My favorite recurring character is without a doubt Garak (Andrew Robinson) but what I never before realized, and this is approximately my 15^th rewatch or something, is that Garak only appears in one episode in the first season! He is only there in the 2^nd episode, after the pilot, “Past Prologue” and marks for also one of the best episodes of the first season. Dukat (Marc Alaimo) is another surprising example; he only drops by in two episodes in the 1^st season! Quite remarkable. Also, these two episodes belong to the best of the first season: “Emissary” & “Duet”. Other recurring characters are Nog (Aron Eisenberg, who sadly isn’t among us anymore) and Rom (Max Grodénchik) who is Nog’s dad. I was going to write down, as I did before, in other blogs that I felt that Nog and Rom were more than recurring characters, but IMdB has a knack to show the cold hard facts: Nog was there 47 episodes out of 176 episodes and Rom 36 episodes out of 176 episodes.

Other recurring characters whom we first see in the 1^st season are: Vedek Winn, later Kai Winn (Louise Fletcher, who unfortunately is also no longer among us) and Vedek Bareil (Philip Anglim), Kira’s love interest. We also cannot forget Miles O’Brien’s wife Keiko & daughter Molly O’Brien. (Rosalind Chao & Hana Hatae) and it doesn’t stop there, it goes on and on: Grand Nagus Zek (Wallace Shawn), Kai Opaka (Camille Saviola), Morn (Mark Allen Shepherd), Lwaxana Troi (Majel Barrett) and I am gonna stop now, the recurring cast is as long as both my arms. To name a few interesting guest stars: Patrick Stewart as Picard, John DeLancie as Q, Scott MacDonald as Tosk, Cliff De Young as Croden and Harris Yulin as Aamin Marritza. These are only a few examples, but I could go on and on.

The Pilot “Emissary” is a solid opener, immediately you see it is so much different than life on a smoothly running spaceship, the station is in shambles, left behind that way by the Cardassians, the Bajoran people are divided because not everybody wants to trade the Cardassians in for the Federation. Sisko first has to deal with his 1^st officer Kira, a Bajoran, who doesn’t think that bringing in the Federation is a good idea. Later he also gets a visit from the former prefect of the station, then called Terok Nor, Gul Dukat. Sisko is still dealing with his wife’s death, she died at Wolf 359, and he still blames Picard for this. Ben Sisko even tells Picard he is not sure this is an assignment he wants! Ben Sisko brings with him his son Jake, just a young boy. Ben meets an old friend on DS9, Dax! But where Dax used to be he, Dax is now she, Jadzia Dax. With her he discovers a stable wormhole which leads to the Gamma Quadrant. In the wormhole the Prophets reside, also called the wormhole aliens. Kira and O’Brien are tasked to bring the station to the mouth of the wormhole, but the Cardassians think they can outsmart them. When Picard returns to Deep Space Nine, Sisko, who has had a long conversation with the prophets, is more amicable towards Picard and lets him know he wants to remain at this post! If I do have one point of criticism towards this episode, it is that I thought the wormhole talk between Sisko and the Prophets took a bit too long, other than that, great opening!

“Past Prologue” is actually a very decent episode! For one, because it introduces the Cardassian spy turned tailor Garak, but other than that it is just an engaging story. A Bajoran ship asks for asylum when he is pursued by a Cardassian vessel. The Bajoran is from the Kohn-ma, these freedom fighters never stop fighting the Cardassians, no matter what! Kira believes the man when he says he is no longer Kohn-ma. The Duras sisters also come by, they also have business with this Bajoran. Kira has a hard time, because she wants to believe the Bajoran named Tahna but she also has her duties and responsibilities and it becomes obvious Tahna doesn’t respect her because she works with Starfleet. Bashir meets up with Garak and this might be the best scene of the episode where Bashir at first is a bit afraid of the Cardassian. Note - The awkwardness between Bashir and Garak is so much fun! Garak also helps the command staff by letting Bashir listen in on his talk with the Duras sisters.

“A Man Alone” is also a very decent episode, very entertaining. A Bajoran, Ibudan, arrives at the station with the intent of framing Odo for murder. At one time Odo arrested him and now he wants his revenge! Sometimes it is uneasy to see how Odo gets treated by some folks who buy into the trap that Odo is a murderer. Meanwhile Keiko is getting bored on the station, she gave up her career for Miles’ career. Quark, in his own way, is showing respect for Odo! “Babel” is an okay episode, nothing really special but the reason why this happens on the station where people can no longer talk understandably is because of a virus that has been placed by the Bajorans during the Cardassian occupation. It was meant for the Cardassians obviously but most likely the Bajorans were captured before they could release it.

“Captive Pursuit” is also an entertaining episode where the station gets a visit from an alien coming from the Gamma Quadrant. He, however, is not used to relaxing, to staying in one place too long because he is prey, hunters are searching for him, his kind is bred as prey! His name is Tosk, or rather what his species is called, Miles O ‘Brien takes an interest in him. He decides to help Tosk escape and Sisko and the rest of the command staff are not eager to intervene! In “Q-Less” we get a visit from Q and although this mostly was fun on The Next Generation and Voyager, this episode falls flat in my opinion, one of the least interesting episodes of the season. Quark however is at his best during the auction and till now Bashir is a real womanizer, he is hitting on every woman he meets. And although Bashir becomes one of my favorite characters, at this point he is far from it. In “Dax” we learn a little bit more about the Dax symbiont, about Curzon, Ben Sisko’s friend. Sisko tries to help Jadzia but she has promised something when Dax was still Curzon and she wants to keep that promise, so she won’t help herself which makes Sisko crazy!

“The Passenger” is actually not as bad as I thought before starting to watch it again. Granted from the moment Bashir becomes Vantika, he plays this role very annoyingly with that voice, perhaps his inexperience or something at that point. This is only 10 minutes of the entire episode; the rest is kind of entertaining. Note - I love the Odo and security officer Primmin scenes, these are really fun to watch. also, the one between Sisko and Odo where Odo threatens to resign. Yet another fun moment Quark & Odo bickering at the beginning where Quark is infatuated with Dax and Kira and finally also Bashir on the runabout where he basically is full of himself, and Kira is astonished by it! “Move Along Home” is, I think, my least favorite episode of the season and perhaps the entire series! First contact with a species coming from the Gamma Quadrant. They are all about playing games. They go to Quark’s and when they win a lot, Quark decides to cheat them. When they decide to force Quark to play one of their games, the pawns in the game are actually the command staff and it appears they really are in danger. Note - Especially the scenes in the game are annoying, although Quark shines as a greedy participant. Also, nice moment (again) between Primmin and Odo when Odo reminds him, he is not in Starfleet and therefore isn’t abided by Starfleet rules! A real shame Lt. Primmin was never to be heard of again afterwards! He and Odo had some nice bickering going on!

In “Nagus” we obviously meet the Grand Nagus for the first time. He appoints Quark to be the new Grand Nagus. Not long after he supposedly dies but it appears to be a ploy of the Nagus. Rom shows his true face towards his brother and as a surprise to him, Quark really respects that! Note – This time around I had more fun watching it than I remembered. “Vortex” is also one of the better episodes this season, at least in my humble opinion. We get to learn a bit more about Odo’s people. It's about this guy called Croden, he is not wanted on his own planet, and he tells Odo he knows more about his people, where he can find them. In reality he does not know so much about them, but he has hidden his daughter there and he wants Odo to bring him to her. Note – It’s like I see episodes differently than with my earlier rewatches, this one actually was really interesting.

In “Battlelines” we see Kai Opaka again. I really find her to be a strong character and was very disappointed with her fate in this episode. The episode in itself is not my favorite, although the message, about unable to die as a punishment because the so many years of fighting, is an interesting one, still I really do not care much for this episode and I find it a shame Kai Opaka’s fate is decided in this episode. “The Storyteller” is one of the weaker episodes this season where O’Brien is elected to fight off the Dal’Rok. Note - What is fun in this episode is the dismay O’Brien feels for having to travel with Julian Bashir to this Bajoran village. He feels no click whatsoever towards Bashir! Funny how this relationship changes over the next few seasons. The Storyline on the station is also entertaining where Jake and Nog fall for a young woman, Varis Sul who happens to be the leader of the Paqu, the Tetrarch.

In “Progress” Kira must convince an old Bajoran farmer to relocate to Bajor because this moon soon is going to be unhabitable because of mining operations. It is a very stubborn man but with a nice dose of humor! Meanwhile on the station, Jake and Nog try to trade off Cardassian yamok sauce. Instead of gold pressed latinum they become owners of a piece of land on Bajor, which the government wants to buy! More than okay episode with a very satisfying emotional moment between Sisko and Kira, Kira who obviously has a hard time being on the other side now and having to relocate this man against his will. “If Whishes Were Horses” is an unremarkable episode where Aliens manifest themselves as imaginative persons thought-up by station personnel and residents. It’s not awful or something but it is just mediocre.

In “The Forsaken” DS9 is visited by a number of Federation Ambassadors, including Lwaxana Troi. When Odo retraces her stolen necklace again, Lwaxana takes an interest into Odo, she is fascinated by him. Odo finds this all annoying and even asks Sisko to tell her to back off, which he does not do. In the transport tube they both get stuck together and Odo realizes she is different than she first appears. Note - One of the better episodes this season, such good performances from Rene Auberjonois & Majel Barret as Odo & Lwaxana. Very funny scene between Sisko and Odo where Odo comes to him asking Sisko to tell Lwaxana to back-off! “Dramatis Personae” is a bit more mediocre if you ask me, still not awful but I didn’t really love it. Perhaps because these characters change totally from what we are used to, and they are out to destroy each other. The command Staff gets infected to some sort of a virus which changes their personalities.

“Duet” is definitely the best episode of the season, no doubt about that. A Cardassian arrives at DS9, Maritza, he has a disease which who only could have gotten in a Bajor labor camp. When the crew learn he actually isn’t the file clerk but Gul Darhe'el, the leader of the camp, the man begins to talk about how wonderful his work was. Note – This episode is so well built up, as a viewer you are misled a few times before we get the true story! A marvelous performance of actor Harris Yulin who plays Marritza, he really nails it, how he plays the Butcher of Gallitep is just chilling, very uncomfortable at times and Nana Visitor as Kira also, as usual, gives a truly fantastic performance. It is an episode that never bores, so good. And also, this is Gul Dukat’s 2^nd appearance this season! The season finale “In the Hands of the Prophet” for me, is the 2^nd best episode of the season where we meet Vedek Winn, played by Louise Fletcher, for the first time. As said, Louise Fletcher unfortunately passed away recently but her performance as Vedek/Kai Winn is something I won’t ever forget. She comes to the station and is causing a ruckus about the teachings of Mrs. O’Brien about calling the Prophets the wormhole aliens. In reality this is nothing more than a ruse to get Vedek Bareil to the station to get him killed because he is the most likely candidate to become the next Kai and Vedek Winn wants to become the next Kai, she definitely does not want Bareil to become Kai. Note - In this episode you see from the start how devious and power-hungry Winn is. What is also clear is that she doesn’t like Commander Sisko to be the emissary of the Prophets, a non-believer, an outsider. She also mentions here the Prophets have spoken to her but much later on in the series she admits they have never spoken to her. This is a really interesting episode, a bit more insights about the Bajoran beliefs system, for the first time we meet a Vedek, two even. It will always be one of my favorite episodes because of Vedek Winn.

Final Word:

It has become a long blog, 90’s Star Trek (and Enterprise) is something I love to write about. Words keep flowing from my mind as I am writing about Star Trek, especially DS9. The 1^st season is definitely a mixed bag in terms of quality episodes, still there are some really nice episodes this season which should give any new potential viewer, the first season, the benefit of the doubt. Especially so because from here on it only gets better, season two already is a major step-up, where TNG’s and Voyager’s 2^nd season still were mediocre at best, DS9’s 2^nd season already improves to well above mediocre to really good. Yes, you know I am a DS9 fan, but I really believe this to be true!

Screencaps taken from: TrekCore.com