1.19 — “Duet”
Plot: Odo arrests a Cardassian passing through the station who Major Kira identifies as a war criminal from a labor camp during the war. Kira must confront her own feelings about justice and retribution while Sisko and Odo scramble to research the prisoner’s past.
Thoughts: I thought I would like this episode as soon as I saw that it features Kira and a Cardassian. I was right!
The Cardassian, Marritza, is played by Harris Yulin, who has 127 IMDB credits in film and television, and a stage career as well. He’s one of those actors who is familiar although you don’t know his name. I know him best from playing Quentin Travers, head of the Watcher’s Council, in three episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003). He’s terrific here, making scenes work beautifully that maybe shouldn’t work at all. I’d give him an Emmy in a heartbeat. As best as I can tell from IMDB, Yulin has never won an acting award, but received one Emmy nomination, for a 1993 guest turn on Frasier.
When Marritza is giving Kira a hard time about wanting vengeance more than the truth, I was thinking, I believe in justice, so I believe, like Kira, in prosecution for war crimes. The death penalty, not so much. Sisko would be within his rights to refuse to extradite Marritza to Bajor without a guarantee against execution, much like the prevailing policy in Europe, Canada, and other advanced nations.
But then it gets more complicated, and keeps finding new levels. So good! Only slightly marred by an oversimple ending. I thought 24th century medicine is pretty good at treating stab wounds? I once saw Crusher rebuild Worf’s spine out of what looked like plaster of Paris.
What did you think? I say 5 out of 5 exceptional file clerks.
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