Sisko comes upon plans for a solar sail ship that some claim ancient Bajorans used to travel through space -- even all the way to Cardassia. He's determined to build the ship himself to prove the stories true, and he wants to take Jake along on the voyage for some father/son bonding. Meanwhile, Bashir is nervous at the imminent arrival of Elizabeth Lense, the doctor who beat him out for class valedictorian at Starfleet Academy.
The original story for this episode was pitched by Hilary J. Bader, an outside writer who contributed story ideas to The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager. Her inspiration came from Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl, who in the 1940s had sailed the primitive Kon-Tiki from Peru to Tahiti in an effort to prove his theory of pre-Columbian migration to Polynesia. It was a pitch enthusiastically received and developed by staff writer René Echevarria with input from fellow staffer Ronald Moore, who suggested this be a Sisko story rather than the O'Brien story Bader had envisioned.
Indeed, this is a great Sisko story. Though the fact he is the Emissary is hardly mentioned in the episode, it resonates loudly in the subtext; Sisko is embracing that identity more openly than ever before to throw himself so passionately into this chapter of Bajoran history. And, as usual for the series, any time we really get to see him be a father (and a damn good one), he shines.
The Jake/Ben story gets deeply into Jake's concerns about leaving his father alone, with Ben doing as a parent must and assuring him not to let such fears control his own choices. We get a wonderful story about Ben facing homesickness in his early days at Starfleet Academy. Jake opens up too, revealing that he's written a story and has an offer for a writing fellowship on Earth. To hear show runner Ira Steven Behr tell it, they actually weren't committed to making Jake a writer at this point; they just picked up the thread of his poetry from a past episode, then kept leaning into it after feeling it played well here. It does indeed, with Ben offering lovely encouragement while not being disingenuous with his praise; he has constructive criticism on Jake's story. (Which Jake, much to his credit, is actually able to hear -- that's not common with writers!)
The Bashir story line isn't quite as moving, though it is relatable. Realizing that other people aren't as aware of you as you think they are is a life lesson that has to be learned again and again. Julian comparing himself to a former school rival is an honest tale -- and him learning that he took the road she wished she'd traveled is a nice payoff. Along the way, you get to see everyone from Dax to Odo playfully poking fun at Julian, and good friend O'Brien getting sing-along drunk with him and slurringly offering a muddled pep talk.
It's a rather self-contained episode on the face of it, but there are a number of fun "firsts" for Deep Space Nine. It marks the first appearance of Leeta, played by Chase Masterson. Earlier in the season, she'd auditioned for Jake's girfriend Mardah (another dabo girl), only to be passed over for being too old to pair romantically with a teenager. But the powers-that-be kept her in mind, used her for this episode, and considered bringing her back in the future if this episode worked out. Needless to say, it did; her appearance here is small and played totally for laughs, but Masterson squeezes all the juice she can from the small fruit she's given.
Another first: Sisko sports a goatee for this first time. This isn't quite the "final" look for Sisko and Avery Brooks -- he hasn't yet shaved his head, and the goatee here is either fake until he can grow the real one, or not quite styled as it would end up. But just like when Riker grew a beard on The Next Generation, it marks a moment when everyone involved the show discovered how to let a character be more "like himself."
Still another first: this is the first time the character of Kasidy Yates is woven into the show. She isn't seen here; in fact, she isn't even given a name yet. But the "freighter captain" Jake wants to set up with his father is destined to become a significant presence on the show.
And while it isn't quite the first time CG was used to render a space scene on Star Trek, the Bajoran solar ship presented here is the most significant reliance on digital effects to date outside of Odo's shapeshifting. CG ships are definitely in their infancy here, with the liquid-like sails not quite looking credible as they deploy. Still, it's a milestone for the series, which would be using computers much more extensively by the end of the run.
Other observations:
- The windows of the solar ship are shaped like the Bajoran logo. It's a fun detail, yet at the same time, are we meant to understand that the symbol hasn't changed in nearly a millennia? Strong brand identity, those Bajorans.
- It's not seeing a bathroom on Star Trek, but we hear that the solar ship does indeed have one.
- The producers tried to secure other songs for Bashir and O'Brien to sing in their drunken reverie, including "Louie, Louie" and "Rocket Man." The cost was too high, so we got the public domain "Jerusalem" instead.
- Dukat totally knew ancient Bajorans had traveled to Cardassia, right? He tries to discourage Sisko from making the attempt, and then "happens" to be there when he arrives, pretending to have just found historical proof.
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