In the most recent episode of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, “Series Acclimation Mil,” the Franchise’s newest series paid homage to the seminal Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Written by Kirsten Beyer & Tawny Newsome and directed by Larry Teng, the episode focuses on SAM (Kerrice Brooks) as she goes on a journey to better understand The Sisko (Avery Brooks).
The episode has Trekkies everywhere talking, and Comics Beat’s Star Trek team is no exception. For your reading enjoyment, here is our chat about “Series Acclimation Mil,” and how it pays homage to DS9.
Please note that this discussion includes spoilers for the Starfleet Academy epsiode “Series Acclimation Mil.”
If applicable, can you tell us about your history with Star Trek: Deep Space Nine?
GEORGE CARMONA 3rd: As a long-time fan of DS9, catching it in the original run, with my number shows of 90210 and Babylon 5, DS9 holds a special place in not only Star Trek but TV history. Some of my favorite episodes of Star Trek, in general, are DS9 episodes. DS9 holds a very special place in my heart, and it will take a lot to knock it out of the number one Trek spot.
OLLIE KAPLAN: Like George, I watched DS9 during its original run. As a kid/tween in the mid to late ’90s, when the series first aired, I wasn’t old enough to comprehend all of the themes in the show. However, despite my limited understanding of what made DS9 special, I loved it. In fact, I loved it enough that my parents bought me the DS9 action figures and the Runabout Shuttle by Playmates. I quickly became especially obsessed with Kyra Nyrs (Nana Visitor), as she always said what was on her mind, and enamored with Julian Bashir (Alexander Siddig) and Jadzia Dax (Terry Farrell), as they were both hotties to me, and that confused my not-yet self-aware brain. While I know this isn’t an original tale, the series 1000% played a role in my queer awakening.
Most importantly, the namesakes of several Kaplan Household cats are on DS9.
AVERY KAPLAN: Martok is an… honorable name.
D. MORRIS: I’ll be honest, I’ve not seen all of DS9. My family watched the early episodes and around the beginning of the Dominion War, but alas, fell off. However, the U.S.S. Defiant is one of my favorite starship designs in all of Star Trek. At some point, I will finish this show!
OLLIE: All abroad! I think it’s time for a U.S.S. The Beat watch party.
GEORGE: Permission to come aboard.
DERRICK CROW: Unfortunately, I have not had the pleasure of watching DS9 yet, as I’m still working my way through other older Trek shows for the first time, yet from everything I have come to learn about the series, I am genuinely looking forward to it.
AVERY: While Star Trek: Voyager, Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) and later Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) solidified my younger self as a Trekkie, I still watched plenty of DS9 while the show was on. The theme song has very strong childhood associations for me, and I remember finding Quark (Armin Shimerman) hilarious and Jadzia inexplicably fascinating (although like Ollie, that took me a few years to parse out).
When I returned to the show as an adult, I was blown away by the depth of the themes, much of which also understandably eluded my younger self. While the Promenade may possess a serious 90s shopping mall vibe, episodes like “Past Tense” are so prescient, they might have been made tomorrow. Filled with queer and/or queer-coded characters and committed to looking beyond the boundaries of Starfleet, DS9 was and is something special. I’m very pleased that its popularity seems to have appreciated in recent years.
What did you think of “Series Acclimation Mil”?
GEORGE: This was an amazing episode that did a lot of things that Trek is known for, not in a check-the-boxes manner, but in doing those things exceptionally well. From the character growth of SAM, the humor of her exploration of humanity, and her interactions with the organics. This episode also hit all of the memberberries, which was its purpose. Using DS9 as a springboard for SAM’s own personal journey, not only in Starfleet, but in life as an emissary of her people, was an amazing accomplishment for this episode. And I think that’s one of the things about the episode I love so much that it’s not a DS9 episode, it’s a SAM episode. Trek has a few episodes that pick up a story thread and carry the baton, and this episode does that exceptionally well. Add to that, SAM played by Kerrice Brooks, kills this episode; her energy and sincerity are beautiful. All the flowers for this young queen.
D. MORRIS: I loved seeing this from SAM’s perspective. Honestly, Kerrice Brooks has been one of the show’s highlights. Artificial life forms and outsiders have a storied legacy in Trek. Seeing this young actor add such energy and a fresh presence only honors and adds to that. So much of Academy so far has homaged franchise history, and centering an episode around her is the lineage of episodes like Data’s Day. This shows just how much promise and potential this series has in revitalizing Trek for the next generation (yes, pun intended).
OLLIE: I’ve watched it twice and am already for my third viewing.
DERRICK: I loved it. As someone who was a bit worried coming into SFA about just what the quality was going to be like, these last three episodes have been so good, and it’s really won me over. This SAM-focused episode was the best yet, and such a treat. I loved the style, especially at the beginning, letting us into SAM’s personality more directly. And though I haven’t seen DS9, it doesn’t mean this episode didn’t hit for me, as it covered its theme well and gave us a really nice generational character study that rivals any great Trek episode of the modern era. It was also nice that we didn’t get concrete answers; that’s the kind of restraint the most exceptional writers have.
AVERY: During the San Diego Comic Con 2025 Star Trek Universe Hall H panel, Kerrice Brooks tried (and didn’t quite succeed) at holding back tears after seeing the trailer for SFA for the first time. While this immediately endeared her to all of us in the hall, the memory has only appreciated in light of “Series Acclimation Mil.” Brooks delivers a fantastic performance that carries on the legacy of The Doctor (Robert Picardo) and now The Sisko as well.
Newsome was integral to my favorite Franchise series, the canceled way-too-****ing-soon Star Trek: Lower Decks, which was obviously built around nostalgia for the 90s era of shows. But with “Series Acclimation Mil,” Newsome & Beyer approach Franchise nostalgia from a comparatively serious perspective, with great results. Especially in light of her Tweet diavowing transphobes shortly after her involvement with SFA was announced, I am pleased to see Newsome stepping into the role of the trans-coded Illa Dax. I hope we get to see more of the character in future episodes.
How does this episode affect your opinion of (a) DS9 and its ending and (b) SFA so far?
OLLIE: My wife’s love of Lower Decks must have worn off on me because the episode highlight was Newsome‘s cameo as a Dax. I can’t remember: did we already know Trill symbionts can survive thousands of years if they’re well-cared for?
Sisko is a great character. But, a great father? I’m not convinced he was a great parent since, at the end of the day, he abandoned his duty to Jake (Cirroc Lofton) to fulfill his duty as Bajor’s emissary. I know it’s Star Trek so there are maxims to be followed, like “the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one,” but it’s hard to be both an emissary and a father—and it would be okay (maybe more realistic?) for Jake to be a little angry about it.
GEORGE: I’m gonna answer the 2nd part 1st and then go back to the DS9 of it all, because this show has been refreshingly enjoyable. I did not think I would like it as much as I have. The concept of the Cadets learning what it means to be Starfleet, mixed in with what’s going on in the Milky Way, and the rebirth of the Federation has been very intriguing.
I love the fact that this show has picked up the torch from Discovery in its role of bringing the Federation back and making it what it once was. Again, I love the passing of the baton in Trek. I would love to see how they establish themselves in the Trek pantheon so that, in 30 years, someone would pay homage to one of their episodes.
As for the DS9 of it all, it hurts. We know that we’re definitely saying goodbye to Benjamin Sisko, and it is a bittersweet goodbye. Knowing he’s been in the wormhole all this time, I would believe that he was watching over Jake, Kasidy (Penny Johnson), and the rest, but to step out of the wormhole now, if they recast him, might break him. We saw what happened to him when his first wife, Jennifer (Felecia M. Bell), died, to watch Cassidy and their child go on without him. I think Sisko staying a legend, shrouded in mystery, is the best outcome now.
D. MORRIS: Again, I haven’t watched the finale, but honestly, I think it honored the legacy of DS9. Seeing Lofton come back as Jake hit me hard, especially remembering him as a young man on the show. Having him come back to talk about his father was really moving. Having SAM explore his history really paid homage to what a rich show DS9 was. I agree with George that it was a great passing of the baton to a new cast and crew. That SFA exists to honor the franchise’s history but also push it into new and exciting territory.
DERRICK: Like I mentioned earlier, this just continues a strong series of episodes for this, well, series and is basically what I wanted out of this show. If it’s going to be about their time at the Academy, let us see their time at the Academy and how it shapes these students. Letting us see the reshaping of the Federation in the future through the lens of the next generation that are to lead it was honestly a masterstroke decision for the themes of this series and they’ve completely won me over.
As for how it relates to DS9, like Ollie said it’s more than understandable that Jake would be angry with his father, and he probably was and maybe seeing some of that anger could’ve added a bit more depth to Jake’s scenes, however considering we’re still praising this episode without that just shows how strong the episode was and hopefully for DS9 fans it was still a great way to explore the legacy of that show’s central character.
AVERY: As far as DS9 goes, this is a little devastating. I would never want Avery Brooks to do anything he didn’t want, but I have to admit, I always held out hope that he might one day choose to return to acting and be willing to reprise the role of Sisko in a DS9 sequel movie or special event series.
“Series Acclimation Mil” seems to put an end to that dream, or at least fulfill it in a different way than I might have dreamed of. I appreciate that Avery was willing to be as involved as he was. And I do think there’s something to the idea that we have to accept that for Sisko as well. It’s impossible to get enough time with those you hold most dear, and goodbyes don’t always come when you’re ready for them. I appreciated seeing that Jake had to deal with such relatable issues, and I appreciated that he seems to have joined the Bajoran religion and grown facial hair that recalls his father’s.
As for how “Series Acclimation Mil” has affected my perspective on SFA so far, well, this is the episode to beat. I think in a way, SFA is aspiring to be the DS9 to Disco‘s TNG. I’m not sure if that’s accurate or possible, but I would love to see SFA seriously dig into contemporary social issues, as DS9 did. Here’s hoping.
Keep up with all of The Beat’s Star Trek coverage here.
