode.

- I never skip any Garak-centric episode.

- I rarely skip any Quark-centric episode, although I do get immensely annoyed by Ishka and hence am often tempted to skip episodes with her in it or at least fast forward her scenes.

- I never skip any Weyoun-centic episode.

- I never skip any Dukat-centric episode.

- I never skip any Nog-centric episode.

- I never skip any Dominion-centric episode.

Episodes I watch but only have a middling interest in their subject matter:

- Klingon episodes.

- Bashir-centric episodes.

- O'Brien-centric episodes: I would like these a lot more if they had consequences in other episodes, which they never do.

- SciFi story episodes: other than Captive Pursuit, I feel that DS9 dropped the ball a bit here by not telling many good or original SciFi stories, like TOS did for example.

- Sisko struggling about if he is the Emissary or not episodes.

 

[Faranight]

My short answer is that I don't skip anything. I'm only on my second watchthrough now and it was a couple of years since the first one, so skipping episodes seem like a bad idea for me

 

[Navaros]

Yes it's true, it's easier to develop a skipping regimen only after one has seen the series multiple times.

My skipping regimen was indeed only developed after I knew 100% of the content of every episode from having watched even the really bad ones multiple times.

 

[Eyes]

I don't skip many episodes, and they tend to be individual ones dependent on the subject matter, so here goes...

Skipped episodes:

Most Worf-Centric episodes, the only exceptions I make are the obvious ones (WotW, Apocalypse Rising) and Rules of Engagement.

I skip any Bajoran/Kira episodes that don't have Kai Winn, or a Cardassian, any Cardassian in them, which really just means episodes like Progress (which I will watch only for the Jake/Nog scenes), and Sanctuary. I can't think of any more.

I skip all the Ferengi episodes that deal with the Nagus and Ishka/Pel.

I skip Meridian, I just skip Meridian, even the B-Story, to save me having to fast-forward it.

Episodes I love watching and never skip:

I never skip any Jake-centric episode.

I never skip any episode where Jake does more than talk to Sisko or Nog about generic stuff, especially when he interacts with someone other than Sisko or Nog.

I never skip any Bashir-centric episode

I never skip any Ezri-centric episode.

I never skip any episode where the majority of the cast is involved

I never skip any mirror universe episodes

I never skip any episode with Garak.

I never skip any episode with the Dominion.

I never skip any episode with Weyoun, Dukat, Damar, or Winn.

I never skip 2-parters.

Oh, and Nor the Battle to the Strong. I could watch that 3 times in a row and not get tired with it.

Episodes with only middling interest:

O'Brien episodes (apart from Whispers which goes in the unmissable column)

Jadzia episodes

Sisko episodes

Odo episodes

Quark episodes not involving his mother and the Nagus getting it on.

Kira episodes aside from those mentioned above.

 

[DevilEyes]

Episodes I skip because I have little to no interest at all in the subject matter:

- Ferengi episodes (apart from "The House Of Quark")

- Mirror universe episodes

- to quote you:"I skip any space-disease-of-the-week (ie: Babel, Dramatis Personae) episode across the board. Thankfully DS9 didn't have much of that nonsense other than those two and of course the totally unwatchable drivel, Fascination." We certainly agree on that matter.

- most 'love interest of the week' episodes, especially early Bashir episodes.


Episodes I look forward to and almost never skip because I am fascinated by the subject matter:
(and yes, many of these categories overlap)

- Kira-centric episodes

- Odo-centric episodes.

- Garak-centric episodes.

- Dukat-centric episodes.

- Dominion-centric episodes.

- Any episode that involves flashbacks to the Occupation of Bajor.

- Most Cardassian politics episodes

- Most Bajoran politics episodes

- Section 31 episodes

- Prophets/Sisko as the Emissary episodes before the Pah-wraiths crap. It used to be an interesting SciFi-meets-religion concept, before they turned it into a stupid black-and-white 'good vs evil' confrontation, with evil spirits and red eyes and all.

Episodes I watch but only have a middling interest in their subject matter:

- Klingon episodes

- O'Brien-centric episodes, except those that heavily involve Cardassians and their judicial system

- Dax-centric episodes

- Bashir-centric episodes (unless they involve Section 31)

- Jake/Nog episodes (except really great Jake episodes like "Nor the Battle To the Strong" or "The Visitor")

- SciFi story episodes (unless they are just awesome, which rarely happened)

 

[Geckothan]

I'm planning on starting my first full rewatch (I've rewatched every episode a handful of times but not in order), and I don't plan on skipping anything. Even the bad episodes have their charm and serve to make the good ones look even better.

 

[Vulcan Princess]

I'm doing a full re-watch of all of Trek, so this time around I won't skip anything. However, I usually skip Klingon and Ferengi episodes. Oddly enough, I like The House of Quark, despite it being a Klingon/Ferengi episode. I always make sure to watch the Bajoran politics/religion episodes, and the Maquis episodes, as I think those are the strength of DS9. The exception is the Benny Russel stuff the Prophets did with Sisko. (Maybe I'll like it better this time through, but it just never did it for me before.) I also like well-done character pieces.

 

[Jono]

Don't really watch the show all that much to need a skipping regiment. Probably been over a year since I last watched a full episode, though a few months back I skipped through "Paradise Lost" to check out the ship battle due to a discussion on Galaxy class vs Defiant class.

 

[Crimea River]

In my first watch-through, I'm not skipping anything. On my second watchthrough...well, we'll see. There were some eps that slightly bored me, but for the most part, I've loved it all, lol.

 

[trekkiebaggio]

I'll always skip Meridian no matter what. The rest depends upon what mood I'm in. Generally I'll watch all of the rest but if I feel like skipping any it's usually a Jadzia episode (I don't like Jadzia but I like Ezri). Some MU episodes I'll skip, and there are a load of Klingon episodes so I skip some of them.

 

[DevilEyes]

I'm doing a full re-watch of all of Trek, so this time around I won't skip anything. However, I usually skip Klingon and Ferengi episodes. Oddly enough, I like The House of Quark, despite it being a Klingon/Ferengi episode. I always make sure to watch the Bajoran politics/religion episodes, and the Maquis episodes, as I think those are the strength of DS9. The exception is the Benny Russel stuff the Prophets did with Sisko. (Maybe I'll like it better this time through, but it just never did it for me before.) I also like well-done character pieces.

My feelings exactly. The reason I liked The House of Quark is that it was the first time that Quark was shown to be more than a stereotype, and that he was used brilliantly to expose the hypocrisy of those Klingons who use 'honor' and courage as a catchphrase to mask their greed (just as some other Klingons, as we've seen with Duras family or Gowron, use it to mask their desire for power). The best Klingon episodes are always those that show the complexity of their society, with all the corruption and power-struggle. This is why Worf's storyarc in TNG was good, we saw an outsider Klingon who's grown up outside the Empire and serves in Starfleet, who idealizes the Klingon culture and believes in 'honor' a lot more than those who actually live in Klingon Empire, especially those who lead it. I find that to be very true to real life - it's usually the diaspora characters who tend to idealize their home country and culture, because they do not know it very well, and because they use it to distinguish themselves from the dominant culture of their surroundings, so they see their culture as a symbol more than anything.

I love the scene in which Quark confronts D'Ghor, when he's supposed to fight him,showing the Klingons a different brand of courage (and more impressive one, since it's not based on being huge and strong and acting like a neanderthal), which makes Gowron admit that he is 'brave Ferengi".

Quark (throws down his batleth): Go ahead. Kill me. That's why I'm here, isn't it, to be killed? Well, here I am, so go ahead and do it. (continuing, to Council) You all want me to pick up that sword and try to fight him, don't you? But I don't have a chance and you know it. You only want me to put up a fight so your precious honor will be satisfied. Well, I'm not going to make it easy for you. Having me fight D'Ghor is nothing more than an execution. So if that's what you want, that's what you're going to get: an execution. No honor, no glory. (to D'Ghor) And when you tell your children and your grandchildren the glorious story of how you rose to power and took Grilka's house from her, I hope you remember to tell them how you heroically killed an unarmed Ferengi half your size.

 

[Possum]

I've gotten into the mid 5th season where I only seen the episodes once in the first run, so I'm not doing much skipping. However, if I know it is a Klingon episode not central to the plot (I might be checking out Memory Alpha) it is SO skipped. I can't do much skipping as my husband is watching them for the first time- I did save him from the Sword of Kahless- didn't want him to waste that 45 minutes of his life.

In re-watching I saw Dr. Bashir, I Presume and it was much, much better than I remembered it. I'm glad I didn't skip it as I had bad memories of that episode.

I generally like most of the episodes, I am trying to figure out which seven episodes the OP watches and actually enjoys.

 

[PSGarak]

If I never have to see Q-less again, it will be too soon. I found Vash extremely annoying, horribly acted, and the whole general plot of the episode ridiculous. Q was never one of my favorite recurring characters of TNG, and I honestly felt like he had no place on DS9 whatsoever.

 

[anti-matter]

I don't skip any but will pick up the DS9 Companion and read/watch.

 

[GarakSpy1]

I am watching through the series probably for the 6th time now. My boyfriend introduced me to it about 6 years ago and I watch though about once a year and I always find something new. This time I am not skipping anything because I am watching with my brother who is seeing it for the first time.

When I do skip it tends to be episodes that do not really ad to the story arch like Rivals, Move Along Home, Meridian, Babel, Dramatis Personae, one of my least favorite Melora, etc. I also used to skip MU episodes, although I must say after reading the DS9 relaunch novels I have a new appreciation for the Mirror Universe, well that and the MU episode of Enterprise (you had me at the intro), but I think that is another thread. And after watching a few times, some Ferengi episodes.

Episodes I cannot miss? Well definitely all Garak or Odo centered episodes and Weyoun, Dukat, and/or Dominion are also usually top notch. Love the Die is Cast. I must disagree with most and say I also really love all the torture O'Brien episodes, but then again I tend to like torture episodes in my Sci-Fi: TNG: Chain of Command & Frame of Mind, B5: Intersections in Real Time, SG1: Abyss, etc. I also love the Worf arch from TNG to DS9 and even into the relaunch and especially when Ezri channels Picard and lays open the hypocrisy of Klingon Empire and its honor, it was a good thing.

In the middle is everything not mentioned above and most of those are still really good episodes, what can I say, I am a devoted fan.

 

[crouteru]

To be honest, I usually like to watch the entire series for any show. That way you get the full picture, including all the good and bad choices made and how it could have been done differently, or where it still holds up brilliantly several years later.

 

[Bad Atom]

I just finished another complete run-through of the series. I didn't skip any episodes or even fast-forward through ones I don't like. I just left them on in the background while I was doing other things, or in some cases just slept through them. Worked out pretty well.

 

[Photon]

What types of episodes do you usually or always skip when you watch DS9?


Here's my episode-skipping regimen:

Episodes I skip because I have little to no interest at all in the subject matter:

- I skip any Bajoran politics episodes, unless they have Louise Fletcher in them, in which case I will watch them solely for her performance.

- I skip any Dax-centric (either Dax) episode across the board, although I watch Meridian for it's amazing B-plot which is 100% irrelevant to Dax, and I literally fast-forward every scene of that episode where Quark is not in it.

- I skip any Kira-centric episode across the board, unless it features Louise Fletcher, or Garak (I love Second Skin solely due to Garak's scenes, couldn't care less about the Kira A-plot though) or Weyoun (I love Ties of Blood and Water solely due to the Dukat & Weyoun C-plot, couldn't care less about the Kira A and B plots).

- I skip any space-disease-of-the-week (ie: Babel, Dramatis Personae) episode across the board. Thankfully DS9 didn't have much of that nonsense other than those two and of course the totally unwatchable drivel, Fascination.

- I generally skip useless-alien-of-the-week episodes (ie: Move Along Home, Q-Less, Sanctuary) although I make exceptions in the rare cases when there is a compelling story (Captive Pursuit) or stellar acting (Vortex, Shadowplay).

- I skip any mirror universe episodes across the board.

- I skip most 'love interest of the week' episodes (ie: for Bashir or Dax or Kira etc.), however I will watch these episodes if they feature Odo or Quark due to their amazing acting performances.

- I skip any episode in which Lwaxana Troi appears across the board, although sometimes I'll fast forward to the Odo scenes in those episodes and watch them only, since it is always fantastic acting by RA.


Episodes I look forward to and almost never skip because I am fascinated by the subject matter:

- I never skip any Odo-centric episode.

- I never skip any Garak-centric episode.

- I rarely skip any Quark-centric episode, although I do get immensely annoyed by Ishka and hence am often tempted to skip episodes with her in it or at least fast forward her scenes.

- I never skip any Weyoun-centic episode.

- I never skip any Dukat-centric episode.

- I never skip any Nog-centric episode.

- I never skip any Dominion-centric episode.

Episodes I watch but only have a middling interest in their subject matter:

- Klingon episodes.

- Bashir-centric episodes.

- O'Brien-centric episodes: I would like these a lot more if they had consequences in other episodes, which they never do.

- SciFi story episodes: other than Captive Pursuit, I feel that DS9 dropped the ball a bit here by not telling many good or original SciFi stories, like TOS did for example.

- Sisko struggling about if he is the Emissary or not episodes.

What types of episodes do you love to watch and almost never skip?
War Arc, Jems,
What types of episodes do you watch but aren't too excited by?
Bajoran political/religous
Post your episode-skipping regimen in this thread.
Chief O Brien disasters and the Augment Mutant Retard Jack Pack and leftover TNG alien/space sickness of the week

 

[KingstonTrekker]

I skip any of the Ferengi episodes...

 

[OldManDax]

I generally skip any episode that has Cardassians yelling at each other.

Also any episode in which Bareil or Shakaar are heavily featured.