Why is DS9 your favorite?

[Trekker09]

Showing that religion is a complex spectrum (and can be almost inextricably entwined with politics): from terrorist zealots to people who believe yet still fit in the larger 'modern' world to people who use religion to machinate their own interests.

Well said. I admired how the DS9 writers took on the risky challenge of portraying faith without identifying it with a particular religion. Future earth is still understood as the original Trek ideal of peaceful cooperation with tolerance and/or secular humanism as the norm. The wormhole aliens can be seen through a scientific or religious lens. There are multiple Prophets instead of a monotheistic creator; they’re not omnipotent-- can be destroyed by chroniton particles; and they are “of Bajor” --local deities. They never specify the Prophets’ origin, or number, or gender- so there are elements of mystery. They also develop an extensive parody of faith in the Ferengi as well as the Klingon cultures. Maybe the only mistake was making the Prophets beyond linear time—their foreknowing the future raised too many thorny questions about their behavior.

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

Solid writing, nuanced and multi-faceted characters, great world building, compelling stories, willing to take risks and show the cracks in the "humanity is perfect" visage, wonderful actors and some brilliant performances, developed believable relationships between the characters.

All in all, it is just the epitome of Trek, all it can be and all it should aspire to be.

 

[kkt]

Well said. I don't know what there is to add to that.

 

[Yistaan]

I think DS9 was remarkably prescient. Obviously Past Tense predicted the increasing societal imbalance, but there's another DS9 prediction I don't see mentioned as much albeit the events it foretold are still relatively recent. If Gorkon was supposed to be Klingon Gorbachev, Gowron and DS9's Klingon war seems almost a perfect parallel with what's going on right now in the world.

Gowron himself initially seemed like a character the Federation could, mostly, trust albeit he was a bit of a nationalistic jerk but he later turned out to be a complete psycho who would do anything to stay in power. Some people thought this was cartoonish at the time but actually it's eerily accurate to what we see in the news.