quodo | Quodo in Every Episode discussion: "The Homecoming"

Hi everyone! Welcome back to Quodo in Every Episode. Not sure if people are caught up, but I just wanted to get started again, because I miss having a bit of ST:DS9 in my life. But we can go slow and take breaks as needed!

This week we're discussing... episode 2x01 "The Homecoming"!

Episode synopsis: The first episode of season 2 and a three-episode mini-plot arc: Quark brings the earring -- found on a Cardassian planet -- of a presumed-dead Bajoran war hero to Kira, prompting her to initiate a rescue mission. Li Nalas returns to a fragmented and unstable Bajor struggling with a growing extremist xenophobic movement and looking to him for leadership. He reluctantly decides to shoulder this role only to find out the Bajoran provisional government has decided to assign him to replace Kira as Bajoran liaison officer on DS9.

What The Boys are up to in this episode: The episode opens with a friendly/antagonistic conversation between Quark and Odo. Quark and Odo each have several scenes throughout the episode -- Odo responding to security incidents and doing crowd control on the station, and Quark meeting with the Boslic captain, giving the earring to Kira, and then being branded by Circle extremists and later treated in the infirmary.

One screencap from this episode:

Transcript: http://chakoteya.net/DS9/421.htm

Quodo fics tagged with this episode: None (https://archiveofourown.org/works?work_search%5Bsort_column%5D=revised_at&work_search%5Bother_tag_names%5D=Episode%3A+s02e01+The+Homecoming+%28Star+Trek%3A+Deep+Space+Nine%29&work_search%5Bexcluded_tag_names%5D=&work_search%5Bcrossover%5D=&work_search%5Bcomplete%5D=&work_search%5Bwords_from%5D=&work_search%5Bwords_to%5D=&work_search%5Bdate_from%5D=&work_search%5Bdate_to%5D=&work_search%5Bquery%5D=&work_search%5Blanguage_id%5D=&commit=Sort+and+Filter&tag_id=Star+Trek%3A+Deep+Space+Nine)

Tell us:
- What did you think about this episode?
- Have you written a fic set during/after this episode?
- Do you know of any other fics set in or that build off this episode that weren't linked above?
- What do you see as the Quodo potential for this episode?

Anonymous comments are on, so feel free to chime in even if you don't have a Dreamwidth account! If you prefer, we are also available on Discord:
https://discord.gg/VaCnMYvKu6 (18+ proship Quodo Discord - there is a dedicated channel for this event)
https://discord.gg/Htz4crCdCt (general Quodo Discord)
Event info & rules
Fic masterlist

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I'm glad to see this starting back up again!

(A bit personal so I'm putting this behind a sort of cut, but I wanted to highlight why I'm happy to see this start up even if I'm not caught up yet, and that I'm grateful for this event existing!)

I admit I've been having some trouble with getting back into focusing on DS9 as my special interest, because I had to avoid thinking about it much for a year or so so that I could actually focus on some offline stuff, and now I've kind of set some expectations for myself to really Engage With It again rather than just... letting it happen organically? So I appreciate that I've got a forgiving sort of soft deadline with this event, to get me to finish my S1 binge (and of course comment on those posts, too!) and get going with S2. I kind of want my watch-through to be Perfect, but really, that's paralysing me a bit. It just has to happen so that I can get my passion and joy back, and get to interacting with fellow fans!

So, I shall be back here soon with my thoughts! Soon!!

Yay, I'm glad the event is helping you ease back into letting yourself enjoy DS9 again! I'm looking forward to going through all your season 1 thoughts. Good luck, and hope you enjoy ♥

:) Thank you, friend.

Random thoughts:

- Getting off to a good start with a great Quodo scene lol.

- "Consider it a gift!" -- Lol, Quark is hilarious in this scene with Kira. He is being a total pest, though. XD

- Lol, thinking about that joke in DS9 fandom, that's like, Kira is always asking Sisko, "Can I borrow a runabout to do some terrorism? 🥺👉👈"

- I've always liked the bit of Bajoran worldbuilding that you can tell someone's family/identity based on their earring.

- We get a little Kiradax interaction in this one, ha.

- This camp scene is pretty dark. Also, action scene right off the bat! Having Kira + O'Brien be the ones working together on this rescue mission is a bit random -- I wonder if it's sort of a nod to how the relationship between Ireland and Britain is one of the inspirations for the relationship between Bajor and Cardassia.

- I like how much of a miserable man Li Nalas is.

- As I've maybe mentioned before, I really like this three-part opener to season 2, and this particular episode does a good job of setting the major plot points up.

- Omg, I like how shocked Kira is in this episode whenever she *doesn't* get into trouble with authority figures for acting on her principles. XD

- Oh boy, Quark is being so obnoxious again. Poor Rom. I feel like he deserves to try to murder Quark again, as a treat.

- I love the plot twist of Li Nalas trying to sneak out of DS9. Like, when you first hear the freighter officer saying they caught a Bajoran stowaway, you think it's one of the people responsible for the terrorism, but surprise! It's Li Nalas slinking away from his responsibilities.

- Hm, apparently there is a missing scene in the script -- an extended version of the episode opener:

QUARK: Rom, I have delightful news. It's finally arrived.
ROM: It has?
QUARK: And I guarantee we're the only establishment in this sector to offer the entire cycle.
ROM: We are? Why that's marvelous, isn't it, Morn? Really... amazing. (stares blankly at PADD) What cycle?
QUARK: Idiot, don't you recognize profit when you see it? You're looking at the latest Holosuite programs from Phalonia Prime.

That gets Morn's attention. He casually tries to peer over Quark's shoulder to get a look at the PADD but is ignored by the Ferengi.

QUARK: Yes, when it comes to designing adult Holosuite programs, the Phalonians display true genius. (beat) If you don't believe me, take a peek at the image menu.

Quark leans over and taps a code into the PADD. He and Rom crowd around it, blocking Morn's view (we never get to see the contents of the menu either).

QUARK: Let's see, where to begin. Ah, here we go, Scenario Fourteen-C, "A picnic with the Pleasure Goddess of Rixx."

Morn is determined to get a look at that Goddess. But Quark pays no attention to him.

QUARK: (to Rom) Now that's what I call a picnic.

Morn's heard enough. He reaches over and grabs the PADD out of Quark's hands. He stares at it and then at Quark, who finally takes notice of him.

QUARK: (to Morn, dryly) I believe Holosuite Six is available.

Morn immediately gets up and heads for the stairs. Quark watches him go, a satisfied smile on his face.

QUARK: (gloating) That Morn, he always was a sucker for a Phalonian Holo-program.

He looks over to find Rom intently studying the discarded PADD.

QUARK: (continuing) What do you think you're doing?
ROM: Nothing, brother.
QUARK: The story of your life. Now get to work.

He yanks the PADD from Rom, who SCURRIES OFF.

QUARK: (calling after him) If anyone wants me, I'll be in... (checking PADD menu) ... Holosuite Three.

Quark makes a beeline for the stairs when he's stopped by..

ODO: (O.S.) Quark! [Rest of scene continues as in the final episode.]

Omg?? I always wondered why Quark is so distracted/in a rush in this scene. I can't believe I didn't guess it was because he was horny. 😂 They don't provide an explanation in the scene itself, so I'm guessing they must have filmed the whole scene but then later cut the beginning. But I can't believe Quark is literally on his way to masturbate in a holosuite when Odo interrupts him. This show... (Also, this scene is just really funny, and also establishes a little mini-arc in this episode of Quark being a jerk to Rom. Also, I think a later episode (one where Nog is selling off some of his belongings) establishes that the Pleasure Goddess of Rixx is also one of Nog's favorite holoprograms.)

-- The end of Quark's scene with Kira is also slightly different in the script:

QUARK: On Cardassia Four. That's what she told me anyway. (re: the earring) Consider it a gift.

She lets him go. Then, her mind made up, she EXITS out the door.

ON QUARK: Glad she's no longer in his face. And surprised that she's left him alone in her quarters. He steps over to a dresser and begins to casually rummage through a drawer. NEW ANGLE as the front door opens and Kira strides in. She grabs Quark by the back of the neck and drags him into the hall. And the door closes on the now empty quarters we... FADE OUT.

A bit of physical comedy here. Also, I find it interesting that Quark just *offers* the earring to Kira as a gift in the script. I guess the way it was filmed is more in-character for both of them, but I find it interesting that Quark is letting his crush get the better of his profit-making here.

-- There's also a minor comedic stinger at the end of Dax and Sisko's conversation that was cut:

Sisko: Dax...
Dax: (turns back) Yes?
Sisko: You're sure Curzon didn't love baseball.
Dax: (grinning) Positive.

-- Also, another minor change, but in the script, O'Brien says "the Cardies" while in the recorded episode, he says the more neutral "the Cardassians." Fascinating! I wonder if it's because, while it would be in-character for O'Brien to say it, probably less in-character for Sisko to tolerate it.

Thoughts on Quodo potential:

- I'm surprised this episode doesn't have a Quodo fic for it -- it's got so much obvious Quodo potential. There's definitely the "Quark and Odo are divorced" read available here. And now that I know Quark was just about to enjoy a holosuite program, there's so much potential for building on that, like Quark incorporating his interaction with Odo into his holosuite fantasy, or Odo asking where Quark is going in a rush and then regretting having asked, or things like that!

- Could also do something where Odo shows concern about Quark's injury, maybe in an oblique way. Or Quark uses it as a chance to flirt with Odo. Or Odo's thoughts on a crime like this happening on the station, and his feelings about Quark are intermingled with that.

Quodo in Every Episode discussion: "The Homecoming"

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject