It changed one mind. Sometimes that's all it takes. And I'd say that one change might have helped save the entire galaxy given what Kira does in the final seasons.
Certainly came close. But he wasn't a military strategist, so some of the background details didn't occur to him. Had he covered up those last bits of medical evidence, I really don't think the average Bajoran masses would have cared who he was, as long as they get their roman spectacle.
If Odo hadn't been the one to go digging, yes it would have worked. The Bajoran's didn't have DNA records for the majority of Cardasians, only video, photo, and written records, and Gul Dukat wasn't interested in working with Sisko so we can imagine he wouldn't have even been contacted by the Bajoran government.
Ah this episode, it really made me sad and tear up. This is what started distinguishing DS9 as something amazing. It didn’t have any battles, no fights, just investigations, reasoning, and open wounds. I’ve honestly been rewatching DS9 since your reviews, and I remember how much this episode made me feel at first all back when I was a kid in the 90s. It was definitely an eye opener.
What interesting about this episode, it unintentionally sets up what happens to Cardassia in the final episode. *Cardassia will only survive if it stands in front of Bajor and admits the truth.* ~ Aamin Marritza
Oh, random sidenote: kudos on the dramatic acting during the Maaritza-revealed-as-Darhe'el segment. The hint of megalamonia in the narration really added to the bit!
One of the great Trek episodes. That scene where Kira comes to the realisation that Maritza is just a filing clerk and is trying to work out why on earth he would go to the lengths he did pretending to be a monster. Maritza responding by turning up the evil villain persona all the way up past the breaking point of absurdity. Then almost accidentally starting to talk about Maritza and his pathetic deficiencies and cowardice. Culminating in him hiding under his bed trying desperately to block out the cries of the Bajorans, before breaking down into uncontrollable tormented sobbing. Just spectacular writing. An acting tour de force from both Nana and the guest actor in what was clearly just supposed to be a nothing bottle episode. I never fail to cry when the strings start up.
Just want to say this review was really well done. You really dialed back on the memes, and jokes and treated this and what it represents with the gravitas it deserves, but still managed to make it a really interesting watch. Good job.
In a later episode we learn how the Cardassian justice system works and that's probably what Marritza imagined the process would be like. His plan would have worked there for sure.
A detail that almost flies by is that the real Gul Darheel was buried on Cardassia with honours. The man who was the source of Marritiza's torment, who murdered so many, got away with it completely, likely died peacefully and was probably being lauded in state media as a hero. This must've eaten at Marritza. He had to make the monster pay somehow, make everyone recognise what the bastard actually did and so he became determined to show everyone, everywhere what an unrepentant piece of garbage Darheel was. Hence why he seemed to relish the part, why he had to do what he did. Because finally it'd be vindication, finally payback for the victims, including himself I think in the end his motivations were layered. His plan was to ease his personal trauma, and it was to get back at the monster that haunted him even after his death, but it was also to force Cardassia to stop living in its little fascist rut where they're fine and everything bad was everybody else's fault.
Besides the pilot, I consider this one to be THE premier episode of the first season. For what basically amounts to a bottle show, the performances that Nana Visitor and Harris Yulin put forth are truly phenomenal, even Emmy-worthy.
If the wheel had came out it would have to been a double spin. When the character’s name(s) is critical to the plot, it really muddies then narrative to rename them.
Ah, Duet. An excellent episode, that whilst similar to a book, is an excellent execution of the concept and does not shy away from difficult questions around 'Gul Dar Heel' and his involvement and guilt around his time at the camp. Another reviewer I watched also wondered how cruel the real overseer was as we never meet the real Gul, but unlike Amon Riza, DarHeel had the power to stop the screams with little risk of bad consequences to himself.
Without fail, I end up a mess when I watch his breakdown. Harris Yulan was great in this, as was Nana Visitor. Kira's general antagonism towards Cardassians is muted after this episode, a testament to DS9's character development. Indeed, Maritza was worried he had accomplished nothing with his attempted ruse, but he was wrong. He had managed to change the mind of one influential resistance fighter.
Duet was truly a beautiful and heartwrenching episode. I havent seen a TV show ever hit on this level. Episodes like this is why DS9 is the absolute best Trek ever to grace our screens..and it's a shame it didn't get the praise it deserved during its original air date.
Excellent analysis. I really like the way you approached it. I like to use Martiza's scene of breaking down to teach my English class drama. I'm thinking that next year I might tell them to watch this first to help get a better understanding of the character.
This episode is definitely a highlight of an already amazing first season. The emotional and moral complexity of the situation and the guilt felt by Maritza for his own role in the atrocities of the Occupation is very real and raw. Not many series would have the balls to go there, and that DS9 was brave enough to do it in SEASON ONE speaks a lot of how solid the cast and crew of the show were on being special.
Marritza's plan to impersonate Darheel having great potential to backfire only makes his character more tragic. He comes off as being so desparate in his guilt that making bad decisions in his suicide by war crime cop makes perfect sense. It does not change the pathos of his character in trying in some way to atone for what he did and did not do.
I have been looking forward to you reviewing this episode. Deep space nine is my favorite Trek series, mainly because of episodes like this. I think both Harris Yulen and Nana Visitor were exemplary. I loved their scenes together. This review was great. As you were doing it, I was even tearing up thinking about the episode. I loved how you narrated the Dar Heel megalomania scenes.
This was the episode that made me realise *THIS* is what made DS9 special, it was not a TNG knock off. The performances, the lighting, the camera, everything made this near perfect. I feel he was trying to do his best to make up for his perceived crimes. Good luck Space and Skull Dogs!
An undeniable highlight of the season, if not the series. Of course you can poke a ton of holes in the plot. For one thing there's the DNA. You can change your face, but not your genetic code. Also: Darhe'el was a beloved war hero on Cardassia and a hated war criminal on Bajor. His face was known by many. How did Maaritza get away with walking around with the Gul's face for 6 years without anyone going: "Say, you know who you remind me of?" Plus, Maaritza was an expert record keeper, it's damn sloppy he missed the fact his boss was off world when this freak ailment struck the labor camp. The drunk Bajoran who stabbed Maaritza for the simple crime of being Cardassian is also interesting. He's definitely not the only one who thinks like that... And yet, a certain Cardassian tailor is free to walk the Promenade unharmed. It's interesting the Bajoran government never insisted Garak left after the Occupation.
Garak's talents are legendary. Likely many a disgruntled Bajoran tried to get Garak "off" the station. There's likely a reason that we haven't heard much about them.
It does reflect reality though. As one human segment is starting to adjust to another human segment, there are those that dislike the other side, yet old specific members of that side as "one of the good ones." Garak does say that he knows most of the stations Bajorans don't like him in a later episode.
I like to imagine Drunk Bajoran has gone after Garak repeatedly and he never brings charges because he appreciates having something to keep him from getting too complacent.
Another way of saying Record Keeper is Evidence Collector. I would at least accept that if you were resigned to having no way to change anything then at least you can collect the evidence to make sure people know what's going on later and it sounds like he did that. It becomes far murkier if your efficency can be said to have made the murder more efficent.
One of my favorite ST episodes of ANY series. The acting was supreme. The end chokes me up every time. The way Kira turns from HER hatred to show compassion that the stabber can't embrace. The only thing you missed is that the stabber is a victim too. Remember the episode where Ben Maxwell (I think) was running around killing Cardassians because he thought they broke a treaty, and Picard had to bring him in? Remember O'Brien's comments in that episode. How the war changed him and made him hate? Not dissimilar from the Kirk's comments in Undiscovered Country in regards to his feelings about the Klingons. All 3 of those episodes/movies were excellent Star Trek fare. Great video!!!
Oh yeah love this one. I grew up on Voyager, missed DS9 so it was a joy to watch as an adult. Over the last few years i've rewatched both series, giving episodes a rating from 1-4 (1 being snooze//skip, 2 being pretty standard, 3 being an episode i enjoyed and would re-watch and 4 being what i would consider peak Trek. This episode was the only one in season 1 to get a 4. The performances were so memorable.
"What you call genocide I call a day´s work" A fellow Rimworld player ;) But this is seriously one of my favorite DS9 episodes and the moment the mask falls...gets me every time.
@@ZeroCiero Gave it 2 attempts back in the day, still doesn't appeal to me. I can take these reviews with the humor but the show is just missing something. Maybe a review will turn me around? I do keep an open mind but nothing yet.
The episode in general wasn't much more than generic 'who'dunit' (political comparisons not withstanding), but the scenes between Kira and Moritsa were among the best in the whole series.
This is Trek at it's best. No, that statement doesn't do it justice. This is Trek at it's FUCKING best. Challenging us to both have empathy for an oppressor who hates what happened but felt compelled to obey, while also recognizing the immense damage those who submit willingly or cowardly due to fear appreciates the nuance of the human condition. We all like to believe we would do better, but then I have to ask myself...If my lovely 10 year old daughter was under threat of slavery or torture, what would I do? The fact you brought up Nazi Germany and the conviction of a 97 year old woman sealed the deal for me. Life is a bitch, basically, and we all are forced to make difficult decisions.
As a kid, I adored TNG. As a young adult, Voyager was totally my jam. I didn't like DS9 back then though. We used to call it "neighbours, in space". I was in my late 20s when I gave it another go and it blew me away. This episode in particular was the first one that stuck with me long after. DS9 was and still is, ahead of it's time. Some of my very favourite star trek characters are in DS9 and as a testament to the show, none of them are star fleet. ❤️
I thought the petty criminal’s acting was that way because he didn’t understand the nuances of the situation. He felt like he was parroting outrage as opposed to having been in the trenches like Kira. After watching the whole series my brain wrote him as someone always on the winning side. No loyalty. Maybe he even recognized Maritza and his goal was to kill Maritza before he could be identified as a Cardigan sympathizer or traitor. Like I said, that was my head canon.
The only problem I have with this episode is how unbelievable Marritza's death is. A single stab wound is something we currently have the medical knowledge to survive. These people have teleporters, dermal regenerators, biosynthetic limbs and Bashir. There wasn't even any tech wank about it being a magic super kill knife. For plot reasons I understand his death, but it's still unbelievable.
@@Nesenda Modern day people sometimes survive gunshots to the heart, and we don't have teleporters for instant medical attention. Within minutes they could have had him attached to a blood pumping machine filled with replicated synthetic blood, while Bashir nanosutures his heart back together.
Usually, the very best episodes of Trek are helmed by superb actors who own the role, Duet, Chain of Command, In the pale moonlight are a few. The very best for me was Inner Light.
Duet is one of my favorite episodes of Trek. If I had to make a list of the top ten episodes that are the most Trek and are the best vehicles for Trek's overall message, this would be one of them, alongside Measure of a Man, In the Pale Moonlight, and Death Wish. I have always contended that the core of Trek's message and the best Trek is and always has been a moral one, not political as the internet likes to scream to itself nowadays. I believe that the reason many delude themselves into believing that it's actually political is that they focus on the form of the message rather than the substance. While many Trek episodes use allegory of contemporary social issues, the hyper-politicized society we live in now can only see things through that lense (especially on the internet and in ideological echo chambers.) The most consistent thread through the best Trek, the stories that stood out then and still stand out today, are the ones that posed moral questions to us and made us reflect on ourselves and our worldviews. Of these, the VERY best of them not only posed those moral quandries but showed our favorite characters get suckered into moral quandries and then come out of them having personally grown. I think most people will find that the most satisfying Trek is not just those stories which hold up a mirror to our morality, but show us how people who are presented with those issues can grow beyond their previously held world views and grow. One of the most prominent examples of this is in "All Good Things" when Q tells Picard that the jury is still out on humanity, but that he was impressed by Picard's ability for growth. He COULD have just told Picard what the problem was and given him a solution, but he wanted to see if Picard could move beyond himself and his preconceptions and grow as an individual. If you extrapolate these ideas and follow them as they wind through other stories throughout the old series, you will find that those moral questions and examples of personal growth are supposed to be representative of the future that Roddenberry had in mind. It's not just individuals who have the ability to rise above their preconceptions and prejudices, but society as a whole...and thus is the world of Star Trek moved into existence.
As a child of Holocaust survivors. This episode brought thought experiments to me. Which one of my family would be which character. My uncle would definitely stab the guy. No matter who he was.
This is a great episode, but there is one flaw that nags at me: both the Bajoran and Cardassian governments say they want Moritza/Darheel, yet neither gets him. Now maybe the Bajorans go "The only good Cardassian is a dead Cardassian!" and just possibly Gul Dukat didn't want the political flak involved from a public admission of the Gallitep Labour Camp, but you'd think there would be some discussion of the political fall out from him being killed in Bajoran hands. The Cardies might even want to use his murder purely for propaganda - a dead Moritza is no threat, but they could always use his death to show how the Bajorans don't care about justice, only revenge.
Dukat thought he was dealing with a regular Cardassian citizen. He could use that for leverage, sure.. But kicking up a stink about Maritza after he ran around claiming to be Gul Darheel would do his government no favours and he knows it, so it’s a case of everyone agreeing to forget it ever happened.
@@zephyr8072 Except Moritza won't kick up a stink - he's dead. Gul Dukat can wave the bloody flag ("This is what Bajorans/the Federation call justice!" etc) without the inconvenience of dealing with a live Moritza wanting to confess his sins. (I suspect they may have wanted to include something along those lines but had to cut it for length)
i think it would have started a whole new conflict (both sides being primed and trigger happy already) i found my understanding of this man disgusted me, but it is true, we never know what we would do in the same situation
Re: the comments. I've always found that it was interesting how much explaining away is done for racial oppressive groups. "It was a different time. That was their culture." But I don't see the same explaining away for sexual violence, horrific child abuse including sex and labor, or many other horrors that were more acceptable in the past. That Bajoran petty criminal probably saw his family tortured in front of his eyes. They probably saw him tortured before his. Yet the tenor of the episode almost paints him as a sadistic idiot who just wasn't paying attention to the episode. This was several generations of Cardassians torturing and destroying a planet of people who did nothing to them. I won't pretend to have a perfect perspective but I think this episode and the comments are far too lenient.
The Bajorans have always been the species that I like the least, in the entire Star Trek franchise, and this episode is probably the definitive example of why. Other people will respond and say, "how could you possibly feel like that, after everything they've been through?" That, however, is exactly the point. There is nothing I dislike more, than someone who can themselves behave as horrifically as they choose, and always has an excuse. The Bajorans are a master class in weaponised victimhood.
Unfortunately, that is what makes them so believable. We have seen it throughout history, a group of people are oppressed and, when they get freedom, the first thing they do is oppress someone else.
this was an extremely confusing episode for me that I still don't really get. How would he pass as Gul Darheel who already died, that Dukat even went to the funeral for? Imagine if Adolf Hitler strolled up to a police station and turned himself in. Everyone would be like "You're obviously not Hitler, he already died 5 years ago. I went to the funeral and everything dude." The logic doesn't track. Even if the guy felt guilty in his part of the occupation, it's an insanely convoluted way to commit suicide, and wouldn't even change anything because the person he was claiming to be was already dead. Plus he goes back and forth with his story, "I'm a secretary! I was actually a Gul!" I honestly can't follow the rationale. Did he "lie" about being a secretary -> to assume that the people of DS9 would find out he was actually "Gul," -> but then assume they wouldn't find out the Gul he looks like have a very public funeral? "I got surgically altered to look like Ghengis Khan, but I was just a secretary, oh shoot, you got me, I'm actually Ghengis Khan, but I'm not really, I actually AM a secretary, I just look exactly like him, kill me please?" What? It's a "twist" that doubles back on itself to not be a twist, just 45 minutes of illogical steps that ultimately don't mean anything to anyone, except maybe Kira, who suddenly sympathizes with a Cardigan who was Hitler's secretary; even THAT doesn't track, he DID work at a slave labor camp, he IS guilty, so why does she give a shit that he got stabbed at the end; because HE felt guilty? Nothing makes sense in this episode, I'm sure everybody loves it but I think it's stupid and nonsensical.
The only reason why this episode is "Good" is because Harris Yulin (the guy who played Marritza), had amazing monolgues and acted the shit out of this episode, but the story itself doesn't make a lick of sense, it just doesn't. A modern day version would be like: If a guy got surgically altered to look like Saddam Hussein, and turned himself in, then said he was Saddam Hussein's secretary, in the hopes that he would be executed publicly, even though we already know Saddam Hussein was already dead 5 years prior, half the planet saw it. Nobody @ me or try to argue me, it's stupid, the acting of Harris Yulin is great, and that's it.
