Abridged DS9 Viewing List

[CRM-114]

I started a thread back in 2019 when I was watching DS9 for the first time and giving my thoughts on each episode. That thread can be seen here but is no longer active: https://www.trekbbs.com/threads/i-am-watching-ds9-for-the-first-time-some-observations.299822/

Part of the problem was that I hit a stretch of episodes in late Season 2 that I was having some trouble getting through, particularly "Crossover". I just cannot get into the Mirror Universe. So for that and a few other reasons, I just stopped watching for a couple of years.

Finally, a couple of months ago, someone in a Star Trek Facebook group posted a list of 107 episodes that in one way or another tied into the Dominion War arch. It streamlines the series to its most important threads from beginning to end, leaving the viewer the opportunity to watch the most meaningful stories while filtering out the extraneous. The categories were by the original author; the episodes are grouped by general themes, and are in their airdate order, but categories may span over multiple seasons.

Giving proper credit to the original poster, David O'Neill, who may or may not even be a member here (I honestly don't know), these are the episodes and their categories:

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
The Dominion Arc

Prelude: Introduction, Politics, and Religion
01. Emissary
02. Past Prologue
03. A Man Alone
04. The Nagus
05. Battle Lines
06. If Wishes Were Horses
07. Duet
08. In the Hands of the Prophets
09. The Homecoming
10. The Circle
11. The Siege
12. Cardassians

Part 1: A Stir in the Night
13. Rules of Acquisition
14. Sanctuary
15. The Alternate
16. Shadowplay
17. The Maquis
18. The Maquis, Part 2
19. The Wire
20. The Collaborator
21. The Jem'Hadar

Part 2: Revelations
22. The Search
23. The Search, Part 2
24. The House of Quark
25. The Abandoned
26. Civil Defense
27. Defiant
28. Life Support
29. Heart of Stone
30. Prophet Motive
31. Visionary
32. Improbable Cause
33. The Die is Cast
34. Explorers
35. Shakaar
36. Family Business
37. The Adversary

Part 3: Conflicts
38. The Way of the Warrior
39. Hippocratic Oath
40. Indiscretion
41. Starship Down
42. Little Green Men
43. Homefront
44. Paradise Lost
45. Crossfire
46. Return to Grace
47. Bar Association
48. Accession
49. For the Cause
50. To the Death
51. The Quickening
52. Body Parts
53. Broken Link

Part 4: Battle Stations
54. Apocalypse Rising
55. The Ship
56. ...Nor the Battle to the Strong
57. The Assignment
58. The Ascent
59. Rapture
60. The Begotten
61. In Purgatory's Shadow
62. By Inferno's Light
63. Doctor Bashir, I Presume?
64. Ties of Blood & Water
65. Ferengi Love Songs
66. Children of Time
67. Blaze of Glory
68. In the Cards
69. A Call to Arms

Part 5: Into the Darkness
70. A Time to Stand
71. Rocks and Shoals
72. Sons and Daughters
73. Behind the Lines
74. Favor the Bold
75. Sacrifice of Angels
76. You Are Cordially Invited...
77. Statistical Probabilities
78. The Magnificent Ferengi
79. Waltz
80. One Little Ship
81. Change of Heart
82. Inquisition
83. In the Pale Moonlight
84. His Way
85. The Reckoning
86. Valiant
87. Tears of the Prophets

Part 6: The Cost of War
88. Image in the Sand
89. Shadows and Symbols
90. Afterimage
91. Chrysalis
92. Treachery, Faith and the Great River
93. Once More Unto the Breach
94. The Siege of AR-588
95. Covenant
96. It's Only a Paper Moon
97. Chimera
98. Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges

Part 7: Final Conflict
99. Penumbra
100. 'Til Death Do Us Part
101. Strange Bedfellows
102. The Changing Face of Evil
103. When It Rains...
104. Tacking into the Wind
105. Extreme Measures
106. The Dogs of War
107. What You Leave Behind

I may use this thread to start up giving my thoughts again as I watch. What does anyone think of this list? Anything left out that should be included or should anything be omitted?

 

[DS9forever]

It's an okay list but it shows the fallacy of such lists. The Visitor and Far Beyond the Stars are omitted and they are in the top 20 ST episodes of all time.

 

[somebuddyX]

It's probably fine but you're missing a lot of good episodes, like The Visitor, FBTS, Necessary Evil, Thing's Past. And on the other hand some of the episodes in the list, like Sanctuary or Shadowplay have the barest of links to the major arcs. And you can't get into "Crossover"?! I love the second half of Season 2.

 

[Bad Thoughts]

I'd argue that anyone could skip Rules of Acquisition and Sanctuary and still fully appreciate the Dominion story. Conversely, episodes, like Far Beyond the Stars, get to the heart of Sisko, the hero, whose story is central to all DS9 arcs.

ETA: I think the problem is that one can't both abridge the series but be guided by FOMO when selecting individual episodes. Some stories not only are peripheral, but also lack quality. Sons and Daughters and Valiant, for instance, merely use the Dominion as background, but are not specifically necessary for the story. Any adversary would suffice as the important stuff is the character drama.

 

[Captain pl1ngpl0ng]

Anything left out that should be included

This is probably a silly answer to you, but if you've never seen the last 5 seasons...
Yeah... i just cant imagine anything else than you would be happy if you watched them all...
(and probably also a little bit in love with DS9.)

 

[CRM-114]

I'd argue that anyone could skip Rules of Acquisition and Sanctuary and still fully appreciate the Dominion story. Conversely, episodes, like Far Beyond the Stars, get to the heart of Sisko, the hero, whose story is central to all DS9 arcs.

I think Rules of Acquisition was included for the same reason Sanctuary was included; they have the earliest references to the Dominion.

 

[CRM-114]

It's probably fine but you're missing a lot of good episodes, like The Visitor, FBTS, Necessary Evil, Thing's Past. And on the other hand some of the episodes in the list, like Sanctuary or Shadowplay have the barest of links to the major arcs. And you can't get into "Crossover"?! I love the second half of Season 2.

I'm sorry, but I've always found the Mirror Universe to be a very hokey concept.

I see the list as a guide rather than a series of hard-and-fast rules. I like it because it's motivated me to keep watching while also giving me the key points, but with the built-in freedom to watch anything that the list skips. Hence, why I asked if there were any omissions.

 

[vulcancicada]

I love the mirror universe episodes as their own arc. It's nice to have the 'moral goodness' removed from everyone's characters. If you start in ENT, then go to TOS, DS9 - it's a fun little series about a topsy-turvy world. The mirror episodes from DS9 are my favourite.

 

[CRM-114]

I'd like to stress the point that the list does not generally concerned with quality, although some notoriously bad episodes are skipped (Move Along Home, Profit and Lace). Since the list is largely built around themes, are there any episodes that are omitted that I should watch? For example, should I watch the Past Tense two parter?

 

[kkt]

It's an okay list but it shows the fallacy of such lists. The Visitor and Far Beyond the Stars are omitted and they are in the top 20 ST episodes of all time.

Top episodes of ANY television show.

(Okay, I haven't watched every TV show ever, but at least tops among those that I've seen which includes many very good ones.)

 

[somebuddyX]

I'm sorry, but I've always found the Mirror Universe to be a very hokey concept.

I see the list as a guide rather than a series of hard-and-fast rules. I like it because it's motivated me to keep watching while also giving me the key points, but with the built-in freedom to watch anything that the list skips. Hence, why I asked if there were any omissions.

No that's fair. I'm not fond of how the other MU episodes went but that one I always enjoyed.
In regards to Past Tense, I think it's a good issue episode about homelessness and mental health but it doesn't impact anything if you miss it.

 

[CRM-114]

To stress how the list has motivated me to keep watching, when I started following it, I had left off (for a couple of years!) at "Crossover". Since I started using it, I am now as far as "Indiscretion".

 

[gweeps]

Watch the whole series. We're not talking about The Twilight Zone here.

 

[CRM-114]

Watch the whole series. We're not talking about The Twilight Zone here.

I'll watch any episode if it seems interesting even if it's not on the list. Everything I've ever heard about Far Beyond the Stars says it's must-watch.

 

[gweeps]

I'll watch any episode if it seems interesting even if it's not on the list. Everything I've ever heard about Far Beyond the Stars says it's must-watch.

You're not going to get the whole breadth of the story if you skip anything. But hey, I haven't watched all The X-Files past Season 7, so I understand lack of interest.

 

[Poltargyst]

I agree with just watching the whole series in order. It gets better as it goes along.