Essential DS9, Season One.

The episodic television format has its strengths and weaknesses. The advantage is that the viewer can tune into just about any episode, any time, and enjoy it without having to know what happened in previous installments. The downside is that it’s harder to build momentum with self-contained episodes. That means that some episodes will shine, while others will fall into the shadows.

In this episode of The Orb, hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing join our sister shows Standard Orbit and To The Journey in determining which episodes of Star Trek are required viewing … this time for Deep Space Nine, a series that—more than any other—builds upon itself story after story. One by one, we discuss each episode to determine if it’s truly essential to the DS9 storyline or something you can skip without worry.

ChaptersChoosing the Essentials (00:03:00) Emissary (00:04:20) Past Prologue (00:06:25) A Man Alone (00:08:48) Babel (00:14:29) Captive Pursuit (00:15:34) Q-Less (00:20:48) Dax (00:24:11) The Passenger (00:25:57) Move Along Home (00:26:57) The Nagus (00:28:11) Vortex (00:30:33) Battle Lines (00:34:52) The Storyteller (00:37:05) Progress (00:40:46) If Wishes Were Horses (00:43:05) The Forsaken (00:44:13) Dramatis Personae (00:47:08) Duet (00:48:11) In the Hands of the Prophets (00:50:10) Recap (00:54:04)

HostsC Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing

ProductionC Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Executive Producer) Charlynn Schmiedt (Executive Producer) Ruth Ward (Associate Producer) Will Nguyen (Associate Producer) Ken Tripp (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Will Nguyen (Content Manager)