Who Is Actually Captain Sisko's Greatest Nemesis?

[@tayzonday]

Surely Gul DuKat - he was DS9’s equivalent to TNG’s Q . . . a talented guest star who was probably happy to work for union scale, and who the writers found themselves going back to again and again.

[@tayzonday]

Although to your point, there were surely endless good candidates here . . . like Louise Fletcher or Salome Jens.

[@stevepayne3094]

I'm starting to see why I've always liked you Tay, I see you in literally all of my favourite channels' comments sections all the time. Anton's... Spacetime's... Steve's... 😂

[@DeathBYDesign666]

One funny thing about Dukat is that he supposedly killed Gul Macet who was ironically also played by Mark. He was also mob underboss number one in Tango and Cash, I think the name was Lopez or something. Good action schlock flick from the late 80s early 90s era.

[@TheRogueCommand]

I would say Dukat, but in my opinion his story seemed to lose steam after his kid died and he lost DS9. The cult angle wasn’t bad, it felt thematically opposite to Sisko’s role as the Emissary, but it just felt like an afterthought compared to the Dominion War. Even if they had less screen time together, I’d say Dukat’s true nemesis is Garak; while we never learn the specifics of why they hate each other, we can guess by their drastically different values; even in exile, and even if it goes against his own government, Garak will always choose what’s best for Kardassia. Dukat on the other hand will always choose what’s best for himself.

[@Mandelbrotmat]

huh, I had to go back a watch my favorite garak clip after I posted my comment.......and who's the first guy I see in the comments, talking about union scale? Cheers, mate.

[@jamessnedeker4799]

Lets not forget Sisko's battle against his dignity in Move Along Home

[@dan1216]

Alla-Marain! 🎉

[@tonytwotimes2859]

No, please let us all forget that episode.

[@kingbeauregard]

SIsko is everything Dukat wanted to be: beloved by the Bajoran people, and proven right in the end. Dukat could never be that because his motives were always wrong: he was interested in the good of Cardassia not Bajor, and he let ego drive his choices (which is a mistake Sisko didn't make). I don't know if Dukat is Sisko's greatest nemesis, but Sisko is definitely Dukat's greatest nemesis.

[@AutumnCorvidae]

I don't think Dukat actually cared about Cardassia. Dukat was contrasted with many other, more redeemable Cardassians (including Garak and Dumar) by cloaking his pursuit of his own power and his image in the language of love for Cardassia, but all of his actions always put himself first.

[@paradoxchild01]

Dukat wanted everything Sisko had with the Bajorans. Remember how he told Weyoun that the Bajorans should erect a statue of him for his good deeds ? In another episode Sisko says that he is getting a statue. Dukat went to the pahg wraiths looking for the spark that Sisko had. And dukat did get it, connecting with Bajorans like never before until his pelvis connected to a married Bajorans. Then all hell broke loose, which again Sisko beat him at.

[@Sephiroth144]

@@AutumnCorvidae Dukat was a PATRIOT, if you say it with contempt- like, you could totally see him walking into the Central Command, wrapped in a Cardassian Union flag and carrying a... I guess a pyramid? Maybe an Anhk... whatever their cross analog would be.

[@archaeogremlin]

"Sisko is definitely Dukat's greatest nemesis." Agreed! Calling Dukat Sisko's nemesis, however, gives him too much power. From what we see in 'Take Me Out to the Holosuite," Sisko himself clearly considers Solok to be his nemesis (whether or not this borne out by the rest of the series). Dukat wants to be Sisko's nemesis so bad, and yet here's Sisko caring more about this one Vulcan we see in a single episode. What a power move.

[@USDebtCrisis]

Dukat's greatest nemesis is the writers. They go out of the way to ruin him in the later seasons because he was a strong leader and patriot.

[@st.anselmsfire3547]

"I thought she was a cult leader, but she's much worse... she's a self-published author!" As a self-published author myself, that had me rolling. Thank you.

[@bjmccann1]

😂🤣😂🤣

[@traynorwhitehead7436]

The Blazing Saddles reference was not lost on me. Well done, Steve!

[@tjzambonischwartz]

Yeah, that was tasty.

[@joanwerthman4116]

I'd say, "Amen," but I 'm an atheist.

[@iainhewitt]

But did you catch the Angel (Buffyverse) reference...?

[@nicholassmith7984]

@@iainhewitt "What's a Rogue Klingon?"

[@anthonybervin3487]

"You know...morons"

[@kamalalsb7292]

I always thought it was funny that after Dukat's... episode, where he fully stops pretending he's good and ever was good - he also tries to BE Sisko. He sets up his little cult on Not-DS9 as the Emmisary of the Not-Prophets. He tries to be what Sisko is but it all falls apart because he just can't fathom that Sisko could genuinely love the Bajorans, rather than feel like they owe him something.

[@raven4k998]

you steel a candle and I get to lock you in a box for a day for being a child trying to steel a candle🤣🤣🤣

[@oladeji15]

He can’t fathom why the Bajorans love Sisko but not him!

[@zakkenjaneezou]

and to hammer it home they -yet again- had his character take advantage of a woman resulting in the half-card baby!

[@robertdascoli949]

Just want to say, I adore your sarcastic, still imagery recap of Star Trek episodes. If you started a new series of 10 minute reviews of each episode, I would watch every single one.

[@werebison]

Apparently, in the filming of Take me Out to the Holosuite, Max Grodenchik's (Rom's) Nemesis was his intense skill at baseball. Having to play left handed, in order to hide the fact that he knew what he was doing. For some reason, that is my favorite DS9 fun fact. Actually.... Rom's greatest nemesis was often Rom's secret competence. Huh....

[@nathanieldaiken1064]

Well he did become the Nagus!

[@kennethmelnychuk9737]

Not true as according to the book, Living by the Wormhole, the ultimate guide to Star Trek Deep Space 9 (published 1997, Harper & Collins 21976345, Chapter 7, pp 312) Max Grodenchik was indeed a predominate lefty. He has stated that he failed at college baseball because he was insistent on playing with his right hand & he never desired to play with his left hand. Also at that time, he was challenged with acute ocular myopia that severely hampered his participation in competitive outings due to depth perception challenges. Max received corrective surgery after the series ended, he received corrective procedure in 2003 and has since tried out and was successfully signed with the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League. Where he assisted the team in winning 2 Stanley Cups (2004, 2007) and subsequently retired after their last Stanley Cup win.

[@Saad-A16]

@@kennethmelnychuk9737 Gonna be honest, as a non-hockey fan who knows some bits and pieces about it and has the Oilers as my chosen team, I have absolutely zero idea what you're referencing regarding the Oilers seeing as the Oilers didn't win in either 2004 or 2007. Perhaps that's a role he played in something, but I have no clue if so.

[@dubsessed9790]

​@kennethmelnychuk9737 Everything you said is untrue. Why are you making up stuff like this? He is right-handed as he himself said to an interviewer, and all of the NHL stuff is nonsense you made up.

[@AndrewD8Red]

Sisko is my favourite character in the whole franchise. His arc is one of, if not the absolute, best of anyone on Trek. He becomes less and less Starfleet as time goes by, bending more and more rules, eventually breaking them altogether; condemning Starfleet for allowing the Marquis to happen, then poisoning them. Going against Starfleet for letting the Romulans and Cardassians attack the Founders, then allowing the Founders to die from a disease they have a cure for. Father, widower, engineer, husband, friend, son, chef, warrior, philosopher, diplomat and, ultimately, a legitimate god... and none of his qualities or flaws feel like they're for narrative convenience. Superbly written and wonderfully acted character.

[@Catch22-k8d]

Every time I re-watch DS9, I am taken by Avery Brooks acting. He really brings Sisko to "life "

[@jimslancio]

In the series pilot, when Sisko is asking Quark to be a community leader in return for releasing his nephew, he says "I'm a father myself." I never hear that without marveling at how much emotion Avery Brooks puts into that simple line of dialogue.

[@tyrant-den884]

My absolute favorite thing about him is that for as seriously as he takes his work, he takes having fun just as seriously and can become so incredibly and unapologetically joyful.

[@scottbutler5]

Getting back into the box in Paradise is one of the defining moments that helped make Sisko into Sisko and not just the new Starfleet series lead. One of my favorite episodes for that moment alone.

[@StormsparkPegasus]

I can appreciate that, he wanted to show the other people what she really was. But I personally would've either strangled that woman, or died trying.

[@Jack_Garland78]

Yeah, it was his "THERE. ARE. FOUR. LIGHTS." moment if instead of getting rescued, Picard snatched up the torture remote and started spamming the button on himself.

[@KristenK78]

What strikes me EVERY SINGLE TIME is that Alixus is a White woman, and he is a Black man. I don’t know if the writers thought about how that would look, but I am positive that Avery Brooks was VERY aware of the optics: the strict but well-meaning White lady punishing the Black guy for someone else breaking the rules? That’s some antebellum stuff right there. It makes me REALLY uncomfortable, and at a minimum, Brooks is VERY aware and leans into it, just enough.

[@scottbutler5]

@@KristenK78 It has struck me over the years that this moment is Sisko voluntarily submitting to unjust authority, making everyone else face the cruelty of their justice system via an act of non-violent resistance. I don't know if the writers did that intentionally, but I can't imagine that Avery Brooks wasn't aware of that resonance.

[@tinyfistm.2607]

Eddington. Among all of them, he's the only one who proved an existential threat to Sisko. He's who came close to making himself lose himself, even though he (Eddington) was mostly (but not entirely) mistaken about the Javert vs Valjean comparison. The other villains really only had the power to try to kill him, or have him killed. They never had the power to change him.

[@RichardHansbury]

Founders and Jem Redshirts are one thing, but betrayal is personal. When you've worked alongside someone, it's a bit different when they make you look incompetent.

[@chrisblake4198]

My case for adding The Prophets to this list- To them, he is The SIsko, all he was, is and will be are known to them. To Ben, they represent not just a crisis of faith, but a crisis of the reality he's lived his entire life in. They will always know more about him in any moment of his dealings with them, than he can possibly know of himself. They are a matter of fact that cannot be fit into any of the categories Sisko used in his encounters with aliens before. Your metaphor of Odysseus is particularly apt, because the overarching thread of his story is the same as Sisko's- a struggle to reconcile the omniscience or omnipotence of gods with his desire to choose his own destiny. Both characters struggle against the path prophecy has laid out for them. The Founders aren't petty like Poseidon, but they definitely see Sisko as their tool for shaping the galaxy beyond their wormhole. There's no animosity, but their love for him exacts a steep price. Both characters have to come to terms with the struggle, while their life and the lives of those they love are at risk.

[@cheddarssalad1230]

Speaking of Sisko being multifaceted. My favorite facet of his is one that isn’t very explicit. He seems to have a passion for design. In the episode where everyone gets infected with a Klingon mutiny. Ben spends the whole episode building a weird clock from scratch. He also built a space sailboat and spent the final few episodes designing a house. Honestly, he probably sketched up that baseball cap (and t-shirt) you’re wearing in his first month on the station. I love it because the show never draws attention to it.

[@reyperry2605]

I don't know if anyone has pointed this out yet but Eddington used Kassidy Yates as a decoy and that sends her to prison for six months. I think that factors into the deep emnity Ben feels toward him.

[@mxspokes]

Rom's actor played baseball in college and considered a pro career playing that bad takes talent. He had to play with his nondominant hand to suck that bad.

[@keit99]

Mean while nana visitor had real trouble with Baseball.

[@MacroMacUltd]

That still of Eddington's message to Sisko looked so much like Max Headroom that I laughed out loud. Thanks Steve!

[@akaArria]

The reason Eddington hit harder, was because he thought he had learned to see the signs from Cal, but missed it *yet again*. Plus, he projected the hurt and betrayal from Cal onto Eddington, which is why Ben went over the line in trying to stop him. Sisko didn't have the brotherly feelings for Eddington, as he did for Cal to hold him back.

[@ATADSP]

You weren't the only one who wasn't thrilled by Dukat becoming the Anti-Christ. He should have died in Waltz because that was where his character arc concluded, and we finally knew who he really was. I don't think it ruined the Finale of DS9, it's still my second favorite final episode of a Trek show (after TNG and All Good Things...). Plus Marc Alaimo is such a good actor that he makes the post-Waltz Dukat work for the most part.

[@Yora21]

The whole last season of DS9 is actually my least favorite. It has a few moments, but by that point the show had gone into a completely different direction than what made the concept great in the first place.

[@GuineaPigEveryday]

@@Yora21some early episodes are a but meh but there’s a few specific season 7 episodes that are some of the best of all time. Its Only A Paper Moon is one of those for me, or the Siege or Treachery Faith and the Great River, Inter Arma is great too. Yes the part where every episode starts leading into the next is a bit far, but there’s some fantastic stories there, this isn’t Season 7 of TNG for instance

[@KaleRylan]

I've always understood it to be generally agreed upon that Dukat and the pah-wraiths was one of the weaker developments in later DS9. Personally I also think it was just unnecessary. I think you could have still gotten a final confrontation between the two of them by just having Dukat be Dukat and be jealous of what Sisko has become and accomplished, so he tries to murder him in a rage or some such. Weird anti-christ thing was just unnecessary to me and if anything I think undercuts some of the interesting religious themes of DS9 by making them more overt than they really needed to be. If Dukat had just tried to kill Sisko on the moment of his ascension then we'd be discussing decades later about whether he was meant to be the anti-christ, or the hubris of man, or any other potentially interesting thematic concept. Instead he was just the chosen one of darkness.

[@saena971]

I think the non-mystical aspects of Dukat's relationship with Sisko were what made the Pah-wraiths choose him to be their Emissary. Like you said, Winn was jealous of Sisko, but it was a very shallow kind of antagonism. Dukat was aware on some level that he was SIsko's shadow, and therefore Sisko was everything Dukat wasn't. Now THERE'S some deep seated resentment and jealousy mixed with an unconscious wish that he could be what SIsko is. The Pah-wraiths recognized who would be a better opponent for their enemies' Emissary.

[@IN-tm8mw]

I love this breakdown. Thank you.

[@TheHopperUK]

I think Weyoun would have walked all over someone like Picard. He was *built* to deal with people like Picard. But he ran into the Ben Sisko brick wall.

[@namedhuman5870]

I think Picard would be able to handle Weyoun. What I think Picard wouldn't like is a sustain war. Picard can battle, but he isn't a warrior. He would emerge victorious, but not recover like others did. Fighting a war would prove Picard's evolved morality has a limit and in the end, his weapons are what save the day.

[@JonatasAdoM]

@@namedhuman5870 Another reason we should have seen the crew of the Enterprise in the war. Something completely different than their envisioned purpose. I mean, they didn't even end with the children in the ship anymore. A sign that things had grown perilous even for the Federation.

[@GuineaPigEveryday]

I don’t know, Picard is all diplomatic but he’s also a no nonsense guy, he hates the squirmy worm-tongued slimy dudes, i don’t think Weyoun could trick Picard easily, then again thats any captain really. Although honestly by Captain Janeway’s standards she’d probably sign over half her ship and a few crew members for a free ticket back to the Alpha Quadrant

[@barneyrubble4293]

Picard would have destroyed Weyoun without breaking a sweat. He and Sisko both share a nose for bullshit which Weyoun is full of.

[@merafirewing6591]

​​@@barneyrubble4293 wonder what would happen if Weyoun faced the likes of Captain Robert April, Captain Christopher Pike or even Captain James T. Kirk?

[@clashcitywannabe]

I have an alternative candidate for Sisko's nemesis: Locutus Of Borg. That's who caused the trauma that Sisko spends so much of his character arc working through

[@jamessnedeker4799]

In a way, I'm glad Sisko never had his rematch against the Borg because it might have taken away from the powerful DS9 story arc but I wonder what it would have been like.

[@jayclark8805]

Rewatch the series..he let that trauma go in season 1...

[@deathhexxxgaming3431]

I like the way that brought this thinking, but, he basically came to terms with things, which is shown with how his attitude toward Picard changes, by the end of the premiere, and never really comes into play to further negatively effect him, at least not in a direct way

[@timogle4840]

I appreciate the subtle reference to Wesley Wyndham-Pryce during the Dukat segment. I'm all smiles.

[@Tolly7249]

Honestly the next time someone asks me why I love DS9 so much I'm just going to show them this video. Sisko is such a great character and I can't imagine the series working half as well without him in command going up against so many wonderful and compelling villains.

[@rowjoe2409]

Nice little blazing saddles reference. Chef's kiss

[@kevinbaird6705]

Appreciate the Angel reference at 40:38. That's another show you could dip into easily.

[@kevinbaird6705]

I once described Angel to co-worker familiar with Trek via TNG:DS9::Buffy:Angel, in fact.

[@tayavan3182]

My favourite thing about Sisko and Dukat is that like Dukat is all "You are my nemesis, my flip of the coin, I devote myself to you utterly. I will break you. I will regain my role over Bajor that you have stolen from me. I desperately crave your approval, your acknowledgement, your respect. I will destroy everything you hold dear just so it can be ME who is doing this to you. One day I will stand before you as you weep and you will know that I have beaten you." Meanwhile Sisko is like "Oh that guy? Yeah he's my on duty nemesis I guess. Never deal with him during non-work hours. What a weirdo amiright?" and then goes absolutely feral for That One Guy I Didn't Really Like Who I Say Betrayed Me Personally But Really Who Just Quit Their Job and tries to poison planets and shit to get at him. Absolutely iconic.

[@RobtheStampede]

I want to know what would have happened if Gul Dukat found out there was some goddamn Vulcan who got further under Sisko's skin than he ever could.

[@cygryl]

Nice Angel reference regarding Klingon hunting. I really feel that storyline was his final turning point. Dukat had a high chance to become a hero and throws it all away for his ego.

[@patrickdodds7162]

Q was the most powerful nemesis Sisko ever squared off against if you think about it. Q could have annihilated the entire Dominion with the snap of a finger and made Dukat polish his shoes with his tongue with even less effort. As we all know in the end, Sisko punches Q in the stomach and slugs him across the face which leaves the omnipotent superbeing sprawled out on his ass in front to a group of mortals to Q's shock. It may not be considered an epic showdown, but goddamn it, IT WAS.

[@shaepsycho]

And Q never bothered him again lol

[@jlomesou]

Yes, but it was a silly moment, one that was cringe worthy to me watching it, knowing what Q can really do. And if Sisko knew anything about Q it was that you don't give him what he wants. You have to out think him instead of out fighting him.

[@tyrant-den884]

But they did NOT want to answer the question of if Q could beat the Wormhole Aliens, and frankly I don't think Q would want to out either

[@matthewphoenix6372]

'Goo in the shape of eyes' sounds like a pretty good (if not medically precise) description of eyes.

[@scaper8]

I was thinking the same thing too.

[@nicholassmith7984]

The point made touches very lightly on my main issue with how they handled Odo in the series: they made him this shapeshifting being without putting much thought at all into how that would work or even what his potential was.

[@ShikiKiryu]

You could argue Sisko is his own greatest villain as he struggles with grief, loss and tragedy overcoming himself to accept his role as the Emmissary and conquer his own demons and doubts. Sisko is the anti-Picard, so it's only fitting that his villains are those who dabble in that darker side of the mirror. They're not necessarily moustache-twirling villains, not that Picard necessarily faced those, but Picard was the captain of the Flagship of the Federation, his greatest nemesis - The Borg - are the antithesis of all that he represents. Sisko has the Space Reich on his doorstep, he may be the best qualities of a man as the messiah to the Bajorans, but he isn't the best of the Federation, accessory to murder and bribery etc be damned, and going Ahab on a man who betrayed him. DS9 is as much about his journey to accept himself and resolve his grief and acceptance of his humanity and his best qualities as a father, a friend and widower, etc as it is a space opera epic. Especially with serialised storytelling giving us time to know all the shades of grey of Dukat, Kai Winn, the ruthlessness of Weyoun, Eddington as well as Sisko himself. Its just a well written show.

[@StuartIvie]

"Any man steals a candle, spends the night in the box."

[@aaroncosta349]

I'm always a little disappointed when people talk about Dukat going "bonkers" or otherwise losing it after what happens in "Sacrifice of Angels" as if it's somehow incomprehensible. Hell, if I was on the verge of my greatest military victory and the bulk of my forces were supernaturally whisked away after my greatest nemesis had a three-minute conversation with some supposed gods I never believed in, my psyche would probably take a left turn too. As I see it, Dukat is the only character that responds to the Prophets' intervention rationally. Weyoun and the head Founder just shrug and go about their business, ignoring the fact that their universe apparently has truly god-like beings who can be called on to intercede in major events by participants in those events. It would be ridiculous if someone somewhere didn't think, "Hey, I gotta get in good with some of them non-corporeal entities that can make fleets disappear."

[@madmen2288]

Captain Solok I wish they invented that guy in season 1 it would have make for a hell of a recurring character.

[@Kairamek]

A friendly rival who never understands why Sisko doesn't take losing a contest as a defeat would have been great.

[@leeeorama]

I love that smug Vulcan but it's a bad scholar who produces multiple papers from the same experiment.

[@Duchess_Van_Hoof]

The Vulcan supremacist who might be the most open racist since the days of Captain Archer? Who published papers on Vulcan racial supiority, wasn't kicked out of the Academy and was somehow made a captain?

[@krazyglue60]

30:57 A “misaligned zygomatic bone” means you got hit in the face and your cheek and jaw are misaligned. It can be quite painful.

[@scaper8]

If you'll notice, Steve was scratching his upper cheek there. ;-)

[@julietardos5044]

@@scaper8 Yep. 8th grade human anatomy class came in useful for something!

[@lasseehrenreich5502]

Hey - can we all agree that everything that has ever happened in Star Trek is more realistic than Ben Shapiro being a succesful screen writer?

[@r1l426]

Including evolving into salamanders in less than a generation after going past warp 10.

[@itsOasus]

Of course we can

[@lasseehrenreich5502]

@@r1l426 yes

[@iprovedthem5527]

I think the point where our Universe split from the mirror universe is where Ben Shapiro made it in Hollywood. Everyone immediately became evil, bearded bisexual racists because of his movies.

[@kmitses]

Never trust a political commentators with the initials bs.

[@jessewilley531]

Simple answer: Dukat. REAL answer: if you look at your own damn video, and pointing out all of Sisko's greatest struggles, his only true defeats, you find only one man is truly responsible for them. Benjamin Sisko's greatest nemesis is... Benjamin Sisko.

[@nathanieldaiken1064]

Yop. Sisko's own morality, and internal conflicts are his worst enemy.

[@LightOfZeon]

I thought for sure you'd mention Admiral Layton at some point. Man, Sisko has so many good antagonists.. Too many for one video.

[@TheGerkuman]

I think it's because Steve already covered the episode.

[@trunks072185]

the best thing about this video is the ad next to the video for paramount streaming

[@randomhank]

First time I saw Take Me Out to the Holodeck, my little brother was coaching baseball for my sister-in-law's high school. Sisko going off on Odo, I was going numb, my face almost purple from how hard I was laughing because my brother was in that same situation

[@paradoxchild01]

The monologue that Dukat has in Return to Grace would have convinced just about anyone to join him, especially Sisko. Kira wants to, but it’s Dukat. Perhaps that is why she joined Damar.

[@meiketorkelson4437]

Alixus is one of the most chilling and evil villains ever on Trek. There's something awful about her, and someone we see irl too often.

[@AlanOrlich-et4lb]

It's called self-righteousness with a sprinkling of egomania and a heavy helping of DELUSION.

[@donvhermit5803]

Bashir really did sisko dirty by trolling in that baseball game. I mean he could have flexed his genetics a little harder

[@AxelLeJeff]

I could totally see Dukat strutting into a room crushing a beer can against his forehead spoon and loudly belching to announce his presence.

[@uvp5000]

In the time since I subscribed to this channel, my appreciation of Star Trek has grown. With this installment, I realize I have wasted my time watching the episodes, being thrilled, emotionally moved, and entertained. Instead of all that intelligent dialogue of Star Trek, I could have tuned into Steve Shives' Cliff's Notes - so much more clever and humorous. Your summaries often induce smiles and laughter. Nicely done.

[@TheYoungDoctor]

Speaking of Odysseus I have just re-listened to Stephen Fry narrating his book Troy which of course has a lot of Odysseus in it. I believe Stephen Fry's next book retelling the Greek Myths will be The Odyssey. Odysseus has always been one of my favourite heroes in Greek Mythology along with Heracles.

[@GuineaPigEveryday]

Weird thing is in my antiquities courses the only time we’ve discussed Odysseus was in the part where he returns home and the Penelope Question is raised. The conclusion being about Odysseus as a character is that his archetype is cunning and sneaky, but largely he’s just an asshole lol. Idk i need to read the full texts, but I think it doesn’t help that most of our antiquity course-teaching is going against the 1800s readings of masculinity and looking at different readings of older texts, or just directly at them, rather than how pop-culture frames Achilles as some great dude when even back then he wasn’t supposed to be a moralistic good hero (like the archetypes of today) but the archetypes of then, and what a hero was back then was WAY different than what box we try to shove it into now.

[@katvelyte]

Deep Space 9 is really one of the best shows around and i will stand by that until i die

[@renegade7357]

41:39. I'm sorry, but seeing Dukat in a Make Cardassia Great Again hat was nothing short of bloody hilarious.

[@michaeledwardharris]

I caught the Blazing Saddles reference. Well done!

[@ekaterinalexiescanln9105]

Middle management of the Dominion 😂😂😂😂 Love it

[@AlriikRidesAgain]

SOLIDATARITY- Anyway.... Yo, Steve, this is why we love you. You don't hide your feelings. ... But for real, I can't sleep. I just like your determinined moralism. It's like a "screw you if you don't agree, I'mma fight still", approach. Have a good day. Don't let them shut you up. I'mma watch an hour-long video on a show I never watched just to keep this energy going.

[@AlriikRidesAgain]

And this? ... This made my day. Thanks, man. Have a good one.

[@lisam5744]

I saw the length of this video and thought, 'Wow'. Then I thought, 'Sisko is worth it'. He's my favorite Star Trek captain.

[@J0MBi]

I just noticed the framed picture of Riker 😂😂😂love it. Another great video Steve

[@Kairamek]

I appreciate the lengths you went to on this one. Yes the answer was obvious from the start but the process of finding an answer is as, if not more important, than the answer itself. It's why science is a method and not a body of knowledge. Taking obvious answers for granted is how society winds up clinging to things "everybody knows" even when those things are wrong.

[@ammieloris]

Love this video. Ulysses is a fave book for me, and I loved seeing the connections you made between Sisko and Odysseus.

[@neon_lavander]

Sisko at the end of waltz after having putting every evil word into Dukat's mouth: never have I seen such evil

[@Thunderchyld]

Well done, well documented information, and I love your spin on these episodes. Thank you!

[@awgates85]

I was always a little sad Cal never got to play a bigger role later on, especially with Eddinton's storyline. I thought the actor did a great job, and I personally think it would have made more sense for Sisko to get that angry if it was Cal instead of Eddington or if he played a bigger role, instead they just mention he died off screen and no real emotion in the scene.

[@TheGerkuman]

He was either too busy or too expensive I bet.

[@yuuzyerbrejn9603]

I love all your homages to DS9 and its superlative writing. I support the striking writers and I appreciate your written episodes and your care in the profession of writing and editing. Had to be Dukat, the pssyassbtch of DS9. Kai Winn is right there at the end with him perfectly like a good mtg. Great shirt and hat!

[@brianbaker2455]

I think that for Sisko, his greatest adversary was actually himself. A lot of people challenge his beliefs and mores, but Sisko always responds after struggling, however briefly, with what he wants to do and what he actually does. Avery Brooks is excellent in showing the audience that turmoil, and once in a while, like when Sisko hits Q, he gives in. But for the most part, he always stays true to his beliefs, tempers his reactions, and does the right thing. Not to make comparisons to another character, but Hawk (another character that Brooks played) is Sisko giving in to his darker impulses while still living a moral life. I wonder if that ever occurred to Brooks when he compared the characters.

[@subtlegong2817]

Beat me to it. Glad I checked before I commented. Sisko is a very conflicted and compromised person just trying to be a good person. He doesn’t always manage this goal, but he never stops trying. Sisko is truly Sisko’s biggest nemesis, and he never truly defeats him

[@christianemden7637]

There must be a reason, why siskos initial style is changed to essentially Hawk in later seasons.

[@nathanieldaiken1064]

It was the bald head and goatee that did it! But, who cares? We got a new Trek series and Hawk? Score!

[@brianbaker2455]

I always thought that a writer of Sisko's character was in recovery or aware of the principles of recovery: self-awareness, constantly questioning your reactions and motivations, and always trying to be better than you were the day before.

[@leeeorama]

​@@christianemden7637It's because the studio was scared and uncomfortable with having a black man with a shaved head and a goatee on their show.

[@filrut]

"You really want to argue with Aristotle?" Well, he was a bugger for the bottle

[@winstonjwingo]

Ds9 is my favorite series and gul dukat is one of my favorite villians in TV and movies. I enjoyed your analysis good sir.

[@popeofsimps2924]

Sisko’s greatest Nemesis is a lack of a HD remaster

[@st.anselmsfire3547]

The funniest bit of trivia on Take Me Out to The Holosuite is that Max Grodenchik is actually really good at baseball, and he had so much trouble playing poorly that they made him play left-handed.

[@gordonallen9095]

Odysseus is a perfect analogy to the personality of Captain Sisko. He has had many interesting adversaries as commander of DS9 and the Defiant. But none as personal and complicated as his adversarial relationship and Gul Dukat IMO.

[@KerstinMamma]

The Angel reference was Gold.

[@CyclonusEX]

You mentioned Ernest in a video about Sisko. Absolutely YES. You’re alright, man.

[@ianmcintire6696]

As I understand it, the Luddites were a worker’s union protesting against the unfair mechanization of their profession by a profit-driven management class. The term only began to mean “knee-jerk anti-technologists” (comparable to Alixus from Paradise) as the result of a successful PR campaign by that same management class. Keep an eye out for how frequently “Luddite” gets used as a smear against striking WGA members wary of studios using AI for their scripting. Now you know - and knowing is a significant percentage of the battle!

[@scaper8]

Sort of. Although many in the Luddite movement were workers, many, and a larger percentage of what leadership there was, were workshop owners (some owner-workers, some just owners). Petite bourgeoisie at best. Automation cut into their profits rather than their livelihoods. Given the goals of many that currently oppose technology, science, medicine, etc. and the advancement/progress that come with them, along with the more owner-class origins of the movement, I personally have no problem using "Luddite" as a pejorative; but I can understand the hesitancy of some.

[@ianmcintire6696]

If you want a better contemporary term to compare to Alixus’ group, I’d go with “preppers”. Obviously still not a perfect fit, but there are definitely some similarities worth noticing.

[@GuineaPigEveryday]

Idk i think Luddite has gotten such a huge negative connotations largely cuz of Ted Kaczynski, he was one of the most famous Luddites and promoted it in that statement of his and committed terrorist acts to support his ideology. Thats why i personally still mostly have a negative idea of the word Luddite, also Star Trek lol and most fiction stories whenever they depict a community that goes back to roots and banishes all technology, it usually results in corruption and abuse and savagery, in fiction at least. That and extremism, in conservatism or religious extremism. I mean horror movies do this A LOT, The Village, Wrong Turn, any community or family that chose to turn to old ways. Its a strange trend now i realise it

[@tyrant-den884]

Thanks, I didn't care for that simili either.

[@rlbarney2]

7:10 I just love the fact that Eddington was played by Ken Marshall, who also played Colwyn in the movie Krull!

[@stevencorrell6473]

Looking at the long journey of Odysseus and how the voyage back left him a changed man after is a perfect metaphor for Sisko's character when you look at him at the start of DS9 compared to where he ended up and how much he changed in a lot of ways and still stayed the same where it counts....maybe less naive after going from a happy go lucky character to being thrown headfirst into battle with the borg losing his wife then going to DS9 was like jumping out of the frying pan into the fire but he pulled through and became a better man for it over all he had one of the best story arc's for a character in a long time and was a big part of the reason people kept tuning in

[@clevelandknight1094]

Honorable mention is the Emissary from 300 years past.

[@mattyladd]

Phenomenal job! Great video. Sisko is by far my favorite Captain.

[@JordanBoydGraber]

I'm so used to Steve's specific joke patterns that I'm annoyed when they don't happen. What was said: Cal has even seen Ben in Lederhosen. They were tight, is what I'm saying! What my brain anticipated: I mean the leather pants. They really showed off Ben's physique. And of course it brought Cal and Ben closer together.

[@WFierce]

I look forward to the inevitable "Who Is Actually Captain Janeway's Greatest Nemesis?" video taking just as long to conclude "It's Rick Berman, obviously."

[@MyAkatosh]

I was completely taken off guard by that random Angel reference lol

[@ckir1963]

Kudos on the Blazing Saddles reference!

[@captainyossarian388]

The actor portraying Eddington also portrayed the heroic prince in the 1980s fantasy movie Krull.

[@uosdwiSrdewoH]

I'd never even thought of that before and now I'm going to spend way too much time trying to figure out how Odo's eyes work since he's just a pile of goo in the rough shape of a humanoid. Although, I guess I am a Star Trek fan. Spending an inordinate amount of time pondering over every tiny detail kind of goes with the territory.

[@xileets]

The "MCGA" hat. Nice touch.

[@MrMarkwill62]

Truly enjoyed this video

[@Slavir_Nabru]

You absolutely nailed that introduction to Eddington.

[@johnr7279]

Wonderful episode and very fun to listen to! For me, DS9 is the second-best Star Trek, coming in just behind Classic Trek. I paid little attention to it when it came out for all the regular ideas..."What? Star Trek near a space station...rubbish!" I was truly thrilled, much later on, to learn what a great version of Star Trek that it really was all along. Easily better than TNG IMHO. Sisko is Kirk's equal as a commanding officer and also with a complex and interesting personality to boot. Because DS9 used story arcs, there were many more opportunities to revisit nemesis characters. Well done, sir!

[@RadioJosiah]

Sisko gave the Bajorans respect, and their love was earned but never requested. Dukat showed the Bajorans contempt, and requested their love but never earned it.

[@animisttoo3890]

I have no problem arguing with Aristotle on a few points -- the guy was an arrogant narcissistic elitist sometimes -- but not on this one. Marc Alaimo's portrayal of the multi-faceted nemesis Ducat was stellar, zooming up and down the scales and around the block on moods and ranges of character. It speaks well of both him and the writers that they trusted each other to take the risk of having such a dynamic antagonist who could twirl his villainous mustache while also being such a vulnerable fellow. I think my favorite sequences of his was when the station's old security system got re-activated and he strolled on so pompously while others were ducking and hiding, but then he was flabbergasted discovering he was also betrayed by the lack of trust his former bosses had had in him, too. He played the tinpot dictator deflated so seamlessly. Ducat had not just depth, but an amazing "velocity" of character. You never knew where he was going to zoom off to next. It was like megalomania + attention deficit disorder on dexamphetamine. I want to pretend this is a question comment in case you want to revisit the issue in a Comment Response video, so here: "Don't you think the guy could have seriously benifitted from some mood leveling prescriptions, or maybe just a few proper drinks on the beach to get over himself? Was it that Ducat wasn't so much evil as a proper madman, in need of medical attention he never got? Does that make him the victim, even though he was practically a Stalin in this setting? How can you upack that possibility, between heinous crime and pathetic insanity?"

[@lelandframe1029]

"Take Me Out To The Holosuite" contains the BEST line EVER uttered by Worf or any other Klingon--when Nog has to tag out the Vulcan who missed Home Plate, he asks "What should I do?" Worf answers: "Find him and KILL him!" 😆

[@jeffreyatlee8785]

Imagine the life of Admiral Nehachayev. flying around the alpha quadrant swatting random captains to order.

[@nobodysummonsmegatron]

Solok is my favorite of Sisko's antagonists. I live for how petty that rivalry is.

[@fizzplease6742]

"Odo doesn't like that" with the pic of his big grin at tossing out the snotty vulcan supremacist, heheheh.

[@pjpless2]

Rogue Klingon Hunter. Reminds me of that Rogue Demon Hunter line from Wesley. 😂

[@joearnold6881]

Can’t believe that monster Sisko tried to spread _baseball_ to more cultures and peoples. What a monster.

[@Nintentheheartless]

Could be worse. He could've been a big cricket fan

[@joearnold6881]

@@Nintentheheartlesshypothetically that would have been worse. Luckily, there _are_ no big cricket fans. They simply do not and cannot exist.

[@jemal999]

I've rewatched DS9 literally dozens of times and I completely forgot about Alixus. PS, was that an Angel shoutout? "ROGUE Klingon Hunter"

[@SiriusMined]

I love the Blazing Saddles reference

[@kaitlyn__L]

Oh man I’m so happy we got a recap of Primitivist Cult Leader Alixus! As to whether she wants Sisko to forget the Starfleet stuff or not, imo it’s more consistent than your (excellent) bit burning her writing suggests. “Well if you insist on thinking yourself like that, I’ll treat you by those standards” is a very common tactic among narcissistic cult leaders/partners/parents. Not only does it disorient the abused party (Sisko) on the surface, deeper down it’s still part of the overall uniform tactic - “if only you removed the uniform, O’Brien would be punished instead of you!”. So also classic divide and conquer. She’s very, very good at manipulation and control. The ending is especially sadly very accurate, people don’t just get deprogrammed instantly. It’s my headcanon they got a bunch of support tech installed after a few years and it became an official colony. And a bunch of them leave. I had wanted to commission an essay on that episode but didn’t get round to it quick enough. Guess you’ve saved me some money ;) The thesis I was gonna ask for was how her character explores cult dynamics and control of people through headfuckery instead of physical intimidation. And especially in your summation you covered those bases very nicely! You clearly grasped that’s what the episode was about. Bravo sir.

[@TheGerkuman]

I'm glad to see a mention of Cal Hudson. SAUSAGE AND BEER ALL ROUND!

[@flyabusa]

Americans: You-LISS-eez Brits: YOOLA-seas Steve: he's Odysseus, damnit!

[@hasbeen4772]

It's obviously Dukat - that said, the monologue Sisko delivers to Eddington at the end of "For the Cause" was when he found his full badassery.

[@fruitofthelum5815]

This is actually a really good analysis! Great stuff!

[@nelsonchereta816]

I always thought it was obvious that Dukat was Sisko's nemesis. From the start of the series to the finale he was set up as Sisko's opposite and antagonist. Both are career military men with family issues who rise in power and authority as the series progresses and are the chosen instruments of the Prophets and Par Wraiths. It's no accident that Dukat is there in the first episode and in the finale.

[@Raye938]

I saw through a video this long, involving Eddington without once hearing "you betrayed your uniform!"!?

[@kevenpinder7025]

There once was a King named Odysseus, who joined in a venture amphibious. T'was said that there never, was a King quite so clever. But sadly, was also perfidious.

[@Saugerdees]

Hey! I caught that Angel/Wesley Windham Price reference! I'd love it if you started talking about Buffy and Angel too.