Odd for a premiere: Picard in Emissary

[Cyke101]

After rewatching Emissary, I've noticed something incredibly odd about the episode: the obligatory appearance by a character from a previous series was actually IMPORTANT to the story.

We've had McCoy in TNG, Quark in Voyager, and Cochrane in ENT, but Picard's meeting with Sisko was a significant plot device for the episode. Sisko had to spend the entire two-parter trying to get over his past and his Starfleet career, both of which he hated and both of which Picard embodied. Picard doesn't just pop up for a cute two minutes, he keeps coming back, and at one point, a Prophet even assumes his form (quite a major feat, I'd say) when Sisko first ventures into the wormhole. Sisko coming to terms with Picard, then, would mean that Sisko is finally able to reconcile his past with his potential, which ultimately changes his life.

Thoughts?

 

[Lateralus]

More thought was put into Picard's 'cameo' in Emissary than was put into Kirk's role and death in Generations.

Yet another early example of the intricacies to come...

 

[Renvar]

It never did feel right, Picard and Sisko's meeting in the Observation Lounge. But then again, maybe that was the point.

 

[Cyke101]

It never did feel right, Picard and Sisko's meeting in the Observation Lounge. But then again, maybe that was the point.

Oh, very much so. We saw Picard begin to slide into his traditionally stern, authoritative side, and then Sisko shot back and did something very few people in Trek have ever done: match Picard in an argument.

And then, as that scene was ending, with the semi-long shot of Picard, the viewer then starts to feel that Picard was in the uncomfortable seat, not Sisko. A very well written scene. If you're the type that argues that Picard is unaccountable for Loctus' actions, that just makes Picard's uneasiness that much more dramatic; it's not his fault that Jennifer Sisko died, but he still feels every bit as guilty. Great work by Avery Brooks AND Patrick Stewart.

 

[Haytil]

Agreed. It's nice to see two of our heroes meet and interact in a realistic, uncomfortable manner - not just slapping high-fives and teaming up to fight villains while trading jokes.

 

[Supernuke]

Yeah the scenes these two have with each other are gold. Sisko's defiance of Picard and PICARD being speechless is one of the coolest things in DS9.

 

[MyCylon]

Definitely a very good scene, I think. Great character work.

Having said that, I still wonder in how far this might have hurt DS9 in the long run. Picard was a very popular characters at the time, and I think many people might have simply come out of the scene thinking, "how dare Sisko...".

 

[DWF]

Picard also had a nice goodbye scene with O'Brien in Emissary as well and I liked how Sisko worked out his anger with Picard in their final scene together.

 

[MyCylon]

^
Wasn't the Picard / O'Brien scene missing from the original airing? I seem to remember something along those lines.

 

[DWF]

^
Wasn't the Picard / O'Brien scene missing from the original airing? I seem to remember something along those lines.

No it was in the original airing but it was probably cut when it was turned into a two parter for second syndication.

 

[MyCylon]

^
Alright. That's probably what I was thinking of.

 

[Iamnotspock]

^
Wasn't the Picard / O'Brien scene missing from the original airing? I seem to remember something along those lines.

No it was in the original airing but it was probably cut when it was turned into a two parter for second syndication.

Yes, which I only discovered last week when I saw the two-part version for the fist time on Virgin 1 here in the UK. I thought, "where's the Picard/O'Brien scene gone?"

 

[DGCatAniSiri]

Yes, which I only discovered last week when I saw the two-part version for the fist time on Virgin 1 here in the UK. I thought, "where's the Picard/O'Brien scene gone?"

See, for me, it's always been that way, since I've only ever seen Emissary split into two parts.

 

[RaymondJames]

I found this 2 parter one of the most boring episodes of any Star Trek Series. I am just not a fan of the ds9 pilot. Love ds9 but not its pilot.

 

[Red Ranger]

People,

Since DSN was a more direct spin-off of TNG, and two of TNG's characters (one minor and one major) had major roles on DSN, it made perfect sense for a major cast member to play such a pivotal role in the beginning. And given Sisko's backstory, it had to be Picard. I think their scenes are among the best in Emissary.

You certainly do feel Picard's guilt at the role he played, albeit as Locutus, in killing Sisko's wife, Jennifer. There are only a few other times we see Picard having to deal with the consequences of his assimilation by the Borg: TNG eps Family, I, Borg, and The Drumhead, where Nora Satie accuses him of not being completely recovered from being Locutus; and of course, in TNG film First Contact.

I seem to recall other TV spin-offs over the years using one or two characters to help bridge the gap between the previous and newer series.

My one regret is they didn't have too many cross-overs with both casts, merely Picard's appearance in Emissary, Bashir's in Birthright, Pt. I, Jonathan Frakes' appearance as Tom Riker in Defiant, Quark's in Firstborn, and of course, Worf's long "crossover," and O'Brien's even longer "crossover," when they join the cast of DSN. After all, on NBC they had a good crossover between Law & Order and Homicide, just to name one crossover between unaffiliated series.

Red Ranger

 

[Solariabsg25]

Just Picards reaction at a single line marks what an actor Patrick Stewart is..

"Yes sir, we met in battle. I was on the Saratoga at Wolf 359".

 

[RaymondJames]

Just Picards reaction at a single line marks what an actor Patrick Stewart is..

"Yes sir, we met in battle. I was on the Saratoga at Wolf 359".

Patrick Stewart is an amzing actor and it was such a delight that we as trekkies can say, hey we had Patrick Stewart for 7 years.

 

[Nebusj]

Definitely a very good scene, I think. Great character work.

Having said that, I still wonder in how far this might have hurt DS9 in the long run. Picard was a very popular characters at the time, and I think many people might have simply come out of the scene thinking, "how dare Sisko...".

It is a curious choice and maybe it could have hurt the series to start with: hey, here's one of the top beloved characters from the show Trekkies have been watching faithfully for six years! ... Uhm ... our new lead character hates him! ... er ...

But as it makes sense in driving the story, I don't think it did hurt the show. (Among other things, Sisko comes rather closer to peace with Picard over the course of the story.) It's not like, well, some of the season-one groaners.

 

[Cyke101]

People,

Since DSN was a more direct spin-off of TNG, and two of TNG's characters (one minor and one major) had major roles on DSN, it made perfect sense for a major cast member to play such a pivotal role in the beginning. And given Sisko's backstory, it had to be Picard. I think their scenes are among the best in Emissary.

You certainly do feel Picard's guilt at the role he played, albeit as Locutus, in killing Sisko's wife, Jennifer. There are only a few other times we see Picard having to deal with the consequences of his assimilation by the Borg: TNG eps Family, I, Borg, and The Drumhead, where Nora Satie accuses him of not being completely recovered from being Locutus; and of course, in TNG film First Contact.

I seem to recall other TV spin-offs over the years using one or two characters to help bridge the gap between the previous and newer series.

My one regret is they didn't have too many cross-overs with both casts, merely Picard's appearance in Emissary, Bashir's in Birthright, Pt. I, Jonathan Frakes' appearance as Tom Riker in Defiant, Quark's in Firstborn, and of course, Worf's long "crossover," and O'Brien's even longer "crossover," when they join the cast of DSN. After all, on NBC they had a good crossover between Law & Order and Homicide, just to name one crossover between unaffiliated series.

Red Ranger

One could argue that TNG could've used a character like that as well, rather than a quick cameo to strengthen the connection. Though I wouldn't be one to make that argument (I'm just putting that possibility out there).

I think it's interesting that DS9 didn't have to do have a Sisko/Picard conflict. Voyager didn't need anything like that to succeed as a premiere. But DS9 took a gimmick and made it a non-gimmick, using it as an integral part of the story. I believe one of the reasons the creators had was to show that to show it wasn't TNG, it had to have TNG in it, which is a great twist of a concept.

 

[Red Ranger]

People,

Since DSN was a more direct spin-off of TNG, and two of TNG's characters (one minor and one major) had major roles on DSN, it made perfect sense for a major cast member to play such a pivotal role in the beginning. And given Sisko's backstory, it had to be Picard. I think their scenes are among the best in Emissary.

You certainly do feel Picard's guilt at the role he played, albeit as Locutus, in killing Sisko's wife, Jennifer. There are only a few other times we see Picard having to deal with the consequences of his assimilation by the Borg: TNG eps Family, I, Borg, and The Drumhead, where Nora Satie accuses him of not being completely recovered from being Locutus; and of course, in TNG film First Contact.

I seem to recall other TV spin-offs over the years using one or two characters to help bridge the gap between the previous and newer series.

My one regret is they didn't have too many cross-overs with both casts, merely Picard's appearance in Emissary, Bashir's in Birthright, Pt. I, Jonathan Frakes' appearance as Tom Riker in Defiant, Quark's in Firstborn, and of course, Worf's long "crossover," and O'Brien's even longer "crossover," when they join the cast of DSN. After all, on NBC they had a good crossover between Law & Order and Homicide, just to name one crossover between unaffiliated series.

Red Ranger

One could argue that TNG could've used a character like that as well, rather than a quick cameo to strengthen the connection. Though I wouldn't be one to make that argument (I'm just putting that possibility out there).

I think it's interesting that DS9 didn't have to do have a Sisko/Picard conflict. Voyager didn't need anything like that to succeed as a premiere. But DS9 took a gimmick and made it a non-gimmick, using it as an integral part of the story. I believe one of the reasons the creators had was to show that to show it wasn't TNG, it had to have TNG in it, which is a great twist of a concept.

Slightly off-topic, but didn't Deep Space Nine and Quark make appearances in VOY's premiere? And later, we did see Counselor Troi and Reginald Barclay appear on VOY as well. -- RR