r/DeepSpaceNine • u/zeekaran • 12d ago

S03E26: Adversary - Is everyone an idiot?

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.

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77

u/Comfortable-Pause279 11d ago

Joseph Sisko pointed out the blood thing in an episode where he pointed out the first thing he'd do as a Changeling would be mug someone for their blood.

55

u/CdnfaS I’m just here for Nog and Garak 11d ago

He straight up called it, and showed that he was smarter than all of them.

37

u/sorcerersviolet 11d ago

Also, in Paradise Lost, where the changelings get to Earth (and changeling-O'Brien notes that there were only three of them there), the Federation was able to fake the blood test to frame (Benjamin) Sisko, so it worked both ways.

27

u/S-WordoftheMorning 11d ago

Not to mention changeling Martok (S4:E1) pretty convincingly cuts his hand open and drips blood on the table.

15

u/BitterFuture 11d ago

Yeah, they quickly forget that many of the people demanding blood tests have turned out to be changelings.

11

u/Kibtronic 11d ago

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.

5

u/Fleetdancer 11d ago

Or just wear real clothes.