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Star Trek Deep Space Nine - The Complete First Season

Star Trek Deep Space Nine - The Complete First Season

List Price: $129.99
Your Price: $103.99
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Boring and Brain Dead
Review: I've been enjoying all of the treks coming out on DVD so naturally I purchased the first three seasons of DS9. I am finding the sets drab, the characters are all boring me as they strive to be such phoney "demi god, perfection" that I am struggling with my attention span. Example: "My darling I know that coming to DSP cost you your career as a botanist. Please, I beg you to take our daughter and go on this expedition as a botanist." She responds, "I knew that I was giving up my career."

This isn't entertainment. This is so dull I can't see straight.
I really did not want to spend 300 dollars in seasons, for somebodies socially progressive example of how we should all be behaving in our lives according to themselves.

If you want to wallow in socially progressive politics DS9 is for you. Just remember the rest of us love the Klingons and follow their example. The socialist ideal lessons on us were not absorbed or learned.

So far as I am concerned the popularity of Star Trek was abused by someone with a hidden agenda and it is DS9.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: A good start, but the real potential isn't shown (yet)
Review: With the sixth season of Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG) in production and pre-production for both Star Trek Generations and Star Trek: Voyager in the works, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine somehow made it though all that chaos and on to the (small) screen.

DS9's debut is an average one. This first season formally introduces all of the characters, but is too short and the episodes are too verbose with dialogue to make it truly great season.

Good action episodes include:

1) EMISSARY - The 90-minute pilot introduces all of the characters and some of their backstory, as well as create a mysterious atmosphere for the show. But what really grabs people from the start is the first 5 minutes, where we see the Borg/Federation battle at Wolf 359. Powered by great special effects, (covincing enough for a feature film) this is the best part of the whole season.
2) CAPTIVE PURSUIT - A great action episode, with O'Brien helping an alien creature named Tosk escape people who are "hunting" him. This is the first episode in which we see intruders in the station and the inner workings of the space staion (vent shafts, access pipes, etc.)
3) BATTLE LINES - Another great action episode, where Kira, Sisko, Bashir, and Kai Opaka crash on a planet where two rival clans are fighting and it is impossible to die. Good acting by Nana Visitor in this one.

Good character-driven episodes:

1) A MAN ALONE; VORTEX - Great Odo episodes. More great ones would follow with 3rd season's "The Search" being the payoff.
2) PAST PROLOGUE - A great Kira epidode. It fills in some of her troubled backstory and shows that she's tough.
3) THE PASSENGER - A good Bashir epidode. Finally gives Alenxander Siddig the opportunity to be a villain.
4) THE NAGUS - A funny Quark epidode that introduces the hilarious Grand Nagus Zek and shows the workings of Ferengi politics.

All of the other epidoes are mediocre and don't establish anything important. The season ender IN THE HANDS OF THE PROPHETS is fairly good, but only from the point of view that it's setting the stage for the second season's show-stopping opening trilogy (The Homecoming, The Circle, The Siege).

All in all, this season introduces all of the characters pretty well, as well as the station itself. It also sets up some of the sub-plots and minor characters that would make appearances in later seasons. But the second, third, and fourth seasons far surpass this one. I would only get this set it you're compeltely unfamiliar with DS9 or must OWN EVERY SINGLE SEASON of Star Trek.

1993; Roughly 20 hours; Contains mild sci-fi action violence and brief language.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: DS9 on DVD . . . Magnificent!
Review: This was of course, the most watched of all the Star Trek franchises and the most critically acclaimed as well, winning an Emmy and the respect of many non-trek audiences. While I'm writing this, rumors abound in Paramount and ST circles that Avery Brooks will be the next big-screen Capt. Many say this is some of the best TV ever to be had. If you missed it the first time around, prepare to be astounded . . .

The complete first season includes 20 episodes:

01. Emissary (1): Stardate: 46379.1 3 years after the devastation of WOLF 359, the Borg attack upon the federation, Cmdr. Sisko is attached to DS9 with some great inter-change between a man he hates ' Capt. Jean Luc Picard.

02. Emissary (2): Stardate: 46392.7 On a distant outpost at the edge of the final frontier, an untested crew embarks on an unprecedented journey. A nice wrap to the two-part debut of the Star Trek franchise's greatest achievement.

03. Past Prologue: Stardate: 46397.3 A reunion with a member of the Bajoran underground forces Kira to choose between her people and her duty as a Federation officer. The fiery Nana Visitor gets another haircut and is rebellious as ever. Magnificent beginnings to her character.

04. A Man Alone: Stardate: 46421.5 Security Chief Odo's character is questioned when he is implicated in the murder of a shady Bajoran. An interesting episode that sees the creation of Keiko's school and a lynching for Odo.

05. Babel: Stardate: 46423.7 A mysterious epidemic sweeps over Deep Space Nine, and Kira must find an antidote. So much for the universal translator. A good story to build upon what we know of Bajor.

06. Captive Pursuit: Stardate: 46477.5 O'Brien and the rest of the officers of Deep Space Nine learn that other beings do not respect life as much as they do. Clearly an homage to the old Star Trek series style of storytelling. This was a brilliant episode.

07. Q-Less: Stardate: 46531.2 Q and Vash introduce themselves to the crew of Deep Space Nine, while the officers struggle to save the station from imminent destruction. What a shame that John DeLancie as Q was treated with such disdain in this series, as he was one of the most interesting characters from the Next Gen series.

08. Dax: Stardate: 46910.1 Curzon Dax, Jadzia's former Trill identity, is accused of murder. A great episode for Rene Auberjonois, a throw back to the Original Series style of writing. Worth while.

09. The Passenger: Stardate: 46570.8 The crew's efforts to thwart a hijack scheme are complicated when a sinister alien criminal hides his consciousness within the brain of someone aboard the station. A good Episode for Sid, some of the first counter-play between his future real-life wife and himself, Nana Visitor.

10. Move Along Home: Stardate: 46612.4 Quark's attempt at deception toward a newly-encountered alien race places the space station's senior officers in a labyrinth of danger. A fascinating episode that finds 'The Hawk' singing for his life. Voted most memorable by a lot of ST fans.

11. The Nagus: Stardate: 46657.0 Quark is suddenly named leader of the Ferengi financial empire, and discovers that he's not only popular ' he's now a target for death. Fantastically acted by Armin Shimerman, who helps the series take off by breathing real life into an overlooked race of people from Next Gen.

12. Vortex: Stardate: 46689.6 An alien criminal from the other side of the wormhole tempts Odo by telling the shape-shifter he can put the changeling in contact with others like himself. This is the beginning of the Changeling myth that becomes larger in the story line later. A must see. A great performance from Rene Auberjonois.

13. Battle Lines: Stardate: 46715.2 Sisko, Kira, and Bashir and Kai Opaka are stranded on a war-torn world where it is impossible for the combatants to die. While this is moderately entertaining, it is pivotal for the former plot-lines to come and a must see.

14. The Storyteller: Stardate: 46729.1 Against his will, O'Brien becomes spiritual leader of a Bajoran village and the only one who can save them from a destructive energy force. An interesting episode where Bashir and O'Brian become better friends.

15. Progress: Stardate: 46844.3 A stubborn old Bajoran farmer forces Kira to take a good look at how much she has changed since her alliance with the Federation. Played remarkably by Brian Keith. This is also the famed Yamok Sauce episode where Jake and Nog team up for an acquisition.

16. If Wishes Were Horses: Stardate: 46853.2 When members of the station find their fantasies coming to life, it becomes the prelude to a very real danger which threatens everyone. Sisko realizes the ruse of an elaborate first-contact at the close.

17. The Forsaken: Stardate: 46925.1 While an alien entity wreaks havoc with the station's computer, the irrepressible Lwaxana Troi falls in love with Odo. This is perhaps the best of the Lwaxana Troi episodes from both series.

18. Dramatis Personnae: Stardate: 46922.3 Odo is caught in the middle when an alien influence pits Kira against Sisko in a deadly struggle for control of the station while all of the Humanoids have become infected with a viral history of a dead planet. Good episode, but a bit nerve wracking.

19. Duet: Stardate: Stardate: 46933.4 Kira discovers that a Cardassian visiting the station could actually be a notorious war criminal. An amazing episode that highlights the Cardassian culture and is really brought to life by the acting of Harris Yulin. This is hands down the best episode of Season 1, and it's a real tear-jerker as well.

20. In the Hands of the Prophets: Stardate: 46951.7 An assassination / political manipulation plot thickens between Vedek Winn and Vedek Bariel which builds during season 2. A well crafted episode that centers around the storyline of Bajor and Keiko's school.

* All Stardates can be verified through the Star Trek / DS9 Mission Logs database....

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Trek for non-Trekkies
Review: I suppose most people looking at the box sets of materials are, for the most part, already fans, so let me start with the technical stuff: This is a quality transfer that will probably look and sound better on your TV than the original broadcasts of the show did in the '90s. The extras are a little weak, having clearly been culled from previous interviews with the cast, and also just as clearly intended to be spread out among the show's seven seasons. (Maybe they'll consolidate all the bits at the end; that would be nice.) The highlights of the extra material are the more extended interviews with the set and alien designers, as these are long enough to actually allow you to gain some insight into how things were done and what the priorities were.

The lowlights are the easter eggs hidden on the screens. You may enjoy these, but I absolutely =hate= this kind of nonsense. I'm not so entertainment deprived that I feel the need to pass the time wiggling the joystick around in the hopes of lighting up some hidden feature. This activity always works out the same: I try to hit all the extras, end up disappointed with the ones I do find (because they're really short), and because I can never get all of them, I'm just sure the ones I missed have the cool content. I'm convinced once the novelty of digital entertainment wears off these will go the way of the tediously long introduction menus.

Now, about the show: Well, it sure wouldn't get made today. A show centered on the activities and fate of a planet full of religious "terrorists", with said "terrorists" portrayed in mostly positive light? I don't think so. What made this first season work as well as it does is that the writers avoided taking the easy or obvious answers. And the acting, for the most part, is top flight. If the ensemble lacked a dramatic powerhouse like Patrick Stewart, they were unparalleled as a group--even when their characters were at odds. As did the supporting cast and guest stars, represented in the frist season by such greats as Wallace Shawn and Oscar(TM)-winner Louise Fletcher. (Siddig overplays an episode where he gets possessed by a malevolent alien, but he had, in many ways, the hardest role to play, especially in that first season where he's in danger of becoming DS9's "Wesley Crusher".)

I, personally, have never been a Star Trek Fan, neither Trekkie nor Trekker (nor clear on why one should be held in lower regard than the other) but by various accidents of birth and marriage and parenthood, seem to inevitably find myself associated with those who truly adore the franchise. Yet I never missed this show when it was on. Few shows have character development this good, and fewer still have such strongly character-driven plots.

But if memory serves, the first season was the weakest. What's interesting is that, upon reviewing it, the first season isn't all that weak. Episodes like "Duet" and "Dax" demonstrated early on that this was going to be a show about people (whatever rubbery face prosthetics they were wearing), and even if they hadn't quite hit their stride, they managed to stake a claim on the Star Trek(TM) universe that was unique and refreshing.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Lots of Fun!
Review: Had no idea this series was so much fun! I would have watched when it was on TV had I known!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: It's about time they put the series on DVD!!
Review: DS9 was probably the least popular out of all the Star Trek series out there. Most NextGens couldn't get into it, and it was too complex to fascinate the younger generation like the previous two series could. However, if you were one of the few who ACTUALLY gave it a chance, you were rewarded with one of the best TV series ever. It created a story ark so huge that it literally started with series opener and was not resolved until the series finale. The interaction between characters is what really gave the show its flavor though. If you can afford it, pick up at least the first season. If the show isn't your cup of tea, then you ca forget about the rest of the seasons. However, if you give it a chance, you could be drawn into the most fascinating Star Trek series of them all.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The Best Spin Off Yet
Review: With the success of Star Trek: The next generation, a spin-off was inevitable. With a galaxy of characters and adventures, you couldn't just stop with one Flagship of a massive starfleet. Deep Space Nine was a completely different approach to Gene Roddenberry's world. With the perfection of Earth, the chaos of the galaxy beyond it had to be brought to life to show what the Federation was up against. DS9 was cast with dynamicly different characters who didn't always like each other. It stuck it's perverbial toungue out at the Kum-Bye-Ya sainthood of the crew of the Star Trek Enterprise. As time went on, the stories became increasingly deeper and more involving. You really cared for some (Sisco, Kira, Odo) and loved to hate others (Quark, Garrick, corrupt political preists). Unfortunately, the spirit of adventuring through the souls and lives of Characters didn't amount to ratings. The show lagged behind for most of it's entire run. Attempts to boast it with the addition of Worf, introduction of a vicious new enemy and an all out war helped considerably, making the last few seasons highly excitable. The show is character driven. I didn't realize this at first, but after being a fan and watching it through to the bitter end, I have gone back and seen earlier episodes to realize that they knew what they were doing all along. This is an awesome, awesome show filled with story arcs and plots that get you involved and leaving you wanting more.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The best idea ever!
Review: I was hoping they would do this...that is, put star trek on DVD, and I hope they do it with Voyager also.

In any case, Star Trek has always been a favorite of mine, I'd sneak down after my bedtime to watch it with my dad. At first, I despised DS9 for taking the place of Next Gen reruns (I'm just too young to have seen it originally) But before long, I became obsessed with DS9, and it is currently my favorite of the Star Trek series

I love this so much!!!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Star Trek
Review: A pretty good Sci Fi series with action romance and danger. This show is pretty good.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Fantastic Quality of one of my favorite shows
Review: The first thing that you notice is the clever way that the discs are packaged. The next and most important is the clarity, brightness and sharpness of the picture. Lastly is that I can see in rapid order (without trying to catch it on my VCR at 2 am), the series that I consider the "pick of the litter." I enjoy watching the character development of all of the regulars. Buy this if you are a DS9 fan...you won't be disappointed.


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