I just finished my run-through of my last missing pieces (Season 3 and 4), and I just wanted to see what the general opinion is on which DS9 Season is the strongest as a whole.
Which Season is the strongest?
- Thread starter Sisko4Life
- Start date
I've been thinking of this a lot as I've been on a quest to finally update my DS9 collection to DVD... I decided to stat with the last three seasons, then from 4 backwards.
While I really enjoyed seasons 4 and 7, I couldn't decide between 5 or 6... but they were my most favoured selection. Though I put 5 ahead of the race as 6 was more familiar to me.
I went with 6 a I loved the six part opening, Rocks and Shoals being my favourite of those, going on through the season with very few eps that I disliked.
While I really enjoyed seasons 4 and 7, I couldn't decide between 5 or 6... but they were my most favoured selection. Though I put 5 ahead of the race as 6 was more familiar to me.
I went with 6 a I loved the six part opening, Rocks and Shoals being my favourite of those, going on through the season with very few eps that I disliked.
S7 is my personal favorite. I think it's the most consistent of the seasons, closely followed by S5. It's the culmination of 6 years of build-up to, and it really pays off. The final chapter, in particular, is very powerful, I think. Granted, it's not without its flaws.
S6 would be next on my list. Its greatest episodes are truly excellent but it's got some pacing problems and some real clunkers in between that stick out like sore thumbs.
S4 comes after that for me. It's head and shoulders above the seasons before it IMHO and also the point where DS9 really, really took off, I think. It's actually quite consistent as well but not as excellent IMHO as the seasons after it. The Visitor remains my favorite episode to this day though, mind you.
Finally, it's season S2 followed by S3 and then S1. Don't get me wrong. I like DS9 from start to finish, not just the last four seasons. I just don't feel these seasons are quite as strong. I do think they have some great material however.
S2 is a consistently great season, I think, with only a few minor missteps. I would have liked to have seen a little more follow-up to the events in the opening three parter, however.
S3 has some excellent material, but I feel it's marred by quite a few clunkers and some uneasy setup (The Search sets up a lot that's forgotten later as well as resetting itself which I didn't mind at the time but which bothers me now).
S1 has one of DS9's finest episodes in general, I think. No, not Duet, Emissary. While I think that Duet is a great episode and very strong for a first season, Emissary is one of those few 'special' episodes. It does all the setup needed for the show while being entertaining and thought-provoking at the same time. It really, really milks the science fiction setting for what it's worth and uses it to effectively tell the story of Ben Sisko or many people in the real world, for that matter.
However, while S1 starts really strong and also ends on a strong note, it falters inbetween. There are some really good episodes like Progress which do an effective job of characterizing Bajor and its problems. But there's also a lot of standard Trek material that really added nothing to the specifics of DS9 and, as a consequence, came off relatively weak, I think.
S6 would be next on my list. Its greatest episodes are truly excellent but it's got some pacing problems and some real clunkers in between that stick out like sore thumbs.
S4 comes after that for me. It's head and shoulders above the seasons before it IMHO and also the point where DS9 really, really took off, I think. It's actually quite consistent as well but not as excellent IMHO as the seasons after it. The Visitor remains my favorite episode to this day though, mind you.
Finally, it's season S2 followed by S3 and then S1. Don't get me wrong. I like DS9 from start to finish, not just the last four seasons. I just don't feel these seasons are quite as strong. I do think they have some great material however.
S2 is a consistently great season, I think, with only a few minor missteps. I would have liked to have seen a little more follow-up to the events in the opening three parter, however.
S3 has some excellent material, but I feel it's marred by quite a few clunkers and some uneasy setup (The Search sets up a lot that's forgotten later as well as resetting itself which I didn't mind at the time but which bothers me now).
S1 has one of DS9's finest episodes in general, I think. No, not Duet, Emissary. While I think that Duet is a great episode and very strong for a first season, Emissary is one of those few 'special' episodes. It does all the setup needed for the show while being entertaining and thought-provoking at the same time. It really, really milks the science fiction setting for what it's worth and uses it to effectively tell the story of Ben Sisko or many people in the real world, for that matter.
However, while S1 starts really strong and also ends on a strong note, it falters inbetween. There are some really good episodes like Progress which do an effective job of characterizing Bajor and its problems. But there's also a lot of standard Trek material that really added nothing to the specifics of DS9 and, as a consequence, came off relatively weak, I think.
My favourite is season seven. I liked Ezri more than Jadzia, I liked the direction the story took, I liked Sisko being a Prophet, I liked the humour. The ten episode arc at the end was just the icing on the cake.
There is a difference between favourite and best of course, and I think that season five was the strongest season. They had a goal of wrapping up the Klingon war and plunging the Federation into war with the Dominion by season end, and they did a great job with it. Seasons six and seven had some pacing problems mid season, but season five was paced very well. Some truly fantastic plot twists, great character episodes and a fantastic build-up to the war.
There is a difference between favourite and best of course, and I think that season five was the strongest season. They had a goal of wrapping up the Klingon war and plunging the Federation into war with the Dominion by season end, and they did a great job with it. Seasons six and seven had some pacing problems mid season, but season five was paced very well. Some truly fantastic plot twists, great character episodes and a fantastic build-up to the war.
Same here... its easier to pick fav. eps than seasons...
I liked everything from Way of the warrior, 401/2, well exception being ferengi episodes and one with that lounge singer, plz don't tell me his name, I really don't want to know , lol 
Season 6 is my favorite, followed by season 7.
After that would probably be seasons 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 - in that order.
After that would probably be seasons 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 - in that order.
Ezri II
Captain
I do like Season 7 as it really in my judgment had a single driving force. The other seasons were fine, it just felt you could miss a few shows but still have a solid understanding when you watched the season ending. True, the show in season 7 when Ezri went to see her family could be missing and the mirror universe but I did like the last season.
Yes it is hard to bring in a new character and yes Ezri Dax did have more time on the screen then the other characters. And the other characters were more developed. And since it was the last season they may have wanted smaller parts. I understand, as I sure wanted to see more of Kira and really wanted to see her more in that star fleet uniform.
In all, I was looking at how the war was going to play out and not so deep into the characters.
Yes it is hard to bring in a new character and yes Ezri Dax did have more time on the screen then the other characters. And the other characters were more developed. And since it was the last season they may have wanted smaller parts. I understand, as I sure wanted to see more of Kira and really wanted to see her more in that star fleet uniform.
In all, I was looking at how the war was going to play out and not so deep into the characters.
Wait a minute. If S6 was better, why is S5 your favorite?
Favourite and best are two different things. Deep Space Nine is my favourite show, but at the same time I am aware that shows like The Sopranos, nuBSG and The West Wing are better shows. They have better writing, better direction and better acting, but I'd still rather watch DS9.
Favourite and best are two different things. Deep Space Nine is my favourite show, but at the same time I am aware that shows like The Sopranos, nuBSG and The West Wing are better shows. They have better writing, better direction and better acting, but I'd still rather watch DS9.
Aye. Another example I like to cite is Ghostbusters versus Schindler's List. i'd rather watch the former, but the latter is just stronger in production, direction, narrative, character, etc. etc. etc.
With that said, a Call to Arms and Trials and Tribblations are just two reasons why I love S5. But the levels and nuances that S6 worked with, as well as the strength of the six episode arc, were unheard of at the time.
I voted for season 5 - I think the key word was consistency. Seasons 6 and 7 were also excellent, but season 5 just had a lot of really good episodes in it. It harmonised a lot of the series' elements into an intriguing political web, reinventing itself yet again. I realise that season 6 had the six episode occupation arc, which was mostly very good. Far Beyond The Stars and In The Pale Moonlight were also brilliant. However, there were also one or two stretches of fluff episodes that let the season down. Same thing happened in season 7 - a few hit and miss episodes until we finally hit the meat.
Season 2, with no votes, was a very strong season. It had Cardassian and Bajoran politics, the Maquis popped up, and very occasional sprinkles of The Dominion were there too. Like a more subtle season 5, if you will. Bajoran politics was one thing the show missed later on.
Season 2, with no votes, was a very strong season. It had Cardassian and Bajoran politics, the Maquis popped up, and very occasional sprinkles of The Dominion were there too. Like a more subtle season 5, if you will. Bajoran politics was one thing the show missed later on.
It's so sad to see that 80% of the votes have been for the final three seasons...
I love DS9 as much as anybody, but for the life of me I can't understand why so many people love the war seasons so much more than the first half of the series. I'm not knocking the war seasons, they're still excellent, but I just don't see them as having necessarily been the pinnacle of DS9 in and of themselves.
All this time, I thought DS9 nuts liked the series because it was darker and more intricate. Now I see that it's just because there were more explosions and space battles...
I love DS9 as much as anybody, but for the life of me I can't understand why so many people love the war seasons so much more than the first half of the series. I'm not knocking the war seasons, they're still excellent, but I just don't see them as having necessarily been the pinnacle of DS9 in and of themselves.
All this time, I thought DS9 nuts liked the series because it was darker and more intricate. Now I see that it's just because there were more explosions and space battles...
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