Wanderlust

2.5 — “Cardassians”

2.5 — “Cardassians”

Plot: Bashir’s lunch with Garak the Tailor leads to intrigue when the pair encounters a Cardassian child in the company of an adult Bajoran who is so distressed by the sight of Garak that the child bites Garak. The plight of war orphans has rarely made for more gripping television.

Thoughts: Ooh I love this episode. DS9 is very lucky in the casting of Garak (Andrew Robinson), Gul Dukat (Marc Alaimo), and the other fine guest stars in this episode.

GARAK: I believe in coincidences. Coincidences happen every day. But I don’t trust coincidences!

As in DS9’s best episodes, characters lie constantly, and you aren’t sure who to believe. Gul Dukat is an especially subtle operator. Garak says, “Tell me, Doctor. Is there a single trait would you ascribe to me and to my fellow Cardassians? Would it not be our attention to detail?”

And, “You’d be surprised how often someone needs their pants let out!”

I can quote Garak all day, but that would be to ignore what a delight Sisko, O’Brien, and Keiko are here. Keiko models confronting racism in real time, as O’Brien offers a nuanced look at the man who we learned in TNG 4.12, “The Wounded,” picked up a few resentments during his service in the Cardassian War. Our thread on “The Wounded:” https://plus.google.com/u/0/112507191344108443039/posts/WQ3nwHCPw65?sfc=true

The Cardassians are a great foil, again, because they are smart, and allowed to express the full range of emotion, rather than having to play caricatures as Romulan, Klingon, and Ferengi characters are frequently called upon to do.

By Sisko’s pajamas! I love the scene where Bashir wakes him up, and can’t immediately account for what is so important to justify this intrusion.

The episode builds very cleverly. Why should we care about internal Caradassian politics, whether Gul Dukat is feuding with Kotan Pa’Dar, or what Garak’s relationship is to any of this? But we do. I feel bad for the child and both potential fathers, and for all the Cardassian war orphans still left behind on Bajor.

Terrible episode title.

5 out of 5 meticulous orphanage files.

http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Cardassians_(episode)

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2 responses to “2.5 — “Cardassians””

  1. Randi Cohen Avatar
    Randi Cohen

    So, I did love the episode… because who doesn’t love Garak and Gul Dukat, and Cardassians in general, for all the reasons you describe.

    However, my beef is, having gone to all the trouble to set things up, how do you end them with “he’s going to Cardassia with his birth father to finally begin healing”. Dude. It seems to me that to make that happen without consent of him or his adoptive parents is nutso.

    I am not sure what would happen in a US court of law under similar circumstances, but I would hope that the wishes of the child (teenager?) would be taken into account a bit more. Honestly, imagining myself in that kid’s place, why would I want to get closer to a father who is apparently a mass murderer? And go live on Cardassia, in a culture which is apparently OK with mass murder? I am pretty pissed off about how nonchalantly this is dealt with.

    Also, maybe Garak should adopt at least one of those war orphans.

    Reply
  2. Kevin Black Avatar
    Kevin Black

    You describe part of what I like about it! An awful situation with no easy solution. I think the resolution is likely the one that would appertain in a U.S. court in an analogous situation where a parent is asking for restoration of a child who was essentially stolen or kidnapped at a young age and remains a minor. That doesn’t mean it’s the best solution, though.

    Yes I totally agree Garak should adopt a war orphan!

    Reply

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