As a cadet sets out to solve an ancient Starfleet mystery, she embarks on a journey of self-discovery and learns the value of forging her own path. Meanwhile, Nahla agrees to help a fellow chancellor with an elaborate alien ritual.
Writers: Kirstin Beyer & Tawney Newsome
Director: Larry Teng
Starting off from the perspective of the academy’s resident photonic student SAM giving a presentation on her daily life, all in the style of an early 2000’s ‘chick flick’, you know Lower Decks’ alumni Tawney Newsome is all over this script. With overlapping infographics, fourth wall monologues and unrelenting cheer, we get SAM’s introduction to herself in more detail. Programmed to be an average 17 year old, she’s been sent by her Photonic-based people not just to join the mission of Academy, but to be their Emmisary. Her peoples distrust of the galaxy is deeply rooted in their history and her job is to understand and learn about the Federation and all their galactic cultures.
And she’s kind of failing. The people of Kasq aren’t happy with her reports and so far, despite throwing herself into the cultures and classes, she’s not given them what they want or really sure how to cure the distrust or fear the Kasqians have of being slaves to organic life again, just as they were when they were created. On their orders she enrols in a special class, Confronting the Unexplainable, to nudge her along the way. But one unexplainable mystery catches her attention; the story of another person who had the title of Emissary; Benjamin Sisko.
Given a push, and a challenge, on the advice of class Professor Illa, SAM becomes determined to solve the mystery of Captain Sisko, the Starfleet officer hailed as a religious icon to the Bajorans who vanished confronting a ‘false prophet’. Did he die fighting in the Bajoran Fire Caves? Or did he, as the Bajorans believe, ascend to a higher plane?
Deep Space Nine has always been the red headed step child of Star Trek. Even with a deeper appreciation after it was gone for leaning into it’s setting to tell serialised storytelling with an expansive cast of fascinating and rich characters, an appreciation that a lot of writers tipped their hats to, the tributes rarely arrived on screen. The Next Generation and Voyager have had their cast revived, their stories continued and love letters written for them. Deep Space Nine got a little bit of love in Lower Decks, but for all it gave to Star Trek, it always felt like the forgotten era.
For fans of the show that finally got put right. As Sam learns about ‘The Sisko’ through childrens books, a poorly handed intrusion into a Bajoran group and a virtual museum, we slowly get an appreciation for Sisko in a story that seamlessly blends tribute to the past with SAM’s own self discovery.
A lot of this is sold by Kerrice Brooks. SAM has so far been the awkward oddball trying, and often failing, to fit in and be normal. Here we get a bit of everything. The Kasq representative she meets with acts like an angry parent threatening to send them away if they don’t succeed. We get Sam throwing herself into awkward scenario’s. We get her throwing herself into Cadet culture and being programmed to get drunk. We get to see horrible descisions like starting a bar fight. We also get her buzzing around Professor Illa as she figures out how to pass the test she’s set for itself.
A lot of it’s silly, and a lot of it leans into SAM and her fellow cadets finally acting their age and being a bit stupid in themselves. But the entire performance is filled with a playful joy thats hard not to like. And with a certain cheerful charm, she carries the episode in a way that makes you begin to see her a little more clearly. And even with the whole idea of the Emissary looking for THE Emissary being a bit convoluted, it really pays off when another Sisko enters stage left.
Knowing it was an episode written by Newsome and Beyer, and being a DS9 tribute of sorts, it was one episode I wanted to go in blind and honestly, it was all the better for avoiding any spoilers or even hints of what might come in that hour. One of the best surprises was the return of Jake Sisko. Or at least, an archival interview of Jake Sisko recorded in the early 25th century. Cirroc Lofton only really has two scenes in the episode. The archive footage of him talking about his father and what he meant to him, and close to the end as a vision.
After following in what she thinks is Sisko’s footsteps – including starting a fight with a Vulcan and a Romulan thanks to some simulated vodka shots – Professor Illa lends Sam an unpublished book Jake had written that gives her all the answers and insights she was looking for. Guided by the vision version of Jake, she learns that he was an Emissary who had to follow a path like she has to, but he made his own rules and focused on what mattered to him most. It’s a touching scene that you can tell Lofton was thrilled to be back for aand aside from bringing the story together, it was just a joy to see old man Jake be the spiritual messenger for his fathers inspirational nudge to self discovery.
Though it was more fun that, after all the fan speculation of who might still be around in the 32nd century aside from The Doctor, the Cardassian professor Illa swept her hair back just enough to flash the Trill markings and reveal her full name; Illa Dax…
Other elements of the episode were a mixed bag. Ake and Kelric had their moments as she helped him with some odd customs with Reno and the Doctor bringing some humour, but it dfelt a little misplaced in the episode at times despite having a nice resoluton. The cadets were just fun and it was nice to see them just do the stupid young adult stuff while Caleb and Tamira did the awkward distant flirting and the cold war with the War College just got childishly petty.
Thankfully none of it overshadows how well the episode sticks the landing. Everything, as random as it feels at times, comes together nicely for SAM to phone home and tell her people to shove it. Fueled by some Sisko pep talk, she’s ready to do things her way and if it keeps up this energy and joy, both she and the series will be all the better for it.
EPISODE DISCUSSION & SPOILERS
Highlights
- There's quite a few subtle, and not so subtle, nods to DS9 throughout the episode. A personal favourite was Caleb munching on a Jumja stick while watching over the atrium.
- The Bajorans blanked out Sisko's face in all their literature to mark the legend of his ascension to the Celestial Temple. Starfleet records seem to have respected Bajoran tradition as a cover for 21st image rights,
- Ben Sisko's voiceover at the end of the episode wasn't pulled form DS9, but from Avery Brook's spoken word album 'Here' on the recommendation of Cirroc Lofton.
All Connected...
Jake Sisko’s unpublished book, Anslem – translated as Father in Bajoran – wasn’t the first time we’d seen the story. In an alternate timeline, Jake wrote and published a version Anslem in the years following the ap[parent death of Ben Sisko. During an incident on the Defiant, Sisko was apparently vapourised and despite a vision of him soon after, was listed as KIA. It turned out Ben Sisko wasn’t dead, just slightly displaced in time, interlinked with an aging Jake appearing at seemingly random intervals. Anslem was the last book Jake published before committing his life to science and finding a way to save his father. In the end Jake learned the only way was to sever the link between them, ending his life to ‘reset’ the timeline.
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