Sorry if this rant is just some griping about DS9 in general but, while I agree that DS9 certainly had complex serious storyline and maybe writing-wise DS9 > TNG, but oh my god, I think character/cast-wise TNG >>>> DS9.
Looking back I think that was my main reason for not being able to get into DS9. I just couldn't connect with any of the characters. They are all so attractive, perfect and flawless, but also so bland and uninteresting, and can almost be interchangeable.
There were no amazing multi-faceted, flawed characters like Data, Geordi, Lt. Barclay, or Worf. In fact they even had to bring Worf over to DS9 to save the show.
I guess Quark and Gul-Dukat were pretty cool, but they weren't enough to make DS9 worth watching for me.
That's why these days I'd rather look up the history of DS9 on Memory Alpha than have to sit through the episodes.
Actually, I mostly agree with you.
It's not the writing per se, because DS9 characters tried for complexity on paper (which seems to be the subject of all the rebuttals to you... they are reading the character bios out... yeah okay, those have variety no doubt)
But they lacked nuance in most cases (notable exceptions: Quark and Garak, and sometimes O'Brien), because the acting quality overall was
significantly below the bar set by TNG.
TNG's core cast (once you throw out Tasha who should have been killed even earlier, and let Wesley go into the background) was superb. As much as I love the DS9 episode in this thread, for instance, Sisko's acting borders on corny and overstated at many points, as he often does. He feels like cheap community theater, compared to scenes with Picard on TNG which feel like legitimate high theater.
I love DS9 but let's be honest...
Dax? She's simply a very flat and poor actress overall. Her scenes are often ruined by it. She probably wouldn't even get a b-part on TNG's later seasons.
Sisko? I love the character and, sentimentally, the actor -- but he's a mess with the role sometimes, really gives odd beats and constantly overacts. Zero subtlety.
Kira? Mostly a one-note character. Does anyone enjoy her episodes, or just suffer through them?
Odo? Actually he was interesting for the first few seasons, and unique. But they absolutely ruined him with the pitiful chasing after Kira. That arc not only gave us some of the worst acting of the Star Trek franchise, and some of the highest cringe episodes of all, but also showed a total misunderstanding of what made his character intriguing at the start (hint: his
disinterest in most human emotional matters, and his incredible impartiality on all things).
I mostly give a pass to Bashir, even if he sometimes feels off or isn't used correctly. His scene with Data in TNG showed his potential; they actually felt very real together.
Quark is a natural, Garak is excellent, O'Brien works as an everyman. Worf was a necessary addition. But outside of that, there is a lot of poor acting to go around on the cast and I feel it with every episode. It doesn't meet TNG's bar in this area at all.
She's hot but she's terrible.
