The series is best enjoyed by watching it in the traditional start-to-finish method, but a lot of people on the Internet who were fans of Next Generation or The Original Series found it difficult to get into DS9 because of it’s vastly different style and pacing. This is my attempt to build a bridge for those people to cross safely and informed.
You’re more interested in storylines than character development:
Start with season 3 which introduces the new civilization that the Federation interacts with the most during the main story arc. The pacing is tolerable to even the most impatient viewer and leads you steadily into season 4 which features the dependably entertaining Klingon Empire. Returning to seasons 1 and 2 after finishing the series leads to insights into decisions that the characters made which might have seemed confusing or inconsistent and sets you up to rewatch seasons 3–7 if you want to stay in the world that the show created.
Note: Season 3 starts with a multi part episode (The Search) that actually starts with the last episode of season 2 (The Jem ‘Hadar)
You like Klingons. A lot:
Start with season 4 which features the introductory Klingon arc that brings your favorite Klingons from The Next Generation into the fold and introduces some recurring Klingons that you’ll come to enjoy for the rest of the series.
Note: The debut Klingon episode is in season 3 House of Quark
You enjoy action more than drama and want to jump straight into the second act of the main arc:
Start with season 5 which has the fewest character and drama building episodes and goes straight into the middle of the war that the Federation is desperately fighting. Some recurring character storylines are ended during this season so you’ll be asking more questions than getting answers and important characters are dying at a Game of Thrones like pace, but the guarantee is that you wont be bored.
Note: Like season 3, season 5 actually begins with the last episode of season 4
You enjoyed the Cardassia-Bajor side story in The Next Generation and you want to explore that further:
Start from the beginning. You’ll be able to see how the most unimportant sector in the Alpha Quadrant suddenly becomes the most important and get to know the main characters slowly through the character building of seasons 1 and 2.
However you choose to watch Deep Space Nine, I hope that you enjoy it as much as I did coming from only watching The Next Generation. I was skeptical of the new cast and I didn’t think they’d be able to succeed Patrick Stewart’s Picard. Not only did they do so, but the writers were able to create a series that I now consider to be my favorite Star Trek series and made me fall in love with Klingons and Ferengi alike.
Live long and prosper
