Another era of Star Trek starts, with the first spin-off (*Next Generation* is more of a reboot than a spinoff).
The first half of the pilot episode spends a lot of time establishing a setting and set of characters who are very unlike previous Star Trek. These are people who can be a bit of a prat (Bashir), strident and uncompromising (Kira Nerys), and the lead is uncertain and dispirited (Sisko). Compare this to the group of perfect people who we get in the first episode of TNG: clearly this is a new way of doing things.
We also see a lot of plot threads set up, more than usual: Bajoran religion, the orbs, the celestial temple, the conflict with the Cardassians, Sisko’s past. While partly the conclusion is with the benefit of hindsight, this is a show pointing towards a more serial, less episodic story.
The first half doesn’t really get a lot of plot – it’s almost entirely setup. That makes it hard to judge in isolation, but it’s certainly a more promising introduction than the start of TNG.
246 down, 491 to go.