Lower Decks Inspires A Look Back at Deep Space Nine's 'Explorers'

When D'Vana and D'Erika Tendi set out to compete against the Blue Orions in Star Trek: Lower Decks' "Shades of Green," their solar sailship conjured up memories of the Bajoran lightship replica built by Benjamin Sisko in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's "Explorers."

From the Tendis' trip through the Excellon Nebula to Benjamin and Jake Sisko's journey near the Denorios Belt, witnessing these vessels as they deployed their solar sails and harnessed light pressure to propel them inspired us to do our own exploration of "Explorers," as the episode proved to be a key installment that heralded Deep Space Nine's entry into a new chapter of its compelling story.

Personal Milestones

Much attention has been paid to the beard cultivated by William T. Riker between seasons one and two of Star Trek: The Next Generation. So, it's quite fitting that the episode in which Brad Boimler emulates Riker and elects to grow a beard has ties to "Explorers," which saw Benjamin Sisko adopting his own facial hair for the very first time. While not nearly as drastic as Riker's 'growing the beard' moment, Sisko's new look foreshadowed significant changes to Deep Space Nine, including an increasing reliance on the show's semi-serialized nature and Worf's momentous addition to the main cast at the beginning of the following season. On a more personal note, Sisko's altered appearance also coincided with looming changes to his familial life that we will dive into in a moment.

As was the case with the Dominion's first appearance in "The Jem'Hadar" and the arrival of the U.S.S. Defiant in "The Search, Part I," Sisko's seemingly innocuous beard marked another symbolic step on Deep Space Nine's groundbreaking trek to critical acclaim. Of course, though Sisko's goatee itself was a superficial alteration, it debuted a mere handful of episodes before his promotion to captain in the Season 3 finale, "The Adversary."

Unlike Captains Kirk and Picard, Benjamin Sisko began his tenure aboard Deep Space 9 as a commander, the same rank held by most of Starfleet's first officers. Sisko's promotion granted the character the status and authority he had earned throughout his career and cemented his position as the captain of the station and the U.S.S. Defiant. This prestige would come into play as he pursued his task of safeguarding the Bajoran wormhole in ensuing seasons.

Diplomatic Realities

As crucial as the imminent evolution of Benjamin Sisko's life and career was to the series, it is also important to examine "Explorers" in terms of the political climate surrounding the Federation at the time the episode was set.

Nearly three years into Starfleet's oversight of Deep Space 9, apprehensiveness still existed between the Federation and their Cardassian neighbors, and the Cardassian occupation of Bajor remained fresh in the minds of the Bajoran people. Nevertheless, as indicated by the Cardassians' willingness to allow Benjamin and Jake Sisko's lightship voyage to take place, tensions had eased to a certain extent. Although Gul Dukat and his Cardassian ships celebrated the Siskos' successful excursion to Cardassia with festive fireworks, they did so reluctantly and only after they could no longer claim the ancient Bajorans' journey had been a fairy tale.

The shifting Federation-Cardassian relationship would take the forefront in the months to come, as the Federation intervened to rescue a group of Cardassian leaders from the Klingon Empire's invasion of their territory in "The Way of the Warrior." That conflict had roots in a larger threat to the Federation, as a Changeling infiltrator from the Dominion had replaced General Martok and helped convince Chancellor Gowron to strike at the Cardassians.

In fact, upon Sisko's aforementioned promotion in "The Adversary," another Changeling posed as a Federation ambassador and tried to stoke hostilities between the Federation and the Tzenkethi. While these events occurred in later episodes, they illustrate that "Explorers" sat on the cusp of a new diplomatic reality for the Alpha Quadrant.

Dedication to Exploration

With drastic developments and open warfare on the horizon, the emphasis that the aptly-named "Explorers" placed on the theme of exploration was an essential 'calm-before-the-storm' moment that reinforced the awe and wonder inherent in Starfleet's primary mission. The notion that ancient Bajorans had somehow ventured from Bajor to Cardassia aboard a relatively rudimentary lightship invoked the mythos of Earth's own seafaring travelers. Kira Nerys and her Bajoran colleagues drew inspiration from the legendary feat, regardless of whether or not the Cardassians and Federation believed the trip had been feasible. A political backdrop existed for the Siskos' crossing, but there were no enemies for them to fight along their path — only a desire to solve a historic mystery.

Like any intrepid explorer, Benjamin Sisko's devotion to building an exact replica of the lightship in the hopes of proving it to be spaceworthy soon blossomed into the even more ambitious goal of making it through the Denorios Belt. With his son Jake at his side, Sisko embraced the unknown and forged ahead. Jake encouraged him to prevail over the same sort of mechanical mishaps that the ancient Bajorans had likely faced, and aided by an unexpected warp boost from interstellar tachyons, the Siskos demonstrated that the ancient Bajorans could have survived such a jaunt to Cardassia. In a suspicious coincidence, a Bajoran lightship was discovered by Cardassian archaeologists while the Siskos were en route to the planet. The triumph proved to be a testament to the Bajorans' ingenuity, the Siskos' fortitude, and the willpower of explorers throughout the galaxy.

A Family's Foundation

"Explorers" represented a major step for the entirety of the Sisko family, with the most glaring benefit being the quality time that Benjamin and Jake spent with each other during their voyage. Worried that his son had grown out of wanting to share such experiences with him, Benjamin was delighted to learn that Jake had opted to come along on the exciting mission. From sleeping in hammocks to relying on zero-gravity rations, the close quarters afforded the Siskos an opportunity to bolster their bond. In a sense, Jake did have an ulterior motive, as he planned to share a story he had written and inform his father that he had been contacted by the Pennington School about a writing fellowship on Earth. However, even that discussion exemplified the importance of "Explorers" by pointing to Jake's eventual interest in becoming a journalist and author.

Jake also seized on the chance to tell his father about a freighter captain he wished to introduce him to. Although her name wasn't mentioned, this was a reference to Kasidy Yates, who debuted in the following episode, "Family Business," and became a recurring character throughout Deep Space Nine's remaining seasons.

Benjamin and Kasidy began dating, and the couple were eventually married in "'Til Death Do Us Part." By the time of the series finale, Kasidy and Ben were expecting their first child together. The duo withstood many highs and lows between "Explorers" and the show's conclusion, but the Siskos' chat in "Explorers" marked a turning point that would forever alter their family for the better.

Cultural Context

As we alluded to earlier, the topic of the ancient Bajorans' lightship was a point of contention between modern-day Bajorans and their Cardassian counterparts. Kira Nerys' ardent defense of Bajoran history, as well as Gul Dukat's skepticism on the lightship's capabilities, reflected the discord that the occupation of Bajor had generated between the two cultures. Nonetheless, the fact that the Cardassians accepted the results of the Siskos' experiment and publicly acknowledged the ancient Bajorans showed just how much the two governments' relationship had advanced since Starfleet's takeover of Deep Space 9. Whether stemming from the Klingon invasion or the Dominion War, many hurdles still remained on the path to peace between Bajor and Cardassia, but hope could be found in the progress they had already made.

And, as we have described above, the discussion of context also bears relevance to "Explorers" as a whole. On its own, "Explorers" was a fun and lighthearted adventure imbued with the spirit of exploration and family. Upon examining the episode's role in the Siskos' lives, juxtaposing it with the political affairs that would transpire, and contemplating its place in Deep Space Nine's seven-year run, the installment's significance to the series becomes all the more clear.

For fans looking to check out Deep Space Nine’s influential episodes, "Explorers" is an absolute must watch.