47. The Search, Part I
Summary
While the Ops crew debates possible ways to foil a Dominion invasion, Sisko returns from Earth in the Defiant, a Starfleet vessel with a cloaking device and heavy weaponry designed for battle against the Borg. With him is a Romunal officer, T'Rul, who will operate the cloaking device that her government loaned to the Federation and Lt. Cmdr. Eddington, a new Starfleet security officer whose presence threatens Odo...despite Sisko's urgings he promises to resign. The crew is ordered to take the Defiant into the Gamma quadrant and locate the Founders, possibly with the help of the Karemma, a Dominion member that the Ferengi have been trading with. Kira tries to convince Odo to come with, hoping he'll realize he's still needed, and at first he refuses but at the last minute he comes aboard. Quark, who's come along at the Nagus' request, makes contact with the Karemma and their representative directs them to a planet with an information relay station on it. Odo becomes fascinated with a particular area of Dominion territory, the Omarion Nebula, and falls into a near-trance studying it. Dax and O'Brien beam down to the relay station and break into the systems, rather too easily...then are surprised by an unseen visitor. The ship loses contact and is forced to leave them there. Sisko and Kira become concerned about Odo and she tries to talk him out of his funk...he tells her that ever since the discovery of the wormhole he's felt pulled somewhere and until now he didn't know where, but now he does. He wants a shuttle so he can go to the Omarion Nebula. As he and Kira discuss this the ship is attacked by the Jem'Hadar and the two are cut off from the bridge, which is quickly overrun. Kira is injured and when she regains consciousness she and Odo are in a shuttle bound for the nebula. He tells her he doesn't know what happened to the others or the ship and he barely was able to get them to the shuttle. They find a planet within the Omarion Nebula and land. On the surface they walk through the woods till they come to a huge golden lake...as they watch, amazed, shimmering forms rise from the lake to coalesce into humanoid forms and approach them. One, a female, walks up to Odo and simply says "Welcome home." Odo has found his people at last.
Analysis
Given that the contain probably two of the most momentous developments of the series...the revelation of Odo's species and their role in the Dominion...this third-season two-parter isn't as successful as it could be. Not that it's bad, far from it...it just seems to lack structure and in parts seems to meander aimlessly. They spend forever convincing Quark to come on the mission then they send him home at the first opportunity. What made Odo change his mind about coming on the mission? What happened to Eddington? He got a big introduction then all but disappeared. Nevertheless, this being the first real foray into the Dominion plot arc it has considerable interest...the Founders have been built up as the mythical power behind the lurking, menacing Dominion and as such we're wondering if they exist and if they do, who they are. We've been shown one possibility in The Jem'Hadar when Sisko surmises that Eris is one of the Founders. She seems to deny it but we're never quite sure. Odo does get some great development, though. His perpetual problems with Starfleet security continue with the arrival of Eddington...it's painfully clear to us that Odo's job (and his effectiveness at it) is so integral to his self-image that when his jurisdiction is threatened he takes it very personally. At this point I admit I was getting a little impatient with his continual threats to resign...it's a little like the boy who cried wolf by now. I never thought he'd really resign here, either, but I still feel for him. His scenes with Kira are revealing too. The revelation of the final scene is quite a shock. We never expected him to find his people so soon in the series...I know it made me suspicious right away. If he's finding them now, there must be more to it than meets the eye. This episode isn't quite sure what it's doing. Are we introducing a new ship? Searching for the Founders? Working though Odo's insecurities? Bitching about Starfleet? As such the narrative is sort of fragmentary, but it's far from dull. What we don't know now is that this episode is really just a prequel for the second part, and as such it isn't as satisfying.
Rating: 7.0
Memorable Quote:
Odo: Are you the ship's counselor now?
Kira: No. I'm your friend. You know...the one who comes to you when she needs help."I've brought back a little surprise for the Dominion." --Sisko
Classic Scene:
The final scene, as one shapeshifter after another detaches from the Link and comes to the shore, is both thrillingly mystical and rife with the promises of more relevations to come.
Sexually Slanted Line 'O the Episode:
"I'll let you two bunkmates get acquainted." --Bashir, to Odo and Quark
The O/K Status Report
This is really the first time since Necessary Evil that we've seen the friendship onscreen, and we see a lot of it. Kira's upset because Odo is upset, and her continual efforts to reassure him and bring him out of his depression speak to her attachment to him, as does her anger at Starfleet over the way they've treated him. In the end she refuses to let him wallow in his isolation and confronts him despite his admonitions to leave him alone...and so she ends up being with him at what is probably one of the most significant moments of his life. These two episodes represent a significant step forward in their relationship.
Special Alerts
- Gratuitous Shapeshifting Alert
- Redshirting Alert: the bridge crew drops like flies as the Jem'Hadar attack
- O/K Physical Contact Alert: He digs her out of some rubble during the attack
- Repeat Offender Alert: Martha Hackett (T'Rul) would go on to become Voyager's most famous surgically altered Cardassian spy, the devious Seska