Odo and the Angry Mob (A missed opportunity?)

[shivkala]

Apologies if this has been discussed before, but I couldn't find anything using the search.

I just started re-watching DS9 and aside from being struck how at how good the first few episodes are, I had to pause on something in "A Man Alone." So the Bajorans decide that Odo being accused of murder is a fine time to remember that he worked for the Cardassians. They use that as an excuse to form an angry mob, chase Odo down in their best impression of the townspeople from Frankenstein and start a near riot on the Promenade.

It was at this point when I thought, "Wow, if they're angry now, wait until it's revealed that Odo is a Founder!" But, then I couldn't remember a time when the general population of DS9 ever was shown to think that way. At the very most, we get Starfleet being suspicious (which results, ultimately in one of Odo's best lines ever, "Sir, have you ever reminded Starfleet Command that they stationed Eddington here because they didn't trust me?" followed by his "Please Do," when Sisko replies, "No.").

Then, I thought, "Well how much does the general population know about the Founders?" I think the "Homefront"/"Paradise Lost" episodes seem to indicate that it was fairly common knowledge on Earth, so I would think on the station people would know as well. But for the life of me, I can't remember seeing the station population that mad/suspicious of Odo ever again.

So, am I missing something? If not, should the writers have worked in some subplots about the general population distrusting Odo? Or had Odo proven himself by this point to where no one would even think about questioning him on the station? To my recollection, not even Quark gave it a second thought (though the argument could be made that Quark cared about Odo. To the point that he even seems to be purposely goading Odo into ending his pity party and doing something to clear his name in "A Man Alone.").

 

[at Quark's]

Out of universe, I 'd suppose this is simply because this episode is very early in the series, probably before they decided to make Odo a figure whose integrity is beyond reproach, which is basically questioned by no-one on the station, only by outsiders who don't really know him.

In-universe of course it gets a bit harder, but let's try.

If I recall correctly, Bajor carefully stayed neutral during the entire Dominion war. That was a conscious policy encouraged by Sisko because the Federation wouldn't be able to protect Bajor (at all times).

Also, Bajorans appear to be a bit introspective by nature and not deal with matters that don't directly concern them. This is strengthened by the fact that their society seems to be so severely damaged that they'll have to focus on rebuilding their society before participating in the wider galactic community. Perhaps that also caused a somewhat myopic vision, where the Dominion threat was too far removed from their everyday life to really care about. Although, given how (understandably) sensitive they were towards Cardassians, the Dominion/Cardassian occupation of DS9 in S5 must have irked them. And since the station was still formally Bajor's property, and not Starfleet's, it's a minor mystery how the Dominion with the Cardassians could have taken DS9 and still keep the neutrality towards Bajor.

 

[Lt.Smokey]

Well, early DS9 was more episodic. This angle wrapped up in that one episode and I doubt they thought about bringing it up again. But yeah, I'd say, for an "in universe" explanation, you could say he had proven himself beyond reproach by the time of the War, as far as the station's residents were concerned.

 

[shivkala]

Fair enough, though it's hard not to imagine someone saying, "Well, how do we even know this is Odo?"

It might also owe to the fact that the Founders had punished Odo and as far as the average person on the station knew, it was the dying Changeling infant that gave him his abilities back. Knowing he had been punished for protecting Alpha Quadrant beings against his people probably went a long way.

 

[Farscape One]

I still hold the theory that the infant was found there on purpose by the Female Changeling.

She says to Odo that they have forgiven him.

Along with the revelation of Bashir at that time being a Changeling, it certainly shows the means were there for this to happen.

 

[Timo]

Also, Quark handed the infant over at a bargain price, barely haggling it over. Almost as if he had already been paid to deliver it to Odo, and was merely skimming some extra off him...

Timo Saloniemi

 

[kkt]

Also, Quark handed the infant over at a bargain price, barely haggling it over. Almost as if he had already been paid to deliver it to Odo, and was merely skimming some extra off him...

Timo Saloniemi

So suspicious I'm sure trading in sentient beings is illegal on the station, so Quark set a low enough price that they'd just as soon pay it as continue to argue.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

I think Odo was later retconned into being considered a hero who protected falsely accused Bajorans during the Occupation whereas the Cardassians wouldn't have cared if they were guilty or not.

 

[Timo]

Well, the type of Bajoran who resided on the station would supposedly change, too. During the Occupation, living up there had been for the privileged, as in "Necessary Evil" (now, working there was a more complicated issue). For the first few episodes, the hated Space Station would still remain a likely refuge for the outcasts like Kira - and for the collaborators who had been working there for ages, with Odo knowing all their dirty secrets and engaging in all sorts of "you behave or else" blackmail. Those folks would be happy to see Odo fry.

Later on, there would be pogroms, the collaborators would have to flee farther away, and the new folks moving up there would see Odo as the element that helped weed out that scum and now helps them run their lucrative businesses in peace. These folks would not associate Odo with the old rule, because they hadn't been there when the Cardassians had.

Timo Saloniemi