Top 5 Dead or Alive: Captain Benjamin Lafayette Sisko

Although immediately divisive among fans and critics, over the course of its seven seasons, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine stands as the most tightly written and conceived Star Trek series.  Whereas previous installments, the original series and The Next Generation belonged to the generations of my parents and grandparents, DS9 was the first series that felt like mine. Back in the VHS timer and recorder days, the only time I could catch DS9 was 9am on Sundays when it was syndicated. In many ways, DS9 was my church from the years 1993 – 1999. Thus, this edition of “Top 5 Dead or Alive” brings you my take on the minister, the prophet, the New Orleans Nubian himself – Captain Benjamin Lafayette Sisko. “Stood the test of time like Dapper Dan, Season my sauce like Zatarain’s” One of the strangest characterizations in Star Trek is how the French Jean-Luc Picard is blatantly British in both manner and dialect. (Ed note: It is explained in Season 1, Ep 4 of Next Generation, “Code of Honor”, but doesn’t come up much.) While William Shatner was born to an Orthodox Jewish family, the character background and details of James Kirk were generically Anglified. Ben Sisko, in contrast to the other captains, leaned into his New Orleans roots. His father owned a famous restaurant, and Ben himself often retreated to peel potatoes and shrimp by hand when he needed time to collect himself.  Sisko kept N’awlins in his veins and would never be caught dead eating replicator-produced gumbo.

“Worst come …