Episode Review - The Storyteller (Deep Space Nine, Season 1)

For those who are new to my episode reviews, you can find the post where I establish my point criteria here.

Overview – O’Brien and Bashir travel to Bajor for a medical emergency. The good doctor tries to get on O’Brien’s good side while the chief would rather not have anything to do with him. Upon arriving at the village Chief O’Brien suddenly finds himself as the spiritual leader, replacing the Sirah. In addition to being the spiritual leader, O’Brien is also supposed to protect the village from the Dal’Rok, a mysterious energy being. Meanwhile, back on the station, Jake and Nog befriend a young Bajoran girl who was made the political leader of her village after Cardassians killed her father. As she tries to put forward a strong persona during the negotiations with a rival village, a lovestruck Nog tries to connect with her.

Score: 6/10 – For some people, “The Storyteller” is a great episode, for others it is pointless filler and boring. I find myself somewhere in between the two viewpoints, leaning a little on the good side. The two stories being told are mildly entertaining, and the Dal’Rok is a cool idea. It turns out that it was created by a previous Sirrah of the village as a means to bring about unification and harmony among the citizens. It is a secret passed down from Sirah to Sirah, and the current successor is unprepared to take the mantle upon himself. An unlikely and unwilling Chief O’Brien is chosen instead. It is interesting side-note that O’Brien says he was not sent by the Prophets, but when we learn about Sisko’s Prophet connection throughout the series, it turns out that O’Brien was indeed sent by the prophets. O’Brien is a true fish-out-of-water here, with Bashir cheering him on. On the other side of the episode we have another Jake and Nog adventure to help give the other characters some screen time. This story is a bit less compelling than the main story, although there are some great moments in it. Nog continues to get the people around him in trouble, and the prank with the oatmeal in Odo’s bucket is quite funny.

Relevance – 2 points. This is also the first time that legendary baseball player Buck Bokai is mentioned, so that also gets a point. Most importantly, this episode begins the fun and interesting journey of O’Brien and Bashir on their unlikely friendship. To be honest, at the time of its original airing, I was very much like Miles with respect to Bashir. I found the young doctor to be annoying and self-absorbed. As their relationship developed, I continued to mirror the engineer and his feelings towards Julian. This is the episode where one of Trek’s best friendships starts, and at the time it was difficult to imagine them becoming anything remotely close to friends.

Continuity - 3 points. Story continuity is good. Things flow along nicely, and nothing stands out as contradictory. I also found the character continuity to be good here. O’Brien really disliked Bashir here, and it’s perfectly understandable. I also found his reluctance to be the Sirah to be appropriate. Bashir, of course, finds a way to be oblivious to the Chief’s annoyance and starts to worm his way into O’Brien’s good graces. Universe continuity also works here, though it is a little odd that this one village on Bajor has not drawn any attention with the Dal’Rok over the many years.

Character Development – 3 points. We are definitely going to score points for the beginning of the development between Bashir and O’Brien. As will be said in “The Explorers”, this is the start of when O”Brien starts to not hate Bashir anymore. If for no other reason, this episode should be viewed to see how this 24^th Century bromance began. There is also some good development for Jake here. It is minor in comparison to Nog’s, but as is often the case for these two, Jake becomes the voice of balance and reason for Nog’s excitement.

Social Commentary – 2 points. There are a few things here that could be drawn upon. There is the meaning behind the Dal’Rok, which is that nothing unites a bickering group of people like a struggle against a common foe. That message is very much on the direct side of things. There is also the idea of leadership, which goes a little deeper than previous example. In the case of O’Brien, leadership is thrust upon him to inspire the Sirah’s apprentice to rise up to the challenge. In the case of Jake and Nog’s friend Varis Sul, it’s about how to learn to be a leader. Both stories have some distinct parallels. Both involve a leader who feels unprepared for their role. Both are required to step up and find confidence in themselves. In the case of the former apprentice Hovath, his role as Sirah is given to another, while Varis Sul has to emerge from her father’s shadow on her own (with a little guidance from Commander Sisko and encouragement from Jake and Nog). She then comes to terms with the fact that she can compromise and still be seen as a strong leader. Both give us some good insights on what it means to become a leader.

Cool Stuff – 1 point. The Dal’Rok and its story is interesting. While the effects are not necessarily state of the art, they do work and are effective. The idea behind it, as a way of the Bajoran Sirah years ago to unite the village and in doing so eliminating the hatred and distrust that divided them. While the series would eventually outgrow this type of story, it is still a cool one.

Rank – Captain (17 points). While this episode is in the mediocre-at-best category by itself, it is still a good story due largely to the beginning of really nice friendship. Of all the relationships that the various characters find themselves in, the one between O’Brien and Bashir is cited as being one of the most authentic. These two seem to be polar opposites, and they have a really rough start of it, but this is the episode where it really all starts. For that reason alone, I would suggest you give this episode a viewing.

If you would like to read other reviews from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, please click the following link.

If you would like to read an episode review from any of the Trek series, click the following link to get to the series catalog. If the episode you want reviewed has not been done yet, then feel free to request it in the comments and I will see what I can do.

My Top Ten Favourite Deep Space Nine Episodes

Deep Space Nine was a Trek series like no other. Some of the differences were obvious. It was set on an alien space station and not on a starship. It had a combined Federation and Bajoran crew. Other differences became apparent over time. Not everyone got along all the time. The themes became darker and more complex. Good guys weren’t always good, and bad guys weren’t always bad. As the third live-action series in the franchise, it had big boots to fill from its two Enterprising predecessors, and despite the smaller fan base I would have to say that DS9 lived up to the Trek name. It created memorable and complex characters, delivered great moments, added depth to pre-existing characters, and told some great stories. Unlike the Original and the Next Generation, some of these stories were told in multi-episode arcs, beyond the “Part I/II” formula used in the past. There are so many great episodes in this series that it is hard for me to narrow it down to my ten all-time favourite episodes, but here is what I was able to come up with.

Oh, and while it should go without saying, but spoiler alerts for these episodes.

10. Crossover – I think DS9 interacted the most with the Original series, with TNG a close second. Whether it was those furry little tribbles or one final ride for a trio of famed Klingon warriors, DS9 knew how to pay tribute to its roots. For me one of the most important and significant nods was the episode “Crossover”. Kira and Bashir find themselves in the Mirror universe that we were first introduced to in the original series second season episode “Mirror, Mirror”. Taking place nearly a century after Kirk and his crew convinced a bearded Spock to begin the revolution against the tyrannical Terran Empire, Kira and Bashir find that things are quite different. Humans are largely enslaved, the Klingons and Cardassians have formed a brutal alliance, and familiar faces are not who they used to be. Seeing the different crew members in a different light is quite entertaining, with a sadistic Odo quoting the Rules of Obedience, a compassionate Quark trying to smuggle Terran slaves off of the station, a timid tinker in O’Brien, a brash and crude Benjamin Sisko, and a seductive Intendant Kira who is as malicious as our Kira is courageous. This episode establishes a starting point for several future episodes that further explores this alternate universe, but “Crossover” is a fun and delightful introduction.

Mirror, Mirror

9. Rocks and Shoals – The beginning of Season 6 was quite exciting as the Starfleet crew members (plus Garak) find themselves away from the station fighting the Dominion War, while Kira, Odo, Jake, and Quark adapt to life on the station under Dominion control. While each episode has great moments and stories being told, I feel that “Rocks and Shoals” does the best at storytelling in the early stages of the Dominion War. Sisko and his crew find themselves stranded on a distant planet where a Dominion warship has also crashed, pitting Sisko and his crew against the cunning Keevan. This Vorta has a particular problem as his supply of ketrecel white is almost depleted, which would lead his Jem’Hadar soldiers into becoming deranged uncontrollable killers who would then kill all they find. Sisko has to come to terms with doing what he must to protect is crew and trying to avoid slaughtering his adversaries in an unfair fight. Meanwhile, Kira starts to grapple with the realization that she has become complacent and comfortable in her new situations, and receives a severe wake-up call from a prominent vedek to restart a resistance movement. This episode does a fantastic job and building on characters and making some great points while giving us suspense, action, and even some humor (O’Brien ripping his pants).

Looking for shelter among the rocks and shoals

8. The Jem’Hadar – The second season finale gives us a major (but not final) reveal of the Dominion and its power by introducing us to its lethal infantry soldiers, the Jem’Hadar. What starts out as a fun camping trip with Jake, Nog, Commander Sisko, and Quark turns out to be far more than anyone bargained for. Amidst this backdrop we have some great moments, such as when Quark schools Sisko on his prejudices. Most of all, we see how brutal the Jem’Hadar can be when they are able to destroy a Galaxy-class starship with a suicide run. This is how you introduce an enemy to a series in spectacular fashion.

The fearsome Jem'Hadar

7. The Siege of AR-558 – More than any other episode in Star Trek history, this show shows us the brutality of war like never before. Sure, we have witnessed some great battles before this, but here we see a raw, almost unadulterated depiction of how vicious things can be in the trenches. Set on the planet AR-558, Sisko and some of his crew find themselves stranded with a severely diminished Starfleet garrison expecting to hold their ground against a superior force. We see the crew pushed to their limits, and even Quark gets his moment of heroism (though some would say it was just a survival instinct). There is also loss in this episode. Mostly of secondary one-time only characters, but our own Ensign Nog is horribly injured and loses one of his legs. I sometimes call this episode “Saving Ensign Nog” due to how intense the fighting is. The final battle is not meant to thrill or excite us. Instead, it is gritty, harrowing, and dark. This does not glorify war by any means. Instead, like the afore eluded to “Saving Private Ryan”, it shows us how bad war can be and makes us grateful that we are merely spectators and not participants.

Quark makes a stand

6. Duet – I would argue that no character grew more than Kira Nerys during the seven seasons. While any show’s first season is bound to have a lot of bumps in the road, DS9’s gave us this gem called “Duet”. When confronted with a Cardassian war criminal, Kira is more than happy to have him arrested with the intent of prosecution. The performances by Nana Visitor and Harris Yulin drive this emotionally charged story with brilliance and passion. As Kira grows to doubt her own justifiable hatred against the Cardassians, we begin to realize that in true Trek fashion, things are not as black and white as they seem. We wonder if the Cardassian is the former file clerk, Marritza, or the infamous Butcher of Gallitep, Darhe’el. As Kira digs deeper questions if she is dealing with an unrepentant war criminal or a remorseful man who weeps over the crimes of his people. The biggest moment of the episode comes with its final one. While escorting the Cardassian to a ship to be returned to Cardassia, a Bajoran civilian stabs him from behind. As Kira holds the dying Cardassian in her arms, she demands of the Bajoran: “Why?” The Bajoran, full of hatred and animosity responds “He was Cardassian. That is reason enough.” Kira, with tears and self-realization, tells him “No, it’s not.” This was the episode from the first season that cemented to me how special Deep Space Nine was going to be.

Kira confronting a professed war criminal

5. Only a Paper Moon – While “The Siege of AR-558” deals with the brutality of war, “Only a Paper Moon” takes it to the next level by focusing on the after effects of war. Nog, prosthetic leg and all, returns to the station to complete his recuperation. He eventually finds solace in the holosuite at Vic Fontaine’s hotel and casino. In an unlikely pairing, Ferengi Ensign and holographic crooner begin to fill the voids in each other’s lives while exploring the issue of PTSD. So many times we would see our characters in Star Trek suffer devastating loses and traumatic events, only to be back in full form the following week for their next adventure. Not so here. Finally, we see the consequences of our experiences, and get a glimpse as to how long the road to recovery can be. To make it even more impressive, Nog and Vic, while at the center of the plot, are not the main cast members. This just showcased how strong DS9’s secondary characters could be.

Nog and Vic going over the numbers

4. Hard Time – Poor Chief O’Brien. It seems like every season there was one episode where our favourite non-commissioned officer gets treated to some form of abuse or torture. In this episode, Miles is forced to experience a lifetime of incarceration in mere minutes, and has to deal with the after effects of a life he only lived in his mind. While we watch Miles relive those days and see him fall deeper into depression, we cannot help but feel the utmost sympathy for him. It is a clever way of exploring trauma (hmmm, this seems to be a reoccurring theme for this list) that digs into the emotional psyche of the human mind. Colm Meaney has always been a terrific actor, and this episode is one that showcases his talents extremely well.

O'Brien doing some Hard Time

3.Far Beyond the Stars – This is Star Trek and science fiction at its finest. A compelling story, superb acting by the entire cast, and the chance to see the actors in completely different roles (and often out of makeup) all come together to create this masterpiece. As Ben Sisko finds himself in the life of writer Benny Russell, we explore racism in the early 19^th century America and question reality. I think Sisko undergoes more personal growth in this episode than almost any other. Avery Brooks does a nearly flawless job of both acting and directing and the end result is one of the most special episodes we have ever seen.

The dreamer, or the dream?

2. Trials and Tribbleations – In 1996 Star Trek was celebrating its 30th anniversary. With two Trek series on the air (DS9 and Voyager), each show had a special episode dedicated to this momentous occasion. Deep Space Nine took a popular and classic episode, “The Trouble with Tribbles”, and turned it into one of the sweetest tributes. Using technology to place the Sisko and his crew within the actual TV episode, we were able to see our favourite characters from two generations interact in a way that was fun and exciting. By bringing in Charlie Brill to reprise his role of Arne Darvin they were able to add fun and continuity. In addition to that, we had several questions answered (some of them tongue-in-cheek) that had been debated for decades. We learn a bit as to why the Klingons in the Original Series were different (as Worf said, it is a private matter), the fate of the tribbles (I would love to hear the songs from the Great Tribble Hunt), and even why those tribbles kept falling out of the grain bin onto Kirk long after the bin was opened. Fans of both Kirk’s and Sisko’s respective shows can’t get enough from this show’s love letter to its roots.

The meeting of two legendary captain

Before I get to the #1 episode on my list, I have to give a shout out in the form of Honorable Mentions to the many great episodes that did not make the list. This was a very difficult list for me to compile as there are so many great episodes to choose from. As each of the following episodes fell to the cuts, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret. So, leading up to my favourite Deep Space Nine episode, have a quick look through these excellent episodes and enjoy the fond memories.

Little Green Men

Honorable Mentions (in no particular order)

·         Emissary

·         Badda Bing Badda Bang

·         In the Pale Moonlight

·         Way of the Warrior

·         Take Me Out to the Holosuite

·         Facets

·         Who Mourns for Morn

·         Little Green Men

·         What You Leave Behind

Way of the Warrior

1. The Visitor – I have to admit that this is my favourite episode of television, not just of Star Trek. When I first watched it I was enthralled by the love story between father and son. So often we see parents make the ultimate sacrifices for their children, but here we see the roles reversed. After losing his father, Jake dedicates his entire life to saving him. In addition to seeing an alternate future (complete with the more elderly Dax and Bashir and Captain Nog), we see a beautiful story of the power of familial love. While Ben, who keeps jumping in and out of Jake’s life, wants Jake to live his life to the fullest, Jake just wants his dad back. Add to that powerful performances by Avery Brooks, Cirroc Lofton, and Tony Todd (who plays the older Jake Sisko), and you have the near perfect episode which is my all-time favourite.

Father and son

 If you are curious as to which episodes of the Next Generation I love the most, check out its list here.

Episode Review - The Abandoned (Deep Space Nine, Season 3)

For those who are new to my episode reviews, you can find the post where I establish my point criteria here

Overview – Quark makes a disturbing discovery in some salvage that he has just purchased: a baby. The infant grows rapidly and it soon becomes apparent that this is an infant Jem’Hadar. Odo takes on the task to raise the child in a hope to convince it to move against its genetic programing. Meanwhile, Commander Sisko gets to know the dabo girl that has been dating his son Jake, and makes some surprising discoveries of his own.

Score: 7/10 – A good episode that provides the audience with a better understanding of a new foe as well as develop the characters of Odo, Ben, and Jake. The B-story line with the Siskos is fairly routine and predictable, but adds some good filler. It could have been pared back a bit to allow Odo’s story to develop a bit more, but it was still good.

Relevance - 3 points. More than anything else, this grants us a deeper insight into the Jem’Hadar, establishing for the first time that these super soldiers have been genetically modified to be lacking an essential enzyme, which will later on be revealed as Ketracel-white. Odo shows footage from the battle shown in “The Search”. We also see the promised dinner between Ben Sisko and Mardah, the Bajoran dabo girl that Jake is currently dating. There is also a repeat appearance of the Boslic freighter captain that has had dealings with Quark.

Continuity - 3 points. Character continuity is solid. Odo wanting to turn the young Jem’Hadar and in essence show that his people can be redeemed works. Sisko as the overprotective father wrestling with the romantic development between his teenage son and an older woman is typical

Character Development – 2 points. Odo shines in this episode and grows the most. As he struggles to help the young Jem’Hadar renounce the instincts built into his genetics, he must ultimately face the truth that such an endeavour is doomed. He has a conflict with Kira over the issue, but true to their relationship they stay closely connected. Jake’s writing is further developed as it is what drew Martah to him.

Social Commentary – 3 points. I had a hard time deciding whether this would score two or three points. I did a lot of research and discovered that there are many different ideas and concepts that are being explored here. The Sisko story line shows how our children seem to grow up without us parents really noticing, and that we can still be surprised by them. The main story line gives us a chance to explore some deeper subject matter. Director Avery Brooks compared the story to an exploration of racial issues, specifically in gang culture. It is difficult to take someone out of a culture that has spent so much time conditioning them. Writer and producer Rene Echevarria described the story as a tragedy in that the Jem’Hadar youth could not be turned and redeemed. So many times we hope to be able to influence someone for good and help them change the pathway that they are on, only to learn that their effort is futile. I think many of us know someone whom we have tried to help overcome something deeply rooted in their life, such as addictions or negative cultural issues, but in the end realize that we just cannot help them.

Cool Stuff – 2 points. A point is scored for the more in-depth exploration into the growth of a Jem’Hadar soldier. This is the only chance we get to see how the Jem’Hadar start out it in life. It is very cool. It is also a nice insight into Jake. The realizations that Ben have about his son further strengthens their relationship. Cool point for that.

Rank – Captain (17 points). A solid outing that gives us our only glimpse at the life of a young Jem’Hadar. The Odo story is solid, and the B-line story with the Siskos is decent.

If you would like to read other reviews from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, please click the following link.

If you would like to read an episode review from any of the Trek series, click the following link to get to the series catalog. If the episode you want reviewed has not been done yet, then feel free to request it in the comments and I will see what I can do.

Star Trek Episode Analysis - The Jem'Hadar (DS9 Season 2)

For those who are new to my episode reviews, you can find the post where I establish my point criteria here.

Sisko, Quark, and Edirs confront their captors

Episode Overview – Jake and Nog get a chance in a lifetime when Commander Sisko offers to take them to the Gamma Quadrant to survey a planet as part of a school project. Much to Sisko’s chagrin, Quark accompanies them. While on the planet Ben Sisko and Quark are taken prisoner by a new species, the powerful Jem’Hadar, who claim to be a part of the Dominion. As the two adults try to set aside their differences to escape, Jake and Nog seek to get back to Deep Space Nine and find help.

Quark has a proposal for the commander

Episode Score – 8/10. This is an exciting episode that not only effectively ends the second season but sets us up for the Dominion War, which will become one of the great events of the series. While not an official cliff-hanger episode that we became accustomed to in TNG, it does leave us with a great deal of anticipation about the next season. This is an episode that has a great deal of action while at the same time gives us some great character development. There is great dialogue between Sisko and Quark, and Jake and Nog get some good screen time.

Jake and Nog try to find help in a Runabout

Relevance – 3 points. This episode is one of those crossroad episodes that serves as a major transition in the series. Some (myself included) see this episode as a crucial switch from the excitement of exploring a new region of space to something that is darker and a bit on the ominous side. The Dominion had been mentioned in the episode “The Rules of Acquisition”, and leading up to this episode the Dominion became like spectre in the distance, dark and lurking, waiting to strike. Well, in this episode, it strikes, and in a big way. In this episode, we meet the Jem’Hadar, the Vorta, and hear mention of the Founders. We see that the Dominion will do anything to make a statement. They have been watching the Federation for a while, and it’s time to take things up to a new level.

Quark catches his sleeve on fire

Continuity – 2 points. Character continuity scores a point. Quark does whatever he can spin a deal, and Sisko has a lot of mistrust towards Quark. As Quark so effectively points out, Sisko has a prejudice against Ferengi, and realizing it doesn’t sit well with him. Jake and Nog continue to grow as characters and their friendship grows as well. Story continuity gets a point as well. Everything follows what it should. Where this episode loses a point is in the continuity of the Trek universe. While it will not be established until the next season, the Vorta introduced here will not be the Vorta we come to love to hate. Edris uses telekinetic powers, which were cool, but were never seen again. It was also odd that when she meets Odo, she does not identify him with the reverence that Vorta typically show towards a Founder. According to Ira Steven Behr, this is because it had not been decided that Odo was going to be a member of the Founders.

Talak'Talon, the first Jem'Hadar we meet

Character Development – 3 points. Lots of progression in the development of characters. While little of it is Earth-shattering, we see Sisko confronted with his dislike of Ferengi (and of Quark in particular). Quark, while being his  usual greedy self, does manage to find some common ground with Sisko and shows that they can be an effective team. We also continue to see Jake and Nog grow in their characters and friendship. Where his father sees all Ferengi as trouble, Jake sees Nog as something more, something worthy to help. Nog tries to be more than the stereotypical Ferengi, and takes another step further along the path that will eventually take him towards the uniform.

Jambalaya around the campfire 

Social Commentary – 2 points. Amidst the action and excitement of the arrival of the Dominion, we are given a very timely lesson on the hazards of prejudism. When Quark confronts Sisko about his dislike of Ferengi, it hits too close to home for Sisko. He comes to the realisation that he sees the Ferengi not as an enemy, but something worse, as inferior. Because the Ferengi culture has a set of ideological beliefs that Federation culture has rejected, this somehow made Ferengi less than humans. Quark, thanks to a wonderful speech given to him by the writers, points out that while the Ferengi may have some flaws, they pale in comparison to the sins committed by humans in the past (siting slavery and wars). It’s a great moment where the Ferengi become more than a failed TNG villain.

Captain Keogh organizes a rescue mission with the DS9 officers

Cool Factor – 3 points. So much is cool in this episode. The Jem’Hadar show themselves as a tough foe to fight and are the first (official) face of the Dominion, which is impressive to say the least. The battle between the Jem’Hadar and the Odyssey is also a great battle, a sign of even greater things to come. At the time the Galaxy class starship was the top of the line in the fleet, and to see a Jem’Hadar ship take it out is a sight. I also thought the dialogue with Quark stating that Ferengi are better than humans because, despite their flaws of greed and the like, they never had anything like slavery or concentration camps in their history. It helps us put our perspective in place.

The Jem'Hadar wishing Sisko was a Klingon

 Rank – Admiral (21 points). This is a very well-crafted episode and is a must watch on everyone’s list. It launches us into the Dominion storyline at warp speed and features great action, humor, and story-telling. We see some wonderful exchanges between Sisko and Quark that is both entertaining and enlightening. 

The USS Odyssey battles a Jem'Hadar attack ship

If you would like to read other reviews from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, please click the following link.

If you would like to read an episode review from any of the Trek series, click the following link to get to the series catalog. If the episode you want reviewed has not been done yet, then feel free to request it in the comments and I will see what I can do.

Fatherhood in Star Trek

It’s June, and Father’s Day quickly approaches. Ever since I can remember being an adult, I had wanted to be a father. The best example I had growing up was my own father, who while not perfect, was perfect for me. As a child, I also watched a lot of television, and as I look back, I realized that there were not a whole lot of great father examples on TV. Sure there was Cliff Huxable on the Cosby Show, but recent allegations and revelations have tarnished that memory. TV dads were often buffoons, numbskulls, lazy, or neglectful. Those that were dutiful towards their family were often nerdy or awkward. The good TV fathers were few and far between. For every Charles Ingals there were at least a half dozen Al Bundys and Homer Simpsons. I hoped to find the good role models on the TV set.

Star Trek, of course, is my go to show (hence the blog). Again, it was difficult at times to see fathers. On the original series, we see the strained relationship between Spock and his father Sarek. In the Next Generation, we see glimpses of devoted fathers on the Enterprise, but usually as background characters. TNG established that families would be exploring the final frontier together, but the main male characters were mostly childless. Worf had his son, Alexander, but was unaware of his existence until K’Ehleyr sprung him on us. While Worf did his best as a single parent, Alexander was not a central part of the show. Data had an episode where he became a father, and as touching as the episode was, it was only one. We met some of the crews’ fathers, but again there were flaws. Worf’s adoptive father was a bit overwhelming, Data’s was doting but tragically dies, Wesley’s was only seen in a vision (also being deceased), and Riker’s relationship with his dear old dad was strained at best. Even later shows were low on father figures. Voyager had Tom Paris as both a father and a son. His relationship with his father was challenging, and he was only a father for a few moments on the last episode (unless the count the time that he and Janeway became lizards, but let’s just forget that one). Enterprise, as far as I could tell, had no fathers.

Deep Space Nine included the greatest variety of fathers, and it was this show that allowed me to see fatherhood on many levels. Yes, there were some stereotypes. Rom was a bumbling but well-intentioned father to Nog. Dukat was the complicated father who did not always know how to treat his half-Bajoran, hald-Cardassian daughter, but ultimately loved her. Bashir’s father was willing to do anything for his son Jules, ranging from the illegal to the accountable. Kira was haunted by her past with her father, while Odo had a tense relationship by the closest person he had to a father. We even had the more traditional working father in a stable relationship with Miles O’Brien. I loved the scenes with him and his family, from rushing home for dinner to bringing his baby to work, it was nice to see a regular, everyday dad. O’Brien reminded me more of my father in this regards than any other Trek dad.

Of course, there is Captain Benjamin Sisko. While many people celebrated the fact that he was the first lead in a Trek series that was a person of color, I thought it was more exciting that he was the first captain to be an involved father. His relationship with his son, Jake, was one of the best facets to his character. It was no surprise that the relationship between the actors that played Ben and Jake was as close as father and son could be, because their chemistry as characters was true and realistic. This is not to say that their relationship was perfect, but it was very typical of many father-son relationships. They did a lot of things together, like camping, fishing, and solar sailing. They shared common interests in baseball and cooking. Both had to grow as time progressed. Jake made decisions that Ben didn’t like, starting with not going into Starfleet. Ben had to learn to let Jake make those decisions. When Jake decides to remain on the station when the Dominion take it over, Ben is furious but admits that Jake is a man who is capable of making his own decisions. Jake had difficulties with his father being a Bajoran holy figure, mostly because he was worried that he would lose his father after having lost his mother at a young age. The tables were turned in the episode “The Reckoning” when it was Jake that was at risk of dying due to the Bajoran religion.  

Underlining this relationship was the sad fact that Ben was raising his son alone. Being a single working parent is difficult, let alone when the parent is not only a commander of a space station but a religious icon to an alien species. In spite of this the Siskos were close. Their shared loss of wife and mother bound them together. This can be best seen in the episode “The Visitor” where Jake proves the extent he is willing to go to save his father, not just for Ben’s sake but for Jake as well. This episode allows us to glimpse into the future, and it is delightful to see Ben pressuring his now adult son about giving him grandchildren. We continually see how important the relationship between these two is, to the point where Jake is willing to sacrifice his own life to restore what the relationship that once was. Jake did this not just to save his father, but to give his younger self the chance to continue growing up with his father.

Throughout the seven seasons of Deep Space Nine, Ben and Jake represented what many may consider to be an idealistic, or perhaps realistic, father-son relationship. They share frustrations with each other, involve themselves in each other’s lives, and become one of the best relationships on the show. It wasn’t overbearing, but it was present. So, with this Father’s Day approaching, I give a tip of the hat to Ben Sisko, one of television’s greatest, and definitely underappreciated, fathers.