Though the focus of this week’s fifth episode of “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy” was on Kerrice Brooks’ holographic character SAM, it also served another purpose.
Titled “Series Acclimation Mil,” the episode served as a bookend to “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” as SAM sets out to investigate the disappearance of Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) hundreds of years earlier in the series finale of the show.
MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD
The episode saw the return of Cirroc Lofton as Jake Sisko, albeit a holographic and later a dream version of the character, and touched upon the impact that Sisko’s disappearance – namely to live in the Celestial Temple with the Bajoran prophets – had on Jake.
In an interview with Variety, Lofton praised Kerrice, calling her a “perfect scene partner…she elevated every moment. Her ability to channel emotions and really get in depth was just mind blowing.”
The end of the episode also features a piece of dialogue from Avery Brooks, with Lofton revealing to the trade the speech comes from an album Brooks recorded years ago.
Lofton says: “It’s a way for me to hear his voice in another way, because he has such a signature voice, and because it’s so compelling, hearing it in this episode meant a lot to me.”
Co-showrunner Noga Landau tells Polygon: “When I first joined the show, all of these people from my past came out of the woodwork and were DMing me, saying, ‘Well, we’re so excited for you. When is someone going to do something for Sisko? When is someone going to do an homage to DS9.'”
“Star Trek: Lower Decks” actress Tawny Newsome, who also appears onscreen in a key guest role as a half-Cardassian professor, co-wrote the episode with Kirsten Beyer.
