Benjamin Sisko Deserves Actual Recognition in Star Trek: Picard

With season 2 of Star Trek: Picard now airing and manufacturing on the ultimate season wrapping up, the ultimate days of essentially the most beloved Starfleet Captain will quickly be upon us. Up to now we have seen a incredible mixture of journeys down reminiscence lane with Riker or Seven, and glimpses at what Earth and past seem like within the aftermath of tales we have consumed over the past 35 years, however what comes subsequent? Adm. Jean-Luc Picard has touched quite a lot of Starfleet historical past, and plenty of of these actors are nonetheless round to assist inform these tales, however there’s one specific level within the timeline I would like him to pay respect to greater than the rest. Picard must pay his respects to Ben Sisko in a significantly better means than we noticed on this week’s episode. 

When Cmdr. Benjamin Sisko was launched to the world as the primary character for Star Trek: Deep Area 9, a number of seemingly huge (on the time) dangers had been taken. Sisko was being performed by the inimitable Avery Brooks, making him the primary Black lead in a Star Trek sequence at a time the place Black leads occurred sometimes, particularly in science fiction. 

However greater than this, Ben Sisko hated Jean-Luc Picard. Viewers are handled to an indignant dialog between these two unbelievable characters within the very first episode, adopted just a few episodes later with a rebuke of the way in which Jean-Luc conducts himself as Ben Sisko punches the godlike alien Q proper in his face. Q’s response of “You hit me! Picard by no means hit me,” adopted by Sisko’s half-angry, half-excited “I am not Picard!” has caught with me ever since. It could not have been extra clear that this new present was not like the opposite Star Trek reveals you’d seen earlier than, and that cut up audiences in a reasonably vital means on the time. 

It is comprehensible Picard’s first season would give attention to two of essentially the most vital ongoing tales in Jean-Luc’s life and profession, the persistent battle to have his greatest pal and all different artificial life revered as sentient lives the identical as ours and the limitless battle with the Borg’s want to have all life exist as a single compelled consciousness. Episodes of Star Trek: The Subsequent Technology the place Information’s personhood was referred to as into query are a few of the most profound within the sequence, a notion Star Trek: Voyager continued superbly with Seven of 9. 

Jean-Luc’s legacy is outlined by recognition of the person, no matter race or origin, and what we have seen in Picard to date pays nice respect to that legacy whereas enjoyably furthering it. However earlier than this story is over, I actually hope the struggles of Deep Area 9 and its lengthy departed captain are acknowledged with better respect than this most up-to-date episode.

Spoiler forward, clearly. 

Season 2, episode 2 of Picard will get darkish quick as Q takes our essential characters and strikes them to a timeline the place Earth was not a part of an enormous Federation of planets — the place as a substitute, humanity had taken over the galaxy in essentially the most brutal methods doable. A stroll by means of this darkish Picard’s trophy room revealed the skulls of Gul Dukat and Normal Martok, each made notorious in Star Trek: Deep Area 9. Later within the episode, Confederation President Annika is requested if she needs to seek the advice of with Normal Sisko. It is assumed on this one, like that on this alternate timeline, Ben Sisko is each alive and attacking Vulcans. (Star Trek: Deep Area 9 did have Mirror Universe episodes wherein Sisko was an evil overlord of types, however that world and this are unrelated.) Both means, Ben Sisko and the characters of Deep Area 9 deserve a lot greater than this informal reference in a damaged timeline.

As intense as Borg conflicts might be at instances, the Dominion Conflict instructed all through Deep Area 9 needed to have lasting results on the Alpha Quadrant and Starfleet. In some ways the Dominion was held up as a darkish reflection of the Federation: a group of races aiming towards a standard survival aim. The place the Federation demanded all planets and cultures had a say in how the entire would conduct itself, the Dominion led by concern and energy and solely existed for conquest. Its very existence would have challenged the way in which the Federation acted, particularly after the Dominion efficiently infiltrated Starfleet Headquarters. That battle ought to have completely modified the Federation and Starfleet in a means that will be apparent on this future world we see in Picard, and never within the bizarrely xenophobic means outlined early within the first season of this new sequence. 

However greater than some reference to the Dominion Conflict, I believe some form of decision between Picard and Sisko is so as. I do not imply that I wish to see Avery Brooks stroll as much as Sir Patrick Stewart and have a dialog. Sisko is gone — and greater than that, Avery Brooks seems to be fortunately retired. As a substitute, I’d like to see some monologue the place Picard reckons with that chapter of his life and the way he was unable to assist Sisko. In Deep Area 9, Sisko recurrently felt restricted by Starfleet. Together with his passing, somebody high-ranking like Picard would have had entry to his private logs. 

Seeing a Picard who felt like he nonetheless owed Ben Sisko one thing can be extremely highly effective, each to followers of the sequence and to ascertain an enduring connection between these unbelievable characters. This might even current itself within the type of a dialog with Ben Sisko’s son Jake, particularly with how engaged actor Cirroc Lofton is within the Star Trek fandom although his podcast recaps of each Star Trek episode.

Or possibly, simply possibly, Jean-Luc ought to take a swing at Q the subsequent time he sees him and inform him it was recommendation he received from somebody he revered an incredible deal greater than the godlike alien in entrance of him.