The Forsaken (DS9 S1 E17)

The Forsaken (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (DS9), S1 E17) was recommended by Rugger (They/them), who said: The Forsaken has its problems as an episode, including that Troi's advances are uncomfortable to watch.

But in all of Trek, there is no more emotionally raw, powerful, and moving scene than in The Forsaken. Odo and Lwaxwana are stuck in the elevator, and Odo has to revert into his natural liquid state—and he has to trust Lwaxana to do it.

This is Trek at its best: taking something fundamentally alien and using it to humanize a character. Almost every other time an alien evokes such pathos, they are being human—as Kirk says of Spock, "he was the most human."

Odo's character arc is one of the best in Trek, and this episode starts it off with the most unique, iconic, and moving scene that I can think of in all sci-fi, while also developing a a character who was previously only comedic relief.

The Forsaken first aired on January 18, 1993, written by story by Jim Trombetta, teleplay by Don Carlos Dunaway and Michael Piller, and directed by Les Landau

The Federation ambassador from Betazed, Lwaxana Troi, visits the station, and develops an affection for Odo. Meanwhile, data from a mysterious Gamma Quadrant probe causes system failures on DS9.

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