The work this two part episode accomplishes in advancing the overall plot of the series, exploring two of the show's most interesting recurring characters and the real motivations of one of the show's regulars, and delivering delicious continuity to the season is very impressive. DS9 is at its best when the writers are servicing the characters or expanding the canon universe with bigger ideas than prior Trek incarnations would have dared to tackle and this story does both.
Plot Synopsis:
Bashir and Garak spar amiably about Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar." Their conversation is immaterial (although amusing), however. Bashir eats too quickly for Garak, but he gets up simultaneously anyway, claiming he's been eating chocolates all morning and isn't hungry. When the two part company, Kira speaks with Bashir about a Bajoran Ambassador's impending arrival, but their conversation is interrupted by a massive explosion coming form Garak's shop. They find Garak shaken up, but not too seriously injured. His shop, however, is a complete loss. He is taken to the infirmary where Odo questions him about the events, immediately suspecting that someone is out to kill Garak. Indeed, Kira quickly determines that the bomb was keyed to detonate with a pheromonic sensor (no doubt rigged to pick up Cardassian pheromones). These devices are commonly used by Flaxian assasins and there just so happens to be a Flaxian who recently arrived on the station. Garak, however, insists that he has absolutely no idea who might try to kill him. He plays along with Odo's investigation, but doesn't offer any useful information - naturally this drives Odo bananas.
After a bit of sleuthing, Odo discovers that the Flaxian's plan to kill Garak revolved around a combination of perfumes which, when mixed, would produce a deadly nerve gas - NOT on a pheromonic sensor-triggered explosive device. Intrigued, Odo decides to tag the Flaxian's ship and follow it as it leaves DS9, but he and Garak watch in shock as it suddenly explodes while attempting to go to warp. The weapon used to destroy Retaya's ship is of Romulan design, and Odo concludes that the Romulans must have hired Retaya to kill Garak and then executed him for failing to complete his mission. He and Sisko put in a call to the Tal'shiar, and their contact there matter of factly states that the Romulans did indeed execute Retaya, saying he was wanted for capital crimes on Romulus. She denies having any knowledge of Garak's assassination attempt tersely cuts off communication. Back to square one, they begin thinking about Garak's past connection to the Obsidian Order. Odo decides to communicate with some of his contacts in the Cardassian government.
Later, in a cavern on some unknown rock, Odo meets with one such contact - though the entire encounter is shrouded in cloak and dagger secrecy. The man claims that Odo is investigation an insignificant piece of a much larger puzzle. He informs Odo that five other former members of the Obsidian Order have turned up dead from mysterious accidents in the last 26 hours. He also tells Odo that there has been unusually high Romulan activity near the Cardassian border in the last few weeks, suggesting that an invasion may be in the works. He insists that this information should square all debts and Odo agrees.
Back on the station, the pieces of the puzzle are coming together for Odo. He angrily confronts Garak, now certain that his shop was blown up by...Garak! He thinks Garak blew up his shop so that Odo would stop the Flaxian from carrying out his assassination attempt and enjoyed watching his shop burn anyway. With the first web of lies effectively smashed, Garak finally admits that he and all of the others on the execution list were associates of Enaubran Tain, though he has no idea why the Romulans would want all of these people executed. Odo points out that Tain might also be a target and Garak and Odo contact the Tain residence where they find out from his housekeeper that Tain left without any explanation yesterday. Fearing that he might indeed be a target, Garak insists on taking a runabout to one of Tain's safe houses to try to locate him and Odo insists on coming along.
However, when they arrive at the designated coordinates, a Romulan ship decloaks right on top of them and tractors them into a cargo bay. Tain greets them at the airlock and blusters about his plans. It seems the Tal'shiar and the Obsidian Order have joined forces and are planning to invade the Gamma Quadrant using a fleet of cloaked ships - their destination? The Founders' home world. They intend to annihilate the Founders in one bold move. It will start a war with the Dominion, but with the Founders gone, they hope that the collateral damage will be minimized and they believe a war is coming whether they like it or not - better for it to be on their terms. Tain accuses Garak of betrayal and Garak angrily denies this - oddly, Tain believes him. He offers Garak a stunning choice...he can leave and go back to his life as a tailor, or he can resume his post as Tain's #1 man. Either way, they're taking Odo prisoner and intend to interrogate him for information about the Dominion and the Founders. Garak chooses to stay and points a gun at Odo, triumphantly saying he's returned home.
When the second hour begins, Tain's fleet decloaks at the mouth of the wormhole, scaring the hell out of the station's crew before heading off to the Gamma Quadrant. Sisko and the senior officers view a prerecorded message left by Tain which declares war on the Dominion in the name of the Cardassians and Romulans. With their plan now out in the open, Sisko asks for a priority channel to Starfleet headquarters. Starfleet's response is classically wussy - they have no comment. They're privately hoping the fleet does indeed destroy the founders and the Dominion comes charging through the wormhole to destroy the Cardies and Romulans...that would be a very nice outcome for the Federation. There is, however, the matter of recovering Odo. Sisko and the rest of the Ops crew decide to violate Starfleet orders and take the Defiant into the Gamma Quadrant to try to rescue Odo (and Garak too, if he's still alive, but he's not the priority. :) ).
Meanwhile, Tain orders Garak to interrogate Odo for information about the Founders. Odo is in no mood to cooperate - even when he discovers that the Cardassians have found a way to prevent Odo from changing his shape. When he reaches the sixteen hour mark and begins painfully disintegrating, Odo still stands firm against Garak's questions...after a very emotional exchange where it becomes clear that Garak feels horribly guilty for assaulting Odo like this, Odo finally admits that he wants to go home - as in - return to the Great Link. Though this information is of no use to Garak or Tain, Garak allows Odo to return to his gelatinous state and reports no success to Tain, who is very disappointed and suggests that living on that station has made him too soft for the Order.
However, when the fleet reaches the Omarian Nebula and begins bombarding the rogue planet where the Founders once resided, they discover that it's an elaborate trap - no one is on the planet's surface! 150 Jem'hadar ships surround the roughly twenty ships Tain and the Romulans brought along for the fight and begin cutting them to shreds. Garak tries to pull Tain away from the bridge, but Tain's gigantic ego can't take the strain of having his plan so adeptly thwarted and he kind of loses his mind. Odo, meanwhile, discovers that the leak is Colonel Lovok - the lead Romulan on the Tal'shiar side of this alliance - who turns out to be a changeling. Lovok tells Odo to get out of here - no changeling has ever harmed another. Odo finds Garak on the bridge trying to rescue Tain and breaks his face to get him to abandon ship. They escape in their runabout and are about to get blow to hell by a Jem'hadar fighter when the Defiant appears behind them and starts kicking some major booty. They beam Garak and Odo away and get themselves the heck out of dodge.
When he returns home, Garak numbly begins to pick up the pieces of his charred tailor shop. His dream of returning home now seems impossible given the creeping human morality that has apparently compromised his ability to be a good interrogator (and of course, given the loss of Tain). Odo stops by to thank Garak for not including Odo's desire to return home in his report to Starfleet. It's clear that their relationship is now strained from their shared experience, but Garak seems rightly humbled and contrite.
SABR Matt's Ratings:
Writing: 9.5
It's interesting to me that Rene Echevarria wrote the first part of this story and Ronald Moore wrote the second part. Because each part reflects the personality of its creator. The mood of the story changes drastically as we move from part one to part two. In part one, we have a light mix of intelligent humor and political intrigue that is highly enjoyable from a literary perspective. The second half of the story is dark, filled with emotion and angst, and concludes with a rather spectacular action sequence that can only come from the same guy who wrote later battle sequences in the Dominion War arc and on Battlestar Galactica. Moore is not good at humor and doesn't try for it much. Echevarria is not good at high drama or emotional angst and doesn't try for it. Both are needed to complete this story and the exact order they take is perfect. Too many writers can sometimes spoil the broth of a story, but in this case, these two writers made a perfect team.
It's also interesting to me that you can see how the direction changes from one episode to the next to match the mood. In the first hour, we spend the whole episode in the bright station lighting with the exception of the cavern sequence...the first part is directed by Avery Brooks and features a lot of very basic television techniques - it's laying the groundwork nicely and keeping the focus on the characters and their delightfully intelligent and often humorous exchanges. The second episode features a dimly lit interrogation chamber, a darkened space battle, the smoldering ruins of Garak's shop, shot through the perspective of a dusty (and shattered) mirror, a whole bunch of far more intimate angles (a lot of tight over-the-shoulder shots and face to face profiles)...this one is directed by David Livingston, who deserves props for correctly narrowing our focus and "intruding" a bit with the way he shoots this hour. He almost makes the viewer uncomfortable with how close we are to a very ugly, disheveled Odo - he's putting us in Garak's place so that we can understand the intensity of the moment. Bravo.
Acting: 9.8
Rene Auberjonois and Andrew Robinson (Garak) have to carry the vast majority of the performance here and they do so incredibly well. We can certainly say that the surrounding cast does good work as well...none of them stand out (and that's a good thing when the story is about the other two guys...you do not want to get in the way of that and upstage the real action) but they all keep us in the story quite nicely. The reason this episode gets such high marks on the acting front can be seen by watching the reaction takes and subtle gestures each of them provide during their scenes together. There was only one moment that pulled me out of the story...if I had any "notes" for Robinson...they would revolve around his reaction when Tain accused him of betrayal. He went way over the top on that one, I think...and then very awkwardly tuned it way back down a second later. Other than that, the two of them had me on the edge of my seat the whole time.
Message: 9.0
Darn us pesky moral humans and our tendency to make other folks realize that they'll be happier if they live like we do. :) By keeping Garak entirely in character (complete with his desire to return home, his fondness for some greatly evil men, his tenacious will to survive, etc.) - by allowing him to resume his old life for a time and see it from a new perspective (that of the moral-rich Federation and the imprint they have insidiously left on his soul), the script allows for us to appreciate our own morality all the more. The message is loud and clear - focus entirely on your own pride and ambition at your own eternal peril. Tain's fall and Garak's realization that he really can't ever go back to his old life were both extremely well executed.
I would also like to applaud DS9 for avoiding moral relativism. So many times on TNG, the viewer is sternly reminded that we cannot judge which morality is right and which is wrong, nor can we claim our culture/society is better than anyone else's, no matter how strange they may seem to us. On DS9, the Cardassian culture - while painted in the fullness of three dimensions and shown fairly (strengths and weaknesses well identified) - is clearly identified as inherently flawed and evil. And Garak spends seven seasons slowly but surely choosing the better morality over the worse. In the end, he'll return home to pick up the pieces of his broken world (which he will claim got exactly what they deserved for all their centuries of hatred and arrogant aggression), but he'll be a changed man. And that change begins (IMHO) in this story.
Stephanie S's Ratings:
Writing: 9.5
As someone who has written a few works of fanfiction here and there, I've always been something of an aficionado for unexpected match-ups - especially when I see a connection between characters that the creator either doesn't see or simply doesn't have time to cover in detail. For example, I've always wanted to see more B5 stories featuring Delenn and Londo because I feel they have a lot in common. Both were key decision makers who launched genocidal conflicts, after all - and both are undeniably drawn to people who represent "the enemy camp." But I digress. Suffice it to say that one thing I find particularly noteworthy in this pair of DS9 episodes is the fact that the writers veer away from the series' expected "couples" (Bashir & Garak, Odo & Kira, Bashir & O'Brien, etc.) -- and manage to draw out some vitally important insights in the process.
In short, in throwing together Odo and Garak - characters who have never really interacted with each other in such an intimate fashion before - Echevarria and Moore make unnecessary a fan treatment of the similarity that ties these two characters together. (Though I'm sure a fan somewhere has run with this connection anyway. Fans are irrepressible that way.) After watching, for example, the justifiably famous torture scene in Die, the viewer can only slap his or her forehead and cry, "Of course! This all makes perfect sense!" Heck, I can even outline the writers' rationale in a handy chart:
| Lives among the enemies of his people, the Bajorans (and the Federation). | Lives among the enemies of his people, the whole Alpha Quadrant. |
| Habits of mind are completely different from those of everyone he knows. | Habits period are completely different from those of everyone he knows. |
| Still feels a connection to his home planet. | Dude. Internal homing signal. |
Clearly, just as Londo and Delenn have much in common, so too do Odo and Garak. Kudos to the writers for recognizing this and taking full advantage of it.
Acting: 9.0
In a few places, I found both Robinson's and Auberjonois' affectations just slightly off-putting, though I can't put my finger on what precisely bothers me in those moments. The rest of the time, however, they put in stellar, stellar work.
Message: 9.0
Once again, my brother has left me with nothing to add.
Highlights:
GARAK: But I'm sorry, Doctor, I just don't see the value of this man's work.
BASHIR: Garak, Shakespeare is one of the giants of human literature!
GARAK: I knew Brutus was going to kill Caesar in the first act, but Caesar didn't figure it out until the knife was in his back.
BASHIR: That's what makes it a tragedy. Caesar couldn't conceive that his best friend would plot to kill him.
GARAK: Tragedy is not the word I'd use. Farce would be more appropriate. Supposedly, this man is supposed to be the leader of a great empire - a brilliant military tactician - and yet he can't see what's going on under his own nose. (You can always count on Garak to shine a new light on the greats.)
SISKO: Someone tried to kill you, Garak! Whoever it was may try again, so if I were you, I would give this matter some serious thought.
GARAK: Well, let me see: there's the Nausicaan whose wedding suit I misplaced, and that Yridian I owe money to. And of course, there's always Major Kira.
BASHIR: This is serious, Garak.
GARAK: I'm being serious! I don't think she likes me.
ODO: She doesn't. But if she wanted you dead, you would be. (LOL!)
BASHIR: Have you ever heard the story about the boy who cried wolf?
GARAK: No.
BASHIR: It's a children's story about a young shepherd boy who gets lonely while tending his flock. So he cries out to the villagers that a wolf is attacking the sheep. The people come running, but of course there's no wolf. He claims that it's run away, and the villagers praise him for his vigilance.
GARAK: Clever lad. A charming story.
BASHIR: I'm not finished. The next day the boy does it again, and the next day, too. On the fourth day a wolf really comes. The boy cries out at the top of his lungs, but the villagers ignore him, and the boy and his flock are gobbled up.
GARAK: Well that's a little graphic for children, wouldn't you say?
BASHIR: The point is, if you lie all the time, nobody's going to believe you -- even when you're telling the truth.
GARAK: Are you sure that's the point, Doctor?
BASHIR: Of course. What else could it be?
GARAK: That you should never tell the same lie twice. (BWAH! Classic.)
GARAK: You wanted to see me?
ODO: I have bad news for you. Major Kira has an airtight alibi. (Hee!)
ODO: As it happens, I'm looking for a gift for a friend.
RETAYA: A lady friend?
ODO: Exactly. Unfortunately, I don't have a sense of smell. Perhaps you could describe this fragrance for me?
RETAYA: It has a somewhat floral bouquet.
ODO: We have a Cardassian tailor here on the station named Garak. There was an explosion in his shop not long after you arrived.
RETAYA: I felt the blast. Was he hurt?
ODO: Not seriously. (Odo holds up another bottle.)
RETAYA: That one is more musky than the first.
ODO: Tell me, where were you when the explosion occurred?
RETAYA: The Ferengi's bar. I went there as soon as I arrived this morning. (Odo holds up a third bottle.) I suppose I'd have to describe that one as spicy.
ODO: I see. And how long were you at Quark's?
RETAYA: The rest of the day. Right up until your deputy came and brought me here. So, have you found something for your lady friend?
ODO: Almost. I think she would like something both floral and musky. Perhaps if we mixed these two?
RETAYA: Why not? (Odo puts a couple of drops onto a small dish and waves it under Retaya's nose.) Very nice.
ODO: But on the other hand, she's also quite fond of spicy things. Maybe we could add a drop of this as well?
RETAYA: I really don't think they would go well together.
ODO: Let's find out.
(Retaya puts his hand over the dish.)
RETAYA: I really don't think your lady friend will like the aroma.
ODO: Much less the fact that when these three fragrances are combined, they produce a gaseous mixture that can trigger a fatal heart attack when inhaled.
RETAYA: I had no idea.
ODO: Then why did you stop me from mixing them? (Caught!)
ODO: I've had enough of your dissembling, Garak! I am not Doctor Bashir, and we are not sparring amiably over lunch! Now, you dragged me into this investigation, and you are now going to cooperate with me!
GARAK: Dragged you in? I don't know what you're talking --
ODO: You blew up your own shop, Garak! (A beat. When Odo next speaks, he sounds very pleased with himself.) Well -- I don't think I've ever seen that particular expression on your face before. Is it surprise?
BASHIR: I hope you know what you're doing, Garak.
GARAK: So do I.
BASHIR: Is there anything you need me to do while you're gone?
GARAK: Like what?
BASHIR: I don't know. Any unfinished business?
GARAK: Actually, Doctor, there is something.
BASHIR: What?
GARAK: If you go into my quarters and examine the bulkhead next to the replicator, you'll notice there's a false panel. Behind that panel is a compartment containing an isolinear rod. If I'm not back within seventy eight hours, I want you to take that rod -- and eat it.
BASHIR: Eat it? You're joking.
GARAK: Yes, Doctor, I am.
BASHIR: Very funny.
GARAK: I thought so. (ROTFL!)
ODO: That woman -- Mila. Who is she?
GARAK: She's been Tain's housekeeper and confidant for over thirty years.
ODO: She seemed almost fond of you.
GARAK: Is it so hard to believe that there's one person in this galaxy who could regard me with a certain affection?
ODO: I could believe there's one but I wouldn't expect it to be someone who worked for Enabran Tain. As I understand it, the two of you didn't part on the best of terms.
GARAK: You could say that. Tain was directly responsible for my exile from Cardassia.
ODO: Then I don't understand
GARAK: Why I would be risking my life to help him?
ODO: Exactly.
GARAK: Yes, I can see how that would be puzzling.
ODO: All right. You owe him something.
GARAK: A logical deduction. I see why you're the constable.
ODO: But it's more than that. He means something to you. Something personal?
GARAK: Ah, now you've just moved from deduction to supposition.
ODO: You're not the kind of man who would go to such lengths simply to repay a debt.
GARAK: Are you trying to say that I have no sense of honour?
ODO: That remains to be seen.
GARAK: Yes.
ODO: You wouldn't risk going into Cardassian space for just anyone. It would have to be someone important to you, someone you cared about. I think you were more than Tain's advisor. I think you were his protégé and he was your mentor. That is, until he sent you into exile. And yet, despite that, you care enough about him to risk your life for him. Or is all that just supposition?
GARAK: A very interesting analysis. Very interesting. Particularly coming from you.
ODO: Oh?
GARAK: It's been my observation that you always act from a sense of justice - or at least what you consider justice. There's no feeling behind what you do - no emotion beyond a certain distaste for loose ends and disorder. You don't know what it means to care about someone, do you? People are just interesting creatures to be studied and analyzed.
ODO: Is there any point to this?
GARAK: Only that I find it interesting that you ascribe feelings and motivations to me that you know nothing about. Or am I wrong? Tell me, is there one person in this universe you do care for? One person who's more than just an interesting puzzle to be solved? Is there, Odo? Anyone?
ODO: If there were, I certainly wouldn't tell you.
TAIN: Constable Odo, I've always wanted to meet you.
ODO: I wish I could say the same.
TAIN: Oh come now. Haven't you ever been the least bit curious about me, about my relationship with Garak, or our work in the Obsidian Order?
ODO: I seldom waste time speculating about retired spymasters and their associates.
TAIN: He's good. He hides his true feelings almost as well as you do, Elim. He'd have made a good operative in the old days.
GARAK: I had the same thought myself. But then, those days are long gone. At least they are for me. You, on the other hand, seem to have left your retirement far behind. Unless you're simply on a pleasure cruise with your pointed-eared friends.
TAIN: Cunning, isn't he? He makes a racial slur within earshot of two Romulans, putting me in the position of either defending them, thus giving away my allegiance to them, or letting the comment pass, in which case he's managed to plant a seed of discord between us.
ODO: Frankly, I don't find any of this interesting. You both go to such lengths to hide the true meaning of your words you end up saying nothing.
GARAK: Well I had hoped a few hours alone might jog your memory but I can see I'm going to have to take some steps I'd hoped to avoid.
ODO: (with heavy irony) Oh, no. You're going to torture me, aren't you? How I've been dreading this. Please have mercy, Garak.
GARAK: You do have a certain flair for sarcasm. It's one of the things I like about you.
(Garak switches the stasis device on.)
GARAK: You can go now.
(The Romulans leave.)
ODO: I'd bring those guards back if I were you. I'm not in a very good mood.
GARAK: Yes, under normal circumstances, you would pose quite a threat to me. You could turn yourself into a Vicarian razorback - or stretch out your arms and strangle me from across the room. But not this time.
ODO: Oh? And why is that?
GARAK: Because that device is emitting a quantum stasis field designed to prevent any changeling from altering his biomolecular structure.
(Odo checks this statement by flexing his hands and trying to change his form.)
GARAK: Yes, it must be very disconcerting for you to be locked into a humanoid form. Especially now. I'm sure you were looking forward to returning to your liquid state. Tell me, what will happen if you can't revert to a liquid?
ODO: I don't know.
GARAK: An honest answer. But it's probably safe to say that it won't be pleasant.
ODO: Garak, this is pointless. There's nothing I can tell you about the Founders that you don't already know.
GARAK: I wish I could believe that.
ODO: Then why don't you?
GARAK: Because you and I are so alike. We both value our privacy, our secrets. That's why I know there's something about the Founders you haven't told anyone. Something you didn't even share with Starfleet and Commander Sisko, hmm? But you are going to tell me, Odo.
ODO: There's nothing to tell.
GARAK: Well, perhaps something will come to you. I can wait.
(Later. Odo is starting to disintegrate. For him, every word is a struggle.)
ODO: What's the matter, Garak? You don't look very happy. Aren't you enjoying yourself?
GARAK: There's no pleasure in this for me, Constable, I assure you. I am simply doing my job.
ODO: Your job. Yes, this is the job you've been waiting for. All these years of exile and here you are interrogating a prisoner again. It must fill you with pride.
GARAK: Odo, just tell me what I need to know and this will end.
ODO: But you don't want it to end, do you, Garak? Isn't this what you've been dreaming of? Back at work serving Cardassia.
GARAK: That's right. And you have information that I need. Information that it's my duty to extract from you. It's not personal.
(Odo begins to collapse. He's near death. Garak finally cracks and rushes over to him.)
GARAK: Odo, talk to me! Tell me something! Anything! Lie if you have to, but say it now! Please!
ODO: Home. I want to go home.
GARAK: And you will, I promise. As soon as this is all over, I promise I'll take you back to Deep Space Nine.
ODO: No, not the station. Home with my people.
GARAK: The Founders? You want to return to the Founders? I thought you turned your back on them.
ODO: I did, but they're still my people. I tried to deny it, I tried to forget, but I can't. They're my people and I want to be with them in the Great Link.
GARAK: I knew there was something, a secret you were holding back.
ODO: And now you've found it. I hope it's useful.
ODO: I just read the report that you wrote and I wanted to thank you.
GARAK: Me? For what?
ODO: For not mentioning my desire to return to my people.
GARAK: I consider the entire conversation as something best forgotten.
ODO: As do I. (A beat.) Quark has expressed an interest in renting this space if you're not going to be using it.
GARAK: Oh?
ODO: He mentioned something about an Argelian massage facility.
GARAK: Unfortunately, I don't think Commander Sisko will approve of such an interesting facility on the Promenade.
ODO: I tend to agree. But do I think he would approve of a tailor's shop.
GARAK: Do you know what the sad part is, Odo? I'm a very good tailor.
No comments:
Post a Comment