Heart of Stone

DVD, DS9 S3 (Heart of Stone)

Thanks to the Defiant the Runabouts have had to play second fiddle so the Mekong's little outing here could be the first of the season that we actually see. This episode could have gone two ways as I see it: either Major Kira is barely in it or she's in mourning and it's a sad episode. If you haven't seen it then don't read this, because there is a twist in the tale. I was right on the first count and Kira is hardly in it, though we're not supposed to know that. Watching it from that perspective you do notice Kira acting slightly differently than might be expected, but not enough to rouse Odo's suspicion. Going into a dark cave to chase a Maquis terrorist sets the brain on a whole other direction than what actually happens - sleight of hand, if the episode had hands.

Kira too quickly becomes weepy and worried, when the Major would normally remain stoic. She shows less sensitivity to Odo than she normally would (and did in the argument on the Runabout, letting Odo reveal his irritation rather than jumping down his throat). The best moment (apart from Odo's physically wrenching admittance of love for her) is when he deduces that it isn't Kira at all, and her head, trapped at an uncomfortable angle suddenly lifts up unnaturally, like something in a horror film. Instead of grimacing in pain and fear she smiles triumphantly. If the Female Changeling was willing to kill Kira in order to break Odo's ties to the Alpha Quadrant how far would she go? Does she have to destroy the whole quadrant before Odo returns willingly? Even then he would remain opposed to his people because of what they do. No changeling may have harmed another, as the Female says, but they're perfectly happy to harm entire planets of non-changelings!

Of the two plots you can't say that either Odo and Kira's mission or Nog's decision to join Starfleet are the main focus as both receive equal screen time. Strangely I found myself drawn to Nog's side of it more, perhaps because I knew the twist in the other story so well. I actually laughed out loud during the exchange between Nog and Sisko in his office - Sisko's bemused reaction as he tries to put up blocks against the Ferengi's persistent and positive attitude is true and funny without being silly, Nog's alien perspective and customs coming through realistically. One recurring character had just been killed off and written out, and now another had reached a turning point towards a new level. Nog's wish to join Starfleet may seem to come out of the blue, but it comes from a logical and reasonable place - his Father Rom's lack of success as a traditional Ferengi. It's the first we see of the new Rom in some ways; the much softer, but determined man whose engineering skills would lead to a turning point for him too.

Partly it's because Rom is another to fall through the cracks a bit, not appearing for most of the season so we haven't seen the change in him over that time. They're making up for lost time for both Nog and Rom. We get to see some of the enforced professionalism Nog would go on to embody - he stands straight and formal after a gentle rebuff from Commander Sisko when he tries to hug him in unbridled joy at his agreement to send a letter of recommendation. Also in his misguided attempt to follow human customs (shaking hands at every meeting and parting!). Nog has become an adult and decided to make a better future. He's moved on from childish ways and realised life is up to him.

I lost count of the many references strewn throughout - still unseen on the series, the Nausicaans are mentioned; the Lissespians are not seen, but heard of; the Maquis appear to feature, and the Badlands score a mention too; O'Brien's appetite for holo-kayaking is discussed;as is the origins of Odo's name ('nothing' in Cardassian!); we even hear about Ensign Vilix'pran for the first time, one of the few non-humanoid or radically different aliens that were tantalisingly spoken of now and again (such as Captain Boday and his transparent skull!). The new treaty between Bajor and Cardassia also has a fleeting mention from Kira, but Bareil does not. Probably too hard to talk about him at the moment.

It was too soon after the Vedek's death for Odo's secret to be revealed to Kira, but you have to trust the writer's - they know what they're doing. By the end we see Odo doesn't go into specifics when discussing the matter with Kira so his secret stays hidden. It was such a painful thing to open up like he did that that incident may have pushed back his courage at telling her by years. A victory for the Changelings, though it wouldn't help them. The stasis pod or whatever it was that Kira was locked inside was reminiscent of the Season 1 episode 'Vortex' in which Odo rescues a little girl from a similar device, though that was longer, like a coffin and had a smaller window, I think. The shot of the Mekong on the rocky moon's surface was a reuse from a previous episode and may have been that one.

The developments this episode features are moving the series up a gear, moulding it into the thing it was to be for the rest of its 'life'. It wasn't quite there yet, but with so many possibilities - the peace between Cardassia and Bajor; the fact that the Founders were willing and able to track Odo and Kira, use a Maquis ship, all to find out Odo's motivation; little hints dropped through the season (the build-up of a mystery Cardassian fleet, a deal with the Romulans to use the cloaking device) - things were building to an unknown future. A future in which a Ferengi would join Starfleet. You'd think Dax would have been more open-minded about the possibility after all her Tongo sessions. But Nog?!

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