It is a beautifully acted, impactfully directed, and resolutely gritty show. The show favored long-form arcs, which allowed its stories to be as emotionally resonant as they were politically profound.
(If you want more details, take a look at my guide to every Star Trek show.)ĭeep Space Nine isn’t only notable for its diversity though. The series introduced the franchise’s first black lead in the form of Commander (and later Captain) Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks), a widow, single father, and religious icon to the Bajoran people who is tasked with bringing the newly freed people of Bajor into the Federation while heading a space station at the edge of a previously undiscovered wormhole. No incarnation of Star Trek before or since has lived up the ideals of diversity quite the way Deep Space Nine did over the course of its seven seasons. If previous incarnations saw their story lines born from a place of peace and exploration, Deep Space Nine was born of the fires of war. Almost immediately, Deep Space Nine set itself apart from its predecessors.
When Star Trek: Deep Space Nine premiered 25 years ago, it was entering into a storied science-fiction enterprise that prized camaraderie and intellectual curiosity.
