106. Things Past

Summary

While returning home from a conference about the Occupation on Bajor, Dax, Sisko and Garak embarrass Odo with the fact that he was so popular and is admired by so many Bajorans because of his just conduct during on Terok Nor. Odo seems very uncomfortable with this praise. When the runabout arrives, Worf and Bashir find all four unconscious...as Sisko awakens on the Promenade of Terok Nor surrounded by Cardassians. All four are dressed as Bajorans and are apparently seen as Bajoran by those around them. While Bashir examines their bodies back in the present-day DS9, the four try to determine what's going on but no explanation seems adequate. When they spot Thrax, Odo's predecessor as Terok Nor security chief, they surmise that they must be at least nine years in the past, before Odo came to the station. Odo seems very distressed and urges them to get off the station. When Dax is abruptly taken away by Cardassian guards, Garak "borrows" the guards' computer link and determines their Bajoran identities, but Odo is already familiar with them. Dax is taken to Gul Dukat, who wants her to be his "friend." Quark offers Sisko, Odo and Garak work at his bar. As they perform their menial tasks, Odo explains that he recognized their names as three Bajorans who were executed for trying to assassinate Gul Dukat. Garak consults the computer link and determines that they have moved back seven years in time, which makes Thrax' presence puzzling...he shouldn't be security chief, Odo should. While trying to contact the Resistance, the bombing occurs and the three men are arrested. Thrax calmly informs them of their guilt as Odo desperately urges him to conduct a more thorough investigation. Dax escapes from Dukat and frees them but just as they step into an airlock they suddenly find themselves back in their holding cell. Odo gains an audience with Thrax and tries to explain the situation and is stunned to find that Thrax already knows...the scene shifts to the execution of Sisko, Dax and Garak as Odo watches. It comes out that Thrax was really Odo all along, and they are reliving a shameful incident in Odo's past in which he allowed three innocent men to be executed for a crime they didn't commit because he was too busy worrying about order and the rule of law. The four awaken in sickbay. Julian surmises that leftover enzymes from the Link in Odo's mind created some form of telepathic connection between them, and since Odo was thinking about the executions right beforehand, they recreated the incident in their minds. A disillusioned Kira asks Odo to promise her that no other innocent people died on his watch...but Odo can't be certain, not anymore.

Analysis

"Things Past" is, in many ways, a companion piece to Necessary Evil...Terok Nor flashbacks, a shameful secret...the final scenes of the two episodes between Odo and Kira are almost identical. Although it's not quite as good as NE, this episode is memorable nonetheless. The audience experiences a rare sense of dramatic irony...we know that the four characters' bodies are really in sickbay, so the scenes on Terok Nor must be some sort of telepathic thing, which the characters themselves aren't aware of. At first we're not sure what's going on, but as the episode gradually begins to focus on Odo the light dawns. This is one episode that is more interesting to watch the second time...on a repeat viewing it's clear that in all of Thrax' scenes...talking to Quark, interrogating prisoners...he is talking and behaving like Odo. He even uses Odo's well-known harrumph and a few of his trademark phrases like "it's been my observation that..." not to mention that no one addresses Thrax by name. When he shapeshifts away during a struggle, we begin to suspect what's going on, not to mention Odo's hallucinations and odd behavior throughout the episode. The technobabble explanation is weak at best (residual Linking, bah), but who cares. It's still an interesting psychodrama and a clear indicator of just how much Odo has changed since his days on Terok Nor. The final scene really underscores the similiarities to Necessary Evil...but it has always bugged me that both Odo and Kira act as if Odo let those men die on purpose or something. He made a mistake, and horrible as the consequences were things like this do happen, especially in an environment like the Occupation where justice was swift and Bajorans had almost no rights. If he had known those men were innocent he would never have allowed them to be executed. I don't know why Odo or Kira had such a hard time understanding that. Bonus points to director LeVar Burton for effective use of the dolly-zoom.

Rating: 7.5

Memorable Quote:

"Yes, it seems you have quite the fanclub on Bajor. I half-expected to see you signing autographs at the end." --Garak to Odo...that wouldn't be a Trek injoke, would it? Nah.

Odo: I see I'm going to have to add the word "pickpocket" to your resume.
Garak: It's only a hobby.

Classic Scene:

The pseudo-dream-sequence scenes where Odo first watches while his friends are prepared for execution, then shifts to watching his former self watching the actual executions followed by his admission of what he'd done, are pretty wrenching and very effective.

Sexually Slanted Line 'O the Episode:

Sisko: Are you all right?
Odo: Yes, it just slipped out of my hand.

The O/K Status Report

Kira's difficulty in accepting Odo's actions only underscore the fact that she had him up on a pedestal as surely as if he were a sculpture. Perhaps she is remembering how it hurt her to admit her own misdeeds to him and how much she values his opinion of her...now the tables are turned, which I'm sure is a scenario she never expected to find herself in. Since we never really saw any direct repercussions from this incident (their next significant interaction is in The Darkness and the Light and they seem fine with each other, perhaps even closer than they'd been in months, it's reasonable to assume she got over it.

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