Who’s fooling Whom? Star Trek: Picard review, Episode 307: “Dominion”

Star Trek: Picard continues with “Dominion,” another tightly plotted episode. Let’s get into it!

While the rest of the crew look on, Seven of Nine has a Zoom call with Tuvok. Seven reveals that this Tuvok isn’t the real one. Furthermore, the Changelings aren’t just döppelganging high-ranking Starfleet personnel, but keeping them captive for information. Meanwhile, Dr. Crusher floats the idea of recirculating the genetic virus that won the Dominion War the first time. This idea is quickly torpedoed for ethical reasons, and talk turns to what the Changelings might want with Picard’s body, and with Jack. Perhaps they’re trying to replicate Jean-Luc for whatever it is they’re planning for Frontier Day? Let’s go ask Data for insight!

Data can barely get through half a sentence before he’s overpowered by Lore. The two “brothers” are fighting for control of Brent Spiner’s mind (it never fails to impress how easily the actor can switch between personas). Lore seems to have the upper hand, but Data does manage to sneak out a hint that there’s something more about Jean-Luc’s (and therefore possibly Jack’s) physiology than meets the eye. And it isn’t Irumodic Syndrome. Whatever it is has made Jack some sort of empath, capable of reading the minds of ensigns he’s attempting to flirt with.

Riker manages to send a signal from the Shrike to let the Titan crew know he’s there. The group decides to use Jack as bait (it’s okay, he volunteers!) while pretending the ship is damaged and stranded. The Shrike crew take the bait without hesitation, leading to a merry chase through the halls of the Titan with plenty of phaser fire and force fields. Most of Vadic’s crew are trapped, including Vadic herself. Only a few Changelings are left to menace Jack Crusher and Sydney LaForge. Unfortunately, Lore has made his way into the ship’s computers and locked Geordi out.  It’s almost as though she wanted to be caught! In the end, Vadic’s crew (with an assist from Lore) seize the whole of the Titan rather easily.

Learn the “real” history behind the Dominion War

From her captivity, Vadic gives us the backstory on the evolved Changelings. She and several other Changelings were captured during the Dominion War and kept as laboratory specimens in Daystrom Station (Project Proteus). The specimens were put through some horrific testing (burned, frozen, electrocuted, things no lab rat could survive). This stress is how they spontaneously evolved into more advanced versions of themselves, like so many X-Men. This mutation comes with an ability to make other Changelings evolve as well. It turns out that the Federation was intentionally trying to create shape-shifting spies (this sounds like some Section 31 skullduggery).

Between Vadic’s villainous monologuing and Lore’s insult comedy routine, this episode is an all-you-can-eat scenery buffet. The character development for Vadic and the Changelings at large is almost enough to make the audience sympathize with their plight. We’re left questioning who’s version of the history of the Dominion War is accurate. Did the Federation attempt to commit genocide only to change their minds and offer the Great Link the cure? Or did the Federation attempt to commit genocide only to be thwarted by another Changeling? Of course we know it was the latter, but DS9 was a long time ago and it’s easy to forget.

The fact that Dr. Crusher and Picard seem to have been told that the Federation gave up the cure willingly underscores the flaws of the supposedly utopian organization, even before the Changeling Infiltration. Both Vadic and Picard are true believers in their respective causes. Both believe themselves to be to heroes of their own stories. We have a few more episodes left before we see how those stories resolve.

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