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star trek - Why do the other changelings look like Dr Mora?


It is mentioned in The Forsaken (S1E17) that when he first took humanoid form, Odo mimicked the hairstyle of Dr Mora, the Bajoran scientist who was studying him. In a later episode, The Alternate (S2E12), we get to actually see the doctor, and indeed the resemblance is very obvious:


dr Mora


Note that this is before we find out who the Dominion and the Founders are, and what they look like.


So why do other Changelings, when in humanoid form, so often have the same distinctive hairstyle? I'm thinking first and foremost of the Female Changeling, but several others qualify as well.



female changeling another changeling


What's the point? Are they imitating Odo? Is there any explanation in canon, or did the writers just forget where Odo's hairstyle came from?



Answer



From Memory Alpha - Changeling entry: Background Information Section





  • The Changelings frequently assumed a form similar to that of Odo; however, Odo's unique appearance was the product of his difficulty with assuming convincing humanoid forms, not mandated by his racial makeup.





  • Since other Changelings have no difficulty in convincingly assuming humanoid forms, they must therefore assume an "Odoid" form out of choice. This may be because before meeting Odo and the races of the Alpha Quadrant, they had no need to reveal themselves individually to outsiders, and thus had no need for a unique humanoid form to differentiate themselves from other species. Odo would have provided them with a useful template.





From an AOL Chat with Ronald D. Moore (DS9 writer)




  • "Odo modeled his look after Dr. Mora and the Founders then modeled their look after Odo. They did this initially as a compliment and way of reaching out to their long-lost Changeling, and later they kept doing it as a dig and reminder to him of his own limitations." (AOL chat, 1997)




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