Why is DS9 your favorite?

[ECHEMH]

For those who say this is their favorite why is it?
I will begin by saying at the time it came out ir wasn't my favorite. At that time I loved voyager. I think part of the reason is DS9 was ahead of its time. The multi season story arc, aka Dominion War, among other things. Back then we didn't have streaming yet and if you missed an episode you were lost on parts of the story. Since it hit streaming services though it has become my favorite. I love the darker themes to the show. I look at it if I want the dark side of trek I watch DS9. If I want a lighter more humorous side I go to voyager.

 

[Nyotarules]

It does not place humans, Starfleet or the UFP on a pedestal.

 

[somebuddyX]

DS9 I enjoy for the first six seasons but I really don't like the last one. I really like it's semi-serialisation in the early parts. Each episode built on previous episodes but brought something new and without having to followup threads weeks after week. I think there is a great diverse cast of characters. The writers tried stuff and they weren't afraid to fail.

 

[gweeps]

The series creators, writers, etc not only focus on their main cast and stories, but also care enough about the supporting and recurring characters to allow a fuller tale to be told.

 

[NCC-73515]

Stopped watching a few episodes into S1. Heard it got much better later, and watched it all when they were shown again. Overall, TNG and VOY are still a bit better.

 

[dupersuper]

DS9 is in a three way tie with TOS and TNG for my favourite. Largely because of the in depth character arcs, partly due to the great cast, partly due to the change of pace dealing with a station and a war and the aftermath of an occupation and ongoing political intrigue after the episodic TOS and TNG (not complaining: they're my other two favourites, remember), partly because it challenges the Trek utopia but the utopia remains (Section 31 notwithstanding, which I think was a misstep but much of the worst with them is in Discovery), partly - like my other two favourites - because I love the characters...

 

[Trekker09]

There are several good essays on line about why DS9 is the best. Here is one that I came across a couple years ago--

https://www.ign.com/articles/2018/08/31/how-deep-space-nine-changed-star-trek-for-the-better

 

[Oddish]

This is by no means the biggest thing that made it so good, but me being the board's resident Champion of the Passed-over Promotee, I am of course going to notice...

DS9 ranked up its characters properly. Sisko made captain. Kira became a colonel. Both Daxes got promoted. Worf didn't, but he was freshly upped to LCDR when he arrived. Even Bashir got a upped from LTJG to LT.

If Harry Kim had been on DS9, he'd have been promoted twice, had a few unsuccessful romances and then met the girl of his dreams and married her, gone to war and survived, had experiences that actually changed him as a person, and ended the show as a seasoned, capable, officer, unrecognizable as the clueless noob Quark almost plucked like a chicken.

 

[Oddish]

And as an addendum, if Nog had been on Voyager, in Year 7 he'd still have been busing tables in the mess hall and getting periodically brigged for sneaking into Captain Janeway's quarters and stealing her favorite coffeepot.

 

[kkt]

Worf didn't, but he was freshly upped to LCDR when he arrived.

Not to mention the red flags in his record from "Rules of Engagement" and "Change of Heart".
It would have been downright strange for him to get promoted within the timeframe of DS9.

 

[Oddish]

Precisely. All the characters' ranks made sense.

 

[Bad Thoughts]

Would Harry Kim survive DS9? He could barely make it out of Quark's.

 

[at Quark's]

Why?

Larger worldbuilding with long, intricate storylines. Avoiding the feeling that this is just an isolated crew having their adventures that are ultimately taking place in a vacuum, without consequences (the kind of adventures that even though it 'saves the entire quadrant' one week, the case seems forgotten next week and is not ever mentioned again); the idea that decisions you've taken years before can come back to bite you from the rear. Exploration of darker, more ambiguous themes. 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. Character development.

 

[Oddish]

Would Harry Kim survive DS9? He could barely make it out of Quark's.

He might die a few times, like he did on Voyager, but he always seems to get replaced or brought back. There's a reason why I call him a durable redshirt!

 

[at Quark's]

Somehow I can see ensign Kim being possessed by a pagh' Wraith, replaced by a changeling, o'Brien complaining about him he should be more specific than 'some kind of energy weapon' 'some form of radiation', etc. I can see him saying 'the shields are down, we'll all die here!' during the battle to retake DS9, only for Garak to lash out 'quit whining and do what you're supposed to do, ensign!' I can picture him first being fooled by the charms of Mirror Ezri and then being humiliatingly defeated in hand-to-hand combat against her, etc.

 

[Oddish]

And somehow, he keeps coming back for more.

 

[tomalak301]

TNG and DS9 are my favorite treks, DS9 had the most variety in terms of stories and cast, and just what you saw episode to episode. You had the arcs, but there was a ton of humor, great character development and it really did feel like watching daily life on a Space Station.

 

[Legate Duhmar]

TNG and DS9 are my favorite treks, DS9 had the most variety in terms of stories and cast, and just what you saw episode to episode. You had the arcs, but there was a ton of humor, great character development and it really did feel like watching daily life on a Space Station.

This is essentially my view as well, TNG and DS9 to me are companion series that represent the best combination of writing, acting and special effects to create a relatable and tangible universe. DS9 especially had such great stories, character arcs, supporting players, recurring antagonist characters, and a place that really felt like a place with a real day-to-day. I think in some ways DS9 failed to fully explore the promenade and the removal of places like the Klingon Restaurant in early seasons was regrettable.

Unlike a lot of fans, to me VOY represented a step back for Star Trek and a lessening of higher minded world building and concepts. Although I ended up watching most of it during its run, it doesn't stick with me the same way as the other series and is much less rewatchable, especially compared to DS9 with its serialized arcs and deep themes. Star Trek has never really matched the peak of 1989-1999 period from a writing and production standpoint and really has not been a cultural force since.

 

[Vger23]

DS9 isn’t as good as TOS, but it’s damn close….and that’s saying a lot.

Why? Simple answer: THE CHARACTERS

 

[dupersuper]

Not to mention the red flags in his record from "Rules of Engagement" and "Change of Heart".
It would have been downright strange for him to get promoted within the timeframe of DS9.

Plus the one he got for killing Duras.