Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's "The Visitor" has a secret payoff years later involving Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) and Elim Garak (Andrew Robinson). Written by Michael Taylor and directed by David Livingston, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 4, episode 3, "The Visitor" is one of the series' most emotional episodes, detailing the love Jake Sisko (CIrroc Lofton, Tony Todd) has for his father, Captain Sisko. "The Visitor" is based on a fan coming to J.D. Salinger's home unannounced and interviewed the reclusive author.
In Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's "The Visitor," a young aspiring writer named Melanie (Rachel Robinson) shows up at the Louisiana home of an elderly Jake Sisko, who is now a reclusive author. Jake tells Melanie the story of how his father, Captain Sisko, died, although Jake later learned Ben was trapped in subspace. Shunning his writing career, Jake joined Starfleet to learn the science needed to bring his father back. Tragically, to restore Ben to the point of the initial accident decades earlier, Jake had to sacrifice his own life. But it worked, and Captain Sisko avoided the energy surge that would have sent him into subspace. More importantly, Ben understood the depths of Jake's sacrifice for the love of his father.
Garak Actor Andrew Robinson’s Daughter Guest Stars In Star Trek: DS9’s “The Visitor”
"The Visitor" is a real family affair
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's "The Visitor" is a poignant and powerful epic about Jake and Ben Sisko, but it's also another DS9 family affair. Jake's visitor, Melanie, is played by Rachel Robinson, who is the daughter of Andrew Robinson. Andrew played Elim Garak, the former Cardassian spy-turned-tailor on DS9. "The Visitor" works on multiple levels knowing that the actress who plays Melanie is part of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's greater family.
In addition, Tony Todd, who portrayed the older Jake Sisko in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's "The Visitor," was also already part of the Star Trek family.Tony Todd also played Kurn, the younger brother of Worf (Michael Dorn) on Star Trek: The Next Generation and DS9. Todd was cast as the older Jake because it wasn't feasible for Cirroc Lofton to play his character in his 70s. Kurn's Star Trek fate saw him become a new person; unable to live as a member of the disgraced House of Mogh, Kurn's mind was wiped, his face altered, and DNA resequenced so he could join the House of Noggra under a new identity, Rodek, with no memory of his prior life as Kurn.
Garak & Captain Sisko Got Away With DS9’s Secret Dominion War Crime
Sisko tricked the Romulans into the Dominion War
"The Visitor's" real-life connection between Andrew Robinson's Garak and Avery Brooks' Captain Sisko paid off in the dark and controversial Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 6 episode, "In the Pale Moonlight." Prior to Captain Sisko's decision to trick the Romulans into fighting the Dominion War on the side of the United Federation of Planets, Ben limited his interactions with Garak. However, requiring Garak's unique skills and contacts, Sisko relied on the Cardassian tailor to help him with his secret plot, though he came to regret it. While Sisko would utilize Garak's talents later in DS9, "In the Pale Moonlight" was their most insidious collaboration.
With Captain Sisko's authorization, Garak had a forger named Grathon Tolar (Howard Shrangraw) released from prison to create a program incriminating the Dominion plotting against their Romulan allies. However, the Romulan Senator Vreenak (Stephen McHattie) saw through the ruse and deduced the footage he saw was fake. This was an outcome Garak anticipated as he secretly planted a bomb on Vreenak's shuttle without Sisko's knowledge. The death of the senator was blamed on the Dominion, and the Romulan Star Empire entered the war on the Federation's side. Sisko got the outcome he wanted, but at a cost because he trusted Garak.
What Happened To Captain Sisko & Garak After Star Trek: DS9
Neither Sisko nor Garak have returned to Star Trek
At the end of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the Dominion formally surrendered, and the Federation and their allies won the war. Captain Sisko's destiny as the Emissary of the Prophets was to ascend and become a non-linear being alongside the gods of Bajor. Though he promised he would return, Captain Sisko remains one with the Prophets, leaving behind Jake, his wife, Kasidy Yates (Penny Johnson Gerald), and their newborn child. As for Garak, the former tailor left Deep Space Nine and returned to help with the reconstruction of war-torn Cardassia. Starfleet never learned of Sisko and Garak's plot against the Romulans, and they never answered for their war crime.
Over 25 years after Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ended, neither Captain Sisko nor Garak have returned to Star Trek since the franchise's rebirth on Paramount+. Avery Brooks has retired from acting and left Star Trek behind, making the odds of Captain Sisko's return slim at best. Andrew Robinson has not been called upon to reprise Garak on a Star Trek on Paramount+ TV series, although he is active on the Star Trek convention circuit. But the ties between Garak, Captain Sisko, and their families, in real life and on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, run deep.
