When it first hit airwaves in 1993, fans railed against the new third installment of the Star Trek franchise: Deep Space Nine. Where The Next Generation was colorful, clean and idealistic, DS9 was darker, murkier, and didn’t even take place on a space ship, for the Prophets’ sake! As the series chugged along, though, the brilliance of Deep Space Nine‘s deviation from expectation began to resonate with even the staunchest of fans. By the time DS9‘s seventh and final season was on the air, the series has blossomed into one of Trek‘s best and most beloved – and 30 years later, Deep Space Nine‘s affection among fans has only grown.

Though anytime is a great time to watch DS9 if you ask me, there truly isn’t a better time to start the series – not only has a feature-length documentary about the show been released, but if rumors are to be believed, the upcoming third season of Picard will also feature some legacy characters and significant ties to Deep Space Nine. So whether you’re looking for a refresher ahead of Picard or just want to enjoy a brilliant series, here are 10 of the best Deep Space Nine episodes to watch in celebration of its 30th anniversary. The series is jam packed full of classics, like the all-timer “It’s Only a Paper Moon” and the poignant “Wrongs Darker Than Death or Night” which means we couldn’t include them all, so if you don’t see your favorite, share it in the comments!