This episode is especially poignant in light of the recent passing of René Auberjonois, who displayed his perpetual mastery of the character Odo in this two-part story.

Season 3 opened with this episode after giving us our first glimpse of the mysterious and intimidating Jem’Hadar in the closing episode of the previous season. Here we are introduced to a new hairstyle for Dax, the station making preparations to repel a Dominion attack if necessary, and what would become a permanent fixture for the station and the series……

the USS Defiant. And no sooner does it arrive than we see the crew point it toward the Gamma Quadrant and search for the Founders, leaders of the Dominion. What we learn about them will change the life of one member of the crew in ways that continue to reverberate through the final episode of the series.