In the past few years, Star Trek has made several nods to it’s past. But while The NExt Generation and Voyager had their continuations, Deep Space Nine continued to ‘black sheep’ of the family with it’s history and name drops being few and far between. Until Academy when we had an entire episode based around the legend of Starfleet’s most complex captains.
Starting his show as a widower and single parent, Benjamin Sisko started his time in Star Trek as a reluctant hero turned religious icon who’s become a prime figure in Bajoran history, the Federation-Dominion war and much more. If you missed his series, first of…. why?! And also, if you want a quick intro – here’s our Sisko top five to see what the fuss is all about.
IN THE PALE MOONLIGHT
Season 6, Episode 13
Lets get the obvious one out the way first. A defining episode for Deep Space Nine and one that highlights the morally ambiguous choices behind the Federations perceived perception. The Federation and it’s alliance aren’t doing well against the Dominion and spurred on from posting weekly casualty lists and counting their dead, Sisko decides they need more help and they have to find a way to bring the Romulans intro the war.
Narrated by Sisko recapping the story in his Captains Log, he gets it all out; how he lied and conspired along with Garak to manipulate the Romulans into joining them with false evidence and, unknown to him until after the fact, an assassination by Garak. In the end he gets the backup they need and the Romulans announce their alignment with the Federation against the Dominion while Sisko questions the choices he made and how he can balance his Starfleet morality with his swift fall into corruption for the greater good.
With Avery Brooks delivering some of his best work through Sisko’s speeches and growing discomfort, it’s a highlight of DS9’s balance of what lies underneath the Federations perfect world.
IN THE PALE MOONLIGHT
Season 4, Episodes 11 & 12
In a show about the final frontier, it’s a rare treat to see our heroes going home. Following evidence of a Founders infiltration on Earth, Sisko is recalled to Starfleet Command to share his experience and knowledge of the enemy on behalf of Starfleet Security. But through his and Odo’s efforts to tighten up security on Earth, he quickly discovers it’s all a lie as an Admiral in conflict with the politics of the Federation has manufactured a series of events in a power grab and soon enough Sisko finds himself in the middle of a coup.
Since the introduction of the Maquis in season 2, Deep Space Nine hadn’t been afraid to play around in the grey areas of Starfleet and the Federations ethical code and while the idea of Starfleet corruption has been there from the beginning and highlighted several times in the Next Generation era, for Sisko it was a great contrast to some of his more controversial moments as he fought to save Starfleet from turning to the dark side.
Plus we get to see not only more of Sisko the father, but Sisko the son with Brock Peters stepping in as Joseph Sisko to offer some down to Earth perspective while the world falls to fear and paranoia.
FOR THE CAUSE
Season 4, Episode 22
The Maquis are maybe known more for their part in Voyager, but their history comes from Deep Space Nine and Sisko was beard deep in it. From learnig his friend Cal Hudson was part of the group, to chasing his chief of security Michael Eddington down as a traitor – Sisko’s experience of the resistance group was one of betrayal. Though there was no larger betrayal or test of character than Kassidy Yates.
Through episodes like In The Pale Moonlight and For The Uniform – a story where Sisko burned a planet to get his way – Sisko’s often seen as the badass captain. Often for good reason. But afor all the personal betrayal’s Sisko suffered from the Maquis, For The Cause is top of that list. A core part of Sisko’s life before Deep Space Nine was losing his wife, and finding love again was a fairly big deal for him. When he learned the person he fell for was shipping medical supplies to the enemy, it was a breaking point that hurt ten times more than Hudson or Eddington.
In the end, it was a set up, but it was also the moment Sisko had to take a side between love and duty. And sometimes it just sucks doing the right thing.
RAPTURE
Season 5, Episode 10
Heralded by the Bajorans as their Emissary and protector, Ben Sisko spent a lot of time diplomatically side stepping being a religious figure until that one day he realised all those prophecy’s may be true. While diving into a mystery of a lost Bajoran city ahead of Bajor finally in talks to join the Federation, Sisko has an unfortunate accident that triggers a deeply trance like state that brings him closer to the Prophets, experiencing visions of Bajor’s future and an enlightenment that pushes his boundary of science and duty first.
In the grand scheme of things Rapture is a middle of the road episode that acts as one of many teases for the season finale, however it also acts as a key transition point for Sisko who up until this point was adamant that the Prophets were merely aliens that Bajor was wrongly celebrating as Gods. Being guided by their visions, and breaking Starfleet’s trust in the duality of his role on the station by warning Bajor not to join the Federation, was the first point in the series where ‘The Sisko’ accepted the title was more than just religious dogma; it was his new normal.
IMAGE IN THE SAND / SHADOWS & SYMBOLS
Season 7, Episodes 1 & 2
Where most shows travel the stars going from adventure to adventure, Deep Space Nine was a show that stood still with lives lived and lost on the outpost as the world changed all around it. One such change, the death of Jadzia Dax, broke Sisko to the point that he upped sticks and went home. But as he’d been told many times, The Sisko is of Bajor. There was no running from what was coming for him….
The two episode opener of the final season is an eye opener for Sisko and a culmination of several parts of his story. From the outset there was a connection to Sisko and Bajor prophecy that went from coincidental to obvious. Feeling responsible for Dax’s death and the disappearance of the Celestial Temple (or wormhole, YMMV) as penance for going against the Prophets path, Sisko runs away from them only to accidentally learn his father had more insight than either of them could imagine.
As Sisko gained a vision of a face buried in the desert and tried to piece it together, a combination of a curious Jake and shamed Joe Sisko led Benjamin to the truth. His mother wasn’t who he thought she was. The woman in the vision, Sarah, was his birth mother. But things were even more complex than a lie to spare a childs feelings. Sarah was also an unwilling participant in the story as she was possessed by one of the Prophets and guided to Joseph as they knew, thanks to being non linear, that Benjamin had to be born.
The episodes open the season in an incredibly big way with Kira finding her feet as commander of Deep Space Nine standing her ground against the Romulans, the introduction of Ezri Dax while Worf gives tribute to his wife in a tense mission of mourning, but for Sisko it’s a further realisation that after years of resisting, he is of Bajor. Even if he knows it’s not going to be a happy ending for him.
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