Romance and familial bonds in “Shadowplay”

Rhonda’s Take on Episode 2.16: “Shadowplay”

If you asked me to describe any Star Trek show, I don’t believe I would think to include “romance,” but this episode reminded me how much romance does exist in the franchise. I’m not talking about the one-episode stands Kirk had in TOS or the cerebral on-again/off-again Imzadi relationship of Riker and Troi (seriously convenient for Riker to playboy around for most of the television series, only to have them be sweet in the movies and then marry them off for fan service in Picard). Deep Space Nine is the series that really allowed for romance⸺the idea of courting and falling into lasting love⸺because relationships did not begin and end in a single episode; they were allowed to slow simmer, flare up, and simmer some more. While there are several romances to come later in the series (yes, dear new watcher, your favorite characters may just find true love), “Shadowplay” is the first dip into romance for Kira Nerys and Vedek Bareil and I love it.

Captain Jim says that they are unequally yoked since she is such an ass kicker and Bareil is the pacifist vedek. I disagree. They are the perfect balance of fire and water elements. (It probably helps that I love both of these characters individually and secretly want to be both!)

Deep Space Nine is the series that really allowed for romance⸺the idea of courting and falling into lasting love⸺because relationships did not begin and end in a single episode; they were allowed to slow simmer, flare up, and simmer some more.

In previous episodes, we’ve been treated to glimmers of the budding romance between Kira and Bareil. Most notably the very naked vision in “The Circle” earlier this season, when Kira has her orb encounter. Then, Kira denied that he was part of her vision; here, she tries to deny her feelings and tries to ignore that Bareil has feelings for her. When he arrives on the station, she says she is “honored” by his visit and we see the pinch of his heart as he says he’d hoped she would be “happy.” She says she is, of course, happy about his visit, but only as she ducks away from his gaze.

We are meant to love Bareil, who is a complicated character: he preaches interpretations of the prophecies that are not the accepted canon, he does not like politics but he will play them when necessary, and he plays springball. My heart did its own happy dance when he corners her into playing a round with him and did another when the follow-up scene has them eating while they flirt over her win. Bareil didn’t really think he would win, that wasn’t the point of the exercise for him, only to spend time with Kira. (Let’s take a moment to appreciate Kira’s awesome warrior’s headband. Sigh.) This leads to their first kiss, which sparks with energy. Of course, these characters being who they are, they continue to talk business while kissing, something Bareil regrets immediately when Kira stops to run off and chastise Quark.

At least we know they return to their business of romance after Kira confronts the “troll” to let him know she cottoned on to his plot to “divert” her from her investigation of Quark’s cousin. Her saunter back to Bareil is classic Kira. Her reaching out to link arms with Bareil is softer than we are used to for Kira, but feels right.

Meanwhile, Sisko has followed up on a seed from last episode where he’s asked O’Brien to mentor Jake in engineering. The story provides another opportunity for us to see the brilliance of a young Cirroc Lofton’s acting. He is polite and tries to stay interested in O’Brien’s lessons, but his eyes glaze over when Miles lists which colors indicate which function of isolinear rods. Thankfully, O’Brien actually gives Jake some good advice about honesty between parents and children. It’s a lovely insight into O’Brien that his father wanted him to be a cello player until Miles ran off to enlist in Starfleet. His father was angry at first, but now expresses pride in him. Ben Sisko is an even wiser father. When Jake admits that he doesn’t want to pursue Starfleet because that is what defines his father and he wants to define himself, Ben doesn’t yell or correct, he immediately expresses understanding and encourages Jake to find something he loves and to do that to the best of his ability. Because Ben gives Jake permission to pursue his own path, Jake doesn’t rebel; in fact, he asks to be dismissed so he can continue studying those isolinear rods.

In parallel to the romance and family dynamics on the station, we follow Odo and Dax to a planet where it turns out one man lives in a holographic world, which presents us another vision of love and family. This story also allows us to deepen our sense of Odo’s interaction with the world. When we first hear he has to question a young girl about the disappearance of her mother, we might suspect we’re in for an uncomfortable interaction like Picard with school children on Picard Day. Instead, Odo says and does all the right things to put the child at ease and to connect with her. Part of this comes from Odo’s lifetime of observing mannerisms of humanoids, but the more important part comes from his childlike soul. As an abandoned child himself, he understands Taya’s sense of feeling lost. 

The episode opens with Dax gossiping a mile-a-minute about a couple who are meant for each other, but who can’t see it. In typical Odo style, he reacts to it from the security chief’s standpoint and says he will have to talk to his officer about her distraction due to the romance. Jadzia corrects him that the point of her story was that people often do not see true love when it is right in front of them. (There is dramatic irony in this discussion that opens the episode that also contains Kira’s romance. I cannot say more for our new watchers, other than to say, You are in for a true love story in seasons to come!)

Once they are on the planet, they discover a settlement where people are vanishing. We know very quickly something is “off” about the inhabitants: the security officer knows about transporters and says he has scanned for signals, yet seems surprised by Odo’s ability to beam away and return and no one in the village has traveled out of the valley. While investigating, Taya tells Odo stories she has heard about the mythological Changelings, which deepens their bond. When Taya’s arm disappears as she follows them, Dax determines that the village is an elaborate holoprogram that has begun to deteriorate. She can fix it, but must shut it down temporarily. The town’s folk acquiesce quickly once their leader says they must. Turns out their leader isn’t a hologram, but real and the creator of the scenario. He created this program to escape when the Dominion invaded his homeworld. He tells our Starfleet officers not to turn it back on because they are not real and it is time for him to let go.

Odo will not hear this. He takes umbrage when Rurigan says they are not alive. We sense that he feels himself in their plight when he argues, “Who says our definition of life is the only one?” He goes on to defend his position by reminding Rurigan that he looked at his “granddaughter” with love and true concern. He ends by saying that he doesn’t know what else she is if not real. Both Odo and Dax argue that the program has been running for 30 years and has gone far beyond its original parameters as characters, like Taya, were born into the program. The episode ends with Odo spinning into a top for Taya: a gift to her for having welcomed him into her family. I can think of no better ending to an episode about the bonds we have with one another.