What did I like about DS9?

By:  Richard B.

First, character development that far exceeded any other Trek
series. The core characters were all interesting. With the other Trek
series there were always favorites and then there were characters that
made you wince. It seemed like a wasted episode whenever the show
focused on one of the wince-inducing characters. DS9 had no bad
characters. They could focus on any of the cast and I wouldn't mind. Not
only were the core characters great, DS9 had a rich cast of secondary
characters that were every bit as interesting as the core cast.

Great villains. TNG had some good continuing villains with Q and
Lore. Although, I really don't consider Q a villain. The Borg were cool
at first. But the series seemed dedicated to making them less
interesting with each subsequent appearance. "Voyager" finished the Borg
off by overusing them. "Voyager" had a decent and complex enemy with the
Vidians. But the show's premise made it impossible maintain a continuing
threat. But DS9 had an abundance of continuing villains. Kai Winn,
Dukat, the Founders, Weyoun, Eddington, and the Jem Hadar were all
great, as well as complex, villains.

The continuing format allowed for greater depth and more complex
storylines that no other Trek series can match. That style of
storytelling allowed "Enterprise" to produce a much improved season last
year. 

The FX were first rate. The battles of the Dominion War feature some
the best FX I've seen on TV or the big screen. DS9 showed me sights that
I've always wanted to see.

Despite the presence of a wormhole to another quadrant, DS9 was all
about the Alpha Quadrant. We saw all the major races involved in a
quadrant spanning war that will have lasting effects on the Federation
as well as the other major empires. Unlike "Voyager", DS9 actually
changed the face of the Trek Universe. At the end of the Dominion War,
we see an alliance of the Federation, the Klingons, the Romulans, and
the Cardassians. When has that ever happened?=A0I was disappointed that
the new Trek series was a prequel. Because I would've liked to have seen
more exploration of the Alpha Quadrant during this new era. DS9 was "The
Lord Of the Rings" of Trek. 

No Borg. Oh sure we saw them in the opening episode. But that was a
flashback to something that had already happened (and another scene I
always wanted to see). But DS9 didn't trot out the Borg to improve
ratings like the other series after TOS. Even the Next Gen films played
the Borg card when the first film proved underwhelming. DS9 didn't need
the Borg.   DS9 just excelled in every catagory. Great characters, great
stories, spectacular FX, and far-reaching impact on the Trek universe.

By Mithril:

In it’s seven years on the air (I wish  it could have been longer), DS9 had
what I feel are several accomplishments that  no other Trek did. It’s these
accomplishments that made it the unique and  interesting show that it was.
In no particular order other than as  they came to mind.
The Trekiverse is grey. In DS9 this was  shown quite exquisitely.  Characters
 make decisions that will in some cases come back to haunt them or are
questionable. No one in DS9 was perfect. Sisko uses Garak to help him get the
Romulans into the dominion War (which involves an assassination), Kira hates the
Cardassians and ends up helping them with their revolution.  There are other
examples, but these will  do.
Sisko is a single parent. This is done  well, without Jake being the focal
point of the show, or saving the crew.  He’s just a kid. He doesn’t want to go
to Starfleet, he wants to be a writer. Jake and Sisko grow with the show.
Their relationship is realistic and  fun.
The Ferengi become real. In TNG the  Ferengi were one dimensional characters.
In DS9 they get a culture and we learn  quite a bit about them. While they
are a greedy, avaricious race, they are also  capable of much more. Quark does a
few heroic things; such as warning Starfleet  about the Dominion’s plot,
saving his Mother from them. Rom goes from a bumpkin  to marrying a lovely dabo
girl and becoming an engineer under O’Brien on the station. Nog goes to
Starfleet as the first  Ferengi (and non-Federation citizen) gets wounded in the war
and becomes a  lieutenant.  DS9 did a lot with  those jug eared gnomes.
Death. Death was quite real on DS9. It  came unexpectedly and suddenly. Dax
gets killed, Kurn ‘dies’ in that his memory  is wiped and he can never regain
it. Dumar dies leading his revolution against  the Dominion overseers. Kai
Opaka, whose doomed to a living death on a prison planet  (which she accepts). It’
s done realistically and permanently. No last second  reprieves here.
The Dominion War. For a lot of fans this  was a turn off. For me this was
brilliant. Trek has spoken often of war, but the  writers of DS9 brought it home.
War is horrible and should be shown as  such.  Episodes like “The Siege of
AR-558,” where both sides really slaughter one another, show just how horrible.
 But in another ep, where the crew is reading the latest casualty list (In
the  Pale Moonlight) is just as horrible.  For me, it’s right to show war like
this.  As Robert E. Lee said, “It is good that war is so horrible, else we
should grow too fond of it.”
The Defiant – a brilliant little ship  designed for war. Why is this an
accomplishment? Because quite simply, space  isn’t friendly. Yes, Humanity has
grown up and want’s to be friends with  everyone. But not everyone out there
(Borg, Dominion, Breen) wants to be friends back.  Not all Federation Starships
should be  designed to be multitasking ships, some ships like the Defiant are
necessary. A  sad but true fact.
The Bajorans and their culture.  I liked the idea of the Bajorans way  back
when Ro came aboard the Enterprise. DS9 just built on this. While I’m not a
religious  person and do see the benefits of a society that either evolved beyond
religion  or had total religious tolerance, I find it unlikely that every
single world in  or outside of the Federation would feel so. The writers didn’t
beat us over the  head with the Bajorans beliefs, but used them logically in
stories meant to  entice our curiosity.
The writers took more chances than any  Trek since TOS. Not only the war, but
DS9 dealt with single parenting, religion,  religious fanatcism, enemies
becoming allies, assassination, same sex relations  (which since it dealt with two
symbionts meeting again, was totally out there).  The writers of DS9 never
shirked when it came to making a difficult decision.  And this added to the
luster of the show.
Well there is more that I could say, but  I think this message has gone on
enough. I’ll leave it for others to add to  it.

By Theresa Bergen

Jumping on the 'I love DS9' bandwagon...I agree with Mithrill
completely...I also think the character development over the course of 7
years is superb. Look at Bashir who starts out as a bumbling, girl-crazy
goof and ends up a respected colleague with a keen intellect. Miles
can't stand him in the beginning and in the end they are best friends.
And I love how we get to watch Jake grow from boy to man.
Sheesh, even Damar has redeeming qualities by the end of his character's
progression. Nobody stagnates, except maybe Morn
When the series ending I was so overwhelmed with emotion...I wanted
more. I wanted to see what happened next with all these characters I
come to love. I've read all the post-series books. They're good, but it
just isn't the same.

By Dennis Evans

Let me tell you what it is that I like so much.  The main thing is
the Characters.  This was the first show since my beloved TOS in which I
loved all the characters.  TNG and Voyager were filled with characters I
just couldn't stand and that made it hard for me to fall in love with
those shows as I did TOS and DS9.  Don't get me wrong both TNG and
Voyager had characters I loved as well but not very many.  I also feel
that DS9 was more true to the TOS than any show going, until perhaps
Enterprise if it keeps going like it has this season.

What DS9 had that TOS didn't was decent enough ratings that there was
never any doubt it was coming back next season and it always had the
budget to do the stories they wanted to do.

DS9 also gave us great thought provoking stories and the best overall
writing of any Trek series.

DS9 hit its first home run in the first season with Duet.  This was a
great story with a powerfully ending.  It took TNG over two seasons to
produce a show that came anywhere near the quality of this one.
Voyager, IMHO never did but that is a discussion for another day.

While TNG and Voyager did lots of stories meant to comment on social and
political issues they all to often were lack luster and way to preachy.
The later probably due to the fact that the former due to the lack
luster episodes.  DS9 dealt with these issues too but had them within
such wonderful and well written story lines that I took them in easily.
I never, or rarely felt I was being preached at.

Development of characters.  While TNG did a good deal of development
with its characters they rarely gave us strong recurring characters.
DS9 did this in spades.  By the end of its Seven years we not only had
come to know the main cast of this show but a whole host of characters
seen again and again.  The show took the Ferengi from the silly one
dimensional chracters seen in TNG and gave them some depth and made them
a little more interesting.  Even with a Klingon aboard the Enterprise we
learn more about this species on DS9 than on all the previous Treks put
together.
Characters such as Weyoun, Brunt, The female Shapeshifter, Garak,
Martok, Dukot, Ziyal, and Dumar are all greatly developed.  Heck in Morn
who never speaks a word is developed better than a some characters we
see later in Voyager.

DS9 also dealt with two subjects neither of it predecessors really dealt
with fully.  War and Religion and did both very well.  While both TOS
and TNG had battles and such neither really dealt with War in all its
glory and ugliness and DS9 did this and did it well.

As a Christian I could appreciate they was the show portrayed the
Bajoran religious beliefs.  They were never belittled or proved to be
wrong or right.  It showed both the good and negative sides of religion.

DS9 dealt with the grittier side of Trek all too often ignored by TNG
and even TOS which favored the super positive wonderful future.  While
this comes through in its on way we see the more dirty side of Starfleet
service in this series.

Well, I guess that sums up my opinion of DS9 pretty much.  I feel
certain that my praise will change few minds about his but still this is
how I feel about it.  To me this was the perfect Trek series and I don't
feel it could ever be beat.  Though I would love it if it were. (G)