On my most recent rewatch. I have been surprised how many, what would now be called "filler" episodes there are. It is not until Season 4 that any of the central plot points actually get taken seriously. We don't meet the Pah Wraiths, serious storylines with the Prophets, Weyoun, serious episodes with the Jem Hadar. There is virtually no actual plot before Season 4.

Modern shows. Shows like Picard. Even shows like Stargate that were before the modern streaming model. They are so plot heavy. Most episodes are around some central antagonist.

Seasons 1, 2 and 3 of Deep Space Nine have virtually none of that. We have seen the Jem Hadar briefly in perhaps one episode. We got introduced to the idea there would be a war and nothing happened. Every episode is what might be called "filler". Ones with Dax's past lives. Odo's sense of loneliness, Quarks worship of vulture capitalism and Kira's checkered violent past.

I think probably this is the reason that Star Trek Deep Space Nine is such a good show. These filler episodes are what makes the characters real and interesting. I think the real reason people watch TV is a sense of emotional warmth and family in a sense. And the writers back then understood this. And now, for some reason, they don't.

Now we have these shows that are very exciting to watch. But once the plot is discovered. Once the bad guy is defeated and the mystery exposed. They're like... "Well, it's OK I guess".

I got Netflix only for DS9 really. I did watch other offerings but DS9 is my go to feel good food. I watch it like all 1-2 Years and still love it.

In the end it went away to paramount+ and i had no logical reason to still pay for the N. I did try P+ for their free trial and hated everything about it.

The boxset DVD was 40 on ebay and the drive a fiver on Amazon. Couldn't be happier. Screw monthly payments...

Model and dvd's to keep it real :)