Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — 5x12 — The Begotten

Aired 1997-01-27

SpaceOpera.com rating:5

Average reader rating:6.28

Synopsis

Odo is reunited with one of his own.

Filler rating: not filler

Kira's baby is born in this episode and Odo regains his shapeshifting abilities in this episode.

Remarkable scenes

Quark "haggling" with Odo.
O'Brien's lack of enthusiasm for the delivery ceremony.
Worf: "Constable, why are you talking to your beverage?"
Odo fighting with Dr. Mora.
Dr. Mora: "The first time you did anything like that was when you formed a tentacle to slap my hand from the console." Odo: "I wanted you to stop zapping me."
Shakaar and O'Brien fighting.
Odo being uncharacteristically nice to Quark.
Odo becoming a Changeling again.

Review

This episode is something of a sequel to DS9: The Alternate. Basically Odo vs. Dr. Mora part 2. Fortunately they (finally) resolved their differences. I was disappointed with DS9: The Alternate; Mora and Odo never settled their differences. Fortunately, this episode makes up for all that one's mistakes. The O'Brien / Shakaar / Keiko / Kira plot was rather childish though. Honestly, I didn't care much for it. In the end, this episode serves the necessary purpose of giving Odo back his shapeshifting abilities. What the hell were they thinking when they removed his ability in the first place? I mean, it made for a dramatic season finale / premiere, but when those episodes were all over, we were left with a much less interesting Odo. Well, we had one decent episode dealing with Odo's newfound humanoid nature (DS9: The Ascent), so at least it served a purpose. Still, it seems as though Odo regaining his shapeshifting ability was somewhat rushed because they couldn't figure out how to use it effectively dramatically. Overall, a rather average episode.

4 reader comments

I love the Odo/Mora plot, but the O'Brien baby plot was boring. The only scene even remotely entertaining was the scene where Kira is waiting to deliver, and Miles, Keiko and some Bajoran midwife are playing these ridiculous instruments in order to relax her, and then Miles sneezes -- I guess the writers never get tired of coming up with absurd Bajoran customs.
A better B-plot would have been to have Quark try to take advantage of Odo's preoccupation to do some shady deals on the station, only to have Changeling Odo bust him at the end.
I really liked seeing the nurturing side of Odo, which is something we've only rarely seen in the past.
by John DC | 09/22/2011 at 8:00 pm

I was totally disappointed with the Odo losing his ability thing. And, REALLY disappointed with how he gets it back! Another shapeshifter (a very small and mostly dead one at that) simply merges into him and suddenly all his human organs are gone? No more eating? No more drinking? That's it? I don't know. It felt ridiculously over-the-top.
by Lt. Fitz | 06/29/2012 at 12:47 am

I agree - Odo regaining his shapeshifting WAS rushed ;/
Also, I think Shakaar is a total ass. O'Brien had all the right to see Kira give birth - it was his son after all ;/ and during Kira's pregnancy, the ever-so-busy first minister didn't visit her even once…
by Inga | 02/02/2013 at 7:24 pm

I didn't understand the ending at all.
Did the changeling give its powers to Odo and then die? How? Why? If Dr. Mora had picked it up, would he now be a changeling? Was it sent by the Founders to restore Odo? Or was it random chance? Surely the Founders are aware of the possibility of this happening and would try to stop it. Where's Bashir when you need him to speculate on these bizarre events?
Also I get the need not to deviate from the DS9 "formula" in which one of the characters is a shapeshifter, but I wouldn't have minded a whole season of Odo learning to be human. The writers could have teased us all season, having us ask, "maybe this really is permanent?" The way it turned out got wrapped up a little too neatly.
Oh well, another case of Deus Ex Machina.
by Mandeponium | 08/30/2013 at 4:49 pm