DS9 is my favorite TV series ever. I missed season 1 and about half of season 2 during the original run, I guess because I was 14 when the show started and didn't have much of an attention span. Caught all of the episodes (except for just a couple) on Spike a few years back and catch a random episode on a local TV station from time to time. Anyway, I let my wife know exactly what I wanted from Santa this year and she (oops, i mean he) delivered with all seven season box sets!
I pretty much tore through the first and second seasons in two weeks and I'm in the middle of season 3 right now. I know, I need to pace myself.
Anyway, thoughts so far:
1. I'm surprised at how good the early episodes truly are. I always hear people say how the show didn't pick up steam until season 3 and 4, but I enjoyed many episodes in the first two seasons immensely. Yes, there are some clunkers (The Storyteller sticks out as being particularly awful) but overall the series is solid, complex and thoughtful even this early on.
2. I dearly love Avery Brooks and the character of Sisko, but he is so lost early on. I don't really think he understood the character. Lots of strange mannerisms and facial expressions that struck me as silly in moments that shouldn't have been. His little "head tilt and chuckle" maneuver seemed like a go-to when he didn't know how the character was supposed to react.
I think he may have finally figured it out early in season 2 with the Circle episodes. I really enjoyed that story. Sisko seemed much more at ease with himself by then.
3. It's funny how long it took them to develop the lesser characters. Even midway through season 3, Garak, Quark, Rom and especially Dukat haven't been explored very much. Even Jake is used very sparingly. It strikes me as amazing that the writers were able to up the ante in later seasons with the war arc and still find time to establish such a great group of peripheral characters.
4. Again, so many underrated episodes in the early seasons. How freaking good was Progress? Awesome acting in that one. "Dramatis Personnae" - great change of pace. Sisko's role was great there. Great moral dilemmas in both "Cardassians" and "Sanctuary". And great character studies in "The Wire", "Blood Oath", "Duet", etc.
Of course, I know how everything ends. There's not quite the suspense of waiting until 10:30 the next Sunday night, but I'm happy to say that the show has lost none of its appeal since it ended. It may even be more socially relevant than it was when it first aired. You have to appreciate everyone involved for making such an enduring quality program.
I pretty much tore through the first and second seasons in two weeks and I'm in the middle of season 3 right now. I know, I need to pace myself.
Anyway, thoughts so far:
1. I'm surprised at how good the early episodes truly are. I always hear people say how the show didn't pick up steam until season 3 and 4, but I enjoyed many episodes in the first two seasons immensely. Yes, there are some clunkers (The Storyteller sticks out as being particularly awful) but overall the series is solid, complex and thoughtful even this early on.
2. I dearly love Avery Brooks and the character of Sisko, but he is so lost early on. I don't really think he understood the character. Lots of strange mannerisms and facial expressions that struck me as silly in moments that shouldn't have been. His little "head tilt and chuckle" maneuver seemed like a go-to when he didn't know how the character was supposed to react.
I think he may have finally figured it out early in season 2 with the Circle episodes. I really enjoyed that story. Sisko seemed much more at ease with himself by then.
3. It's funny how long it took them to develop the lesser characters. Even midway through season 3, Garak, Quark, Rom and especially Dukat haven't been explored very much. Even Jake is used very sparingly. It strikes me as amazing that the writers were able to up the ante in later seasons with the war arc and still find time to establish such a great group of peripheral characters.
4. Again, so many underrated episodes in the early seasons. How freaking good was Progress? Awesome acting in that one. "Dramatis Personnae" - great change of pace. Sisko's role was great there. Great moral dilemmas in both "Cardassians" and "Sanctuary". And great character studies in "The Wire", "Blood Oath", "Duet", etc.
Of course, I know how everything ends. There's not quite the suspense of waiting until 10:30 the next Sunday night, but I'm happy to say that the show has lost none of its appeal since it ended. It may even be more socially relevant than it was when it first aired. You have to appreciate everyone involved for making such an enduring quality program.
