Shocked by the Changelings
- Thread starter Frontis
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I never felt the Changelings were "evil". They were a persecuted people and became xenophobic, and yes, to some degree that xenophobia was unwarranted, but we know from the first episode of DS9 that Odo believes strongly in Justice as a concept, and it's not a large leap to go from that to the Changelings wishing to impose Order; indeed, at times Odo will be shown to somewhat sympathize with that viewpoint.
Otherwise, the idea that someone finds their parents only for them to turn out to be a disappointment isn't exactly a new concept in TV. I can't say I was shocked, especially given that the Changelings are largely dismissive of Kira from the get-go; they don't exactly make a positive first impression even before the Big Reveal.
Otherwise, the idea that someone finds their parents only for them to turn out to be a disappointment isn't exactly a new concept in TV. I can't say I was shocked, especially given that the Changelings are largely dismissive of Kira from the get-go; they don't exactly make a positive first impression even before the Big Reveal.
I've said this elsewhere, but I do like the idea introduced by the novelverse that in the MU the Founders are more focused on Justice than Order, and their speculation that the Primeverse and MU Odos may have swapped universes when they first went through the wormhole. That is to say, that the Odo we associate with the Primeverse actually originated in the MU, and vice-versa. It would certainly explain why the MU Odo, in the brief time we saw him, seemed like someone who'd fit right in with the Dominion.
I wasn't shocked but I took an immediate dislike to them, especially that female changeling.
But in the same way I found them good villains, much better than The Borg.
As for Odo, I continued to like him. The only time Odo really p***ed me off was when he was hanging out with the female changeling, having "shapeshifter sex" with her while Rom was arrested and nearly executed due to Odo's stupidity. Fortunately, he became sane again later.
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My thoughts in 1994 were: "That's a twist!" I was more surprised that we found out who Odo's people were so soon. I was expecting it to be towards the end of DS9. Even though Odo's people turned out to be the enemy, he said he considered himself an outsider and that's how I viewed him. He was an exception to the rule. Being an outsider, being an exception, and not fitting into the mold that other people try to cast you in is what I'm all about. I thought it made Odo even more relatable.
Xenophobia describes their state of mind, but it doesn't describe or excuse some of the actions they took due to it.
No. It's an explanation, but it's not an excuse.
I had no reaction at all to the big reveal because I already knew that Odo would learn about his people early, that they ran the Dominion, and that they were the main antagonists for the series. My own fault, as I lost patience waiting for season 1 to start airing on British TV and began renting the latest episodes on video to watch instead.
Now that I think about it, maybe that's part of the reason why I thought The Search, Part II wasn't a great episode. Maybe that's why I'm not that keen on the early seasons in general. I've definitely learned to be a lot more careful with spoilers.
Now that I think about it, maybe that's part of the reason why I thought The Search, Part II wasn't a great episode. Maybe that's why I'm not that keen on the early seasons in general. I've definitely learned to be a lot more careful with spoilers.
I never disliked Odo, too. But I agree about the scene you mention.
I think everyone does. As much as one can potentially understand why it happens, it's still an incredibly painful wreck of a train when it happens.
I felt very silly for not guessing Odo's mysterious lost people and the secret baddie masters were one and the same.
The writers didn't know until they wrote it as such at the beginning of season three. Even at the end of season two the founders were going to be the Vorta.
I spoiled myself on the reveal by reading some magazine my brother had gotten. But this is Australia so we got every genre show like six months after US at least, if not more. Season 2 of DS9 was the last season I didn't know what was going to be happening before I saw it.
The UK was similar... always behind on the episodes, and Americans not giving a fuck beyond their own border about spoilers.
That's funny because it looks like the most obvious set up in the world.
