“I couldn't wait for everybody to see it.”
Whether Trekkies enjoyed Star Trek: Starfleet Academy’s fan-service heavy tribute to Deep Space Nine or not, it was wonderful witnessing the return of Cirroc Lofton as Jake Sisko in the DS9-centric episode “Series Acclimation Mil.” Over 25 years have passed since Lofton last appeared on screen as Benjamin Sisko’s (Avery Brooks) son, but the actor was still excited and still felt “like a kid in a candy store” reprising his role all these years later. Lofton said in an interview with ScreenRant:
“I was excited. I was nervous. I was like a kid in a candy store all over again. And actually, there were some people that I didn't have scenes with who I’m now seeing as I'm watching the show, I'm like, ‘Oh, you're that guy and you're that guy,’ but they were just around the set and introduced themselves. I worked with Kerrice [Brooks] most of the time. I remember Tawny [Newsome] was there on the set. So, I was happy to have somebody there and just talking me through the scenes and being there with me. That was special.”
Lofton, who last appeared as Jake Sisko in Deep Space Nine’s 1999 finale “What You Leave Behind,” said in the same interview:
“I've been excited for a year inside my head about this. I couldn't wait for everybody to see it. Starfleet Academy, it's a perfect segue for Jake, who was the youngest kid on Star Trek, to now be a part of welcoming and ushering in the next young generation of Star Trek cast members. So, I mean, there's so many meta levels to how this makes sense in so many different ways, from honoring the old to celebrating the future, to the Dax character, to all of these things that just tie in to make this a special episode. Kerrice Brooks brought it to life.”
Brooks, of course, portrays the photonic cadet SAM (Series Acclimation Mil) in Starfleet Academy. And it was SAM’s investigation into the mystery surrounding Benjamin Sisko’s disappearance that led to the opportunity for DS9 characters like Jake, Dax, and even Captain Sisko (voice cameo) to return in the 32nd century — some 800 years after the events of Deep Space Nine’s 24th century curtain call.
Were you excited to see Cirroc Lofton return as Jake Sisko in Starfleet Academy? Or were you like me and believed it was a little underwhelming not getting an opportunity to watch Jake reunite with his father, Captain Sisko, on screen? Share your thoughts and comments with us on the Redshirts Always Die Facebook and X pages.
And, if you missed the tribute to DS9 on SFA, be sure to check out an excerpt from Jake Sisko's heartfelt scene with SAM in the video below.
Live long and prosper, Trekkies!