30 Years Ago, Deep Space Nine Teased A Major Turning Point

"The pilot of Deep Space Nine is unusual in that no one particularly wants to be there. Commander Sisko is bitter about being relegated to a backwater posting. Odo isn't enthusiastic about working with the Federation, and Major Kira is downright hostile about it. It's just another job for Lieutenant Dax, and an especially demanding job for Chief O'Brien. The one man excited to be working on the frontier, young Doctor Bashir, is portrayed as naïve in his enthusiasm."

"Much of Deep Space Nine is about Sisko struggling to come to terms with his role as a quasi-savior, which made it interesting when Season 4's "Accession," which aired 30 years ago this week, offered him a way out. At this point, almost exactly halfway through DS9's run, Sisko had come to terms with his role as Bajor's Emissary, but he still wasn't thrilled about it. So when a Bajoran named Akorem Laan tumbles out of the wormhole and claims to be the Emissary himself, Sisko is happy to cede the role."

"Unfortunately, Akorem has arrived from 200 years in the past and is shocked to discover that Bajor has abandoned its ancient caste system. Major Kira explains that everyone had to put aside their old identities to resist the Cardassian Occupation, which is a clever enough way to write a new trait into an existing species. But Akorem concludes that Bajor can only heal from the Occupation if it returns to the old ways."

Deep Space Nine begins with most of its crew unhappy about their assignment to a remote Cardassian station above Bajor. Commander Sisko is bitter about the posting, Odo distrusts the Federation, and Major Kira is hostile toward it, while only young Doctor Bashir shows genuine enthusiasm. The discovery of a wormhole to the Gamma Quadrant changes everything, revealing it is inhabited by beings the Bajorans worship as Prophets. Sisko develops a unique connection with these entities, leading Bajorans to declare him their Emissary. The series explores Sisko's struggle accepting this quasi-savior role. In Season 4's "Accession," another Bajoran claims to be the true Emissary, offering Sisko an escape from his unwanted responsibility.

Read at Inverse