Why do the Founder changelings always disguise themselves as Bashir?

[fireproof78]

You go watch Voyager especially one of the last seasons when theyre close to getting back home. They figure out a way through holo communication or whatever. Zimmerman even tells Doctor that hes dying from some wacky Star Trek disease.

Which has nothing to do with the development of a new EMH. As revealed in Voyager as well the EMH Mk. 1 was ridiculed heavily to the point that Zimmerman wanted to distance himself from it.

More on topic, Bashir makes an ideal target. He can gain access due to medical clearance, meet with people privately, and generally has the infirmary to himself. Being Worf or Sisko engenders too much risk, while lower lever allows less scrutiny.

 

[The Wormhole]

In my head canon, I always assumed the "LMH" that Bashir was chosen to be a template for eventually became the EMH Mark 2 seen on the Prometheus on Voyager.

 

[matthunter]

You go watch Voyager especially one of the last seasons when theyre close to getting back home. They figure out a way through holo communication or whatever. Zimmerman even tells Doctor that hes dying from some wacky Star Trek disease.

Like with Picard how the men in the Picard family go through some nonsense that affects their hearing or whatever which was revealed in Star Trek Nemesis. And with Sarek having wacky Vulcan dementia/alzheimers

Have watched it, thanks - don't presume I haven't seen episodes - I don't chip in unless I've done my research.

Still not relevant as he got that AFTER the Bashir ep.

It's like saying Einstein was motivated to study maths because he fell in love with Marilyn Monroe.

Unless he's Benjamin Button... nope.

 

[Oddish]

Sometimes they're O'Brien. Like in the Home Front/Paradise Lost 2-parter.

 

[fireproof78]

Sometimes they're O'Brien. Like in the Home Front/Paradise Lost 2-parter.

Yes, but they were overwhelmed by the sheer greatness of being O'Brien.

 

[Charles Phipps]

Bashir is a good choice because if you want to screw up finding the Founder, then being the Doctor is the best person to be.

 

[Laughing Dragon]

His handsome face? His innocence?

I think the reason was his abilities was it not?

 

[garakvsneelix]

also just watched that Bashir and Dr Zimmerman episode. Wasnt there a good reason why Zimmerman was making all o those EMH doctor programs is because he was dying from some wacky Star Trek disease?

In my head canon, I always assumed the "LMH" that Bashir was chosen to be a template for eventually became the EMH Mark 2 seen on the Prometheus on Voyager.

Yepp, two more examples where DS9 and VOY didn't fit the way they could have...

 

[Oddish]

Maybe it's because Alexander Siddig was actually pretty good at playing a changeling in "blend-in" mode.

 

[The Wormhole]

Yepp, two more examples where DS9 and VOY didn't fit the way they could have...

How so? You mean because the EMH Mark 2 wasn't based on Bashir in the end? That actually make perfect sense, as Zimmerman refused to continue creating a template based on Bashir as soon as he learned about Bashir's genetic enhancements. Obviously at that point, Zimmerman went on to the next candidate to be the template, that being a doctor who resembles Andy Dick.

 

[garakvsneelix]

How so? You mean because the EMH Mark 2 wasn't based on Bashir in the end? That actually make perfect sense, as Zimmerman refused to continue creating a template based on Bashir as soon as he learned about Bashir's genetic enhancements. Obviously at that point, Zimmerman went on to the next candidate to be the template, that being a doctor who resembles Andy Dick.

Yes, of course, it made sense, but on the other hand, it also could have been written in another way, e. g. when Zimmerman would have been shown as a more tolerant man. Don't get me wrong: I love "Message in a bottle' and the way, they played out the 'relationship' between the Doctor and his 'replacement' worked well for me, but it's just another point on my very long list of examples for 'unused chances for a bigger connection between DS9 and VOY'. Of course, there are many other examples, that would have been more compelling in my eyes, because In principle, I agree with you.

 

[The Wormhole]

But it was stated in the episode Doctor Bashir I Presume that Zimmerman had stopped the modelling work on Bashir, so Message in a Bottle was stuck with what DS9 had already established on that matter.

 

[garakvsneelix]

But it was stated in the episode Doctor Bashir I Presume that Zimmerman had stopped the modelling work on Bashir, so Message in a Bottle was stuck with what DS9 had already established on that matter.

Yepp. And if the writers of DS9 and VOY would have written it in another way, they would have. Of course, both sides have their share in the fact that such chances could not be played out better.

 

[TommyR01D]

Well, we know it wasn't that, because the Bashir who claims to be real says he was abducted from "a burn treatment conference on Meezan IV".

But of course, I fully agree that the most practical time to replace folks would be during the imprisonment in the two-parter. Any of these folks who "escape" from the secure facility could be Founders. And really should be considered such: it makes no sense for Martok to still be alive, so the one-eyed Klingon they meet must be a second Founder impersonator trying to wiggle into a position in the Empire.

Except it turns out he isn't, and the impossible escape was for real - even though the Dominion is famous for arranging fake escapes, and indeed this is the very first thing we see them doing... Missed opportunities there.

Timo Saloniemi

Are you saying that the Dominion purposely maintained a fake prison camp full of changeling impostors specifically to lure Starfleet into "freeing" them to infiltrate the Alpha Quadrant powers... again?

 

[Timo]

Got it on one. That's what they do for a day job, after all.

If the full expense of inserting Agent Eris in "Jem'Hadar" is one small ship of their own and one huge one of the enemy, it really seems worth the while. If the cost of inserting Agent Martok 2.0 is running a prison camp where Jem'Hadar can train, enemies can be interrogated, and one cell additionally has to be dedicated to fake prisoners... Well, sound like a good investment again.

It's a bit difficult to find a downside there.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Easiest to capture.

 

[Oddish]

It's too bad the Mirror Bashir didn't turn out to be the Mirror Odo (very much alive and eager to impose his Rules of Obedience). The latter was much more interesting than the former.