The Forsaken

DVD, DS9 S1 (The Forsaken)

Who is the 'Forsaken'? Is it the computer lifeform... maybe it's Odo, since we get some back story for him, or it might be Lwaxana, who reveals a quiet loneliness when she's in the turbolift. It's certainly not Bashir, who would simply love to be forsaken by the trio of ambassadors he is plagued with looking after. I think the first half of the episode has its moments, such as Odo's embarrassed run-in with Lwaxana, and the grumpiness of the ambassadors, but perhaps is let down by the O'Brien sub-story, about the probe, which doesn't really go anywhere except to facilitate the other two storylines. It would have had more resonance as it was originally meant to set up Anara, his Bajoran assistant, who would go on to be integral to the final episode of the season, but for some reason she was replaced by Neela.

The second half is a lot better as Odo reveals his state if he can't relax into liquid. Mrs. Troi also does some honest admittance, one of the few episodes where we see her as she really is, inside that outgoing bubble of projected confidence and verve. It's so good to have a character who was acting in the original series almost thirty years before 'DS9', and although she's already been heard as the Runabout's or other Starfleet ship's computer, her return to a recurring character that stretches back to Season One of 'TNG' seals this series even more into being 'Star Trek', if the other guest characters hadn't already done that. And she's the first of the original crew to appear on the station!

The trio of terrors that are Bashir's problem, and our B-story are an entertaining bunch. In the 'DS9' tradition, there's a Vulcan who is a bit different (he always wants to poke his nose into station business), and we get the first proper Bolian role (although they had been seen in the background in other episodes this season). Sisko's delight at the Doc's distress makes for some humour, but it is the satisfying turnaround as Julian's quick thinking save their lives. I don't think it is quite the classic that I previously regarded it as, but still a strong episode, with enough likeable scenes and situations to be worth seeing, especially as it provides some insight into why Odo is the way he is in a social sense.

***