Resonant Constellation

I have been watching Star Trek for, quite literally, as long as I can remember-one of my earliest memories is sneaking out of my room to watch episodes of TNG from behind the couch where my parents sat, unaware of my covert presence (this was, of course, well after my bedtime). I remember specifically watching the episode Skin of Evil (which must have been a re-run, as it was released when I was only four months old), among others. This early TNG influence informed my opinions later in life, and I have always been a strong advocate of Picard as the best Star Trek captain.

Of course, Kirk is great in his own way, and I absolutely love almost everything I’ve seen William Shatner in. Janeway is a good captain in her own right as well-especially in the later seasons, and Archer…well, I like Scott Bakula most of the time, let’s leave it at that.

The only captain I never really had an opinion on was Sisko. This is because my parents didn’t really like DS9 when it was on, so I never watched it. After having watched the entire series later in life, I can understand why; it is a much more adult-oriented series, with many mature themes, including the Dominion war and at least one “Torture O’Brien” episode per season. However, having seen the entire series now as an adult, I have to say, I enjoy the more serious themes and the continuity of the story. It is a very different series than TNG, but still Star Trek.

Which is all to say, I developed a new-found respect for captain Sisko. This summer, as I watch through the episodes again, I am struck again and again by Avery Brooks’ portrayal of the character. His voice is absolutely captivating, which is not surprising considering that he is an incredible singer. While Patrick Stewart may have a monopoly on the cultured, diplomatic side of captaincy, Avery Brooks has the riveting, commanding side just as well. I often find myself remarking, “How can he be such a badass all the time?”

Now, I wouldn’t go so far to say that Sisko has superseded Picard as my favorite captain-I still feel a great deal of nostalgia for TNG-but I would say that he’s at least a second favorite. The only thing that disappoints me now is that I’ve seen all of the episodes already.

I must note, however, that I recently discovered something amazing about Avery Brooks that raises his awesomeness in my estimation a thousand-fold. According to the Star Trek wiki, memory alpha, when speaking about an episode of DS9 that he directed, he used a beer metaphor:

“I guess it was over the top. But what is over the top, after all? If you’re having a pint of Guinness and you see the foam pouring over the top, you think, ‘That’s great!’ But in a television episode, there’s this concern about action being too large. It all comes down to rhythm, and whether a scene has it or not.”

That gains him a vote for awesome in my book any day.