Vortex
- FIRST SHOWN (US)
- 18 April 1993
- ON
- First-run syndication
- STARDATE
- None given
- DIRECTED BY
- Winrich Kolbe
- PRODUCTION NO.
- 412
WRITTEN BYWritten by Sam Rolfe
A Gamma Quadrant criminal arrested by Odo claims to know where other shape-shifters live, and Odo must decide how far to trust him.
Red alert: the full plot, ending included. Haven't watched yet?REVEAL SYNOPSIS
A deal in Quark's bar goes wrong when Croden, a fugitive from the Gamma Quadrant, tries a robbery and one of a pair of Miradorn twins is killed. Odo arrests Croden, while the surviving twin, Ah-Kel, swears revenge. In his cell Croden teases Odo with stories of Changelings from his homeworld and shows him a pendant with a stone that seems to share Odo's nature. When Croden's people demand his return, Odo escorts him there by runabout, with Ah-Kel in pursuit. Croden steers them into the Chamra Vortex, a hazardous asteroid field, where he says Changelings live. In truth he invented the story: the stone opens a stasis chamber hiding his daughter. Croden saves the wounded Odo, and Odo destroys Ah-Kel's ship by tricking it into firing into unstable gas. Odo then lets Croden and his daughter go free aboard a Vulcan ship, and keeps the stone.
- 01The story was inspired by the western The Naked Spur, so producers hired Sam Rolfe, who co-wrote that film. It was his last screen credit before his death in 1993.
- 02Morn is named on screen for the first time. His name is an anagram of Norm, from Cheers.
- 03Randy Oglesby plays both Miradorn twins, Ah-Kel and Ro-Kel.