A Season of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine in 13 Episodes - Season 4

4x01-02 - The Way of the Warrior

4x03 - The Visitor

4x05 - Indiscretion

4x08 - Little Green Men         

4x11 - Homefront        

4x12 - Paradise Lost

4x14 - Return to Grace

4x15 - Sons of Mogh

4x19 - Hard Time

4x22 - For the Cause

4x23 - To the Death

4x24 - The Quickening

4x26 - Broken Link

 Each of the ones I kept, outside of "The Visitor," "Little Green Men," "Sons of Mogh," and "Hard Time," are tied in pretty heavy to the plot. "Indiscretion" brings Dukat's daughter, which leads to his downfall and eventual rise, as well as a great subplot with Garak.   "The Visitor" is great sci fi story telling and "Sons of Mogh" has great development for both Worf and his brother that continues ideas from TNG. It helps that Tony Todd is amazing. When condensing these seasons down for DS9, I realized that the Ferengi episodes would be the first on the cutting block. That being said, the "Little Green Men" is just great sci fi, great cultural comparison, and great Quark, Rom, and Nog.  Plus, it gives us Nog in Starfleet, which is important later on. "Return to Grace" was nearly cut for me. However, it introduces Damar, it gets Kira working with Dukat as a rebel fighter which has an impact later AND we get to see Dukat start his ascent to power again, where he will sell out to the Dominion. "To the Death" gives us the great Jem'hadar mantra and Weyoun.

Easier to explain is what I cut. "Hippocratic Oath" has some great Jem Hadar in it, but we will get that much better done in the next season, and Bashir and the Dominion get a better episode with "The Quickening". "Rejoined" is a lame Dax former lives story that is only memorable because she kisses her ex-wife.  "Starship Down" is a nice Run Silent, Run Deep call out, and has a great scene for Kira and Sisko's relationship. But I think we get that relationship, that Kira sees Sisko as Emissary and Sisko is uncomfortable, already, so I cut "Accession" as well. It is fun, but we will get better reinforcement of the Emissary role in other places. Gone is the "Sword of Kahless"/"Rules of Engagement" Klingon stories. It was an attempt to shoe horn Worf into the line up, and it was a bit much. I hate losing Kor, because he is a great character, but with only 13 episodes, you gotta cut.

Ferengi shenanigans "Bar Association"/"Body Parts" were natural jettisons. Perhaps one of the reasons DS9 is my favorite is because you could have so many episodes focus on minor characters and that those supporting players get as much development as majors characters on TNG or VOY.  In the stuff I cut, we lose out on Kor, Brunt, Rom, Shakaar, Garak, Dax past lives, Lwaxana Troi,  and some Bajoran development. None of it is crucial, but it is great world building.  "Crossfire"/"The Muse" get ousted as well. Both deal with Odo's love affair with Kira, but there are other episodes with better development in them.  "Our Man Bashir" has great characterization, builds the Garak-Bashir relationship, and sets the tone for future Bashir developments, but I had to cut one more. O'Brian suffers stories are always so good, I couldn't cut that and the Mirror Universe stories are fun, but just sweet desserts on the side. Ultimately, what happens with cuts is that they were better done in other places, often in this season.