Arguably one of, if not the best of Star Trek‘s premiere episodes, Emissary set the stage for the station-bound spin-off, Deep Space Nine.
There’s a lot to love about Emissary, but here are the 21 best (random) things about it.
1. Opening Text Crawl
Flash Gordon and Star Wars aren’t the only things with opening text crawls!
2. The Friendly Bolian
On the Saratoga, immortalized in my favorite Brandon Bird painting.
3. Sisko’s Reflection
As he watches the Borg destroy the Saratoga.
4. Holodeck Grid
It looks different to the one we’re used to on TNG because this is a different ship – not the Enterprise. I liked this small detail and the effort that went into showing it, since the grid is only shown for five seconds.
5. Wormhole-Less Intro
A special variant of the intro only for this episode, where instead of panning away to show the wormhole opening, we just see empty space as the wormhole hasn’t been discovered yet!
6. Huge Episode Title
The titles of the first few episodes were enormous and in the middle of the frame instead of the top, so they were really IN YOUR FACE.
7. The Guy That Keeps Asking Sisko to go to Temple
He’s really persistent.
8. Sisko and Picard Meet
But it’s not all friendly.
9. Sisko Meeting Kira
“I thought I’d say hello first and then take the office, but we could do it in any order you’d like,” and his huge grin when he says it.
10. Sisko Getting His Hands Dirty
Literally. Then showing them to Kira.
11. Lieutenant on Enterprise Bridge
Who is she? Couldn’t get Riker or Data or anyone from TNG? Is this the night shift?
12. Picard Says Bye to O’Brien
It’s like O’Brien’s his bff, but we never really saw them hang out together much on TNG.
13. Kai Opaka’s Hidden Staircase
Too cool. Where do I get one of these?
14. Funny Noises
There are quite a few instances of people making funny noises in this episode, and they’re all unforgettable.
Sisko’s excited shriek when he sees Jennifer on the beach.
The confused noise the alien thief makes when he learns Odo is a shapeshifter.
Quark’s snarl to express his anger at Nog.
Quark’s long, hearty laugh when Sisko suggests he become community leader.
15. Bashir’s Stutter
When asking Jadzia out on a date.
16. Bashir’s Frontier Medicine Scene
I love the lighting and framing here.
17. Dukat’s Entrance
The way he swaggers through the door with his head held high tells us everything we need to know about him.
18. Sisko’s Frown
It’s very Judge Dredd-like.
19. Sisko’s “Are You Crazy?” Look
When Dax tells him the meadow is beautiful (he sees it as a stormy place).
20. Baseball Player Prophet
How he says “aggressive, adversarial” when describing baseball. Also the fact that he used two alliterative words.
21. DS9 in a Bubble
This is the smoothest, shiniest space bubble I have ever seen.
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