What the Federation does in the Gamma Quadrant is akin to visiting the
house of a physically distant relative while wearing red, being told
that wearing red is an act of insult in their culture, but continuing to
wear red because it is your right to do so where you normally live

You know, I hear that complaint about Season 4 all the time, and I don't get it.

I, too, an doing an Enterprise re-watch. Using the Iconians would probably have been terrible, unless it happened in Season 4, when, from what I remember, the show took a big jump in quality.

I entirely agree, @avclub-2d8ab0375d529c0ccfcdb1c61a09f1c2:disqus.

You make some strong points, @avclub-bd847fd835b2c6025557898b6aff7b2d:disqus .

it makes complete sense that these people would react to a peace with
the Cardassians with outright violence against both the Cardassians and
the Federation tasked with keeping the peace at all costs.

I'd say it's more that the Federation put "galactic peace" ahead of the
interests of its own citizens that had them so pissed off.

Wait… what?

Worf was really the show's comedic secret weapon.

Before, their crimes could be explained away as them fighting the war
with the Cardassians that the Federation would have to fight someday
anyway.

When DS9 does get Roddenberrist, it falters.

a lot of the Maquis story has been about frustration with the Federation and how it operates.

It would be practically disappointing if Garak didn't have enemies who would be perfectly willing to poison a water supply or two in order to get to him.

It may not be this. Dominion War's a'coming, and shit just blows up left, right and center.

This might be apocryphal, but the story I've always heard is that they wanted to film an episode where Brunt and Weyoun pass each other in the hall, and Weyoun sort of cranes his next with a "Who is THIS handsome devil?" look of mild puzzlement.

Well, he has a small part in the low-budget film 'The Last Legion.' I think he murders a dude with a sword in that.

@avclub-bd847fd835b2c6025557898b6aff7b2d:disqus So, in order to get justice for the Agrathi perpetrating terror on an innocent, the Federation should perpetrate terror on a WHOLE BUNCH of innocents, because that'll learn'em?

This.

Ezri Dax. What a distraction. There we were, in the final season of a
great TV series, and instead of further testing and developing known
characters, we had to spend time with this whiny Ezri person.

If by "dealt with it directly" you mean "completely ignored it."