Synopsis: Jake Sisko has a plan on how to ease Captain Sisko’s depression.
This episode can be seen as an illustration of what can happen when the Logos-driven rational conscious ego acknowledges information from the Eros-driven irrational unconscious.
In “In the Cards” Captain Benjamin Sisko begins the episode despondent over the state of affairs on Deep Space Nine and a potential war between Starfleet and the Cardassian Dominion Alliance. His feelings become more dire after learning that the Cardassians want Bajor to sign a non-aggression treaty with them, which would mean that they would no longer be allies. Meanwhile, Quark tells Nog and Jake Sisko about an upcoming auction in which one of the items being auctioned off is a 1951 Willie Mays rookie baseball card. Knowing how much his dad loves baseball, Jake wants to get this for him, to cheer him up. However, Jake is outbid by a Dr. Elias Giger. But when Giger learns who Jake is, he tells him that he will trade him the card in exchange for Jake providing him with different supplies on the station. The plan goes awry when the Vorta, Weyoun, becomes interested in what Giger is doing, but all ends well when Weyoun gives Jake the card, which he in turn presents to his dad as a gift that does raise his spirits.
Although this episode is considered one of the more comic ones of the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine series, even though there are some heavy overtones of impending war, one of the things that is interesting from a depth psychological perspective is how Jake instinctively knew what would make his father feel better. How to help heal his pain. Even though there were a lot of obstacles involved in following his hunch, Jake persevered, and was effective in making his dad feel better. This can be analogized to when the conscious ego acknowledges information from the unconscious and uses it. In so doing the ego becomes stronger and the psyche more whole.
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