Odo Already Foreshadowed Star Trek’s Changeling Threat When DS9 Began

The experiences of Constable Odo (Rene Auberjonois) in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode “A Man Alone” foreshadowed the motives of the Dominion’s Changeling villains. The clash between Odo’s loyalty to his friends aboard Deep Space Nine and the Changeling Founders would play a big role in DS9‘s final years. “A Man Alone” is only the third episode in Deep Space Nine season 1, at which point Odo’s origins were unknown to him and the writers themselves. However, the fear and suspicion directed toward the Changeling after he’s framed for murder neatly set up the motives of the Female Changeling (Salome Jens) and the rest of her species.