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Algernon_Asimov’s guide to ‘Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’

I’ve compiled an episode guide for ‘Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’. This shows major milestones and character development - hopefully without giving away too many spoilers.

If you want to know which episodes are essential to watch (and which to avoid!) in the early seasons of Deep Space Nine, this is the page for you!

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Season 1

Episode Title Key points / milestones Characters featured Essential?
1 & 2 Emissary Commander Sisko, a man still suffering the consequences of the Battle of Wolf 359, takes command of space station Deep Space Nine in orbit around Bajor, after the end of the Cardassian occupation. A wormhole to the Gamma Quadrant is discovered nearby. All Engage!
3 Past Prologue First appearance of Garak. Cross-over appearance of Lursa & B’Etor. Kira meh
4 A Man Alone Jake and Nog first meet. Keiko starts a school. Odo Keiko Rom meh
5 Babel Gibberish virus. Avoid
6 Captive Pursuit First visitor from the Gamma Quadrant. O’Brien Just for fun
7 Q-Less First and only appearance of Q. Sisko Q Vash Just for fun
8 Dax Examination of Trill host/symbiont relationship. Jadzia meh
9 The Passenger Mysterious dead/non-dead person. Odo Bashir Avoid
10 Move Along Home First official delegation from Gamma Quadrant. Commonly regarded as one of the worst episodes of the series. (But I like it!) Quark Just for fun
11 The Nagus First appearance of Grand Nagus Zek. Development of Jake/Nog friendship. Zek Quark Jake Nog Just for fun
12 Vortex Odo character development. First mention of “changelings”. First time Morn is mentioned by name. Odo meh
13 Battle Lines The end of Kai Opaka’s story. Opaka Engage!
14 The Storyteller O’Brien the storyteller. Beginnings of O’Brien/Bashir friendship. O’Brien Avoid
15 Progress Kira versus crusty old Bajoran farmer. Jake and Nog and self-sealing stem bolts. Kira Jake Nog Just for fun
16 If Wishes Were Horses Dreams become real. Sisko gets his baseball. Avoid
17 The Forsaken First appearance of Lwaxana Troi. Nice character development of Odo. Lwaxana Odo Just for fun
18 Dramatis Personae Psychic invaders take over the crew. Avoid
19 Duet Widely acknowledged as the best episode of 1st season DS9, and one of the best of the series. Kira and a Cardassian war criminal. Kira Engage!
20 In The Hands Of The Prophets First appearance of Winn (huzzah!) and Bareil. Keiko’s school in trouble with Bajoran religion. Winn Kira Engage!

Season 2

Episode Title Key points / milestones Characters featured Essential?
1 The Homecoming [Part 1 of 3] Bajoran war hero turns up. Kira Engage!
2 The Circle [Part 2 of 3] Coup on Bajor. Winn Bareil Engage!
3 The Siege [Part 3 of 3] Take-over of Deep Space Nine. Engage!
4 Invasive Procedures Threat to the Dax symbiont. Jadzia meh
5 Cardassians Controversy about Cardassian war orphans on Bajor. Garak Dukat Engage!
6 Melora Wheelchair-bound Starfleet Officer. Bashir Avoid
7 Rules of Acquisition Grand Nagus Zek sends Quark to Gamma Quadrant. First mention of the Dominion. Quark Zek Just for fun
8 Necessary Evil How Odo got started in law enforcement during Cardassian Occupation. Odo Kira Dukat Engage!
9 Second Sight Sisko meets a mysterious woman. Sisko Avoid
10 Sanctuary Refugees from Gamma Quadrant, fleeing the Dominion. Kira Engage!
11 Rivals Quark has a business rival. meh
12 The Alternate Odo’s mentor visits. Odo character development. Odo Engage!
13 Armageddon Game Development of Bashir/O’Brien friendship. O’Brien Bashir Just for fun
14 Whispers O’Brien gets worried about his colleagues’ behaviour. O’Brien meh
15 Paradise O’Brien and Sisko stuck in a pre-technological paradise. Sisko O’Brien meh
16 Shadowplay Odo and Jadzia investigate disappearing people from a colony. Odo makes a friend. Jake tries apprenticing with O’Brien. Bareil/Kira sparks. Odo Jadzia Jake Just for fun
17 Playing God Jadzia mentors a Trill initiate from the joining program. Jadzia meh
18 Profit and Loss Quark’s old flame is a Cardassian dissident. We learn something about Garak’s background. Quark Garak meh
19 Blood Oath Three old Klingons - Kor, Kang, and Koloth - invite Jadzia on a mission of revenge. Jadzia Just for fun
20 The Maquis, Part 1 Introduces the Maquis [for the purposes of setting up ‘Voyager’]. Sisko Dukat Engage!
21 The Maquis, Part 2 Sisko and Dukat work together against the Maquis. Sisko’s famous “It’s easy to be a saint in Paradise” speech. Sisko Dukat Engage!
22 The Wire Garak is getting headaches - but nothing is ever simple with Garak. Garak Engage!
23 Crossover 1st “mirror universe” episode. Mirror Just for fun
24 The Collaborator The election of the Bajoran Kai: Winn versus Bareil. Did Bareil collaborate with the Cardassians? Bareil Winn Kira Odo Engage!
25 Tribunal O’Brien on trial in Cardassia for being a Maquis. O’Brien Odo Engage!
26 The Jem’Hadar We meet the Dominion’s soldiers: the Jem’Hadar. Sisko Engage!

Season 3

Episode Title Key points / milestones Characters featured Essential?
1 The Search, Part 1 The Defiant arrives. A new security officer. The search for the Dominion’s Founders. Odo searches for his people. Odo Sisko Engage!
2 The Search, Part 2 The Dominion makes approaches to the Alpha Quadrant. Odo meets the Changelings. Odo Sisko Engage!
3 The House of Quark Quark kills a Klingon and gets involved in a Klingon feud. Quark Just for fun
4 Equilibrium Jadzia learns about a new previous Dax host. Jadzia meh
5 Second Skin Kira is really an undercover Cardassian operative and meets her father. Kira Engage!
6 The Abandoned Quark finds a Jem’Hadar baby. Odo raises it (they grow fast!). Sisko meets Jake’s girlfriend. Odo Jake Engage!
7 Civil Defense An old anti-slave-uprising program is accidentally triggered on the station. Dukat comes to help and gloat. Just for fun
8 Meridian A planet shifts in and out of existence. Quark tries to capture Kira’s image for a special hologram request. Jadzia Kira Avoid
9 Defiant Commander Will Riker (from the Enterprise) comes to Deep Space Nine. Sisko and Dukat try to prevent a Maquis attack. Riker Kira Sisko Dukat Engage!
10 Fascination Lwaxana returns to DS9. Everyone’s in love with the wrong people at the Bajoran Gratitude Festival. More Odo development. Lwaxana Odo Avoid
11 Past Tense, Part 1 Sisko, Bashir, Jadzia find themselves on Earth in 2024, and get involved in the Bell riots. Sisko Engage!
12 Past Tense, Part 2 The timeline is broken and needs fixing. Sisko Engage!
13 Life Support Bareil is dying, but is needed by Winn for peace negotiations with the Cardassians. Bareil Winn Kira Engage!
14 Heart of Stone Odo and Kira trapped in a cave. Essential Odo character development. Nog wants to apply to Starfleet Academy. Odo Nog Engage!
15 Destiny Emissary “trilogy” I: An old Bajoran prophecy predicts that three Cardassians and the Emissary will destroy the wormhole. Sisko Kira meh
16 Prophet Motive Grand Nagus Zek has rewritten the Ferengi Rules of Acquisition. Quark Rom Zek Just for fun
17 Visionary O’Brien gets flashes of the future while Romulans demand information about the Dominion. O’Brien meh
18 Distant Voices Bashir finds himself on an abandoned Deep Space Nine, with Garak and the crew acting strangely. Bashir Avoid
19 Through the Looking Glass 2nd “mirror universe” episode. Mirror Just for fun
20 Improbable Cause [Part 1 of 2] Garak’s tailor shop gets blown up, and Odo investigates. As usual with Garak, there’s more to things than meets the eye. We meet Enabran Tain. Garak Odo Engage!
21 The Die is Cast [Part 2 of 2] The Cardassian Obsidian Order and the Romulan Tal Shiar are working together. Garak and Odo have some intense moments. The Battle of the Omarian Nebula changes things irrevocably. Garak Odo Engage!
22 Explorers Sisko builds an old-style Bajoran lightship, and he and Jake enjoy some father-son time while flying it to Cardassia. Jake tells his father he’s going to be a writer. First mention of Kasidy Yates. Sisko Jake Engage!
23 Family Business Quark’s mother is in trouble with the Ferengi Commerce Authority. First appearance of Brunt. Sisko finally meets Kasidy. Quark Nog Brunt Sisko Kasidy Just for fun
24 Shakaar Election for the new First Minister of Bajor. Kira’s old leader, Shakaar, runs against Winn. Kira/Shakaar. Kira Shakaar Winn Engage!
25 Facets Jadzia performs the zhian’tara ritual, which allows her to meet Dax’s previous hosts “in the flesh”. Nog passes the Starfleet Academy tests. Jadzia Odo Nog Just for fun
26 The Adversary Sisko is promoted to Captain. The Defiant is sabotaged. Changelings enter the Alpha Quadrant. Sisko Odo Engage!
  • M-5OPB
    2•1 year ago

    Season 6

    Episode Title Key points / milestones Characters featured Essential?
    1 A Time to Stand [Dominion War: 1 of 6] Dukat, Weyoun, Kira, Odo politicking on Terok Nor. Sisko & crew on a mission behind enemy lines. Engage!
    2 Rocks and Shoals [Dominion War: 2 of 6] Sisko learns how far a Vorta will go. Kira is taught a crucial lesson about collaboration. Kira Sisko Engage!
    3 Sons and Daughters [Dominion War: 3 of 6] Worf’s son enlists - bringing his emotional issues. Dukat’s daughter visits - opening Kira’s eyes. Worf Kira meh
    4 Behind the Lines [Dominion War: 4 of 6] Odo gets distracted by the company of a fellow Changeling - with a bad outcome. Sisko is reassigned while the Defiant goes on a mission. Ziyal discovers a new talent and goal. Odo Kira Sisko Engage!
    5 Favor the Bold [Dominion War: 5 of 6] Sisko has a plan to take back Deep Space Nine. Odo tries to apologise to Kira. Nog makes Ensign. Rom is in trouble. Everyone prepares for the coming battle. Sisko Rom Kira Engage!
    6 Sacrifice of Angels [Dominion War: 6 of 6] The battle to take back Deep Space Nine. Quark, the unlikely hero. The end of Ziyal’s story. The Prophets! Dukat loses everything. The first time we hear that Sisko is “of Bajor”. Dukat Quark Sisko Odo Engage!
    7 You Are Cordially Invited … to the wedding of Worf and Jadzia! Worf Jadzia Engage!
    8 Resurrection 4th “mirror universe” episode. Mirror Just for fun
    9 Statistical Probabilities Bashir spends time with people like himself. Damar is now leader of Cardassia. Even geniuses with statistics can’t predict the human heart. Bashir Engage!
    10 The Magnificent Ferengi Quark puts together a crack team of Ferengi to rescue his Moogie from the Dominion - and to show that Ferengi can be heroes, too. Iggy Pop as a Vorta! Quark Nog Engage!
    11 Waltz Another widely acknowledged top episode. An injured Sisko trapped alone with a deranged Dukat. An essential insight into Dukat’s mind, and a turning-point for his character. Dukat Engage!
    12 Who Mourns for Morn? Everyone! Much sadness when everyone’s favourite bar-fly dies. Except for Quark, who finds out he’s Morn’s sole beneficiary… Morn Quark Just for fun
    13 Far Beyond The Stars Another widely acknowledged top episode. Benjamin Sisko has visions about a negro science-fiction writer named Benny in racist 1950s USA, who writes a story about a negro captain called Ben Sisko who commands a space station called Deep Space Nine. (I wrote a review of this episode.) Sisko Just for fun
    14 One Little Ship In Worf’s own words: “This is the story of the little ship that took a little trip.” meh
    15 Honor Among Thieves O’Brien goes undercover to infiltrate the Orion Syndicate, and finds links to the Dominion. O’Brien meh
    16 Change of Heart Worf and Jadzia get some time alone on a mission: the honeymoon they never had. Then Worf has to make the ultimate choice between love and duty. Excellent Worf/Jadzia scenes. Bashir has a moment about his love for Jadzia. Worf Jadzia Bashir Engage!
    17 Wrongs Darker Than Death Or Night Kira learns something disturbing about her mother’s time on Terok Nor under Gul Dukat during the Cardassian occupation. Kira Dukat Engage!
    18 Inquisition Bashir is accused of being a Dominion spy. Introduction of Section 31. We first meet Sloan. Bashir Sloan Engage!
    19 In The Pale Moonlight Sisko, with the help of Garak, sets in motion a highly questionable chain of events in order to change the direction of the war with the Dominion. Sisko’s infamous “I can live with it” speech. Sisko Garak Engage!
    20 His Way Odo gets some help in dealing with his feelings for Kira. An important milestone for Odo/Kira relationship. Introduction of Vic Fontaine. Odo Kira Vic Engage!
    21 The Reckoning The Emissary has a task to perform in the reckoning between the Prophets and the Pah’Wraiths. Sisko’s, Kira’s, and Winn’s faith are tested - and one fails the test. Sisko Winn Kira Engage!
    22 Valiant Nog and Jake encounter the Defiant’s sister ship, the Valiant. It’s crewed by a squad of cadets: Red Squad. Nog meh
    23 Profit and Lace Quark is forced into some drastic action to help Zek when he is deposed as Grand Nagus after proclaiming equal rights for females. Commonly regarded as one of the worst episodes of the series. Quark Moogie Zek Brunt Avoid
    24 Time’s Orphan The O’Briens’ daughter Molly gets trapped in time and returns 10 years older as a “wild child”. Worf tests his parenting skills. O’Brien Keiko Worf meh
    25 The Sound Of Her Voice Sisko, O’Brien & Bashir each spend time talking to a woman via subspace as they speed to her rescue, and learn one or two things about their own lives. Sisko O’Brien Bashir Just for fun
    26 The Tears of the Prophets The Federation, with the Klingons and Romulans, decide to take the offensive against the Dominion and Cardassians. Sisko ignores the Prophets’ warnings. Dukat calls on the Pah’Wraiths in his quest for vengeance. The end of Jadzia’s story. Sisko Jadzia Dukat Engage!

    Season 7

    Episode Title Key points / milestones Characters featured Essential?
    1 Image In The Sand [Part 1 of 2] The Prophets are incommunicado. A freshly promoted Colonel Kira is running DS9, and dealing with the Romulan representative on board, Senator Creenak. Meanwhile, Sisko is on sabbatical, and learns surprising things about his past. Sisko Kira Worf Engage!
    2 Shadows and Symbols [Part 2 of 2] Sisko learns more about his past and his destiny. Kira confronts the Romulans. Worf goes on a mission of honour. Sisko Worf Engage!
    3 Afterimage The station gets a new counsellor, Ezri, who has some problems adjusting to her new circumstances. Ezri Garak Engage!
    4 Take Me Out To The Holosuite A Vulcan former classmate of Sisko’s (now a fellow captain) brings their “adolescent rivalry” to the station - via a baseball game. The Niners versus the Logicians. meh
    5 Chrysalis Bashir’s comrades from ‘Statistical Probabilities’ return. Bashir becomes Pygmalion. Bashir Just for fun
    6 Treachery, Faith and the Great River Odo has to protect a defector from the Dominion. Nog applies his Ferengi know-how to help O’Brien with Starfleet bureuacracy. Odo Weyoun Nog Engage!
    7 Once More Unto The Breach Kor, honoured old Klingon warrior, wants one last chance to fight, despite Martok’s disapproval. Kor Martok Worf meh
    8 The Siege of AR-558 Nog, Ezri, Bashir, and Sisko are caught up in a warzone. Nog Sisko Engage!
    9 Covenant An important episode in setting up the finale. Also worth watching for its own sake - some excellent Dukat development and Dukat-Kira interaction. Dukat Kira Engage!
    10 It’s Only A Paper Moon Nog isn’t coping with what happened at AR-558, and gets some help from Vic. Nog Vic Engage!
    11 Prodigal Daughter Ezri visits her family, who are having problems with the family business. O’Brien follows up on his previous investigation of the Orion Syndicate. Ezri meh
    12 The Emperor’s New Cloak 5th (and final) “mirror universe” episode. Mirror Just for fun
    13 Field of Fire Ezri has to call on her own past while investigating a serial killer. Ezri meh
    14 Chimera Odo encounters another Changeling, who raises issues of tolerance and discrimination - and why Odo stays among the “solids”. Odo Engage!
    15 Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang The team has to pull off a casino heist to help Vic. Vic meh
    16 Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges Bashir is caught up in intrigue between Section 31, Starfleet, the Romulan Continuing Committee, and the Tal Shiar. Bashir Sloan Engage!
    17 Penumbra [The Final Chapter: 1 of 9] Sisko plans… Worf goes… Dukat changes… The Prophets say… Winn sees… Ezri realises… Damar decides… The Founder orders… Kira teaches… Garak helps… Odo feels… Bashir learns… Quark thinks… Rom becomes… … and if you think you’re getting more information than that… Engage!
    18 'Til Death Do Us Part [The Final Chapter: 2 of 9] … think again! Engage!
    19 Strange Bedfellows [The Final Chapter: 3 of 9] This is the nine-part final chapter… Engage!
    20 The Changing Face of Evil [The Final Chapter: 4 of 9] … where everything gets resolved. Engage!
    21 When It Rains… [The Final Chapter: 5 of 9] If you don’t make it this far… Engage!
    22 Tacking Into The Wind [The Final Chapter: 6 of 9] … then it doesn’t matter what happens. Engage!
    23 Extreme Measures [The Final Chapter: 7 of 9] If you do get this far… Engage!
    24 The Dogs of War [The Final Chapter: 8 of 9] … then you won’t want spoilers. Engage!
    25 & 26 What You Leave Behind [The Final Chapter: 9 of 9] ENJOY! Engage!

    “Season 8”

    If you’re interested, you can also learn about the Deep Space Nine relaunch novels (affectionately called “Season 8”).