By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
Star Trek is a franchise set in the distant future, but many of its best moments are inspired by the distant past. For example, Captain Picard's Enterprise The Next Generation it's a ship where people relax while playing classical music or experiencing literary adventures (from Shakespeare to Sherlock).
Things were very different Deep Space Ninebut the Star Trek spinoff is still inspired by the past. For example, in the episode “The Forsaken”, writer Jim Trombetta deliberately modeled Odo on the archetypal idea of the Renaissance gentleman.
Even if you've watched this Star Trek episode countless times, you probably haven't seen any references to the Renaissance because nothing about it is explicitly mentioned. Instead, Trombetta used the idea of a gentleman of the time to explain Odo's very unique situation.
In the episode, the shapeshifter is stuck in a broken turbolift with his much-loved Lwaxana Troi. Odo is embarrassed at the thought that he will be the first to see her return to her liquid form.
Like Troy himself, we hear everything Star Trek Fans reading this are asking: What does Odo getting stuck in an elevator with the crazy Betazed have to do with the Renaissance? According to Jim Trombetta (who wrote the story but not the screenplay), Odo's plight mirrors that of Renaissance 'gentlemen' who were supposed to be 'tough warriors in a suit as hard as armour'. The metaphor here is very direct as Odo's solid form disintegrates in the turbolift and he is in danger of melting, something Lwaxana wants to keep from Troy.
Star Trek writers tend to be historical, and as Trombetta helpfully points out, there was “a concern” that gentlemen would “go soft” during the Renaissance. At the time, men were worried that they would turn from violent warriors into “helpless” and “childlike” ones. Odo had to return to his liquid state every day and stubbornly tried to hide his pain. After a kind gesture from Troy removing her wig and showing the constable a vulnerable side of herself that no one else had seen, she turned into a pool of liquid held at the hem of her dress.
While some of the Star Trek metaphors are a bit torturous, Trombetta is convinced that the Renaissance gentlemen angle “works very vividly” in The Forsaken. As he says, “Odo is a constable and a very tough guy, but he has to go through this process and let someone else help him.” Odo learned a valuable lesson that, frankly, many fans watching at home could stand to learn: that, ironically, it takes a lot of strength to be vulnerable in front of others, even (perhaps) them. especially these) are of interest to you.
It's fun to see Lwaxana Troy in all her glory, but for some it was hard to see her scenes with Odo as more than equally mediocre comedy. Now that we know that even their silliest moments are Renaissance-inspired, we can't help but look at the episode with a newfound reverence. Plus, real talk, we're always down any an excuse to revisit Deep Space NineIt remains the best show in Gene Roddenberry's long-running franchise.
