For a long time I though Deep Space Nine was never really good until the Dominion war started at the end of the third season. However, I’ve been rewatching the first season on dvd, and I’m starting to rethink this. Right from the beginning, the writers provide well-developed plots that really focus on the development of the characters. The first episode, “The Emissary,” explains the events Commander Cisko’s past, but it also forces him to explain why he is the way he is. The following episodes highlight a continuing tension between Starfleet and the Bajorans, and it presents what seems to me to be a complex picture of the a people rebuilding their civilzation from scratch. It’s more than just a show about a species of the week from the Gamma Quadrant. Deep Space Nine is often treated like the bastard child of Star Trek shows, but I don’t think people often give it a chance; it’s a quality show. with good, well-developed characters and interesting plots.