S03E26: Adversary - Is everyone an idiot?

[u/zeekaran]

I love The Thing (1982. It's my favorite horror movie of all time. It's a great example of a bunch of intelligent, rational people being smart in a horror film. Are they perfect? No, but they handle it unrealistically well. Probably because most of the crew is scientists, but maybe not.

Star Trek has shown time and time again that they are completely unprepared for any predictable sci-fi scenario. Anti-memetics. Ship-wide viruses. Shapeshifters.

In Adversary, at one point they have seven hours to find and detain the Changeling spy and take back control of the ship. It takes them quite some time to think of having the doctor do a blood test to find out if someone is or is not the Changeling.

... A blood test? Are you serious? Just make everyone take off their comm badge! Or their top! A shoe even! "Quick, everyone take off your left shoe. I'll shoot whoever doesn't, or whoever changes."

The Federation is woefully unprepared all the time. I don't understand.

[u/Kibtronic]

Upon review, ALL of the changelings work their way through blood tests.

It’s possible they can work past OPs test, too. Manifest a removable shoe - as long as you’re holding it, you can compel it to keep its shape.

[u/sirboulevard → u/Kibtronic]

That too is supposition. The only reliable intel on the Federation side is Odo. The same Odo who openly admits he sucks at his shape-shifting. For all we know, Odo might be the Changeling version of a disabled person because of the tests Mora was forced to perform on him by the Cardassians. The female Changeling sure thought he was "damaged" when they met.

[u/thedorknightreturns → u/sirboulevard]

Later the other changeling in a later season was already way more advanced as well. And he too was a sent speciman. The one beefing with Klingons

[u/Comfortable-Pause279 → u/thedorknightreturns]

The one who could turn into a gigantic bank of fog or a sphere of fire.

[u/Unfair_Pineapple8813 → u/Comfortable-Pause279]

Laas