Customer Reviews

Star Trek - Deep Space Nine, Episodes 1 & 2: The Emissary (Pilot) [VHS]

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The first episode(s) of Deep Space Nine provided us all with an insight into a new, darker, more violent Star Trek, Deep Space Nine. The characters are all fully fleshed out by the end of this brilliant episode which concentrates on the newly acquired freedom the Bajoran's now enjoy, the Enterprise is in orbit of Bajor and protecting the planet, but when Picard and crew are called away on an urgent mission it is left to a skeleton crew headed by Commander Benjamin Sisko who must defend the former-Cardassian space station, Terok Nor, from the old landloards who are on their way back to retake what they believe to be there's...

Sisko discovers a wormhole and the strange beings that live in it, with his untested crew on DS9 they are the only ones who can stop the Cardassian invasion ship! Explosive!

The powers that be pulled out all the stops for this excellent and very good-looking first show of the Deep Space Nine series. The infamous and often referred to battle at Wolf 359 is finally seen to some extended length in the beginning of 'Emissary'; the rundown space station is a well-conceived set design; the matte painting of the Bajoran temple on the planet surface is mesmerizing albeit too briefly seen; and all those aliens! The production design put forth here was the most superior effort by the creative staff in any Trek program to date - heck some of the movies don't look this great!

Also the story is a terrific, hard edged and dyed-in-the-wool science fiction tale that is handled well. The revelation of the existence of the wormhole; the incorporeal wormhole beings using a variety of people from Sisko's memories to interact with him; the explanation of the mysterious Orbs and their purpose; Sisko using the game of baseball to demonstrate the concept of linear time; his rush of emotions over his admittance of his inability to 'exist beyond the moment his wife died' and that he has been living in non-linear time; many more brilliant touches are present within this well-structured script.

The characters are surprisingly well defined for a first episode. Normally the main characters undergo a severe change in the shows immediately following; an actor will begin to add their personality to the composite of the person they are playing and these differences are usually noticeable. That doesn't happen on ST: DS9 though, the character flow from pilot to series inception is practically seamless. The best character interchange we get to see in 'Emissary' is the scene in Sisko's new office where he has called together Odo and Quark for a meeting. The tension between Odo and Quark comes into play right away; Quark breaks out in uproarious laughter at Sisko's request for him to remain at DS9 and become a community leader; Odo sarcastically makes the observation that Quark has all the natural qualities of a politician. The addition of the character of Dax allows the show to continue the familiar Trek theme of the differences between our Earth-centric view of everything in terms of humanity and the point of view from an outsider that adds interesting and conflicting complexities. Being over three hundred years old and having existed as a variety of alien beings added a great and very unique dimension to this Trek series. As far as the actors go for this particular show an honorable mention should be made for the young Cirroc Lofton; he stood in for the wormhole aliens in a variety of sequences and did an admirable job. Also his scenes with Avery Brooks as father and son are believable and convincing.

Best line: Sisko and Gul Dukat's first meeting is quite memorable. When Gul Dukat makes a point of how uncomfortably close the Federation members are to the formidable Cardassians Sisko remarks sarcastically "We'll be sure and keep the dog off the lawn."

As I reflect on this episode, I remember how I felt, seeing the new crew, the new aliens, and the new architecture. I remember how I could relate to the weekly issues the crew faced, and I remember how the series touched my heart. Deep Space Nine is, in my opinion, the best ST series to date, and in my heart...will always be #1. As I see the series conclude, I feel saddened. I will truely and deeply miss the cast of DS9. Now all that remains is Voyager, and i've never been close to Voyager as I have been to DS9. Once Voyager is gone, will the Star Trek Universe go dormant? I hope not. Long live DS9!

There is no question that Star Trek: Deep Space Nine was and will always be, one of the best sci-fi television shows produced. No one but Avery Brooks could have such compassion and command for his character. It was not his dream to command a Space Station - just his duty. And no one could do it better. Any one else and I would have just tuned-out. I enjoyed all the characters (alien and human), but Avery's voice is mesmerizing and also commanding. I had no choice but to obey! and tune-in each week. (and I never got my gold-pressed latnum.

I AM MAD AT MYSELF FOR NOT NOTICING DEEP SPACE NINE FROM THE START. IT IS THE MOST INTERESTING SHOW ON TELEVISION. AND THE CHARACTERS ARE GREAT. THE EMMISSARY REALLY IS A GREAT START TO A GREAT SERIES!

This series is one of the best to date! unforntally the 7th season is the last.:( This Episode "The Emmisary" was the best pilot for a trek series I have seen. You can tell they were limited in their budget, but they use that in the show, showing us the beat up, rathole they call DS9. If you like trek, but havent seen DS9 yet, start watching

"Emissary" is kind of a bore. It starts out with some great action sequences with Federation vessels battling the Borg from the Star Trek: Next Generation episode "The Best of Both Worlds" where we get to see the death of Commander Sisko's wife, but then the story jumps to the present day and we get into the main plot, and - oh boy, does it get slow from there. The only other action was at the very very end when the station comes under attack by the Cardassians. But the battle only last for a very little while before it's over. There is hardly any action in it what so ever, and most of the story deals with our main characters' past demons. Way too much drama and not enough excitement. Pitty, because underneath it all there is a very good story trying to escape with some great characters in it. What a shame!

I watched the ST:DSN series for several years before I ever watched this one, the pilot episode. Therefore, it took me some time before I began to understand the situation and the regular characters of the series. Clearly, in this, the third Star Trek series, the producers got the pilot exactly right. Unlike the pilot of the original series and The Next Generation, the context and the main characters are all clearly established. The situation on Bajor, the Cardassian threat, Commander Sisko's past and his dislike of Captain Picard are all handled in just the right amount of detail to get the series off in the proper manner.
Commander Sisko is ordered to take command of Deep Space Nine, a space station orbiting Bajor that has just been abandoned by the Cardassians. However, before they left the Cardassian soldiers destroyed everything they could. Sisko is also unfamiliar with Bajor religious tradition, so at first he is baffled by his invitation to visit with the high priestess of Bajor. There is also the recurring threat from the Cardassians, as there are still elements of the Cardassian military that would like to regain control of the station and the planet Bajor.
Through it all, Sisko maintains a smiling and jovial demeanor when dealing with his crew, which keeps him on an even keel and helps pull him through the difficult times, especially when he is reliving his most precious moments with his dead wife Jennifer. She was killed in the original battle between the Borg and the Federation when Captain Picard was captured and assimilated by the Borg. I enjoyed this episode, having watched it several times, which is more than what has happened with "Encounter at Farpoint", the pilot of "The Next Generation." Even the presence of "Q" in that episode has not been enough to attract me to watch "Encounter at Farpoint" on a regular basis.

Gone are the good old days of TOS and TNG, where exploration was at the heart of everyone's mind in a somewhat lighthearted felt adventure. Thus begins Deep Space Nine, an almost controversial series among fans, where the story is taken seriously and politcal events become more important than exploration, set in a remote and dark station. Despite it all, Deep Space Nine was a huge success and well known as "The greatest undsicovered series on television". Emissary is where it all begins, a wonderful pilot episode that digs a little deeper than any other Star Trek series pilot.

If you can handle the struggling acting (and its not that uncomon for the first season of a new television series), Emissary is just all around wonderful. The very beginning is gripping, pitting Commander Benjamin Sisko in the middle of Wolf 359 - the horiffic event where Captain Picard was briefly the leader of the Borg cube that destroyed every starship in battle. Although Sisko and his son escape, Sisko's wife Jennifer was not so lucky. Three years later, the Commander is ordered to take command of a Caradassian station orbiting Bajor, and finds himself again in the presence of Picard. The memories haunt Sisko, as does his new role as commander of the station, and soon to be Emissary of the Bajoran prophets.

With the exceptions of the beginning and end, this is not an action packed episode, but has a very important story that sets a strong tone for what is yet to come in the series. We get to meet all the main charcaters as well as their differences, and those differences that will not make it the easiest task of working together. The Cardassians and Bajorans are both given significant roles, which finally gives Trekkies a chance to learn more about other races than the Klingons and Romulans. But perhaps the biggest change of all is the absence of a starship in a Trek series, and replaced with a bulky station. A sad truth at first, but very fitting for the events and story surrounding it.

On a depeer note, I really enjoyed where the story went with Sisko becoming the Emissary. The story dives into the spirituality of the Bajoran race, and Sisko's explanation to the prophets on what it means to be human and to live in linear time gave me personal insight on the same manner. It was a nice reminder of who we are and what we live for.

Emissary is a wonderful pilot, unfortunately, to a rather weak season. Easily the least exciting season of DS9, it will eventually translate into a lot of excitement. But for now, Emissary is a great opener for what is to come.

Acting - 3
Action - 4
Characters - 4
Story - 5
Overall - 4.5

People will debate this for years to come, but in my opinion, the best Star Trek series ever started here... Deep Space Nine.

Benjamin Sisqo (Avery Brooks) plays the head of a Starfleet delegation sent to bridge relations with the Bajorians. Bajor has been under the enforced rule of the Cardassians for the past 50 years, and after winning their freedom, reluctantly accept the help of the Federation in rebuilding their society. However, the discovery of a wormhole to another sector of the galaxy changes everything.

Over the course of seven seasons, DS9 went from being the afterthought of the Star Trek universe to being the standard bearer. Well thought plotlines, and stories that had consequences made this worth the visit every week. There are weak episodes, and there are great episodes. Make sure you don't miss any.