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Episode 11: Vortex

Now we sort of know what he is.

Sisko puts an end to some bickering and treats Croden with a strained patience. Bit stressed by interplanetary relations. Quite a bit more stoic after agreeing to give up Croden.

Odo's always scanning the place, in search of troublesome people. Snarks at Quark, which is actually quite a fun phrase. More irritated than anything at the criminals. Fair to Quark, but doesn't want to be and makes sure to leave him with words that'll keep him looking over his shoulder. Auberjonois has some proper isolated, introverted body language when Sisko talks with Croden, until his interest is piqued with the mention of changelings. Angrily rejects it because hope doesn't come easily to Odo. Darkly threatening to both Quark and Croden. Corrects himself on Croden's implication. Scoffs at every bit of news on the Changelings until he sees the necklace. In a rare mixture of awe and vulnerability when Bashir confirms what the stone is. Takes a moment to process giving up Croden. Suffers through a long flight of conversation with great pain. Fundamentally decent man beneath everything. Its amazing how such a seemingly creepy smile can be so sweet and endearing. Picked up a little bit of hope by the end.

Bashir shakes his head and does some research for Odo.

Dax gives Sisko a shocked and disappointed look when he agrees to give up Croden.

O'Brien offers advice.

Quark can't quite muster up a convincing lie and gets a little flustered. Desperately protests far too much when his guests give him the bar and takes out his irritation on everyone in range. Bringing up Odo's species is a low blow. Casually talks his way out of jail time, but gives a just subtle enough reminder to his brother to close his trap. Very spooked each time Croden is brought up. Bit guilty when he gives up Odo.

Kira's the optimist of the bunch. Very pleased when the interference plan works.

Rom fails a spotcheck and is generally an idiot.

Croden is so chill about everything that its disconcerting. Really likes the word "dissemble". Bigoted to Changelings judging by the way he refers to Odo. Must have always had some latent psychopathy if his story is true. Quite a real reaction to briefly attempt to leave Odo.

Interesting way to end the cold open as Rom's body blocks the camera. Odo was a glass, which I probably should've seen, but I wasn't paying attention to the amount of glassware. The lighting gets very dark each time Odo starts to strain against his principles: threatening Quark and springing Crowden. Sisko's reflection has it, too, after he's agreed to give up Croden. Beautiful shots of the ships silhouetted by the vortex, even if it is stock footage. I'm convinced Odo is getting all the best lines.

There's an interesting paradox to Odo. He's obviously a shape-shifter whose true form is a very malleable sort of golden liquid, yet he's a highly stubborn and rigid man. It's fortunate that he's a very just and fair individual because any other person who had such an absolutist view of law and morality would be quite unpleasant. But what we see here is that his stubbornness comes from an immense insecurity and anxiety over who he is. He's a tremendously lonely and somewhat confused individual and he's unable to bear the vulnerability that comes with it. So, he keeps as tight a lid on his shape-shifting as the needs of his job and the realities of his biology allow, making sure to be as humanoid as he can comfortably manage to slightly fit in, but also being almost deliberately incomplete out of a resigned cynicism: a sense that a full effort isn't worth it because he'd always be a bit removed. Equally, he maintains rigid control of his sarcastic, grumpy persona, belieing the fact that he obviously cares, to avoid being moved by the inevitable hurt that accompanies life. An adherence to the law, bearing in mind that he's already admitted that laws are as arbitrary as whoever currently writing them, then, is just a projection of his need to have some control and some sense of an answer in his life.

The tragedy is that it doesn't just come from loneliness, it magnifies it. Much like a great many people who fall into being relative hermits, the problem that required that these defences be set up can't actually be solved by them. Croden's right: it doesn't matter if Odo believes him on anything. If the man were telling the truth about the Changeling colony and Ah-Kel didn't get involved, Odo would've missed a chance to heal the one great big wound that has dominated so much of his life. Croden's own people are blatant isolationist fascists who are presumably ruled by absolute paranoia. The endgame of Odo's mental state before this episode isn't too different. Ah-Kel represents something that Odo couldn't effectively plan for and which takes him on a brief journey where he learns to relax his rigidity a bit, which is what allows him to give a genuinely just resolution to the problem, take possession of the first real clue to his origins and give what is probably his first sincere smile in a very long time. Not a bad trade off for just letting go a bit.

It's early days yet, but Odo is rapidly becoming my favourite character and this second showcase for him is even better than the first.

Battle Lines will be drawn next.