Far Beyond the Stars

This episode really gets to the heart of what Star Trek is all about. Sisko has a vision that he is a struggling science fiction writer in 1950's New York named Benny Russell. He writes a story about a 24th century space station, which his editor won't publish because it features a black hero.

The story is about the dangers of racism, but also about the transformative power of fiction. Benny imagines a future where the injustices he suffers no longer happen. And imagining that future helps make it real for Sisko. Stories like this, and shows like DS9, can help all of us imagine a better world.

Plus there's the added treat of seeing all of the cast out of their prosthetics, playing ordinary humans. For once we get to see everyone's real face. One of the best episodes of DS9. Second only to The Visitor in my book.

Simple and quick. I love the episode and everything in it. Anyone who doesn't like it I truly believe were just offset by the subject matter. Unlike previous Trek episodes, were racism is dealt with a soft touch. Were racism is bad, we've evolved, we don't do it anymore; Avery Brooks dealt with the topic intellectually and creatively. And I truly believe had they pulled a "Quantum Leap" and had Patrick Stewart in the roll of Benny, perceived by everyone around him as a black man, it would have been far more popular and may have won the Emmy it deserved. Not because Mr. Stewart is a better actor but because it would have delivered the message with a softer touch to a questionably receptive audience. I am by no means saying you are a racist because you didn't like, but I have learned the topic of race automatically puts some people on the defensive, on many sides of the issue, and they become less receptive to discussion and debate.

If you go in angry, complaining about how this is just another race baiting episode written by the stereotypical black man or liberal Hollywood, you probably will not enjoy it. However, if you go into it intellectually and receptive you will see it for one of those rare masterpieces in science fiction television we love so much.

Cirroc Lofton's line (you know the one) still takes my breath away.

All by itself "DS9" always showed more progressiveness and more social conscience than the other "Trek"'s combined.

The story is a fanciful conceit, and a breather from the season's arc, but it still stands as "Trek"'s best address of racial issues, and also serves as a reminder that it's a little depressing that "DS9" is the least popular "Trek" in terms of syndication value and DVD sales.

If you don't know the show, this one is a good, arc-independent introduction. And if you do know the show, you will always remember falling off your chair when Cirroc Lofton said "that line."

This episode never places highly in fan polls, but it's one of the best.

In the early 60's a pilot for a TV series made history: I'm referring to the "The Cage" written by Gene Roddenberry and produced in Theatrical Style which went "far beyond the distant" bean-counter's head's at NBC.

That could have been the end of Trek right at that point, but something unprecedented occurred: NBC ordered a second pilot and Trek was born.

That first Pilot, just like this Deep Space Nine episode: Was born from the ashes of all of the best Science Fiction books and movies of the 50's - Including Forbidden Planet, and the look of the costumes and props in The Cage - Even the photographic special effects, are an Homage to that great era of Science Fiction.

The Sisko is meeting with his father (Brock Peter's) when he starts seeing guys in 50's suits and ties and Fedora hats walking about the station - not to be confused with Fringe "Observers".

His reality starts to splinter and suddenly he finds himself in 50's NYC, he is a colored writer of Science Fiction and the rest of most of the Ops crew plus Quark are his Co-Workers: Writer's, Editors, and Artists (JG Hertzger/Martok is a great Kelly Freas type character). Each person is a character which represents the kind of person they are: O'Brien becomes an Analogue of Issac Asimov and his Robot stories (As Obrien is the main "Tinkerer and Putterer" of DS9), The Major represents one of several women writers from that time who had to hide the fact that they were women (and probably a nod to D.C. Fontana, one of the Trek TOS Writers). But the best thing to see was Quark - Probably representing Harlan Ellison (who is also short), when arguing with the Editor (who is Odo aka "Security"), threatens to quit and clears off his desk and the first item he grabs is his Hugo Award, a small trophy shaped roughly like a V-2 Rocket.

Benny Russel as The Sisko is called, writes the story of Deep Space Nine: We can assume he had written "The Emissary" - And Odo-Editor rejects his story, because back in that time, issues of race could not be ignored even in fantasy and science fiction. But Quark/Ellison - And this is something Harlan would do - Suggested making it a dream. So Odo-Editor agrees to publish the story "as a dream of a colored man", and The Sisko/Benny Russel says that "It's better than writing it in chalk on the sidewalk"

Kasidy is a woman who runs a Diner, who is much like Captain Yates herself. Someone who loves an extraordinary man and hopes for some kind of normal existence, which will be denied to her. Worf makes some pretty funny appearances as a Baseball Player, who is tolerated barely by his team, and Jake Sisko is a young hustler - And the best line of the whole Trek 'Verse is said by him, when he uses the forbidden N-Word - Right on Syndicated Television, and if this had been a Network show, that word would not have been able to be used. And of course, the best: Dukat and Weyoun are filthy corrupt detectives.

What is great about this episode is that it shows, how real DS9 actually is - As the creation of the writers and producers of the show - But it EXISTS- Deep Space Nine exists not only in Benny Russel's mind but in ours as well, not to mention the cast and crew of the show.

Which is more real, the dreamer or the dream? The thing to remember that for the dreamer, the dream IS reality - During the dream. And so I will forever see DS9 as a kind of window into a possible future. Because anything that we can think of that could happen - DOES happen. This is the basis of Quantum Physics.

I was floored by this episode. For Sisko to go back in time and play a character with such integrity and grit, showing his chops, is wonderful. Of course, the real attraction is to see virtually the entire crew in 1950's street clothes. The one I couldn't get over was the guy who plays Quark. The characters in the magazine office maintained their personalities, even though they were not on a space station. Plus, the ugly portrayals of racism are so real. I loved the use of the normal bad guys as power hungry police. It all worked so admirably.