Star Trek: Deep Space Nine successfully expanded what Star Trek could be. Before this, every Trek property followed roughly the same template of a ship boldly going where nobody has gone before, encountering a weekly conundrum and solving it over the course of about an hour. It’s a winning formula, but DS9, set on a space station adjacent to a strategically vital wormhole, wasn’t afraid to get complicated.
There were a number of episodes that explored the high concept sci-fi you expect from the franchise, but there were also ones examining interstellar trade, political manoeuvring and the morality of the Federation (and its complex relationship with the rest of the galaxy). It was rich, compelling and a big influence on the shows that followed it. Deep Space Nine‘s reputation has only increased over the years, too, especially with the series being available to stream.
In 2019, the documentary What We Left Behind: Looking Back at Star Trek: Deep Space Nine examined why this particular Trek show is so well regarded. It featured practically the entire cast, with Avery Brooks (who played Commander Sisko) making for an especially entertaining interviewee. Also of note is a sequence in which the writers reveal what an eighth season would’ve looked like, and a very promising peek at the series fully remastered in HD.
Now, you can watch the entire doc for free (as long as you’re in the U.S.) on YouTube Movies. The release comes at an interesting time for DS9, too, as there are rumors that CBS is developing a new Trek show focusing on Benjamin Sisko. This would make sense as well, as his fellow 90s captains have returned in Star Trek: Picard and Star Trek: Prodigy and we don’t know much about Sisko’s life after Deep Space Nine wrapped up. Let’s hope we hear more soon.