Sunday, September 1, 2024
Section 31: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-2024)
"The Begotten" (season five, episode twelve; 27 January 1997): Wikipedia-link.
Commentary: Timing that I find delightful: The Klingon noblewoman Grilka appeared in two episodes, almost exactly two years apart: "The House of Quark" (season three, episode three; 10 October 1994) & "Looking for par'Mach in All the Wrong Places" (season five, episode three; 14 October 1996). The Bajoran scientist Doctor Mora appeared in two episodes, almost exactly three years apart: "The Alternate" (season two, episode twelve; 10 January 1994) & "The Begotten" (season five, episode twelve; 27 January 1997). I'm not claiming any significance to these coincidences.
"The Begotten" is a touching, bittersweet episode. In the A plot, Odo is presented with an infant Changeling, one of the one hundred sent out into space to gather long-range intelligence for the Founders, just as Odo had been. The infant has radiation poisoning & is near death; Doctor Bashir purges the radiation & Odo sets about parenting the infant, determined to use gentler means to teach it to shapeshift than had been used on him. Doctor Mora, the Bajoran scientist who investigated Odo & taught Odo to shapeshift, arrives to help, but Odo, fueled by resentment, rebuffs him. In time, a combination of Odo's & Mora's methods induce the infant to reach out to Odo, & the two men achieve a reconcilation. Odo is the happiest we'veever seen him, giddy at the prospect of being a parents to the infant Changeling. The infant succumbs to the long-term danage caused by the radiation poisoning, but in a final gift to Odo, absorbs itself into his human body, restoring him as a Changeling.
In the B plot, Kira gives birth to the O'Briens' baby, with a comedic rivalry between Chief O'Brien & First Minister Shakaar, Kira's boyfriend. In the end, Shakaar returns to Bajor, but Kira declines his invitation to join him there, because she wants to be close to the baby. Odo & Mora part on good terms; Odo is glad to be a Changeling again, but still mourns the infant Changeling. The O'Briens are throwing a party to celebrate their baby's birth, but Kira doesn't want to be there, because she is grieving having to give him up. Kira & Odo are united in their sadness & go for a walk, her arm around his shoulder.
Deep Space Nine had it all, including the myriad forms of heartbreak.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment