I just watched DS9 'Far Beyond The Stars' - Season 6 Episode 13
As a person of colour (I'm Indigenous Canadian) this was a very impactful, thoughtful and striking episode that really hit home on a lot of subjects they were still dealing with in 1998 when this first aired. The main story harkens back to the 1950s but much of the same issues from the mid century were still being felt in the 90s. In many ways, the messages from this show still resonate today.
We all like to think that 1950s style overt racism in the streets is a bygone thing and doesn't exist or not as prevalent any more but it is still there. I was totally amazed and blown away to watch this and to listen to the story it told. Racism may not be shouted in my face any more but I still feel it come out of the cracks of society every once in while and more often than not in social media forums and platforms where bad actors can anonymously scream and shout whatever they please.
This DS9 episode was a beautiful reminder of why I always loved Star Trek. It is through episodes like this that show us what we could be in the far distant future if we want it enough. As a kid and teenager, I always saw and understood the ideas and images of thinking that we could achieve a world in the future where colour, race, background or gender no longer mattered. I always noticed that in the Original Series and it was something I was really happy to see when I watched The Next Generation and Voyager as a teenager. I never got the chance to watch DS9 until now and after watching this episode I'm happy I did. That message of wanting a world of inclusion and openness is a really hopeful message I've always loved in Star Trek.
The bonus was in seeing all the actors, the main cast, and some of the supporting characters appear as they are in real life was amazing as well.
That simple message really resonated with me .... 'You are the dreamer ... and the dream'. We can all imagine a future where we can all be at our best and if we work hard enough towards it, we can be part of that dream. It's a small thing but in many ways, I'm happy to have this small community at c/tenforward with you ... I've always dreamt of enjoying Star Trek and now I feel that I am part of this digital dream with you all.
In everything else, I will never stop dreaming of a better future, no matter what may happen in the world ... I will always hope that we can all become part of that dream.
If you haven't seen the series yet, I would highly recommend it just to be able to see everything lead up to this episode. It is a definite highlight that will stick with me for a long time.
It was probably more like $300,000 before individuals skimmed off a few thousands for themselves.