[
Error: Irreparable invalid markup ('<a [...] h-[15px]">') in entry. Owner must fix manually. Raw contents below.]
<p class="syndicationauthor">Posted by Matthew Byrd</p><p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="https://reactormag.com/avery-brooks-approved-starfleet-academy-sisko-episode/">https://reactormag.com/avery-brooks-approved-starfleet-academy-sisko-episode/</a></p><p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="https://reactormag.com/?p=838943">https://reactormag.com/?p=838943</a></p><post-hero class="wp-block-post-hero js-post-hero post-hero post-hero-horizontal">
<div class="container container-desktop">
<div class="flex flex-col mx-auto post-hero-container">
<div class="post-hero-content">
<div class="post-hero-tags font-aktiv text-xs tracking-[0.5px] font-medium uppercase">
<span class="mr-3">
<i class="inline-block w-2 h-2 rounded-full mr-[5px] bg-blue"></i>
<a href="https://reactormag.com/articles/news/" class="inline-block link-no-animation" aria-label="Link to term or tag News 0">
News
</a>
</span>
<span class="mr-3">
<i class="inline-block w-2 h-2 rounded-full mr-[5px] bg-blue"></i>
<a href="https://reactormag.com/tag/starfleet-academy/" class="inline-block link-no-animation" aria-label="Link to term or tag Starfleet Academy 1">
Starfleet Academy
</a>
</span>
</div>
<h2 class="post-hero-title text-h1">Avery Brooks Gave His Blessing to <i>Starfleet Academy</i>’s Big Sisko Episode</h2>
<div class="prose post-hero-description prose--post-hero">Writer Tawny Newsome breaks down the battle to pay tribute to Captain Sisko and Avery Brooks in Starfleet Academy’s latest episode</div>
<div class="post-hero-wrapper">
<div class="post-hero-inner">
<p class="post-hero-author text-xs font-aktiv uppercase font-medium [&_a]:link-hover">By <a href="https://reactormag.com/author/matthew-byrd/" title="Posts by Matthew Byrd" class="author url fn" rel="author">Matthew Byrd</a></p>
<span class="post-hero-symbol relative top-[-2px] hidden tablet:block">|</span>
<p class="text-xs uppercase post-hero-publish font-aktiv">
Published on February 6, 2026
</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="post-hero-caption post-hero-caption-vertical [&_a]:link"><p>Photo: John Medland/Paramount+</p>
</div>
<div class="quick-access post-hero-quick-access mt-[17px] tablet:hidden">
<div class="flex gap-[30px] tablet:gap-6">
<a href="https://reactormag.com/avery-brooks-approved-starfleet-academy-sisko-episode/#comments" class="flex items-center text-sm font-aktiv tracking-[0.6px] font-semibold uppercase translate-x-[1px] translate-y-[1px]">
<svg class="w-[22px] h-[22px] mr-[7px] icon-hover" viewbox="0 0 18 18" aria-label="comment" role="img" aria-hidden="true" aria-labelledby="icon-comment-quick-access-">
<title id="icon-comment-quick-access-">Comment</title>
<g fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd">
<path fill="#FFF" fill-rule="nonzero" d="M6.3 18a.9.9 0 0 1-.9-.9v-2.7H1.8A1.8 1.8 0 0 1 0 12.6V1.8A1.8 1.8 0 0 1 1.8 0h14.4A1.8 1.8 0 0 1 18 1.8v10.8a1.8 1.8 0 0 1-1.8 1.8h-5.49l-3.33 3.339a.917.917 0 0 1-.63.261H6.3Z" />
<path stroke="#000" d="M5.9 14.4v-.5H1.8a1.3 1.3 0 0 1-1.3-1.3V1.8A1.3 1.3 0 0 1 1.8.5h14.4a1.3 1.3 0 0 1 1.3 1.3v10.8a1.3 1.3 0 0 1-1.3 1.3h-5.698l-.146.147-3.324 3.333a.417.417 0 0 1-.282.12H6.3a.4.4 0 0 1-.4-.4v-2.7Z" />
</g>
</svg>
0
</a>
<details class="relative quick-access-details">
<summary class="quick-access-share flex items-center text-sm font-aktiv tracking-[0.6px] font-semibold uppercase">
<svg class="w-[22px] h-[22px] mr-[7px] icon-hover" viewbox="0 0 22 22" aria-label="share" role="img" aria-hidden="true" aria-labelledby="icon-share-new-quick-access-">
<title id="icon-share-new-quick-access-">Share New</title>
<g fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd">
<circle cx="11" cy="11" r="11" fill="#FFF" fill-rule="nonzero" />
<circle cx="11" cy="11" r="10.5" stroke="#000" />
<path fill="#FFF" d="M5.993 13.464c.675 0 1.323-.266 1.806-.743l4.11 2.396a2.639 2.639 0 0 0 .368 2.451 2.583 2.583 0 0 0 2.227 1.043 2.59 2.59 0 0 0 2.09-1.3 2.64 2.64 0 0 0 .08-2.477 2.58 2.58 0 0 0-4.292-.54L8.344 11.94c.28-.616.31-1.319.086-1.958l3.952-2.303a2.564 2.564 0 0 0 4.263-.537 2.623 2.623 0 0 0-.078-2.46 2.573 2.573 0 0 0-2.075-1.293 2.566 2.566 0 0 0-2.213 1.033 2.622 2.622 0 0 0-.37 2.433L7.96 9.158a2.573 2.573 0 0 0-4.316.603 2.632 2.632 0 0 0 .172 2.501 2.58 2.58 0 0 0 2.178 1.202Z" />
<path fill="#000" d="M6.936 9.577c.322 0 .631.137.859.383.228.245.355.577.355.924 0 .347-.127.68-.355.925a1.172 1.172 0 0 1-.859.383c-.322 0-.63-.138-.858-.383a1.36 1.36 0 0 1-.356-.925c0-.347.129-.679.356-.924.228-.245.536-.383.858-.383Zm6.17-3.837c.323 0 .631.138.86.383.227.245.355.578.355.924 0 .347-.128.68-.356.925a1.172 1.172 0 0 1-.858.383c-.322 0-.631-.138-.859-.383a1.36 1.36 0 0 1-.355-.925c0-.346.128-.678.356-.924.227-.245.536-.383.858-.383Zm0 7.883c.323 0 .631.138.86.383.227.245.355.578.355.925 0 .346-.128.679-.356.924a1.171 1.171 0 0 1-.858.383c-.322 0-.631-.138-.859-.383a1.36 1.36 0 0 1-.355-.925c0-.346.128-.678.356-.923.227-.245.536-.383.858-.384Zm-6.17-.681c.499 0 .978-.21 1.334-.586l3.036 1.888a2.194 2.194 0 0 0 .272 1.93c.385.555 1.003.863 1.645.822.641-.04 1.221-.425 1.544-1.024a2.203 2.203 0 0 0 .059-1.952c-.286-.62-.841-1.044-1.48-1.13-.637-.085-1.272.18-1.69.705l-2.984-1.854c.207-.486.23-1.04.064-1.543l2.92-1.815c.415.522 1.046.784 1.68.7.633-.086 1.184-.507 1.468-1.123a2.188 2.188 0 0 0-.058-1.938c-.32-.595-.895-.977-1.532-1.018-.638-.041-1.251.264-1.635.813a2.179 2.179 0 0 0-.273 1.917L8.389 9.55c-.423-.534-1.07-.798-1.715-.702-.645.096-1.2.54-1.472 1.177a2.194 2.194 0 0 0 .126 1.97c.352.59.958.948 1.61.947Z" />
</g>
</svg>
Share
</summary>
<div class="quick-access-bubble">
<ul class="flex gap-6 text-black list-none">
<li class="flex">
<a class="flex items-center hover:text-red" href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Avery Brooks Gave His Blessing to <i>Starfleet Academy</i>âs Big Sisko Episode&url=https://reactormag.com/avery-brooks-approved-starfleet-academy-sisko-episode/” target=”_blank” title=”Twitter”>
<svg class=" w-[18px]="w-[18px]" h-[15px]"="h-[15px]"" width="18" height="15" viewbox="0 0 18 15" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" aria-label="twitter" role="img" aria-hidden="true">
<path d="M17.7143 2.56767C17.2122 3.28347 16.6053 3.89336 15.8934 4.39734C15.9009 4.4996 15.9046 4.65298 15.9046 4.8575C15.9046 5.80703 15.7623 6.75472 15.4775 7.7006C15.1928 8.64649 14.76 9.55401 14.1793 10.4232C13.5986 11.2924 12.9073 12.0611 12.1055 12.7295C11.3037 13.3978 10.3371 13.931 9.20558 14.329C8.07408 14.7271 6.86392 14.9262 5.57505 14.9262C3.54435 14.9262 1.68601 14.3966 0 13.3375C0.262269 13.3667 0.554506 13.3813 0.876722 13.3813C2.56274 13.3813 4.06514 12.8774 5.38397 11.8694C4.59717 11.8548 3.8928 11.6192 3.27085 11.1627C2.6489 10.7062 2.22178 10.1237 1.98949 9.41523C2.23677 9.45175 2.46531 9.47001 2.67513 9.47001C2.99734 9.47001 3.31581 9.42984 3.63053 9.3495C2.79127 9.1815 2.09627 8.77431 1.5455 8.12789C0.99474 7.48148 0.719362 6.73099 0.719362 5.87641V5.83259C1.22891 6.11015 1.77592 6.25988 2.36041 6.28179C1.86584 5.96041 1.47245 5.54043 1.1802 5.02184C0.887961 4.50325 0.741842 3.94084 0.741842 3.3346C0.741842 2.69184 0.906694 2.09656 1.2364 1.54875C2.1431 2.63707 3.24649 3.50807 4.54659 4.16178C5.84669 4.8155 7.23857 5.17887 8.72226 5.25192C8.66232 4.97436 8.63234 4.70411 8.63234 4.44116C8.63234 3.46241 8.9864 2.62793 9.69452 1.9377C10.4027 1.24746 11.2588 0.902344 12.2629 0.902344C13.3119 0.902344 14.1962 1.27485 14.9155 2.01987C15.7323 1.86648 16.5004 1.58162 17.2197 1.16529C16.9425 2.00526 16.4104 2.65532 15.6236 3.11548C16.3205 3.04244 17.0174 2.85984 17.7143 2.56767Z" fill="currentColor" />
<path d="M17.7143 2.56767C17.2122 3.28347 16.6053 3.89336 15.8934 4.39734C15.9009 4.4996 15.9046 4.65298 15.9046 4.8575C15.9046 5.80703 15.7623 6.75472 15.4775 7.7006C15.1928 8.64649 14.76 9.55401 14.1793 10.4232C13.5986 11.2924 12.9073 12.0611 12.1055 12.7295C11.3037 13.3978 10.3371 13.931 9.20558 14.329C8.07408 14.7271 6.86392 14.9262 5.57505 14.9262C3.54435 14.9262 1.68601 14.3966 0 13.3375C0.262269 13.3667 0.554506 13.3813 0.876722 13.3813C2.56274 13.3813 4.06514 12.8774 5.38397 11.8694C4.59717 11.8548 3.8928 11.6192 3.27085 11.1627C2.6489 10.7062 2.22178 10.1237 1.98949 9.41523C2.23677 9.45175 2.46531 9.47001 2.67513 9.47001C2.99734 9.47001 3.31581 9.42984 3.63053 9.3495C2.79127 9.1815 2.09627 8.77431 1.5455 8.12789C0.99474 7.48148 0.719362 6.73099 0.719362 5.87641V5.83259C1.22891 6.11015 1.77592 6.25988 2.36041 6.28179C1.86584 5.96041 1.47245 5.54043 1.1802 5.02184C0.887961 4.50325 0.741842 3.94084 0.741842 3.3346C0.741842 2.69184 0.906694 2.09656 1.2364 1.54875C2.1431 2.63707 3.24649 3.50807 4.54659 4.16178C5.84669 4.8155 7.23857 5.17887 8.72226 5.25192C8.66232 4.97436 8.63234 4.70411 8.63234 4.44116C8.63234 3.46241 8.9864 2.62793 9.69452 1.9377C10.4027 1.24746 11.2588 0.902344 12.2629 0.902344C13.3119 0.902344 14.1962 1.27485 14.9155 2.01987C15.7323 1.86648 16.5004 1.58162 17.2197 1.16529C16.9425 2.00526 16.4104 2.65532 15.6236 3.11548C16.3205 3.04244 17.0174 2.85984 17.7143 2.56767Z" fill="currentColor" fill-opacity="0.2" />
</svg>
</a>
</li>
<li class="flex">
<a class="flex items-center hover:text-red" href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://reactormag.com/avery-brooks-approved-starfleet-academy-sisko-episode/" target="_blank" title="Facebook">
<svg class="w-[9px] h-[18px]" fill="currentColor" viewbox="0 0 12 22" width="100%" height="100%" display="block" transitionduration="normal" transitionproperty="none" transitiontimingfunction="ease-out" class="w-[9px] h-[18px]" aria-label="facebook" role="img" aria-hidden="true">
<path d="M11.558.004L8.677 0C5.44 0 3.349 2.125 3.349 5.416v2.496H.452A.45.45 0 000 8.36v3.618a.45.45 0 00.452.447h2.897v9.127A.45.45 0 003.8 22h3.778c.25 0 .451-.2.451-.448v-9.127h3.387c.25 0 .451-.2.451-.447l.003-3.618a.452.452 0 00-.456-.448h-3.39V5.795c0-1.017.245-1.534 1.582-1.534h1.941c.25 0 .452-.2.452-.447V.457a.45.45 0 00-.452-.448l.01-.005z" fill-rule="nonzero">
</path>
</svg>
</a>
</li>
<li class="flex">
<a class="flex items-center hover:text-red" href="https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://reactormag.com/avery-brooks-approved-starfleet-academy-sisko-episode/&media=&description=Avery Brooks Gave His Blessing to <i>Starfleet Academy</i>âs Big Sisko Episode” target=”_blank” title=”Pinterest”>
<svg class=" w-[18px]="w-[18px]" h-[18px]"="h-[18px]"" width="18" height="18" viewbox="0 0 18 18" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" aria-label="pinterest" role="img" aria-hidden="true">
<path d="M16.4962 4.49458C17.2844 5.84153 17.6786 7.31473 17.6786 8.91423C17.6786 10.5137 17.2844 11.9888 16.4962 13.3396C15.7079 14.6904 14.6384 15.7599 13.2876 16.5482C11.9368 17.3364 10.4617 17.7306 8.86223 17.7306C8.01273 17.7306 7.17856 17.6081 6.35967 17.3632C6.81121 16.6515 7.10967 16.0239 7.25508 15.4806C7.32396 15.2203 7.53059 14.413 7.87498 13.0584C8.02804 13.3568 8.30738 13.6151 8.71299 13.8332C9.1186 14.0513 9.55483 14.1604 10.0217 14.1604C10.9477 14.1604 11.7742 13.8983 12.5013 13.374C13.2283 12.8498 13.7908 12.1285 14.1888 11.2101C14.5867 10.2918 14.7857 9.25862 14.7857 8.11066C14.7857 7.2382 14.558 6.41933 14.1027 5.65402C13.6473 4.88871 12.9872 4.26499 12.1224 3.78285C11.2576 3.3007 10.2819 3.05964 9.19513 3.05964C8.39156 3.05964 7.64157 3.1706 6.94513 3.39254C6.2487 3.61448 5.65751 3.90912 5.17154 4.27647C4.68556 4.64382 4.26848 5.06665 3.92026 5.54497C3.57205 6.02329 3.31567 6.51882 3.15113 7.03157C2.98659 7.54433 2.90432 8.05708 2.90432 8.56984C2.90432 9.36576 3.05738 10.066 3.3635 10.6706C3.66962 11.2752 4.11732 11.6999 4.70661 11.9448C4.93621 12.0367 5.08161 11.9601 5.14284 11.7152C5.15814 11.6617 5.18876 11.5431 5.23467 11.3594C5.28059 11.1757 5.3112 11.0609 5.32651 11.015C5.37243 10.839 5.33034 10.6744 5.20024 10.5214C4.80993 10.0545 4.61478 9.47673 4.61478 8.78795C4.61478 7.63233 5.01464 6.63936 5.81439 5.809C6.61414 4.97864 7.66069 4.56346 8.95406 4.56346C10.1097 4.56346 11.0108 4.87723 11.6575 5.50479C12.3042 6.13234 12.6275 6.94739 12.6275 7.94994C12.6275 9.25097 12.3654 10.3568 11.8412 11.2675C11.3169 12.1783 10.6454 12.6336 9.82651 12.6336C9.35967 12.6336 8.98468 12.4672 8.70151 12.1343C8.41835 11.8013 8.33034 11.4015 8.43748 10.9346C8.49871 10.6668 8.60011 10.309 8.74169 9.86129C8.88327 9.41359 8.99807 9.01946 9.08608 8.67889C9.17409 8.33833 9.21809 8.04943 9.21809 7.81219C9.21809 7.42953 9.11478 7.11193 8.90814 6.85938C8.70151 6.60683 8.40687 6.48055 8.02422 6.48055C7.54972 6.48055 7.14794 6.69866 6.81886 7.13489C6.48977 7.57112 6.32524 8.11448 6.32524 8.76499C6.32524 9.32367 6.4209 9.7905 6.61223 10.1655L5.47575 14.964C5.34564 15.4997 5.2959 16.177 5.32651 16.9959C3.74997 16.2994 2.47575 15.2242 1.50381 13.7701C0.531863 12.316 0.0458984 10.6974 0.0458984 8.91423C0.0458984 7.31473 0.440027 5.83962 1.2283 4.48884C2.01657 3.13807 3.08607 2.06857 4.43684 1.2803C5.78761 0.492029 7.26273 0.0979004 8.86223 0.0979004C10.4617 0.0979004 11.9368 0.492029 13.2876 1.2803C14.6384 2.06857 15.7079 3.13999 16.4962 4.49458Z" fill="currentColor" />
<path d="M16.4962 4.49458C17.2844 5.84153 17.6786 7.31473 17.6786 8.91423C17.6786 10.5137 17.2844 11.9888 16.4962 13.3396C15.7079 14.6904 14.6384 15.7599 13.2876 16.5482C11.9368 17.3364 10.4617 17.7306 8.86223 17.7306C8.01273 17.7306 7.17856 17.6081 6.35967 17.3632C6.81121 16.6515 7.10967 16.0239 7.25508 15.4806C7.32396 15.2203 7.53059 14.413 7.87498 13.0584C8.02804 13.3568 8.30738 13.6151 8.71299 13.8332C9.1186 14.0513 9.55483 14.1604 10.0217 14.1604C10.9477 14.1604 11.7742 13.8983 12.5013 13.374C13.2283 12.8498 13.7908 12.1285 14.1888 11.2101C14.5867 10.2918 14.7857 9.25862 14.7857 8.11066C14.7857 7.2382 14.558 6.41933 14.1027 5.65402C13.6473 4.88871 12.9872 4.26499 12.1224 3.78285C11.2576 3.3007 10.2819 3.05964 9.19513 3.05964C8.39156 3.05964 7.64157 3.1706 6.94513 3.39254C6.2487 3.61448 5.65751 3.90912 5.17154 4.27647C4.68556 4.64382 4.26848 5.06665 3.92026 5.54497C3.57205 6.02329 3.31567 6.51882 3.15113 7.03157C2.98659 7.54433 2.90432 8.05708 2.90432 8.56984C2.90432 9.36576 3.05738 10.066 3.3635 10.6706C3.66962 11.2752 4.11732 11.6999 4.70661 11.9448C4.93621 12.0367 5.08161 11.9601 5.14284 11.7152C5.15814 11.6617 5.18876 11.5431 5.23467 11.3594C5.28059 11.1757 5.3112 11.0609 5.32651 11.015C5.37243 10.839 5.33034 10.6744 5.20024 10.5214C4.80993 10.0545 4.61478 9.47673 4.61478 8.78795C4.61478 7.63233 5.01464 6.63936 5.81439 5.809C6.61414 4.97864 7.66069 4.56346 8.95406 4.56346C10.1097 4.56346 11.0108 4.87723 11.6575 5.50479C12.3042 6.13234 12.6275 6.94739 12.6275 7.94994C12.6275 9.25097 12.3654 10.3568 11.8412 11.2675C11.3169 12.1783 10.6454 12.6336 9.82651 12.6336C9.35967 12.6336 8.98468 12.4672 8.70151 12.1343C8.41835 11.8013 8.33034 11.4015 8.43748 10.9346C8.49871 10.6668 8.60011 10.309 8.74169 9.86129C8.88327 9.41359 8.99807 9.01946 9.08608 8.67889C9.17409 8.33833 9.21809 8.04943 9.21809 7.81219C9.21809 7.42953 9.11478 7.11193 8.90814 6.85938C8.70151 6.60683 8.40687 6.48055 8.02422 6.48055C7.54972 6.48055 7.14794 6.69866 6.81886 7.13489C6.48977 7.57112 6.32524 8.11448 6.32524 8.76499C6.32524 9.32367 6.4209 9.7905 6.61223 10.1655L5.47575 14.964C5.34564 15.4997 5.2959 16.177 5.32651 16.9959C3.74997 16.2994 2.47575 15.2242 1.50381 13.7701C0.531863 12.316 0.0458984 10.6974 0.0458984 8.91423C0.0458984 7.31473 0.440027 5.83962 1.2283 4.48884C2.01657 3.13807 3.08607 2.06857 4.43684 1.2803C5.78761 0.492029 7.26273 0.0979004 8.86223 0.0979004C10.4617 0.0979004 11.9368 0.492029 13.2876 1.2803C14.6384 2.06857 15.7079 3.13999 16.4962 4.49458Z" fill="currentColor" fill-opacity="0.2" />
</svg>
</a>
</li>
<li class="flex">
<a class="flex items-center hover:text-red" href="https://reactormag.com/feed/" target="_blank" title="RSS Feed">
<svg class="w-[17px] h-[17px]" width="18" height="18" viewbox="0 0 18 18" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" aria-label="rss feed" role="img" aria-hidden="true">
<g clip-path="url(#clip0_1051_121783)">
<path d="M2.67871 17.4143C2.12871 17.4143 1.65771 17.2183 1.26571 16.8263C0.873713 16.4343 0.678046 15.9636 0.678713 15.4143C0.678713 14.8643 0.874713 14.3933 1.26671 14.0013C1.65871 13.6093 2.12938 13.4136 2.67871 13.4143C3.22871 13.4143 3.69971 13.6103 4.09171 14.0023C4.48371 14.3943 4.67938 14.865 4.67871 15.4143C4.67871 15.9643 4.48271 16.4353 4.09071 16.8273C3.69871 17.2193 3.22805 17.415 2.67871 17.4143ZM14.6787 17.4143C14.6787 15.481 14.312 13.6683 13.5787 11.9763C12.8454 10.2843 11.841 8.80097 10.5657 7.52631C9.29171 6.25164 7.80871 5.24764 6.11671 4.51431C4.42471 3.78097 2.61205 3.41431 0.678713 3.41431V0.414307C3.02871 0.414307 5.23705 0.860306 7.30371 1.75231C9.37038 2.64431 11.1704 3.85664 12.7037 5.38931C14.237 6.92264 15.4497 8.72264 16.3417 10.7893C17.2337 12.856 17.6794 15.0643 17.6787 17.4143H14.6787ZM8.67871 17.4143C8.67871 15.1976 7.89971 13.31 6.34171 11.7513C4.78371 10.1926 2.89605 9.41364 0.678713 9.41431V6.41431C2.21205 6.41431 3.64538 6.70197 4.97871 7.27731C6.31205 7.85264 7.47471 8.63597 8.46671 9.62731C9.45805 10.6186 10.2414 11.781 10.8167 13.1143C11.392 14.4476 11.6794 15.881 11.6787 17.4143H8.67871Z" fill="currentColor" />
<path d="M2.67871 17.4143C2.12871 17.4143 1.65771 17.2183 1.26571 16.8263C0.873713 16.4343 0.678046 15.9636 0.678713 15.4143C0.678713 14.8643 0.874713 14.3933 1.26671 14.0013C1.65871 13.6093 2.12938 13.4136 2.67871 13.4143C3.22871 13.4143 3.69971 13.6103 4.09171 14.0023C4.48371 14.3943 4.67938 14.865 4.67871 15.4143C4.67871 15.9643 4.48271 16.4353 4.09071 16.8273C3.69871 17.2193 3.22805 17.415 2.67871 17.4143ZM14.6787 17.4143C14.6787 15.481 14.312 13.6683 13.5787 11.9763C12.8454 10.2843 11.841 8.80097 10.5657 7.52631C9.29171 6.25164 7.80871 5.24764 6.11671 4.51431C4.42471 3.78097 2.61205 3.41431 0.678713 3.41431V0.414307C3.02871 0.414307 5.23705 0.860306 7.30371 1.75231C9.37038 2.64431 11.1704 3.85664 12.7037 5.38931C14.237 6.92264 15.4497 8.72264 16.3417 10.7893C17.2337 12.856 17.6794 15.0643 17.6787 17.4143H14.6787ZM8.67871 17.4143C8.67871 15.1976 7.89971 13.31 6.34171 11.7513C4.78371 10.1926 2.89605 9.41364 0.678713 9.41431V6.41431C2.21205 6.41431 3.64538 6.70197 4.97871 7.27731C6.31205 7.85264 7.47471 8.63597 8.46671 9.62731C9.45805 10.6186 10.2414 11.781 10.8167 13.1143C11.392 14.4476 11.6794 15.881 11.6787 17.4143H8.67871Z" fill="currentColor" fill-opacity="0.2" />
</g>
<defs>
<clippath id="clip0_1051_121783">
<rect width="17" height="17" fill="white" transform="translate(0.678711 0.414307)" />
</clippath>
</defs>
</svg>
</a>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
</details>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="post-hero-media ">
<figure class="w-full h-auto post-hero-image">
<img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" width="740" height="493" src="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Sisko-Starfleet-Academy-1-740x493.png" class="w-full object-cover" alt="Cirroc Lofton as Jake Sisko in season 1, episode 5, of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy" srcset="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Sisko-Starfleet-Academy-1-740x493.png 740w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Sisko-Starfleet-Academy-1-1100x733.png 1100w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Sisko-Starfleet-Academy-1-768x512.png 768w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Sisko-Starfleet-Academy-1-1536x1023.png 1536w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Sisko-Starfleet-Academy-1.png 1600w" sizes="(max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px" /> </figure>
<div class="post-hero-caption post-hero-caption-horizontal [&_a]:link"><p>Photo: John Medland/Paramount+</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</post-hero>
<div class="wp-block-more-from-category">
<div>
</div>
</div>
<p><em><strong>Note: This article contains light spoilers for Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 5 “Series Acclimation Mil.”</strong></em></p>
<p>While we won’t dive into the full spoilers here (you can find more of those <a href="https://reactormag.com/star-trek-starfleet-academy-showrunner-explains-how-this-weeks-episode-is-a-love-letter/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">in this review</a>), it’s safe to call <em>Star Trek: Starfleet Academy</em>‘s latest episode (“Series Acclimation Mil”) a massive tribute to both <em>Deep Space Nine </em>and Avery Brooks’ beloved character, Captain Benjamin Sisko. <em>Starfleet Academy</em> co-showrunner Noga Landau even referred to it as a love letter to both <em>DS9 </em>and Sisko in our <a href="https://reactormag.com/star-trek-starfleet-academy-showrunner-explains-how-this-weeks-episode-is-a-love-letter/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">recent interview</a> with them. And now, in an expansive (and excellent) <a href="https://trekmovie.com/2026/02/05/interview-tawny-newsome-on-gargantuan-task-to-give-ds9-resolution-on-star-trek-starfleet-academy/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">interview with <em>TrekMovie</em></a>, episode writer Tawny Newsome explains how the episode came about.</p>
<p>“I was pretty adamant that for this episode, it was our job to make this an homage, a celebration, and really a bit of a correction for what I feel has been an oversight in a lot of modern <em>Trek</em>,” says Newsome. “We haven’t talked nearly enough about the Siskos, about Benjamin Sisko, or about the show <em>Deep Space Nine</em> at all, despite it being a massive addition to our canon. So I was pretty adamant. I’ll say I was frothing at the mouth some days about how important this was. So if anyone thought it was too much canon, they shared those details among themselves.”</p>
<p>Even though <em>Starfleet Academy</em>‘s writers have thus far not shied away from using the series’ setting and premise as an excuse to dive <a href="https://reactormag.com/starfleet-academy-wall-of-honor-easter-eggs/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">deep into <em>Star Trek </em>lore</a>, the Sisko storyline is its own beast. Not only is it a relatively deep cut (despite <em>DS9</em>‘s resurging popularity in more recent years), but addressing that storyline at all means running the risk of interfering with the deliberate ambiguity that makes it so powerful. So far as that goes, Newsome and the writers wanted to work as closely as they could with the <em>DS9 </em>crew in order to make sure they were doing the right thing. That process involved partnering with one of the biggest players in the Sisko storyline, actor Cirroc Lofton, who played Jake Sisko in <em>DS9</em>.</p>
<p>“Cirroc and I were on the phone and at lunches for months and months and months and months trying to figure out how we could get this done,” says Newsome of working with Lofton. “Getting the episode made was such a gargantuan feat, and I have had so many partners locked arm-in-arm in battle. Between [co-showrunners] Noga Landau and Alex [Kurtzman], Cirroc, [executive producer] Aaron Baiers… don’t even know where to start, but all I can tell you is that it was seemingly so impossible to be able to address the hugeness of the Sisko story with some of the limitations that we have because of canon, some of the limitations that we have because of available actors. And we really just wanted to honor the man, Avery Brooks.”</p>
<p>Brooks retired from acting roughly 20 years ago, but even if he was willing to appear on the show, having him on-screen again risked compromising the story the team was trying to tell. However, Brooks was a presence behind the scenes where he approved of the episode nearly every step of the way.</p>
<p>“I don’t know if he has seen it yet, but he has read it,” Newsome says of Brooks’ involvement. “It was really important for us as the writers to get his blessing at multiple steps along the way, thanks to Cirroc, who deserves an executive producer credit for this episode. He was well aware of things, maybe even before I was authorized to share them. But I was like, ‘We got to make sure Mr. Brooks is cool with this.'”</p>
<p>Though Brooks doesn’t make a physical cameo, we do hear Sisko’s voice towards the end of the episode. Interestingly, that audio clip wasn’t taken from <em>DS9</em> but came from a more personal source. </p>
<p>“That is a private recording that belonged to Mr. Brooks that he very graciously allowed us to use,” Newsome reveals regarding the audio that was taken from Brooks’ spoken word album <em>Here</em>. “I still get chills thinking about how it came to be, because I was very anxious asking him for anything. Because this man has given so much of his artistry, his life and himself to this franchise… he very graciously allowed us to have this.”</p>
<p>Perhaps more importantly, Newsome feels that the writers were able to honor Brooks’ long-standing belief that Sisko would never abandon his family without them actually having to show the character or even definitively say what happened to him. </p>
<p>“We had to square that with the fact that we have seen a lot added to the canon, and there hasn’t been any mention of seeing him,” Newsome muses. “So we sort of had to get into the territory of something that maybe science and Starfleet records can’t explain. So that’s why we wanted to put it in Jake’s mouth at the end where he literally says, ‘I can’t prove it.’ But all those things you think he missed, he didn’t. He was there.”</p>
<p>And even though the entire episode is a tribute to <em>Star Trek</em> fandom as much as it is a tribute to Brooks and Sisko, Newsome says she snuck in one additional Easter egg few fans may pick up on.</p>
<p>“I made them put in Kerrice [SAM] saying some version of ‘I can live with it,'” Newsome says regarding a variation of <a href="https://reactormag.com/star-trek-ds9s-in-the-pale-moonlight-and-the-option-to-backtrack-on-the-road-to-hell/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">one of Sisko’s most impactful lines</a>. “And someone who kept doing a version of the script later kept taking it out. And I kept putting it back in, probably seven or eight times. And finally, it made it to it made it to filming.” [end-mark]</p>
<p></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://reactormag.com/avery-brooks-approved-starfleet-academy-sisko-episode/">Avery Brooks Gave His Blessing to <i>Starfleet Academy</i>’s Big Sisko Episode</a> appeared first on <a href="https://reactormag.com">Reactor</a>.</p><p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="https://reactormag.com/avery-brooks-approved-starfleet-academy-sisko-episode/">https://reactormag.com/avery-brooks-approved-starfleet-academy-sisko-episode/</a></p><p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="https://reactormag.com/?p=838943">https://reactormag.com/?p=838943</a></p>
![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
snopes_feed
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
extrapenguin posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
space_swap
