Average episode rating this season: 6.96153846
It is a solid season, with only one episode managing to score less than a 6/10 from me. ("Second Sight" was really not good…)
I say that despite not rating anything lower than 6/10 in season 1, because I haven't technically rated all of the first-season episodes yet. And, actual ratings aside, season two just feels a lot more consistent overall than season one. The show, like all Trek series before and after it, only really started finding its footing in the second season, and didn't reach what I would call "greatness" until the third or fourth.
The real highlight of this season is the Dominion build-up, and how we go from hearing the name thrown around here and there to watching a Galaxy-class starship get destroyed mid-retreat by a now very determined new foe. I'd say the season was quite effective at priming the viewer's fear of the Dominion, the Jem'Hadar, and perhaps even the Founders (though we don't yet know that Odo is a Founder, so he's still cool). Part of me questions the plot-armor quality of losing an entire Galaxy-class ship and crew to rescue Sisko, but I do realize that this is 1990s Star Trek. It's as different from modern television as it is from the original series.
It's another solid season. It's not great. (Not yet). Too often stories are limited by the obvious constraints unique to a stationary location. Quality is consistent though. There are only a few bad episodes. Exceptionally good episode are also rare. Character development continues. Like in no other Star Trek show of this era, you really get to know the officers. Obviously, the show still explores how ambitious it can be. But experiments like the bold 3 parts season premiere shows you how much potential this show has. They continue to place chess pieces like the Maquis and the Jem'Hadar on the chess board, who will become important later in this show. They have got a plan! It think it's also fair to say that DS9 had the best 2nd season compared to TNG and Voyager. They do a lot of things right.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine warps into a second season full of exciting adventures on the edge of the frontier. When there’s an uprising against the Bajoran government Deep Space Nine finds itself caught in the middle of a civil war, and as ships continue to explore the Gamma Quadrant they begin to hear whispers of a totalitarian regime called the Dominion. Additionally, the series returns to the Mirror Universe from TOS in the episode “Crossover,” and begins to lay the foundation for Star Trek: Voyager with “The Maquis Part 1 & 2.” And there’s some good character development as well, with Odo and Quark matching wits, Bashir building a relationship with the mysterious Garak, and Kira falling in love with Vedek Bereil. Also, several notable guest stars are featured, including Frank Langella, John Glover, Chris Sarandon, and Paul Dooley. Season 2 of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine does a great job at building the series and continues to explore interesting new facets of the Star Trek Universe.
Season 2 gives us a show in growth that begins to establish its identity. It's a definite improvement over season 1, while still not reaching the stellar heights that were to come. There's a good deal of character exploration and the actors have all improved greatly, seemingly getting more of a feel for what they're doing. The storytelling becomes a bit more complex and there are some continuing threads that spread across episodes, notably with the build up of the Dominion as a presence and the crossover stories with TNG that give us the Maquis.
The supporting characters such as Garak, Dukat, Winn and Bareil also get a lot more definition. While there's nothing here that is as impressive as 'Duet' from the previous season, it's definitely more consistent overall.
Best episodes for me: Cardassians, Necessary Evil, Armageddon Game, The Maquis, The Jem'HadarWorst episodes for me: Melora, Second Sight, Rivals, Playing God
Shout by GeekWithThatBlockedParent2022-01-31T21:59:43Z
Another great season of Deep Space Nine. I feel like the show is just beginning to scratch the surface of its true potential.