Synopsis: Odo is assigned to protect First Minister Shakaar and watches as Shakaar and Major Kira become involved.
This episode can be seen as an illustration of one of the ways in which the Logos-driven rational conscious ego reacts when it has been made aware of bits of the Eros-driven irrational, or emotional, unconscious. How when the conscious ego is unable to process these irrational bits of unconscious material at that point in time, sometimes it suppresses them.
In “Crossfire” Odo, the shapeshifter constable of the Deep Space Nine station, is ordered by Captain Benjamin Sisko to provide protection for visiting Bajoran First Minister Shakaar Edon. After Odo learns of a potential death threat against Shakaar, Sisko orders Starfleet security headed up by Lt. Commander Worf to assist Odo’s officers. While planning the security for Shakaar’s public appearance, Odo and Worf discuss how they both like things orderly. Major Kira Nerys then begins spending time with Shakaar, who is an old ally of hers from the time she was working in the same resistance movement with him. As Odo is guarding Shakaar, Shakaar confides to him that he believes he is falling in love with Kira, and he is afraid that if he doesn’t tell Kira how he feels he might be letting something precious pass through his fingers. Odo and Quark speak and Quark sees that Odo has feelings for Kira. There is an attempt made on Shakaar’s life because of an oversight made by Odo. Odo decides he will go talk to Kira and tell her his feelings but when he finds that Shakaar is in her quarters, he relieves the guards and stays outside until the next morning when Shakaar leaves. Odo then goes in to talk to Kira about his feelings, but instead Kira tells him how happy she is that Shakaar has come into her life. Odo goes to his quarters and starts breaking things. He tries once again to talk to Kira, but only to tell her he doesn’t want to continue with their weekly meetings.
In “Crossfire” there are multiple times that we can see Odo behaving in ways analogous to how the rational conscious ego does. First, is his attachment to order. Logic and rationality can be seen as orderly, emotions and irrational feelings are not. Odo really struggles and at first does not want to admit that he has emotional feelings. When he does, the almost death of Kira, forces him to reconsider whether he should address them. However, the episode ends as Odo, much like the conscious ego sometimes, decides that it just wants to ignore or suppress the feelings when they are too painful. This is what happens when Odo finally goes to speak with Kira, not to tell her how he feels, but to tell her they don’t need to meet every week. But no doubt this isn’t the end of the story. This is akin to how the ego may suppress emotions for a while, but eventually, they will reappear.
mydailysoultrek 