If you had asked me prior to the early 2000's what Trek show was my favorite, I would have said TNG. While I still love TNG, the post-series DS9 novels made me realize that DS9 is really my favorite series and it's because of the characters. Reading those books prompted me to re-watch the series (back then it was through discs Netflix sent me!) and get a good sense of how the characters were developed.
Flash forward to now and I'm doing the same thing, re-reading the books and re-watching the series. At this point, I'm up to early season 3, but it's season 2 I really want to talk about now, specifically Odo and Kira.
"Necessary Evil" involves a cold case Odo was never able to fully solve and it just so turns out to be his first case, as Gul Dukat puts him in charge. The investigation has him meet a new arrival to Terok Nor, who just so happens to be one Kira Nerys. Kira deftly convinces him she's not behind the murder, something Odo comes to accept. But, in the present, Odo finds himself investigating the case again, as a robbery ties back to the widow of the victim, the person Odo considered to be the murderer. However, he figures out that Kira had lied to him, though she challenges him to consider what arresting her would accomplish. Torn between his need to see justice done and recognizing that arresting Kira would cause other problems, he agrees to let it go. Turns out Kira killed the man because he was collaborator and Kira was there to sabotage the ore processor. Except, he wasn't the collaborator Kira believed him to be and she realized admitting the truth to Odo would ruin their friendship. Odo relents, but it's clear he and Kira won't quite be the same.
At this point, I would like to point out a major issue I had with TNG and that's the fact that it chose to follow some threads and ignore others. To wit, Geordi being brainwashed by the Romulans in "Mind's Eye." The ending seemed to tease a long recovery for Geordi, at least that's what 12 year old me thought originally. I was disappointed to see it never was really addressed again.
While not blatantly, DS9 did the opposite, as it's clear "Necessary Evil" did cause a rift in the relationship between Odo and Kira, though a rather subtle one. Several episodes later is "Shadowplay," which begins with Dax and Odo on a survey of the Gamma Quadrant and Dax being her usual self. She starts talking about a crush a shop owner has on one of his deputies, to which he thanks her and notes that the deputy has been distracted lately and will be disciplined. Dax jumps in to ask if he ever considered feelings for someone, to which he replies he considers Kira "a friend." Dax says that's not what she's talking about, but as we'll later learn, it was in fact what she was talking about. I can remember a few years before this episode having a crush on a girl and wanting to tell a friend, but being very awkward about it. On a social emotional level, I think it's fair to say that Odo was at "teenage boy" at this point, recognizing his feelings for someone were more than they seemed, but unable to fully explain that, even to himself.
Another plot in that episode is Quark attempting to distract Kira by having Vedek Bareil visit. It succeeds, partly, as the two quickly realize their feelings for one another, but Kira figures it out, stops what Quark was doing, and then thanks him for the events leading up to their getting together. We learn later on that this relationship caused Odo much consternation as he felt jealous when Lwaxana Troi tells him that she knows about his feelings for Kira.
In the next episode, a proto-universe is threatening the station and the crew is deciding what to do with it, leaning towards destroying it. Dax, however, finds signs of life in it, which prompts the crew to re-consider. Kira, however, is adamant that the life signs are not a strong enough reason to put the lives on the station in jeopardy. She argues that the life in the proto-universe are ants compared to them, and that you step on ants. Odo replies, "I don't step on ants, Major," in his usual gruff way.
Taken alone, that line is a good representation of who Odo is. But, viewed in light of the previous episodes I mentioned, it shows there's more going on. It's hard for me not to see the tension between them from "Necessary Evil" here. In that instance, the man she killed could have easily been justified as an "ant" that needed to be stepped on for the greater good. Odo's comment here in defense of the life in the proto-universe, therefore, could also be his way of letting her know he still remembers that. It's subtle and I have no idea if it was planned or not, but it is so perfectly done.
Of course their relationship would take many further twists and turns, including the revelation that Odo let three innocent men be killed to preserve order on Terok Nor, as he didn't quite understand the difference between "order" and "justice" at the time. This, coupled with other events, eventually led to Odo admitting his feelings for Kira in front of everyone, which began their relationship.
Re-watching these is a treat, to see how well developed the characters were and how the various plot threads wound their way through the episodes and seasons and paid off in spectacular fashion. I give all the credit in the world to the writers and producers of DS9 for allowing what I believe to be the greatest examples of character development in the franchise. And while I just pointed out the early bits here for Kira and Odo, we also saw development for just about every main and supporting cast member from Sisko and Kira's rocky start to a deep friendship, Odo and Quark's love/hate relationship, Nog's development, Jake's development, and so on and so forth.
Flash forward to now and I'm doing the same thing, re-reading the books and re-watching the series. At this point, I'm up to early season 3, but it's season 2 I really want to talk about now, specifically Odo and Kira.
"Necessary Evil" involves a cold case Odo was never able to fully solve and it just so turns out to be his first case, as Gul Dukat puts him in charge. The investigation has him meet a new arrival to Terok Nor, who just so happens to be one Kira Nerys. Kira deftly convinces him she's not behind the murder, something Odo comes to accept. But, in the present, Odo finds himself investigating the case again, as a robbery ties back to the widow of the victim, the person Odo considered to be the murderer. However, he figures out that Kira had lied to him, though she challenges him to consider what arresting her would accomplish. Torn between his need to see justice done and recognizing that arresting Kira would cause other problems, he agrees to let it go. Turns out Kira killed the man because he was collaborator and Kira was there to sabotage the ore processor. Except, he wasn't the collaborator Kira believed him to be and she realized admitting the truth to Odo would ruin their friendship. Odo relents, but it's clear he and Kira won't quite be the same.
At this point, I would like to point out a major issue I had with TNG and that's the fact that it chose to follow some threads and ignore others. To wit, Geordi being brainwashed by the Romulans in "Mind's Eye." The ending seemed to tease a long recovery for Geordi, at least that's what 12 year old me thought originally. I was disappointed to see it never was really addressed again.
While not blatantly, DS9 did the opposite, as it's clear "Necessary Evil" did cause a rift in the relationship between Odo and Kira, though a rather subtle one. Several episodes later is "Shadowplay," which begins with Dax and Odo on a survey of the Gamma Quadrant and Dax being her usual self. She starts talking about a crush a shop owner has on one of his deputies, to which he thanks her and notes that the deputy has been distracted lately and will be disciplined. Dax jumps in to ask if he ever considered feelings for someone, to which he replies he considers Kira "a friend." Dax says that's not what she's talking about, but as we'll later learn, it was in fact what she was talking about. I can remember a few years before this episode having a crush on a girl and wanting to tell a friend, but being very awkward about it. On a social emotional level, I think it's fair to say that Odo was at "teenage boy" at this point, recognizing his feelings for someone were more than they seemed, but unable to fully explain that, even to himself.
Another plot in that episode is Quark attempting to distract Kira by having Vedek Bareil visit. It succeeds, partly, as the two quickly realize their feelings for one another, but Kira figures it out, stops what Quark was doing, and then thanks him for the events leading up to their getting together. We learn later on that this relationship caused Odo much consternation as he felt jealous when Lwaxana Troi tells him that she knows about his feelings for Kira.
In the next episode, a proto-universe is threatening the station and the crew is deciding what to do with it, leaning towards destroying it. Dax, however, finds signs of life in it, which prompts the crew to re-consider. Kira, however, is adamant that the life signs are not a strong enough reason to put the lives on the station in jeopardy. She argues that the life in the proto-universe are ants compared to them, and that you step on ants. Odo replies, "I don't step on ants, Major," in his usual gruff way.
Taken alone, that line is a good representation of who Odo is. But, viewed in light of the previous episodes I mentioned, it shows there's more going on. It's hard for me not to see the tension between them from "Necessary Evil" here. In that instance, the man she killed could have easily been justified as an "ant" that needed to be stepped on for the greater good. Odo's comment here in defense of the life in the proto-universe, therefore, could also be his way of letting her know he still remembers that. It's subtle and I have no idea if it was planned or not, but it is so perfectly done.
Of course their relationship would take many further twists and turns, including the revelation that Odo let three innocent men be killed to preserve order on Terok Nor, as he didn't quite understand the difference between "order" and "justice" at the time. This, coupled with other events, eventually led to Odo admitting his feelings for Kira in front of everyone, which began their relationship.
Re-watching these is a treat, to see how well developed the characters were and how the various plot threads wound their way through the episodes and seasons and paid off in spectacular fashion. I give all the credit in the world to the writers and producers of DS9 for allowing what I believe to be the greatest examples of character development in the franchise. And while I just pointed out the early bits here for Kira and Odo, we also saw development for just about every main and supporting cast member from Sisko and Kira's rocky start to a deep friendship, Odo and Quark's love/hate relationship, Nog's development, Jake's development, and so on and so forth.
