Scene from "Q-Less" (DS9):

(Q-esque recreation of an olde Englishe boxing match in Quark's bar - Q, sporting a fetching pair of handlebars, versus Commander Sisko. Unable to contain himself from Q's jibes, Sisko floors Q with a solid punch.)

Q: "You hit me! Picard never hit me!"
Sisko: "I'm not Picard!"

This rather memorable scene from a less memorable Q episode made me think (for once). "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" has always set out to be different from its illustrious predecessors TOS and TNG in several ways. There are obvious reasons, such as the space station setting and the inclusion of non-Starfleet main characters, but there are probably more subtle signs of this attempt at distinction.

In the DS9 nitpickers guide, Phil commented in his review of "The Jem'Haddar" (sic) on the significance of the destruction of the USS Odyssey, a Galaxy-class starship, at the end of the episode - at the time the episode coincided with "All Good Things...", the final episode of TNG. Phil could be right - TPTB could be playing with our minds by suggesting a break from the old routine for Star Trek.

So.....

What does everyone think? Is this an attempt at subtle persuasion towards the moving-on of the Franchise(R)? Are there any other equally subtle attempts by the series to distinguish themselves from TNG?

Call it the "I'm Not Picard" Syndrome.

Obviously I'm alone on this one, it seems....

Ah well, no dissenting voices to disagree with me, for a change.

My work here is done...

Not attracting dissenting voices is easy when you're preaching to the choir, Sven.

Oh come on! Surely there has to be someone who disagrees with me!

I noticed this one:

TNG: Suddenly Human and DS9: Cardassians both deal with the issue of custody of a child raised by aliens instead of his family.

Picard returns the child to the alien foster parent.
Sisko returns the child to the biological parent.

You're right, Sisko isn't Picard.