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110 out of 133 people found the following review useful: The Jewel in the Crown, 30 August 2002 Author: Lupercali from Tasmania
DS 9 is simply the best of the Star Trek series, and, I suspect, will eventually emerge from its black sheep status and be remembered as the most mature and compelling SF series of the 20th century.So what makes it so good? The whole overarching concept about Bajor, the wormhole aliens, Cisco's origins and destiny, the tension between different races and characters, and (perhaps most of all) the _continuity_ once the Dominion War begins (in many ways the last four seasons are more like one collossal 75-hour movie than a series of discreet episodes).If there is a fault to DS9 it is probably that it took some time to hit its straps. The early seasons were not up to the quality of seasons 4-7, but when Worf arrives, The Defiant arrives, Cisco shaves his head, and The Dominion set their sites on the Alpha Quadrant, you have yourselves a hands down classic for the final 4 seasons.Character development and personal relationships are handled far more satisfyingly and richly here than in any other ST series. There is nothing elsewhere in the ST franchise to compare with the Odo/Kira relationship (or even the Odo/Quark, Bashir/O'brien relationships if it comes to that). There are no dud major characters (even if Avery Brooks is given to occaisional fits of extreme over-acting) - and nestled in amongst the Dominion War story arc somewhere is that one little jewel of an episode where the entire cast are working for a SF pulp magazine in the late 40's - an absolute pearler that I could watch over and again.I became far more emotionally attached to the characters of DS9 than any other Start Trek series. I recently re-watched the whole thing on video, and was genuinely sad to see it end, all over again.Damn, I miss that show. They could have run it forever as far as I'm concerned. The really sad thing is, it was such a perfectly self-contained story that there is almost no prospect of any DS9 movies - which is doubly tragic, if the Next Generation movies are going to finish with Nemesis.Or maybe not. Let's face it; Star Trek has failed on the big screen more often than it has scored. Where it really belongs is on the small screen, and DS 9 is the pinnacle of its achievement in that media, in my opinion.
100 out of 120 people found the following review useful: Greatest series of all time, 16 December 1999 Author: ec-7 from australia
Before DeepSpace 9 I could say that I was not much of an ST fan. But I rented our the first movie "Emmisary" once just to take a look at what some had been saying bout it. From here on I was hooked, this was the most rich and diverse universe I've seen in a long time. None of these one shot location scenes being whole planets. None of these random encounters every episode with a brand new planet and new race and having no consequence on other episodes to follow. No, DS9 was far more detailed, you have politics, religion , love, drama ... everything. It makes the show seem so real. Then coupled with some of the most uniqu , interesting characters you just can't but help fall in love with this show.A plot with such a well crafted and beautiful linear path always leaving you wanting more and wanting to know how it will all turn out. With the occasional intensly humourous episodes to the tears of a loss of major character. Deep Space 9 has it all and more.Words alone can not describe how entralling and captivating this show is, you really have to see it for yourself. Deep Space 9 has something about it that no other show has or can come close to achieving.Nothing compares.
88 out of 108 people found the following review useful: Trek for everyone else, 16 October 1998 Author: anonymous from SF, California
I won't say much about "Deep Space Nine" other than that it is the most well written, off-beat, and truly suspenseful of the Star Trek series. It is the series for everyone else... those who don't enjoy happy Star Trek (ie- "Next Generation), weird Star Trek (ie- "The Original"), or dumb Star Trek (ie- "Voyager").It has a much darker tone, with a story-line that, if anyone watched from the beginning of the story arc to what is on currently, could understand and enjoy. It doesn't have the traditional "We are the Champions and can solve any problem in an hour". It features low-life, people making mistakes in judgement, conflicts over spirituality, and a much more human and less superficial look at one of pop culture's little universes. It features war-torn individuals and petty conflicts over land. Problems with culture-clash, government conspiracy and corruption, etc... This list could go on and on.The main thing that makes "Deep Space Nine" different is that it is a Star Trek series for folks who don't want a lot of technobabble (not that there isn't any) Star Trek, where problems just go away or perfect people on a perfect ship that always win. It makes it more interesting for the watcher, almost like reading a novel. Most people, especially non-Trek fans, who had watched the series from its conception or joined when the story arc began about 4 years ago will know what I mean when I say this is an untraditional type of Star Trek. And those who haven't, try it. It's definitely a move away from the stereotype most folks have about the Star Trek series (though of the other Star Treks, I can't say the same.)
59 out of 72 people found the following review useful: IMAGINATIVE SERIES, 2 May 2002 Author: Big Movie Fan from England
Before Deep Space Nine aired back in 1993 I felt quite a bit of apprehension. How could they have a Star Trek series without a ship going off exploring? I wasn't going to watch it but being a fan Star Trek and Star Trek:The Next Generation I had to watch it.I was pleasantly surprised by Deep Space Nine. The stories were fantastic. The writers were very imaginative-they had to be. There was no jetting off in starships from planet to planet. Everything was set on Deep Space Nine which made for more interesting storylines. And storylines continued throughout the season. Deep Space Nine was not like most sci-fi shows where starships leave a planet at the end of the episode and jet off to their next adventure. Instead, all the action came to Deep Space Nine instead.The characters were good too and not all of them were buddies with each other. Avery Brooks made a good Commander and the talented Nana Visitor did a good job playing Kira. Two other memorable characters were the mysterious Odo and the slimy Quark.If anyone wants to watch a thought provoking show without seeing starships jetting off from galaxy to galaxy then this is the show for you.
46 out of 62 people found the following review useful: The best Trek by far, 17 July 2004 Author: thebeermonster23 from England
This is easily the best of all the Star Trek series. The characters are likable, and develop well over time. Of course it helps that many of the characters are warm and funny and very well fleshed out. Quark is a favourite of mine, always funny and well acted. The story itself is great, and really picks up in season 4. Having a plot that develops throughout rather than just stand-alone stories like many of the Next Generation episodes helps it a lot. The Religion v Science aspects are an interesting addition to a science-fiction show. Ideas created in TNG are carried forward and developed, such as the Trills, while in TNG they simply move their personality to a new body in this the idea is taken further and the personalities are merged, making the race much more interesting. One of the great aspects of the show is the relationships between the characters. O'Brian and Julian seem like genuine friends, Odo and Quark and their rivalry, and the on going feud of Sisko and Gul Dukat, the two commanders of the Station. The series created some genuinely good characters. Sisko, the Federation Officer torn between duty and destiny. Garak, the traitor with decidedly dark past, and Gul Dukat, a truly great villain. The series succeeds with a grand plot, paints a wider picture of the Star Trek Universe, and would make for some great feature films.
53 out of 77 people found the following review useful: DS9 is the best, 22 January 2005 Author: litejay83 from N Y
I'm 21 years old, not many of my friends watch star trek, as a matter of fact, I don't know anyone in my age group who watches star trek, too uncool for them. I'm almost ashame to say that voyager was my first love. first because of 7 of 9, she was the sexiest thing i've ever seen.But just out of curiosity I downloaded "Emissary" and "What you leave behind". I did the same for TNG, I downloaded "Encounter at Farpoint Station" and "All good things." Needless to say, I was most impressed with DS9. It was so real, well written and well acted.I downloaded as much episodes as i could find online. but I could only find about 50. Damn! so...I had no choice but to get the whole 7 season DVD collection. It was so expensive too. I think it's the most expensive DVD set series out there. Anyway It was a good investment. The episodes were so good. I watch them over and over. each time i see something new in the episodes and I appreciate it more.A part of me was wishing they would make a movie out of DS9 but after seeing what they did with TNG and nemesis..no way. Leave DS9 as it is. It's a thing of beauty. I only wished more people my age would give it a try. I mean i "loved" janeway,I thought she was great and the episodes were great but after seeing just a few episodes of DS9 i know it's the best and Dax is my girl...both of them. I love Kira too and Sisko(yea yea i know he's not as "charismatic" as picard but you know what, he's firm, direct and real. DS9 Pour Toujours
36 out of 49 people found the following review useful: Prior to "Improbable Cause/The Die Is Cast," I had always compared DS9 to TNG, or DS9 to its then new sister show VOY...but no longer. :), 14 October 2003 Author: James J. Kim-2 from Home is where the heart is...
In your honest opinion, when do you believe that DS9 stopped simply being "at least as good as TNG..." to achieving the greatness that we all come to love and enjoy today? Although the producers attempted it with "Past Tense, I & II" (it was more of a self-congratulatory pat on the back for the writers, but the earth didn't move, and it didn't generate the kind of buzz that "The Best of Both Worlds, I & II" produced, which they had hoped for, but simply did not happen, because oftentimes, you can't force lightning in a bottle..) for me, it happened when I saw "Improbable Cause/The Die Is Cast." At that moment, I realized that these very 2 episodes were something that I had never seen out of Star Trek before, and both episodes simply blew just about everything else out of the water! The dialogue-intense "Improbable Cause" and (at the time..) the f/x-heavy "The Die Is Cast" (Star Trek's 1st, all-out, full-blown fleet battle!!) packed a one-two punch that not even "Emissary," "The Best of Both Worlds, I & II," and "Past Tense, I & II" could beat in terms of sheer brilliance, awe, and execution. At that moment, I knew that there was no turning back for DS9. Prior to "Improbable Cause/The Die Is Cast," I had always compared DS9 to TNG, or DS9 to its then new sister show VOY...but no longer. It feels good to know that (not coincidentally..) this occured at the exact moment Michael Piller handedover the baton to Ira Behr (the transfer of power happened between the 2 episodes..). If you want proof, just look how Behr allowed Avery Brooks to have a goatee in the following episode, the episodes were more action-packed (no longer limited to the once or twice a year "token action moments" in Piller's otherwise pacifistic approach..) and you hardly heard much technobabble from that moment onward... Those 2 incredible episodes finally completely won me over that DS9 could stand on its own 2 feet, and create superior episodes that needed no comparisons whatsoever to its sister series TNG and VOY. Everything was uphill from there and onward...DS9 didn't have to prove itself to anybody, being free to showcase episodes without the limitations that constricted the show that came before it, and the shows that came after it.
29 out of 41 people found the following review useful: The Best Written Star Trek Series Ever, 25 September 2004 Author: Diane Dixon (trydabuffalo) from Detroit, MI
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
I loved this show, even though at the time it was out, I was rather young. I didn't get all of the plot lines. So when they put it back on Spike TV, I was delighted. The characters were complicated, hilarious and interesting and the story lines were fantastic. I can only think of maybe a handful of bad episodes*when I say a handful, I mean about 6, almost all of them having to do with the Grand Nagus.* Unlike Voyager, which kept jumping the shark every other episode, DS9 kept you interested with one storyline. The only time this show ever turned bad was when they killed off Jadzia. And as the 7th season progressed and we got more and more used to Ezri, the showed jumped back. In my opinion, it was just as good or even better than TNG and I think that they should really make a movie out of it. All we've been stuck with is Enterprise and reading the 8th season of DS9.
34 out of 55 people found the following review useful: Avery Brooks: Deep Space Nine's Emissary, 13 July 2002 Author: James J. Kim-2 from Home is where the heart is...
From what I have seen of Avery Brooks, he is a talented, charismatic "movie actor." Every single movie I've seen him in, whether it is a theatrical release or a TV movie of the week, he immediately grabbed my attention -- and at times even stole the spotlight away from the major leads.Just watch Roots: The Gift, American History X, and 15 Minutes, and you'll see what I mean. His strong voice, and the soul-searching look in his eyes makes you want to know more about the character he's portraying. Brooks put all his creative energy and experience into the portrayal of Ben Sisko in "Emissary," and at times, I believe that he had a tough time measuringup to his tour-de-force performance in the pilot episode. Brooks is truly great when his character takes center stage, as opposed to just twiddling around in the background.I do have to pointout that when DS9 first premiered, Avery Brooks didn't get much fanfare (unlike Kate Mulgrew and Scott Bakula), and after the pilot episode, the character of Sisko was under-utilized for 2 full seasons. Also, the fact that Brooks was catapulted into an unfamiliar "Trek environment" (i.e. a space station), his was the first Trek main character without the presence of the beloved "captain's chair." Without the big chair, wandering around the station, making sure "his town" was in tip-top shape, where was Brooks supposed to draw his inspiration from: Andy Griffith? Finally, those initial DS9 jumpsuits looked unflattering on Brooks. Those casual jumpsuits may look good on actors who appear youthful (i.e. Farrell, El Fadil), but for someone with more of a square-jawed look and mature demeanor (i.e. Brooks, Meaney), it just makes them look less professional -- which can translate into the viewers' eyes as being "less responsible" (although, that certainly wasn't the main intent of the producers).I believe that when Brooks grew his trademark goatee, and shaved his hair, this gave him confidence, and the viewers were immediately drawn to his newfound charisma. It also helped balanceout his look on the show. Brooks' "mature-looking baldhead and goatee" was an effective contrast against his "youthful-looking costume" Since he looked older, he started acting older -- whereas Commander Sisko seemed like "a big brother" to his crewmembers, Captain Sisko definitely had the presence of a patriarchal figure (ala Patrick Stewart of TNG). I found this approach much more effective. Furthermore, the character of Sisko started to become the central focus of the show around 3rd season, leaving behind Bajoran-themed storylines in favor of Federation-themed plotlines. By the 4th season premiere -- Avery Brooks finally arrived! :)It's a shame that there are some viewers out there who judge Brooks by his under-written performance during DS9's 1st and 2nd seasons. At that point, the writers didn't get his character down, the producers didn't get his look down, and placed him in an unfamiliar Trek-environment. If viewers were able to give Patrick Stewart a chance after 2 lousy seasons of TNG, I believe that Brooks deserves the same when it comes to DS9. Brooks has without a doubt proven himself effective in the role of Benjamin Sisko, and it would be a waste of his time and energy to prove himself to all the naysayers out there...He's got better things to do. :)
48 out of 85 people found the following review useful: "Star Trek is capable of doing way better than this...and that quality is in DS9!, 14 October 2003 Author: James J. Kim-2 from Home is where the heart is...
A few months back, after my growing dissatisfaction with the way TNG ended in Nemesis (it might have been 5-6 months ago)...and I had to just slap myself and say "Star Trek is capable of doing way better than this...and that quality is in DS9!" Right there and then, I knew that I was a Niner! I always knew, especially after the airing of "Improbable Cause/The Die is Cast," that DS9 was capable of pushing the envelope, and create the kind cutting-edge episodes that TNG (and especially its sister series, VOY..) tended to avoid due to its formulaic, PC-nature.Although I am an open-minded individual, I myself grew pretty tired of PC by the summer of 1993, and currently realize that my world views reflect more closely to that of DS9, rather than the sterile, stuffy world of TNG. There are a lot of grey areas that we encounter in our daily lives, and not everything tends to be black and white. Only DS9 understood that fully out of all 5 Star Trek series. I also appreciated the fact that mankind was still fallible, and capable of making decisions based on emotions, rather than logic, like the TNG crew.I still have a soft spot for the TNG crew, such as my appreciation for the 1st Season Commander William T. Riker, but I have to concede that DS9 showcased more fully-realized characters through its superior writing between the 2 series. The only thing that TNG trumps DS9 on is that they have a more charismatic actor in the form of Patrick Stewart. Not to knock Avery Brooks, but whereas when TNG's writing was lacking, Stewart madeup for it with his supreme screen presence and screen performance, I feel that when it was Brooks who was lacking (especially in the earlier seasons, and even up to mid-Season 3..), it was DS9's superior writing that made the show the quality series that we acknowledge and love today.So, I had to ask myself, which should I choose: 1.) TNG = a charismatic actor (Stewart) who makes the material appear considerably better than it actually is due to his sheer brilliant presence and talent.2.) DS9 = a reluctant male lead (Brooks), who is a good actor but not the best of the ensemble (nor the supporting cast, for that matter..), but is part of a well-written and well-executed series that blows the 4 other live-action Star Trek series out of the water!A few months after the dysmal performance of Nemesis, and my admiration for Patrick Stewart's Captain Picard had waned (Let's face it, the screenplay, the choppy editing, and the poor direction simply sucked..), my admiration for DS9 grew more and more, always knowing since mid-1995 that DS9 was the more quality series compared to that of its sister series TNG. I took the Stewart and Brooks comparisons aside (Where I believe that Stewart is a more charismatic actor, but that Brook's DS9 is the more superior show in terms of writing and overall execution..), and then decided to look at TNG and DS9 side-by-side. Except for the category of the most charismatic captain, DS9 was the clear-cut winner across the board in virtually all the categories!That's when I knew...That is when I simply knew. :)
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