Star Trek: The Unresolved Tension Between Picard and Sisko

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The very first time Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) teamed up with another Captain was with Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) in the first episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. They never quite overcame their initial tension. Sisko started as Commander of the Deep Space Nine station and earned a well-deserved promotion to Captain by the end of the third season.

The season 3 finale of Star Trek: The Next Generation, titled “The Best of Both Worlds, Part 1,” featured a shocking turn of events: Captain Picard was captured and transformed by the Borg into Locutus, their spokesperson. With their advanced technology and weaponry, combined with Picard’s inside knowledge of Starfleet, the Borg devastated the Battle of Wolf 359, destroying 39 Federation starships and killing over eleven thousand people.

Benjamin Sisko was among the few who survived the Battle of Wolf 359, escaping with his son, Jake, but tragically losing his wife, Jennifer. Years later, he became the commanding officer of Deep Space Nine, where he had a single, memorable meeting with Captain Picard.

Star Trek Never Resolved Sisko’s Hatred Of Captain Picard

In the first episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, “Emissary,” Commander Sisko didn’t try to hide his dislike of Captain Picard. When Picard officially tasked Sisko with helping Bajor join the United Federation of Planets, Sisko quickly revealed they had history – they’d encountered each other during the Battle of Wolf 359. Picard immediately understood the significance of that past meeting.

Unfortunately, Captain Picard and Captain Sisko never had a chance to meet again on screen, so their disagreements remained unresolved. By the time Captain Sisko played a key role in the Federation winning the Dominion War, Captain Picard was busy commanding the USS Enterprise-E in the Star Trek: The Next Generation films.

Despite grieving for his wife, Captain Sisko moved forward with his life, eventually marrying Kasidy Yates and helping his son, Jake, grow into adulthood. He also embraced his role as the Emissary of the Bajoran Prophets. Sisko only explicitly referenced Captain Picard once, famously punching Q and shouting, “I’m not Picard!” during the first season of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

I remember when Deep Space Nine first came out in 1993 – the idea of having Captains from different Star Trek series team up felt really fresh. Even though Commander Sisko was in charge of Deep Space Nine, the first real meeting of two iconic Captains – Picard and Captain Kirk, played by William Shatner – actually happened in the movie Star Trek Generations.

Picard Met Another Captain Who Hated Him Like Sisko

In the third season of Star Trek: Picard, set in the 25th century, Admiral Jean-Luc Picard discovers the trauma he experienced as Locutus, when assimilated by the Borg, had lasting effects on another Starfleet Captain, Liam Shaw (played by Todd Stashwick). Shaw, a survivor of the USS Constance, angrily confronts Picard, blaming him for the events at Wolf 359 and the suffering that resulted.

Years after the initial trauma, Captain Liam Shaw struggled with PTSD and feelings of guilt over surviving. These feelings resurfaced when Admiral Picard – who had once been Locutus – came aboard the USS Titan-A and attempted to take control of the ship. In a powerful scene from Star Trek: Picard season 3, episode 4, Shaw openly shared his deep pain with Picard, blaming him entirely for what he’d gone through.

As a longtime Trek fan, I always found the first meeting between Sisko and Picard in Deep Space Nine fascinating. Sisko was remarkably calm on the surface, but you could feel the tension – he was clearly furious about Picard’s history as Locutus. It was interesting to see that contrast with Captain Shaw, who didn’t hold back at all and laid out exactly what he thought about Picard’s time as the Borg. Shaw was blunt, while Sisko seemed to be wrestling with his anger internally, and I think that difference really set the stage for the complex relationship they’d have.

Several iconic Star Trek captains met their ends in their respective series: Captain Shaw passed away during the final season of Star Trek: Picard, Captain Sisko merged with the Prophets at the conclusion of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and Captain Kirk died shortly after encountering Picard in Star Trek Generations. However, Kirk was unaware of the devastating impact Picard had on Starfleet during the Battle of Wolf 359.

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2026-02-11 13:58