What's really standing out to me in DS9 so far is how it keeps making enemies of loved ones and loved ones out of enemies. The very first scene is Sisko losing his wife because of Locutus - Picard, a beloved Captain of the franchise and therefore one of the embodiments of Starfleet and the Federation, caused another Starfleet Captain unimaginable pain.
Worf loves his people, and has to fight or betray them.
Garak loves Cardassia, and so fights and betrays Cardassia.
Marritza loved Cardassia, and so he stood up and tried to bring it to justice.
Kira and Odo find love even as much of the show is centered around the war against the Dominion and Odo's people.
Kira hates the Cardassians, but loves Ziyal and was moved by Marritza's guilt.
Damar killed someone Kira and Garak loved, and eventually they mourned for him too.
Everybody hates the Cardassians, and yet we keep being shown sympathetic Cardassians over and over again.
The show just keeps having characters stand up against the people they love dearly in the name of what's right, and forging bonds between characters as their planets wage war. It's just something special.
