Wedged between the operatic, trailblazing perfection of Star Trek: The Next Generation and the charming (yet wildly inconsistent) Star Trek: Voyager, Deep Space Nine was at an immediate disadvantage. Where were all the ships? The voyages? The jefferies tubes, dammit? Why would we want to watch a dialogue-heavy drama set on a badly lit space station?
But Deep Space Nine is like The Americans in space, or a le Carré cold war novel set in the dying embers of a horrific occupation. It’s about racial tension, religious fundamentalism and newfound faith. It is, hands down, one of the smartest things ever to come out of mainstream science fiction.
