Emissary (⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑)
Deep Space Nine's pilot episode is nothing less than a masterpiece. I could call it the best pilot episode of any Trek series (as many, though for some reason not…
Past Prologue (⭑⭑⭑⭑)
"Past Prologue" is a pretty good follow-up to the pilot episode that makes a lot of solid storytelling moves. It's not an incredible standout by any means, and four stars…
A Man Alone (⭑⭑⭑)
"A Man Alone" is a pretty busy episode, weaving together a lot of disparate elements that don't reallly cohere into a meaningful whole. I like a lot of the individual…
Babel (⭑⭑)
This fairly dull and routine-feeling offering confronts us with the unwelcome reality that, thus far, each episode of the new series has been worse than the previous one. "Babel" isn't…
Captive Pursuit (⭑⭑⭑)
This is a perfectly serviceable little episode. It has modest ambitions, but it's quite engaging, and I don't have any major complaints (though I will have some things to say…
Q-Less (⭑)
Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope. An episode written by Hannah Louise Shearer (who penned a number of terrible TNG episodes in its first few years, including "Pen Pals" and "The…
Dax (⭑⭑⭑)
I find "Dax" both engaging and a bit disappointing as an episode, placing it pretty solidly in the three-star category. Going into this re-watch with only the dimmest memories of…
The Passenger (⭑⭑⭑)
"The Passenger" is a pretty down-the-middle three-star episode, albeit one that, I must say, I really did not remember very well at all from previous viewings. It's the least "DS9-specific"…
Move Along Home (⭑)
This nonsensical episode is nothing but a pointless waste of fucking time. I can only surmise that the writers must have wanted to do a DS9 take on the "classic"…
The Nagus (⭑⭑)
Well, here we are: The first of DS9's infamous "Ferengi episodes." While there will be some exceptions, the show's periodic forays into Ferengi-centric (attempted) comedy will, on the whole, be…
Vortex (⭑⭑⭑)
"Vortex" is a few notches closer to the kind of episode that I want from DS9 as compared to the previous few, and there's some engaging material with real potential…
Battle Lines (⭑⭑)
"Battle Lines" is a puzzling little episode that, while it has its moments, is ultimately hugely disappointing. It starts out seeming to represent the show finally turning its attention back…
The Storyteller (⭑⭑⭑)
How to succinctly sum up my thoughts and feelings about this episode? It's a strange one, for sure, and there are questionable things about both of its storylines—but I must…
Progress (⭑⭑⭑⭑)
FINALLY!! This is the kind of DS9 that I signed up for: a story about Bajoran problems that has no good or easy solution and doesn't pretend to, and one…
If Wishes Were Horses (⭑⭑)
Yawn. "If Wishes Were Horses" is (ironically enough) an unimaginative, pointless, and boring episode on so many levels. It scores above the very worst episodes of this season by virtue…
The Forsaken (⭑⭑⭑)
Here is one of the most confounding things about the first season of Deep Space Nine: its Lwaxana Troi episode is better (and by a considerable margin) than its Q…
Dramatis Personae (⭑⭑⭑)
"Dramatis Personae" is going to be a tricky episode for me to review, because I have kind of a weird history with it. I don't know whether or not I…
Duet (⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑)
"Duet" is frequently cited as the best episode of DS9's first season. I'm not sure that I'm willing to go quite that far, but beyond any doubt, it is one…
In the Hands of the Prophets (⭑⭑⭑⭑)
"In the Hands of the Prophets" is absolutely essential DS9. It's the episode that I've been eagerly looking forward to re-watching and reviewing all season long. In a season that…