well since you didn’t mention it, ds9 is (now) famously the best trek series. unappreciated in its day because it makes absolutely zero sense in syndication. the only way to watch it is via the binge, a concept that didn’t even exist until 15 years later. And I’ll be honest, it took me a couple go throughs to really understand all that was going on. But that’s due to the fact that they were doing something way too sophisticated for the medium, they pushed it way past what was possible. So only in the age of netflix can it be properly appreciated.

ds9 is a series that contemplates the colonial, the post colonial and the reactionary fascist. even the fascist within the successful liberation struggle. collaboration, pragmatism, espionage and the blurry lines. it poses communism vs capitalism. in opposition to other treks, it is not post racial. sex workers are recurrent, prominent characters of influence. there are labor struggles, political scandals, conspiracy theories, false flags and cults. there are also real gods; some religion is true in ds9.

eta: the character of dax, and the concept of the joined trill, is an essentially extra-gender and pansexual influence.