Jim’s Take on Episode 1: “Emissary”
As a being who has, unfortunately, always been forced to experience linear time, I always remembered “Emissary” as being, by far, the best first episode/pilot of any Star Trek series. I’m happy to report that, having travelled all the way back to the future (Ha!) to see it anew, it definitely still holds that position. What an amazing first episode! It hits the ground running, the cast perfectly embody their characters from the minute they hit the screen, and it sets up so many story elements and thematic strands that will carry on for the next seven years, right up to the final episode. It is a brilliant success from beginning to end!
The opening moments of “Emissary” make it clear that this show is not messing around! We launch right into the tragic events of Wolf 359, with Picard, as Locutus, blasting away at the Saratoga. It’s a bold move to start with one of TNG’s most iconic moments, but it’s even bolder to position the beloved Jean-Luc Picard as an antagonist for our new hero. Those opening moments are just spectacular. Epic, dramatic, exciting, and then heart-breaking. All in about five minutes. Unlike any other Star Trek lead, we meet Ben Sisko in the worst moment of his entire life. The look Sisko gives that cube as he’s being taken away from the exploding Saratoga speaks volumes and gave me chills.
Speaking of Sisko, Avery Brooks is utterly magnificent. He manages to convey so much with the tiniest gestures and expressions. Heartbreak, despair, loss, rage, curiosity, humor, joy, threat, bewilderment. Every little glimpse is magnetic. You can’t take your eyes off him! Even when he’s struggling with his own sense of purpose, he’s a leader that you can’t help but want to follow. He gets many great scenes in “Emissary”, but the two that stand out the most are his “negotiations” with Quark to convince him to stay on the station and his emotional journey as he attempts to explain linear time to the wormhole aliens (The Prophets?) leading to his own realization that he has not been living linearly at all, but choosing to live in his own moment of greatest despair. It’s powerful stuff and plays it all so deftly and genuinely. He may genuinely be the greatest actor to play a Star Trek lead, and I say that absolutely acknowledging the august pantheon of amazing actors that includes.
There are so many outstanding little character moments in this episode. All the interactions between Sisko and Jake, where Ben puts aside his own doubts and despair to present a comforting face to his son. That first scene with Quark and Odo. The little moment where we see Odo’s gruff, tough guy facade slip when Bashir calls on him to help an injured woman during the Cardassians’ attack. O’Brien’s underplayed yet wistful departure from the Enterprise. Kira’s initial meeting with Sisko. Picard’s discomfort when he realizes where he “met” Sisko before. Gul Dukat’s sneaky, unctuous villainy, where every bland word contains a barely concealed threat. And I utterly love how quickly Sisko falls back into the relationship with his “old man” mentor despite Dax now being a very young woman. (Let the record show that Jadzia Dax is the most charismatic, commanding, powerful, and charming Science Officer to ever set foot on a Starfleet command deck of any kind. That is all.) The first time Morn sits at Quark’s bar. He sits with conviction!
“Emissary” immediately makes it clear that this show is not going to be just “The Next Generation with Different Faces.” The scenes on Picard’s Enterprise feel sterile and formal in comparison to the chaotic, lively, dangerous energy of the scenes on Deep Space Nine. The Federation is portrayed as a force for good and a bastion of hope…that may just be a bit naive and unprepared to face the messy reality of the worlds outside their reach. The Bajoran religion clearly feels alien and unsettling to the strictly secular members of Starfleet. Characters like Major Kira, Constable Odo, and Quark are more about getting results than always going by the Federation’s playbook. This is definitely not going to be the same Star Trek we’ve seen elsewhere.
Just as a side note before I wrap this up, the model work, sets, visual effects, and design work for this show are spectacular. How beautiful is that exterior model of DS9? Extremely. How about those fantastic, multi-layered interior sets? Gorgeous. The Runabouts are great little ships, and the wormhole looks awe-inspiring both inside and out.
If you’ve seen Deep Space Nine before, it’s worth leaving your linear existence behind to go back and see it again. If you have never experienced this particular frame of linear time, then you may “value your ignorance of what is to come” and get ready to find out about the consequences of all these actions. “Emissary” was every bit as excellent as I remembered, and then some. I can’t wait to see what comes next!
Return to Episode 1 Guide
Continue to Rhonda’s Take
Ponderings from the Promenade: A Journey through Star Trek Deep Space Nine 
You must be logged in to post a comment.