The Forsaken

**** (4 stars out of 5)

An Arbazan, a Vulcan, and a Bolian walk into a bar...

Taxco, Lojal, and Vadosia AKA "The Ambassadors of Unhappy" are the picky, picky thorns in Bashir's side, while Ambassador Troi wanders off and attaches herself to Odo.

Odo was simply doing his job, catching the Dopterian who stole Madame Troi's brooch. But she sees him as: "The thin beige line between order and chaos!"

Taxco has a Cardassian bed with wood poles and gargoyles? And she's complaining? That sounds like the best one! Every other bed we've seen here is a dull grey futon. (Or a bucket.)

Yesterday, O'Brien's archenemy was the station's truculent Cardassian computer, but ever since a probe from the Gamma Quadrant arrived it's been downright helpful. Except if Miles takes breaks or leaves it alone for five seconds. Then it intentionally causes malfunctions to get attention.

Lwaxana is on the prowl for her brave Jello Lawman. Odo is out of his depth in a humanoid romance, and not interested in learning to... plumb... those depths. "Procreation does not require changing how you smell, or writing bad poetry, or sacrificing various plants to serve as tokens of affection."

He tries to make Troi back off. "I am not like you! Every sixteen hours, I turn into a liquid!"

Lwaxana shrugs. "I can swim."

Cardassians are insane! Who builds a high-speed turbolift with no doors? It looks like if you fell against that far wall you'd be minced into shoarma! Although maybe Odo would prefer that to being stuck in it with Lwaxana. She makes it explicit that she made love to her kidnapper Tog back in 'Menage A Troi'. Odo contemplates electrocuting himself rather than hear about it.

She wears him down, and finally Odo opens up to her. He spent his early, lonely years in a lab. He tried to fit in by imitating things at parties. "The life of the party. I hate parties."

Turning to liquid is a private matter to Odo. He doesn't want to be seen doing it. Lwaxana takes her wig off in front of him, tit for tat. When he finally can't help but go soft, she holds him safe in her lap. (Yes, I listen to myself. That's what happened!)

"The Forsaken" has a lot of great comedy lines, a technical breakdown with an clever fix, and a sweet heart. Majel really brightens up this dingy station, and made me see Odo for the first time. I liked him right away, but this was where I first loved that poor shifter.