The hugely emotional ending of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine asks whether a potential Jake Sisko (Cirroc Lofton) tragedy ever became a reality. The father-son relationship between Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) and Jake is the best in all of Star Trek. Widowed by the Battle of Wolf 359, Sisko dedicated his life to raising his young son into the man he had become by the DS9 finale. The paternal relationship between Ben and Jake was reflected in the bond formed by actors Avery Brooks and Cirroc Lofton during the making of DS9.
Avery Brooks' determination to positively present Black fatherhood led him to request a single change to Sisko's exit. Uncomfortable with the idea of Star Trek's first Black lead abandoning his unborn child, he requested that Sisko promise to return from the Temple. Tragically, "What You Leave Behind" also separated Ben and Jake, with the former giving his life to save Bajor and serve the Prophets in the Celestial Temple. As Star Trek: Deep Space Nine drew to a close, Jake was seen staring out at the wormhole, waiting for his father to return. Jake's grief was an upsetting reminder of DS9's acclaimed season 4 episode, "The Visitor".
