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[bronson]

Though I watched a fair amount while it was on, I just finished my first full run of Next Generation on Netflix. Great finale, but that last season in general was pretty shaky.

I figured i'd move onto Deep Space Nine, given that I'd heard so many good things about it. About a dozen episodes in so far, and it's alright, but aside from one or two standout episodes ("I am Tosk"), it's not far removed from TNG's last season, quality-wise. I assume it gets better, but when? Is there a certain point I should be looking forward to?


For those who don't know, "growing the beard" is a phrase named after Riker, who grew a beard around the same time that TNG got good. It's like the opposite of "jumping the shark."

 

[BocoDragon]

When Sisko goes bald.

 

[Seraphis Cain]

When Sisko goes bald.

This right here.

 

[The Librarian]

There are two episodes at the end of S1 that will make the whole season worth it. Each season is better than the last. There are some fantastic episodes in S2 as well.

Sisko gets the beard at the end of S3.

Enjoy the ride.

 

[Sotha_Sil]

I think it was late season 2, early season 3. There is another jump up later on in the show (imo) when a certain character from TNG becomes a regular on DS9.

 

[Tobor]

TNG: When Riker grows the beard

DS9: When Sisko shaves his head

Voyager: When you grab the remote and turn that shit off.

 

[Sephzilla]

DS9 in my opinion goes through a similar TNG development period where seasons 1 and 2 are a bit rough around the edges, but after that it finds its footing and becomes great.

Also, right around when Sisko goes bald and grows a beard, ironically.

 

[foxtrot3d]

When Sisko goes bald.

Yup.

Thing is you just gotta slog through the first two seasons, unlike TNG, DS9 quickly becomes a very serialized show so those things in the early season will have large pay offs later on. Once Sisko goes bald it's just badassery from that point forward.

TNG: When Riker grows the beard

DS9: When Sisko shaves his head

Voyager: When you grab the remote and turn that shit off.

Ha, so true.

 

[cheststrongwell]

Around season 3. It's no TNG, put it's damn good.

 

[pants]

Voyager: When you grab the remote and turn that shit off and go have your memories erased at the nearest Total Recall center

.

 

[StopMakingSense]

The episode Jem'Hadar at the end of season 2

 

[phaonaut]

TNG: When Riker grows the beard

DS9: When Sisko shaves his head

Voyager: When you grab the remote and turn that shit off.

Voyager hate everywhere, I actually liked Voyager.


Just keep going OP it gets better as new characters are introduced and relationships between characters become more natural and relaxed.

 

[IISANDERII]

Season 3. Even in season 3 there are some stinkers but some great ones too. It also includes probably the greatest 2 part episode in all of Star Trek.

 

[NastyBook]

When Sisko goes bald.

Preeeeeeeeetty much.

 

[Coffee Dog]

Season 3, though I'd say season 2 has some good eps as well. Season 3 is where the show finds it's voice, however.

 

[BobLoblaw]

Every time I see these threads I always wish I could go back and watch the series again for the first time. Such a good show. But yeah, end of season 3 to the end is great.

 

[liquidtmd]

Voyager grows the beard at the Threshold episode

*Strokes beard*

 

[Currygan]

season one, episode "Duet"

 

[gdt]

Probably around the end of Season 2. Just watch some selected episodes from Season 1/2 and then pick it up at Season 3.

 

[Karu]

Watch all of it. I heard a rumor new Star Trek-episodes are hard to come by.

 

[Yamauchi]

Probably the beginning of season 3. I don't remember the latter part of season 2 all that well.

It's DS9 and there are still stinkers about every 3 episodes, but by season 3 the quality has improved a lot.

 

[Kinyou]

TNG: When Riker grows the beard

DS9: When Sisko shaves his head

Voyager: When you grab the remote and turn that shit off.

If only Janeway had shaved her head and grew a beard

 

[zomgbbqftw]

When they get the Defiant.

 

[DrForester]

When they get the Defiant.

Right here.

That being said, I don't hate the first two seasons. They were getting their footing, just like TNG did, but DS9 was far better in its first two seasons than TNG was for its first two.

 

[PBalfredo]

Can anyone give a summary of any must-know information from season 1 if I want to just jump in on season 2?

 

[Log4Girlz]

Hey wasn't there a trek show after voyager?

 

[Anoregon]

Voyager grows the beard at the Threshold episode

*Strokes beard*

Threshold is the single greatest achievement in television history.

 

[Jackpot]

Sisko grows a beard too. It's what help cemented the phrase.

 

[enewtabie]

Isn't the Dominion hinted to in Sanctuary in the 2nd season ?

 

[tuffy]

Isn't the Dominion hinted to in Sanctuary in the 2nd season ?

Little hints of it are sprinkled throughout the 2nd season, as I recall.

 

[GungHo]

Can anyone give a summary of any must-know information from season 1 if I want to just jump in on season 2?

Most of it is introductory and episodic except for a few items.

The Cardassians are Space Nazis and DS9 was their Space Camp.
Lwaxana episodes are still bad.
No matter how crazy she probably is in the sack, it never pays to be Kira's boyfriend.
Winn Adami is a combination of every mother-in-law and Mother Superior joke you've ever heard.

 

[MrCunningham]

Hey wasn't there a trek show after voyager?

No.

Spoiler

yes...

 

[pants]

Hey wasn't there a trek show after voyager?

Go away you terrible person

 

[joelseph]

With these Star Trek discussions on the front page it made me wonder where Mama Robotnik has been?

 

[Red Liquorice]

When Janeway gets the bob instead of the bun? That's probably about 4 seasons in though I forget!

 

[Inflammable Slinky]

is there a better stand alone episode than the season 4 one with dax and the chick she used to be married to?

 

[Coffee Dog]

Can anyone give a summary of any must-know information from season 1 if I want to just jump in on season 2?

I'd still watch a few episodes from season 1, it has some good episodes.

I'd actually recommend skipping a lot of TNG season 1 and 2, but I personally don't vouch for skipping any of DS9.

 

[NastyBook]

I'd actually recommend skipping a lot of TNG season 1 and 2, but I personally don't vouch for skipping any of DS9.

Whichever season "The Game" is in for TNG, start watching there. And watch "Schisms" late, late, LATE at night.

 

[Schwarzbier]

Basically when Sisko goes bald, which is about the same time Worf joins the show.

First season was very meh IMO, some good episodes but a lot of stinkers. Thankfully it was able to stay afloat because it's my favorite Trek series by a good measure.

 

[IISANDERII]

Can anyone give a summary of any must-know information from season 1 if I want to just jump in on season 2?

Sisko is left a widow after his wife dies at the battle of Wolf 359.
Some time later, he assumes command of DS9, formerly known as Terak Nor, a space station built by the Cardassians using Bajoran slave labor. It orbits the planet Bajor.
Bajor is a planet populated by a spiritual / religious people. They are still recovering from a 50+ year Cardassian occupation. The occupation was devastating and claimed tens of millions of Bajoran lives.
Cardassia is a few light years away, it's one of the bigger empires in this part of the galaxy. Cardassians, at least some of them, are still sickened by having to withdraw from the occupation. Sisko and Starfleet have assumed command of DS9 as an agreement between Bajor and the Federation to keep the Cardassians away and to facilitate Bajor's entrance to the Federation.
DS9 consists of both Federation and Bajoran officers...

Edit: Duh, oh yeah: Sisko discovers the worm hole to the Gamma Quadrant. And in the wormhole live some aliens who kind of exist in a different plane of existence or something. The Bajorans worship these aliens as gods and since Sisko discovered them, the Bajorans revere him as the emissary to their prophets.

 

[BigDug13]

Unlike TNG, I feel like there is a lot more underlying plot strings that get carried from beginning to end in DS9 that makes it kind of important to see nearly all of it. The reason the station is there, the way Bajorans were treated, the Ferengi backstory, Garak and his mystery, Sisko and his Emissary-ness. DS9 was much more character-driven and not as much "situation of the week"-based and so it's more difficult to avoid full seasons without kinda missing some build-up to some of the stories that get paid off later in the series.

Take the good with the bad and watch it all I say.

 

[tuffy]

Even the worst clunkers in the first season of Deep Space Nine aren't all that bad, and several plot threads from that season carry all the way through to the end. I wouldn't skip a whole season of any of it just to avoid a handful of not so good episodes.

 

[bronson]

Are there any notoriously bad episodes from the first couple seasons that I can safely avoid without losing anything?

 

[DrForester]

Are there any notoriously bad episodes from the first couple seasons that I can safely avoid without losing anything?

Never skip episodes. The bad episode help you appreciate the good all the more.

 

[lastplayed]

As others have said, when they get the Defiant. That's when the Dominion starts to become a real threat, and some of the longer story arcs with certain polical powers start happening.

If you start with Sisko going bald you miss out on the background of S4's stunning opener.

 

[Percy]

It gets pretty good right from the start of season 2 imo and maintains the quality right through to the end... except for season 4. Just be warned that season 4 is pretty poor for the most part. Some really shitty stories there. Season 5 is very possibly the best one though so it recovers quick.

 

[bronson]

Never skip episodes. The bad episode help you appreciate the good all the more.

I get it, but I'm watching with my gf and I'd like her to keep watching with me. I can watch any low-tier episodes on my own.

 

[PBalfredo]

Sisko is left a widow after his wife dies at the battle of Wolf 359.
Some time later, he assumes command of DS9, formerly known as Terak Nor, a space station built by the Cardassians using Bajoran slave labor. It orbits the planet Bajor.
Bajor is a planet populated by a spiritual / religious people. They are still recovering from a 50+ year Cardassian occupation. The occupation was devastating and claimed tens of millions of Bajoran lives.
Cardassia is a few light years away, it's one of the bigger empires in this part of the galaxy. Cardassians, at least some of them, are still sickened by having to withdraw from the occupation. Sisko and Starfleet have assumed command of DS9 as an agreement between Bajor and the Federation to keep the Cardassians away and to facilitate Bajor's entrance to the Federation.
DS9 consists of both Federation and Bajoran officers...

Edit: Duh, oh yeah: Sisko discovers the worm hole to the Gamma Quadrant. And in the wormhole live some aliens who kind of exist in a different plane of existence or something. The Bajorans worship these aliens as gods and since Sisko discovered them, the Bajorans revere him as the emissary to their prophets.

Thanks.

Huh, I was under the impression the space station was built there because of the wormhole. But it was already built and a super important wormhole to the other half of the galaxy happens to be right there next to it?

 

[DrForester]

Thanks.

Huh, I was under the impression the space station was built there because of the wormhole. But it was already built and a super important wormhole to the other half of the galaxy happens to be right there next to it?

It was originally in orbit of Bajor, and moved after the wormhole was discovered. The wormhole is in the Bajor system.

Seriously, even if you skip other episodes, watch the pilot. It's a good episode.

 

[PBalfredo]

It was originally in orbit of Bajor, and moved after the wormhole was discovered. The wormhole is in the Bajor system.

Seriously, even if you skip other episodes, watch the pilot. It's a good episode.

Moved? Like with space-tugs or does that thing have a warp engine?

Yeah, I'll definitely watch the pilot so I get the setup, especially since it seems to differ from what I thought it was.