MovieChat Forums > Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993) Discussion > I love StarTrek... But I just can't get ...

I love StarTrek... But I just can't get into and enjoy this show.

posted 8 years ago by andy-1
29 replies | jump to latest

I remember trying to watch a few episodes of this when it was showing on TV around the same time ST:TNG was on and every episode that I did watch was something political going on and there was almost no action. And so I just never picked it up to watch right through.

Recently after having watched all of TNG, Voyager and various space bound Sci Fi series, I've tried to watch it again.
But I still find it a struggle to get through any episode. I just find it.. to be blunt, boring as s**t.

I had watched Babylon 5 all the way though and loved that show and now I'm starting to watch Star Trek: Enterprise and I find that, right from the get go, infinity more watchable than DS:9.

Even after going by a watch it or skip it episode guide it hasn't helped me get into DS9.
I've only gone into a few episodes of Season 2 before I've come to the conclusion that I just do this. I'm kind of annoyed at myself and slightly perplexed too giving all the other Sci Fi I watch.
But it seems DS9 is a no go for me..

Anyone else find this issue?

[–] kerryedavis 8 years ago

Most people seem able to at least push through to season 3 even if they have trouble with the earlier parts, and from then it's easy.

If nothing else works for you, maybe try jumping to near the end of season 2, then go back later to see what you missed. But it's really better if you start at the beginning. You might have "poisoned" yourself by now, though, by trying and failing several times. Now all you can think when you try to watch the earlier episodes is something like "I HATE THIS!!!"

[–] Inspector81 8 years ago

You should've started with the season 2 finale, that's the first episode with the Jem'Hadar and that's when it starts to roll. Or just start with the season 4 premiere, "The Way of the Warrior," Worf's first appearance, that's one of the best episodes of the entire series. Seasons 4-6 is where it's at for DS9.

[–] don-lope-de-aguirre 8 years ago

I remember trying to watch a few episodes of this when it was showing on TV around the same time ST:TNG was on and every episode that I did watch was something political going on and there was almost no action. And so I just never picked it up to watch right through.

Recently after having watched all of TNG, Voyager and various space bound Sci Fi series, I've tried to watch it again.
But I still find it a struggle to get through any episode. I just find it.. to be blunt, boring as s**t.

I had watched Babylon 5 all the way though and loved that show and now I'm starting to watch Star Trek: Enterprise and I find that, right from the get go, infinity more watchable than DS:9.

Even after going by a watch it or skip it episode guide it hasn't helped me get into DS9.
I've only gone into a few episodes of Season 2 before I've come to the conclusion that I just do this. I'm kind of annoyed at myself and slightly perplexed too giving all the other Sci Fi I watch.

DS9 is slow and often boring and also cheesie at the start.

Have you manged to get threw the pilot "Emissary"?

I would recommend FOR YOU to watch "Emissary", "The Maquis" (S.2E.20+21), "The Wire" (S.2 E.22), "The Jem'Hadar" (S.2E.26), "Improbable Cause" (S.3E.20), "The Die is Cast" (S.3E.21).

Than you can jump into Season 4 which is one of the best Seasons of all Star trek shows. Season 5-7 are also great (especially S. 6 which is at ,least equal to S.4).

Please tell me if it did work for you.

And by the way: DS9 is my favorite Star Trek show.
I also like Enterprise and The Next Generation very much. I like The TOS films, TNG films and the JJ reboot.

I love Babylon 5 and Firefly and like Farscape.
My favorite Sci-Fi Films are Blade Runner (Final Cut), Prometheus, The Empire Strikes Back (2011 S.E.), Star Wars, The Terminator, Alien³ (Assembly Cut), Alien (Theatrical Cut), Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (Extended Cut), Star Trek: First Contact, Star Trek, Aliens (Theatrical Cut), 12 Monkeys, The Matrix...

My favorite non-sci-fi shows: Game of Thrones, Carnivale, LOST, The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad, Twin Peaks, Six Feet Under...

[–] andy-1 8 years ago

I've definitively seen Emissary but I'll start on the others.
Are they the lead ups to the Dominion wars? which was another option
I was toying with, look up all the episodes to do with that and continue from there.

It could be the cheese factor early on that's put me off.

[–] kerryedavis 8 years ago

Well I hope you'll watch the rest of them eventually, but skipping to near the end of season 2 is really the farthest you should go, that's where the Dominion stuff really gets moving.

[–] don-lope-de-aguirre 8 years ago

I've definitively seen Emissary but I'll start on the others.
Are they the lead ups to the Dominion wars? which was another option
I was toying with, look up all the episodes to do with that and continue from there.

It could be the cheese factor early on that's put me off.

Yeah these episodes give you the most basic introduction.

If you reach season 4 you should a) be entertained rather quickly and b) able to follow all the important stuff.

I am confident that you will enjoy season 4 onward and that going back to the first 3 seasons at a later point (if you then want to) will be more rewarding.

[–] User_474 8 years ago

Skipping to season 4 is extreme. I stopped watching a few episodes into season 1 and picked it back up around halfway through season 2 I think, definitely before season 3 and had no reason to stop again.

[–] Cmmisc-176-683795 8 years ago

I agree with the others. Skip up to season 4 and then keep watching. Skips the clunkers - check the IMDB ratings. It's very good from season 4 all the way to the end.

[–] cind5 8 years ago

They started planting the seeds in season 2. That's when they got the ball rolling.

Spenser with an "S", like the poet.

[–] kerryedavis 8 years ago

Skipping all the way to season 4 is just too much. You go right past ANY lead-in to the Dominion threat and so much more.

[–] Cmmisc-176-683795 8 years ago

It is a bit much, but it seems OP is having a tough time getting to the good part.

[–] kerryedavis 8 years ago

As I mentioned before, part of the problem might come from trying to get through the same "boring" episodes over and over. Instead of starting over again AGAIN, which might be a classic example of "doing the same thing and expecting a different result" as a sign of insanity, just skip over what's already been seen - or at least, for example in the case of Emissary, skip over the "non-linear prophets" nonsense - but not all the way to the start of season FOUR!

[–] 8 years ago

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[–] theguitarman18 8 years ago

I'd say start with the last episode of season 1. The political intrigue is part of the show and pays off. Watch some episodes of seaon 2, especially "The Maquis" and "The Jem'Hadar". The first three episodes are also quite good. Then from season 3 onward you will want to watch everything. Like with TNG and the other shows, there's some duds, but the good far outways the bad.

I think DS9 trumps TNG and VOY in terms of action, especially season 3 and onwards. Because of the more serial nature of the show, everything has consequences making the action that much more meaningful. And it has the biggest battles in Star Trek history.

[–] ravi02 8 years ago

You need to watch it from the beginning because as others have said, DS9 follows a more continuous storyline than the other shows. While some Trek fans take issue with this aspect, I personally feel it takes DS9 to another level; each character (major and supporting) develops from start to finish and they all play a role in the events to follow.

When watching DS9 for the first time, I saw the pilot, but lost interest by the midpoint of Season 1, then I saw the episode "Duet" and after what happened in the season finale, I thought "well, they're doing something different with this show and taking it in another direction".

Season 2 stumbled here and there, but was much better than S1 and it introduces the main villains of the show. By Season 3, you're pretty much good to go and in Season 4, Worf from TNG arrives and joins the crew, so you should definitely give this show a chance.

I disagree with the other posters saying you said just skip to Season 4. If you do that, you'll miss out on some great episodes and miss a lot of plot and character developments. A lot of the later developments of the show are made great due to the buildup from these early storylines, so don't skip out.

Watch the best episodes from Season 1 and try to watch as much of the rest of the show as possible. Trust me, DS9 is one of the most rewarding experiences I've had and it rates as my favorite Trek show.

[–] nic-of-time 8 years ago

DS9 has the best-executed action sequences of any science-fiction series I have seen (including Battlestar Galactica). But it's not an action-heavy show. I think part of what makes the action sequences work so well is that they occur suddenly and infrequently. In between, you get to know the characters and players involved (on both sides) and that makes the battles feel more real and high-stakes. It reminds me of that old axion that "evolution is long periods of boredum interrupted occasionally by panic". That's what this show is.

Sure, you could just watch the 'arc' episodes, but in doing so I believe you'd lose their full impact. Anyway, do what you want. It's your life! :)

[–] kerryedavis 8 years ago

Anyway, do what you want. It's your life! :)

Unless you're a Vorta, or a Jem'Hadar. 😎