Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - 10 Best Episodes Not About The Main Cast
1. It's Only A Paper Moon
Season seven's It's Only A Paper Moon puts Aron Eisenberg front and center. The episode is one of the most realistic portrayals of PTSD that Star Trek has ever achieved, with The Next Generation's Family being a strong runner-up. This episode follows on from the events of The Siege of AR-558, wherein the young Ferengi officer lost his leg in the line of duty.
Nog had always been the heart of the station whenever he appeared. His constantly upbeat, gung-ho attitude had been tested along the way but he never questioned his place in Starfleet, once he had been accepted into the Academy. This was severely damaged by the knock-on effects of his loss.
Though he returns to the station, he quickly takes refuge in the fantasy world of Vic Fontaine's bar. There, he finds that the cane he had been using to support himself and his new leg is no longer needed, revealing that the pain he was feeling was in his mind. He sinks into this holographic world, detaching from friends, family, and eventually reality itself.
It is left to Vic himself to shut down the program, to remind Nog that even though the real world can be terrifying and bad things can happen, there is also so much good out there as well. He helps Nog to realize that he can live with what has happened if he can only learn to start living again.