31 Years Later, Star Trek Just Made a Classic Episode Even Harder to Watch

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Star Trek is a remarkably prescient science fiction franchise, both because it accurately predicted many future technologies and because it popularized optimistic ideals about humanity’s potential. While some of its visions took time to materialize, many have come true, and its hopeful message continues to resonate.

As a lifelong Trek fan, I’ve noticed something really interesting: your feelings about the show inevitably shift over time. What once felt totally mind-blowing and futuristic can now feel pretty ordinary, especially with how quickly things change. And episodes that felt bold and progressive when they first aired? Some of them, honestly, haven’t aged well and feel a little off by today’s standards.

Some Star Trek episodes become even more meaningful as we get older, gain more life experience, or watch more of the series, especially when new content changes how we see earlier episodes. A prime example is one from over 30 years ago – it’s become much more emotionally impactful to watch now, thanks to all the new stories and details that have been added to the Star Trek universe, even in the most recent show!

“The Visitor” Is One of Star Trek’s Most Deeply Emotional Sci-Fi Stories

“The Visitor” is the third episode of Season 4 of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, originally broadcast in 1995. The episode centers around Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) who seemingly sacrifices himself to save the USS Defiance. This accident sends him into subspace, effectively removing him from the normal flow of time and space. Soon after, Sisko’s son, Jake (Cirroc Lofton), begins to experience visits from what appears to be his father’s ghost. These visits happen whenever specific cosmic events align. Jake becomes determined to understand the pattern behind these appearances, hoping to find a way to save his father, and this quest slowly consumes his life.

Jake’s obsession with understanding his father’s disappearance costs him dearly – he loses his writing career, his wife, and even convinces retired friends from his days on Deep Space Nine to help him recreate the event. The episode is particularly somber for Star Trek, presented as a story told by an elderly Jake to a fan who sought him out. As the fan departs, Jake receives a final, poignant visit from what remains of his father, Ben Sisko.

The episode reveals that the injection Old Man Jake gave himself was actually poison. Jake was unknowingly the anchor pulling Ben Sisko in and out of subspace, trapping him in a repeating cycle. By sacrificing himself, Jake allows his father to break free and travel back in time to the moment of the warp core accident. This time, Ben prevents the accident, escaping his subspace imprisonment and erasing the timeline where Jake had to make such a painful sacrifice. The episode ends with Ben embracing young Jake, deeply appreciating his role as a father and the love they share.

“The Visitor” Foreshadows The Ultimate Fate of Cpt. Ben Sisko

In the final episodes of Deep Space Nine, Commander Ben Sisko embraced his role as the Emissary of the Prophets, a central figure in Bajoran religious belief. A key moment in establishing his power was the discovery of a stable wormhole – the only one of its kind in the galaxy. The Bajorans considered this wormhole a pathway to the Celestial Temple, a sacred place, and believed Sisko was destined to travel through it and join the other prophets.

The culmination of Benjamin Sisko’s journey arrived in the final episode of DS9. He bravely sacrificed himself, entering the fiery Fire Caves on Bajor, to prevent his enemy, Dukat (Marc Alaimo), from unleashing the terrifying Pah-wraiths upon the galaxy. However, instead of dying, Sisko was taken to the Celestial Temple and joined the ranks of the Bajoran prophets, learning he would continue to serve a divine purpose through countless future lives.

Sisko’s Fate Is Even More Tragic After Re-Watching “The Visitor”

The core of the “The Visitor” episode is a thoughtful, and sometimes difficult, exploration of the parent-child relationship. While many stories portray this bond as simply loving and supportive, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine dared to show how it can become unhealthy, creating problems that prevent a child from reaching their full potential. This episode also strengthened the unique father-son connection between Ben and Jake Sisko like no other Star Trek story has. Jake’s willingness to give up his entire life to save his father, and Ben’s realization of how deeply his absence could hurt his son, were incredibly powerful moments.

This leads us back to the final two episodes of Deep Space Nine, “What You Leave Behind.” Throughout the series, Ben Sisko’s transformation into “The Emissary” involved distancing himself from his personal relationships. This is particularly clear in a final scene where Sisko appears to his wife, Kasidy (Penny Johnson), as a vision. His detached behavior and mysterious words signal to Kasidy – and to viewers – that “The Emissary” is no longer the same loving, emotional, and fully human man she once knew.

Rewatching “The Visitor” really highlights the heartbreaking loss of the connection between Jake and his father, Ben, especially since Ben transcended his human form and had to leave everything behind. This is likely why the creators of Deep Space Nine ended the series with a scene showing Jake receiving support from Kira as they both remember lost loved ones at the Celestial Temple, ensuring he wouldn’t suffer the same fate as his father’s alternate self. The ending also deepened fans’ connection with Ben Sisko and amplified their sense of loss alongside Jake.

The latest Star Trek show, Starfleet Academy, recently featured the Sisko family, offering fans a satisfying resolution to questions about the relationship between Jake and Ben. It’s worth watching!

You can watch Star Trek: Deep Space Nine on Paramount+. Share your thoughts on the best episodes with other fans on the ComicBook Forum!

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2026-02-10 03:12