DS9 Ranker – Ratings are based on a 5-point scale and include spoilers
Season 2
The Homecoming- 4.5 (What an opener! The tense rescue and Sisko’s conversation with Li Nalas are truly great, and the cliffhanger is insane. Very excited for the rest of this arc.)
The Circle- 3.5 (Kira scenes were slow, but it picks up and I’m looking forward to the next episode in this arc.)
The Siege – 4.0 (Nice conclusion to this three part opener to season two.)
Invasive Procedure – 4.5 (They had no trouble evacuating in this episode, but it was a whole plot point in the last episode: they even mention that fact Quark didn’t get one last episode! C’mon! Apart from that I really enjoyed this one. It was extremely tense, and Verad was completely despicable. Also, the fact that Dax remembers it is a really unique way to look at trauma for Trills. It probably won’t come up again, but exploring her pain after the fact would be really interesting.)
Cardassians – 3.0 (Honestly, the plot was pretty confusing. I overall liked it, especially with the scenes between Bashir and Garak, but this was just a decent outing as a whole.)
Melora – 2.5 (Perfectly average. Melora really comes off as whiny in the beginning, and some of the dialogue between her and Bashir is pretty bad at first, but this gets better as it goes along. The Quark subplot is fine, definitely pretty bland though. Solution to the kidnapping problem is unique enough, and the end where she decides to not do the treatment is actually pretty good. Also the Klingon chef was a very nice little add-in. Not a bad episode, but not the greatest either.)
Rules of Acquisition – 4.0 (Really good! These Ferengi episodes are mostly funny, and this is the first episode to mention the illusive Dominion. I’ve heard about the Dominion war since DS9 has been out for 30 years at this point, but I still have no clue what happens. Will be very interesting.The Ferengi episodes are usually just pure fun in general.)
Necessary Evil- 3.5 (An extra half star for the scene at the end. I enjoyed this episode, but between Rom being annoying and Odo going full noir, parts of this one felt a little cringy. Odo’s log about justice felt pretty pedantic in particular. Anyway, the flashbacks were decent and this fleshed out the Kira-Odo relationship well. It also gave us our first real glimpse of DS9 before the transition to the federation. So, better than average but still just good overall.)
Second Sight- 1.0 (This episode sucked real bad. The relationship between Sisko and Fenna was completely unearned and ridiculous. Those scenes had no chemistry, and the mystery itself was pretty stupid. It was just very long, drawn out and boring, and the directing was not it. Sisko and Jake had some very odd and goofy facial expressions. Half star bump because the death of that know it all guy was pretty funny, but the rest of this episode sucked.
Sanctuary- 5.0 (Wow. This episode was extremely well done. First of all, the overarching plot was a very complex one, and it clearly shows DS9 distinguishing itself from TNG. This isn’t an optimistic happy land anymore. Anyway, I think what makes this such a strong entry is because there’s no right answer to the question: should Bajor take the refugees on? This is a very intriguing premise that takes a while to build up, but feels earned through the pleasantries of first contact. It’s a sober reminder that after that first interaction with any new people realities eventually set in. This episode will leave me thinking, and the final scene where the leader says that this isn’t their promised homeland was truly impactful. Also, Quark was excellent and provided some much needed comic relief.)
Rivals – 1.0 (Ugh…yikes. This episode was just so boring. The solution was obvious from the very beginning, and the rest of the plot sort of meandered its way until it ended up with the solution everyone expected. The racketball subplot was very mildly entertaining, but this was definitely a pretty awful outing as a whole. Not even campy bad, just boring bad.)
The Alternate- 4.0 (Very good episode overall. I really enjoyed the scenes between Odo and the scientist, and the twist was actually pretty neat. I honestly wish it was less focused on the mystery aspect and more on the relationship between Odo and the scientist that worked with him because that was simply more engaging. Still really enjoyed it overall.)
Armageddon Game- 5.0 (This is another sleeper banger. The scenes between O’Brien and Bashir are great, and I enjoyed the overall tense feel of the episode as a whole. Quark’s tribute to O’Brien was genuinely hilarious. Keiko learning that O’Brien drinks coffee in the afternoon after that was the whole reason she said the footage may be altered was also funny. Sisko’s maneuver at the end was pretty slick. It was just a very tightly written and paced episode and I love Bashir and O’Brien as characters. They always make a natural and funny duo.)
Whispers – 4.5 (Holy twist. I was fully invested in the narrative that O’Brien was singlehandedly fighting against a major conspiracy and it was genuinely very well directed and written. The twist that he was a clone was completely unexpected for me, and yet makes a good amount of sense. This episode was a fun ride. I can’t believe they made me believe a routine physical by Bashir was some sort of sinister plot.)
Paradise – 0.5 (What a stinker of an episode. Sisko and O’Brien are stuck on a colony with a controlling and manipulative leader who forgoes technology at all costs, leading to people dying along the way. The reason this episode sucks is because it really says nothing of substance while clearly desperately trying to. Some scenes were downright unintentionally hilarious, with Cassandra (the leader) at the end trying to justify her decisions being one of them. She goes through multiple people, saying how they would be stuck doing this job or that, and then stops on this poor guy named Steven and says “You would probably be in jail” if not for the colony (The odd delivery made this a much funnier moment than it sounds). Just a ridiculous premise that says nothing of value. The scene where Cassandra sends a woman to have sex with Sisko was just weird, uncomfortable and unnecessary: a good microcosm of this episode. Also: these colony episodes where the primary driving plot is people not wanting to leave is a genuine Star Trek trope at this point and it’s not a particularly compelling one most times.)
Shadowplay – 3.5 (Odo’s interactions with the holographic girl are outstanding. I honestly wish this episode just picked a lane. The main plot had some interesting ideas with the whole village being holograms except the creator, but couldn’t really flesh that out because the writers needed Kira to get with Bareil and needed Jake to get a com badge and tell his father he didn’t want to do Starfleet. This episode sort of felt like a dump of things the writers wanted to do and so it loses some points for that. However, the scenes with Odo are extremely compelling, and makes this episode one worth watching. Also: Dax says that if they fail, the village will cease to exist, and an extra yells out “awww” like he just lost $20 or something. Lol.)
Playing God – 1.5 (Scenes with Jadzia and the Trill initiate were good, but they dropped the ball with the whole universe plot. There really was no solution offered. So they got the proto-universe to the Gamma quadrant and then what? Won’t it still expand? Did they just drop it off somewhere? I’d like to imagine some poor colony is going to have to deal with a whole universe dropping in. Also why did the Cardassian Vols not cause a problem like right away after the federation took control? This episode had potential, but the expanding universe is both unbelievable from a science perspective and from a narrative perspective! also: I love when Sisko ordered O’Brien to change the setting on the phasers to kill for the Vols and literally said “No more Mr. Nice guy.” Also also: what does the other person actually do in the runabout? Are they just pressing buttons for shits and giggles? Why is there so much button pressing in general? Do we not have autopilot in the 24th century?)
Profit and Loss – 3.0 (I love the development of Garak in this episode. The romance scenes were often plodding, and the scenes with Quark begging Natima to stay and Odo to release the prisoners were so drawn out that they lost their entertainment value quickly. Also, it’s a bit ridiculous that Odo doesn’t face any consequences; not even a dressing down from Sisko. Makes the whole scene with Quark begging Odo feel quite cheap as well, since there were really no consequences for Odo’s actions.)
Blood Oath – 3.5 (I enjoyed the vibes of this one for sure: the gang goes for one last battle to avenge their sons. Dax is actually pretty good in this episode. I think the episode is weakened by some pretty goofy deaths and the fact that all of the Klingons end up being pretty same-y. This may have been just me, but I genuinely had some trouble telling them apart at times. I didn’t watch the TOS that much so I never saw them make an appearance)
The Maquis, Part 1 – 4.0 (This episode was very engaging, and I especially enjoyed the interactions between Sisko and Dukat. I think the side plot with Quark selling armaments to the Vulcan was mildly entertaining, but definitely seems a bit superfluous in the context of the whole episode. Knowing who the Maquis are going into this also made it a little less engaging as it basically serves as an introduction to more interesting things. Still, a very solid episode overall with a pretty fast paced and engaging storyline thus far. I still don’t understand why they don’t leave one crew member on the runabout in case of a bad situation like at the end of this episode. Didn’t Sisko learn his lesson from Paradise?)
The Maquis, Part 2 – 4.5 (The scenes with Gul Dukat were amazing. I enjoyed the scene with Quark explaining to the female vulcan why the Maquis should make peace with the Cardassians. The episode started a bit slow, but it quickly sped up and I enjoyed the fight at the end quite a bit. The final scene with Sisko was also quite poignant, with him wondering if he just delayed an inevitable war with the Cardassians. Also: Gul Dukat dressing down the freighter captain is an awesome scene, and it’s hard not to agree with his tactics. Though one has to ask themselves: would Sisko have the reputation to even pull off such a move? Most likely not.
The Wire – 4.0 (Another great episode with Garak. What made this episode so engaging is that it dives deep into the very nature of Garak. The very first way he introduces himself, as a “plain and simple Garak” makes a lot more sense after episodes like this. He’s a compulsive liar, and yet throughout the episode he so convincingly tells 3 different stories as to why he was exiled, and all 3 make sense in his nature. This is because he is largely still a mystery, and I hope that this show doesn’t ever reveal why he was truly exiled as the mystery is what makes Garak so engaging. The scenes with Odo and Bashir were great, with Bashir pushing back against Odo as he is trying to keep Garak alive. Quark’s call with the Cardassian was also hilarious, as he may have gotten the Cardassian killed by accident. His nonchalant goodbye is in character and adds a bit of humor to this pretty heavy episode.)
Crossover – 4.5 (I know the mirror universe episodes are often controversial, but this one was pretty good. I think the biggest issue with the whole concept is that it’s so damn bleak. Like, by creating this fun little thought experiment, the writers have successfully created a horribly twisted universe with little hope in sight, and we’re supposed to just ignore it when it’s not in action. Otherwise, this episode is great. I think mirror universe Kira was the strongest character from that side, and O’Brien and Odo were also pretty good. Mirror Quark was also solid. The only interpretation I hated was Sisko. He was almost savage like at times, and it just seems off for him. His arc throughout the episode is good, but they really should have dialed mirror Sisko about 10 notches. I still really enjoyed this one as a nice change of pace episode.)
The Collaborator – 3.5 (A really thrilling episode, and honestly the first Star Trek episode that I can remember in which the ‘villain’ truly wins. Winn successfully wins the position of Kai, after having tried to overthrow the government and kill Bareil. It’s so frustrating because Bareil just had to not protect Kai Opaca’s legacy. He tanked his own pursuits because he wanted to protect someone’s legacy, and in the process allowed Winn to take the highest position of power in Bajor. This rug pull sort of cheapens this episode; they really should have just stuck with him being the collaborator. This episode is good because of the interactions between Winn and Kira, and also because it made Winn the Kai, which is quite frankly way more interesting narratively than if Bariel was Kai. While writing this, I realize I sort of hate how this ended, so I might kick it down a star because of that. Like, Bariel being a collaborator and doing the greater good, thus poisoning his own pursuits is way more narratively satisfying than randomly making it Opaca’s fault. I guess the writers really wanted to hammer home that Bariel is a good person, but in the process he just looks like an idiot.)
Tribunal – 5.0 (One of the best episodes yet. The opening was tense, and the actual Cardassian proceedings were extremely revealing. The directing in this was nothing short of fantastic, and the Cardassian legal system was a terrifying yet extremely captivating affair. The screens across Cardassia Prime broadcasting the trial is a small detail, but greatly furthered the worldbuilding of Cardassia as a whole. Bashir sticking up for O’Brien was an awesome and visceral scene, which clearly feels earned with their blossoming friendship. Odo and Keiko were fantastic, and the defense attorney was a hilarious yet depressing look into Cardassian life. His shock and horror at actually winning was extremely satisfying. I also enjoyed how everyone was annoyed at O’Brien for being such a workaholic (that scene where the turbolift went back up so he could talk to Sisko was awesome.) While the DS9 investigation part of the story was admittedly just okay, I’m a sucker for courtroom dramas so I loved this one.)
The Jem’Hadar – 4.5 (This was an awesome episode. I honestly did not expect Eris to be part of the Dominion, and it was quite nifty that it was Quark that found that out. I think the Dominion came off as extremely threatening, powerful and intimidating. Honestly, they reminded me of the Borg before they got nerfed and I loved that. I also loved Sisko’s line at the end about being ready to fight the Dominion- pretty badass. The Jake and Nog stuff was fine, but the screaming by Nog was just so annoying that this episode couldn’t be five stars lol.)