It’s time to retire the “underrated” label for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Is Star Trek: Deep Space Nine really underrated after all this time?

For the longest time Star Trek: Deep Space Nine has earned the label of underrated among Star Trek fans. It’s the little show that could. Unlike The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine wasn’t the ratings darling its predecessor was. The Original Series had the advantage of being the first, and Voyager was the first show to air on a broadcast network at the same time on the same day every week.

A first for Star Trek.

Yet, when it came to quality, Deep Space Nine was always near the top of the conversation. When the advent of streaming and the ease of access to properties like Star Trek came into vogue thanks to Netflix, Deep Space Nine really showed itself to the fanbase and beyond.

It became a seminal piece of work for Trek, and fans everywhere were debating which show was better; The Next Generation or Deep Space Nine.

That argument alone should nullify and disqualify Deep Space Nine from being underrated.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is not underrated

The Guardian recently gave Deep Space Nine the label of being “underrated”.  Frankly, that’s just not true. Every “Best of…” list has Deep Space Nine at the top or near the top of the rankings. Its episodes are seemingly among the best, and its story arc over the last four seasons really did help reshape how Star Trek would tell stories years later. For better or worse.

It’s among most fans’ favorite two or three shows, and considering the sheer volume of shows that Paramount is pushing out these days, it seems inauthentic and borderline controversial to dub a show that is often praised as the best work Trek has ever done as “underrated”.

A show that is often discussed as the best ever, can’t be underrated. Enterprise is underrated. Voyager is underrated. Prodigy is underrated.

Deep Space Nine may very well be the top-rated Star Trek show of all time. That would be like saying Tom Brady and Michael Jordan were underrated at football and basketball. Deep Space Nine is among the best the franchise has ever created, and it’s time to move on from outdated views on the show.