The Trekker’s Guide to the Sisko Years Sample Chapters By J.W. Braun Published by Dragon Wing Express Copyright © 2019 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in, or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior permission of J.W. Braun. Cover photo courtesy of Dan Johnson All Star Trek images used in accordance with Fair Use First Edition: April 2019 ISBN: 9781095369647 Foreword Star Trek: Deep Space Nine has often been seen as second-wave Trek’s awkward middle child, caught between the beloved The Next Generation and UPN’s flagship series, Voyager. The truth is, not only was DS9 Trek’s middle child, it was a show that grew during a transitional time of television, helping to usher in the modern serialized format so many of today’s television shows have adopted, taking individual episodes, in large part written on-the-fly, and somehow weaving them together to create a greater story. The first season of Deep Space Nine took the traditional Star Trek format: stand-alone episodes focusing on one or another character’s background. While early episodes did showcase some of the first season weirdness of most Trek shows, DS9’s writers and actors proved early on that they could also deliver top- notch drama in the form of episodes like “Duet.” (Although not a fan favorite, I also quite liked “Dramatis Personae,” which took the simmering first-season character tensions and turned them up to eleven.) But perhaps even more consequential to the long-term storytelling, that first season ended with “In the Hands of the Prophets,” which stood on its own, but also set up the second season’s opening three-parter. This would become a familiar pattern, with the final episode of each season setting up a longer next-season arc, giving DS9 a larger canvas to paint on, with sweeping changes to the Bajoran, Cardassian, and Klingon societies happening on and off-screen, giving the illusion of an epic tale with the space station serving as a focal point. Yet, while the show didn’t skimp on the intrigue and violence of war, DS9’s storytelling was often at its most brilliant when dealing with the quieter but equally intense moments before, after, and in between. For example, while the fifth season’s “In the Cards” is a somewhat farcical quest to get a baseball card, it is also a portrait of a station exhausted and on the brink of war. The sixth season’s “Behind the Lines” includes an exciting plot to destroy a key enemy sensor array…told from Sisko’s point of view after he has given command of the Defiant to Dax, so that he may take a necessary, if personally difficult, position as war strategist. Later in the sixth season, “The Sound of Her Voice” gives the characters a chance to talk honestly about their experience of war with a mysterious far-off voice, so needed when they have lost the ability to talk to each other about it. In between, one of DS9’s most monumental episodes, “In the Pale Moonlight,” tells the story of a very moral man and a choice which may turn the tide of the war, but at what cost? It’s these sorts of stories that capture just a glimpse of what the grinding costs of war can do. Of course, not all of DS9’s “very special episodes” hit the jackpot. “Melora,” for instance, is not terribly offensive in its portrayal of a capable but gravity-bound ensign, but it isn’t a particularly compelling story, either. And while in some ways “Rejoined” actually works better now—since same-sex relationships on television are fairly common, the plot can almost stand on its own—it still retains a muddled message and that whiff of ratings bait. But impressively often, when DS9 took a mighty swing at an idea, it succeeded. (And I’m not talking about the seventh season’s “Take Me Out to the Holosuite,” although I do like that episode quite a bit—not least because you just know there are Vulcans who act like that.) On the heels of the fourth season’s big Klingon story and the addition of Worf came “The Visitor,” a more intimate, transformative story of the relationship between Ben Sisko and his son, Jake. While Jake often had a smaller role than most regulars on Trek shows, this story illustrates their singular bond. The next season gave us “Trials and Tribble-ations,” and what can you say about an episode written explicitly at Paramount’s request to celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of Classic Trek? It manages to retrofit a story within a story seamlessly while both honoring and having some fun with the classic “The Trouble with Tribbles.” (And as a time travel fan, I always appreciate some good time travel meta-humor.) The season after that gave us “Far Beyond the Stars,” which is both a sobering reflection on racism and a love-letter to pulp-era science fiction authors, immersive and deeply felt. The portrayal of the pulp magazine office is as romantic—if not terribly accurate—as the racism is horrifying—and far too accurate, even today. Some episodes of television transcend their shows, and, to some extent, the medium itself. This is one of them. But beyond these pinnacles, one of the more impressive things I have found rewatching DS9 through the decades is how well the writers understood the recurring cycles of history. Every time I rewatch, I am struck by episodes that feel as if they’ve been written in response to contemporary events. In the third season’s two-part “Past Tense,” the government has begun putting inconvenient people in “sanctuaries” where they have no real hope or prospects. In the two-part “Homefront” and “Paradise Lost,” the specter of shape-shifters infiltrating society creates a panic about terrorism. Meanwhile, religious leader Kai Wynn uses her position to try to manipulate her way to increased power while Dukat bobs along the surface of every upheaval to Cardassian society, grabbing onto a new leadership role with every change, unable to be dislodged despite his evident crimes against both Bajor and Cardassia. And yet, even as DS9 tackles such weighty issues, it also has a lot of fun. Q shows up, the holodeck breaks (once), there are time travel mishaps of all sorts, characters fall in and out of love, and you can set your watch to something terrible happening to O’Brien. But in spite of the sometimes darker, often more complicated setting, Starfleet’s ideals remain in place, even if the characters have to negotiate just what that means among aliens with different moral values, or in a time of war. Somehow, the enduring hope that makes Star Trek what it is, carries on. ―Nicole Lowery, April 2019 Introduction: About this Book As the spinoff of a spinoff, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine has always struggled to gain the respect of an audience at large. Happily, never before have the episodes been so assessable, with the days of fans having to catch the weekly show or having to rent Star Trek videos no longer necessary to enjoy the adventures. Today’s technology allows even non-Star Trek fans to instantly watch just about any episode of any Star Trek series, thanks to the internet and streaming services. And yet, even big fans can be forgiven if they have difficulty sorting out the hundreds of hours of Star Trek available—save for a quick check online which may also yield spoilers and misinformation. That’s where this series of books, with this being the third volume, comes into play. Throughout this edition, every episode of Deep Space Nine is graded, reviewed, and analyzed…and all without giving away plot points and surprises that make Star Trek worth watching. If knowledge of one episode is important to enjoy another or if there’s a prequel or sequel, the review includes that information as well. And just who am I, anyway? I’m J.W. Braun, a guy from Wisconsin. I was born in 1975 and grew up with a family that loved science fiction and fantasy, becoming a Star Trek fan in the 1980s after discovering, in succession, Star Trek: The Animated Series, the Star Trek movies, and Star Trek: The Next Generation. Today, I’m an unabashed fanboy who spends too much time analyzing entertainment and seeking out the people who make things like Star Trek possible so I can share what I learn with others. As I review the work, I try to be honest and fair. I can ask no more of you as you read this book! Grading the Episodes At the top of the reviews, you’ll see grades for the episodes. I use the standard American letter grade scale you may remember from school because it’s easy to understand. But to spell it out (pardon the pun), here’s a guide. A: Excellent (nearly perfect) B: Very good (exceeds expectations) C: Average (par for the course) D: Poor (below standard) F: Failure (ugh) Each review will also include vital information about the episode, including a plot description, the original air date, and the writing and director credits. “Emissary”: A (Pilot) Commander Benjamin Sisko takes command of the Bajoran space station Deep Space Nine, recently abandoned by the Cardassian Empire. Air date: January 3, 1993 Teleplay by Michael Piller Story by Rick Berman & Michael Piller Directed by David Carson TV rating: 18.8 “Ironic.