DS9 Flashback: Behind the Lines

In the first half of the six-episode arc that opened Deep Space Nine's sixth season, the stories told aboard the station revolved largely around Kira. With "Behind the Lines," the focus turned to Odo.

The "leader" of the Changelings arrives at Terok Nor, and all her rocky history with Odo is forgiven. As Odo spends more time with her, his perspective and priorities shift. Soon he's abandoning his friends on the station -- and in their time of greatest need, as Damar announces he's found a way to dismantle the mine field at the wormhole. Meanwhile, Captain Sisko is promoted to a more tactical role under Admiral Ross, with Dax taking command of the Defiant. Sisko must adjust to sending others into battle rather than leading them himself.

Going behind the scenes of "Behind the Lines," this episode of the Dominion War arc was reportedly the toughest to write, with both halves of the story undergoing significant rewrites. This was the episode where "Odo turns bad," and the writers had a tough time getting there believably. The original story in fact had Odo arresting Rom himself, fully turning on his friends. Odo's treachery was wisely rewritten to be a result of inaction rather than action.

While I think the final version does mostly work, not everyone involved in making the episode was on the same page about it. The Changeling Leader seems quite manipulative here, though actress Salome Jens once noted in an interview that she didn't even realize her character was a villain in her prior appearances. She's rather explicitly using sex to coerce (director LeVar Burton: "She was seducing him. Straight up. Plain and simple."), even though staff writer Hans Beimler claimed the Link between changelings is intimate but not sexual.

In any case, we do get some insight into the Changeling mindset -- the Great Link seems like an enormous feedback loop that has amplified xenophobia for centuries. Whether the Leader really is being truthful with Odo or not, it's clear that he's but a child compared to her. He's easily influenced (and yes, perhaps easily duped). But Odo and Kira are at odds even before the Leader arrives, with Kira pushing acts of resistance more brazenly than Odo is comfortable with. At any other moment, Kira would probably win a "choose them or me" contest for Odo's loyalty, but not at this moment.

Whether you believe Odo's descent or not, there are plenty of other great scenes aboard the station. Weyoun and Dukat smiling for their troops is both funny and illustrative of their characters -- Weyoun is great at it, while Dukat is not. The brinksmanship between the two as they interact with the Changeling Leader is also a lot of fun. Meanwhile, Quark's conscience expands again, and he funnels key information to the resistance as a result. And once you know where Damar's character goes in the series long term, you might perceive that his conscience is bothering him here too. He might be a raging alcoholic... or he might be drinking to dull his guilt. Plus, the climax of this story line is well executed suspense, with Kira just missing her ticking clock to save Rom when she's distracted by Damar.

Because the writers wanted greater emphasis on the station story line in this episode, the B plot also went through several rewrites. A first draft about Sisko ordering inexperienced forces into battle was replaced with a second draft about Dax discovering a lust for combat when she takes charge of the Defiant. Finally, it was all scaled back to a low key story about Sisko learning to let go.

Since this is about Sisko -- and presumably to save budget for the massive battle planned at the end of this story arc -- we don't actually go on the mission with the Defiant. This isn't about the action, it's about the waiting behind and not being in the action. The moments we see are informed by moments we don't see: that Nog has found a way to get liquor in a crisis; or that over many battles, Sisko has developed a ritual with the Defiant crew that Dax will now carry on without him; or that Ross feels like he has a living, breathing past more real than that of any previous admirals we've met on the series.

Other observation:

• Just this: it might have been nice to have one more episode at this point in the arc. Though it makes sense to follow Sisko in this episode, it would have been good to see a Defiant mission with Dax in command. Similarly, I think there could have been a story somewhere in Kira having to actually continue the resistance with Jake and Quark, having nowhere else to turn to.

I give "Behind the Lines" a B+. It does a nice job setting up the two-part conclusion of the larger story arc.