Anyway, I have watched the first season before but that's about it. It's been many years since I saw it now though. But I do know about most of the characters and I am somewhat spoiled in very general terms about what's going to happen. Still, i hope to get surprised a lot as I go through the episodes.
I'll post smaller mini-reviews (if I feel like it) as I watch. But they won't be nearly as ambitious as my ENT reviews. I will also use a simplified "grading" system of awful/below average/average/above average/excellent.
So, kicking this off with the pilot...
*****
1-01-02 Emissary
While a bit slow in parts, the DS9 pilot is one of the best ones that Trek has to offer. It sets up the stage for the series nicely as well as lets us meet the characters for the first time. The plot was intriguing and complex enough, which bodes for interesting further developments. Already we can see the set up for longer story arcs, something which Trek up until this point usually has stayed away from, and this is something I really appreciate. The wormhole, prophets, Bajoran politics and Cardassians, among other things, should prove to be a very interesting ride indeed.
At times the pilot bordered on being too cerebral, but I liked the contrast of the prophets' non-linear existence with the linear ones we experience... unless of course we're "stuck" in one horrible memory that Sisko is - the death of his beloved wife at the battle of Wolf 359. I also liked that Sisko held a grudge against Picard and didn't even try and hide that fact. Overall I appreciated the conflict among the different characters, something I find refreshing from what we're usually shown on 24th century Trek.
While seeming a bit wooden and stilted in the delivering of his lines, I did like Benjamin Sisko. He should prove to be one of the better Trek Captains, and after Janeway and Archer I often have had problems with them. I didn't care that much for having his son Jake on the show, but that's because I generally don't like having kids on Trek. I hope Jake (and Nog) will turn out better than the annoying twerps we usually see. A side note: what happened at Wolf 359 is the prefect argument against having kids and families onboard starships.
Odo and Quark makes for an interesting sparring couple, and despite my dislike of the Ferengis I do find myself liking Quark. It was genius to add Chief O'Brien to the crew. He's something as unusual as a non-commissioned officer and the "everyman" of Trek, a combination we rarely see in the franchise. I also like Kira, the feisty Bajoran X.O. and former resistance fighter. We never saw much of Bashir or Jadzia in the pilot to make an impact.
All in all, I'd rate Emissary above average.
I would be very interested.
You're supposed to make fun of it and watch it while your drunk...
