When Star Trek fans fight about the best Trek show , nine prison term out of 10 they ’re arguing about the original series versus The Next Generation . Obviously , both shows are fantabulous and central to the franchise , but they are n’t the best Trek ever put on television . I trust that honour go to Deep Space Nine , and praise the vaticinator , do I love it .
Yesterday , both Katharine and Rob talked about Star Trek ’s inherent optimism and hope . But in those previous serial , that often mean character would shore on a planet , allot with a job , and move on to the next locating . But even in a futurity as brilliant as the one promised by Star Trek , Deep Space Nine know that not everything would be — or even could be — unadulterated .
Deep Space Nine remove the humankind — er , universe — established in the previous show and open it up to all the longstanding complexities that would come with it . We got to see how these different species chemical group live and worked together over a tenacious menstruation of clip . We saw amazing friendships and acerb rivalries developing side - by - side . ( It ’s why having the show take place on a space place made so much sense . ) And while the Federation was still as bright - eyed and shaggy-haired - tailed as ever , dedicated to making the universe a more peaceable , favorable place , we also got to see that not everyone has the same mind of what ’s upright , especially when it come down to different species . Sometimes it went handwriting - in - hand with human race ’s mission , other times it was entirely the opposite . But we had a large crew that knew the time value of via media .
For instance , in Star Trek : First Contact , Picard tells Lily that there ’s no money in the time to come because masses work to better themselves . However , that ’s only true for humanity . For many alien , there ’s Gold weigh Latinum . It may not be used by humans , but it ’s almost sacred to other species . For the Ferengi , money is how they better themselves .
In the first episode , we see Commander Sisko utilize Quark ’s Ferengian principles for keep him work on the space station . He even got the grace of the Grand Nagus when he want Quark ’s assistance to chance the Founders . And he did that through respect for the customs that his own society did n’t uphold . Sisko ’s strength was in his power to hoodwink the needs of all those on his station , of feel the best result for the greatest amount of people , while hump that not everyone would be or could be quenched .
Star Trek ’s utopia may be big for humanity , but it ’s not always not bad for everyone else . Deep Space Nine greet that . Differences in political theory lead to problems . In the guinea pig of the Dominion , it head to war . That ’s because perfection is insufferable . Deep Space Nine was unattackable because it register the cracks in a utopian pipe dream — idealism only goes so far , and everybody ’s version of a perfect world will inevitably conflict .
But atomic number 90 does n’t stand for Deep Space Nine is the “ darker Star Trek ” ( I really detest when people call it that ) . The show has a lot of heart , and a enceinte hatful of temper . We saw an entire episode where our heroes got stuck in themost stupid secret plan in the universe . They put a turkey in a Tribble . A bomb calorimeter in a Tribble .
And let ’s not draw a blank that Commander Sisko used the exponent of his words , not his weapons , to carry human race , love , even the concept of elongate time to a group of aliens called the Prophets . Deep Space Nine was , in its means , just as hopeful as the original series or The Next Generation — it just did n’t veil how much work it would be to accomplish that futurity , and how unmanageable it would be .
Likewise , Sisko was the first Star Trek captain who was n’t afraid to show his fault , often to his own detriment . He was a man who was tolerant and clever , but made irrational decisions when he was wild or frightened . He was even complicit in the slaying of a senator to convince the Romulans to oppose against the Dominion . Like many captains , he was forced to make questionable decision that blurred the line between rightfulness and wrong ; Sisko plainly had to make them a lot more often .
We also got our first ( and I ’d argue only good ) depiction of religion in the franchise . The Cardassian / Bajoran battle was something that was first introduced in The Next Generation , but Deep Space Nine was what gave it trajectory . Religion was never much of subject on Star Trek before Deep Space Nine , largely because Roddenberry was an atheist , but I think the Bajorans were an excellent institution .
The storyline taught religious allowance and apprehension . Sisko was a holy flesh to these people , and even though he did n’t fit with their beliefs ( at least at first ) , he still honored them to the good of his ability . At the end of Season 1 , when Sisko ’s son Jake asks him why Bajorans consider that the wormhole is something sacred when it ’s intelligibly not , Sisko teaches him about the economic value of compassion and deference to differing faith . It ’s a powerful object lesson that still resound today .
It also showed what happens when religion and politics jar . Throughout their decennary of bondage , the only affair that maintain the Bajorans going was their faith . Once they were gratis , their religion fell to infighting , because they were no longer unite against a uncouth enemy . Sects succumbed to spiritual extremism- to the point where fellow member were invest acts of terrorism , like when Neela blow up the station school in “ In the Hands of the prophet ” because it was n’t learn what number to Bajoran Creationism . But Sisko did n’t let fear and intimidation take over , he continued to comprehend his Bajoran ally . Utopia does n’t always cultivate , but beloved does .
The biggest substance at the ending of the day for Deep Space Nine is there are no easy ending . Our submarine sandwich do n’t conclude their journey meet a friendly game of poker , they ’re impel to sacrifice almost everything they have in orderliness to try out and make the universe a better place . Because that ’s what you have to do in the real world .
But if that does n’t convert you , all I can say is : forenoon . Case closed .
Star Trek
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