Strange New Worlds’ Only Connection To Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Just Got Weirder

Published Sep 19, 2026, 8:30 AM EDT

John Orquiola is a New & Classic TV Editor, Senior Writer, and Interviewer with a special focus on Star Trek. John has over 5,000 published articles at SR, and he has interviewed the biggest names in Star Trek on the red carpet and VIP events, among other beloved shows, movies, and franchises.

Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4, Episode 9 - "Once La'an a Time"Star Trek: Strange New Worlds forged one connection to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and it just got weirder. Directed by Sydney Freeland and written by Onitra Johnson, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 4, episode 9, "Once La'an a Time," returns to the fairy tale Kingdom of Elysian first seen in season 1.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' fairy tale world surprisingly nods to one of the greatest Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episodes ever, "Far Beyond the Stars." Avery Brooks directed "Far Beyond the Stars" and played Captain Benjamin Sisko, who lived the life of a frustrated science fiction writer named Benny Russell in 1953 New York City.

A writer for the sci-fi monthly Incredible Tales, Benny Russell wrote an aspirational story about the black Starfleet captain of a space station called Deep Space Nine. When Incredible Tales refused to publish a story about a black hero, or admit that its author was also a black man, Benny had a psychological breakdown, with Avery Brooks delivering a powerful and unforgettable performance.

Image via Paramount+

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 1, episode 8, "The Elysian Kingdom" revealed that the children's story the fairy tale world was based on was written by Benny Russell. Weird, but cool to see Star Trek: Deep Space Nine referenced in such a novel way in Strange New Worlds. "Once La'an a Time" makes it even weirder when Commander Pelia (Carol Kane) poses as "Duchess Benny Russell."

Written by Benny Russell
"Bad Day at Red Rock"
"Deep Space Nine"
"Far Beyond the Stars"
"Kingdom of Elysian"
"This Island Mars"
"Solar Odyssey"

By impersonating the author of "The Kingdom of Elysian," Pelia was spared from being magically turned into a painting by the evil Queen Neve (Celia Rose Gooding). "Duchess Benny Russell" then pretended to write Queen Neve's story while stalling for time, and indulging in the medieval cuisine of the Queen's chef, Max. Later, Pelia remained on Elysian and ran away with Max.

So, strangely, two people in Star Trek have played "Benny Russell": Avery Brooks and Carol Kane. Pelia was pretending, but Strange New Worlds still made it canon that Russell penned a children's fantasy story that is still being read 300 years later. Whether Benny enjoyed success after his psychological breakdown in 1953 isn't known, but he continued writing post-Incredible Tales.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine begins in 2369, which is 107 years after Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 4. No one in Strange New Worlds can know about DS9, but Benny Russell links the two Star Trek series. Amusingly, Captain Sisko and some of DS9's crew will time-travel to the 23rd century and come aboard the USS Enterprise in "Trials and Tribble-ations," but that's also five years in the future after Strange New Worlds ends.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Gave The Best Tribute To Captain Sisko

By virtue of being set in the late 32nd century, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy delivered the best tribute to Avery Brooks, Captain Sisko, and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine in the Paramount+ streaming era. Understanding who Sisko was became central to Starfleet Academy's "Series Acclimation Mil," which brought back Cirroc Lofton as Jake Sisko, Captain Sisko's son.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy explored the mythology and duality of Benjamin Sisko, who was part human and part Prophet of Bajor, and balanced the challenges of being a Starfleet Captain and the Emissary of the Prophets. Jake and Professor Illa Dax (Tawny Newsome) helped Series Acclimation Mil (Kerrice Brooks) understand who Ben Sisko was and what made him special.

Star Trek: Lower Decks brought back several Deep Space Nine actors to voice their characters in the animated comedy, but Cirroc Lofton is the only DS9 actor to reprise his character in live-action. The love and respect Starfleet Academy showed Captain Sisko, and Avery Brooks giving his blessing by allowing his voice to speak as Sisko at the end of the episode made it a high-water mark of the modern Star Trek era.

With very limited ways to give Star Trek: Deep Space Nine love, Strange New Worlds made Ben Sisko's 1950s alter ego, Benny Russell, part of its canon. Two episodes of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds spring from the imagination of Benny Russell. And, since they couldn't get Avery Brooks to reprise Benny Russell, having Carol Kane pretend to be Benny is a totally out-there choice.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 4 is streaming on Paramount+

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