DS9 Flashback: The Begotten

The first half of Deep Space Nine's fifth season contained two ongoing story threads: Odo's shapeshifting powers having been stripped away by his people, and Kira's pregnancy. Both stories were brought to a conclusion in "The Begotten."

When Odo receives a sick baby changeling from Quark, he must try to teach it about shapeshifting despite no longer being able to do it himself. And when the scientist who studied him, Doctor Mora, comes to the station, the two clash as a parent and child would over their own past and how best to "raise" this infant. Meanwhile, Kira gives birth to the O'Briens' son.

According to episode writer René Echevarria, the idea of a changeling child had been brewing for some time among the writing staff. But they didn't want to just retell "The Abandoned" with a young changeling instead of a young Jem'Hadar. Echevarria cracked it by suggesting an infant changeling, too young to even assume any shape. This presented actor Rene Auberjonois the difficult challenge of telling revealing stories to and connecting emotionally with a jar of goo -- but he was able to rise to the challenge.

To help him, though, the episode also brings back Odo's "father," Dr. Mora -- a human actor for Auberjonois to play off of. The relationship between Odo and Mora seems to have backslid a bit since "The Alternate," with this episode covering similar ground. This episode feels a bit stronger though, with more of Mora's pain at being resented by his "son," and Odo gradually coming to understand what it's like to be a parent. The two bicker a lot here about how to "raise a baby," but each comes to appreciate the other's experience. The place they finally end up feels earned and sweet.

Throughout the episode, we really see a new side of Odo. He is truly happy at times, as we've never seen -- being swept up in joy at the baby changeling's progress, goofily telling the replicator that "we're celebrating," plus getting drunk and baring his innermost thoughts to Quark. There's also a great throughline about flight; Odo has expressed before what a joy it is to fly, and a bird is the first form he assumes upon regaining his powers here. But that sensation may now always be bittersweet to him; Auberjonois is excellent in conveying the sorrow of knowing that what Odo regains comes at the loss of his "adopted son's" life. (And lest you ever forget, he's acting all this through a makeup mask that covers his entire face. It's extraordinary.)

The B plot of the episode is necessary, but it's quite lightweight and goofy compared to the rest. To break up the monotony of regular television childbirth scenes (and to spare Nana Visitor from having to scream in mock agony), we learn that Bajorans must be relaxed to give birth. This leads to the broad (and slightly icky) comedy of Miles O'Brien and Shakaar behaving like children and getting territorial over Kira's body. Miles at least is given reason: he missed the birth of his first child, and wants to be involved this time. Shakaar, however, just seems like a needy goofball. This would be his last appearance on the series before an unceremonious, off-screen breakup with Kira.

One very nice moment does come of this plot line, though -- and it was suggested by Nana Visitor herself. Apparently, in the first draft of the script, Kira basically handed over the baby to Miles and Keiko with a loving smile. Job done. Having just given birth herself, Visitor doubted that it could possibly be so simple for a surrogate mother to just do that without any sorrow. She lobbied show runner Ira Steven Behr to have the scene rewritten, and this led to the great exchange with Odo at the end, where the two bond over having almost been parents -- and the regrets both feel, despite neither having ever wanted a child.

Other observations:

• It's been well established that Captain Sisko loves babies. We get that here for a brief moment, even with the jar of goo.

• Again, spoilers for a few episodes from now... but as I noted recently, the Julian Bashir we're seeing in this stretch of episodes is actually a changeling imposter. Neither writers nor actor Alexander Siddig knew this at the time, but it works out to be fascinating in retrospect. Here, a Founder is sitting on the sidelines as the baby changeling dies. There must truly be nothing that could be done (or else that whole "no changeling ever harms another" thing is even more suspect). He's also taunting Odo about the physical pains that come with being a solid.

• Yes, it's a bit silly that Odo puts the infant in a drinking glass when taking it out in public. But it's all in service of Worf's great joke: "Why are you talking to your beverage?"

• Who is this midwife that just lays into the leader of her planet's government? She gives absolutely zero fucks, and it's subtly great.

The Odo storyline here is strong, even if it does replay some of the same beats of "The Alternate." The juvenile aspects surrounding Kira's childbirth bring the whole down a notch, though. I give "The Begotten" a B overall.