Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Emissary (1993–1999) Online

1993–1999 Avery Brooks Rene Auberjonois Alexander Siddig David Carson

Original Title :: Emissary
Genre :: TV Episode / Action / Adventure / Drama / Sci-Fi
Year :: 1993–1999
Directror :: David Carson
Cast :: Avery Brooks,Rene Auberjonois,Alexander Siddig
Writer :: Gene Roddenberry,Rick Berman
Budget :: $12,000,000
Type :: TV Episode
Time :: 1h 30min
Rating :: 7.5/10

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Emissary (1993–1999) Online

Commander Benjamin Sisko, whose life has changed after his wife was killed in the battle with the Borg at Wolf 359, is to take command of the space station Deep Space Nine near Bajor. The station had been built by the Cardassians, as Terok Nor, but recently taken over by the Bajorans after a very oppressive occupation of their planet was ended. Sisko's task: The station had been left in ruins - stripped by the Cardassians after they withdrew. Merchants are preparing to leave, and its Bajoran commander, Major Kira Nerys, seems to dislike the Federation. When Sisko gets to talk with Kai Opaka, the Bajoran religious leader, she tells him he is the long awaited emissary of the Bajorans. Once Commander Sisko arrives with his teen-aged son, Jake, they're introduced to the constable of DS9, a 'shape-shifter' named Odo, and Quark, a Ferengi, who, as owner of the bar on the stations promenade, is also head of the Promenade's Merchant Association. Soon, the Federation's science officer, Jadzia ...

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
	Avery Brooks	-	Commander Sisko
	Rene Auberjonois	-	Odo
	Alexander Siddig	-	Doctor Bashir (as Siddig El Fadil)
	Terry Farrell	-	Lieutenant Dax
	Cirroc Lofton	-	Jake Sisko
	Colm Meaney	-	Chief O'Brien
	Armin Shimerman	-	Quark
	Nana Visitor	-	Major Kira
	Patrick Stewart	-	Capt. Jean-Luc Picard / Locutus of Borg
	Camille Saviola	-	Kai Opaka
	Felecia M. Bell	-	Jennifer Sisko
	Aron Eisenberg	-	Nog
	Max Grodénchik	-	Ferengi Pit Boss
	Stephen Davies	-	Tactical Officer
	Lily Mariye	-	Ops Officer

The "Battle of Wolf 359" prologue takes place concurrently with one of Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987)'s most famous miniseries: Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Best of Both Worlds (1990)/Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Best of Both Worlds: Part II (1990). That miniseries aired in 1990, three years before this production "Emissary". The Battle scenes in "Emissary" are based on a subplot written for "The Best of Both Worlds," when it was planned to have 3 parts rather than just 2, but were not filmed in 1990 due to budget constraints. Thus this "Emissary" is the first time when the much-discussed Battle was finally shown to viewers rather than simply talked about.

The wormhole effect contains water dripping in a pan.

The first officer aboard DS9 would have been Ro Laren, but she was replaced by Kira Nerys (Nana Visitor) because Michelle Forbes did not want to commit to a six-year contract working on DS9. Indeed, the reason the producers had decided to set the show on Bajor in the first place was because of Ro.

Miles O'Brien was brought aboard DS9 in this episode and made a part of the senior staff because the producers felt that Colm Meaney was too talented an actor to confine his character to a transporter room. Additionally, they hoped the TNG crossover would help boost the new series' ratings.

The mural draped in Quark's Bar is of Gul Dukat's Tholian enemy during the Cardassian occupation.

The scene where Odo assists Doctor Bashir in treating the wounded on the Promenade is a tip of the hat to a scene from the movie M*A*S*H (1970). Rene Auberjonois's character, Father John Mulcahy, is asked to assist a military surgeon in the operating room and awkwardly complies.

Runabouts made their first appearance in this episode. They were specifically designed for the new series to make it unique, although a runabout made a sole appearance on The Next Generation in "Timescape", as well as Voyager in "Non Sequitur".

This takes place in 2367 and 2369.

Jadzia Dax and Trills seen after this episode are distinctly different from the Trills in the TNG episode "The Host". There is considerably more depth to the relationship between the host and symbiont in Trill joining than described in the TNG episode. The fact that Trills now have spots rather than prosthetic make-up is because the producers felt Terry Farrell was too attractive to cover her face up.

Quark's prosthetic nose wasn't ready in time for the filming of this episode, so actor Armin Shimerman had to wear the nose made for Max Grodénchik.

This is listed as one of the "Ten Essential Episodes" of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993) in the 2008 reference book "Star Trek 101" by Paula M. Block and Terry J. Erdmann.

Emissary" is Patrick Stewart's only Star Trek appearance without Jonathan Frakes (William T. Riker).

J.G. Hertzler, credited as "Vulcan Captain" under the name "John Noah Hertzler", is well-known for his later portrayal of Klingon General/Chancellor Martok. He also played Laas in the seventh season episode "Chimera", under the name "Garman Hertzler".

Jake's birth scene was shot on the Enterprise-D sickbay set.

In this episode only, prior to its discovery, the wormhole does not appear at the end of the opening credits. However, it is shown in syndication as well as in some foreign language versions.

The bulky alien regular at Quark's Bar got his name 'Morn' as an anagram of another similarly built regular at another Paramount bar, Norm of 'Cheers'. Though Morn's voice is never heard on the show, he is capable of speech. Actor Mark Alan Shepherd said that in one background scene where Morn had to tell a joke, he used an old acting exercise where he recited a completely nonsensical paragraph but his delivery was supposed to sound like he was telling the funniest joke ever.

Donald Hotton was credited as Monk #1 , but became a Name in the official Star Trek Customizable Card Game: Prylar Mond.

Steven Rankin was credited as Cardassian Officer, but became a Name in the official Star Trek Customizable Card Game: Jural.

While Worf and O'Brien are indeed, carry overs from Star Trek the Next Generation, so is Rosalind Chao, Keiko O'Brien. She guest starred on both shows.

Two hundred and fifty special effects shots were created for this episode.

The set of the Saratoga's escape pod is a redress of the front section of the runabout.

Jennifer and Jake Sisko's presence aboard the USS Saratoga makes this the first occasion a Miranda-class starship is known to carry families aboard. This was previously known only to occur on Galaxy-class starships.

Patrick Stewart delivers the first spoken lines in two Star Trek premieres. He previously delivered the opening captain's log in TNG: "Encounter at Farpoint" as Jean-Luc Picard (as well as the first spoken line on the bridge during that episode), and then spoke the opening lines of this episode as Locutus.

During his orb experience, Sisko refers to his father in the past tense when speaking to Jennifer, saying he "was a gourmet chef." The elder Sisko's later appearance in DS9: "Homefront" shows that he was neither deceased nor retired at this point. Though he may have no longer been a gourmet chef, there are many culinary specialties.

Gilgo Beach, where Sisko met his wife Jennifer, is located on Long Island in New York.

This episode marks the debut of the new Cardassian military uniform, seen in all of their subsequent appearances in the franchise. The uniforms were first seen in TNG: "Chain of Command, Part I", which was filmed after "Emissary", but aired first.

The Prophets and Sisko's new status as their Emissary constitute Trek's first venture into the area of religion from a dramatic, rather than scientific, perspective.

Bashir was originally named Amaros.

The script mentions that Jake Sisko's birth occurs in 2360. However, this is contradicted in future episodes where his birth is said to occur in 2355. (A 2360 birth would make him only about nine years old in the first season).

Max Grodénchik, credited as the Ferengi pit boss, later became the recurring character Rom, Nog's father and Quark's brother.

The Ferengi on TNG were originally intended to be a new adversary comparable to the Klingons in TOS, although the writers quickly realized how ridiculous the Ferengi were as villains. As of "Emissary," the Ferengi are mainly entrepreneurs and the Ferengi Alliance is a politically neutral economic power.

This episode was nominated for four Emmy Awards, a distinction it shares with only three other episodes of Trek. It won for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Special Visual Effects and was nominated for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Art Direction for a Series, Outstanding Individual Achievement in Sound Editing for a Series, and Outstanding Individual Achievement in Sound Mixing for a Drama Series. The series also earned composer Dennis McCarthy the award for the theme music.

This is the USS Enterprise-D's first of two known visits to Deep Space 9. The second was in TNG: "Birthright, Part I".

Being set in a specific place, as opposed to a show on the move, "Emissary" and its subsequent series presents the first (and so far only) Trek premise in which the main setting is not a starship, being set instead aboard space station Deep Space 9.

The Next Generation-style command uniform Avery Brooks wore in this episode was auctioned off in in an online auction.

The scenes of the Siskos' holodeck fishing program were filmed at the Golden Oak Ranch (also known as the Disney Ranch) in Newhall California.

When O'Brien beams to DS9 and the camera pans from the departing Enterprise to DS9, the music follows by segueing from Alexander Courage's classic Star Trek fanfare to the DS9 theme.

This is the first TV episode in the Star Trek franchise that does not begin with the traditional "Space, the final frontier..." monologue.

The noticeable change in Starfleet uniform to a black design with the division color on the shoulders and a grayish-indigo undershirt underneath the uniform was mostly implemented as a continuation of Trek's pattern of changing uniforms over time.

This episode has a very similar title to that of TNG: "The Emissary", in which Patrick Stewart (Captain Jean-Luc Picard) and Colm Meaney (Chief Miles O'Brien) also appear.

The wormhole does not appear in the opening sequence as it does in future episodes, as it wasn't discovered until later in this episode.

This episode marks the only appearance of the Borg on Deep Space Nine.

Alaimo, Eisenberg, Grodénchik, Hertzler and Mark Allen Shepherd (as Morn) are the only actors, apart from the regulars, to appear in both this series-opening episode and the series finale, "What You Leave Behind".

User reviews

zmejka

Deep Space Nine was the most complex, broad and innovative offering to come out of the Star Trek Franchise. Based on a space station near a stable wormhole leading through an inhabited inter-dimensional gateway into a different quadrant of the galaxy millions of light years away, DS9's aliens were REALLY alien, it's stories ranged from near-universal to personal in scope, and its characters and their relationships to one another were more intimately explored than before or since. Sci Fi TV has rarely, if ever dived so deep into the wellsprings of intellect and drama (moreso than the new BSG, TNG and Firefly - which is saying a lot) Central to the show's grand (7 year) story arc is Benjamin Sisko, the space station's brilliant but somewhat reluctant and disgruntled new commander. Sisko is also - possibly - a prophesied messiah of the people of Bejor: The Emissary. This story begins in the hour and a half long opening episode. Almost all of the main characters are also introduced, and at least hints to the most important relationships (Sisko-Kira; Sisko-Odo; Sisko-Kira; Sisko-Quark; Sisko-Jake; Kira-Odo; Odo-Quark and Sisko-Dax) are dropped.

Among the many plots and subplots established and developed in the Emissary, the most important are Sisko's back-story. Our commander is a widower who to an extent blames the federation for the loss of his beloved wife, dedicated single father, and an ingenious officer. Unlike all of his predecessors, Sisko also has a goofy and even downright awkward side, which is very refreshing after years of the stodgily military Picard and the space cowboy man-ho Kirk.

Sisko arrives at his newly transferred Cardassian space station and finds it in a state of chaos and disrepair. The "Cardies" apparently wrecked the place as they departed the station and the formerly occupied planet of Bejor, and all of the merchants are preparing their departure . Battling his own career demons, Sisko must find a way to put the place and its people back together while dealing with more than one race which distrusts Star Fleet's intentions, and - perhaps - along the way he will find some inspiration for staying with Star Fleet despite his numerous and profound misgivings.

And I am leaving about 80% of Emissary's storyline out of this review intentionally.

The special effects, script and directing of Emissary established the very high standard that DS9 would maintain almost perfectly in its seven year run. Although the acting in this first episode was occasionally a little stiff, given the scope and convoluted plot, and the newness of the complex characters which would evolve later in the series, I think this is understandable. The major exception regarding acting is Kira (Nana Visitor) - for whom this is one among many show-stealing performances ranging through the entire series.

Recommended for alert and attentive TV watching.

Ndav

This double episode provided a great introduction to the new series, unlike other Star Trek series it isn't set on board a shiny new space ship but on a battered former Cardassian space station belonging to the recently liberated planet of Bajor. On arrival the station's new commander, Benjamin Sisko, isn't too keen on his new assignment which is first since he lost his ship and his wife in a battle with the Borg three years previously. When he arrives he is met by Chief Miles O'Brien who shows him round the station and introduces him to the Bajoran liaison officer Major Kira Nerys who is distrusting of Star Fleet's motives. While talking to her there is a security alert due to a break-in in one of the station's shops. The two thieves are arrested by the station's police officer; a shape-shifter by the name of Odo. Quark, the uncle of one of the thieves tries to get his nephew released and Sisko says he will release him on one condition: he reopens his bar rather then leaving the station. This might seem a strange deal but Sisko knows he must re-establish confidence in the station's population if he is to be successful.

He is soon summoned to the surface of Bajor by spiritual leader Kai Opaka who tells him that he is The Emissary of the Prophets and that it is his destiny to find the Celestial Temple, to help with this she gives him a strange orb which causes those who look at it to have visions. Back on the station he meets new Star Fleet arrivals Dr. Julian Bashir and science officer and old friend Jadzia Dax, who Sisko calls Old Man despite her being a young woman, this is because she is a joined Trill and Sisko knew the symbiont's previous host. He soon sets Dax to work studying the orb and this leads them to the sight of an anomaly which turns out to be a stable worm hole to the Gamma Quadrant. As the two of them return they find themselves on a strange planet in the worm hole; could this be the Celestial Temple? When the people on DS9 learn of the worm hole the race is on to lay claim to it. The Crew struggle to move the station to location of the worn hole before the Cardassians can get there as whoever can control that space will be in charge of a staging post for exploration and trade with the Gamma Quadrant.

Being a fan of DS9 I'd seen the series a couple of times before I recently re-watched this episode; I think it did a very good job of introducing a cast of characters who with the exception of Chief O'Brien are new to the Star Trek world. These introductions are done in a way that doesn't seem forced yet shows us what each character's role will be. With the introductions out of the way we are quickly into the action which is fairly exciting. The cast all did a great job and it was nice to see a cameo by Patrick Stewart as Capt. Jean-Luc Picard.

Kuve

Emissary was Deep Space Nine's pilot episode. And not a bad one either. A fitting beginning to a 7 year story.

I don't think it was perfect, like The Next Generation's Encounter at Farpoint, but it did introduce all the characters and settings of this incredible show. Emissary reminds me of Babylon 5's Pilot Episode: The Gathering, which was aired a month after Emissary.

Deep Space Nine's first couple of years weren't THAT great, but then the show started to rise with a great storyline and great situations, such as the Klingons' separation from the Federation, Sisko's destiny and the Federation's war against the Dominion and Cardassian alliance. And Emissary was the 2 hour series premiere that gave birth to all this. Emissary has a good storyline. Sisko's encounter with the prophets beat any alien encounters ever seen before in Star Trek history. Sisko's background related to the Battle of Wolf 359 as well as his meeting with Picard make the series an excellent sci-fi drama. Kira started out as the angry vengeful Bajoran and grew intensively over the past 7 years, becoming an incredible leader and fighter. I was astonished to see Miles and Keiko O'Brien becoming part of the show, which affected deeply their personal lives as they moved from the excessive perfection of the USS Enterprise to the station that resembles our gritty reality rather than Roddenberry's perfect future.

Rick Berman and Michael Piller did a great job creating this show and keeping it alive and healthy after Roddenberry's death, while giving a fitting end to The Next Generation.

Paramount Pictures did a great job, creating both the pilot and the show. I give Emissary a 9 out of 10.

Little Devil

This series begins with something we have never seen: A Space Battle: Between The Borg and The Federation at Wolf 359. We get to see the saucer section of Admiral Hanson's Excelsior Class cruiser being vaporized by Locutus of Borg. Benjamin Sisko is a Lieutenant Commander on The Saratoga taking orders from a Vulcan (J. G. Hertzler) and the Bridge has been patched together to become a battle bridge. The Saratoga is a Miranda-Class ship like The Reliant from Star Trek II; it gets disabled and then destroyed in short order. Sisko's wife Jennifer (Felicia M. Bell) is killed. A Bolian Ensign drags Sisko away from the body and as he watches from an escape pod, Sisko's whole world is destroyed.

Three Years Later, Commander Sisko is assigned to the Bajoran Space Station. We get our first look at DS9 through the window of the ship Sisko and his son Jake (Cirroc Lofton) are traveling on: The Moment the Station is shown the music changes to incorporate strands from the theme of Deep Space Nine.

This intro is the only connection to The Next Generation we get; there is nothing else familiar, even O'Brien who we knew from TNG is wearing a new kind of Uniform for the space station. As Sisko walks through the station it seems that the bloody Cardies have left few things intact: there is junk piled everywhere, most of the systems offline.

Our first impression of Major Kira is to remind us of Ensign Ro (Michelle Forbes, who was offered the role but at the time did not want to commit to a seven year contract). And Nana Visitor does seem a lot like Ro, if something is bothering her she has no trouble telling us. Sisko makes the mistake of asking her, and he gets a bellyful before an alarm goes off in The Assayer's Office. A small Ferengi Child named "Nog" (Aaron Eisenberg) is robbing the place blind, with some Alien GangBanger. This is our introduction to "Odo" (Rene Aberjonois, of "Benson")-The thug tosses some nasty-looking spiked weapon at Odo's head which turns into Jelly and passes it right through!

Most of the merchants on the Promenade area of the station are leaving, and Sisko needs to get them to stay somehow. He uses the incident with Nog to force the cooperation of Quark, Ferengi owner of the Gambling Joint, who was packing up. Nog's incarceration forces him to stay and be "Community Leader!"-This is another thing not ever seen in any Trek before: A "Hooman", a Bajoran, an Unknown Alien Shapeshifter, and a Ferengi, all having a discussion: and from that moment it becomes the standard for seven years of Alien Crosstalk.

Sisko finally responds to a summons by Captain Picard, and his dislike of Picard is evident: Picard was Locutus, who caused the death of his wife. Picard gives him his orders: make Bajor ready for Federation Membership. But Sisko tells Picard he is considering leaving Starfleet, "In the Meantime" (This is a common ST Phrase, used in ST: VI by the Federation President)-He will do the job he was commanded to do. We see the worry on Picard's face and that his hand was in the picking of Sisko for this job.

We get to meet Kai Opaka, the spiritual leader of Bajor (Camille Savoilla), giving us an impression of ancient Spirituality. She is concerned for "The Prophets" and gives him the most sacred object of Bajor: The last remaining Orb (The Orb of Contemplation). She exposes him to it, and he is brought back to the day he met Jennifer on Gilgo Beach. It has come to me, that is was not a "Vision": Somehow he was actually brought there.

The final two Starfleet officers arrive: Dir. Bashir (Sid El Fadil) and Dax (Terry Farrell)-This was Sid's first television show and that freshness, that air of inexperience works well. He puts a huge foot in mouth when he tells Kira about "Frontier Medicine."

Sisko puts his "Old Friend" Dax to work (Jadzia is 28, but she has the memories of a 300 plus year old Trill Symbiote, plus those of Curzon Dax, Sisko's Mentor)-The Trill were given a "Specieslift" here, they were given Famke Jansen's Spots. Dax finds that the Orbs have come from The Denorios Belt: But they can't go looking because Gul Dukat, the former Cardassian overseer, is waiting for them to leave so they can follow. Kira creates a ruse to make the Cardassian's leave; Odo sneaks on to the Cardassian Ship and sabotages it. O'Brien has to KICK the Cardy Transporter to get Odo back.

Sisko and Dax find The Wormhole, the only Stable Wormhole known to exist, instantly making Bajor a commodity. The Prophets stop the runabout because they want to have a Tete-a-Tete with "The Sisko"

More things start happening: Ducat follows them in to the Wormhole and gets into trouble, more Cardies arrive, and the Station is moved to the wormhole. Kira, O'Brien and Dax (returned to the Station in an Orb Device) figure out how to move the station, and bluff a Cardy Gul.

Bajor gets The Wormhole and the Prophets agree to let them use it. Sisko tells Picard he changed his mind. Picard, knowing the officer he picked, never sent Sisko's request.

Picard should have been more involved with this series, but he was not The Emissary, it was always The Sisko. "Because it could be no one else" as Sisko's real mother tells him in Season 7.

In the whole seven year run, the story never swayed from what was laid down here. It was always Bajor and The Prophets, and the Emissary, Benjamin Sisko.

Coiron

From its opening moments, this entry in the Star Trek universe was compelling. The characters are terrific and the setting is filled with possibilities. There's a sort of "Old West" feel to Deep Space Nine. Sure, the Law (StarFleet) reigns supreme, but when you're on the frontier, things aren't always black and white.

Over the length of the series, the characters realized such distinct personalities, preferences, hobbies and motivations. Even meeting them for the first time in "The Emissary", it was obvious that these were people with unique pasts limitless futures. The 3D characters in Deep Space Nine are far more interesting than their hollow counterparts in The Next Generation.

If you like the original Star Trek, skip TNG and cozy on up to Deep Space Nine. The spirit of Captain Kirk is alive and well in DS9 and "The Emissary" is a great way to meet the crew.

Personal note: I just love Marc Alaimo as Gul Dukat. I've never seen him in anything else, but the episodes with Dukat are wonderful.

MarF

ST:DS9:01-02 - "Emissary" (Stardate: 46379.1) - this is the pilot episode of "Deep Space Nine", the 3rd new series in the world of Star Trek. We begin with in Stardate 43997 during the first Borg attack on Earth in the TNG episode "The Best Of Both Worlds", where we see the soon-to-be Commander Sisko (played by Avery Brooks) as an officer on one of the Federation ships trying to attack the Borg cube (under the command of the newly assimilated Picard - now known as the Borg Locutus). In the process the Saratoga is destroyed, along with his wife (however his son Jake does survive).

Now, forward 3 years to the present - Sisko is offered the command of the remote station Deep Space Nine, which is situated on the edge of Federation space, a station that only until recently belonged to the Cardassians. The station also orbits planet Bajor, a planet that has just gained independence from the aforementioned Cardassians. The Bajorans, as a Federation protectorate, allows the Federation to control the station, though they have their officers there (including the hot-tempered Major Kira Nerys). Also along for the ride are Dr. Bashir, the shape-shifting Constable Odo, the sneaky Ferengi Quark (who owns a bar on the station), the Trill Jadzia Dax (who knows Sisko from a previous body the Trill inhabited), and the newly promoted Chief O'Brien (from the TNG Enterprise) and his family.

While Sikso and crew must bring the station up to speck, they start investigating an anomaly - one that will have far repercussions for this sector of the galaxy. At the same time, Sisko must deal with his own nemesis, that of Picard (whom he associates with the death of his wife) who comes to the station. Sisko must also decide whether to stay as Commander of Deep Space Nine.

A worthy introduction to a new (and darker) Star Trek world.

inetserfer

This is the best pilot for ST out there! Let's just say that this is just the pilot, and it seems a little time passed before the shot the second episode because it has a completely different feel that will become the norm for the rest of the series. Avery Brooks will tend to over-act but this becomes more balanced as the series progresses. Finally we get a child character you can like too, in Jake Sisko (way less annoying than Wesley IMO).

I think this is the greatest Star Trek nay sci-fi series ever made, and when it ended, I was left with an overwhelming sense of loss. I felt like I had lost some really great friends and I would never see them again. So I ask why? Why did they end it and never look back? This series was rich with spin-offs, potential movies - a never-ending cash cow, and yet it ended abruptly after wasting an entire season devoping Ezri instead of tying up the loose ends. Why? Now that you know how I feel about the show, I will point out some major plot holes in this and all episodes of the series DS9.

Chief O'Brien was a Lieutenant Transporter Chief on the Enterprise, a commissioned officer. On DS9 he suddenly becomes a non-commissioned officer Chief rank and loses the ability to give orders to anyone but the engineers- and later submits to Ensign Nog who was but a child a year before to him. As I understand the only way to rid yourself of a commission is to lose it via insubordination or to resign it. Neither of these were likely to occur when they were sending him to the MOST important place in the quadrant at that time - DS9. So I ask again. Why? Second of all, I don't know if there are branches of service in ST since they never mention it as far as I know, but a star base is basically territory. And territory is held by an Army, so why send a commander in the Starfleet Navy to do that job? Isn't that the job of a StarArmy or perhaps an elected official?

If people of the future don't need money, yet ferengi still value the non-replicatable gold-encased liquid latinum(the gold is a worthless container for up to a few drops of latinum) for it's rarity, then how does the cast ever afford to go to Quark's, or the holo-suites, or anywhere on the promenade, including tailoring by Garak? If Starfleet gave them some sort of pay, the rest of Starfleet would want pay too and that would unsettle the entire concept of the entire ST universe. They kind of address this a tiny bit later on by Sisko threatening Quark to do his bidding because they let him operate for free, but he never says "free services for the crew" and there are times when they make payments on quark's thumbpad so money is being exchanged. Oh by the way, in the first season of TNG they mention gold as being valuable still - so that's weird. Plus, no one complained about replicated food on the Enterprise they thought it was great, so why now on DS9? Why pay for food when you can get it for free in your room?

Lastly, why dock on the station at all? They have transporters that can beam them anywhere aboard the station (they could only beam you to a few set locations on the enterprise mind you) and their cargo. So why not park outside at full stop in a "parking lot", unattached, and transport in? You would think quarantining thru bioscrubbers in the transporter to maintain station welfare would be a major concern. They never address this issue, people just hop right on the station and exchange hugs and handshakes and air as it decompresses onto the station.

And now I will answer a Why for you. The reason why you rarely see Bajoran ships (Season 7 Episode 2 "Shadows and Symbols") is because they basically have none of their own. The ones they do have are decades old and from "The Occupation" or before. They are sub-warp, and have vastly inferior weaponry and shields. Because they are in the process of joining the Federation they are under Federation protection and (we assume) will soon acquire new non-Bajoran Federation ships as part of that induction.

Beabandis

Was still coming down off the high of the series finale of TNG as it was extraordinary. This show was a brand new concept. I was a little unnerved by it's premise, 'To Boldly Stay Where No One Has Stayed Before'. O boy was I wrong! Commander Ben Sisko was played with depth, emotion and so much integrity by Avery Brooks from minute one. The opener of this series was superb. Revisiting the battle of Wolf 359 was genius. The tension between Sisko and Picard was so well done. Patrick Stewart there to show all how to do it I'm sure! The Station is in the Bajoran System. The episode rolled on and the Wormhole is discovered. It is stable, a first for the Federation The Cardassians and Bajor were both relatively young races for Star Trek, but both were interesting and had so much room for development. The crew, Dax, a Trill with lots of oomph and wonderful character. Doctor Julian Bashir, an annoying at first character but who blossomed into one of the show's best. Major Kira Nerys, the Bajoran Liason and First Officer of the Station. Odo, Chief of Security and affectionately named 'Constable', a Shape shifter with an unexplored background. Miles Edward O'Brien, Chief Of Operations who has transferred over from the USS Enterprise and finally Jake Sisko, the latter Sisko's son. Ben having lost his wife, Jennifer at the battle of Wolf 359, explaining Sisko's earlier angst with Picard. This was one of Trek's better pilots and set it up for a very very interesting seven year run

Reddefender

ST:DS9:01 - "Emissary" (Stardate: 46379.1) - this is part 1 of the 2-part pilot episode of "Deep Space Nine", the 3rd new series in the world of Star Trek. We begin with in Stardate 43997 during the first Borg attack on Earth in the TNG episode "The Best Of Both Worlds", where we see the soon-to-be Commander Sisko (played by Avery Brooks) as an officer on one of the Federation ships trying to attack the Borg cube (under the command of the newly assimilated Picard - now known as the Borg Locutus). In the process the Saratoga is destroyed, along with his wife (however his son Jake does survive).

Now, forward 3 years to the present - Sisko is offered the command of the remote station Deep Space Nine, which is situated on the edge of Federation space, a station that only until recently belonged to the Cardassians. The station also orbits planet Bajor, a planet that has just gained independence from the aforementioned Cardassians. The Bajorans, as a Federation protectorate, allows the Federation to control the station, though they have their officers there (including the hot-tempered Major Kira Nerys). Also along for the ride are Dr. Bashir, the shape-shifting Constable Odo, the sneaky Ferengi Quark (who owns a bar on the station), the Trill Jadzia Dax (who knows Sisko from a previous body the Trill inhabited), and the newly promoted Chief O'Brien (from the TNG Enterprise) and his family.

While Sikso and crew must bring the station up to speck, they start investigating an anomaly - one that will have far repercussions for this sector of the galaxy. At the same time, Sisko must deal with his own nemesis, that of Picard (whom he associates with the death of his wife) who comes to the station. Sisko must also decide whether to stay as Commander of Deep Space Nine.

A worthy introduction to a new (and darker) Star Trek world.

Throw her heart

I still recall watching the premiere of this series and much enjoying it. Sometimes after so many years, one's opinion of a television show can change - but not in this case. From the start the show is riveting; the opening scene of the destruction of the Federation ship, the Wolf was amazing as was the Dax's and Sisko's journey through the wormhole and Sisko's encounter with the aliens. Strong plot with a strong ensemble cast. The only weak link in the cast (the character, not the actor) is Dr. Bashir. He's certainly likable enough but just not as interesting as the other characters. The stark, ominous sets add to the reality of what life must be like on an outpost (whether in the Old West or new space) - dark, grim and forbidding.

Dukinos

Emissary is a very good start for Deep Space Nine. It shows hoe Deep Space Nine has conflict and is darker than it's "older brother" the Next Generation. A fascinating thing about Emissary, is how it takes us back to the Next Generation two parter, Beast of Both Worlds. And the use of Picard in this adds to the fun.

Macage

Rating: * 1/2 out of ****

My enjoyment and appreciation of Star Trek has the tendency to wax and wane. While I enjoyed most of the movies and am a huge fan of TNG, the rest is more or less up for grabs. I have only seen two season's worth of the most recent incarnation, Enterprise, and I find it a very underrated series, thanks in particular to the knockout season 3 Xindi story arc. Voyager did little for me, with its subpar cast and bland storytelling hindering its otherwise enticing premise. But it's Deep Space Nine that baffles me the most.

For the past several weeks, I've been trying to catch up on DS9 so that I could follow the Dominion War arc, and I started from season 3's The Die is Cast, which proved to be a pretty exciting episode so I decided to give the series a shot. And from there on out, it's been up and down for me. I wasn't able to catch all the episodes, but I tried my best to see those that pushed the Dominion story forward. The end result was an often frustrating mix of engrossing episodes (The Way of the Warrior, Broken Link, Apocalypse Rising, Tears of the Prophets, The Siege of AR-558) mixed with plenty that I found rather overrated (In the Pale Moonlight, season 6's Dominion-occupied DS9 arc).

But I'm pretty glad to see that the series on ended on a high note thanks to the Final Chapter arc, which concluded with the terrific two-hour What You Leave Behind, which proved to be one of the Star Trek franchise's most exciting and moving episodes (other solid episodes in this arc include The Changing Face of Evil, When it Rains, Tackling the Wind, and The Dogs of War). Consequently, I was pretty curious to revisit the first episode and see how it all began, and while watching Emissary worked as a curiosity for a while, it wasn't long before boredom set in.

Not that Emissary doesn't get off to a decent start. The opening sequence depicting the Battle of Wolf 359 is a fast-paced way to get the series going, even if the battle itself appears way too small in scale. The actual introduction of the station and its crew is handled fairly well, and it was nice to compare and see how the characters progressed over the years, the most obvious instances being Major Kira (Nana Visitor) and the Ferengi Nog. Kira is actually one of my favorite characters on the show, so it's particularly interesting to see the hostility she displays towards the Federation in this episode, especially compared to how she handles being in charge of the station by the final episode.

Most of this premiere suffers because it has to establish a none-too-exciting set-up. In this case, it's watching Sisko deal with the prophets while coming to terms with his own emotional pain. Undoubtedly, it's the emissary/prophets storyline that I like least about DS9 (well, maybe it's a bit better than those annoying Ferengi episodes), as I don't think the series ever did a particularly good job of making the prophets or their motives intriguing. Their presence has also been ripe for some deus ex machina moments (Sacrifice of Angels comes to mind).

It doesn't help that some the acting comes across rather amateurish, particularly Terry Farrell as Jadzia Dax and the actress that plays Sisko's wife. Even the typically solid Avery Brooks slips in quality on occasion here. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the best performance is delivered by Patrick Stewart, who makes an enjoyable cameo appearance as everyone's favorite French British starship captain. So maybe this wasn't such a good start, but it's nice to know the series would improve and I am looking forward to seeing how the Dominion are introduced.

Road.to sliver

1.01 "Emissary"

Newly reassigned Commander Benjamin Sisko and his hodgepodge crew attempt to restore a former Cardassian space station into something resembling a Federation outpost, far on the outskirts of Federation space and crewed by a combination of Starfleet and Bajoran personnel. They get way more than they bargained for when a the first stable wormhole in the galaxy is discovered in their backyard, and a showdown ensues with the Cardassians, who are bitter about having to abandon Bajor and eager to claim the new discovery for themselves. But the inhabitants and creators of the wormhole are far more than they seem, and their role in the Bajor-Cardassia conflict will have consequences that stretch for years in the future and indeed beyond the bounds of time itself.

Star Trek: The Next Generation had so much success that Paramount decided not to even wait until it was off the air to begin a spinoff, with season 1 of DS9 more or less coinciding with TNG season 6. Gene Roddenberry having recently passed on, the new series would not be guided by his unrealistically optimistic vision of the future, but rather be a far more human and gritty view of the future. Deep Space Nine is really the most relatable and emotion-infused of the Star Trek shows by far. Building off of what was established in TOS and TNG, DS9 was able to create the deepest and most complex of all the many ST series without being bound by Roddenberry's overly-restrictive mandates that everyone always get along and Federation society being portrayed as perfectly utopian. What we get instead is a refreshingly honest and wholly human (ironic considering the most human characters are often aliens) depiction of life in the 24th century.

As for the episode's story, it was brilliantly set up by TNG in episodes like "The Wounded" and "Ensign Ro." Long before "Emissary" ever saw the airwaves, we were already quite familiar with the worlds of Bajor, Cardassia, and the conflict that has raged between them for generations. This is very fortunate, because the plot of "Emissary" is quite complex, and not having to engage in an excessive amount of world-building allowed the writers to spend more time setting up the characters and their specific conflicts, which are equally as complex as the plot (even more so, actually).

Due to this prior exposition, "Emissary" is able to concentrate so purely on its plot and characters that it ends up being the best ST pilot to date (granted, the bar was not high). The story is not only engaging, but it sets up a conflict that will persist without tiring for seven seasons (and beyond), while also introducing some of the deepest and most layered characters to ever exist in the ST universe. Although its highest points never match those of TNG and TOS, its consistency across seven season makes DS9 equal to those shows in terms of overall quality and it all starts with a pilot that far surpasses "Farpoint" or the various TOS pilots.

THE GOOD

-Using Picard to launch the show was brilliant. The scenes he is in a great, but DS9 takes things to the next level by having Picard be in many ways the bad guy. This is a man we have spent five seasons growing in admiration for, and suddenly our new protagonist despises him to the core. What genius way to distance these shows from each other. The undisguised contempt Sisko shows for Picard, combined with the deep pain seen in Picard's eyes at the mention of Wolf 359 is just an incredible interaction between two great characters. A million points to the writers (and Patrick Stewart) for these scenes.

-It's honestly amazing to me how the story threads that are started in this episode are carried through so seamlessly for seven seasons. You'd think that the Cardassian-Bajoran conflict would run its course within a few seasons, but the incredibly complex dynamics of the wormhole, the Prophets, and especially the Dominion allow that conflict to persist for the entire series run without ever drying up narratively. This episode becomes truly brilliant when viewed through the lens of all seven seasons.

-Colm Meaney. He was crimally underutilized on TNG and moving him to DS9 was a great decision to let an all time great actor have a starring role that was long overdue.

THE BAD

-Odo's makeup isn't great in this ep. He looks skeletal.

-Nana Visitor is a bad actress and her character mostly annoys me. She's not as bad as, say, Troi or Neelix, but she definitely is a weak spot in an otherwise pretty good cast.

-I've never been a fan of the DS9 uniforms. I think the TNG ones look much better and I wish they had just used those.

-The sequence with Sisko talking to the Prophets in the wormhole drags on for way too long. The episode is great until this point and then it really bogs down with frustrating dialogue and no plot movement. If this sequence had been edited down we might be looking at a 10/10 episode.

-I'll get into it more as I review more eps, but Avery Brooks is such an awkward actor. He overacts and his delivery of lines is often sharply at odds with the emotion he is supposed to be conveying (like when he seems to be smiling while chewing out a subordinate). From watching interviews and other extra content of him, it's clear to me that he is simply a weird dude, and that has made it slightly easier for me to swallow his unusual acting style...but only slightly. I think that Sisko is the most well-written of the ST captains by far, but Brooks' weirdness as a person and an actor makes me rank him slightly below Picard and probably equal to Kirk on the all-time captain rankings.

THE UGLY

-"Never trust an ale from a god-fearing people." Quark needs to try a Belgian abbey ale!

-Why are the Bajorans allowing Cardassian warships back into their space? I get that Bajor can't really do much about it, but it seems like a glossed-over point that should have been a major diplomatic issue. There's no way that, after almost a century of planety occupation and rape, the Bajorans would be cool with Cardassian soldiers taking shore leave on one of their stations.

-There is a lot of effects shots of Odo shapeshifting in this ep. I guess the effects budget must have been slashed for future eps because Odo's shifting is seen very rarely for the next few seasons.

-Interestingly, in the Wolf 359 scenes, Sisko's Vulcan captain is played by J.G. Hetzler, who would go on to play a starring role much later in the show as General Martok.

Rainpick

I'll start by saying it is a nice change from the constant problems of starships. To make the setting a ramshackle space station that has been decimated by its previous tenants, makes for a new dynamic. We are also informed of a race of people, the Bejorans, whose population is living in poverty and despair, waiting for their religious leader to gain some sort of stability and avoid a civil war. The space station has a Bejoran woman running the show and a shape shifter, Odo, who is a constable. There are so many others and so many plot lines set up that it would be silly to try to mention them all. Mostly, the hero is a man who is putting his life together after losing his wife to a Borg attack. He starts out with a huge weight, unhappy at the assignment to get DS9 back in line. I appears to be quite promising. I saw a few episodes when it came out, but missed any continuity.

Getaianne

ST:DS9:02 - "Emissary, Part II" (Stardate: 46392.7) - this is part 2 of the 2-part pilot episode of "Deep Space Nine", the 3rd new series in the world of Star Trek.

Commander Sisko is offered the command of the remote station Deep Space Nine, which is situated on the edge of Federation space, a station that only until recently belonged to the Cardassians. The station also orbits planet Bajor, a planet that has just gained independence from the aforementioned Cardassians. The Bajorans, as a Federation protectorate, allows the Federation to control the station, though they have their officers there (including the hot-tempered Major Kira Nerys). Also along for the ride are Dr. Bashir, the shape-shifting Constable Odo, the sneaky Ferengi Quark (who owns a bar on the station), the Trill Jadzia Dax (who knows Sisko from a previous body the Trill inhabited), and the newly promoted Chief O'Brien (from the TNG Enterprise) and his family.

While Sikso and crew must bring the station up to speck, they start investigating an anomaly - one that will have far repercussions for this sector of the galaxy (including with the Cardassians - in the form of Gul Dukat). At the same time, Sisko must deal with his own nemesis, that of Picard (whom he associates with the death of his wife in the battle with the Borg 3 years before) who comes to the station. Sisko must also decide whether to stay as Commander of Deep Space Nine.

A worthy introduction to a new (and darker) Star Trek world.

Innadril

angry Sisko--at Picard weird aliens in human form--awfully cerebral and a bit like Farpoint wormhole discovered dead wife

Up until Commander Sisko enters the wormhole, this is a pretty good initial episode for "Star Trek: Deep Space 9". However, when Sisko meets up with aliens living within this passageway, things get pretty dumb.

When the show begins, you see the battle between the Borg (commanded by Locutus) and the Federation. In the battle, Sisko is nearly killed and his wife is killed by these intergalactic jerks. As a result, Sisko is really ticked...and it doesn't help that Captain Picard is the one who assigns Sisko to command the space station since Picard WAS Locutus when he was absorbed into the Borg two seasons earlier. Oops. In addition, Sisko runs about the space station and the planet Bajor meeting folks and pretty much introducing them to the audience.

When a stable wormhole opens up near Bajor, however, the show changes moods very quickly. Now he meets aliens who instead of sitting down and talking with him, they occupy the essence of people Sisko has known and they interact VERY quickly--with one fast intercut scene after another after another. It's very artsy and cerebral...and incredibly boring and dumb. It also is chocked full of too much information being thrown at the audience through the aliens. It came very unnaturally and should have been handled more deliberately. As a result, 2/3 of the way into the show, I felt like turning it off! My family begged me to do so but I was able to persevere until the very end. A rather awful introduction as a result of all this silliness.

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