DS9 Season Five Essentials

DS9 Season Five is wall-to-wall awesome. After Season Four, they really hit their stride. It seems at this point that they could do almost no wrong. I had a really hard time picking out the Essential Episodes and there were quite a few that I felt all mopey about leaving out. Still, if you're in the market for a DS9 Season Five fix and just don't have it in you to power-watch all 24 episodes, check out the following:

Trials and Tribble-ations:
Do I really even need to explain why this is essential?
The DS9 crew is hob-nobbing with the TOS crew, getting into epic barfights, and thwarting assassination attempts. Plus: Tribbles!
You can't not watch it. It's one of the most iconic episodes of Trek ever.

Let He Who Is Without Sin:
This is basically a vacation romp episode. Jadzia, Worf, Leeta, Bashir and (oh yeah) Quark all put on their tacky vacation duds and pop up on Risa to soak up some sun.
Aside from hints at Dax's past relationship with gorgeous Risian Vanessa Williams, and Quark wearing SHORTS, this one is worth watching for one very important scene: Worf explains why he's so un-Klingon. And it's amazing. If you've loved Worf since TNG and wondered about the character's stoic, careful nature, this is an absolutely essential episode.

For The Uniform:
I'm a sucker for the Michael Eddington character arc so I feel like all of his episodes are totally essential but I get that everyone may not feel that way.
Still, with it's very dark nature, and Sisko's questionable ethics, this episode exemplifies a lot of what makes DS9 different from other Treks.

In Purgatory's Shadow:
Basically, this is the DS9 Fight Club episode. But it's made awesome by the diversity of inmates in the fight club prison. Not only does Worf encounter Bashir, General Martok and a Romulan but also a Breen. They're bent on escape but first Worf has to fight his way through about a bajillion Jem'Hadar.

Call To Arms:
Season Finale.
Everything that's been building up all season with the Dominion pretty much hits the fan. Space battles, political intrigue, and a break up of the DS9 crew make this one completely essential.

Runners Up:

The Begotten
Odo buys a changeling baby from Quark. 'Nuff said:

Ties Of Blood And Water
Kira's fake Cardassian daddy shows up with a terminal disease and wants to tell her all his dirty, war-time secrets. Consequently, she relives her own dirty, war-time secrets. A great plot with interesting character stuff and heart-breaking moments, this one is almost essential. Bonus Points for Jeffrey Combs' return as Weyoun.