star trek picard changeling

Star Trek: Picard season 3: everything you need to know about the show's Big Bad

After making Captain Sisko’s life hell on Deep Space Nine, some familiar faces are back in Star Trek: Picard season 3

Spoilers for Picard season 3's third episode follow. If you haven't seen the latest episode or caught up on the season so far, look away now!

Following on from the bombshell that Jean-Luc Picard and Beverly Crusher have a kid together , the big revelations keep on coming in Star Trek: Picard season 3 . Third episode ‘Seventeen Seconds’ has just confirmed the identity of the villains who used a stolen portal weapon to destroy a Starfleet recruitment facility on M’talas Prime, and it turns out we’ve met them before.

The shapeshifting Changelings were the principal aggressors in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and now they’ve returned to the Alpha Quadrant with new-and-improved CG morphing techniques. Aside from stealing top-secret Starfleet hardware, their ultimate goal remains unknown, though whatever they have planned is unlikely to be good news for Jean-Luc and the Federation.

So, as one Changeling spy gets busy creating havoc on the USS Titan, and another winds up interrogated (and vaporised) by Worf and Raffi Musiker, we travel back in time to explore the Dominion’s Star Trek origins.

Where have we seen the Changelings before in Star Trek?

The shapeshifting Changelings became the main antagonists of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, which ran for seven seasons from 1993-99. DS9 security chief Odo was a member of the same species, though he didn’t learn about his heritage until season 3.

The Changelings originated on the other side of the galaxy, but the discovery of the Bajoran wormhole next to DS9 allowed easy access between the Alpha Quadrant (our bit) and the Gamma Quadrant (theirs). Suddenly, two factions who may otherwise never have met had each other in phaser lock.

The Changelings primarily exist in liquid form but can assume the form of multiple humanoid races. Despite possessing similar shapeshifting abilities to the Chameloid Martia in Star Trek 6: The Undiscovered Country, the species are apparently not related.

Sign up to the SFX Newsletter

Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!

What is the Dominion?

The Dominion was the empire ruled over by the Changelings – known as the “Founders” to their adoring subjects.

Although the Founders were undoubtedly the brains of the operation, they were never particularly keen on getting their hands dirty. Instead, many administrative roles were fulfilled by the humanoid Vorta (easily cloned in the event of an individual’s demise). The Dominion’s military might, meanwhile, supplied by the ruthless Jem’Hadar. The Founders ensured the loyalty of their footsoldiers by genetically engineering them to be dependent on a drug known as ketracel-white.

What are the Changelings’ strengths and weaknesses?

Thanks to their morphogenic matrix, Changelings can shapeshift to impersonate a vast array of inanimate objects, animals and humanoids. As well having no need for food, they can survive in the vacuum of space.

On their homeworld they all join together to form a big lake of liquid beings known as the Great Link. Here they can exchange thoughts in one big hive mind – it’s like the Borg but gooier.

As predominantly liquid beings, however, they can’t hold solid form indefinitely. They subsequently experience intense pain and a rapidly deteriorating body if they leave it too long before returning to their liquid state. During Odo’s early days on Deep Space Nine, he had to revert to his gloopier self every 16-18 hours, spending his R&R periods in a bucket before relocating to larger quarters.

How do you spot a Changeling?

While Odo would struggle to pass for human, older, more experienced Changelings have the ability to create a seamless imitation of detailed facial features and voices. This has traditionally made them incredibly difficult to spot, with even the extensive blood screening adopted by the Federation proving frustratingly hit-and-miss. In fact, their best efforts weren’t enough to prevent copies of DS9’s resident doctor Julian Bashir and Klingon bigwig General Martok slipping through the net.

What was the Dominion War?

The Dominion’s initial slow-burn efforts to infiltrate the Alpha Quadrant eventually escalated into all-out war. The resulting two-year conflict brought all of Star Trek’s significant powers into battle, and led to in massive casualties on both sides.

Dominion tactics were varied enough to incorporate the brute force of the Jem’Hadar armada, and Changeling operatives shapeshifting their way into the upper echelons of Starfleet or the Klingon Empire – they even engineered a war between the Klingons and the Cardassians to further their aspirations in the region,  

The threat became so great that the Federation, the Klingon Empire and the Romulan Star Empire were forced to enter into an unlikely alliance, though the Cardassian Union went the other way and teamed up with the Dominion. This decision ultimately backfired when the Founders decided an alliance with the secretive Breen was actually more beneficial to their cause. Hundreds of millions of Cardassians were slaughtered in the subsequent invasion.

What happened to the Dominion at the end of Deep Space Nine?

The Federation/Klingon/Romulan alliance ultimately reclaimed Cardassian territory and gained the upper hand over the Dominion in battle. But arguably the most important (and most morally questionable) development of the war’s endgame was the morphogenic virus Starfleet Intelligence’s perennially shady Section 31 developed to kill off the Changelings.

With the Founders unable to develop a treatment of their own, they were facing extinction when the Federation Council vetoed the use of the cure Dr Bashir had developed.

Odo ultimately convinced the Founders to surrender, on the condition that he join them in the Great Link to share the cure. The war officially ended with the signing of the Treaty of Bajor.

Has Picard ever faced the Dominion before?

Neither of Picard’s Enterprises ever encountered the Dominion on screen, though the long-running war is referenced in both Star Trek: Insurrection and Star Trek: Nemesis. Seeing as the crew would have been in service throughout the conflict, however, it seems unlikely they’d have avoided the Changelings completely.

And, seeing as Worf spent four seasons as a regular on Deep Space Nine, there is at least one member of the classic Next Generation line-up with extensive experience of the Founders. When the Klingon makes a reference to “a close friend within the Link” in Picard season three’s third episode, he’s almost definitely referring to his former colleague, Odo.

How do the Changelings fit into Star Trek: Picard?

Episode 3 (‘Seventeen Seconds’) sets them up as season 3’s Big Bad, responsible for stealing both the troublesome portal weapon Vadic uses to torment the USS Titan, and another top-secret threat housed at Daystrom Station. There’s also a Changeling hidden aboard the Titan, and he's done his best to kill Jack Crusher in between ongoing efforts to sabotage the ship.

It’s important to note, however, that these Changelings are not the Dominion. Worf explains that, “When the Dominion War ended, there was a schism. A terrorist faction broke away, unwilling to accept defeat.” It appears that the Changelings we’ve seen so far in Star Trek: Picard are part of this “rogue group”, though Worf is treading softly because Starfleet realise that acknowledging their existence might risk reigniting the Dominion War.

New episodes of Star Trek: Picard stream on Paramount Plus in the US every Thursday, and on Fridays in the UK courtesy of Prime Video.

Richard is a freelancer journalist and editor, and was once a physicist. Rich is the former editor of SFX Magazine, but has since gone freelance, writing for websites and publications including GamesRadar+, SFX, Total Film, and more. He also co-hosts the podcast, Robby the Robot's Waiting, which is focused on sci-fi and fantasy. 

Reacher is the "American James Bond," according to its star Alan Ritchson

A Fallout Brotherhood of Steel theory suggests a major season 2 spoiler could be hiding in plain sight

Dragon Age co-creator says adapting the beloved RPG into a Fallout-style TV show would be a "terrible idea"

Most Popular

• The Inventory

Star Trek: Picard Brings Everyone Together With the Threat of Impending Death

If you thought last week put the pressure on, "no win scenario" makes it look like a walk in the park for star trek: picard 's heroes..

Star Trek loves itself a nebula . It loves itself a starship that gets stuck inside a nebula. When that nebula is actually a living being? It’s downright giddy. This week’s Star Trek: Picard not only did all three, it used that classic premise to give all its characters a choice: come together or crack under the pressure.

Related Content

“No Win Scenario,” the fourth episode of Star Trek: Picard season 3, build s on last week’s barnstormer of an episode where Picard, Riker, and everyone else aboard the Titan were having the absolute worst time of their lives. Turns out, there’s always a way to make things worse! With the Titan all but scuttled by Picard’s failed, hail-mary attack on the Shrike , the ship’s dwindling power reserves leave it in a tailspin down deep into the gravity well at the heart of the nebula. If that wasn’t enough, their power reserves are so low the Titan ’s life support systems are very close to shutting down, so the crew is either going to freeze, asphyxiate , and/ or be crushed by the gravitic forces within the nebula. And if that wasn’t enough, there’s also a changeling saboteur operating aboard the ship, and no one really knows where one of Star Trek ’s most sinister foes is lurking, or who they are.

Suffice it to say, if “No Win Scenario” was about getting out of all these individual no-win scenarios and nothing else, it’d be a pretty tense, exciting episode of Star Trek . But Picard continues its strong streak this season by not really focusing on the hows and whys and technobabbles of these plot threads, but their immense impact on the characters—the pressure of multiple lethal scenarios compressing them into the best versions of themselves, primarily through a lot of hurt.

Riker, fresh off of his very public dust-up with Jean-Luc, spends any time he’s not trying to keep what’s left of the Titan together long enough to figure out a way out while reflecting on how the loss of his and Deanna’s son Thad—which he used to reass ure Picard about getting closer to his newfound son last week—has left him emotionally distant, damaging their relationship along the way. Doing so lets him reflect long enough that if this is the end, he can’t leave Picard on the terms he did last week, leading to an emotional calming of the waters between them.

Picard, meanwhile, tries to spend what could be his last hours with Jack, retreating to the holodeck’s recreation of Ten Forward (the Picard bar, not the TNG one, alas) alongside several other distressed members of the Titan crew to try and calm his son in the face of almost certain death. It’s a powerful series of scenes, as Patrick Stewart exhibits a rawness rarely seen in his portrayal of Picard—human, funny, melancholic, a little expletive —and the bittersweet nature of it all is contrasted with a series of flashbacks to the actual Ten Forward back on earth, as Jack, unbeknownst to his father, surreptitiously overhears him regale a crowd of Starfleet Academy students about his history. There, Picard concludes when a student asks him if he ever intended to start a family, that Starfleet was his family, breaking the heart of his unseen son. But in the present, just as Jack and Jean-Luc are on the cusp of finding some connection together, the moment is thrown into emotional chaos instead... as a recovering Captain Shaw enters the bar.

It turns out part of Shaw’s animosity to Picard isn’t just the way the Admiral bludgeoned his path aboard his ship with his own legacy. Shaw was stationed aboard a ship that took part in the infamous Battle of Wolf 359, where Picard, as Locutus, le d the Borg in a devastating assault on Starfleet. There were no heroic survival tales of determination like the ones Picard tells, Shaw bitterly rails at the Admiral, assuming this is the only chance he’ll ever get. H e survived his ship’s destruction by being randomly selected to escape on the remaining life pods, then watching his friends die in his place. For a season already bringing as much Deep Space Nine nostalgia to the fore as it is TNG by making Changelings the big threat of the show, there’s a fascinating parallel between Shaw’s relationship with Picard and Benjamin Sisko’s relationship with Picard as seen in DS9 's premiere, “Emissary,” 30 years ago in that the bitter recriminations of survivors of Locutus’ assault undo the man completely. B efore Jack can come to his defense , Picard glumly accepts both Shaw’s hatred and that his moment with his son has passed, retreating from the bar and into himself while the Titan faces its doom.

Speaking of Shaw, the other rocky relationship we get this week comes in the form of his questionable bond with Seven of Nine, who is still technically awaiting court martial even as she runs about the Titan trying to do her job. Tasked by Riker with finding the Changeling saboteur as quietly as she can , Seven finds herself having to go to Shaw for help, who only begrudgingly agrees to offer information when Seven likewise begrudgingly admits she needs his familiarity with the Titan to find the saboteur. Seven and Shaw work together to trick the Changeling after destroying its regenerative bucket (which, apparently, tells us all Changelings copied Odo’s bucket design, which is oddly sweet ) while Shaw tries to hotwire the Titan ’s engines after Riker and the bridge crew come up with a madcap plan to get out of the living nebula. In a moment of catharsis, everything comes together, and it’s the important connections everyone has made in the pressure of this episode—Shaw and Seven, Picard and Riker, Picard and Jack—that win the day. When Ensign LaForge shows up to help Seven and Shaw, the former plays on her friendship with the young officer... goading her into revealing she’s the Changeling in disguise, referring to Seven as “Commander Hansen” instead of “Commander Seven,” as the real LaForge does.

And so, after all this tension and intrapersonal drama, Star Trek: Picard allows itself a moment of catharsis—the Changeling agent is dead, the Titan escapes the nebula ( timing its velocity with the release of a wave of newborn nebula-jellyfish) , and Riker even gets to return the proverbial favor and use its tractor beam to lob an asteroid at the Shrike on the way out. Everyone’s happy, everyone’s alive, and for the first time in a few episodes, almost all of Picard ’s characters can catch their breath.

It’s a great climax to this opening chapter of Picard ’s final season, even as it’s very clear things aren’t over. The question of just why these Dominion renegades want Jack Crusher still plagues Picard, and Jack himself is still likewise plagued by his strange visions. And, of course, albeit a bit battered, Vadic is still out there and eager to claim her bounty. But if “No Win Scenario” proved anything, it’s that even if things are bound to get worse again from this moment of respite, the crew aboard the Titan , in spite of their differences, are more than ready to face the pressure .

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel , Star Wars , and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV , and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who .

• View history

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
• 1 Abdullah bin al-Hussein

Den of Geek

Star Trek: Picard Season 3 Episode 4 Easter Eggs Explained

From space babies to goo buckets, this episode of Star Trek: Picard will remind you of several great episodes of The Next Generation — and Deep Space Nine, too.

• Share on Facebook (opens in a new tab)
• Share on Twitter (opens in a new tab)
• Share on Linkedin (opens in a new tab)
• Share on email (opens in a new tab)

This Star Trek: Picard article contains spoilers.

At this point in Star Trek: Picard season 3, one thing is clear: This season isn’t just paying homage to the ‘90s era of Trek . This season is a direct sequel to those adventures. From details about Changelings to deep dives into the past of the old Stargazer , to new wrinkles about the Borg, the fourth episode of Picard season 3 had a lot to unpack.

Here are the best easter eggs and Star Trek canon references in “No Win Scenario.”

Five Years Ago…

We start in a flashback, with Jean-Luc hanging out in the Los Angeles version of Ten Forward. Five years prior to Picard season 3 would put this flashback in 2397, which is, interestingly enough, just two years before Picard season 1. At this point in the timeline, Jean-Luc would be fully retired from Starfleet, meaning the young Starfleet officers would be pretty excited to see him out in the wild. Notably, the uniforms of the officers in this scene match the style of Starfleet uniforms from season 1, which are slightly different from what we’ve seen in season 2 onward.

Ad – content continues below

Ten Forward Has A Lot of Easter Eggs

Introduced in season 2, this version of Ten Forward is always brimming with easter eggs. In the flashback scenes in “No Win Scenario” — which occur at the beginning of the episode, and toward the end, we see the following:

• A model of the Enterprise-C
• A photo of Picard and Guinan from Generations
• A photo of an Andorian in a TOS uniform 
• A publicity still of Whoopi Goldberg as Guinan from The Next Generation
• A sign for “Frontier Day.” This could indicate this celebration might occur every five years. Maybe?

The Hirogen, Tamarians, and “Darmok”

The younger officers quiz Jean-Luc about a few adventures, but we only really hear him talk about two throughout these flashbacks. One is something we’ve never heard of, while the other is a very famous TNG episode.

At the start of this flashback, Picard is asked about the Hirogen . This is an alien species from the Delta Quadrant, first introduced in Star Trek: Voyager . Jean-Luc and Worf dealing with the Hirogen never happened in the TNG series or feature films. This is why somebody asks Jean-Luc if he asked Admiral Janeway for “advice,” and also why they wondered about how the Hirogen got “into the quadrant.” In Voyager , the Hirgoen were a hunter species from the Delta Quadrant. 

However, later in the episode, when Picard talks about the Tamarians basing their language on “metaphor,” that is something we’ve seen. There, he’s referencing the beloved TNG episode “Darmok.”

“No Win Scenario” 

The title of this episode refers to the Kobayashi Maru scenario, a “no win scenario,” first introduced in The Wrath of Khan . Interestingly, this is the third episode of a new Star Trek series to reference this in an episode title in the past two years. The 2021 Discovery season 4 premiere was called “Kobayashi Maru,” while the sixth episode of Prodigy , in early 2022, was called “Kobayashi.”

While Seven searches the quarters of the suspected Changeling, we briefly see her favorite game: a Vulcan Kal-Toh. This game was referred to as “Vulcan chess,” but it’s way harder. This is at least the second time we’ve seen a Kal-Toh set in Picard — in the season 1 finale, we saw one near Raffi and Seven in the finale moments of “Et in Arcadia Ego Part 2.” But the game itself originated on Voyager , and Seven was very good at it.

Jack tells Jean-Luc a story about “Matalas 4,” which he says was a “real dump.” This is one of many references to showrunner Terry Matalas throughout the season. “M’Talas Prime” is the crime-ridden planet where Worf and Raffi have been hanging out throughout the first three episodes.

Get the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!

Changeling Bucket and Odo! 

Shaw gives Seven the low-down on the limits of shapeshifters, specifically, the fact that they need to regenerate somewhere. On the PADD Shaw hands Seven, we see a “Changeling Report,” which also shows a picture of Odo (René Auberjonois) from Deep Space Nine . When Seven locates the bucket on the Titan , it looks very similar to the one Odo had on DS9 .

Jack Crusher (Senior) and the Stargazer 

Picard tells young Jack about his time with Beverly’s first husband, Jack Crusher Sr. This story about them getting stuck in a shuttle, stranded away from the Stargazer , is not something we’ve heard before. It also seems to predate Jack meeting Beverly, since Jean-Luc and Jack were single and ready to mingle. It also seems possible that Jean-Luc was not yet the captain of the Stargazer when this happened. 

USS Constance, Wolf 359, and Locutus of Borg 

We learn that Captain Shaw was previously an engineer on the USS Constance during the Battle of Wolf 359 . This, of course, references the legendary TNG two-parter “The Best of Both Worlds,” in which Picard was assimilated by the Borg and turned into Locutus. We now know that Shaw served on the USS Constance during that battle, which was destroyed at Wolf 359, along with all the other Starfleet ships.

Previously, we’ve seen a schematic of the Constance in the end credits for every episode of Picard season 3, though, up until now, we haven’t known why. The Constance itself takes its name from a painting in the 12 Monkeys episode “Causality.” That series was helmed by Terry Matalas.

Shaw’s dislike of Picard because of Wolf 359 parallels Sisko’s experience in the DS9 pilot episode “Emissary.” Like Shaw, Sisko also kinda blamed Picard for the destruction of his ship, the Saratoga . 

“Weird Shit on the Stargazer”

When Shaw says “forget about that weird shit on the Stargazer,” he’s not talking about Jean-Luc’s Stargazer from back in the day, but rather, the newer Sagan-class version of the USS Stargazer from Picard season 2. When Shaw says “the real Borg are still out there,” what he means is that the nicer version of the Borg seen in the finale of Picard season 2 are not the only version of the Borg that exist in this timeline. This means the original version of the Borg Collective is intact in the Picard season 3 timeline.

Space Babies at Farpoint 

Dr. Crusher determines the nebula is full of space-dwelling alien lifeforms. She points out this is not the first time they’ve encountered creatures like this and Picard says “Farpoint.” This references the giant space jellyfish in the very first episode of The Next Generation ever, “Encounter at Farpoint.”

“To seek out new life”

Both Crusher and Riker get to say parts of the famous Star Trek opening monologue when Beverly says “to seek out new life” in response to seeing the space jellyfish all over the place. Riker responds by saying “I think we should boldly get the hell out of here.” Neither character has ever been able to say parts of this — or modifications of it — ever before.

Deanna Troi 

Riker and his wife, Deanna Troi, catch up via subspace communication at the end of the episode. This is the first time we’ve seen Troi in the present in this season of Picard . She only appeared in a flashback in the previous episode. Troi is likely on the planet Nepenthe, which first appeared in Picard season 1.

Admiral’s Log 

Jean-Luc closes the episode with a voice-over “Admiral’s log.” This is the first time he’s done this in the entirety of the series of Picard . This is the first time we’ve heard a log-style voiceover from Patrick Stewart since 2002 in Star Trek Nemesis . The episode concludes with a tease about deeper mysteries concerning Jack Crusher, but for now, the first four episodes of the season feel very much like the conclusion of one, very long and action-packed episode of The Next Generation .

Ryan Britt is a longtime contributor to Den of Geek! He is also the author of three non-fiction books: the Star Trek pop history book PHASERS…

You Don't Need To Know Star Trek: Deep Space Nine To Enjoy Picard Season 3, But It Helps

This article contains  spoilers for the latest episode of "Star Trek: Picard." 

The third season of "Star Trek: Picard" brings back a lot of fan-favorite concepts and characters from the beloved series "Star Trek: The Next Generation," but it has also resurrected a major plot point from one of its contemporaries, "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine." In episode 3 ( read our review here! ), Worf (Michael Dorn) and Raffi (Michelle Hurd) discover that, after the events of the Dominion War, the Changelings splintered into two factions: one connected to the Great Link, with Odo (René Auberjonois), and another that wanted to complete the domination goals of the Founders and get revenge on the Federation and the whole Alpha Quadrant. There's also a Changeling aboard the Titan, wreaking havoc and sabotaging the ship at every turn. The Changelings are back in a big way, and they don't necessarily require an understanding of the Dominion War or "Deep Space Nine" because they're objectively terrifying, but it does help make their motives make a bit more sense. 

The Changelings have also changed a bit since we last saw them on "Deep Space Nine," and they've evolved in ways that the "solids" (anyone who's not a Changeling) might not be prepared for. After all, the last time folks in the Alpha Quadrant saw a Changeling, they looked like something from a Capri Sun commercial.  Now, they're more like one of David Cronenberg's creepiest creations . So what's the deal with the Dominion War, and why are these "Deep Space Nine" villains back after all this time? Let's dig into it!

The Gamma Quadrant and the Founders

Worf was able to get the information about the Changeling splinter group from Odo, who sent a message from the Changeling home world, where the entire mass of the Great Link exist in one big ocean of goo. We know that the Changelings continue to exist in some form hundreds of years after the events of "Picard" because they're referenced on "Star Trek: Discovery," but that's all we've really heard about them since the end of "Deep Space Nine," when Odo returned to the Link in order to help cure a disease that was destroying his fellow Changelings. Sadly, we didn't get a chance to see Odo because Auberjonois passed away in 2019, but knowing that he's still out there, taking care of the Great Link after all of these years, is reassuring. (The only thing that would be better is if he got to leave and reunite with his old love, Kira Nerys, played by Nana Visitor.) 

Originally, the Changelings called themselves "The Founders," and they genetically engineered and trained two entire species to serve them: the Vorta and the Jem'Hadar. The Founders used the Vorta to handle all of their mundane and executive tasks, like interstellar butlers, while the Jem'Hadar were their soldiers, born addicted to a chemical called ketracel white. The Changelings and the Federation discovered one another because of a wormhole next to the planet Bajor, connecting the Alpha Quadrant (where the Federation exists) and the Gamma Quadrant (run by the Founders and their organization, the Dominion). Unfortunately, the Dominion are really into domination, and they try to take over the entire Alpha Quadrant before eventually being defeated by the Federation and their assembled allies and frenemies, led by Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) and the Cardassian leader, Damar (Casey Biggs). 

A new breed of Changeling

The Founders were laid low by a combination of the Alpha Quadrant's tactical prowess and the disease that was ravaging the Changelings, slowly killing all of them. Odo's return to the Link meant not only saving them from extermination, but helping them understand the Solids from his time among them. The Changelings that couldn't handle Odo's new way of doings things apparently set off on their own, untethered from the Link but still able to communicate with one another through some of the species' weird abilities. The Changelings have also seemingly evolved, and can now imitate blood, organs, and everything else that makes a solid a solid — they're indistinguishable from those they mimic save for the need to turn into goo form after a period of time. (The amount of time is different depending on the age and skill of the Changeling, but more than a week and they start basically melting.) The old version could be found out with a simple blood test, but the new ones? Not so much.

The evolved Changelings also look a lot grosser than their forebears, sliding around like a mess of flesh instead of the shiny silver boogers they were before. Since they're back for Dominion War 2: Electric Boogerloo, it's good that they at least got an upgrade. We don't know their ultimate motivation beyond revenge and finishing what they started before The Sisko defeated their evil butts, but they're a terrifying threat that make even the Borg look not-so-scary. It's unlikely that we'll see the return of the Vorta or the Jem'Hadar, who are probably busy trying to figure out how to survive without the Founders controlling their every move, but you never know. 

New episodes of "Star Trek: Picard" debut Thursdays on Paramount+. 

• Science Fiction
• All the Rest
• Recaps & Reviews
• Tabletop Games
• Video Games
• GGA Crush of the Week
• Anime Roundup
• Millennial Misremembers
• Mobile Game Monday
• Most Anticipated Video Games
• New Release Radar
• Tavern Talk Thursday
• Trek Tuesday
• Saturday Morning Webtoons
• Indigenerd Wire
• List Articles
• Mental Health
• Think Pieces

Select Page

Home » TV & Streaming » Science Fiction » The More Things Changeling: Who Are the Changelings in STAR TREK: PICARD Season 3

The More Things Changeling: Who Are the Changelings in STAR TREK: PICARD Season 3

Posted by Avery Kaplan | Mar 16, 2023 | GGA Columns , Science Fiction , Star Trek , Stuff We Like , Trek Tuesday , TV & Streaming | 0

Stream Star Trek: Picard on Paramount+ for one month free! Click here and use promo code: PICARD . 

The goo’s out of the receptacle: the major antagonists for Star Trek: Picard  season 3 are Changelings! These shapeshifting antagonists from the Gamma Quadrant were first introduced in  Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . Also known as the Founders of the Dominion, Changelings are the catalyst behind the Dominion War.

Odo on DS9 .

The first Changeling to whom we are introduced is DS9’s Chief of Security, Odo ( René Auberjonois ). While Odo is a shapeshifter, his personality is rigid and based on adherence to and enforcement of the rules. In early episodes, we discover that Odo must return to liquid form every 16 hours. During these intervals, he must rest in a receptacle.

RELATED: Star Trek DS9’s René Auberjonois Passes Away at 79

RELATED: Rod Roddenberry chats Majel Barrett-Roddenberry, First Lady of  Star Trek .

This regeneration trait is emphasized in the  DS9 season 1 episode, “The Forsaken.” In this story, Odo and Lwaxana Troi ( Majel Barrett-Roddenberry ) become trapped in a turbo-lift. Odo must trust Lwaxana to carry him in the folds of her dress while he is in his regenerative liquid state. However, contemporary online conversations with  DS9 writers suggested that this need to regenerate every 16 hours may be unnecessary for a more experienced Changeling.

In the  DS9 season 2 episode “The Alternate,” more about Odo’s origins are revealed. In this episode, Doctor Mora Pol (James Sloyan), the Bajoran scientist who served as Odo’s teacher and father figure, returns to Odo’s life. Furthermore, Dr. Mora brings the news that Odo may not be the only Changeling.

Solid Conflicts

The Great Link on DS9 .

Later in DS9 , the fact that Odo is a Changeling becomes an important narrative point in the ongoing Dominion War. At one point, he is infected by the Changelings, in an attempt to force his return to the Great Link ( the Changeling home collective ). This is because he must face the music for harming another Changeling in the name of defending his solid friends. Upon his return to the Link in DS9 season 4’s finale “Broken Link,” Odo is judged to be “guilty” by his Changeling peers. His sentence is to be turned into a solid himself.

RELATED: Get all the details about  Star Trek: Picard season 2 with our recaps!

This means that, for the first time, Odo has organs. As noted by Doctor Julian Bashir ( Alexander Siddig ), this includes a heart and lungs. Furthermore, he now must consume food and liquid. However, Odo is left with a face that appears as it did when he was a shapeshifter. This is punishment, to remind him what he lost. A later encounter with a very young Changeling in the  DS9 season 5 episode “The Begotten” restores Odo’s shapeshifting ability.

Changelings

As the series progresses, more about the Changelings is revealed. Much of this information is thanks to Odo’s connection to his fellow Changelings. One key fact to remember is how important the Changelings are to one another. Very little is prioritized above the safety of another Changeling. This often includes foregoing political and military victories.

Changelings are resilient. Depending on the situation, they may be able to survive conditions that would kill most solid lifeforms. This includes traversing the vacuum of space, certain explosions and being fired upon by a phaser. However, they are not immortal. At this point, we have seen multiple Changelings dispatched. They may be especially susceptible to Klingon weapons, including disruptors.

RELATED: 8  Star Trek predictions for 2023.

One tactic frequently used by Changelings is to replace high-ranking officials in an organization. This allows the ersatz official to subvert the organization’s goals. A high-profile example can be found in  DS9 season 5’s premiere episode, “Apocalypse Rising.” In this episode, General Martok of the House Martok ( J.G. Hertzler ) is replaced with a Changeling. This almost leads to disaster, particularly since Odo’s Great Link connection deceived him into believing it is actually Gowron ( Robert O’Reilly ) who has been replaced by a Changeling.

This fake Martok has two eyes. The Real Martok has only one.

In another memorable instance, Bashir was replaced by a Changeling. Meanwhile, the real Bashir is captured. It is unknown how long this Changeling replaced Bashir, but it was likely more than a month. The subterfuge is revealed in DS9 season 5’s “In Purgatory’s Shadow.” 

Additionally, we do not know how long a Changeling lifespan may be. However, in  DS9 season 5’s “Children of Time,” it is implied that Odo could live at least two more centuries beyond his standard age on the series.

The Dominion War

In the later seasons of  DS9 , the Changelings served as the catalyst for the Dominion War. They lead an invasion of the Alpha Quadrant from the Gamma Quadrant, using the Bajoran Wormhole connecting the two territories. This invasion is motivated by a long history of solids displaying prejudice against shapeshifters. 

RELATED: Visit Starfleet IRL:  Star Trek: Picard filming locations .

One important fact to learn from this story arc: the Changelings have many solid “allies.” These include the Jem’Hedar. The Jem’Hedar are a genetically-engineered reptilian species. They are “grown” under controlled conditions and all assigned male at “birth.” In order to ensure their allegiance, all Jem’Hedar are addicted to ketracel-white. This drug is dispensed solely by Vorta overseers. 

Weyoun 4, an important Vorta.

The Vorta, meanwhile, is a species that reproduces via cloning. According to their lore, the Vorta were elevated to the status of “powerful beings” by the Changeling’s genetic engineering. The individual Vorta who we get to know best is Weyoun ( Jeffrey Combs ). Multiple clones of Weyoun are distinguished from one another through the addition of a numeral to the end of their name (i.e., “Weyoun 8”). We are informed there are a finite number of these clones, and the supply of Weyouns is ostensibly exhausted by the conclusion of  DS9 .

At one point, the face of the Dominion, known as “the Female Changeling” (Salome Jens), states Weyoun is the only solid she trusts.

The multi-year Dominion War was ended in part because of the Changeling’s loyalty to Odo. However, Odo’s loyalty to his people also factored into the conclusion. It is also worth noting that a desire to return to the Great Link was implanted within Odo genetically.

Luther Sloan ( William Sadler ), Section 31’s “Finest.”

Also important was an immoral attempt to overcome the Changelings initiated by Section 31. This took the form of a genetically-engineered virus that was fatal to the Changelings. Section 31 infected an unwitting Odo with this virus. He subsequently unknowingly passed it along to the entirety of the Link.

RELATED: Could the adventure continue with  Star Trek: Picard season 4?

Fortunately, Bashir was able to create a cure for the virus. In the conclusive  DS9 season 7 episode “What You Leave Behind,” Odo returns to the Link permanently. This is so he can build a better Dominion, and so he can pass the virus cure along to his people.

It is worth noting that some “truthers” within Starfleet do not believe the Dominion War happened at all. In the  Star Trek: Lower Decks season 1 finale, “No Small Parts,” noted mansplainer Lt. Steve Levy ( Fred Tatasciore ) claimed, “Changelings aren’t real! The Dominion War never happened!”

Changelings in Picard

Roughly two decades after the conclusion of DS9 , in  Picard season 3’s “ Seventeen Seconds ,” Worf ( Michael Dorn ) reveals he has been contacted by Odo from within the Link. This demonstrates Odo’s continued existence and alliance with the Federation, even after his permanent joining with the Link. It also reveals a terrorist faction of Changelings has broken away from the Great Link.

Titus and Worf. Photo Credit: Trae Patton/Paramount+. ©2021 Viacom, International Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Worf and Raffi Musiker ( Michelle Hurd ) became aware of the presence of Changelings in the same episode. This was thanks to the capture and execution of a Changeling posing as the human Titus Rikka (Thomas Dekker). This is a neat bit of meta casting: Dekker appeared as one of Picard’s fake relatives inside the Nexus in  Star Trek: Generations .

However, it has also been revealed that at least one Changeling was already aboard the  Titan-A when Admiral Jean-Luc Picard ( Patrick Stewart ) and Captain William T. Riker ( Jonathan Frakes ) arrived on the ship in “ The Next Generation .” Posing as Transporter Chief Eli Foster ( Chad Lindberg ), this imposter sabotaged the  Titan so as to alert Captain Vadic ( Amanda Plummer ) of its location.

Sabotage! Conspiracy!

One additional Changeling cameo took place in  Star Trek: Discovery season 4’s “ All In .” This confirmed Changelings continue to exist into the 32nd Century. However, the status of the Dominion is not elaborated upon.

RELATED: 8  Star Trek: Discovery episodes that prove  Disco will never die.

Questions also remain concerning the Changelings in the 25th Century. Could one of our favorite characters have been replaced by a Changeling? Worse still, could it have transpired before the first episode of Picard season 3 , meaning we have an imposter amongst the beloved cast? We may be only forty percent through  Picard season 3, but the time for paranoia is now. What are your conspiracy theories?

New episodes of  Picard season 3 are available for streaming on Paramount+ on Thursdays .

This article was originally published on 3/13/23.

Paramount+. Thousands of episodes including all  Star Trek series, live TV & exclusive originals–all in one place. Try it free!

STAR TREK: PICARD Season 3 – Who’s Who on the TITAN-A Bridge Crew

• Recent Posts

• STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS Concludes With Season 5; STRANGE NEW WORLDS Gets Season 4 - April 12, 2024
• Everything You Need to Know From Marvel at CinemaCon 2024 - April 12, 2024
• STAR TREK: DISCOVERY Recap: (S05E03) Jinaal - April 11, 2024

About The Author

Avery Kaplan

Avery Kaplan is the author of several books and the Features Editor at Comics Beat. She was honored to serve as a judge for the 2021 Cartoonist Studio Prize Award and the 2021 Prism Awards. She lives in the mountains of Southern California with her partner and a pile of cats, and her favorite place to visit is the cemetery. You can also find her writing on Comics Bookcase, NeoText, Shelfdust, the Mary Sue, StarTrek.com, in many issues of PanelxPanel, and in the margins of the books in her personal library.

Leave a reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Genre news, fun, and inspiration.

Celebrating the best of tv, movies, and comics

Yes, the Changelings are returning in Star Trek: Picard

A refresher on the alien species the Changelings, who make a recent appearance on Star Trek: Picard.

Who Are the Changelings of Star Trek?

Who Are the Changelings' allies?

Who Are the Changelings of Star Trek: Picard?

Watch our interview with Star Trek's newest captain, Todd Stashwick , who just debuted on Picard earlier this year.

MCM Comic Con

Florida Supercon

Comic-Con International: San Diego

New York Comic Con

5 Great Lessons Star Trek: Discovery Learned From Picard Season 3

WARNING: Contains SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery season 5.

• Star Trek: Discovery season 5 takes a fun turn with space exploration, embracing the adventurous nature of Star Trek.
• Building on TNG and DS9, season 5 introduces new characters like Captain Rayner to shake things up.
• Discovery season 5 offers compelling villains like Moll and L'ak, adding mystery and tension to the galactic treasure hunt.

Star Trek: Discovery's fifth and final season learned all the right lessons from Star Trek: Picard season 3. Following the adventures of the USS Discovery and Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green), Discovery has been many things throughout its four seasons. After the titular ship jumped to the 32nd century at the end of Discovery season 2, the show began exploring the Federation of the far future. While Discovery has often focused on dark and emotional storytelling, season 5 finally embraces the fun of space exploration. Between the latter half of Discovery season 4 and the first few episodes of season 5, the show has finally found a formula that really works.

Star Trek: Picard also told darker stories in its first two seasons, but Picard season 3 leaned more into nostalgia and fun. Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) reunited with his Star Trek: The Next Generation crew for one last galaxy-saving adventure that involved big revelations and connections to the past. Picard season 3 became a resounding success , and many fans have been clamoring for the proposed spinoff, Star Trek: Legacy , ever since. Star Trek: Discovery season 5 seems to have learned a thing or two from Picard's success, and is shaping up to be the best season of the show thus far.

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

Star trek: discovery season 5 builds on star trek's long history, both discovery season 5 & picard season 3 continued stories that began on tng..

The Star Trek franchise has been captivating audiences since the premiere of Star Trek: The Original Series in 1966, and with that comes a lot of history and lore. Star Trek: Discovery has always been connected to TOS , but Discovery season 5 has been building more directly on stories that were established in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . The main plot line of Discovery season 5 serves as a direct follow-up to TNG season 6, episode 20, "The Chase," and has sent Captain Burnham and the USS Discovery on a galactic treasure hunt.

Star Trek : Discovery's 32nd century finally feels more connected to the rest of Star Trek 's timeline.

As Burnham and Discovery search for the ancient and powerful technology of the Progenitors, they also seek to learn more about themselves and answer the biggest questions about life, itself. Discovery 's treasure hunt has already taken them to the planet Trill where Dr. Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz) participated in a Trill ritual first introduced on DS9 . Aside from obvious connections to DS9 and TNG , Discovery season 5 has also included numerous shout-outs to previously established aliens and planets. Star Trek : Discovery's 32nd century finally feels more connected to the rest of Star Trek 's timeline.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Embraces Nostalgia

Picard season 3 saw more returning characters, but discovery season 5 tells a classic trek story..

Not only has Star Trek: Discovery season 5 been building on established Star Trek history, but it has also embraced the nostalgia many fans have for TNG -era Trek in particular. Discovery season 5 may be set too far in the future to bring back characters like Star Trek: Picard season 3 did, but the show has still managed to feel more like classic Trek . Not only did the Discovery season 5 premiere show a photo of Captain Picard, but the episode also introduced a Soong-type android named Fred (J. Adam Brown), who bore a striking resemblance to Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner).

While Star Trek: Discovery season 5 still has many serialized elements, each episode also tells its own story, often taking Burnham and her crew to a new planet. In Discovery season 5, episode 2, "Under the Twin Moons," Captain Burnham and Mr. Saru (Doug Jones) find themselves under attack by automated drones, in a plot taken straight from TNG . Whether or not Discovery will have its own USS Enterprise-D moment like Picard season 3 remains to be seen, but the season has certainly leaned into its connections to the past more than any previous seasons.

Many of the new characters, like the android Fred and Captain Rayner (Callum Keith Rennie), wouldn't feel out of place on TNG or DS9.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Introduces New Characters To Shake Things Up

Captain liam shaw & captain rayner have a lot in common..

Much like Star Trek: Picard season 3 introduced Captain Liam Shaw (Todd Stashwick) to challenge Admiral Picard and Commander William Riker (Jonathan Frakes), Star Trek: Discovery season 5 introduced Callum Keith Rennie's Captain Rayner to test the patience of Captain Burnham and Discovery's crew. After Rayner makes a bad call on Q'Mau in the season premiere, he gets demoted to Commander, and Burnham recruits him to be the USS Discovery's First Officer. When Lt. Sylvia Tilly (Mary Wiseman) pushes Rayner to get to know the crew, he pushes back, pointing out that he has more important things to worry about.

Like Shaw, Rayner has a gruff personality that doesn't quite gel with the rest of the USS Discovery crew.

When Michael first asks Rayner to be her Number One, she acknowledges that she needs someone who will sometimes challenge her. This will likely come up in the episodes to come, as Discovery gets closer and closer to the Progenitors' treasure. Rayner has already hinted that he has a past with couriers Moll (Eve Harlow) and L'ak (Elias Toufexis), and his main goal is to find them and stop whatever it is they're planning. Over the course of Star Trek: Picard season 3, Captain Shaw became a fan favorite as more was revealed about his backstory, and it seems likely that Rayner will get similar results.

Why I'm On Rayner's Side In Star Trek: Discovery Season 5

Star trek: discovery season 5 has compelling villains, moll & l'ak may not be as menacing as vadic, but they all have compelling backstories..

Star Trek: Picard season 3 introduced one of Star Trek's best new villains in Amanda Plummer's Vadic, a Changeling with a grudge against the Federation. While much about Moll and L'ak remains a mystery at this point, the hints that have been dropped about them are interesting and suggest they have a compelling backstory. Rayner seems to know more about them than he's letting on, and Cleveland Booker (David Ajala) has a connection with Moll that has yet to be explored. Moll and L'ak are Star Trek's version of Bonnie and Clyde, but it's possible an even bigger bad hired them to steal the Progenitor technology.

It's possible a more powerful threat could emerge before Star Trek : Discovery season 5 comes to an end.

With all the secrecy surrounding L'ak in particular, whose species is not even known, it's possible he could have connections to Star Trek's past that have not yet been revealed. Moll and L'ak may not have quite the menace of Vadic, but both villains have advanced technology and absolutely no interest in working with the Federation. The Borg Queen (Alice Krige) also made a return in Star Trek: Picard season 3 as the one pulling the strings, and with technology as seismic as the Progenitors' treasure, it's possible a more powerful threat could emerge before Star Trek : Discovery season 5 comes to an end.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Is Fun

Picard season 3 & discovery season 5 both remembered that star trek should be fun..

And last, but certainly not least, Star Trek: Discovery season 5 is simply more fun than any previous season. The latter half of Discovery season 4 showed hints of this, but season 5 has embraced the adventurous nature of exploration. With desert bike chases and automated weapons and invisible aliens, each episode of Discovery season 5 so far has had a least one big, high-energy action sequence. Like Star Trek: Picard season 3, Discovery season 5 has also found time for humor and laughter shared among friends even when the stakes are high.

It's unfortunate Star Trek: Discovery is coming to an end so soon after it found a winning formula, but at least the show will end on a high note.

Captain Burnham and the Discovery crew have been through a lot since season 1, and Star Trek: Discovery season 5 is finally letting them have fun. They may have to keep the Progenitors' technology out of the wrong hands, but they still get to embark on a massive treasure hunt centuries in the making. Saru has found love with Ni'Var President T'Rina (Tara Rosling), Commander Paul Stamets (Anthony Rapp) is rediscovering his love of science, and even Tilly has gotten back in on the fun of it all. It's unfortunate Star Trek: Discovery is coming to an end so soon after it found a winning formula, but at least the show will end on a high note.

New episodes of Star Trek: Discovery stream Thursdays on Paramount+.

Star Trek: Discovery

Cast Blu del Barrio, Oded Fehr, Anthony Rapp, Sonequa Martin-Green, Doug Jones, Wilson Cruz, Eve Harlow, Mary Wiseman, Callum Keith Rennie

Release Date September 24, 2017

Writers Alex Kurtzman

Directors Jonathan Frakes, Olatunde Osunsanmi

Showrunner Alex Kurtzman

Where To Watch Paramount+

Star Trek: Picard

Cast Orla Brady, Michael Dorn, LeVar Burton, Brent Spiner, Jonathan Frakes, Jeri Ryan, Patrick Stewart, Alison Pill, Isa Briones, Evan Evagora, Marina Sirtis, Amanda Plummer, Whoopi Goldberg, Gates McFadden, Todd Stashwick, Santiago Cabrera, Michelle Hurd, John de Lancie, Ed Speleers

Release Date January 23, 2020

Writers Akiva Goldsman, Terry Matalas, Michael Chabon

Directors Terry Matalas, Jonathan Frakes

Showrunner Akiva Goldsman, Terry Matalas, Michael Chabon

Picard’s Massive Villain Return Actually Fixes A First Contact Plot Hole

“I can hear them.”

In the penultimate episode of Picard Season 3 , the show’s biggest twist redefines not only the entire season but one of the most epic conflicts in Star Trek canon. Although the primary villain this season has its origins in Deep Space Nine , it turns out that somebody else has been pulling the strings. But the return of this specific villain isn’t just a twist for the sake of it. Instead, a very old mystery from 1996 has finally been solved. Here’s what that huge twist from Picard Season 3, Episode 9 means, plus some clarification from showrunner Terry Matalas about a very specific floating head.

Warning! Spoilers ahead for Picard Season 3, Episode 9, “Vox.”

Early in the episode, the mystery of what’s behind the “red door” in the mind of Jack Crusher reveals the unthinkable: Jack has the Borg in his blood!

Turns out Jean-Luc Picard accidentally passed down what Data calls “dormant biological Borg adaptations.” Although the Prime Universe Borg was (mostly) defeated by Janeway in the Voyager finale “Endgame,” it turns out the original Borg evolved in a new way, which allows assimilation via Jean-Luc’s altered genetic code. The entire Changeling plot was specifically designed to slip Picard’s old Borg code into every Starfleet transporter and give everybody a piece of Borg in their body. Meanwhile, Jack — as Jean-Luc’s son — inherited a huge chunk of this genetic tech; which, has turned him into an unwitting transmitter; exactly what the ailing Borg Queen (Alice Krige) wanted all along.

First Contact set up this Picard twist in 1996

Picard could hear the Borg...way back in First Contact.

Although Jean-Luc Picard was rescued from the Borg Collective in the 1990 TNG episode ‘The Best of Both Worlds Part 2,” we later learned that he retained an ability to “hear” the Collective in the mega-popular 1996 film Star Trek: First Contact . In that film, Picard was able to sense the Borg, and thus, give Starfleet the ability to destroy one specific Borg Cube. But, at that time, we never knew why he had this superpower. Because Jean-Luc never faced the Borg again, it’s taken this long to actually solve this mystery.

In “Vox,” Data and Geordi explain that the genetic alterations that the Borg made to Picard’s DNA turned him into a “receiver,” of Borg communication, while Jack is a “transmitter.” Jean-Luc realizes the significance of this revelation, saying that it “was why I could still hear them after I was assimilated.” Data adds that Picard’s “body” was the thing that could still hear the “voice of the Collective.”

Who controlled the Changelings for the Borg?

Turns out this is the Borg Queen, too.

Throughout Picard Season 3, Vadic’s handler appeared as a mystery floating face, who some fans have dubbed “meathead.” We later learned this was not a Changeling at all. Although some fans might miss this detail, that floating face was, in fact, the Borg Queen all along. When directly asked the identity of the floating face that bossed around Vadic, Picard showrunner Terry Matalas told Inverse “ That’s the Borg Queen.”

“ That’s the Borg Queen.”

Although “Vox” drops a lot of info that seems to change everything about Picard Season 3, all the clues have been there. The Changelings have been messing with the transporter since Episode 4 and Commander Ro told Picard she didn’t trust the transporters back in Episode 5 . In Episode 7, we learned that Vadic busted out of Daystrom Station on her own, and it was at that point she discovered the dormant Borg Code within Picard. In this episode, we learned that the Changelings wanted to weaponize the dormant Borg Code, and the Borg Queen was happy about the team-up.

As Beverly Cruhser says, “Cleary the Changelings have been working with the Borg since the beginning.”

Later, the Borg Queen clarifies this alliance slightly, saying to Jack that the Borg-Changeling team-up was “the vindication of both our species to take everything back from those who live like shattered glass.” Like the Borg, the Changelings have a kind of shared hive minds in their Great Link. Also like the Borg, they have a huge beef with the Federation. Both groups also view individualized humanoid consciousnesses as basically ridiculous.

This episode also makes it clear that the Borg Queen could not have stuck all this Borg genetic code into Starfleet’s systems without the help of the Changelings. This suggests the Borg Queen might be in worse shape than we know. In “Vox,” we don’t even see her face, and her ship seems badly damaged. Clearly, the Borg Queen was desperate enough to enlist the help of the Changelings.

But, that doesn’t mean all of our questions have been answered. Going into the massive Picard Season 3 finale, the vengeance of the Borg feels nearly complete. Unless, of course, one last starship can save the day.

Star Trek: Picard Season 3 streams on Paramount+ .

This article was originally published on April 13, 2023

• Science Fiction

• Gameumentary
• Review in 3 Minutes
• Design Delve
• Extra Punctuation
• Zero Punctuation
• Area of Effect
• Escape the Law
• In the Frame
• New Narrative
• Out of Focus
• Slightly Something Else
• Terms of Service
• Privacy Policy

In ‘Imposters,’ Picard Has an Identity Crisis

This review and discussion contains spoilers for Star Trek: Picard season 3, episode 5, “Imposters.”

The revelation that rogue Changelings had infiltrated Starfleet in “ Seventeen Seconds ” shifted the third season of Star Trek: Picard into something resembling a conspiracy thriller. To be fair, the season arguably began by hitting that note, with Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) imploring her old commanding officer Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) to “ trust no one ,” the iconic catchphrase of the definitive paranoid 1990s television series. This paranoia comes to the fore in “Imposters.”

In the episode’s teaser, Jack Crusher (Ed Speleers) is haunted by nightmares in which he murders the bridge crew of the Titan , suggesting he might be a brainwashed operative like in the classic paranoid thriller The Manchurian Candidate , which got its own loose Next Generation remake in “ The Mind’s Eye .” When the Titan intercepts the Intrepid , Commander Ro Laren (Michelle Forbes) arrives on board to reveal the extent and the reach of the Changeling infiltration of Starfleet.

“I believe the Changelings have infiltrated every sphere of power in Starfleet, including key personnel,” Ro warns. “Starfleet is compromised at the highest level.” Captain Liam Shaw (Todd Stashwick) repeats the warning that “Starfleet has been compromised” in his broadcast to his crew. “Jean-Luc, your ship is not the only one with a Changeling problem,” Ro urges Picard. “There have been twelve incidents across multiple starships, all being kept quiet. I’m just connecting the dots.”

As with a lot of the third season of Picard , this plays as a retread of an earlier episode. In the first season of The Next Generation , the episode “ Coming of Age ” saw Picard receiving a visit from his old friend Admiral Gregory Quinn (Ward Costello), who revealed a sinister plot in the upper echelons of Starfleet Command. In the later episode “ Conspiracy ,” it was revealed that a parasitic bug-like species had taken over senior officials. This early serialized plot remains an object of fascination for fans and writers.

The “Conspiracy” plot was a product of its time. Writer Tracy Tormé had originally pitched the idea of a conspiracy within Starfleet as a commentary on the then-recent Iran-Contra controversy , in which the American government conspired to sell arms to Iran in violation of an arms embargo . That scandal had also been an influence on the arms-dealing Starfleet Admiral Mark Jameson (Clayton Rohner) in “ Too Short a Season .” The threat within Starfleet received an alien dimension in order to appease Gene Roddenberry.

Obviously, these ideas exist in particular contexts and in conversation with particular ideas. A conspiracy thriller in the wake of Watergate or Iran-Contra is saying something different than a similar narrative in the era of “ trutherism ” or “ birtherism .” This is an issue in adapting older works in new contexts. The paranoid conspiracy theories of The X-Files spoke to something particular during the 1990s, but its subtext became much more uncomfortable when the show was revived in the age of Trump .

Star Trek has always been an inherently political show, with the franchise engaging with contemporary issues from the Vietnam War to the counterculture . Sometimes it did so elegantly and sometimes it did so clumsily, but the franchise has always been a science fiction saga that served as a mirror of America’s present , rather than a blueprint for its future . Even Star Trek: Picard itself was very much engaged with the Trump era from the outset: isolationism, xenophobia, refugee crises .

It’s important to stress that the first season of Picard was imperfect in its political commentary. The show was undeniably sympathetic to the Romulan refugees displaced by the supernova that consumed Romulus, earning praise from various human rights organizations . That said, the first season was still a paranoid narrative about how some of those refugees were infiltrators seeking to subvert the Federation, evoking right-wing fearmongering about immigration .

Somehow, the third season of Star Trek: Picard has ditched the empathy that the first two seasons demonstrated towards migrants and refugees , while retaining the paranoid fearmongering about outsiders hiding in plain sight. Indeed, Jack’s two killing spree sequences evoke similar sequences with the synthetics from the show’s first season, creating an interesting thematic bridge between two seasons fixated on the idea of “external enemies within.” It’s an odd choice.

To be fair, it’s unlikely that the third season of Picard is embracing this sort of paranoia deliberately or consciously. Indeed, the third season of the show has worked hard to erase anything even resembling a commentary on the modern world. Instead, it seemed like the show stumbled unthinkingly into this awkward political subtext, creating a story that doesn’t feel like an interrogation of the worst impulses of modern American discourse but an embrace of them.

There is a worrying number of Americans who believe that their government is conspiring against them and that there is a secretive cabal engaged in monstrous activities . These individuals attempted a literal coup of the United States . When Ro warns Picard that he “must make sure that (the crew of the Titan ) are loyal,” it’s a choice of language that evokes President Donald Trump’s attempts to solicit the individual loyalty of the officials serving under him .

Individual loyalty is the thematic glue of “Imposters.” It links both of the episode’s plot threads. Ro and Picard navigate the issue of their loyalty to one another, while crime boss Krinn (Kirk Acevedo) ruminates on his relationship to Sneed (Aaron Stanford), “In my world, loyalty is what passes for family.” This feels like the thesis statement of the episode. In Picard , individuals are shrewd enough not to offer loyalty to institutions. However, the third season insists on loyalty to individuals above all else, including ideals.

As an aside, Krinn himself is fascinating. There is something delightfully gonzo and silly in the idea of a Vulcan gangster who has decided “there can be no utopia without crime; ergo, an organized criminal enterprise is logical.” It’s also good to see Kirk Acevedo having fun. At the same time, there’s something uncomfortable about using vertical Vulcan text to evoke teardrop tattoos and a character wearing an IDIC like a medallion. It recalls Voyager ’s use of the Kazon as a clumsy commentary on Los Angeles gang culture .

Still, “Imposters” taps into something tied to the Changelings as a concept. The alien species evokes the paranoia of the 1950s witch hunts, the belief that communist sleeper agents had infiltrated America and looked just like everyone else. This may be why Star Trek: Deep Space Nine quickly leaned away from “imposter” narratives using the aliens. The last big infiltrator plotline was “ By Inferno’s Light ,” two-and-a-half seasons before the show ended and before the Dominion War began.

Indeed, Deep Space Nine was more interested in how paranoia about the Changelings warped the Federation than it was in actual Changelings. In “ Homefront ” and “ Paradise Lost ,” paranoia about Changeling infiltration leads to an attempted Starfleet coup . In “ Inquisition ,” Julian Bashir (Alexander Siddig) discovers how the fear of infiltration has been used to justify the erosion of civil liberties . So it’s weird that Picard is recycling plots that Deep Space Nine outgrew quite early in its run.

Inviting comparisons to Deep Space Nine was always going to be risky for Picard . When Crusher conducts her autopsy of the shapeshifter, she notes, “This Changeling could pass the traditional blood test.” However, Changelings have been passing that blood test since the imposter posing as General Martok (J.G. Hertzler) cut his palm in front of Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) in “ The Way of the Warrior .” Joseph Sisko (Brock Peters) ridiculed the efficacy of the test in “Homefront.”

The problem is compounded by the fact that the episode’s central emotional arc, the betrayal that Picard feels toward Ro in the wake of her defection to the Maquis in “ Preemptive Strike ,” was already played out in the betrayal that Benjamin Sisko felt toward Michael Eddington (Ken Marshall) in the wake of his defection to the Maquis in “ For the Cause .” The fact that Forbes and Stewart are both great as Ro and Picard in “Imposters” doesn’t discount the fact that this plot was done better in “ Blaze of Glory .”

There is something interesting in the central conflict between Picard and Ro. In many ways, the third season of Picard continues the first season’s fascination with Picard as a failed father figure . Over the course of the season, to varying degrees of success, there is a sense that Picard has damaged relationships with both Jack Crusher and William T. Riker (Jonathan Frakes). Like Riker, Ro is another surrogate child who devoted herself to Picard and whom Picard has perhaps disappointed.

These scenes come close to a legitimate criticism of Picard as a father figure defined by his own ego. “You have no idea what it was like, living under your relentless judgment,” Ro protests. Picard counters, “You betrayed everything I believed in.” Ro objects, “No, you wanted to mold me in your image, your mentorship, your affection. It was conditional.” Given that many of the children in Picard are synthetics who are literally made to their creators’ specifications, this is all very pointed and charged. What does it mean to be a parent?

“I believed in you,” Picard tells Ro. Ro responds, “Only when it was easy for you. If I meant so much, you would have understood.” That feels like what Picard should aspire to be. For all its flaws, the first season did well to establish these surrogate children as series regulars: Raffi (Michelle Hurd), Elnor (Evan Evagora), and Soji (Isa Briones). In the third season, with the emphasis on the returning Next Generation cast, these younger characters seem like props . Picard still doesn’t believe in them.

There is no sense that these conflicts mean anything. Picard’s feud with Riker in “Seventeen Seconds” is forgiven in the opening scenes of “ No Win Scenario .” Jack doesn’t spend any time with his father in “Imposters,” despite going through an identity crisis. Ro is killed off at the climax of “Imposters.” What is this recurring thematic motif building towards? What is the third season of Picard saying about this generational conflict? Does the show itself even know? Or is it as confused about its own identity as Jack Crusher?

• More to Explore
• Series & Movies

Published Apr 9, 2024

From Ensign to Commander Ro: The Essential Ro Laren Watch List

How Ro Laren saved Starfleet by breaking the rules.

StarTrek.com

The Bajoran Ro Laren earned the admiration of Star Trek: The Next Generation viewers by speaking candidly. Without asking for permission.

Born in the year 2340 on Cardassian-occupied Bajor, Ro Laren's earliest memories are of personal and cultural loss. At seven years old, she was forced to watch her father die by interrogation. She spent almost 10 years in and out of refugee camps. Ashamed by what she perceived as Bajoran weakness, Ro Laren grew desperate. Anything was better than watching her people suffer. So, she joined Starfleet.

Ro Laren beams aboard the Enterprise-D, "Ensign Ro"

Ro rose in rank from Ensign to Commander with well-documented authority issues that include a body count and a court martial record. People lived, and died, by her decisions. But despite an open contempt for rank, and her one-time defection to the Maquis, Starfleet command was her natural path. Transformation is one of Ro's attributes.

In honor of the serially disobedient ensign, here are some of Ro Laren’s defining moments on her climb towards Commander.

" Ensign Ro ," Star Trek: The Next Generation (Season 5, Episode 3)

Classic Ro Laren vibes, "Ensign Ro"

You know you’re a Star Trek legend when your debut episode is your name.

Ensign Ro reported for duty on the U.S.S. Enterprise -D under orders from a shifty Admiral Kennelly. Kennelly needed Captain Jean-Luc Picard's help with a revolutionary Bajoran named Orta who was causing trouble for the Cardassians, and now Starfleet, following a recent attack on Federation colony Solarion IV. A diplomatic approach to engage Bajor was suggested, and Kennelly had just the Bajoran for the job. 

Enter disgraced ensign Ro Laren whose name instantly draws anger from Picard. In infamous Starfleet history, Ro's disastrous away mission on Garon II is the stuff of nightmares. According to Starfleet records, eight crew members of the U.S.S. Wellington died because she failed to follow orders. Still, Kennelly insists on Ro's appointment aboard the Enterprise . Guess she’s seriously reformed....

Jean-Luc Picard and Ro Laren at a refugee camp on Valo II, "Ensign Ro"

"Ensign Ro" demonstrates Ro Laren’s greatest asset. Her complete disdain for Starfleet formality means that she has no qualms telling Picard the true score of the Cardassian Occupation. She suggests, forcefully, that Starfleet's "diplomatic" efforts would be better spent in the camps on Valo II. And by episode's end, Ro's authenticity rises to the surface. She is compassionate to Bajor. And she tells the truth, even when it is against protocol or dangerous to do so. 

After Kennelly's underhanded deal with Cardassia is exposed, Ensign Ro tells Picard that she’ll, actually, maybe, stick around. But only if she is allowed to break uniform code by wearing a Bajoran earring .

" Disaster ," Star Trek: The Next Generation (Season 5, Episode 5)

Ro Laren reacts to scenario on the disabled bridge, "Disaster"

Wherein everything that can go wrong, goes wrong. When a catastrophic phenomenon leads to a hull breach and a rapidly deteriorating containment field, only three Enterprise -D crew members are on or near the bridge — highest-ranking officer Counselor Troi, Chief Miles O'Brien, and Ensign Ro. 

Cut and dry Ro recommends a full separation from the Enterprise 's saucer section. Brutal, but hear her out; since no life signs or survivors were detected in the breached area of the ship, a separation maneuver would ensure that the rest of the vessel doesn't imminently combust. Ro Laren — strategist for a disaster.

" The Next Phase ," Star Trek: The Next Generation (Season 5, Episode 24)

Ro Laren and Geordi La Forge touch hands, "The Next Phase"

Ro Laren inhabits the spirit of teamwork in this version of a ghost story. 

After being beamed away during an explosion aboard a Romulan ship, Ensign Ro and Geordi La Forge discover that they are no longer "with the living." Instead, they’re out-of-phase transporter ghosts whose patterns are no longer detectable to the Enterprise crew. While stuck in dematerialized limbo, Ro introduces the idea of them being Borhya , the Bajoran concept for a "spirit." When La Forge offers a scientific solution for their non-state, Ro is quick to problem solve, carrying out an investigation alongside Geordi and Data on the "other side."

By episode end, a corporeally-realized Ro admits that she's been pushed into another way of thinking about life after death. Or, life after traumatic transporter accident.

" Rascals ," Star Trek: The Next Generation (Season 6, Episode 7)

Guinan and Ensign Ro, in their kid form, peek around the corner, "Rascals"

Who knew the Ro Laren watch list includes two transporter accidents?

When Captain Picard, Ro, Guinan, and Keiko O'Brien are regressed to the adolescent ages of 10-12, the scenario is inconvenient. Or… a therapeutic exercise? With a little nudge from Guinan, Ro is able to reclaim the part of her past she described as "long" and "depressing." She even draws a portrait of her mother in crayon.

" Preemptive Strike ," Star Trek: The Next Generation (Season 7, Episode 24)

Ro Laren cries over Macias' death, "Preemptive Strike"

Ro Laren, the traitor?

Ro's sympathies to the Maquis, a resistance group opposed to the Occupation, led to her defection from Starfleet in this monumental episode.

Ro's redemptive path under Starfleet had been fought and hard won, and a single, undercover mission alongside a Maquis leader named Macias led to a crisis of faith. While Picard couldn’t recognize her motivations, we understood why Ro defected. She had met a parental figure in Macias, a proud Bajoran who loved spicy hasperat like her dad and had the same appreciation for playing Klavion . Inspired by this leader, Ro reclaimed an identity worth fighting for, like her father once fought for. So, she left for that same cause.

Her only regret, Riker conveyed, was that she had let her captain down. 

" Imposters ," Star Trek: Picard (Season 3, Episode 5)

Ro Laren and Jean-Luc Picard have a frank discussion, "Imposters"

AKA, "How the hell is Ro Laren back in Starfleet?!"

Always capable of a comeback, Ro Laren wore the pips again, this time as a commander in Starfleet Intelligence.

Commander Ro's sacrifice in Star Trek: Picard "Imposters" is a full restoration of her heroic status. True to her nature, she acts boldly and with conviction, engendering trust through uncomplicated honesty. When Ro confides to Admiral Picard that a Changeling infiltration has permeated Starfleet's highest level, he has no choice but to believe her.

There is still a depth of feeling in their relationship, after all — Picard's disappointment over Ro's betrayal, Ro's anger at Picard's righteousness. It's a stalemate of spurned hope, but the important fact remains; Commander Ro’s intelligence, hidden on her signature Bajoran earring , saves Starfleet from what’s to come.

Ro moments before the Changeling bomb is detonated, "Imposters"

"Imposters" is a fittingly complicated end to the life of Ro Laren. To some, she is Starfleet's persona non grata, a habitual rule-breaker whose brashness had led to casualties. To others, her ability to stand and die for a fighting chance, either with Starfleet or the Maquis, makes her a strong contender for best in command.

And her final act is a trademark. After discovering that a Changeling bomb was planted on her shuttle, Admiral Picard orders Ro to turn her vessel around so that she can be beamed to safety.

Commander Ro refuses.

Get Updates By Email

Robyn Belt is a writer, editor, and journalist (Startrek.com, Marvel.com) who loves thinking about the real and speculative science of Star Trek. DS9, TNG, SNW super-fan. Find her on Twitter @robyn_belt or Threads @robynbelt_.

In addition to streaming on Paramount+ , Star Trek: Picard also streams on Prime Video outside of the U.S. and Canada, and in Canada can be seen on Bell Media's CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave. Star Trek: Picard is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

Filed under:

Star Trek: Discovery is cracking open a box Next Gen closed on purpose

The USS Discovery is on a mad chase across the galaxy for one of Star Trek’s biggest secrets

Share this story

• Share this on Facebook
• Share this on Reddit
• Share All sharing options

Share All sharing options for: Star Trek: Discovery is cracking open a box Next Gen closed on purpose

Calling back to a single 30-year-old episode of television is a time-honored Star Trek tradition , one that’s led the franchise to some of its most fascinating detours. And in its two-episode season premiere, Star Trek: Discovery seems to be kicking off an entire season calling back to one particular episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation .

And not just any episode! The 1993 installment of Next Gen in question delivered a revelation so seemingly earth-shaking that it should have rewritten galactic politics on a massive scale. But then, as was the way in the 1990s era of episodic TV, nobody ever mentioned it again.

At least until now.

[ Ed. note: This piece contains spoilers for the first two episodes of Star Trek: Discovery season 5.]

Writer Michelle Paradise and director Olatunde Osunsanmi lay out the connection at the end of the first of two episodes released this week, “Red Directive.” Discovery’s mission is to follow a series of ancient clues leading to a cache of ancient technology, and to get there before a couple of professional thieves, Moll (Eve Harlow) and L’ak (Elias Toufexis), do.

The technology, as Doctor Kovich (David Cronenberg) explains, belongs to the so-called Progenitors, a barely understood ancient spacefaring species that “created life as we know it […] every humanoid species in the galaxy.” Presumably such tech holds the key to understanding how the Progenitors did that, and how that power could be used again.

The Progenitors are from the Star Trek episode “The Chase”

Kovich also calls up a helpful video presentation of the moment the Progenitors were discovered by an assembled group of Federation, Klingon, Romulan, and Cardassian captains, including Jean-Luc Picard. But you don’t have to be a Star Trek lore nerd to know you’re actually just looking at clips from an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation .

Specifically, from the 20th episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation ’s sixth season, “The Chase,” in which Picard and crew discover pieces of a computer program hidden inside the DNA of species from dozens of different planets. Questions abound: What does the program do? And what kind of entity could have been so ancient and powerful that it had determined the genetic legacy of most of the known galaxy before sentient life had even evolved here — and then left no trace of its existence except the genetic codes themselves?

In a nutshell, the mysterious death of Captain Picard’s old archeology professor (did you know that if he hadn’t gone into Starfleet, Jean-Luc was studying to be a space archeologist? Well, now you do) sets the captain and the Enterprise on a search for the missing DNA fragments necessary to complete his unfinished work.

The action of the episode becomes a grand chase, as Klingon and Cardassian captains come to believe the program must be a great weapon or dangerous secret. Eventually Picard and his rivals all discover the lonely planet with the final DNA strain — and when they get there, some Romulans who’ve been secretly following all of them show up, too, just to make things even more tense.

In the end, the program isn’t a weapon or a secret, but a message from an ancient race of humanoids that apparently created sentient life in our galaxy as we know it.

Actor Salome Jens appears as a Progenitor hologram, and delivers a speech that’s stirring by any standard of Star Trek monologues, telling the story of a race of sentients that took to the stars and found them empty. They had evolved too early to meet other forms of sentient life, and knew that their time was too limited to ever expect to.

“We knew that one day we would be gone; that nothing of us would survive, so we left you,” Jens’ Progenitor explains. The Progenitors seeded humanoid life across the galaxy in their own image; life that tended to evolve into bipedal, tailless, largely hairless creatures with two eyes and two arms and five fingers on each hand. And they left clues in the genetic signature of their work, broken up among the stars.

Wait, was this really all about lampshading the limits of Star Trek’s alien design?

Kinda, yes! The writers of “The Chase,” Ron Moore and Joe Menosky, were inspired by elements of Carl Sagan’s Contact , but also by Menosky’s pet fascination creating an in-universe explanation for why all the common alien species in Star Trek are basically shaped like humans (albeit with latex on their faces).

In other hands, it would be hokey and trite, but even under heavy makeup, Jens sells the hell out of her single scene on voice and stance alone — it’s no wonder she was asked back to the Trek fold to play a major antagonist role in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine .

“It was our hope that you would have to come together in fellowship and companionship to hear this message, and if you can see and hear me, our hope has been fulfilled,” the Progenitor hologram concludes, with gentle compassion. “You are a monument, not to our greatness, but to our existence. That was our wish: That you, too, would know life. [...] There is something of us in each of you, and so something of you in each other.”

But though “The Chase” carried a sweeping revelation, nothing ever really panned out from it. You’d think that a message of togetherness that fundamentally rewrote the origin of life in the universe would have to have tweaked Star Trek’s galactic politics a bit, right? Seems like this would give the Star Trek setting a radically different understanding of the origins of life than we have in the real world — this is literally intelligent design! At the very least there’d be some other characters talking about how humans and Vulcans, Klingons and Romulans and Ferengi and Cardassians and Trill and Bajorans, all share the same genetic ancestor.

But nope: The Pandora’s box of Progenitor lore remained closed. Gene Roddenberry’s successor and Trek producer Rick Berman seems to have been disenchanted with the episode’s reveal — and you can’t really blame him for not wanting to rock the whole cosmology of Star Trek in an episode that’s mostly about explaining how if you turn the DNA snippets like this they make a cool spiral. Now look at this computer screen with the spiral :

Except now, Star Trek: Discovery is opening the box and rocking the boat. This new mad, puzzle-box chase around the galaxy promises to expand on the Progenitors, an idea so big that not even The Next Generation was willing to touch it. It’s a tall order, but Discovery has never been more free to shake up Star Trek continuity than it is right now — we’ll have to wait for more episodes of the show’s final season to find out how free it intends to be.

Star Trek: Discovery is finally free to do whatever it wants

The 10 horniest episodes of star trek, ranked by cultural impact, the picard legacy collection puts one of the greatest remasters of all time in sprawling context, loading comments....