Crossfire

DVD, DS9 S4 (Crossfire)

To belt or not to belt, that is the question. I don't agree with Kira, I think Odo was better suited to being belt-less, and after his experiences here I'm sure he won't be going back to the belted look any time soon. It had been a while since we'd met Shakaar, and a while since Bajor had figured prominently in any meaningful way, so this episode is the cure for both counts, and a jolly good one it is too. Not only do we hear of plans afoot to speed up Bajor's admittance into the Federation (something touched on early in the series, but rarely followed up), but we get a space-bound story that welcomes us back to station life, as far away from political takeovers and planetary troubles as Earth is from DS9, and after such a heavy two-parter so far from the familiarity of the series it's such a cosy and pleasant story to come back to.

Not pleasant for Odo, but we are privileged to be inside his mind, understanding what he's feeling, seeing what he's going through as he's forced to confront unpleasant humanoid emotions which he's never liked to do. That Kira is so oblivious to his pain makes it tougher in some ways because it encourages him to stay silent and fake his usual friendly attitude to her, but she never notices that it's a special thing he puts on for her, going out of his way to make her comfortable, enjoying the regular briefing they share together - with Sisko he's straightforward, to the point, professional (except when he sits, ashamed at his lack of concentration that almost got Kira and his charge, Shakaar, killed), with Quark he's sarcastic and never admits anything, and with Worf… well, he seems to have found a kindred spirit. Both enjoy solitude, despise the social conventions and appreciate order above all else.

It's quite touching that Worf and Odo connect in this story, and is one thing that goes right for him when all about him his world is crashing down. Small comfort I know, but it is something, and after their gruff and aggressive first contact it's nice to see the respect they've gained for each other spill into confiding like two old ladies discussing some mutual interest as they scoff at how friendly people are, the merit of keeping everything in its place, and how to be a bit less encouraging of well-meaning friends who drop by their quarters. It's actually a funny scene in a sad tale, and even when Odo has made a mistake, or later when Worf catches The True Way operative with his own deputies, he commends Odo's training of his men rather than criticising him for not being around. It's a compliment from Worf, which is rare, but to Odo it's almost a slap in the face as he wasn't necessary. Worf is filling in for Eddington who's on leave, but what was he doing? Could it have anything to do with Maquis-related activity? You'd bet latinum on it!

Quark is the other person to connect with the Constable, and their scenes are full of concern and affection which neither will admit, but which makes them so great to see together, something that would continue to the end of the series. Quark is the first person to realise the truth that Odo loves Kira, but like a true friend he's careful with that knowledge, only offering advice when he finds Odo in the midst of his wrecked quarters. That scene where the Constable smashes up everything shows how tough he is, as rarely do we see someone use their full strength in such a confined space. It was excellently directed, down to the glass containers Odo swats into the camera. He also picks up the plant he kept in his bucket, the one that Kira gave him last season when he first got the idea of moving into quarters, and smashes it to the ground in rage, a symbolic and telling action.

When Quark comes to complain about the noise, it's true to the situation because he's already done that earlier in the episode. I know Shimerman hated the pyjamas, but I thought they were great and suited the big, baby-like bonce Ferengi generally have. The moment Quark actually tries to help under cover of concern for his own profits is one of the best scenes between them in the series, demonstrating their wily ways expertly. And later, equally untruthful, Odo pays him back by having his floor soundproofed so Quark no longer has to hear him shapeshifting at night, just as he would go on to allow him a break when he later gets together with Kira - really Quark had a fair bit to do with it right from the start, and is the only person to know such a deep personal secret of Odo's. But did Kira really not understand Odo's reaction to her friendliness? Her expression when he leaves her room is difficult to read, she could be puzzled, she could be sad, she could be questioning his strangeness. Perhaps it was deliberately ambiguous because it was quite a shock to her when she learns the truth next season, yet she probably had a subconscious inkling.

She gives Odo a big hug in her rapture and surprise over Shakaar's interest in her, and in that she's demonstrating how close a friendship she has with Odo because he simply doesn't allow anyone else into his personal space, yet she's always been comfortable being around him and not above an affectionate pat or a hold of the arm. It's a very painful episode for Odo, as hard as when he thought he was confessing his love in 'Heart of Stone' only to be let off the hook when it wasn't really her. In some ways it was bad as he'd experienced how twisted up he felt doing that, in fear of rejection, yet he's in the same position again and can't bring himself to do anything. The ending could be taken as a happy one because he's taken Quark's advice and moved on, breezily walking out of the bar, head held high, but still it could be something there under the 'skin' for want of a better word. At least he's resolved it for himself on the surface of his mind so he can get back to doing his job properly.

He does one of his best morphs ever, in the turbolift scene when his arms become pistons in order to push out the sides of the falling compartment and slow it down before it plummets to destruction. A falling lift isn't something you see everyday on Trek (I think there's one in 'Disaster' on 'TNG' and there was something similar in 'Voyager' episode 'Rise' but in reverse), and this is probably the first (and possibly last) time we see the inside of the lift shaft of the station. Technically, it's unlikely it would have taken that long for the lift to fall as the station isn't that huge, but it's a point where suspension of disbelief is essential: drama is more important than realism, otherwise they'd have to calculate exactly how many floors a turbolift moved past and get it right every time when it's what goes on inside the lift that matters.

I couldn't help noticing the packed station. The Klingon threat initially made the place a ghost town, but it's busier than ever with all kinds of Bajorans there to see the First Minister and new businesses opening up (Kira mentions a new Bolian restaurant). There are also plenty of aliens to be seen - a Dopterian, I believe, operates the Dabo wheel in the foreground, the alien that was caught planning to assassinate Shakaar is another skull-like creature, and in a really obscure moment I noticed a very long-faced alien in the background seen talking outside Quark's bar - I thought 'Star Trek XI' was the place we first had long-faced 'Star Wars' types, but no, there was a guy with his mouth hanging down, but you've got to concentrate to see him!

There were a lot of nice references - springball, the sport Kira used to play with Bareil, and the Vedek himself, were both mentioned, Odo using Kira's possible continuing mourning for him as a shield to fend off Shakaar's personal confiding with him about the Major in one of the most uncomfortable scenes for Odo. Strangely, the episode in which Bareil died was in exactly the same slot as this episode last season, so it's fitting that the series should return to Kira and Bajoran stuff again at this point. I really feel Shakaar should have been made more of, not in this episode, where he's mainly a tool to inadvertently hurt Odo, but he should have appeared a few more times this season, when in reality he only came back once more and it wasn't until Season 5. It's probably because the writers felt they'd lost the character they started with, and to some degree they're right - he began as a rustic who stood up and was counted, then was thrust into a position of power against the Kai. But like Bareil he served to make life too easy as he was a 'good guy' who could be counted on to fight Winn, and they were always looking to shake things up on the series. That's why Bareil didn't become Kai, and ultimately died, and I think the same can be said for Shakaar: he was just too good.

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