A Man Alone (episode)

From Memory Alpha, the free Star Trek reference

(Redirected from A Man Alone)

Real World article
(written from a Production point of view)

"A Man Alone"
DS9, Episode 1x04 Production number: 40511-403 First aired: 17 January 1993
←	2nd of 173 produced in DS9	→
←	3rd of 173 released in DS9	→
	{{{nNthReleasedInSeries_Remastered}}}th of 173 released in DS9 Remastered
←	247th of 727 released in all	→

Teleplay By Michael Piller Story By Gerald Sanford & Michael Piller Directed By Paul Lynch
46421.5 (2369)
	Arc: {{{wsArc0Desc}}} ({{{nArc0PartNumber}}} of {{{nArc0PartCount}}})
	Arc: {{{wsArc1Desc}}} ({{{nArc1PartNumber}}} of {{{nArc1PartCount}}})
	Arc: {{{wsArc2Desc}}} ({{{nArc2PartNumber}}} of {{{nArc2PartCount}}})
	Arc: {{{wsArc3Desc}}} ({{{nArc3PartNumber}}} of {{{nArc3PartCount}}})
	Arc: {{{wsArc4Desc}}} ({{{nArc4PartNumber}}} of {{{nArc4PartCount}}})

After a man is murdered behind locked doors, investigation reveals that the only person who could have committed the crime is Odo, station Chief of Security.

[edit] Summary

Doctor Bashir finds Dax playing with an Altonian brain teaser, a puzzle responding to neural theta waves. Julian tries to play, but loses in a matter of seconds; he isn't too disappointed, though, because he seems much more interested in Dax than the game. She tries to warn him about Trill relationships, but is saved by the appearance of Benjamin Sisko, picking her up for dinner.

In Quark's, Odo marvels at Miles O'Brien arguing with his wife Keiko, who isn't happy aboard Deep Space 9. With no need for a botanist on DS9, she doubts that either she or her daughter will be happy on the station. Odo, who reveals to Quark that he has never "coupled", can't understand why humanoids place so much emphasis on mating rituals. While trying to get to know Dax (whom he knew as Curzon), Benjamin announces to Jadzia that she is his mentor and father-figure.

Odo confronts a Bajoran gambler at one of the tables, and they begin to struggle. Benjamin breaks up the fight, but Odo gives the man an ultimatum to leave the station within 26 hours. He explains to Commander Sisko that the man is Ibudan, a ruthless smuggler and murderer. Odo vows to remove him from DS9, one way or another.

As Ibudan enjoys Lauriento massage holoprogram 101A in the holosuite, an intruder sneaks up and fatally stabs him through the heart. Sisko begins a murder investigation, asking Bashir to begin a forensic analysis; he asks Major Kira Nerys to delay all departures from the station until further notice. Odo, as security chief of DS9, will be the lead investigator into the crime.

However, the evidence against Odo himself begins to mount. With no other DNA present at the scene, it appears only a shapeshifter could have entered the suite without opening the door again. Odo, who must regenerate every 18 hours, was shapeless in a pail when the murder occurred, and therefore has no alibi.

Jake and Nog release some Garanian bolites in the promenade, quickly infecting two people who harmlessly turn alternately blue and yellow for a short time. A security officer catches the naughty pair, bringing them to Sisko's office for discipline. Also in Sisko's office is Keiko, lobbying to open a school aboard the station. She notes there are about a dozen children on the station of school age, and all she needs is a location and some computers, which Sisko is more than happy to provide. Keiko convinces Rom, who is both Nog's father and Quark's brother, to enroll his son in her school, so Nog can learn commerce (a Ferengi virtue) with other cultures. Rom agrees, but doesn't want his son to have anything to do with Humans, other than what is absolutely necessary.

Civilians aboard DS9 start to question Odo's guilt publicly; some of them also hold him accountable as a collaborator, since Odo was the security chief of DS9 under Cardassian rule. Quark, who was on DS9 under Cardassian rule, comes to Odo's defense. Nevertheless, a group of Bajorans confronts Sisko with their suspicions regarding the Changeling. To avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest, Sisko reluctantly relieves Odo of his duties temporarily until the murder investigation is concluded. Returning to find his quarters vandalized, Odo begins to feel like a pariah.

As Sisko explains to Bashir that he is not interested "that way" in Dax, Miles helps Keiko open her new schoolhouse; he has replicated an old-fashioned schoolhouse bell. He is interrupted by an angry mob, on their way to corner Odo, wishing to take matters into their own hands; O'Brien calls Ops for help defusing the situation. As Sisko tries to calm the angry mob, Doctor Bashir and Dax appear, announcing that they have a breakthrough in the case: it turns out that Ibudan wasn't murdered; instead, it was Ibudan's clone that was murdered.

Now it all makes sense to Odo; Ibudan killed his own clone, but framed it to look as if he were the victim and Odo the killer. Now Odo concentrates on finding Ibudan, who turns out to be masquerading as a traveler booking passage on a ship; Odo captures him as he boards the ship for departure from DS9. Ibudan is turned over to the Bajoran authorities for prosecution for murdering his own clone. Keiko assumes her new role as teacher, beginning her first lesson by teaching Jake, Nog, and a handful of other children about Bajoran history.

"Commander's log, stardate 46421.5. Ibudan has been turned over to the Bajoran authorities just hours after his clone gained consciousness and began a new life. The perpetrators of the mob violence have retreated into their own business. To my knowledge, Odo has received no apologies. Meanwhile, life on the station has begun to return to normal."

[edit] Memorable Quotes

"I can't believe you're defending him, Quark. You're his worst enemy."
"I guess that's the closest thing he has in this world to a friend."

- Zayra and Quark, about Odo

"Business is good, Quark. You're almost making an honest living."

- Odo

"Killing a Cardassian isn't considered much of a crime these days."

- Odo

"How do you get a rope around the neck of a shapeshifter?"

- Zayra

"Do not judge this man because he is different from you!"

- Benjamin Sisko, about Odo, to the Bajoran mob

"Benjamin, steamed azna would add years onto your life."
"Dax, I don't want to add years onto my life if I can only eat steamed azna. Sautéed... rolloped, fricasseed, fine! But not steamed!"

- Jadzia Dax and Benjamin Sisko

"You've… never coupled?"
"Choose not to. Too many compromises. You want to watch the karo-net tournament, she wants to listen to music – so you compromise: you listen to music. You like Earth Jazz, she prefers Klingon Opera – so you compromise: you listen to Klingon Opera. So here you were, ready to have a nice night watching the karo-net match and you wind up spending an agonizing evening listening to Klingon Opera."

- Quark and Odo

"Killing your own clone is still murder."

- Odo

"Commander, laws change depending on who's making them. Cardassian one day, Federation the next. But justice is justice."

- Odo

[edit] Background Information

Shooting the episode "A Man Alone".

Keiko and Molly O'Brien make their first appearances on DS9 in this episode.
Keiko opens the Deep Space 9 school in this episode. It would remain open until the third season episode "The House of Quark", where it would be closed due to a lack of students.
Nog's friendship with Jake Sisko is also established in this episode, however, during this show, and in several subsequent shows, Sisko openly opposes their friendship, and actively tries to end it. It would not be until the third season episode "Life Support" that Sisko comes to truly accept the bond Jake and Nog have.
This was the first regular episode of the series to be made, but "Past Prologue" was chosen to be broadcast first.
While investigating Ibudan's death, Odo views his schedule, which contains an in-joke: it shows that he traveled from Alderaan Spaceport. Alderaan is of course the planet destroyed by the Death Star in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.
The future Deep Space Nine sub-plot involving conflicts over jurisdiction in regards to security personnel on the station is first hinted at in this episode. This conflict would be seen most clearly in the first season episode "The Passenger", where Odo clashes with Lieutenant Primmin, and the third season episode, "The Search, Part I", where he clashes with Lieutenant Commander Eddington. On both occasions, Odo offers his resignation to Sisko, and on both occasions, Sisko refuses to accept it.
Though Rom first appeared in the pilot episode, this is the first episode in which he is given a name and established as Nog's father. (In DS9: "Emissary", he is credited as "Ferengi Pit Boss", and Quark refers to Nog as "my brother's boy"). In this episode, Max Grodénchik has not yet adopted Rom's trademark voice or mannerisms.
Max Grodénchik, as Rom, says "Human" rather than the Ferengi pronunciation "hew-mon" twice in this episode. Grodénchik did the same thing as Sovak in TNG: "Captain's Holiday".
The character of Zayra was named after Zayra Cabot, Jeri Taylor's assistant. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion)

[edit] Video and DVD releases

UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video): Volume 2, 2 August 1993.
As part of the DS9 Season 1 DVD collection.

[edit] Links and references

[edit] Starring

Avery Brooks as Commander Benjamin Sisko

[edit] Also Starring

[edit] Guest Stars

Rosalind Chao as Keiko O'Brien
Edward Laurence Albert as Zayra
Max Grodénchik as Rom
Peter Vogt as Bajoran man
Aron Eisenerg as Nog
Stephen James Carver as
- Ibudan
- Ibudan's first clone
Tom Klunis as Lamonay S.

[edit] Co-Stars

[edit] Uncredited Co-Stars

Previous episode:
"Past Prologue"

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Season 1

Next episode:
"Babel"

Create a new article Upload a new image
Search Random page Upload image Recent changes	Help Newest articles Special pages What links here Recent changes Random page

A Man Alone (episode)

From Memory Alpha, the free Star Trek reference

Contents

[edit] Summary

[edit] Memorable Quotes

[edit] Background Information

[edit] Video and DVD releases

[edit] Links and references

[edit] Starring

[edit] Also Starring

[edit] Guest Stars

[edit] Co-Stars

[edit] Uncredited Co-Stars

[edit] References

[edit] Okudagram references

[edit] External links