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Star Trek – The Changeling (Review)

The first Star Trek pilot, The Cage , was produced in 1964. To celebrate its fiftieth anniversary, this December we are reviewing the second season of the original Star Trek show. You can check out our first season reviews here . Check back daily for the latest review.

The Changeling , an episode so good that they made it twice.

Sarcasm aside, The Changeling is mostly interesting for reasons outside the episode itself. It is the first contribution from John Meredyth Lucas, who would become the show’s producer towards the end of the season. Lucas took over from Gene L. Coon and is notable for being the first production staff member on Star Trek to direct an episode from his own script, with Elaan of Troyius in the show’s troubled third season. The Changeling arguably had an even bigger influence on the franchise, serving as a template for the first feature film.

Probing problems…

Okay,  “template” may be a slight exaggeration. However, you can definitely feel the influence of The Changeling on Star Trek: The Motion Picture . However, that may simply be because the script to The Changeling hits quite heavily on some of Gene Roddenberry’s pet themes. It has a villainous robot outwitted by emotional humans, Kirk besting a god-like entity, and larger philosophical questions about religion and theology.

Even outside of the themes that resonate specifically with Roddenberry, The Changeling hits on a variety of other classic Star Trek tropes – from a threat leaving nothing but dead star systems in its wake through to an abundance of dead red shirts. There’s an argument to be made that The Changeling is one of the most archetypal Star Trek episode. If you were to bake a  Star Trek episode from a stock list of ingredients, it would look a lot like this. For better or worse.

Melding metal…

There are a lot of good ideas here. Star Trek is a show that had a wonderful capacity to tackle big ideas within the framework of admittedly cheesy science-fiction. The idea of a robot on a visible string voiced by the control voice from The Outer Limits looking for God and the reason for existence while torturing Kirk and his crew seems to hit that cross-section pretty much perfectly. (See also: Mirror, Mirror , an episode that balances a cautionary tale about totalitarianism with goatees and evil sexy costume changes.)

The Changeling concerns Nomad, a wandering space proud sent out into the wider universe by humanity in the late twentieth century. While out there, it collided with “the other” , an unknown entity that scrambled its circuity while imbuing it with awesome power. As a result, Nomad has taken to wandering the cosmos, wiping out entire solar systems because they do not conform to its idea of perfection.

“Your line readings are a little robotic today…”

This plot set-up is interesting on a number of levels. It’s another firm rejection of utopianism. Although Roddenberry would try to turn the Federation into a utopia in The Motion Picture and the early years of Star Trek: The Next Generation , it’s quite clear that Star Trek itself rejected this train of thought. Over the course of the series, Kirk rejected the idea of a utopia in various forms – whether the totalitarian oppression in Return of the Archons or The Apple , or the idleness of This Side of Paradise .

In many ways, Nomad’s quest reinforces this rejection of utopia. Nomad is no longer seeking information for the purpose of expanding its knowledge or broadening its range of experience. Instead, Nomad is seeking perfection. Nothing on its journey measures up to perfection. Indeed, although Nomad has set a course for Earth, Kirk and his crew know for a fact that their home planet will not meet the standards of “perfection” set by Nomad.

“Well, if we kept Scotty in this shirt long enough, it was bound to happen…”

The Changeling explicitly compares Nomad to the crew of the Enterprise. Exploring the back story of the probe, Doctor McCoy notes, “It was supposed to be the first interstellar probe to seek new life-forms.” Given that Kirk explicitly acknowledges that the Enterprise’s mission is  “to seek out new life-forms and new civilisations” at the start of  every single episode , it seems like The Changeling invites the comparison.

However, while Nomad may have began with the same mission as the Enterprise, it deviated along the way. “Somehow that programming has been changed,” Spock reflects. “It would seem that Nomad is now seeking out perfect life-forms, perfection being measured by its own relentless logic.” In some respects then, Nomad could be read as a cautionary tale – a reminder that the Enterprise is out there to explore other worlds, not to measure them or to grade them or to rank them.

Testing Kirk’s metal…

After all, Nomad is corrupted by its encounter with a strange alien force identified only as “the other.” Spock explicitly acknowledges “the other” as an imperialist force – using exploration only as a means to that end. “The other was originally programmed to secure and sterilise soil samples from other planets,” he tells Kirk and McCoy, “probably as a prelude to colonisation.” This suggests that the Enterprise does not see its own space exploration as colonial in nature – “the other” is but a twisted reflection.

It’s also interesting to note that Nomad poses a direct threat to Earth itself. This would seem to be the first time that the crew of the Enterprise has encountered an adversary heading straight towards Earth. While the planet-eater in The Doomsday Machine had charted a course “through the most densely populated section of our galaxy” , the episode had left it somewhat ambiguous as to whether the organism was heading towards Earth.

“We really should have a procedure in place to deal with this sort of situation…”

This is an interesting twist of itself. Star Trek is a show that has been fascinated with exploring outwards, pushing further ahead – after all, there are lots of strange new worlds to visit. However, the second season has seen the ship pulling back a bit from the edge of known space, operating less on the fringes and spending more time developing the wider universe, building on the characters we already know.

Amok Time and Journey to Babel take the Enterprise to Vulcan, Spock’s home planet. Friday’s Child sees McCoy returning to Capella IV. The Doomsday Machine sees the crew encountering a sister ship. Mirror, Mirror offers dark counterparts to our crew.  I, Mudd marks the reappearance of the show’s only recurring guest star outside of the ship’s crew. It seems the Enterprise is spending more time in familiar spaces this season, as interested in building up the world around our characters as it is in confronting them with new ones.

Into darkness…

When the Enterprise last encountered pieces of Earth’s history – Khan Noonien Singh in Space Seed or Apollo in Who Mourns for Adonais? – it occurred because the Enterprise had pushed out further ahead and effectively overtaken those other outward-bound travellers. The Botany Bay was moving slower, and Apollo had settled down to retire. Here, however, the Enterprise encounters a piece of Earth’s history on the way back home.

Star Trek was so fixated on outward exploration that viewers would not catch a glimpse of twenty-third century Earth until The Motion Picture – when another probe with delusions of godhood decided to return home. Indeed, the Enterprise crew made several visits to Earth’s history (in episodes like Tomorrow is Yesterday , The City on the Edge of Forever or Assignment: Earth ), but no trips to their own version of Earth. The spin-offs and feature films visited Earth more frequently, with Star Trek: Voyager making it the point of the show.

Where Nomad has gone before…

These are all interesting elements of  The Changeling , but the episode feels a little overly familiar. There’s a sense that the show has covered a lot of this ground before, and will do so again. A massive interstellar threat destroying whole star systems? That’s a stock plot ingredient, from shows like Operation — Annihilate! , The Doomsday Machine or The Immunity Syndrome . Nomad’s questions of religion evoke other Star Trek plots that blend technology and religion, like Return of the Archons or The Apple .

The Changeling feels like more of a riff on classic Star Trek tropes than an episode of itself. An evil computer Kirk reasons to death? It’s been done – in episodes like What Are Little Girls Made Of? or I, Mudd . It is such a standard operating procedure that  “using logic to defeat an evil computer” was only one small part of the climax to Wolf in the Fold . Even the episode seems a little repetitive itself, as Nomad wastes two separate pairs of red shirts at different point. (Nomad is so enamoured with killing red shirts that even Scotty and Uhura aren’t safe.)

“Thank goodness we won’t have to do this again for at least another decade…”

Gene L. Coon’s stewardship of Star Trek was one of the most intriguing and consistent periods of production. Coon oversaw any number of genuine classics, and more than a few episodes that are more interesting than their flaws might suggest. He is – along with D.C. Fontana – one of the unheralded Star Trek legends. Coon is a creative force that shaped the franchise as we know it only to wind up largely overlooked and ignored.

However, it does seem that Coon had his blind spots. In particular, Coon seemed quite fond of recycling familiar elements into his scripts. There are several instances during Coon’s tenure where the production team pressed ahead with a story that bore uncanny similarity to another from earlier in the show’s lifecycle. This is the second of three consecutive episodes where Kirk has to deal with an insane computer. The next episode, The Apple , feels like Return of the Archons with added biblical imagery.

“Uhura is correct, this is surprisingly comfortable…”

There’s a reasonable argument to be made that The Changeling is more of a Star Trek mixtape than an engaging episode in its own right. As such, it makes a great deal of sense that The Motion Picture would feature a very similar plot. John Meredyth Lucas acknowledged the similarities himself in an interview with Starlog :

“The plot, of course, I recognized,” Lucas laughs. “If anything, the film proved that it’s a little hard to sustain that plot for a full movie. God knows that our effects were pretty damn good then, but are primitive today.”

This is an episode that checks all the expected boxes for a particular type of Star Trek . This is big idea-driven Star Trek , a demonstration of the franchise’s lofty science-fiction aspirations.

Everything is askew…

The problem with The Changeling – and the problem with The Motion Picture – is a sense that show doesn’t know what to do outside of a pretty catchy premise. A machine looking for God is a great high-concept story hook. A machine that has confused Kirk with God should be a launchpad to a more interesting story. However, The Changeling feels surprisingly lifeless. Once The Changeling has played those two (admittedly brilliant) cards, it has nowhere to go.

Nomad seems to spend most of the episode just wandering around the Enterprise causing trouble that nobody seems too worried about. It wipes Uhura’s memory, but she gets better. It kills Scotty, but he gets better. It kills anonymous security guards… and then kills more anonymous security guards. Nobody seems too bothered. Nomad floats around like it owns the ship, but there’s no palpable sense of dread as it moves, or no sense of mechanical horror to its actions.

“Don’t worry, I’m sure these two anonymous red shirts will deal with the problem…”

These problems are best illustrated during Nomad’s visit to Engineering. The probe has already killed and revived Scotty. It has murdered several crew members without so much as a second thought. The probe’s arrival should be a horrific moment. Instead, Scotty scolds the probe as if it were a misbehaving child, rather than an entity that killed him and resurrected him. “What are you doing here?” he asks. As the probe nears a vital control, he instructs, “Leave that alone.” It’s not a genocidal robot with a god complex. It’s a very naughty boy.

There is something inherently absurd about the way that Nomad moves through the ship – taking the tubolift and waiting for the doors to open – to the point where it seems like it should be whistling to itself or something. There’s nothing wrong with the design of the probe itself – which is typically impressive and in keeping the style of the show – but more to do with the way the script was Nomad wandering seemingly randomly around the ship for most of the episode.

“… if not, these two certainly will.”

And then there’s the show’s “subplot” Uhura. The supporting cast on Star Trek never really got much to do. The show was largely driven by Kirk and McCoy, with McCoy occasionally getting in on the action. It’s telling that it’s easier to think of “moments” featuring the supporting cast over the show’s three year run than it is to think about “a Sulu episode” or “a Scotty episode.”  It is quite fair to argue that Star Trek only truly became a functioning ensemble with Star Trek III: The Search for Spock , which went out of its way to give most of the cast stuff to do.

This is why the amount of exposure these minor characters was such a big deal – why Nichelle Nichols and George Takei resented Shatner’s screen-hogging and line-stealing , and why Shatner could respond by suggesting their characters never had anything worth stealing. ( “They didn’t have great scenes. They didn’t have good lines. There was nothing to nick.” ) Indeed, when Walter Koenig joined the cast at the start of the second season, George Takei was originally resentful of another member of the cast competing for the limited spotlight afforded ensemble players .

Tonight, on All My Circuits…

To be fair, this was largely the style of television at the time. True ensembles were rare, and Star Trek was a show that put its leading actors in the opening credit. William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy (and, to a lesser extent, DeForest Kelley) were the literal stars of the show. Everybody else was along for the ride. When an actor like Nichelle Nichols or George Takei was unavailable, their character simply did not show up in the script. Uhura’s nature as a day player is alluded to in The Doomsday Machine , when her plot function is taken by a random and anonymous female character.

This is a perfectly understandable production reality – it’s not as if Star Trek was the worst offender on broadcast television. The other spin-offs may have felt more like ensemble pieces, but Star Trek was a product of its time. The problem isn’t so much these realities. The problem is the way that discussions of the show frequently gloss over these legitimate concerns in order to make Star Trek seem like a uniformly progressive piece of television. It was an inspirational and progressive television show in some ways, but the series had massive weaknesses and blind spots that need to be acknowledged.

Take it as read…

The second season did at least make an attempt to spread the love among the supporting cast. Although Kirk and Spock were never far from the spotlight, some of the episodes of the second season would make a point to draw in the secondary players. Wolf in the Fold saw Scotty accused of murder. Friday’s Child featured McCoy rather heavily. The Apple gives some spotlight to Chekov. Kirk remains the driving force in these plots – even McCoy is left out of the climactic confrontation in Friday’s Child – but it is a nice gesture.

So it makes sense that The Changeling should offer viewers a subplot focusing on Uhura. In many ways, Uhura is the least-developed member of the ensemble. Sulu is established as a botanist and an adventurer. Chekov is an enthusiastic young Russian nationalist. Scotty is a very wry engineer who considers the engine room to be his fiefdom. In contrast… Uhura sings. Uhura’s recreational activities involve singing, and that is only because Nichelle Nichols has a lovely voice.

“Try to out-act me, eh?”

That is pretty much the only thing that we know about Uhura as a character. Her first name would not be uttered on screen until the JJ Abrams reboot, when she replaced McCoy as a member of the leading trio. While it does mean that McCoy’s role has been somewhat been diminished in the new films, it does a lot to make Uhura a more rounded and developed character. While a portion of that character development comes from her relationship with Spock, it is still more development than Uhura received over the course of the original Star Trek .

However, Uhura’s plot in The Changeling is just terrible. Nomad hears her singing, and decides to wipe her brain, because the probe’s ability to transfer memories seems to have a “cut” function, but no “copy” command. As a result, Uhura’s mind is wiped. She is set back to “zero.” Uhura can utter a few sentences of Swahili, but has no lingering personality or memory or history. She is taken to sick bay, where she begins the painful process of re-assimilation.

“Where is my mind?”

Except, of course, she doesn’t. Uhura is taught to read. She is apparently a quick study. By the end of the episode, McCoy informs Kirk that Uhura’s re-education has already reached “college level.” He assures Kirk, “She’ll be back on the job within a week.” There are several very serious problems with this particular plot thread. These problems are both problems of plot logic and of character development – suggesting some uncomfortable truths about how the show actually sees Uhura. (The fact that this plto thread is resolved in a throwaway line from McCoy rather than a scene with Uhura is troubling of itself.)

Most superficially, it seems to reinforce the uncomfortable suggestion that Uhura really does serve as little more than a glorified receptionist, taking and holding Kirk’s calls. To be able to go from “complete memory wipe” to “back at work” in a week suggests that the work is not too hard. It’s hard to imagine that Kirk or Spock or McCoy could re-learn everything they needed to do their jobs within a week, but Uhura’s plot functions are so generic and so basic that she can manage it

“Lighten up…”

More that that, though, the episode completely glosses over the implications of the memory wipe. Nomad forcibly wiped Uhura’s memory. That is Uhura’s entire life. It is any memory of her parents and her home life lost forever. Uhura cannot remember her childhood, her first love, her college education, her love of music, her time in the service. When she next meets an old friend, she will have no frame of reference for the conversation. Anything Uhura did not jot down in a diary is lost forever.

However, The Changeling captures none of that. McCoy never once suggests that Nomad has effectively murdered their friend – that the Uhura anybody knows is effectively dead, and a “new” Uhura has been born in her body. Instead, Uhura’s recovery is measured explicitly in terms of her ability to do her job. There’s a clear implication that Uhura’s life doesn’t exist outside her ability to perform tasks like reading and writing and opening hailing frequencies. There’s no suggestion of counselling or therapy.

Systems failure…

Let’s talk about Uhura for a moment. As a character, she’s very shallow and very poorly-defined. However, Uhura has been swept up in the mythologising of Star Trek . She is a character who has, in hindsight and in the context of the sixties, to the point where she seems monumentally important to those with even the most casual fan of Star Trek . Much as Roddenberry has done with Star Trek itself, Nichelle Nichols has worked hard to build up the legend around the character.

Uhura has been credited as being the “first major black female TV role” and being part of the “first interracial kiss.” These have become as much a part of the show’s history that they are hardly questioned or interrogated. Fans are eager to give Star Trek plaudits for trailblazing and for being ahead of the times. There are certain segments of television fans who will claim that  Star Trek: The Next Generation pioneered the idea of the season-ending crossover, glossing over the existence of  Cheers and  Dallas .

Nomad’s gone mad…

Uhura’s importance tends to get somewhat over-played. Never mind that Uhura was ultimately more of a recurring guest star than a “major role” on the show, or that there had been major black female characters black female characters on television since the fifties, albeit in roles informed by the racism of the times . Indeed, the sixties were a hotbed for significant black characters who tend to get somewhat overshadowed by Uhura – Bill Cosby’s work on I, Spy a year before The Man Trap aired, or Diahann Carroll in Julia contemporaneously with the second season.

Even the famed “first interracial kiss” is something of an exaggeration. After all, Bill Cosby had kissed a Japanese woman in an early episode of I, Spy . It isn’t even a first within the context of Star Trek itself, as William Shatner had kissed French/Vietnamese actress France Nuyen in Elaan of Troyius , an episode produced before (but aired after) Plato’s Stepchildren . This ignores the passionate embrace between Ricardo Montalban and Madlyn Rhue in Space Seed from the first season.

A gesture of good faith…

This isn’t to undermine the importance of Uhura as an influence. Indeed, Whoopi Goldberg has talked about her enthusiastic response to seeing Nichelle Nichols on the television screen . Many African American women in science and technology have acknowledged that Uhura inspired them . Nichelle Nichols was hired by NASA to help them recruit women and minorities , which shouldn’t be a surprise – Mae Jamison, the first black female astronaut, has cited Uhura as a strong influence .

Uhura was an important and inspirational figure, but it is very easy to get swept up in the hype – it allows classic Star Trek to coast by with a reputation that it doesn’t entirely deserve. As much as the show likes to take credit for featuring a diverse ensemble, the series never did that much with the characters in question. Describing Uhura as a major character pays due respect to the place she holds in the hearts of many people, but it also paints a picture of Star Trek that is misleading and disingenuous.

Does not scan…

Perhaps George Takei himself best expresses this sentiment. In his autobiography, To the Stars , he reflects on his own struggles with his place in the larger Star Trek mythos:

I was proud to be a part of it. But I wanted to be prouder; I wanted Sulu to be doing more. My ship may have been moving steady at warp three, but I wanted to do more than merely announce that fact.

The same is true of Uhura. It’s one of the weaknesses in classic Star Trek , and one that might be excusable as a product of its time, if the series had not worked so relentless to build up its own reputation as a trailblazer.

“Don’t worry, Uhura, I’m sure the franchise’ll figure out how to write a communications officer eventually…”

There is a tendency to build a hype around Star Trek , one facilitated by Gene Roddenberry. Roddenberry after all, also claimed that he was proud of diversity on Star Trek , and created a narrative where he fought the network to preserve his idealistic vision. This version of events is so well reported that is largely accepted . In fact, the diversity was largely down to NBC :

There were many negotiations with NBC about the diversity of casting. Roddenberry had wanted a female first officer, which the network did not accept according to Solow in our interview, partly because Majel Barrett (later to be Nurse Chapel in TOS, and Lwaxana Troi in TNG, as well as the second Mrs. Roddenberry) did not work in the part. Nevertheless, NBC had a policy of encouraging a degree of diversity from which TOS benefited. The series still looks exceptional in the multiculturalism of its cast. In May 1965, NBC’s Mort Werner had sent out a directive to all network series producers to hire more actors from diverse racial backgrounds; the regular Star Trek crew had African American Nichelle Nichols,Japanese American George Takei, Walter Koenig as the Russian Chekov, and of course, Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock, the Vulcan, providing a regular commentary on the nature of otherness that was to become a major theme in all the series and movies and the subject of a still-proliferating flow of scholarly comment.

Although Roddenberry likes to point to the removal of Majel Barrett as an example of the short-sighted network thwarting his utopian vision, the studio seemed unhappy with the hiring of Roddenberry’s mistress for a major role in the series. It is worth noting that Nichelle Nichols was also having an affair with Roddenberry when she was cast as Uhura.

“Tell Uhura not to worry, we’ve got an anonymous extra filling in for her…”

Uhura’s plot is just a small part of The Changeling , but it remains the most significant episode of the series from Uhura’s perspective. Sadly, that is a rather damning indictment.

You might be interested in our other reviews from the second season of the classic Star Trek :

• Supplemental: (Gold Key) #1 – The Planet of No Return!
• Supplemental: (Marvel Comics, 1980) #4-5 – The Haunting of Thallus!/The Haunting of the Enterprise!
• Metamorphosis
• Friday’s Child
• Who Mourns for Adonais?
• Supplemental: Spock’s World by Diane Duane
• Supplemental: New Visions #3 – Cry Vengeance
• Wolf in the Fold
• The Changeling
• Supplemental: (DC Comics, 1984) #43-45 – The Return of the Serpent!
• Supplemental: (IDW, 2009) #13 – The Red Shirt’s Tale
• Supplemental: Deep Space Nine – Crossover
• Supplemental: New Visions #1 – The Mirror, Cracked
• Supplemental: (DC Comics, 1984) #9-16 – New Frontiers (The Mirror Universe Saga)
• Supplemental: Mirror Images
• Supplemental: Mirror Universe – The Sorrows of Empire by David Mack
• Supplemental: (IDW, 2009) #15-16 – Mirrored
• The Deadly Years
• Supplemental: (Gold Key) #61 – Operation Con Game
• Supplemental: (DC Comics, 1984) #39-40 – The Return of Mudd
• Supplemental: The Galactic Whirlpool by David Gerrold
• Supplemental: Alien Spotlight – Tribbles
• Bread and Circuses
• Journey to Babel
• A Private Little War
• The Gamesters of Triskelion
• The Immunity Syndrome
• A Piece of the Action
• By Any Other Name
• Return to Tomorrow
• Patterns of Force
• The Ultimate Computer
• The Omega Glory
• Supplemental: Assignment: Eternity by Greg Cox
• Supplemental: (DC Comics, 1989) #49-50 – The Peacekeepers
• Supplemental: (IDW, 2008) Assignment: Earth

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Filed under: The Original Series | Tagged: bill crosby , characters , divinity , ensemble , Gene L. Coon , gene roddenberry , i spy , john meredyth lucas , Nichelle Nichols , nomad , progressive , racism , religion , star trek , Star Trek: The Motion Picture , supporting cast , the changeling , the motion picture , tos , Uhura |

4 Responses

Cool. I really enjoy your thoughtful reviews. Question: Do you know if any of the novels or other expanded universe material ever followed up on Uhura’s dangling plot thread from this episode? I’ve always assumed that somehow those memories got restored (because seriously, none of her subsequent appearances make much sense if that isn’t true), but we’re never told how. It seems like an obvious basis for a new story, but I’ve never heard of anyone doing it.

I am afraid I don’t know. But I can understand not wanting to touch that plot point with a ten-foot pole.

I’m not sure I agree that Uhura’s value was reduced to that of the help and her personhood was ignored. Yes, it seemed Nomad put her brain in a developmental state below that of a new born baby’s, but why were they able to get her up to the college level before the credits even rolled while a baby needs 2 decades to progress that far? And remember how she instinctively reverted to Swahili? It seems me that this wasn’t a matter of her brain being reformatted but just all her files being deleted and McCoy’s job was to painstakingly undelete them (the most demeaning aspect of that being that her brain has a file system as primitive as FAT) and at the end of all that, they’d have *all* of Uhura again.

Also, I don’t see this episode as being just more of the tired Humanism you see in all those other episodes (which includes more than just the Apple and the Archons). It could apply to religion, but it seems to go beyond that to anyone concerned w/perfection and the price paid for it, like in Way to Eden.

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The Changeling

Cast & Crew

• LaKeith Stanfield as
• Clark Backo as
• Adina Porter as
• Samuel T. Herring as
• Malcolm Barrett as
• Alexis Louder as
• Jared Abrahamson as
• Kelly Marcel
• Melina Matsoukas
• Jonathan van Tulleken
• Dana Gonzales
• Khaliah Neal
• LaKeith Stanfield
• Victor LaValle
• David Knoller
• Megan Ellison
• Patrick Chu
• David Wolkis

• The Original Series
• The Next Generation
• Deep Space Nine
• Strange New Worlds

Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 2

People of earth.

The Changeling

In “The Changeling,” the crew of the USS Enterprise embarks on a mission to investigate a nearby space anomaly. Upon arriving, they discover a huge, ancient mechanical probe of unknown origins. After a brief investigation, the crew soon realizes that the probe is a living being – an alien entity known as “The Changeling” that is on a mission to search for its long lost creator.

The Changeling is a powerful and sentient machine, far more advanced than anything the Federation has encountered before. Its powerful sensors and amazing capabilities have caused it to mistakenly believe that it is looking for a creator, a “father” figure. As it searches, it sends out a powerful, high-energy signal that could potentially be detected by other advanced species in the galaxy, potentially inviting danger and destruction to the Federation.

The crew of the Enterprise is tasked with deactivating the Changeling, as well as tracking down its creator. The crew soon discovers that the Changeling was, in fact, created by a long-lost race of aliens known as the Iconians. The Iconians were a highly advanced and powerful species, capable of interstellar travel and advanced technology. However, they were wiped out centuries ago in an unknown disaster.

The crew of the Enterprise soon discovers that the Changeling is not only looking for its long-lost creator, but it is also attempting to recreate the entire Iconian race. It has the capability to create clones of its creator, as well as powerful weapons and other advanced technology. The crew quickly realizes that if the Changeling succeeds in its mission, it could potentially wipe out entire civilizations in its attempt to recreate the Iconian race.

To protect the Federation, the crew of the Enterprise must track down the Changeling’s creator, hoping to discover the secrets of the Iconian civilization and prevent the Changeling from creating a new Iconian race. With the help of the USS Constellation, the crew of the Enterprise is able to locate the location of the Changeling’s creator, now living on a distant planet.

Upon arriving on the planet, the crew of the Enterprise discovers that the Changeling’s creator is a powerful and ancient being known as the Guardian of Forever. The Guardian reveals that the Changeling was created as a way to preserve the Iconian culture and knowledge, as the Iconian race was wiped out centuries ago. He also reveals that the Changeling was sent out to search for new civilizations, in order to spread the knowledge and culture of the Iconians.

Realizing the danger posed by the Changeling, the crew of the Enterprise must devise a plan to deactivate it. With the help of the Guardian, they are able to access the Changeling’s programming and reprogram it to search for a new purpose: to seek out new civilizations and spread the knowledge and culture of the Iconians without the threat of destruction.

With The Changeling deactivated, the crew of the Enterprise is able to return to the Federation and report their success. While the mission is a success, they are left with the question of what to do with the Changeling’s new purpose: to spread the knowledge and culture of the Iconians. In their journey to answer this question, the crew of the Enterprise will discover the true depths of the Iconian civilization.

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The Changeling Cast: Where You've Seen The Stars Of Apple TV+'s Sci-Fi Series

We would not "change" a single member of this cast.

People say they would be willing to go to the ends of the Earth to keep their family safe, but LaKeith Stanfield ’s character is forced to go even farther than that in the Apple TV+ original series , The Changeling . Not to be confused with George C. Scott's 1980 haunted house film of the same name, this bizarre horror-fantasy series is an adaptation of the award-winning 2017 novel from author Victor LaVelle, with Terra Nova creator Kelly Marcel handling the adaptation.

The twisted, heart-wrenching, and visually arresting odyssey will be told across eight episodes from the point of view of the desperate husband and father played by the aforementioned Atlanta vet. Stanfield's role, and the actor's previous career achievements, will be the base camp for the following breakdown of who's playing who among The Changeling 's cast, and where else you may recognize them from.

LaKeith Stanfield (Apollo)

Leading Apple TV+’s The Changeling cast as Apollo — an ordinary man forced to take extraordinary measures after his wife and son go missing — is executive producer LaKeith Stanfield . The actor is already no stranger to the horror genre, from his small appearance in one of the Purge movies ( Anarchy ) to his memorable supporting role in Get Out to arguably, the best episode of Atlanta (and undeniably the scariest), “Teddy Perkins.” Not to mention his most recent big-screen starring role as part of Disney’s Haunted Mansion cast . 

Since debuting in 2013’s Short Term 12 , Stanfield would go on to be recognized as an exciting and versatile talent for roles in movies like 2018’s surreal satire Sorry to Bother You, the great A24 drama Uncut Gems , and his Oscar-nominated performance as a real-life Black Panther Party infiltrator in Judas and the Black Messiah . He is reuniting with his The Harder They Fall director, Jeymes Samuel, to play the title role of the upcoming 2024 movie , The Book of Clarence .

Clark Backo (Emma)

Playing Apollo’s wife, Emma, is Montreal-born actor Clark Backo, who also has a few notable horror credits under her belt. She had a guest spot on the early Netflix horror series Hemlock Grove, a recurring role alongside the Supernatural cast , and she also starred in the Shudder original horror movie Random Acts of Violence , opposite star, director, and fellow Canadian Jay Baruchel .

The latter slasher was not the first time she shared a credit with one of her fellow Letterkenny cast members, either, having also landed a recurring role opposite Mrs. McMurray actor Melanie Scrofano on Wynonna Earp ; she also guested alongside the Handmaid’s Tale cast , just like Lisa Codrington (Gail) did. Backo also recently appeared on one of the best Max original TV shows , Station Eleven , and in the Amazon Prime original rom-com, I Want You Back .

Adina Porter (Lillian)

Adina Porter’s experience with horror dates back to when she played Lettie Mae Thornton in HBO’s True Blood cast . Of course, her most notable contribution as of late is her multiple seasons on FX's American Horror Story — she earned an Emmy nomination for her role in the seventh season, subtitled Cult .

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In her 30-plus-year career, Porter has definitely explored a variety of other genres, from sci-fi as part of The CW’s The 100 cast, to crime with recurring roles on Ray Donovan and Netflix’s Outer Banks , and fantasy with Amazon Prime originals, Paper Girls and The Power . Some of her more grounded dramatic work includes HBO’s The Newsroom , WGN’s historical drama Underground , Apple TV+'s critical darling The Morning Show . 

Jared Abrahamson (Brian West)

Another Letterkenny veteran in the Changeling cast is Jared Abrahamson, who has appeared on the Canadian-based Hulu TV comedy on several occasions as the hyper-patriotic American Jake, one of many characters who could lead their own spin-offs . A Canadian in real-life, the actor also has plenty of experience with horror, including a couple of episodes of Fear the Walking Dead , the Bella Thorne-led home invasion thriller Keep Watching , and most recently, the 2023 Shudder original Bad Things .

Abrahamson is also known for 2012’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days, the MTV dramedy Awkward. , and leading the dark 2016 sports drama Hello Destroyer . He also played one of lead roles of the 2018 docu-drama, American Animals , had a starring role in the Netflix sci-fi series, Travelers , and had a recurring role on another Hulu comedy, Ramy .

Alexis Louder (Young Lillian)

Playing a younger version of Adina Porter’s character Lillian is Alexis Louder, who has led a very impressive career since landing a small, nameless role in 2018’s Oscar-winning superhero flick, Black Panther . She appeared in the 2019 biopic, Harriet , had an important role in HBO’s small-screen iteration of Watchmen , and led the intense Netflix original short, Weathering .

Louder has also starred in two hit Amazon originals opposite Chris Pratt — namely the futuristic sci-fi epic The Tomorrow War , in 2021, and the action-packed hit TV drama, The Terminal List , which released the following year. She is also known for two widely acclaimed action thrillers of late, having appeared opposite Gerard Butler in Copshop and in the Violent Night cast with David Harbour.

Malcolm Barrett (Patrice)

Yet another The Changeling cast member with plenty of previous experience acting in horror is Malcolm Barrett. He has appeared in two creepy anthology TV shows ( Dimension 404 and Disney+’s Just Beyond ), a segment of the Shudder original anthology movie Horror Noire , an installment of Hulu’s Into the Dark ( Pooka Lives! ), and let's not forget his recurring role on AMC’s Preacher , which technically isn't a horror but still featured some truly horrific moments.

While also dabbling in sci-fi with his starring role on the short-lived time-travel drama, Timeless , and his recurring role alongside Amazon Prime’s The Boys cast , Barrett is best known for comedy. Most notably, he had a main role on ABC’s Better Off Ted , starred in one of the funniest Key & Peele sketches (“Prepare for Terries”), and was one of dozens of talented actors in Hulu’s History of the World: Part II cast .

Jane Kaczmarek (Cal)

Former Malcolm in the Middle cast member Jane Kaczmarek is used to making audiences laugh, though that presumably won't be the talent she's leaning hardest on in Changeling . She previously starred in the short-lived, romantic legal drama, Equal Justice , had recurring roles on hit series like Party of Five and Felicity , and appeared in 1998 fantasy dramedy, Pleasantville .

After her tenure as a now iconic sitcom mom ended, Kaczmarek starred as a judge in  another short-lived legal drama called Raising the Bar — and she portrayed that profession again for the animated series Animals. and  The Simpsons . She also played a police captain in the 2017 feature-length adaptation of CHiPs and, a year earlier, starred in a horror movie inspired by the Manson Family murders called Wolves at the Door .

Victor LaVelle (Narrator)

Fittingly serving as the narrator of  The Changeling is Victor LaVelle, the man responsible for the novel the series is based on. The show marks the author’s first “acting” credit, though he previously appeared as a talking head in the docuseries Eli Roth’s History of Horror — a TV show available on Shudder — and in the 2022 documentary about the creator of Hellboy, Mike Mignola: Drawing Monsters .

Also serving as an executive producer on this new series, LaVelle previously wrote the segment "Daddy" from the aforementioned horror anthology movie, Horror Noire . According to Bloody-Disgusting , an adaptation of his Lovecraftian novella, The Ballad of Black Tom , has been in development since 2017.

Log into your Apple TV+ subscription to see the Changeling cast making things spooky and fantastical just in time for the Halloween season.

Jason Wiese writes feature stories for CinemaBlend. His occupation results from years dreaming of a filmmaking career, settling on a "professional film fan" career, studying journalism at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, MO (where he served as Culture Editor for its student-run print and online publications), and a brief stint of reviewing movies for fun. He would later continue that side-hustle of film criticism on TikTok (@wiesewisdom), where he posts videos on a semi-weekly basis. Look for his name in almost any article about Batman.

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The Changelings were shapeshifting lifeforms (in their natural state a liquid ) native to the Gamma Quadrant of the Milky Way Galaxy . They were the creators and rulers of the Dominion , whose subject races knew them as the semi-mythical Founders . Most Changelings existed as an amalgamated mass known as the Great Link .

• 1.1 Modified Changelings
• 5 Mirror universe
• 7.1 Appearances
• 7.2.1 Examining the species
• 7.2.2 Episodic developments
• 7.3 Apocrypha
• 8 External links

Biology [ ]

The natural form of a Changeling was a viscous orange liquid containing a structure known as a morphogenic matrix . ( DS9 : " The Begotten ") They contained morphogenic enzymes responsible for their shapeshifting ability. ( DS9 : " Things Past ")

Changelings (or at least young and inexperienced ones, like Odo ) had to revert to their natural liquid state to regenerate every sixteen to eighteen hours. Preventing them from doing so would cause severe physical distress and their forms to begin to deteriorate and "flake" away. ( DS9 : " The Forsaken ", " The Storyteller ", " The Alternate ", " The Die is Cast ", " In Purgatory's Shadow ")

Changelings could take virtually any corporeal form. ( DS9 : " Chimera ", " The Way of the Warrior ") They, or at least the Founders, also had the ability to closely mimic humanoid personalities to the point where even close friends and family often could not distinguish them from the originals. ( DS9 : " By Inferno's Light ", " Apocalypse Rising ", " Paradise Lost ") They could transform parts of themselves into smaller electrical devices, like a combadge , and make it operational, and were also capable of at least mimicking the shape and operation of a computer. ( DS9 : " Paradise Lost ") Changelings could also mimic the form of fire and clouds. ( DS9 : " Chimera ")

Constable Odo as a drinking glass

Croden's changeling locket

Changeling infant mimics Odo

Starfleet sensors , as of 2371 , failed to recognize Changelings when they mimicked other forms. ( DS9 : " The Adversary ")

The Obsidian Order created a prototype quantum stasis field generator that could prevent a Changeling from shape shifting. ( DS9 : " The Die is Cast ")

Changelings could survive in the vacuum of space, and were highly resistant to disruptor fire. ( DS9 : " Chimera ", " Apocalypse Rising ")

Changelings – or at least Odo – had no sense of smell. ( DS9 : " If Wishes Were Horses ", " Improbable Cause ") Laas stated, however, that if his hands had Klingon blood on them, they would emit a stench, possibly suggesting that after living among solids for years, he was at least familiar with the concept. ( DS9 : " Chimera ")

Even when in humanoid form, Changelings did not need to take in sustenance. Odo noted that he once attempted to eat after assuming humanoid form for the first time, but found the experience not only unsatisfying due to his lack of taste buds , but "messy" for reasons he chose not to elaborate. ( DS9 : " Meridian ") Doctor Bashir once asked Odo for a sample of himself to study its value in possibly creating synthetic organs , which raised the question how he would get that part of himself back, if he never added matter to his body. ( DS9 : " When It Rains... ")

The thoughts and emotions of Changelings could not be read by Betazoids . ( DS9 : " Fascination ") However, memories could be telepathically transferred by a Guardian to one in the Trill Zhian'tara ritual, and they could participate as a past Trill host. ( DS9 : " Facets ") A telepathic energy matrix (which caused the crew of Deep Space 9 to fight for control of that space station ) was rejected by Odo's lack of a humanoid brain . It did have the ability to warp his face and knock him unconscious, though he retained his humanoid shape. ( DS9 : " Dramatis Personae ")

However, on one occasion Odo was knocked out by being struck on the head. ( DS9 : " Vortex ")

There was an apparent telepathic aspect to the Changeling species, evidenced in the fact Odo felt drawn toward the Omarion Nebula , which was once home to the Founders. ( DS9 : " The Search, Part II ") However, it is possible that the instinctive desire to visit the nebula was "hardwired" into him. Changelings had the ability to sense, in most cases, the presence of other Changelings. ( DS9 : " The Search, Part I ", " Homefront ", " Chimera ") The Jem'Hadar may also have the ability to sense Changelings, though this ability might not be telepathic but an imprinted response to a Changeling's gelatinous state, as a child Jem'Hadar who sensed Odo did not respond to him until he temporarily reverted to that state. ( DS9 : " The Abandoned ") Further suggestion of a telepathic trait arose when Odo's remaining morphogenic enzymes were stimulated by a plasma field , creating a miniaturized " Great Link " with Benjamin Sisko , Jadzia Dax , and Elim Garak . ( DS9 : " Things Past ")

At the very least, there exists a "hive mind" among the species when joined with the Great Link. ( DS9 : " The Search, Part II ", " Broken Link ", " Sacrifice of Angels ", " Chimera ") For instance, Odo once commented, " During the Link, I sensed that the other Changelings were trying to hide things from me... faces, names. " ( DS9 : " Broken Link ")

The Founders of the Dominion were Changelings, and made up the majority of the Dominion's leadership. Changelings preferred to think of themselves as a drop (the individual) in the larger ocean (what they called the Great Link). A Changeling, therefore, typically had little sense of individual identity. Being a liquid-based lifeform, in order to link with other Changelings, they simply reverted to this state and the liquid blended together, creating a link between them. ( DS9 : " The Search, Part II ") Centuries before, the Founders had sent the Hundred Changelings throughout the galaxy as a way to gauge other species by the way they treated the weak and vulnerable. ( DS9 : " The Begotten ") There were legends of Changelings having been on the planet Rakhar . ( DS9 : " Vortex ")

It was suggested that Changelings were biologically immortal and therefore never died of old age ( DS9 : " Children of Time ", " Behind the Lines ") Laas was over 200 years old. ( DS9 : " Chimera ") However, it was possible to kill Changelings by a number of means. Severe cases of radiation poisoning could prove fatal. ( DS9 : " The Adversary ", " The Begotten ") Changelings were also killed by phaser or disruptor fire, at sufficiently high settings. ( DS9 : " Crossover ", " Apocalypse Rising ") A Changeling was observed succumbing to trauma following the impact of a ship crashing into a planetary surface (a crash in which the ship's inertial dampers had failed). ( DS9 : " The Ship ") The Admiral Leyton/Miles O'Brien Changeling laughingly remarked to Sisko that, including himself, there were only four Changeling agents in the Alpha Quadrant. ( DS9 : " Homefront ", " Paradise Lost ") Of the four three were dead:

• The Krajensky Changeling in 2371 ( DS9 : " The Adversary ")
• The General Martok Changeling was killed by the Klingons in 2373 ( DS9 : " Apocalypse Rising ")
• The Dr. Julian Bashir Changeling was killed in the destruction of the USS Yukon in 2373 ( DS9 : " By Inferno's Light ")

Changelings could assume the forms of both male and female humanoids. ( DS9 : " Tacking Into the Wind ") The majority of Changelings appeared to favor either a male or female form, even when impersonating individual solids . ( DS9 : " The Search, Part I ", " Heart of Stone ", " The Adversary ") It was unknown if this indicated a true biological gender or gender identity, or was simply a matter of personal preference. Changelings could experience feelings of physical attraction and love towards solids, and were capable of sexual intercourse with them, and with each other while in humanoid form. However, a Changeling could not have children with a solid. ( DS9 : " Crossfire ", " A Simple Investigation ", " Favor the Bold ", " Chimera ")

Changelings began their lives in an "infant" state, as a small quantity of seemingly inanimate liquid. In this state they were capable of limited shapeshifting, usually into simple geometric shapes, and responding to external stimuli such as moving away from an electrical charge. Over time they developed into maturity, increasing in mass and gaining greater understanding of their surroundings and control over their shapeshifting abilities, eventually becoming capable of verbal communication and assuming complex forms. ( DS9 : " The Alternate ", " The Begotten ") Dr. Bashir once jokingly suggested that Changelings may experience an equivalent to puberty or menopause ( DS9 : " Broken Link ").

Despite the existence of infants, it was unknown how Changelings reproduced. Garak expressed doubt over whether or not Changelings have mothers . ( DS9 : " The Way of the Warrior ") Changelings regarded all other members of their species as their "family", although it is unclear if this indicated a genetic relationship, or merely a social one. ( DS9 : " The Search, Part II ")

A Changeling could also be transformed by the Great Link into a solid permanently. ( DS9 : " Broken Link ") Also, an infant Changeling once transformed Odo into a Changeling again by absorbing itself into his body, but it had also been dying at the time, so it is unknown how this would have normally affected the 'giver'. ( DS9 : " The Begotten ")

Modified Changelings [ ]

The liquid form of a modified Changeling

During the Dominion War, Section 31 conducted secret experiments on Changeling prisoners of war on Daystrom Station . Termed Project Proteus , these torturous procedures were designed to create better infiltrators. One of the test subjects, later called Vadic , escaped and killed the lead scientist before freeing her fellow prisoners. Vadic discovered that they could transmit their new abilities to regular Changelings by linking with them. In the process, the modified Changelings also lost their orange liquid appearance for a reddish and more gelatinous natural form.

Those new Changelings were able to mimic the internal organs, fluids, and cellular biology of the solids without DNA , being able to pass the detection tests inherited from the Dominion War. Even after being killed, they kept their disguises, only returning to their natural state after being cut into small pieces.

Their modified biology, however, also made Vadic's followers vulnerable to the same weaknesses as the solid whose forms they mimicked, such as blades or even the coldness of space. Choosing to become modified also meant sacrificing their longevity for a much shortened life span , and to experience constant pain for the rest of their life. They, or at least younger and inexperienced ones, still needed to return to their natural form after some time, or else their disguise would wobble from exhaustion. Also, contrary to regular Changelings, Betazoids could feel evolved Changelings' emotions and sense that something wasn't right when approached by an impostor. ( PIC : " Seventeen Seconds ", " No Win Scenario ", " Imposters ", " Dominion ", " Surrender ")

Culture [ ]

Changeling culture revolved around the Great Link and shapeshifting. While in the Link, a Changeling had little sense of time or its individual self, and saw itself as a part in a larger whole. Changelings hated to be separated from their people, and would seek out the company of other Changelings with whom they had personal conflicts rather than remain alone. ( DS9 : " Behind the Lines ") Changelings considered linking with one another the ultimate form of intimacy, and many found spoken language and other expressions of intimacy such as sex limited. ( DS9 : " Favor the Bold ") Being in the Link was described as "paradise" for a Changeling, and even Odo, who bitterly opposed the goals of the Founders dreamed of returning to it. ( DS9 : " The Die is Cast ", " Sacrifice of Angels ")

Most Changelings, including Odo, displayed a marked preference for order, efficiency, and following rules, which Odo interpreted through the lens of justice but other Changelings viewed through the lens of control. ( DS9 : " Necessary Evil ", " The Search, Part II ") Odo once commented to Worf that "My people have an innate need for order", suggesting the compulsion may be biological in origin. ( DS9 : " Crossfire ")

Throughout their entire history, no Changeling had ever harmed another. ( DS9 : " Broken Link ") Above all else, the Changelings wanted their people to all be united in the Great Link, and renegades such as Odo were given ample opportunities to return home with all transgressions forgiven. Weyoun 4 informed Odo that the Founders wanted him back after he first rejected them. ( DS9 : " To the Death ") The Changeling who impersonated Colonel Lovok allowed Odo to leave the Battle of the Omarion Nebula unharmed, and the impostor Krajensky attempted to convince him to escape the self-destructing Defiant with it. ( DS9 : " The Die is Cast ", " The Adversary ") The Female Changeling prioritized returning Odo, who was previously banished, back to the Link over the outcome of the Dominion War . ( DS9 : " Favor the Bold ")

Shapeshifting gave Changelings physical empathy with other lifeforms, allowing them to gain knowledge of them, though they spent most of their existence in the Great Link. ( DS9 : " The Search, Part II ", " Chimera ")

The modified Changeling faction led by Vadic was known to have abandoned the notion of not harming their own kind. Possibly regarding their goal of revenge against the Federation to ultimately be more important, they were willing to execute any member that spoke up against Vadic's decisions. ( PIC : " The Bounty ")

History [ ]

• See : Founder - History  and Dominion history

In 2380 , when Beckett Mariner was suspicious about Brad Boimler 's relationship with Barbara Brinson , she included Changelings in her list of what Barbara might be. ( LD : " Cupid's Errant Arrow ")

In contrast, in the same year conspiracy theorist Steve Levy claimed that Changelings were not real, and that " the Dominion War didn't happen. " ( LD : " No Small Parts ")

At some point between the end of the Dominion War and 2401 , a group of Changelings, still bitter over losing the Dominion War, broke off from the Great Link to seek revenge. To that end, one Changeling took the form of a Human under the name Titus Rikka in 2401 and procured a quantum tunneling device from Daystrom Station , using it to destroy the Starfleet recruitment center in District Seven at M'talas Prime . ( PIC : " The Next Generation "). Another Changeling infiltrated the USS Titan -A and replaced a member of the crew, Ensign Eli Foster . ( PIC : " Seventeen Seconds ") Vadic and her crew were defeated by the Titan -A and their ship, the Shrike , was destroyed. ( PIC : " Surrender ") It was subsequently revealed that Vadic's faction were working with the Borg , infiltrating the Federation to set up a Borg takeover as revenge for their defeat in the Dominion War. ( PIC : " Võx ") Following the destruction of the Borg, Admiral Beverly Crusher was able to devise a way to privately scan for irregularities, allowing Starfleet to detect Changeling infiltrators and Vadic's cohorts were rounded up and arrested. As they were in constant need for information, the Changelings kept but did not kill many of their targets whom Starfleet was able to find and rescue, including Tuvok . ( PIC : " The Last Generation ")

Mirror universe [ ]

In the mirror universe , the Bajoran wormhole remained undiscovered as of 2375 . Therefore, Changelings and other species native to the Gamma Quadrant remained unknown to the peoples of the Alpha Quadrant . The only exception was Odo , who was killed on Terok Nor during a workers' revolt in 2370 . ( DS9 : " Crossover ")

• Odo ( mirror universe )
• Titus Rikka
• Changeling who took Julian Bashir's form
• Changeling who took Eli Foster's form
• Changeling who took Krajensky's form
• Changeling who took Leyton's form
• Changeling who took Lovok's form
• Changeling who took Martok's form
• Changeling who took Miles O'Brien's form
• Changeling who took William T. Riker's form
• Changeling who took Tuvok's form

Appendices [ ]

Appearances [ ].

A list of all appearances of Changelings (excluding the regular appearances of Odo):

• " The Search, Part I " ( Season 3 )
• " The Search, Part II "
• " Heart of Stone "
• " Improbable Cause "
• " The Die is Cast "
• " The Adversary "
• " Homefront " ( Season 4 )
• " Paradise Lost "
• " Broken Link "
• " Apocalypse Rising " ( Season 5 )
• " The Ship "
• " Things Past "
• " The Begotten "
• " In Purgatory's Shadow "
• " By Inferno's Light "
• " Behind the Lines " ( Season 6 )
• " Favor the Bold "
• " Sacrifice of Angels "
• " Treachery, Faith and the Great River " ( Season 7 )
• " Chimera "
• " Penumbra "
• " 'Til Death Do Us Part "
• " Strange Bedfellows "
• " The Changing Face of Evil "
• " Tacking Into the Wind "
• " The Dogs of War "
• " What You Leave Behind "
• DIS : " All In " ( Season 4 )
• " The Next Generation " ( Season 3 )
• " Disengage "
• " Seventeen Seconds "
• " No Win Scenario "
• " Imposters "
• " The Bounty "
• " Dominion "
• " Surrender "
• " The Last Generation "
• PRO : " Kobayashi " ( hologram ) ( Season 1 )

Background information [ ]

Examining the species [ ].

The writers of DS9 believed there was a common "rigidity" among both the Founders and Odo. Robert Hewitt Wolfe described this characteristic as basically being "an obsessive-compulsive control freak." ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion  (p. 300))

DS9 : " Chimera " and DS9 : " Children of Time " confirms that Changelings have a life span of at least two hundred years, though Laas and Odo, being part of the Hundred, were not expected to reach the Great Link for another three hundred years in the late 27th century, indicating Changelings could live for at least five hundred years. It has also been suggested that Changelings might be immortal, with the Female Changeling remarking (in " Favor the Bold "), " You are a Changeling, you are timeless " – a logical assumption, given that the cellular structure of Changelings appears to be so fundamentally unique that it is incapable of decay.

Though Odo and Laas have been described as male and the Female Changeling as female, it is unclear what anatomical differences, if any, exist between male and female Changelings. Odo was able to assume the form of the Female Changeling, in " Tacking Into the Wind ".

Also, although an infant Changeling appears in DS9 : " The Begotten ", it is never made clear exactly how Changelings reproduce. Odo did display romantic affection for some female humanoids, most notably Kira Nerys , and was capable of sexual intercourse with humanoid species. He even had a sexual encounter with the Female Changeling, suggesting that two Changelings can mate in humanoid form, though the Female Changeling considered this version of intimacy unnecessary for their race, and pale compared to the Great Link . ( DS9 : " A Simple Investigation ", " Favor the Bold ") Ronald D. Moore opined that Odo could not reproduce with solids as he did not have the "authentic... gear" to fertilize an egg. ( AOL chat , 1997 )

The Changelings frequently assumed a form similar to that of Odo; however, Odo's unique appearance was the product of his difficulty with assuming convincing humanoid forms, not mandated by his racial makeup. Other Changelings have no difficulty with assuming convincing humanoid forms. The first time this was established was in " Heart of Stone ". " Not only do they look like you, but they copy your brain and know what you know. That's very dangerous, " said René Echevarria . ( Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages , p. 91) As the Changelings other than Odo are capable of looking identical to humanoids, they must therefore assume an Odo-like form out of choice. This may be because, before meeting Odo and the races of the Alpha Quadrant , they had no need to reveal themselves individually to outsiders, and thus had no need for a unique humanoid form to differentiate themselves from other species. Odo would have provided them with a useful template. Ronald D. Moore commented, " Odo modeled his look after Dr. Mora and the Founders then modeled their look after Odo. They did this initially as a compliment and way of reaching out to their long-lost Changeling, and later they kept doing it as a dig and reminder to him of his own limitations. " ( AOL chat , 1997 ) Although much older than Odo, Laas also seemed to have similar facial features, probably because of the same reason. Having been found by the Varalans , it can be assumed that the unique bumps on his forehead are typical Valaran features. (However, Odo doesn't have the Bajoran facial features of Mora Pol and other Bajorans; he comments in DS9 : " Past Prologue " that he always had trouble with their noses.)

The Female Changeling appears to be left-handed in " What You Leave Behind ". However, Odo seems to be right-handed during the course of the series. It is unclear whether a Changeling has a dominant hand when assuming humanoid form, or simply chooses which hand to use for different tasks.

Odo assumes the shape of a computer in " Paradise Lost ", but it is unknown whether he could simply mimic the computer's form or whether he could actually perform the complex calculations a computer makes.

Changelings do grow physically, to a point; as Changelings don't eat or drink, it is unclear exactly where the 'new' mass and energy come from. In " When It Rains... ", Julian Bashir asks Odo for a sample of his liquid form, and Odo only agrees on the condition that he will get it back after Bashir's tests are complete.

The articulated goo of the Changelings was probably one of the most challenging special effects to create for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . The standard process of creating the effect and inserting it into scenes typically involved action plates, background plates, blue-screen photography, and CGI , all integrated together, as seamlessly as possible. The Changeling goo (also known as "Odo goo") was specially designed computer animation. There was also a generic wire-frame CGI model that could be animated for representing the beginning of a Changeling transforming from its liquid state into its humanoid form. ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 27, No. 4/5, p. 104)

Episodic developments [ ]

Apart from Odo, Changelings were first mentioned in DS9 : " Vortex ". In DS9 : " The Alternate ", it is suggested that a malevolent Changeling (who turns out to be Odo) is responsible for several attacks on space station Deep Space 9 , although Ira Steven Behr was unimpressed with this plot point. " The red herring didn't quite work for me all that much, " Behr commented, " but it's window dressing [....] It doesn't annoy you because you're buying the package. " ( Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages , p. 68) Changelings other than Odo were referred to again in DS9 : " Shadowplay ", which Robert Hewitt Wolfe noted was one of the first mentions of the Changelings having a mythology and being mythological lifeforms. " [It] was a really nice bit. It's just one of those things; it's like that little seed that you start rolling down the hill, and it just gets bigger and bigger. " (" Section 31 : Hidden File 02", DS9 Season 2 DVD special features)

The Changelings were thereafter introduced in DS9 : " The Search, Part I ". In that episode and " The Search, Part II ", Michael Westmore was required to create the makeup for the Founders as well as Odo. For the non-speaking Founders, Westmore simply used foam latex appliances from the exact same molds as were used for Odo. The makeup designer specifically requested casting, for these parts, actors whose faces were similar in size to Odo actor Rene Auberjonois . For each of the Founders with dialogue, a mold was taken of their face then an Odo-like mask was sculpted over it. Explained Westmore, " It's all one solid piece that glues down around the mouth and eyes. The problem with that face is it has to line up perfectly with the mouth and eyes. " ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 27, No. 4/5, p. 113) Another issue with the Changeling makeup during the making of the "The Search" two-parter was that each mask could be accidentally broken by its wearer laughing. ( Starlog , issue #222, p. 30) Although the makeup department attempted to use the Odo mask for other Changelings as they started appearing, some of the faces of the performers portraying main Changeling characters were so unique and different that Auberjonois' mask couldn't be a one-size-fits-all prosthetic appliance. Consequently, the makeup department ultimately had to craft new masks for principal Changelings. A typical example of such makeup (Odo's) usually took two hours to apply. ( Star Trek: Aliens & Artifacts , pp. 137 & 139)

The sophistication of the average morphing shot was increased tenfold for DS9 : " The Adversary ". Visual Effects Supervisor Glenn Neufeld was hugely surprised by the complexity of that footage, which the visual effects team had only six weeks to do. ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 27, No. 4/5, p. 105) Morphs performed by Changelings in "The Adversary" were actually designed by Glenn Neufeld and executed with CGI by VisionArt Design & Animation . ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 27, No. 4/5, p. 114) " We had a ton of morphs, " said David Livingston . " You're never going to see more morphs in forty-three minutes than you will on this show. " The extreme amount of morphs in "The Adversary" resulted in the episode having an unusually long production period. ( Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages , p. 99) Michael Eddington actor Kenneth Marshall witnessed, first hand, the shooting of some of the footage required for the morphs. " It's fascinating how they do the morph sequences, " he commented. " I haven't actually seen them do the special FX, but they shoot it three different ways on the set. In the last shot, everyone tiptoes off the set so as not to disturb anything even a fraction of an inch. " ( The Official Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Magazine  issue 15 , p. 53)

Due to the Founders infiltrating the Alpha Quadrant, there was much conjecture about which of the characters might be a Changeling. " Many people have gone down many different paths with [speculating] who is a changeling and who isn't, " observed Ira Steven Behr. " There's some great theories. " ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion  (p. 43))

More Changeling sequences were created in CGI for "The Begotten", involving Odo and the Changeling infant in separate shots. For one scene in which Odo watches the baby Changeling shape-shift into a rough approximation of his face, the two Changeling characters were filmed on either side of a split-screen shot. Also, both footage of Odo transforming into a hawk in "The Begotten" as well as a shot showing the demise of a slowly dying Founder in " The Ship " were created with CGI done by VisionArt. ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 29, Nos. 6/7, pp. 41 & 42)

Several shots of Changelings were also created with visual effects for DS9 : " Chimera ". In that case, the footage included Laas in the form of a fish-like creature, flying through space, and Odo representing shimmering lights. Both shape-shifting sequences were worked on by Visual Effects Supervisor David Stipes , Visual Effects Coordinator Adam Buckner , and CGI effects company Digital Muse , where Matt Merkovich participated in rendering the footage as CGI with the computer program LightWave 3D. Stipes was impressed by both of the two sequences. ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 32, Nos. 4/5, pp. 64, 65 & 66)

Robert Hewitt Wolfe remarked that the figurative seed he imagined being rolled down a hill with the advent of Changeling mythology in "Shadowplay" was, by the conclusion of the series, "just huge." ("Section 31: Hidden File 02", DS9 Season 2 DVD special features)

Morphs done by Changelings in DS9 series finalé " What You Leave Behind " were created by Digital Muse and were intended to be as similar as possible to the other morphs in the series. " David Lombardi is doing some of them, and Brad Hayes , " noted David Stipes. ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 32, Nos. 4/5, p. 90)

Apocrypha [ ]

In the Worlds of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine novella Olympus Descending , Odo learns from an elder Changeling that there are no "infant" Changelings, but just Changelings that are kept separate from the rest of the Great Link, as Changelings cannot reproduce since the departure of the ancient Progenitor centuries ago; Odo, Laas and the rest of the Hundred were sent out to find the Progenitor. During the novel, Odo discovers what appears to be the corpse of the Progenitor, prompting the rest of the Link to disperse, leaving Odo and Laas as the only two Changelings left to manage the Dominion.

External links [ ]

• Changeling at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• Changeling at StarTrek.com
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‘Star Trek: Picard’ Season 3 Cast and Character Guide (Photos)

Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the Enterprise embark on one final adventure in space

The crew of the “U.S.S. Enterprise” reunites for one final mission in Season 3 of “Star Trek: Picard.”

It marks the first time the entire cast from “Star Trek: The Next Generation” (“TNG”) — Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis, LeVar Burton and Michael Dorn — have reunited on screen since 2002’s “Star Trek Nemesis.”

See what your favorite “TNG” cast members look like now.

Patrick Stewart as Jean-Luc Picard

Now retired and residing at his family vineyard, the Starfleet admiral is called into action for one final mission after receiving a distress call from Beverly Crusher.

Aside from Picard, Stewart is best known for playing Professor Charles Xavier in the “X-Men” movie franchise. His character recently crossed over to the MCU, appearing as a member of the Illuminati in “Dr. Strange and the Multiverse of Madness.”

Jonathan Frakes as William Riker

Picard calls upon his former first officer for assistance. Riker, no longer in command of the U.S.S. Titan and needing some time away from his family, jumps at the opportunity.

After “TNG,” Frakes appeared in numerous shows and hosted “Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction.” He’s also a prolific director, with episodes of “Roswell,” “The Librarians,” “Star Trek: Discovery” and even “Picard” under his belt.

Marina Sirtis as Deanna Troi

Troi is the former ship’s counselor and is married to Will Riker. They have a daughter, Kestra. As a half-Betazoid, she is able to read the emotions of others.

Sirtis (and Frakes) voiced lead roles in the animated series “Gargoyles.” She’s appeared in numerous shows in the U.S. and U.K. including “NCIS.” She reprised the role of Troi in Season 1 of “Picard.”

Brent Spiner as TBD

Data, the beloved android who served on board the Enterprise and perished in a battle against the Romulan warlord Shinzon. Whether Spiner is playing Data, his evil brother Lore, or some other being is to be determined.

Although his character Data was killed in “Nemesis,” Spiner has played various characters with familial connections to Data in other “Trek” series and films. He’s also known for playing Dr. Okum in the “Independence Day” films.

Michael Dorn as Worf

Worf is the former Enterprise security chief. Despite being raised by humans, his Klingon heritage imparts a strong sense of honor, particularly in battle.

After “TNG,” Dorn joined the cast of “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.” He’s appeared in more “Trek” shows than any other character. He’s also lent his voice talent to numerous shows.

LeVar Burton as Geordi La Forge

La Forge is the former Enterprise chief engineer. He is currently running the Starfleet museum. He also has two daughters in Starfleet.

Prior to “TNG,” Burton was the beloved host of “Reading Rainbow.” There was a campaign to have him replace Alex Trebek as the host of “Jeopardy,” and he even guest-hosted. Like Frakes, Burton has directed numerous episodes of “Trek” series.

Gates McFadden as Beverly Crusher

Crusher is the former Enterprise chief medical officer. She lost contact with her crewmates but reaches out to them in a time of need. She and Picard had a former romantic relationship that became a close friendship.

McFadden starred in “Marker” and “Mad About You” after her stint on “TNG.” She’s also reprised the role of Dr. Crusher on “Star Trek: Prodigy.”

Jeri Ryan as Annika Hansen/Seven of Nine

After being rescued from the Borg, Seven joined the crew of the U.S.S. Voyager. She later joined the Rangers, a space vigilante group, before re-enlisting in Starfleet. She is currently the first officer on the U.S.S. Titan, where she goes by Annika Hansen, her human name before assimilation.

Ryan wasn’t a part of the “TNG” cast. She joined “Star Trek: Voyager” in 1997. Her character was extremely popular, and she reprised her role in Season 1 of “Picard.” After “Voyager” Ryan starred in “Boston Public.”

Michelle Hurd as Raffaela “Raffi” Musiker

Musiker served with Picard late in his Starfleet career but burned out. She eventually helped him root out Romulan spies. She re-enlisted in Starfleet and joined the U.S.S. Excelsior crew, but has since taken on a special mission.

Hurd is best known for playing Monique Jeffries in “Law and Order: SVU” and Ellen Briggs in “Blindspot.”

Amanda Plummer as Vadic

Very little is known about the villainous Vadic. She captains the warship Shrike and has a grudge against Picard and the Enterprise crew.

Plummer, the daughter of legendary thesp Christopher Plummer, had had a long career on stage and screen. But her most memorable role might be playing “Honey Bunny,” one of the restaurant robbers in “Pulp Fiction.”

Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut as Sidney La Forge

La Forge is the eldest daughter of Geordi La Forge and the helmsman on the U.S.S. Titan.

Chestnut has had recurring roles in “Rap Sh!t” and “NCIS: Los Angeles.”

Todd Stashwick as Liam Shaw

Shaw is the no-nonsense captain of the U.S.S. Titan. He took over command from Will Riker. He previously served on the U.S.S. Constance, one of 40 ships destroyed in the Battle of Wolf 359 against the Borg and an assimilated Picard.

Stashwick is no stranger to the “Trek” universe, having appeared in “Star Trek: Enterprise” as Talok. He appeared in the sci-fi show “12 Monkeys” from 2016-18.

Ed Speleers as Jack Crusher

Speleers’ character is the son of Beverly Crusher and Jean-Luc Picard. He never knew his father while growing up.

Speleers played the title role in the fantasy film “Eragon,” and had a memorable stint playing Jimmy the handsome footman on “Downton Abbey.”

Michelle Forbes as Ro Laren

Ro served aboard the Enterprise as an ensign before defecting to the Maquis. She is back with Starfleet working in the Intelligence division. She is sent to interrogate Picard and Riker for treason.

Forbes previously appeared on “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and “Battlestar Galactica.”

Mica Burton as Ensign Alandra La Forge

Alandra is the youngest daughter of Geordi La Forge who works with her father at the fleet museum. She has an interest in engineering.

Burton is the real-life daughter of castmember LeVar Burton.

Daniel Davis as Moriarty

Moriarity was a hologram created to be a foil to Data’s Sherlock Holmes. He gained sentience and outwitted the Enterprise crew. Eventually, he was placed in a memory module to continue running but appears to have escaped his program.

Davis is best known for playing Niles, the sharp-tongued butler on “The Nanny.”

Tim Russ as Tuvok (doppleganger)

Tuvok was the former security officer aboard the U.S.S. Voyager. Seven of Nine turns to her former crewmate for information about the kidnapped Captain Riker.

Elizabeth Dennehy as Elizabeth Shelby

Admiral Shelby is the commander-in-chief of the U.S.S. Enterprise F during the Frontier Day celebration. She previously served aboard the Enterprise D during the Federation’s earlier encounter with The Borg.

Star Trek's Shapeshifting Changelings Explained

Despite not being as well known as Klingons, Romulans, or the Borg, the Changelings may be the most deadly foe the Federation and Starfleet have ever faced. Introduced in "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," a series set on a former Cardassian space station orbiting a wormhole leading to the distant Gamma Quadrant, the Changelings would quickly form the backbone for the entire series-long story. That they were the same race as the station's enigmatic security chief Odo added another layer to the story. 

Not only do the Changelings wield tremendous powers that allow them to alter their shape and form, but they are also rulers of a vast interstellar empire. With the ability to steal another person's identity and a galactic army at their disposal, they are a terrifying threat that added suspense, thrills, and chills to "Star Trek."

More recently, the Changelings have returned to the franchise after a decades-long absence, first in a brief appearance in an episode of "Star Trek: Discovery." However, Season 3 of "Star Trek: Picard" sees them return in full force to plague the Federation. If it's been a while since you've watched "Deep Space Nine" or aren't familiar with it, you may be looking for a bit of a refresher. From their long history and strange biology to their part in the dreaded Dominion, as architects of the greatest war that "Star Trek" has ever seen, here's a brief primer on the shapeshifting Changelings.

The Changeling's real life origins revealed

The Changelings didn't debut until the "Deep Space Nine" Season 3 premiere episode "The Search," but their conception goes back to an earlier directive from producers. Specifically, the showrunners wanted to create a malevolent foe from the Gamma Quadrant that would help give the series its own flavor. According to the producer Ira Steven Behr, they were nervous. "We can't risk it all on one race of villains," he said in the documentary "What We Left Behind." Instead, they set out to create three evil adversaries, hoping that one would prove popular — and they wanted to make them all terrifying.

"We're gonna make them as scary as any villains you can possibly find," Behr said in the "Deep Space Nine Companion." He told his writers to read Isaac Asimov's "Foundation"  trilogy as research, and the result was the Dominion — an incredibly powerful and ancient group that ruled the Gamma Quadrant. The Jem'Hadar were their foot soldiers, the Vorta were what Behr called 'the face men,' and the Founders of the Dominion were revealed as Odo's shapeshifting people in a shocking twist.

As a result of this change, Odo, played by Rene Auberjonois, became one of the most important characters in the series thanks to his connection to the villains of the multi-season story arc that would dominate the remaining seasons.

The Changelings distant origins explained

Now that we know how the Changelings were created by writers and producers, how did they come to be in the world of "Star Trek"? If we are to believe a story told by the Vorta, their origins date back eons, and they were once solid lifeforms just like humans, Vulcans, or Klingons. Eventually, they evolved into the shapeshifters we know, and their society evolved alongside them as they set out to explore the stars and learn about the galaxy. Unfortunately, when they encountered other populated worlds, they were not greeted with open arms.

Instead, they were met with intolerance and even cruelty for no other reason than their non-solid state. As shapeshifters, they were distrusted by what they called mono-forms — ordinary beings who are confined to a single shape — who they more commonly referred to as "solids." According to the legend, the changelings were hunted by the solids and given the derogatory moniker of "changelings," which they would later co-opt in defiance of the prejudice they faced. They eventually found a haven from the solids in the Omarion Nebula, a remote region where they established a home. 

Eventually, though, the Changelings realized that the only way to overcome the bigotry and intolerance of the solids was to control them. In order to conquer and enslave the rest of the galaxy, they'd first have to build an army.

They're considered gods

In the episode "Treachery, Faith and the Great River," a dying Vorta named Weyoun-6 tells Odo the story of how the Changelings founded the Dominion. According to this Weyoun, a Changeling once found itself on the run from a group of abusive solids, and a race of primitive, ape-like people helped hide the shapeshifter, saving its life. From then on, the Changeling vowed to reward the creatures who had saved it, later using their knowledge of genetics to advance their biology and create the Vorta, a highly intelligent, cunning race that would serve the Founders in all things.

Beneath the Vorta are the Jem'Hadar, a race of genetically engineered soldiers who want nothing more than to obey the Founders and are among the most efficient killers in the "Star Trek" canon. They live short lifespans but are bred quickly, aging into adulthood in a matter of days, and are kept docile thanks to an addiction to a chemical compound called Ketracel-white. But the Founders also engineered both the Vorta and the Jem'Hadar to worship them as gods, as they are, in a very real way, the masters of their creation.

Except for in the most extreme circumstances, it is nearly impossible for either race to defy the Founders. With an undying loyalty, the Vorta and the Jem'Hadar have helped assure the Changeling's supremacy and the Dominion's endless rule of the Gamma Quadrant.

Changeling biology

As shapeshifters, the Changelings have biology unlike any other race in "Star Trek." Their "morphogenic matrix" allows them to take on not just other shapes but other states of matter, too. They can hide in plain sight as a human, an Andorian, or a Tellarite, able to accurately mimic any lifeform nearly instantly. They can even replicate their voice simply by hearing it, though Constable Odo has never been able to quite master these skills.

However, their shapeshifting isn't limited to just people, as Changelings can just as easily become a tree, a rock, or even equipment with a reflective surface. We have seen Changelings become water, vapor, and even fire. Still, their biology has one serious drawback — they must regenerate in their natural, liquid state at least once every 16 hours. We've seen this weakness cause problems for Constable Odo, who must regenerate at least one hour each day by reverting to his liquid form and collecting himself in a small pail that he keeps in his quarters. 

In addition, if any part of a Changeling's body is cut off, removed, or otherwise separated from them, it will revert to its liquid state almost immediately. This is how Starfleet, at first, was able to detect Changelings hiding among them by drawing a blood sample. Of course, the Changelings eventually found a way around this measure, presumably by collecting the blood of the people they were disguised as and releasing it on cue during any blood test.

The Great Link

Since they need to regenerate frequently, and due to the energy required to hold a solid form, Changelings prefer to spend the majority of their time in a liquid state. When they communicate they rarely do so verbally, as they prefer to meld together into what is referred to as "linking," which is a bit like mixing two cups of water together. When linked, Changelings cease to be individuals, merging into what is, in essence, one being. In effect, there are no true individuals among Changelings, only parts of the whole who gain brief periods of individuality when separated from the Link.

As such, the Changeling homeworld is essentially one giant ocean comprised of themselves in what is called the Great Link. During their lifespan they can become individuals to explore the galaxy and return home to the Great Link to share what they've learned. Described as "a merging of form and thought, the sharing of idea and sensation," the Great Link is a place of comfort for Changelings. However, this Great Link, covering nearly the entire surface of a planet in the Omarion Nebula, also makes a tempting target. 

In the two-part "Deep Space Nine" episode, "Improbable Cause" and "The Die is Cast," the Romulan secret police known as the Tal Shiar teamed up with the Cardassian intelligence agency the Obsidian Order to destroy the Changeling homeworld. Unfortunately for the Alpha Quadrant, this all turned out to be a ruse by the Founders to eliminate both factions.

Odo and the Hundred

Though they prefer to remain in the Great Link, the Changelings still thirst for more knowledge of the galaxy. To that end, they dispatched 100 infant Changelings out amongst the stars, which they hoped would come to live among the solids and then one day return home to the Great Link to share what they had learned. When Odo met his people and discovered the Founders, he realized that he was one of these Hundred. However, now that he had spent time among the Bajorans and the Federation, he saw his people as the enemy.

While Odo refused to rejoin them, the urge to be a part of the Great Link persisted. Eventually, he'd encounter two more members of the Hundred. In the episode "The Begotten," a dying Changeling child is discovered, unable to shapeshift, and Odo takes it upon himself to become a parent to the naive, formless creature. While the Changeling eventually dies, it is absorbed into Odo and helps resolve a season-long story that had seen Constable Odo forced into a solid, humanoid shape by his people.

Later, in the episode "Chimera," Odo meets a Changeling named Laas, who has lived among another race of people for the past century. He agrees with Odo that the Founders are misguided and invites him to join his search for other lost shapeshifters to form a new, better version of the Great Link. Odo regretfully declines, feeling a duty to his friends on Deep Space Nine.

They are obsessed with order

As a result of their natural state of oneness in the Great Link, there is rarely — if ever — any disagreement or discord among their race. In fact, it's established on multiple occasions that "no Changeling has ever harmed another," a point that is thrown in Odo's face when he betrays his people and murders a Changeling saboteur in the Season 3 finale, "The Adversary." It is this act that forces the Changelings to force Odo into a solid form in the Season 4 storyline. While Odo is unlike the galaxy-conquering Changelings he comes from, he does share their innate need to bring order to chaos, which some have likened to a biological drive.

This is partly what makes Constable Odo such an efficient security officer and investigator, as his desire to bring order made him a ruthless pursuer of justice in a chaotic environment like the Cardassian space station Terek Nor, which eventually became Deep Space Nine. However, for the rest of his people, this means ruling the galaxy, as they see solids as chaotic creatures which are always fighting amongst themselves. 

Ultimately, the Changelings — as Founders of the Dominion — view their conquering tactics as a means of helping those races achieve peace and order, even if they have to enslave them and break them of their desire for freedom to achieve it.

They plotted to destabilize the Alpha Quadrant

Upon discovering the wormhole, the Changelings were initially content to stay in the Gamma Quadrant. However, as the Federation and other Alpha Quadrant powers made more and more excursions into their territory, the Changelings knew that the chaos on the other side of the galaxy would soon threaten them. In their first meeting with the Federation, they ran an elaborate simulation with the crew of Deep Space Nine to see how they would react to a Dominion presence in the Alpha Quadrant, determining that they would be met with open hostility.

In response, the Changelings began staging plots to destabilize the Alpha Quadrant to make it easier to conquer. After plotting to dismantle the Cardassian and Romulan intelligence agencies, the Changelings infiltrated Starfleet in an effort to trigger a war between the Federation and the Tzenkethi in "The Adversary," revealing the extent of the Changeling threat for the first time.

The story that brought Worf to "Deep Space Nine" also sees a Changeling posing as a high-ranking Klingon official and sparking a war between the Federation and the Klingon Empire that risks decimating both sides. At the same time, Changelings begin replacing key individuals on Earth, precipitating a militaristic coup that is only thwarted by Captain Sisko. When these plots are foiled, the Federation knows that a war with the Dominion is all but inevitable.

The Dominion War explained

Following the failed attempt to force the Federation and Klingon Empire into destroying each other, the Changelings lead the Dominion deeper into direct conflict with the galactic powers of the Alpha Quadrant. They are aided by the Cardassians, who join the Dominion, fortifying their forces, and all-out war is quickly declared on the Federation and the Klingons . In what became a high point for "Deep Space Nine," the Dominion War breaks out, and what was truly groundbreaking for "Star Trek" was that victory for the Federation did not seem assured.

In fact, the Dominion succeeds in conquering Deep Space Nine in a status quo shaking story. Later, in what is generally regarded as one of the series' best episodes , "In the Pale Moonlight," Sisko takes desperate action to force the Romulans to join the Federation and Klingon alliance to tip the balance of power. The longer the war drags on, the more it seems like the Changelings would wind up taking over the Alpha Quadrant, as millions of lives were lost. 

What eventually turns the tide, however, is the Cardassians themselves, who rise up to fight back against the Dominion. Led by former villain Damar, the Cardassian rebels help the alliance topple the Dominion and push them back into the Gamma Quadrant. Of course, they aren't alone, as they have a little help from Starfleet's own clandestine intelligence agency along the way.

Section 31's genocidal gambit

At the height of the Dominion War, the Changelings have driven the Federation off of Deep Space Nine. Odo stays on the station along with Major Kira, with plans of helping to sabotage the Dominion, though he often "links" with the leader of the Changelings, causing fears that he has joined their cause. What he doesn't realize is that he has inadvertently passed a deadly genetic disease to the rest of the Changelings, threatening to kill their entire species. It's later revealed that this disease is the work of Section 31, a covert Starfleet intelligence agency willing to go to extraordinary lengths to secure the safety of the Federation.

Led by Director Luther Sloan, Section 31 developed a pathogen that would infect Changelings and break down their molecular structure, making it harder for them to revert to their liquid state. Eventually, unable to assume their liquid form, they would deteriorate and die. Covertly, Section 31 infects Odo with the pathogen with hopes that he will pass it to his people — and that's exactly what happens. A last, desperate, genocidal gambit, Section 31 is willing to wipe out the entire species of Changelings to end the war. 

Unfortunately, rather than convince the Changelings to surrender, it spurs them to fight to the death, promising to kill untold billions before they are exterminated.

Facing Alpha Quadrant justice

It's worth noting that the Dominion War wasn't the only ongoing story that weaved its way through seven seasons of "Deep Space Nine." The story of Captain Sisko and his connection to the Bajoran prophets is also front and center, and in the series finale, both come to a head. While Sisko battles with a demonic entity on Bajor, the greatest starship battle in "Star Trek" history takes place, with the Federation, Klingons, Romulans, and their new Cardassian allies hoping to defeat the Dominion once and for all. However, the Changelings refused to give an inch, even as their hope for victory dwindled.

It was only thanks to Odo that the Changelings finally give in. After being cured of the disease developed by Section 31 — thanks to the efforts of Dr. Bashir and Chief O'Brien in the episode "Extreme Measures." Odo links with the leader of the Changelings and heals them as well. He is also able to convince them to seek peace and avert total annihilation, but it comes at a great personal cost. 

While the Changeling's leader remains in the Alpha Quadrant to face justice, Odo rejoins the Great Link in the Gamma Quadrant where he can cure his people and hopefully teach them compassion and empathy to end their destructive ways. As far as we know, Odo never returns from The Great Link.

A rogue faction resurfaces

In the "Star Trek: Picard" Season 3 episode "Seventeen Seconds" we discover in a shocking twist that the Changelings have returned to "Star Trek" after more than 20 years. What's worse, however, is that they have infiltrated Starfleet. They have an agent aboard the USS Titan, while others are involved in a plot to steal a deadly weapons from Daystrom Station.

Former Enterprise security chief Worf has been aware of this conspiracy and has been tracking down the threat. Thankfully, he is now aided by former Picard ally Raffi Musiker. Given Worf's experiences on "Deep Space Nine," he would seem to be the perfect man for the job. In fact, according to Worf, he was alerted to this rogue faction by his old friend Odo, who is still a part of the Great Link in the Gamma Quadrant. 

It seems that after Dominion surrendered in the final episode of "Deep Space Nine," there was a schism within the Changelings for the first time, as a group of shapeshifters broke away and refused to accept defeat. Now it would seem that this faction is looking to reignite the war with the Federation and conquer the Alpha Quadrant once and for all.

Walter Koenig Points Out A Star Trek Trope That Is “Repeated Again And Again”

• Walter Koenig calls out Star Trek for recycled plotlines in "The Changeling" episode on The 7th Rule podcast.
• Koenig critiques the repetitive sci-fi trope of confusing a powerful force, seen in various Star Trek episodes.
• Koenig reveals his dislike for the recycled theme in the classic "The Changeling" episode.

Walter Koenig puts out a Star Trek trope that is "repeated again and again," especially by Star Trek: The Original Series . Koenig played Ensign Pavel Chekov in the original Star Trek , a role he reprised in 7 Star Trek movies. Although Chekov wasn't in Star Trek: The Original Series season 2, episode 3, "The Changeling", he reviewed the episode on The 7th Rule podcast with hosts Cirroc Lofton and Ryan T. Husk. None of them had seen "The Changeling" before reviewing it for their Star Trek podcast.

In Star Trek: The Original Series ' "The Changeling," the crew of the USS Enterprise encounters Nomad, an Earth space probe that was reprogrammed and has returned to find its "creator" and wipe out "biological infestations" , i.e. organic life forms. Walter Koenig is no fan of the episode, and he points out the plot is one that Star Trek has done multiple times . Read his quote and watch The 7th Rule video below:

It’s almost prototypically science fiction. The driving force is a premise that has been used again and again. And I can even name you Star Trek episodes, including even V’Ger in Star Trek: The Motion Picture. There was always that sense of some force behind the scenes that is organizing the world, and structuring it, in charge. One of the things that occurs is that if you want to get rid of it, you confuse it. We did that in “I, Mudd” when we all started dancing. We did it here, and [Nomad] goes a little nuts. So it’s an exercise that is repeated again and again in science fiction.

10 Best Star Trek: The Original Series Episodes To Hook New Fans

Star trek's repeated trope against a.i. explained, the recycled plot still appears but differently in new star trek shows.

As Walter Koenig pointed out, the plot of Star Trek: The Original Series ' "The Changeling" is similar to the story of V'Ger returning to find its creator in Star Trek: The Motion Picture . Both Star Trek tales centered on an Earth space probe that is rebuilt by aliens and travels back to Earth to find answers. Given the limited TV production budgets of the 1960s Star Trek , and the desire for a more profound science fiction story to build the first Star Trek movie around, recycling the plot of the USS Enterprise crew overcoming a superior technological threat by confusing it with their own humanity made sense for that era.

Star Trek does tend to repeat the same basic story again and again.

Modern Star Trek TV shows still depict dangerous A.I. threats, but the way to overcome them tends to lean more toward action. Star Trek: Discovery season 2's villain was a malevolent A.I. called Control that was defeated by an eye-popping outer space battle and the USS Discovery jumping 930 years into the future. Star Trek: Picard season 1 also introduced an inorganic species from another galaxy that was foiled by closing up a portal. Of course, Starfleet has always needed to be creative to defeat the overwhelming threat of the Borg . As Walter Keonig asserts, Star Trek does tend to repeat the same basic story again and again.

Source: The 7th Rule

Star Trek: The Original Series is streaming on Paramount+

Cast Nichelle Nichols, Walter Koenig, William Shatner, George Takei, Leonard Nimoy, Deforest Kelley, James Doohan

Streaming Service(s) Paramount+

Franchise(s) Star Trek

Writers Gene Roddenberry

Showrunner Gene Roddenberry

Where To Watch Paramount+

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Changeling Cast in Star Trek

I saw the new Star Trek movie this last night and was thrilled to spot one of my fonts, Changeling , in a supporting role. Here are some examples from a couple of high resolution publicity stills for the movie:

Changeling was a redesign and expansion of an old film font from the seventies called China. I added more weights, more styles, and more characters, as well as modifying the design as I saw fit. One of the more noticeable things I changed was the “4”, which is how I know it’s Changeling that was used in the film.

What’s funny about all this has to do with my choice of the name “Changeling”. It contains all the letters in the name “China” (I added things to it, get it?). A “changeling” refers to something that comes back in a different form, and this was a font coming back in a different form. It’s also the title of an episode from the original Star Trek t.v. show, something I was aware of when I chose the name—the sci-fi connection made me like the name even more, because of the way the font looks. Finally, that particular Star Trek episode was the basis for the first Star Trek movie.

Needless to say, I was in several kinds of geek heaven last night.

• Cast & crew
• User reviews

Mirror, Mirror

• Episode aired Oct 6, 1967

A transporter accident places Captain Kirk's landing party in an alternate universe, where the Enterprise is in the service of a barbarically brutal empire. A transporter accident places Captain Kirk's landing party in an alternate universe, where the Enterprise is in the service of a barbarically brutal empire. A transporter accident places Captain Kirk's landing party in an alternate universe, where the Enterprise is in the service of a barbarically brutal empire.

• Marc Daniels
• Gene Roddenberry
• Jerome Bixby
• William Shatner
• Leonard Nimoy
• DeForest Kelley
• 36 User reviews
• 13 Critic reviews

• Captain James Tiberius 'Jim' Kirk

• Mister Spock

• (as Barbara Luna)

• Kirk's Henchman

• Chekov's Helper in Mirror Universe
• (uncredited)
• Lieutenant Hadley
• Chekov's Guard #2
• Sulu's Guard

• Lieutenant Leslie
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

Did you know

• Trivia It took about a month to complete this particular episode. After filming had begun, BarBara Luna was diagnosed with strep throat. Since the script called for Capt. Kirk to kiss her, they had to postpone the kissing scene for three weeks until she was medically cleared, since they couldn't risk William Shatner getting infected.
• Goofs When Dr. McCoy uses a hypo to gain entrance to Engineering for Scotty and himself: when the door first opens, the shoulder of the set crew can be seen briefly behind the actors.

Dr. McCoy : Jim, I think I liked him with a beard better. It gave him character. Of course almost any change would be a distinct improvement.

Captain James T. Kirk : What worries me is the easy way his counterpart fitted into that other universe. I always thought Spock was a bit of a pirate at heart.

Mr. Spock : Indeed, gentlemen. May I point out that I had an opportunity to observe your counterparts here quite closely. They were brutal, savage, unprincipled, uncivilized, treacherous - in every way splendid examples of homo sapiens, the very flower of humanity. I found them quite refreshing.

Captain James T. Kirk : [to McCoy] I'm not sure, but I think we've been insulted.

Dr. McCoy : I'm sure.

• Alternate versions Special Enhanced version Digitally Remastered with new exterior shots and remade opening theme song
• Connections Edited into Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Trials and Tribble-ations (1996)
• Soundtracks Theme Music credited to Alexander Courage Sung by Loulie Jean Norman

User reviews 36

• Mar 5, 2011
• October 6, 1967 (United States)
• United States
• Official Facebook
• Desilu Studios - 9336 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA
• Desilu Productions
• Norway Corporation
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

• Runtime 50 minutes

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Star Trek: 10 Times Opening Credits Spoiled The Surprise

2. michael dorn - the way of the warrior.

Michael Dorn returns to this list for what was a surprise appearance, but a surprising placement in the episode. By the time The Way Of The Warrior  had been announced, audiences knew that Michael Dorn was going to join Deep Space Nine  as a main cast member. The Next Generation  had come to a close and the Enterprise-D had suffered catastrophic damage over Veridian III. This left Worf without a home.

The fourth season of DS9  opens with a changeling hunt aboard the station and the arrival of the Klingon fleet. Then, audiences were treated to a new style of intro - complete with Michael Dorn appearing before  Terry Farrell's name in the credits. What was going on, this writer clearly remembers thinking!

Well, it's not that surprising - the credits were listed alphabetically. It also felt like a statement to the audience, encouraging them to accept that things were going to change in the Bajoran Sector, whether they liked it or not. Speaking for myself - I liked it. A lot. 

Worf's name was there in the intro, before he even appeared on-screen, and sure as he would kick Martok's kids ass, he was here to stay. 

Writer. Reader. Host. I'm Seán, I live in Ireland and I'm the poster child for dangerous obsessions with Star Trek. Check me out on Twitter @seanferrick

Screen Rant

Star trek: discovery season 5, episode 3 ending explained.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5's treasure hunt brings the USS Discovery to Trill for the next clue, but Moll and L'ak may be one step ahead of Burnham.

Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 3 - "Jinaal"

• Moll and L'ak are setting a trap on the USS Discovery - Adira may be in danger.
• The Progenitors' treasure was safeguarded by six secret scientists in the 24th century.
• Commander Rayner struggles to connect with the crew - Burnham seeks answers beyond the treasure.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 3, "Jinaal", brings Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and the USS Discovery one step closer to finding the Progenitors' treasure, but little do they know Moll (Eve Harlow) and L'ak (Elias Toufexis) are making insidious moves against them. Written by Kyle Jarrow and Lauren Wilkinson and directed by Andi Armaganian, the third episode of Star Trek: Discovery season 5 splits the action between the planet Trill and Commander Rayner (Callum Keith Renne) and Ambassador Saru (Doug Jones) having difficulty adjusting to their new assignments.

Captain Burnham and Cleveland Booker (David Ajala) pass a test created by Jinaal (Wilson Cruz) with flying colors. Jinaal was the host of a Trill symbiont who was alive in the 24th century, and he was part of a coalition of scientists, which included the Romulan Doctor Vellek (Michael Copeman) who hid the Progenitors' technology to protect the galaxy. A Trill ritual allowed Jinaal to occupy the body of Dr. Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz), and the Trill took steps to ensure Burnham and Book were "worthy" of finding the Progenitors' treasure. However, Discovery's crew may unwittingly be walking into a trap set up by Moll and L'ak.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Returning Cast & New Character Guide

What did moll attach to adira at the end of star trek: discovery season 5, episode 3, moll and l'ak are making a move on the uss discovery.

After Jinaal departed Dr. Culber's body and he, Captain Burnham, and Cleveland Booker beamed back aboard the USS Discovery, Moll secretly placed a device on the arm of Ensign Adira Tal (Blu del Barrio). The Trills were warned by Burnham that Moll and L'ak would come seeking the clue hidden on Trill, but Guardian Xi (Andreas Apergis) was certain Trill would withstand any aggressive act. But what the Trill didn't anticipate was Moll, who is human, infiltrating the Trill during their ritual and planting something on Discovery's young Ensign.

32nd-century technology in Star Trek: Discovery is made of programmable matter, which explains why Moll's device disappeared.

The tiny device Moll hid on Adira's arm quickly vanished, but there are a few possibilities for what the tech could be. The device could be a tracker of some sort ; since Moll knows Burnham found the clue on Trill, she could be ensuring that she and her lover, L'ak, will be able to follow the USS Discovery wherever it jumps to next. The device could also be some kind of communicator or a weapon that could incapacitate Adira. It may also be a tiny transporter that would allow Adira to be beamed to L'ak's ship where they could be held hostage.

Moll, who likely was incognito in the Trill caves for the duration of Star Trek: Discovery, probably overheard Adira's conversations with their love interest, Gray Tal (Ian Alexander), and their decision to break up. Adira, who is young and inexperienced, is the ideal target for Moll and L'ak to plant a device on. This may be the end of Adira and Gray's Star Trek: Discovery love story . Their breakup is also an interesting juxtaposition to Moll and L'ak, who are lovers themselves but are committed to each other and are on the same journey, unlike the young Trill and Ensign.

Everything Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 3 Revealed About The Progenitors' Treasure

Great steps were taken to protect the ancient power to create life.

Jinaal provided a wealth of new information about what happened to the Progenitors' treasure after the events of Star Trek: The Next Generation 's "The Chase." According to Jinaal, in the 24th century, the President of the United Federation of Planets - possibly Jaresh-Inyo (Herschel Sparber) from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - secretly assembled a team of 6 Federation and non-Federation scientists , including Jinaal and Dr. Vellek. After years of researching the Progenitors' message, they found the ancient technology in a sector of deep space. One of the scientists died horribly when they tried to activate it.

The scientists made it their life's work to safeguard the Progenitors' technology.

The scientists decided to hide the Progenitors' treasure instead of turning it over to the Federation. At this point, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's Dominion War engulfed the Alpha Quadrant, and anyone could be a Changeling. Jinaal and his colleagues made a pact and lied to the Federation about the treasure while redacting themselves from every database. The scientists made it their life's work to safeguard the Progenitors' technology, eventually creating a series of clues which they determined would deem whoever could find the treasure "worthy" of having it.

Meanwhile, on the USS Discovery, Commander Paul Stamets (Anthony Rapp) decoded Dr. Vellek's Romulant tricorder and learned more about the Progenitors' treasure. Stamets was excited about the applications of the Progenitors' technology, which is billions of years old. The Progenitors could "design new lifeforms, accelerate evolution, modify ecosystems." Stamets added, "If it can create life, then, in theory, it might also be possible to re-animate dead organisms."

The Progenitors' technology sounds like the Genesis Device from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan but with even more potential to create - or destroy - life.

Saru Made A Faux Pas About Announcing His Wedding To T'Rina

Saru has a lot to learn about love and politics.

The newly-minted Ambassador Saru performed well in his first delegation meeting about the rising threat of the Breen , but he made a faux pas when it came to announcing his engagement to President T'Rina (Tara Rosling). T'Rina's political aide, Duvin (Victor Andres Trelles Turgeon), became concerned about the optics of the President of Ni'Var siding with the Kelpien Ambassador, especially when the news of their engagement becomes public. Saru listened to Duvin and got cold feet about announcing his engagement to T'Rina.

Duvin feared T'Rina's Presidential power weakening among Vulcan purists if she marries an offworlder.

Ultimately, T'Rina made Saru realize that making a public announcement is better than news of their engagement leaking out, which would make it seem like the couple were hiding something scandalous. Saru confessed his inexperience in romance and politics, but T'Rina has enough savviness for them both. Saru and T'Rina's wedding is on, and will likely take place sometime during Star Trek: Discovery season 5.

Commander Rayner Will Have Trouble Fitting In With The USS Discovery Crew

Rayner's not looking to connect and make friends on discovery.

Now demoted to Commander as the new First Officer of the USS Discovery, Rayner was ordered by Captain Burnham to meet with and forge connections with the USS Discovery's crew. But Rayner was more interested in hunting Moll and L'ak , and he only met with Discovery's crew members for brief, unfriendly intervals, to the disgust of Lieutenant Sylvia Tilly (Mary Wiseman). Rayner made no real inroads in connecting with Discovery's personnel, although he paid attention and made insightful observations about each Starfleet Officer.

Commander Rayner not immediately fitting in on Discovery is more realistic.

Tilly was right that Commander Rayner, who was on a new ship after an embarrassing demotion, compensated by acting boorishly to hide how difficult it was for him. To Star Trek: Discovery season 5's credit, Commander Rayner not immediately fitting in on Discovery is more realistic than the Kellerun Starfleet Officer being welcomed with open arms. Rayner will have a long road to earning the respect of the USS Discovery's crew, and vice versa, although Captain Burnham may not be pleased with how her new Number One alienated himself from her friends and family aboard the Disco.

Rayner explained he purposely kept a professional distance from his crew when he was Captain of the USS Antares.

Captain Burnham Is Searching For Something Bigger Than The Progenitors' Treasure

Michael has big questions she needs answered.

At the start of Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 2 , "Under the Twin Moons," Captain Burnham confessed that she used to find purpose in her missions, but now she is searching for something more. A greater meaning. Jinaal assessed this about Burnham on Trill, and Michael related the same to Dr. Hugh Culber. For Burnham, the Progenitors' treasure isn't just technology that can alter the destiny of the Federation, but it could mean answers Michael is seeking about the meaning of life, itself.

Captain Burnham's quest may reflect Star Trek: Discovery looking inward for something more profound.

Interestingly, Captain Burnham's spiritual journey in Star Trek: Discovery season 5 loosely echoes someone from her adoptive Vulcan family: Sybok (Lawrence Luckinbill). In Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, Spock's criminal older half-brother sought God in the mythical world of Sha Ka Ree. Sybok's quest was fueled by his own hubris, but the Vulcan truly did want to see and gain answers from the divine. Michael wants different answers than Sybok did, and Captain Burnham's quest may reflect Star Trek: Discovery looking inward for something more profound than its nature as an action-adventure Star Trek series.

Where The Next Clue To The Progenitors' Treasure Will Take Discovery

Discovery may take a pause in the treasure hunt.

Interestingly, Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 3's ending, doesn't directly lead to the USS Discovery's next destination after they depart Trill. Captain Burnham told Dr. Culber that the clue Jinaal gave them was being analyzed, but leads to the Tzenkethi system . However, Discovery is stymied by red tape as diplomats sort out the legalities of entering the Tzenkethi system. This could indicate a pause in Star Trek: Discovery season 5's treasure hunt in episode 4, "Face the Strange."

The Tzenkethi were a race that was never seen but was mentioned as enemies of the Federation on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , furthering Star Trek: Discovery 's DS9 connections.

However, it's a safe bet whatever Moll planted on Adira will lead to the next crisis Captain Burnham will have to contend with . With three more pieces needed to complete the map to the Progenitors' treasure and 7 more episodes to go in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, Captain Burnham's hunt may take its first, strange detour.

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