this post was submitted on 18 Nov 2023
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Risa
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I watched this for the first time yesterday. Going through DS9 starting from Season 1.
I don't hate it, but it can be skipped as it has nothing to do with anything after. Actually the more I think about it the less I like it. I do like how the aliens are basically explorers just like Starfleet just different. That's a spoiler but honestly who cares lol
To give some context: DS9 is from the 90s, where series were basically stand alone episodes with occasional two parters.
That said, DS9 is one of the first series that break that. Not in the first season maybe and I'm not going to spoil you but there are archs that are returned to in several episodes, things that change for good and stories that expend the 90s two parter by alot.
This isn't much compared to modern standards and you don't have to like it, but it's not as bad as the first season suggests and it's progressive for its time. Maybe that helps you to appreciate the series but maybe it doesn't, take it or leave it.
I've seen a bunch of DS9 when it was fresh on TV especially when Worf joined in but there are a lot of missing episodes I haven't seen yet. So the overall arching plot is known to me.
It's these weird one off bottle episodes that are new to me.
I think the serialized format it eventually took on is what has kept it from wider syndication. Most of the time shows are in syndication, the network picks and chooses the most popular episodes, whereas with DS9, it would be very hard to skip through a lot of the episodes without making it hard to follow. Essentially, it is far more suited for streaming services.
There is one small thing linking this episode to the rest - Sisko's baseball. The alien posing as Buck Bokai gives Sisko the ball that spends the rest of the series on his desk. I also actually quite like all of the interactions between Sisko and Bokai.
So that IS his baseball? I wasn't 100% but I did wonder for a second. Neat.
A lot of Season 1 is skippable if you feel like it. I'm sure there's a website out there with essential Season 1 episodes, but they didn't really know what they were doing with the show yet.