Star Trek Deep Space Nine - The Complete First Season Review
A lot of people point out that Season One of STAR TREK DEEP SPACE 9 suffered from growing pains and that is certainly true. DS9 was, in my opinion, the best of all the STAR TREK series, and it while the storylines that drove the series and made it such an enormously enjoyable series were not there in the early seasons, it wasn't like the show was mud in the early seasons. In fact, while the show got incredibly good in later seasons, it was still, even in its first couple of seasons, absolutely first rate.
One of the ironies for me is that if I were to do a list of my all time favorite STAR TREK characters, few from DS9 would make the list. Odo is perhaps my favorite, but as a rule I find the cast to be more than the some of the parts. For instance, I think it is a better ensemble cast than VOYAGER, but I like The Doctor and Seven more than anyone on DS9. But this cast really fits together well in telling stories and even in Season One, before the big story arcs get under way, they feel like a great team.
DS9 is famously the darkest ST series, with more ongoing storylines than any other ST series. In a way, having the series set in a particular location helps lead to this. The original series, THE NEXT GENERATION, and VOYAGER were all focused on spaceships always in motion and always encountering new species and planets and phenomena. But DS9 would have gotten old quick with nothing but a visitor-of-the-week fomat. And given the initial premise of the Federation on DS9 acting as a buffer between the Bajorans and the Cardassians. With the later addition of the Maquis and the meeting of the Dominion, the show had a degree of political and narrative complexity utterly lacking in the other series. In many ways, DS9 is more reminiscent of BABYLON 5 than THE NEXT GENERATION. It is interesting, by the way, that those two shows, that resemble each other in many ways, ran almost concurrently.
What is most delightful in rewatching this is how well it has stood up over time. Part of it is that its aesthetic and tone anticipated what has become more pervasive in TV SF. This was true even before Ronald D. Moore moved over to DS9 from TNG at the start of Season Three. Moore, of course, was the creator of the reimagined BATTLESTAR GALACTICA. I've just finished rewatching Seasons One and Two and have begun Season Three. I don't want to say that Moore was the only reason the show got so good in Season Three, but he was clearly one of the reasons. But my point here is that even in Seasons One and Two, before it got completely into gear, it was a very good and enjoyable series. 20 episodes on 6 discs: Emissary Part I, Emissary Part II, Past Prologue, A Man Alone, Babel, Captive Pursuit, Q-Less, Dax, The Passenger, Move Along Home, The Nagus, Vortex, Battle Lines, The Storyteller, Progress, If Wishes Were Horses, The Forsaken, Dramatis Personae, Duet, In the Hands of the Prophets.
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Customer Reviews
Star Trek junky since thr 60's - Maria T. Maulorico - Bel Air, MD, US
When I was a kid back in the 60's my dad made us leave a neighbors dinner so that we could watch the first episode of "Star Trek". Since then I have been a "treky" (sp) & have watched it & every incarnation since the beginning. I haven't gotten into the newer Star Trek where it starts with a brand new James T. Kirk because it feels more like their just trying to ruin what I grew up with. Deep Space 9, Voyager & TNG are all spin-offs of the original & that makes them, in my book - it makes them that much better because the story lines & new graphics & special effects make them that much better. DS9 is a wonderful spin-off of Star Trek & being that it revolves around a space station rather than the constant going here & there in the universe makes it special in it's own way. I give the DS9 series a 10 thumbs up!!!
Maria Maulorico, daughter of Alfred Maulorico the first & best Star Trek junky I ever knew.
A problematic beginning - Christopher Culver -
This DVD makes for an uncomfortable review to write. I fondly remember the launch of STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE 9 in early 1993 which seemed to re-envigorate the Star Trek franchise and offer some new storytelling possibilities. Seeing these early episodes again nearly two decades later, the start of this series is so rocky as to be nearly unwatchable. While the long dramatic arc of later years was pretty decent, this first season is awkward to say the least. Basically, the writers had several aspects to focus on: Gamma Quadrant, Bajoran politics and continuity with the pre-existing Star Trek canon. But instead of a cohesive presentation of these, we jump from one to another with each episode, and we're often still in Gene Rodenberry's Star Trek vibe where everyone is so jolly and peaceful. Once one starts noticing little cracks in the facade, the whole thing seems even more lame: the meaningless technobabble, the chronological problems, the unrealistic aliens, the distances that change wildly depending on storytelling needs, etc.
The only saving grace is some of the acting. It's amazing how the presence of Rene René Auberjonois and Armin Shimerman can overcome the mediocre writing, as does Harris Yulin's masterful guest appearance as a soldier tormented by memories of the atrocities his side committed. The stories can be exceedingly stupid, but they're acted out so well that it does sometimes make for compelling television.
Because of my own disappointment, I'd really suggest that you purchase this DVD set only if you have seen these episodes recently and definitely know you want them. Don't just go by 17 year-old memories.
Jun 29, 2010 16:33:10
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