Jammer's Review
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
"Heart of Stone"
Air date: 2/6/1995
Written by Ira Steven Behr & Robert Hewitt Wolfe
Directed by Alexander Singer
Review by Jamahl Epsicokhan
"No Changeling has ever harmed another."
"There's always a first time."— Female Changeling and Odo
Kira and Odo chase a Maquis criminal to an isolated planet where they track him on foot through rocky caves. Kira gets her foot stuck in a bizarre crystal that begins to envelop her entire body. Now Odo must free her before she faces a rather claustrophobic demise.
Set as a B-story is a lightweight but amiable yarn involving Nog trying to persuade Sisko to recommend him for Starfleet Academy. He says he doesn't want to end up like his father Rom, who has chased fortune his entire life with little success.
Forget the B-story; I won't mention it again. The focus here is another character drama from the pens of Behr and Wolfe. This one supplies some interesting moments but repaves familiar ground already well established this season and without exploring new aspects or taking any real risks.
Kira becomes trapped by the end of the first act. Using phasers instantly proves to be a bad idea as the crystal simply absorbs the energy blast and displays a sudden growth spurt. Odo's next attempt is to use a jerry-rigged device from the Runabout to create sound waves at a frequency that may break down the crystal. Naturally, these things take time, and as the computer analyses the composition of the rocky substance, Odo and Kira find they have little to do but talk.
Since "The Collaborator," we have suspected that Odo has some buried feelings for Kira. In "Fascination," the writers confirmed so, as it ends with a disappointed Odo pondering over his affections for Kira as she (presumably) walks away with Vedek Bareil. She hasn't the slightest clue how Odo feels about her. She considers him a close friend—nothing more. Then, last week, in what now seems to be part of a master plan to develop this whole thread, the writers wrote Bareil out of the show by killing him on the operating table. With "Heart of Stone," they waste no time to delve back into this storyline. The results are mixed—often interesting, but in the end (as I will explain in a moment) fairly meaningless.
On the upside, there's a memorable bit where Odo tells Kira the story about how he got his name. Derived from the Cardassian word "nothing," Odo, initially a misunderstood liquid, was destined to be forever known as nothing, even after everyone learned he was a sentient being. It really makes you feel for the guy, and it's nice to see how far the writers have evolved this character in the past two years.
This whole show, however, basically rides on the outcome resulting from one scene, which goes like this:
Kira: "I want you to get out of here."
Odo: "Don't you understand? I can't!"
Kira: "You have to. Odo, please!"
Odo: "No. I won't leave you."
Kira: "Why?"
Odo: "Because! Because—I'm in love with you."
This scene is wonderfully performed by Auberjonois, who does the job of convincing us that Odo has all of these bottled up emotions that begin exploding out of him. But when Kira returns with "I'm in love with you, too" the scene rings completely false, because from what we've been spoon-fed on this issue for the past five months, Kira considers Odo a close friend and nothing more. Simply put, life isn't that easy. This is not a storyline that is about instant happy endings. It's about unreturned feelings.
Fortunately, the script ultimately nullifies this line, because even Odo doesn't believe it. He suspects that this is not really Kira, because Kira would never lie to him, even in a situation like this. Odo is right, as False Kira morphs into her true self—the still nameless shapeshifter (Salome Jens) who tried to coax Odo into taking his "proper place" as a Founder in "The Search." In fact, the shapeshifter masqueraded as the Maquis terrorist, then kidnapped and stashed Kira away in hope of again luring Odo back to the "Great Link."
Okay, there are some problems here. For starters, this episode uses a twist ending that, once again, undermines the impact on the characters. While it's not a total cheat like in "Search II," it does end up putting us back where we started. Since, in reality, Odo said none of these things to Kira, the writers have allowed themselves to take back everything they proposed in the episode. If the intention here was to confirm all the suspicions we've had about Odo's feelings, it's little more than an exercise in redundancy. I got the point in "Fascination." And in the episode's finale, by having Odo not discuss with the real Kira about what he actually said to the shapeshifter, the writers take the easy way out, burying their heads in the sand while burying the topic without any semblance of closure.
Furthermore, I doubt that the nameless female shapeshifter would go to such lengths to sway Odo into returning to the Gamma Quadrant. It's hard enough to swallow that she could or would impersonate Kira with such alarming accuracy. But the fact that she steals a Maquis ship to get Odo and Kira to chase her to this isolated planet seems entirely contrived in retrospect.
"Heart of Stone" has some good dialogue and engaging moments. Unfortunately, the ungratifying end result takes us no further than where we've already been enough times this season.
Previous episode: Life Support
Next episode: Destiny
Season Index
17 comments on this review
1. What's up with some reviewers who are always whining about plots that are using this method? I think it's a good way to explore some thing, make an impact on one or more of the characters but leaving the others alone, saving them for later. It's not cheating, just smart writing. Why so negative?
2. You complain about Odo not telling Kira about his feelings, to get closer to her, yet in "His Way" you complain exactly about that. So, do you want the together or not? -- Oh, and by the way, the writers knew that they'll have Odo return to his people at the end, so he has to leave something very dear to him behind (they didn't know the title yet, interesting coincidence :)) and what would be better, than his beloved Kira.
3. The changelings (the Founders at least) care a great deal about each other, so it makes sense to try and bring him back. She tries some other things later too.
4. Why is it hard to believe that she'd steal a Maquis ship? She knows Odo very well because she linked with him and knew how he and Kira would react.
5. Again, what's your problem with her portraying Kira so well? I think she got some knowledge from the link and I wouldn't be surprised if she gathered some intel about the too using spies. So, it's not hard to imagine she could parade around as Kira for a short while. And she didn't have to know a lot about her either.
6. She is a founder, a very experienced changeling, so it's no surprise she was able to mimic a humanoid face so well. As we see in later episodes, many changelings are quite good at it. :) Our Odo is just a young kid compared to them.
7. Why are you dismissing the Nog storyline? I think it was good too.
And one more thing, I think Nana Visitor gave a great performance too, not just Rene. ;) It's sad to see you don't mention her often enough. :( You didn't even write about her singing the song Fever. I love that song from Nana. No wonder she was very succesful on the Broadway too.
I'm sorry if my English isn't perfect, I'm from Hungary (it's a lot easier translating from English than actually trying to make sense using this language :)), so it's not my mother tongue.
I also think the Nog B-story deserves a larger mention as the start of one of the most important and transformative character arcs of the entire show.
However, Nog's story was very touching. It was the first time I actually cared for a Ferengi character. I have heard that this is Aaron Eisenberg favorite episode.
Back to the main plot, I think the writers left plenty of clues this wasn't Kira. I said to hubby, "that's not Kira" when I heard her whining about being trapped over the communicators. And the female shapeshifter, not knowing Kira as well as we do, made her a bit too whiny and less abrasive than we are used to from her.
What is significant was how long it took Odo to figure it out. In a way, this was a wish-fulfillment opportunity for Odo. He got to be Kira's White Knight for a short time, until he realized it was all a lie.
While there is no growth for Kira from this ep, Odo still will recall this experience and his character will be informed by it going forward.
I feel for his dilemma. The truth was finally wrenched out of him...and nothing comes of it. He is still waiting and hoping for her to notice him as a man. It's good stuff.
There is one reason why I watch this episode: The Nog storyline which culminates by him shouting: "Because I don't want to end up like my father." Nog steals the entire episode right there. I think this is an episode where the B story overshadows the A story. I have to say that you dismissed the B story far too easily and quickly.
As for the Kira/Odo storyline, there are far better stories involving the two of them.
In my opinion, this would be an episode that I just skip over, kind of like "Without Sin," except for the Nog storyline. I have to say that storyline is what saves this episode.
Not true. They revealed Odo's true feelings for Kira, they can't take that back. Sure, they take back the 'I love you too' from Kira, but then, well that never was Kira, and that's kind of the point of the episode. That the Founder wanted to probe Odo's reasons for not joining the Link, and she thought it was due solely to Kira.
At the end of the episode, the writers have Odo admit to us, as well as to himself, his true feelings for Kira, and that may color/influence his future actions.
"I got the point in "Fascination.""
How? Did you also get the point that Bareil loves Dax, or that Jake loves Kira? Inclinations of love (revealed in Fascination) are not the same as full blooded feelings.
"having Odo not discuss with the real Kira about what he actually said to the shapeshifter, the writers take the easy way out, burying their heads in the sand while burying the topic without any semblance of closure."
That's the point. There is no closure, for us or for Odo, its unresolved on purpose because Odo has yet to resolve it. As someone else pointed out, it makes sense for Odo, a very private person, to not reveal what he said in a moment of unrestrained honesty that he now feels embarassed about. It is a continuing story line/plot device, that will likely crop up again in the future, as Odo struggles with this internal dilemma of unrequited love.
"I doubt that the nameless female shapeshifter would go to such lengths to sway Odo into returning to the Gamma Quadrant."
Why? She's their leader. They are all 'one' in the great link. He is a lost child to ehr, and for all we know their society places great emphasis on togetherness, completeness, wholeness, what have you. No changeling has ever harmed another... their bond is THAT strong, to overcome all personal feelings/greivances to put their collective above all else. Odo may be hugely important to the Changeling society.
I can agree with some parts of most of your reviews, but I think you were unduly critical of this particular episode, especially given the reasons you've outlined.
Perhaps Aron Eisenberg wasn't the greatest actor (he improved tremendously over time) but this is a key turning point in an incredible character arc. I only wish that the writers had been bold enough to make Jake Sisko the "heir" to Quark's bar. He comes from a family of restaurant owners, and a bar is not so far from that. I always thought it would have suited his personality, which was more relaxed. Hoever, perhaps it would not have been dignified enough for the son of the emissary/commander of the station.
As for Odo's confession, it was important. It may have been the first time for him to admit it to himself.
I understand the disappointment over the reset, but it all makes sense, so I don't consider it a cheat. Odo just went through the torture of revealing himself once; he's hardly going to want to repeat the process. Besides, hearing her return his feelings -- and recognizing it as a lie -- may have reminded him that she wasn't ready to hear it. She just watched her lover die, after all. He knows that telling her at this point is going to make her uncomfortable and possibly spoil any future chance they have together. It's one thing to spill his guts when it looks like she might die and it's his last chance, but quite another to do so once they're safe.
Nog's outburst is excellent. After watching the later seasons, it's easy to forget that, at this point, Rom is little more than a toady who gets slapped around regularly by his brother and gets back at him through petty theft. A hard role model for a boy to grow up with, to say the least. When he finally shouts out his reason, it rings completely true.
*Storyline A - Kira & Odo*
You have to remember that, up to this point, the viewer has only seen the Founders once (in 'The Search II'). The viewer has also not yet watched the Kira/Odo saga unfold, so naturally, those more poignant episodes will later take precedence over "Heart of Stone." My sense is that most "critics" of this episode are judging it retrospectively after having seen the entire saga unfold. Let me further explain.
The original intent of this episode, back in 1995, was to give the Female Changling another level of creepiness. It continues to emphasize the Dominion's ability to infiltrate and manipulate the mental psyche of our DS9 heroes (much like in 'The Search II') -- this gives the Dominion yet another tactical advantage BEYOND their immense firepower.
Similarly, up to this point, we've seen strong hints about Odo having feelings for Kira. But he's never *poured* out his emotions like he did in these caves. Credit must be given to Rene Auberjonois; his delivery of "Odo Ital" and professing his love for Kira while slowly falling to the ground was extremely moving.
Critics of this episode tend to also forget that Odo is still at the beginning stages of his self-discovering journey; he is deeply exploring emotions about romance (presumably for the first time), and to have them clash with his newly discovered familial Changling roots must be extremely disheartening (no pun intended).
*Storyline B - Nog*
I hadn't seen "Heart of Stone" in at least a decade. However, after rewatching it last night, it was plesant to rediscover that this episode marks the beginning to Nog's own journey into Starfleet.
The comment from "Sam" above was also poignant; the Nog story was to also show that Sisko is open-minded about structure beyond Starfleet guidelines. Frankly, such an attribute is admirable in any leader - e.g. a company C.E.O. or a parent in a household. Without this open-mindedness, Nog's character growth would have been stunted.
On a side note, my girlfriend (who's seeing DS9 for the first time) mentioned how crazy it is to be observe Jake and Nog's characters both grow up -- not only physically but also emotionally. It's nice to see this type of character development take shape in DS9, even with its "ancillary" characters.
My rating: 3.5 out of 4
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