it doesn’t make sense on many levels: it’s not clear how he was cheating or how he suddenly knew book was on him.
Spoilers Star Trek: Discovery 4x08 - "All In"
- Thread starter Commander Richard
- Start date
It's been 900 years. How do we know what has become of the changelings? Or, hell, how do we know it's not one of the 100, who was only discovered recently and hasn't had a chance to get home?
It's interesting that Book could directly identify the shapeshifter as a changeling. Seems to be a hint that the Founders have left their isolationistic ways and have overcome their biases against solids.
And another fascinating fact is that Book could recognize his species even without any technological gadgets, while the changeling was still in his disguise...
And another fascinating fact is that Book could recognize his species even without any technological gadgets, while the changeling was still in his disguise...
Could be due to Books ability to sense other creatures in nature.
Alright, had to look back at the episode just to confirm, but Book started observing the card-counter after they left the table and only pegged them down as a Changeling after he saw them walk behind a column and reappear as a different person on the other side. He might have already been suspecting this was the case though, the episode doesn't say anything about what was going on in his mind.
First of all, the Founders don't change culturally. They have basically been doing the same thing in the Dominion for 10,000 yrs, right? They certainly don't turn on a dime and become petty criminals.
Secondly, there is no "they" (plural). The Great Link was essentially one organism. It could send out quasi-independent operatives, but they were basically all operating with a unified intent. Odo was just a weird outlier because he was more or less rendered a blank slate when he was sent out. Founders are founders are founders. They don't start new careers.
Secondly, there is no "they" (plural). The Great Link was essentially one organism. It could send out quasi-independent operatives, but they were basically all operating with a unified intent. Odo was just a weird outlier because he was more or less rendered a blank slate when he was sent out. Founders are founders are founders. They don't start new careers.
I used singular "they" because this specific changeling appeared in both masculine and feminine forms in this episode and didn't want to start an argument about how a changeling might experience gender. But even if you consider the Great Link itself a singular organism, you'd still use singular "they" because the Link doesn't have an innate gender identity either.
The Great Link also sent out one hundred infants, as individuals, like Odo and Laas, who grew into unique beings with their own feelings and personalities. And any number of those hundred changelings could have grown up in an environment where they became involved in the galaxy’s greater underworld gambling scene, and become the card counting hustler avoiding detection on the Karma Barge.
I don't deny that things can change, but change here seems improbable. The Founders just do not seem to absorb energy in a manner that humanoids do (in fact, their bodies also seem to defy the laws of preservation of mass and energy), and therefore lack any need to participate in economic activity (such as being part of a black market).
Just went back and looked again. Good catch! I missed that the first time around. I'm not entirely sure the makeup is the same, but it's certainly close enough that I need to revise my thoughts. It could be a Founder. (Although I have trouble imagining what could drive a Founder to participate in a black market.)
Well, I mean, we don't actually know if the Founders have been running the Dominion for 10,000 years or not. We just have their and the Vortas' assertions, but that could be propaganda.
I think the Great Link is a gestalt consciousness whose members are neither entirely one organism nor entirely separate. The binary between individuality and collective just doesn't seem to apply to the Founders.
As far as I can tell, when a Changeling turns into a bird it flies, when it turns into a duck it quacks, and when it turns into a humanoid it plays piano, reads pulp detective novels, harrasses small business owners, and basically does whatever it wants to do. Maybe she was on a secret mission to raise money in order to buy that stuff for the Dominion, maybe she just likes the thrill of ripping off casinos and getting away with it, we have no idea what her story is.
We do at least know that even when the drop becomes the ocean again, that drop can be punished for killing another drop and then exiled, so there's definitely some individuality there.
We do at least know that even when the drop becomes the ocean again, that drop can be punished for killing another drop and then exiled, so there's definitely some individuality there.
Why would the Dominion...buy? They want something, they send in the Jem'Hadar and take it by force.
That seems more likely. She probably just likes to gamble.
I imagine the Dominion's still waiting on the free dilithium shipment from the Federation before they can charge in and take what they want.
Also you could ask why Starfleet would buy it when they don't use money, or why Tarka would buy it when he's a genius thief with a teleporting ship. It depends on the story.
Also you could ask why Starfleet would buy it when they don't use money, or why Tarka would buy it when he's a genius thief with a teleporting ship. It depends on the story.
Well, Starfleet has to buy in (with latinum) because they want the isowhateverthehellitis, and the casino owner no doubt won't accept Federation credits...
And Tarka is there for precisely the same reason. He needs the iso stuff, and also needs latinum to get it.
And Tarka is there for precisely the same reason. He needs the iso stuff, and also needs latinum to get it.
I’m no fan of him but coming down in full Starfleet uniforms was quite questionable.
Yeah, there was an answer to explain both of them because it was necessary for the drama for things to work out this way. The Dominion having to buy it would've taken a bit more work to justify, but I think a good writer could've found a way or maybe some other good reason for a Dominion agent to cheat in a casino.
Latinum worked fine, they just didn't bring enough and couldn't go back to the ship to pick up more.
Also I'm not sure why they went down in Starfleet uniforms, but they got treated just as you'd expect so at least that made sense. Maybe because they were expecting Book to be there and they knew he could expose them anyway. Might as well be open about it. Plus it may have worked in their favour when they were hustling people, because people probably wanted to Owo to lose.
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Never take Hortas for granite.
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