Star Trek: Deep Space Nine‘s René Auberjonois guest starred in an episode of Star Trek: Enterprise that was a massive callback to an Odo-centric DS9 episode. Enterprise was the third Star Trek property to feature René Auberjonois, after appearances in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country and his regular role as Constable Odo in DS9. René Auberjonois appeared alongside the cast of Enterprise in the season 1 episode, “Oasis”, which bore similarities to “Shadowplay”, an episode from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine‘s second season.
The similarities between Star Trek: Deep Space Nine‘s “Shadowplay” and Star Trek: Enterprise‘s “Oasis” weren’t lost on DS9‘s René Auberjonois. In a 2011 interview with the official Star Trek website, René Auberjonois recalled an awkward moment between him and Enterprise‘s lead, Scott Bakula. Read René Auberjonois’ recollections of his discussion with Scott Bakula below:
[Bakula] said, “I like this script. I think this is a good one.” I said, “Yeah, we did this one in season three.” And he looked at me and said, “What?” I said, “It was the same sort of story.” That was not really a putdown, but when you’ve done that many years of writing stories, there will be recurring themes.
Related
Every Star Trek: DS9 Episode Directed By Rene Auberjonois
René Auberjonois worked with Hollywood director Robert Altman, do the Odo actor’s directorial efforts on Star Trek: DS9 display Altman’s influence?
René Auberjonois’ Guest Role In Enterprise Was A DS9 Callback
In Star Trek: Enterprise season 1, episode 20, “Oasis”, Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) and the crew discover an apparently derelict ship isn’t as abandoned as they first believed. Upon further investigation, it’s revealed that the crew of the ship, except for Ezral (René Auberjonois) and his daughter Liana (Annie Wersching) were killed when the ship crash-landed years earlier. To assuage his guilt over his part in the crash, Ezral recreated the crew with early holodeck technology, so that he and Liana wouldn’t be alone.
René Auberjonois’ role in “Oasis” was similar to the character of Rurigan (Kenneth Tobey) in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 2, episode 16, “Shadowplay”. In that episode, Lt. Jadzia Dax (Terry Farrell) and Constable Odo visit a planet where the inhabitants keep mysteriously disappearing. It’s discovered that the missing inhabitants are holograms which are fading from existence due to the wear and tear of the holographic technology. Rurigan created the vast simulation himself, after fleeing the oppression of the Dominion, so that, like René Auberjonois’ Ezral, he could continue live among those he lost, and preserve his culture.
How Many Roles Has René Auberjonois Played In Star Trek?
Constable Odo in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine was René Auberjonois’ second role in the wider franchise. The actor first appeared in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country as the corrupt Starfleet admiral, West, though Auberonois’ scenes were cut from the original theatrical release. Although best known for playing Odo in DS9, René Auberjonois also played a handful of other characters in the show, and that’s not including the multiple alternate Odo’s from his Mirror Universe variant to an aged Odo from the alternative timeline from “Children of Time”.
If Odo and his variants count as one distinct character with different performance choices, then René Auberjonois played five different characters in the Star Trek franchise. On top of Admiral West, Constable Odo, and Ezral in Star Trek: Enterprise, René Auberjonois also played the spirit of Curzon Dax, who took over Odo’s body in the episode “Facets”. Auberjonois also played Douglas Pabst, editor of the Incredible Tales of Scientific Wonder magazine in “Far Beyond the Stars”. Each of these five characters demonstrates what a great acting talent René Auberjonois was, and how lucky Star Trek: Deep Space Nine was to have him in the cast.
All episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Enterprise are available to stream on Paramount+.
Star Trek: Enterprise
Where to Watch*Availability in US
- stream
- rent
- buy
Not available
Not available
Not available
Star Trek: Enterprise acts as a prequel to Star Trek: The Original Series, detailing the voyages of the original crew of the Starship Enterprise in the 22nd century, a hundred years before Captain Kirk commanded the ship. Enterprise was the sixth series in the Star Trek franchise overall, and the final series before a twelve-year hiatus until the premiere of Star Trek: Discovery in 2017. The series stars Scott Bakula as Captain Jonathan Archer, with an ensemble cast that includes John Billingsley, Jolene Blalock, Dominic Keating, Anthony Montgomery, Linda Park, and Connor Trinneer.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, also known as DS9, is the fourth series in the long-running Sci-Fi franchise, Star Trek. DS9 was created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller, and stars Avery Brooks, René Auberjonois, Terry Farrell, and Cirroc Lofton. This particular series follows a group of individuals in a space station near a planet called Bajor.
