Explorers (DS9 episode)
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| Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode | |
| "Explorers" | |
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| Episode no. | 3x22 |
|---|---|
| Prod. code | 468 |
| Airdate | May 8, 1995 |
| Writer(s) | René Echevarria |
| Director | Cliff Bole |
| Guest star(s) | Marc Alaimo Bari Hochwald Chase Masterson |
| Year | 2371 |
| Stardate | Unknown |
| Episode chronology | |
| Previous | "The Die is Cast" |
| Next | "Family Business" |
"Explorers" is the 22nd episode in the third season of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. In it, Benjamin Sisko and his son, Jake, recreate a ship that ancient Bajorans used to make first contact between Bajor and Cardassia.
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[edit] Background information
This episode marks several firsts for the series. Leeta (Chase Masterson), who goes on to become Rom's wife, makes her first appearance here, while Kasidy Yates is mentioned for the first time, although she does not appear until the following episode. Additionally, Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) sports a goatee for the first time. He keeps the goatee for the remainder of the series, and goes on to marry Yates.
[edit] Light ship
The "light ship" the Siskos build and use to make their voyage is similar in many ways to a wind-powered vessel, both in how it compares to starships normally seen on Star Trek and in its design. At one point Benjamin closes his eyes and says, "Listen," to which Jake responds, "I don't hear anything." "Exactly," says Ben. "Not even the hum of an engine. It's almost like being on the deck of an old sailing ship."
Many of these similarities were intentional on the part of production designer Herman Zimmerman and illustrator Jim Martin. Both envisioned the Siskos on their voyage as, in Martin's words, "sailors in space". Zimmerman even brought in some real sailing equipment, which can be seen in the background at various points throughout the episode. He and Martin count this episode among their favorites to work on.
The interior of the ship was designed by Scott Herbertson. John Knoll created the CGI model at Industrial Light and Magic.
According to Zimmerman, after the episode's initial airing, the Space Frontier Foundation at its convention recognized it for exemplifying "the most imaginitive use of a vehicle to travel in space".
When the Star Trek Customizable Card Game released its "Energize" set in 2003, special pairs of starships and their matching commanders were released as a promotion to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the game's launch. One such pair was "Benjamin Sisko, Shipwright" (whose alignment was Bajoran, rather than Federation) and the ship seen in this episode, named Baraka for the purposes of the game.
[edit] External links
- Explorers article at Memory Alpha, a Star Trek wiki.
- Explorers article at StarTrek.com
[edit] References
- Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Complete Third Season
- "Explorers" (episode)
- "Sailing Through the Stars" (DVD extra)
- Baraka card image at the official homepage of the Star Trek CCG.
| Preceded by: "The Die is Cast" |
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episodes | Followed by: "Family Business" |
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