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.
Q2&A: Find out more about SFCQ2
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.
About the author
Welcoming Our New Fleet Development Officer
To quote Heraclitus, the only constant in life is change. Quadrant 2 has been through many changes before and with the recent appointment of a new Admiralty Board, we're looking ahead with more changes to the fleet structure. With Piers Drinkall joining the board alongside David Shires, there were some discussions about what to do with Piers' Fleet Development role and after some serious thinking, a decision was made. After aiding in Piers' efforts within the Command Training Program, and being a solid right hand on the USS Sovereign, we're pleased to welcome Karl Drinkall to the Fleet Development position. Karl is a sharp mind with a lot to give to the fleet and a clear grasp of our aims and goals in the coming months and years. With his dedication and string mindset, it was an easy decision to […]
[Retro Review] Errand of Mercy
Relations between the Federation and the Klingons are in tatters and the prospect of an all out war casts a shadow over the region. To help prepare for the worst, Kirk and the Enterprise are sent to Organia, a planet populated by inherent pushovers right on the border between Federation and Klingon space. With the prospect of the Klingons getting a foothold that would help their war efforts, Kirk's job is to negotiate a protection order, getting the Organians on their side before the Klingons annexe the planet as a launching pad for conflict. Problem is, the Organians are hardcore pacifists and their native tech is limited. They don't want to be part of any war, and they don't want to change their values to resist. Which becomes a bit of a problem when the Klingons arrive ready to occupy the […]
Dude, Where’s Your Shuttle? Human Best Friend; Strange New Worlds S4E03
It's been a stressful few months for the Enterprise crew and they want, well, demand, shore leave. Choosing a tech-free planet with natural psychedelics in the atmosphere, the command crew take a shuttle down, take in all the wonders the world provides. And then it all goes a bit wonky... Writers: Kathryn LynDirector: Yana Gorskaya Engineers and pilots hate each other. It's the rules. Scotty and Ortegas have been following those rules to the letter, with the bickering pair opening with a dual monologue highlighting how irritating they are to each other between Scotty setting up alerts and alarms to keep the engines in check, and Ortegas duct tapping over the console to get rid of them so she can push the limits freely.While they're constantly irritating each other, the rest of the Alpha shift command team are exhausted. Months […]
Admirals Blog: Gamma Quarter 2403
To say it’s been a sad few weeks for Q2 would be an understatement. There have been fewer constants than Mark Mitchell within the past, Gods knows how many years. The rulebooks? Thats him. Academy? Thats all Mark. Sure, things got updated and edited over the years, but he’s been the backbone of the fleet for as long as I remember. Mainly as I remember him making my Academy exam when I joined the fleet on a whim. It’s because of people like Mark that I stayed. The fleet has always been the people. And he was one of the best people. I was honoured and humbled by the amount of people who went to say their goodbyes to him and while I felt a real sense of loss, it was also a day filled with joyful memories. When it […]
A Fistful of Down To Earth Adventures
Warping through the stars always searching for the next adventure, it's rare that Star Trek ever comes home to Earth. Through all the series, and highlighted in Enterprise, the third rock from our sun is kinda important in the grand scheme of things but our eyes are always far beyond the stars. So for no particular reason at all - certainly not any recent new series launching - we're taking a look at Trek's more Earthbound moments.... Homefront/Paradise Lost Deep Space Nine Season 4 The Founders said they were everywhere. Now we know they're on Earth. Recordings revealed a founder during the bombing of a Federation meeting on the home-world and Sisko is recalled. His knowledge and experience with the Dominion is vital to securing Earth against the inevitable war. But while the Dominion may be the enemy, they aren't […]
Some Scary Ship! The Griffin Incident; Strange New Worlds S4E02
Returning from a conference for future leaders of Starfleet, Spock and La'an (with Kirk hitching a ride) find a long-lost ship adrift. The USS Griffin's disappearance nine years prior had never been explained, becoming a bit of folklore within the fleet. Stum,bling upon it by chance, the trio board the ship hoping to find an answer to the mystery only to get more than they bargained for... Writers: Robbie Thompson Director: Axelle Carolyn I'll preface this now by pointing out I love creepy sci fi settings.. The isolation of being trapped on a derelict ship with no escape and no one to call for help has always been something I've enjoyed from the obvious Event Horizon, even to old classics like The Thing. So I was excited for this one by the trailer alone and can't say I was disappointed! […]
Related
A Fistful of Down To Earth Adventures
Warping through the stars always searching for the next adventure, it's rare that Star Trek ever comes home to Earth. Through all the series, and highlighted in Enterprise, the third rock from our sun is kinda important in the grand scheme of things but our eyes are always far beyond the stars. So for no particular reason at all - certainly not any recent new series launching - we're taking a look at Trek's more Earthbound moments.... Homefront/Paradise Lost Deep Space Nine Season 4 The Founders said they were everywhere. Now we know they're on Earth. Recordings revealed a founder during the bombing of a Federation meeting on the home-world and Sisko is recalled. His knowledge and experience with the Dominion is vital to securing Earth against the inevitable war. But while the Dominion may be the enemy, they aren't […]
A Fistful of ‘Spirk’
We've been spoiled with Spock in the past few years with Discovery introducing a younger iteration of the character long before he became the refined man of logic that made him famous, and continued that story through Strange New Worlds and his time under Captain Pike's command. As Strange New Worlds continues, giving more history to the original series line up and the early meetings of Spock and Kirk as it makes way for the beginning of the Kirk era, we thought we'd look back at some moments that made the partnership one of the most popular combinations in science fiction. JOURNEY TO BABEL TOS Season 2 Spock's got a bit of an issue with sharing. Secret brother who was shunned. Secret sister who's fate was classified. And despite trusting the Enterprise crew with his life, it was clearly only […]
A Fistful of O’Brien
Entering the Star Trek world as an unnamed extra with a few bits of dialogue, O'Brien soon became a fixture on the Enterprise D as it's transporter chief before moving to Deep Space Nine to head up engineering and operations on what was thought to be a backwater outpost before it became one of the most strategically important stations in the quadrant!As the only enlisted or non commissioned officer to feature in the main cast of any Star Trek show to date, O'Brien stands as the only working class hero in the Star Trek universe with a vast and varied career taking from the front lines of the Cardassian war as a soldier, to the front lines of the Dominion War as an engineer, retrofitting DS9, keeping the Defiant from blowing itself apart, and even sniping Dominion troops. All in […]
A Fistful of Justice
Although it's one of the worlds most legendary science fiction shows, Star Trek has always dabbled with format and genre's, all dressed up behind deep space adventures. Whether using the holodeck for a touch of fantasy, or diving into the horrors of war through Deep Space Nine's run, the variety of story telling never seems to fit one mould. But out of all the different tales told in the wonderful world of Starfleet, one that always promises to deliver is the court room drama. This month we're diving into the most captivating of Star Trek's courtroom drama's with a Fistful of Justice! AD ASTRA PER ASPERA Strange New Worlds, Season 2 One of the most modern examples of Strar Trek's court room drama saw Pike's own Number One, Una-Chin Reilly, under court martial for a serious breach of Starfleet regulation […]
A Fistful of Honour Beyond Bloodshed
Feared throughout the galaxy due to being fearless warriors who thrive on battle and bloodshed, the Klingon's are one of Star Trek's most iconic races and yet, with all their history, perhaps the most misunderstood. Starting off in the original series as authoritarian and distrustful antagonist, they were written as a parallel to Russia with the Klingon Empire in a cold war with the Federation following a long conflict. The Klingons would have a bit of reinvention in the movies thanks to higher budgets giving the producers a chance for a more alien look, while their culture and history would get a little more depth on The Next Generation thanks to the inclusion of Worf, the first Klingon member of Starfleet. But Worf's views on the Klingon culture weren't quite spot on. From a noble house, Worf was displaced and […]
A Fistful of Familiar Surroundings
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo. President Forward During the Next Generation multiple set pieces were re-used and recycled from the set pieces built for the film franchise. From the obvious re-use of internal corridors, to smaller pieces such as Dr Crushers office being McCoy's, it's hard for a keen eye to ignore how much the productions shared between them. But as The Next Generation became the dominant forcer with ongoing production and full standing sets, eventually the turn tabled and by the final original cast instalment, it was the TNG stages that became the obvious redress solution. The most jarring of the films set re-uses was the office of the president. As Kirk and McCoy were charged with assassination, a political poop show begins and the Federation […]
