I’m going to be the serpent in the grass and say give Babylon 5 a go before DS9. The first season will feel slow because the show is structured like a novel; exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, conclusion. There are small things like newspaper headers that hint towards future developments, and every main character undergoes a major arc. I enjoy DS9, but it’s never felt as cohesive as B5 to me. You may throw your stones now.