ITPML-All it cost was one senator,one criminal and your self respect.

[@blazechicken6822]

Garak was easily one of the best things about DS9

[@dhinton1]

He actually WAS.

[@grendelum]

All the best episodes have Garak...

[@Blakblooded]

Garak was easily one of the best things about Star Trek.

[@dhinton1]

@@grendelum I don't think he was a main character but he might as well have been.

[@jamesmurphy2828]

More like the best character ever on TV

[@anonymone453]

Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face. Except Garak, whose plan has already concluded by the time he gets punched in the face, and he considers the trade-off well worth the trouble

[@jaybeebee9288]

As both a Iron Mike and DS9 fan.....kinda ashamed I didn't make this post first. Kudos. :)

[@nimbostratus1162]

"I did it 35 minutes ago" -Garak, probably

[@kellyactormosgoog]

Garak makes plans that include him getting punched in the face

[@tom-vf1xv]

the plan being: aight imma dip

[@edstringer1138]

A Garaks explanation hurt the Captain much worse that any punch from Garak Cisco beat himself up worse internally because he agreed Garak was right

[@HBoyle]

Andrew Robinson delivered that monologue like he had five alimony checks due that week

[@jamesosborne7521]

Ha! True. And that is the best comment on this thread.

[@kevintierney5711]

Garak would be proud of this comment 🤣 💀

[@carlhicksjr8401]

🤣 NICE....

[@sixofnine9407]

Your statement made my day, thank you.

[@jonathandonley3299]

Now you have me wondering how many takes that took to film. 😆

[@talkaboutwacky]

Garak singlehandedly saved the Alpha Quadrant by doing what he did

[@Mark-xh8md]

Garak is really the unsung hero of the show. And he could have ended the Dominion War before it even began but NOOOOOOOOO.....

[@RicoSuarez-o9q]

@@Mark-xh8md You mean by killing Dukat when he had the chance? But the war was already going by then.

[@JJ-es9np]

@@RicoSuarez-o9qdidn’t he plan to bomb the hell out of the Founders home world, and got stopped by Worf?

[@RicoSuarez-o9q]

@@JJ-es9np but if he was stopped by Worf then it wasn't "his fault." The way you put it, made it sound like a choice Garak made himself. It's also at least possible that his plan would have failed, remember the Cardassians and Romulans sent a whole fleet to try that. Is it likely that the Defiant could have done it alone? It might have just triggered an attempt to wipe out the Alpha Quadrant entirely.

[@Mark-xh8md]

@@RicoSuarez-o9q The other guy had my point. And yes, it wasn't Garak's fault

[@Zivin]

“All it cost was one Romulan senator, one criminal, and the self respect of a starfleet officer” is the hardest line dropped in all of Star trek

[@Blundabus1337]

You forgot "computer deactivate iguana"

[@Panamazin]

And the life of millions of Romulan casualties and millions of innocent cardassians

[@n0tthemessiah]

@@Panamazin Those deaths were going to happen by the Dominion anyway, it's not like they were going to play nice with the Romulans or the Cardassians or anyone else once the war with the Federation ended. If anything, Sisko and Garak greatly limited those casualties compared to what they would have been.

[@Panamazin]

@@n0tthemessiah there is no direct evidence of that. Remember that even at the end of the war, they allied with the powerful Breen in order to defeat the Federation. The Diminion want control and obedience, but I don't believe they would have seeked complete extermination (unlike the Borg).

[@n0tthemessiah]

@@Panamazin We're not talking about the Breen, we're talking about the Romulans and Cardassians. We simply don't know enough about the Breen to make any conclusions about why they joined. Regardless, we know that the female changling planned on using their forces to win and then discarding them at the first opportunity anyway, which I hardly think the Breen would have been ok with. In fact, it could easily be argued that the Dominion allied with the Breen because it would keep the Breen off their backs during the war and make them easier to targets to annihilate in their weakened state by the end of it. Btw, bringing the Breen into the war was exactly what precipitated the Cardies rebelling against the Dominion in the first place. So, again, countless Cardassian lives were going to be lost no matter what. Using the Breen as an example here is actually against your point. "The Dominion want control and obedience" and you think the Romulans *of all species in Star Trek* are going to give it to them? Have you ever watched anything involving the Romulans? Are you at all familiar with the Tal Shiar? This is nonsense, pure and simple. The Dominion absolutely will seek complete extermination of a species if that's what it takes to gain the quadrant. The Founders have no qualms about that at all. And the Borg don't seek complete extermination, they seek complete assimilation. These are distinct things. Honestly, you're so off the mark here about every species that the only thing we ''lack direct evidence of'' in this conversation is that you know what you're talking about.

[@hfar_in_the_sky]

"And all it cost was the life of one Romulan senator, one criminal, and the self respect of one Starfleet officer. I don't know about you, but I call that a bargain." By far one of, if not THE coldest lines in all of Star Trek history. In particular because Sisko can't refute it. Still gives me chills to this day

[@peterslaby9782]

It’s the best episode of Star Trek. Real stakes. Coherent and logical story lines. It puts the modern day series in the corner and slaps them with its maturity and depth.

[@lennierofthethirdfaneofchu7286]

And Sisko did say he could live with it.

[@danieldickson8591]

@@lennierofthethirdfaneofchu7286 Sisko was trying to convince himself that he could live with it. If it wasn't eating at him he'd never have made that log.

[@danieldickson8591]

Garak has an unsurpassed ability to recognize and to speak the hard, unvarnished truth of any situation. He never pretends that bad things aren't bad, or that what's gained doesn't come at a cost. He simply does what he considers necessary, with neither joy nor grief.

[@johnassal5838]

In my head canon only Section 31 had a copy of Sisko's erased log entry and Sloan both impressed and distressed that he hadn't thought of it himself.

[@rydermccall3590]

“You killed him!” “That’s right.” 👍

[@basteagui]

:'D!!!!!!

[@SirCraigius]

I like the way he doesn't try to lie or pretend to be apologetic. He did what he had to do to save the Alpha quadrant from the Dominion. He made the ugly choices that Sisko wasn't capable of. And they both knew it.

[@doomi8210]

"Understandable, have a nice day"

[@tookiezzz2898]

a days work.

[@Rensune]

@@SirCraigius Which makes their feelings towards Section 31 hollow. Sometimes there is No way to protect what's good without doing something bad.

[@keiman74]

"That's why you came to me, isn't it captain? Because you knew I could do those things that you weren't capable of doing.." That right there is why Garak was the single most dangerous person on the entire station.

[@cybercifrado]

And even to this day we wonder: Did Garak act out of self-preservation, loyalty to Cardassia, or loyalty to Sisko? I vote all three... he never really was one to gamble.

[@leejohnstone3051]

Exactly and through Garak's actions right or wrong he won the war

[@dhinton1]

Garak saved the entire AQ from the greed of Dukat.

[@dhinton1]

@@cybercifrado COMPLETE self-preservation.

[@Blakblooded]

@@dhinton1 It becomes clear in the last 2 episodes that everything that Garak does is for the best interest of his people, at least in his interpretation. He doesn't doesn't want a title or fame. He's the apipamy of a loyal soldier. Everyone gave up on him but he never gave up

[@thecynicaloptimist1884]

Two little touches that I always loved about this episode: 1. Sisko serves Vreenak a _replica_ of a Romulan drink. Essentially, Sisko is deceiving him from the start - it's a facsimile of the real thing while not quite being up to snuff. Vreenak says "it really is a good replica, I almost forgot I wasn't drinking the real thing, but, only for a moment" - it shows that while he might be momentarily taken in by a deception that appeals to his emotions and senses, he's skilled at spotting them. Foreshadowing that he will find out the holoprogram is a forgery. 2. Garak tells Sisko to deceive Vreenak by saying "at least ten good men lost their lives bringing [the rod] over the line, that sort of thing". Sisko misses that Garak does exactly the same thing to him - he says he called in all his favours on Cardassia to help him obtain hypothetical Dominion invasion plans for Romulus, but that they're all dead within one day of speaking to him. I don't think Garak _ever_ contacted anyone, nor did he intend to. He knew from the start that it was a fool's errand, so told his own version of "at least ten good men died bringing it over the line" to Sisko to manipulate him.

[@counterfeitsaint7479]

I never thought about #2 before, but fuck I think you're right.

[@dmi6101]

As for #2, yeah come to think of it, if the matter were ever logically examined you'd be right. If he had any remaining contacts by then, they certainly wouldn't be in place to get the information. If anything, they would have tipped off The Dominion to the plan.

[@ScottHadlington]

Also during that scene he says "the dominion is resolved to win this war at any cost, and you are not" or words to that effect anyway. Whilst at that very moment they are planting a bomb on his shuttle.

[@cdizzle99z]

You just blew my mind with that 🫡

[@chronobeard2101]

Bloody hell. I never thought about 2 being a thing. Still learning new shit about the show decades later. Hahaha

[@Lieutenant_Dude]

Andrew Robinson may be the most perfect casting in ds9. His portrayal of Garak is captivating. He even gets his lizard-like hiss perfect.

[@dante6985]

I really think in their inception the TNG creators made Cardassians evolve from lizards. Their scaling, ridges, etc really reads "human but came from dinosaur".

[@jeffanon1772]

Did he EVER blink????

[@jamesjarrait2231]

@@jeffanon1772Gowron is impressed.

[@jeffvincent6690]

Hard to believe the same guy who played the psycho in the original Dirty Harry. (1974)

[@MichaelJohnson-vi6eh]

I imagine that if Gene Roddenberry were involved, a character like Garak would never have happened. He didnt fit with Gene's perfect future, and Robinson brings that character to life in the best way.

[@aredub1847]

always hire stage actors for star trek.

[@wglowrey1]

They are the only kind that can bring the gravitas needed for the roles.

[@pittland44]

That's a great point, and very true.

[@LokiDaHyena0427]

90s Trek was basically televised theater, and it was awesome. So many Shakespearean actors, it's basically Shakespeare in space

[@secretvanush]

@@LokiDaHyena0427 Now they pale in comparison :[

[@JohnFreedman0]

I find when watching older shows that the general actors seem better. It's like they know they can't rely on special effects, so they have to perform to hold the audience's attention. Avery Brooks does an amazing job. He must have studied the role, because here he acts exactly like the stereotype black officer in an army scenario.

[@erikseidler793]

"Picard never hit me." "You've never even MET Picard."

[@ThePoshboy1]

As far as we know.

[@ZeldaMaster285]

I can hear this in their voices

[@thomasrowe5264]

I’m not Picard!

[@MrOarson]

Slapped him all the way into another series.

[@jakep1979]

Garak may have been in the background shadows when Picard was tortured by Gal Madred.

[@Davedio]

And this, my friends, is what results when stage actors, fully invested in the characters they portray, are allowed to go all out. Easily the most well-acted scene filmed in any iteration of Star Trek. Bravo to both. Master class in acting, you are dismissed!

[@JCaesar11]

I'd give that accolade to Harris Yulin in the episode duet from season 1

[@judeisurufernando674]

@@JCaesar11 James Sloyan also did an incredible job in "The Begotten" and in "The Defector"in TNG.

[@JCaesar11]

@@judeisurufernando674 absolutely, the defector was a masterclass performance. I didn't link the two performances actually, thank you, he's a phenomenal actor.

[@sanguinesomnambulist]

Was also going to say Harris Yulin's performance is pretty up there. And I agree, James Sloyan had some exceptional performances as well. We've also been gifted some great moments from Jeffrey Combs in his many roles, Weyoun certainly ranking highly among them. Casey Biggs fleshed out Damar incredibly well also. Funny what happens when writers actually attempt to write SERIOUS stories about SERIOUS topics: actors actually act.

[@Davedio]

@@sanguinesomnambulist that was the most well-thought, insightful, and considerate comments I've seen posted. Cheers to you.

[@danieldickson8591]

As Garak explains the reasoning behind his plan, you can't help but admire the elegance of it, how artistically he set all the pieces in motion, how masterfully he manipulated everyone. In a twisted way it's almost beautiful.

[@lionsjourney29]

It is just beautiful. Honestly I don't know why Tain and all cardassians in power hate him. Think about this, a single man with a starfleet captain in collusion to give him the things or set things in motion from a Starfleet point or invitation. And with just one criminal. A data rod. And an invitation from a starfleet captain . He kills a senator of the Romulan Star Empire. Lays just enough leading evidence. And then BOOM he has singlehandedly in the span of a couple weeks dragged an entire race of calculating and uber paranoid vulcan off shoots into a massive war with the dominion on favor of one of their greatest enemy. I mean the sheer beauty and elegance of that operation flowing from one mind. EEEEEK i'm having PolSciGASM. Lol

[@theo-jamesmoulton2000]

Clearly a master of The Game

[@tmagee27]

​@lionsjourney29 Tain didn't hate him, SPOILER FOR ANYONE WHO DOESN'T KNOW THE FOLLOWING Tain was a Pyschopath. A Genius, no doubt a polymath, a conisuer or gourmet. But also capable of monstrous self justification. If he cared for anyone or had any empathy if was for Mila and in his own way Garak. But unlike his Father Elim was merely a Sociopath. Ferociously intelligent, capable of incredible things, an almost totally convincing liar (but not maybe a pathological liar) and with a brutal ability to get things done. But a "Great Disappointment " because in his own way he had morals and a code. And some degree of empathy. Which is why a master manipulator, assassin and spy was accepted by those on the station, they knew he was a monster but in his own way considered them his friends and they knew there were certain line unlike Tain, that he considered uncrossable.

[@SerbAtheist]

It makes for good television, but it's not as clever of a plan as fans think it is. All it would take would be for Garak to have made one journal entry onto a similar rod, which any sane commander would have done, and the whole plan would have completely unraveled.

[@danieldickson8591]

@@SerbAtheist I'm afraid I need you to explain that more. What "journal" would Garak have kept, and why would he keep it? Where would he have gotten a "similar rod" when it was almost impossible to acquire just one? And how would said journal have gotten into any hands Garak didn't want to find it?

[@nowhereman6019]

I just realized that the episode title "In The Pale Moonlight", being a reference to "Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?", implies that Garak is the Devil in this situation, and that Sisko made a deal with him to do something that he was not capable of, and in doing so he had to sell his metaphorical soul; his self-respect and values as a Star Fleet officer.

[@davidford9625]

Garak: "I already ask that of all my prey. I just like the sound of it."

[@brandonclobes7788]

Good trek isn’t carried by action. It’s carried by good stories, dialogue, and amazing actors.

[@WobblesandBean]

It's a shame the recent shows have completely forgotten that.

[@jukio02]

The knew shows are just continuous action after action after action. It gets super boring after awhile.

[@Chud_Bud_Supreme]

@@WobblesandBean Forgotten? I don't think they ever knew. The new writers have no respect for the source material

[@Slopmaster]

Don’t get me wrong, the action and visuals are great, but in the end, it’s the characters and their stories that you remember.

[@hellatze]

there is no action and this is the best star trek scene. and i dont like star trek.

[@TheAndroidNextDoor]

It's absolutely a testament to how good the writing of this series was that scenes like this are the ones people always come back to. No battles, no shoot outs, no exciting starship explosions, just two people talking with the weight of their words and the implications of their actions bringing all the excitement and drama to the scene.

[@desmondd1984]

I think too of the scene with Sisko discussing the Maquis with Kira. "It's easy to be a saint in paradise." Another scene that really encapsulated what DS9 was about.

[@KyleRayner12]

It's why TNG and DS9 will always exemplify good Trek for me. Their characters felt alive because the ideas that they advanced were real, and argued with both reason and conviction.

[@seanmcmurphy4744]

Agree! I feel conflicted about the amount of warfare in DS9. I prefer the optimistic Roddenberry view in TNG that in future spacefaring civilizations war is mostly obsolete. I also think that is a more realistic view of the future. However there's no doubt that the wars in DS9 provide more dramatic storylines, or at least more relevant to today's issues. A utopia, however wonderful to live in, does not tend to produce drama.

[@wewlad8697]

@@seanmcmurphy4744 Why would war be obsolete with spacefaring civilizations? Scarcity as we know it today may be eliminated but there is no historical precedent for technological advancements which increase quality of life overall leading to an associated decrease in desire for more. In fact it's not difficult to argue that humans as a whole have become more destructive and more ruthless as our technology has allowed us to do so, and that it's only the threat posed by the sheer power of the weapons that we've developed stopping us from descending into a conflict on the scale of World War II again. Once we go intergalactic and (assuming they exist) we begin interacting with other civilizations like ourselves (ala Star Trek) it becomes entirely infeasible for anybody to develop a weapon that can destroy the entire occupied area of a species/civilization outright, which would eliminate the strong species ending incentive that we now have to not invade or take things by force when it is convenient. "Let me tell you something about Humans, Nephew. They're a wonderful, friendly people, as long as their bellies are full and their holosuites are working. But take away their creature comforts, deprive them of food, sleep, sonic showers, put their lives in jeopardy over an extended period of time and those same friendly, intelligent, wonderful people... will become as nasty and as violent as the most bloodthirsty Klingon."

[@seanmcmurphy4744]

@@wewlad8697 Well, of course scifi programs like Trek depicting alien civilizations battling on roughly even terms are silly and unrealistic. As Carl Sagan pointed out in _Cosmos_ , the chance that a spacefaring alien race we meet would be on a close enough technological level for us to have a battle, is infinitesimal. When European countries arrived in Africa and America, there was no contest, their superior tech enabled them to conquer and colonize the continents, the indigenous people had no chance. Yet the technological gap between the cultures was only about 500 years. When two interstellar races meet, one is likely to be 1000 years more advanced, or a million. And technology increases exponentially. So if there is a conflict, the more advanced race will win. There won't be interspecies wars, any more than we have wars with bears.

[@luminozero]

The true brilliance of this scene is in Sisko's reactions. At the start of the scene, he assumes that all the work that Garak did was bullshit to get the Ambassador on the station so he could kill him. Springing the prisoner, bribing him with contraband, Sisko thought ALL OF IT was just pointless bullshit Garak had him do to distract him. It's not until Garak points out that literally every step of the plan was essential to its success that Sisko relents, because he realizes that Garak was completely honest with him. He formed a plan to bring the Romulans into the war, and once Sisko understands the full scope of Garak's plan, he understands how perfect the plan actually was. He enters with righteous fury, and leaves feeling incredibly humbled by Garak's expert planning and maneuvering.

I'm confused. Are you saying that Sisko KNEW that Garak could not pull off the recording rod hologram ? I assume he thought it was legit and Sisko NEVER gives the appearance in the episode that he was giving Garak an option to blow up the shuttle. Think about it...how did he get the bomb on the shuttle with Romulan security guards watching over it ? With a delay to blow AFTER reaching Sakara ? This was a longer longshot than hoping the hologram would pass muster. Garak really was ingenious.

[@dhinton1]

Sisko had to know that Garak had ulterior motives behind him sneaking aboard the Romulan shuttle.

[@dhinton1]

Sisko didn't relent bcuz of Garak was being completely honest, but bcuz he knew Garak was completely correct. That one Romulan Senator was the main reason the Empire had that nonaggression pact with the Dominion in the first place ... and him being killed with seemingly legit evidence that the Dominion was going to invade Romulus would be MORE than enough just cause for the Empire to declare war on the Dominion .... which is what the Federation needed to win the war and save the entire AQ.

[@dhinton1]

and, considering the Senator's trip to DS9 was cloaked under so much secrecy that the shuttle was cloaked until it was INSIDE the station docking port ... it stands to reason that the shuttle was cloaked all the way back to Sakara ... and Garak sent the bomb to explode once the cloak was disengaged. also ingenious on his part.

[@mycrowsoffed]

Sisko plays baseball, he don't play poker. Regardless of the situation, Sisko does not appreciate being played. To be fair, who does? #WhatWouldPicardDo?

[@tayzonday]

It’s amazing when you realize most of the guest stars worked for union scale. A few thousand dollars for the week and maybe a few thousand per year now in residual checks if they were in enough episodes - but none got rich off the series. Convention appearances pay more.

[@bofad6074]

chocolate rain was about sisko wasnt it

[@DemonofLight80]

@@bofad6074 Lol. This is sci-fi so I suppose that we should all be at least willing to entertain the idea that TayZonday is a time traveler.😂 @TayZonday: I also suppose it isn’t impossible for you to have come by the information regarding the pay rates by directly speaking with some of the guest stars in question. Is that by chance the case?

[@tayzonday]

@@DemonofLight80 I lived in LA for 12.5 years and have a hundred or so minor IMDB credits. Actors are all in the same union (SAG-AFTRA). Paying weekly union scale to guest stars is simply how shows work. Almost none, not even huge TV shows like CSI or huge A-list guest stars, negotiate guest roles above union scale. It’s just not how TV is budgeted. Louise Fletcher may have been DS9’s most famous recurring guest star and I’d be amazed if she got more than union scale. If she had a good agent maybe double scale for her Oscar, but even that isn’t zillions of dollars.

[@zhubwat]

​@@tayzonday Somewhat unfortunately, since this kind of TV seems to be at its best when actors have the chance to just stand in a room and... act. It's hella impressive. I guess, more than anything else, I'm glad these performances and the actors in them are immortalised now. They deserve the world, but being known as playing The Sisko and Elim gosh-darn Garak is probably close. Also, holy shit, it's Tay Zonday! Hope everything's well over there!

[@chinavaughan6383]

That doesn’t seem to be very fair since they gave million dollar performances😧

[@macguy9]

Avery Brook’s reaction in the first scene is a thirty second master class in acting. The initial relief and even hint of happiness quickly shifts into realization and rage, all in the blink of an eye. Truly an incredible actor.

[@kevlonk]

*Customer comes in in the middle of Sisko and Garak arguing about having murdered the Romulan senator* Um...I'll come back later...

[@nicoleackerman205]

Oh there probably like this happens every week.

[@innamedvedev8327]

Nothing to see here. This is a normal cardassian assertion of dominance. Right, Captain?

[@blppt]

"NOT NOW, MADELINE!"

[@vulcranstorm2023]

Customer: hey garek I'm here for.. Garek: COME BACK LATER!

[@StuartLloyd]

Romulan customer steps out of the changing room after this exchange...

[@geoffwilliams4478]

"At 0800, station time, the Romulan Empire formally declared war against the Dominion. They have already struck 15 bases along the Cardassian Border. So, *THIS* is a huge victory for the Good Guys. This could be the turning point of the entire war. There is even a "Welcome to the Fight," party, tonight, in the wardroom. So...I lied. I cheated. I bribed men to cover the crimes of other men and I am an accessory to murder. But the most damning thing of all is...I think I can live with it. And if I had to do it all over again...I *would*. "Garak was right about one thing. A guilty conscience is a small price to pay for the safety of the entire quadrant. So I will learn to live with it because ik can live with it. "I *can* live with it. "Computer...erase that *ENTIRE* personal log."

[@geonerd]

The thing is, Sisko didn't really do much, other than get played at every turn by Garak. ;)

[@geoffwilliams4478]

@@geonerd but he was involved. He was an accomplice from the very beginning because he recruited Mr. Garak. No matter how you turn it, it always goes back to Sisko that started the whole idea.

[@dhinton1]

@@geoffwilliams4478 and he was because he KNEW the Dominion War would go badly for the Federation & Klingons without the Romulans .... and that the Dominion would wipe out the Bajorans, the Romulans, & everyone else in the AQ after they were done ..... ESPECIALLY the Cardassians.

[@Kalydosos]

@@dhinton1 I agree the Dominion were bloody ruthless even Gul Dukart balked at Weyoun's suggestion to obliterate earth's population so that not even a weed would grow back again.

[@dhinton1]

@@Kalydosos Gul Dukat wanted to rule the AQ like Cardassia ruled Bajor. the problem with that was Bajor's rebellion 😂😂 make no mistake, tho ... the wormhole being mined was the only thing that kept the Dominion from attacking Earth before they added the Breen.

[@rolligerrollmops1813]

Section 31 should have hired garak

[@Optimusprime240]

They would be unstoppable if they had his loyalty! Sadly they could never trust him, so he would be too big a risk.

[@GreyDoofus88]

What I find interesting is that despite this, Garak still has a conscience. Especially when he recognises the crimes his government had committed, right up until the very end of the war between the Federation and the Dominion.

[@CF4herty]

I belive Garak would have taken over Section 31 in a matter of months

[@dhinton1]

Garak was in the Tal Shiar. Section 31 was not nearly as ruthless as the Tal Shiar. Garak would have owned Section 31 in a matter of weeks.

[@emailschmemail9327]

David Hinton no he was in the Obsidian Order. The Tal Shiar were Romulans.

[@saturn580]

Sisko represents the noble ideals of Starfleet and Garak represents the harsh realities of life, death and war. The fact that they were able to work together for the greater good is a testament to the quality of writing in DS9.

[@TonyGonzales]

well put.

[@nelsonchereta816]

This scene and DS9 in general were a great reflection of real life. Noble and high ideals are always he first casualties of war.

[@rjgonzalez9220]

I think of sisko as a noble samurai who's honor must always upheld first in front of community while garak is ninja that does the dirty bussines on behalf of his master.

[@matthewcaughey8898]

@@rjgonzalez9220 in war there’s nothing but dirty business.

[@Daniel-rd6st]

I dont think that Sisko represented the ideals of Starfleet. If anyone, that was Picard, who was willing to do what was right even ahainst the Federations interests (like in the episode "the Pegasus" where he discovered that cloaked Federation vessel and reported that breach of contract to the Romulans instead of sweeping it under the rug). Sisko was always a flawed character. He believed in Starfleet, but he also believed in using borderline or downright illegal means to protect Starfleet, like his deal with Garak here or the time he plantary bombarded a Marquis planet to force them to leave (assuming, but not caring if all would make it out in time). Now dont get me wrong, his flaws make Sisko an intresting character and one i like, even when i morally dont agree with all his decisions. I wonder, if Picard had been in Siskos position, i think that he would have tried to find a way to convince the Romulans, that they would become the next target, after the Federation falls (after all thats how the Dominion operates, they dont accept other powers beside them, there is enough evidence for that at this point). And he might have just succeeded in doing so, because (in part due to the above menitioned incident with the cloaked vessel) he might be the one federation Official who even the paranoid Romulans offer some measure of trust towards.

[@craigmartinj]

This is literally the best writing ever on a Star Trek script. Perfect setup, perfect build, perfect performance.

[@zpolzin]

Better than this? kzbin.info/www/bejne/qHPbe62Ah72ggKc

[@ryanl2654]

I dunno dude. When Janeway as Arachnia rizzed Dr Chaotica to access the holodeck safeties, damn..

[@chrisreidy439]

This may be the best Star Trek episode, ever...

[@NPA1001]

@@chrisreidy439 I agree I have it at number one.. it is an episode of television that stands up there with the Triple A television that would come about in the 2000’s

[@jackal59]

Probably so, but … "Far Beyond the Stars."

[@devildham]

The best part is the look in Sisko's eyes. He damn well KNEW what Garak would do....he just wasn't ready to admit it to himself....yet.

[@dhinton1]

Benjamin HAD to know Garak was perfectly capable of doing precisely what he did .... which was precisely why he asked for his help in the first place. Failure, in this case, was NOT remotely optional.

[@BioGoji-zm5ph]

@@dhinton1 Oh, he knew what Garak was CAPABLE of doing... he just didn't want to acknowledge it until Garak forced him to admit it.

[@willcardona7712]

If you're asking a Cardassian to solve your problem, you should have a pretty good idea about how they're going to handle it. 😏

[@willcardona7712]

When it comes to cunning, I think the Cardassians have even the Romulans beat.

[@dhinton1]

@@willcardona7712 right. he knew.

[@Frenki94]

"Think of them both as tragic victims of war." Love how sarcastic Garak is, even with a pissed off Sisko.

[@sargon0141]

I don't think he was being sarcastic. Sisko is obviously feeling guilty, so the only way to ease his consciousness would be to think of them as 'an acceptable loss'. Heck, this is war, your job is to send people to their death. Murder of two people have saved millions of Federation citizens.

[@cesargalan4641]

@@sargon0141 And billions of lives between their allies across the quadrant

[@Frenki94]

@@sargon0141 I see your point, I meant as Sisko was obviously pissed about the fact he just became an accessory to murder, Garak dismisses it with a euphemism. Whatever serious situation Garak finds himself in this show, he always has a sarcastic remark. "Ah, but I dealt them several cutting remarks which, no doubt, did severe damage to their egos."

[@Isildun9]

I wouldnt say Garak was being sarcastic. I think that was him at his most honest. Remember, he was a top operative of the Obsidian Order, essentially the Cardassian CIA. He was raised and trained to have a very pragmatic "the ends justify the means" mindset. To him the senator and the forger are unfortunate, but necessary, all for the greater good. If anything, Garak is following the 3rd Rule of Acquisition: Never pay more for an acquisition than you have to.

[@GreyDoofus88]

@@sargon0141 Ironically enough the lives of two kinds of people who you would least likely find in a theatre of war, a politician and a criminal.

[@gregolas5873]

I just love how Sisko punches hin out and then immediately yells "GET UP!" Dude was pissed, lol.

[@jamainegardner4193]

*backhands

[@michaelgreenwood3413]

@@jamainegardner4193 "Sisko's Mothafuckin' Pimp hand."

[@marsneedstowels]

Garak can take it, and he needed to.

[@cybardsands1362]

Well the do fall over on a feather in Star Trek

[@emsleywyatt3400]

Rhymes with witch-slap.

[@juresaiyan]

DS9 was simply outstanding. Its worldbuilding and storytelling was without peer and, IMHO, still is.

[@thepowerman8952]

Agreed.

[@NPA1001]

As much as I loved TOS and TNG, DS9 is my favourite Trek series, nothing has come close since. The writing and Characters are a level above and “In The Pale Moonlight” is the best episode of Trek ever put on screen.

[@alexanderrahl482]

DS9 is tops.

[@arwenmullins9611]

Andrew Robinson never got the credit or amount of episodes he should have gotten. He is such an amazing actor. Each line was delivered immaculately with precision and meaning behind every word. Truly one of the best characters and actors in the entirety of Star Trek

[@kurt9395]

One story I had heard that the producers wanted to include Andrew Robinson in the opening credits, in effect making him part of the main cast, but he refused the offer. That said, whenever I saw his name as a guest star, I knew I was in for a banger of an episode.

[@hogfry]

I love how Sisko starts the conversation with Garick with a pimphand.

[@danieldickson8591]

You could tell as Sisko walked all the way to the tailor shop, he wasn't interested in conversation with Garak. He was royally pissed off and he wanted to take it out on Garak's face.

[@dhinton1]

@@danieldickson8591 from the moment that Worf told him WHO was killed on that shuttle ..... his pimp hand was revving up.

[@serengede]

I'm surprised that pimphand didn't knock Garak's head off

[@jathorn88]

I glad to know that the pimp slap is still in the arsenal of brothers in the 24th century 😂

[@smv4usa]

And despite that, Garak didn't take it personally. He knew Sisko would be upset but also knew he would understand after he explained everything - and that Sisko would/should have figured Garak was going to do so anyways.

[@maidros85]

I'm always brought back to the conversation between Garak and the Founder when she told him "You're dead. Cardassia is dead. Your people were doomed since the moment they attacked us". That dread he experienced in that moment drove him to this day.

[@logicplague]

Shame Garak never got to ask her how that shoe felt on the other foot.

[@highstimulation2497]

but when he says "...I was hoping you'd say that..." he knew:)

[@justice_1337]

Interesting parallel to the Romulan's involvement.

[@jackkenefick2696]

​@@logicplaguewhat foot

[@jakep1979]

Perhaps Garak knew that Cardasia was doomed the moment they made an alliance with The Dominoins. The founders absolutely despise solids & believed them to be beneath them. They see no quams about sacrificing as many lives as possible for their cause. It was just a matter of time before Cardasians would rebel against their rule what's they realized the Dominions were slowly grinding their civilization to death.

[@Wolfeboy212]

"... and the self-respect of One. Starfleet. Officer." Tgat was deliciously cold.

[@GestapoPussyRanch]

Garaks savageness cannot be overestimated.

[@KneelB4Bacon]

Yup. Garak is like, _"I almost feel bad for you. You knew what you were getting into when you asked for MY help."_

[@thrasher930]

Not cold, honest.

[@ralamothe318]

This scene STILL gives me goosebumps everytime I see it. Both Avery Brooks and Andrew Robinson completely blew away this performance and I haven't seen such a ferocious, passionate performance on Star Trek since! I miss these two great actors SO much!! I can't ever see anyone replacing these two men as Sisko and Garak.

[@michelletackett9489]

How on Earth did this show not win more Emmys? Seriously!

[@Youcancallmeishmaell]

Because it was lowly "genre fiction ".

[@jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj178]

Because such decisions are made by people who think they know what Star Trek is, and would never watch any of its incarnations in a million years.

[@michelletackett9489]

@@jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj178 So true.

[@leonardo899]

Back then they didn't give out Emmys based on the diversity of the cast.

[@rpgadventurer32]

What were the other contenders at that period? There were plenty of great shows back then. It wasn't considered as "exceptional" as it is considered now, because you don't see this level of acting anymore in most tv shows because of the lowered quality of the past decade and the simple fact that they don't rally use stage actors anymore like they did in the past. The closest was in the peak tv era of the late 2000's - the Breaking Bad/early GOT time and even that period had long ended. But for these type of "middle" of the line Sci-fi/fantasy/drama shows, they weren't considered these masterpieces back when they were airing. The 90's - and before that - is full of this type of quality of acting. It looks to us as "exceptional" now as a result of the current day bad state of the tv and movie industries.

[@ces4399]

One of the best scenes of DS9. It made plenty of sense, and the dialogue capitivating: a well-crafted piece! Well done!

[@Tigerman1138]

C Es It was EVERYTHING which made DS9 great!

[@TheWPhilosopher]

Could also be on stage the writing is that tight.

[@mnemonic_de]

Knowing DS9 acting lets me weep when seeing STD.

[@catman351]

@@mnemonic_de STD is a 'sexually transmitted disease.'

[@aaronsnyder2420]

I wonder if Alex Kurtzman could write a scene like this?

[@OregonOutdoorsChris]

God, this is seriously the best DS9 episode, and Garak is absolutely great.

[@Tigerman1138]

OregonOutdoorsChris DS9, the anti-Star Trek: not science episode of the week, not everyone getting alone in a utopia, and not always a happy ending. Serial show. War, politics, spies, generic people, deception, gray areas, and more. Oh and people die. Main characters.

[@dhinton1]

@@Tigerman1138 the only main character to die was Jadzia, and that ONLY occurred because the actress would not sign on for S7. otherwise, your summation is spot on.

[@stevendunn5597]

Best episode of DS9, if not the best episode in Trek History

[@jaygee6738]

Certainly one of, if not the darkest episode of trek of any series

[@secretvanush]

@AAAnderson055 Worst career move?

[@MillywiggZ]

“...I call that a bargain.” Spoken like a Ferengi, although I can’t see Quark living with himself if he were involved.

[@redpillfreedom6692]

And you would be correct. We saw Quark getting into selling weapons purely out of financial desperation, but he couldn't bring himself to sell weapons to a Regent with genocidal intentions.

[@matthewjones2095]

@@redpillfreedom6692 there a difference beatween selling weapons to a lunatic and a few deaths to end a war

[@CarpeVeracity]

0:52 Sisko smiles for a split second on hearing it was Vreenak who died, then remembers to be angry. Amazing acting 👌

[@Jarvis466]

Fucking brilliant

[@kittah4]

Looks kind of like a grimace to me. A complex emotion, getting what he wanted but knowing he'd been thrown even deeper in; he did a good job

[@99names16]

I think he’ was just standing up. I see what your saying but it’s the face if a middle age man standing up

[@HariSeldon913]

When he storms off, he looks more like he's constipated than angry.

[@GetterRay]

He's wincing because he knows he's responsible.

[@Elthenar]

We knew Garak was a dangerous man but after this we KNEW Garak was a dangerous man.

[@robertpatter5509]

Garak is danger itself.

[@GhostLink92]

This was Star Trek at it's absolute best.

[@Sizdothyx]

It is. It's also great because it's the Star Trek that Roddenberry would have despised.

[@hoopsonwheels]

The music as sisko walks to garak’s shop as it builds to him backhanding him was perfect

[@billa107]

@@Sizdothyx Which is a shame. Deep Space Nine is a harsher show than the latter but it still had its moments of light-heartedness and escapism.

[@Sizdothyx]

@@billa107 Roddenberry didn't like his utopia being questioned.

[@yukin1990]

@@Sizdothyx sound like a leftist.........

[@doublestrokeroll]

Greatest star trek episode in history, in my opinion. Just perfect.

[@sonofcy]

I would agree, there is only one episode of ST I've watched more and that was from TOS, "The Balance of Terror". That was about Roms too, all the best stories seem to involve them. Wonder why that is?

[@desmondd1984]

Yeah, and no flashy space battles or visual effects, just great writing and acting.

[@NPA1001]

I Agree. It’s No 1. Just a step behind are “Balance of Terror” “The City at The edge of Forever” Yesterday’s Enterprise” “The Best of Both Worlds part 1” and “Duet”. But “In The Pale Moonlight” is the king.

[@damianjblack]

@@sonofcy almost all the best Trek episodes involve either the Romulans, the Cardassians, or the Borg.

[@dhinton1]

I'm positive Garak KNEW the Romulan was dead before Worf told Sisko. So the fact that Garak was just running his shop (with no one in it) knowing that Sisko would eventually be down to backhand his ass ............ another reason to love Garak 🤣🤣

[@darthroden]

Garak in his shop: "Killing another Romulan Senator....check. Now to finish work on Morn's trousers..."

[@TheZetaKai]

Of course he knew that the senator was dead. He planted the bomb, after all, and set the timer. Garak leaves nothing to chance; I wouldn't have put it past him to make sure that his shop was empty at this time, so that he and the captain could have this conversation in private.

[@dhinton1]

@@TheZetaKai right

[@damianjblack]

@@TheZetaKai probably locked the door and set it so that only Sisko would be admitted!

[@durchhalter]

This episode is an absolute MASTERPIECE in writing, directing, and acting - SUPERB!!!

[@Whenyoucometomytown]

Its the best episode of any star trek series, hands down. Brilliant from beginning to end. Bravo.

[@smof1]

DS9 had and still has the most brilliant writing in Trek history

[@rpgadventurer32]

It's the quality of the cast, not just the writing and what made it unique is that it touched very human themes that we can all relate to. The characters, all characters had depth and meaning, from the main protagonists to the side characters. It wasn't perfect, there are some narrative directions taken that I disagreed with in later seasons, but the quality of the show was always very high.

[@explorinjenkins349]

This is why DS9 was the best show. They kept the techno-babble to a minimum and the fact that it was on a station where all sorts of characters could come and go and interact with the main cast just made it that much more interesting.

[@johnfoltz8183]

And a lot were not Starfleet material and could do things that were shunned in other series

[@alexgataric]

There was never a techno-babble solution for anything; a hard choice had to be made.

[@NormAppleton]

More aliens, It wasn't a human centric show. Had great Klingons, Worf, Galron, Martok. Then the Ferengi, Quark, Rom, Nog...Moogi. The Bajorans other than Kira and Kai Winn were a bit thin. Great Cardassians all the way. Then the JemHadar and the Vorta. DS9 fleshed it out.

[@Talba007]

Casablanca in space.

[@weenax]

It was an incredible social, political and even spiritual study. Vaulable , very practical and very applicable life lessons could have been learnt form watching this show. This is why I consider Sisko to be the best captain in the franchise (not counting 2 new series, since i havent watched those) - he dealt with very real and complex situations and made very real and life-like desicions, unlike endless display od fake starfleet moral we witnessed in other incarnations of the show (Janawey comes to mind).

[@SWIFTO_SCYTHE]

Garak been stuck on ds9 so long he almost forgot how it feels to espionage and assassinate and murder to further his personal and political goals. And he saved the entire alpha quadrant - what a bargain.

[@dhinton1]

Garak NEVER forgot how to Garak. The level of skill employed in this task proves it. Sisko asking him to do it proves it, too

[@craigtowse4340]

Who ever gave this a thumbs down obviously doesn't know what great writing and acting is. Brilliant scene in a brilliant episode in a brilliant series.

[@warrioroflight6872]

Maybe it was a fan of 'The Last Jedi'.

[@reo_1907]

WarriorofLight Wrong franchise, but ok

[@Ihaveaglitch]

Whoever gave this a thumbs down must be a founder.

[@ansetta320]

This is a stand out performance by two formidable actors. By far the greatest episode of the entire series and DS9 was greatest of the ST universe

[@sid2112]

This and Duet.

[@johnburns9634]

In a way, Garak could have said 'when last we met, I was but a tailor, but now I am the Master!' 🤣

[@robertgrey7266]

This and the root beer conversation between Garack and Quark are quite possibly the best-written scenes in all of Star Trek.

[@bearb664]

Explaining to Sakoona about the low price of peace was logical was another great scene of dialog.

[@damianjblack]

"Do you think they'll be able to save us?"

[@KristerAndersson-nc8zo]

This was the pivotal moments of the series, Sisko wanted to wash his hands so he sent Garak to do his Dirty work and it was a triumph.

[@ctcentralinfo]

To me, it showed that a snake is a snake.They aren't good or evil, just be cautious around them because their nature dictates they will bite you if they need to. The series never tried to change Garak's character to make him likeable, they just showed us Garak for who he is.

[@dhinton1]

Truth be told ....... Benjamin Sisko made SEVERAL chess moves that greatly impacted the outcome of the Dominion War: (1) prevented Bajor from joining the Federation at the start; (2) convinced Bajor to stall signing the nonaggression pact with the Dominion until the station could mine the AQ end of the only direct access from the GQ; (3) NOT going back to get Jake when the Federation and Klingons abandoned the Bajoran system ... so that Jake could warn his dad exactly when the minefield was coming down; (4) this whole plan with Garak; (5) convincing Worf to (essentially) assassinate Gowron (this point deserves a whole conversation on its own); (6) giving Kira a Starfleet commission so she could help Damar and his resistance movement; AND (7) convincing his superior officer (Admiral Ross) to continue pressing towards Cardassia Prime once the Cardassians flipped on the Dominion. No wonder Benjamin was about to get promoted when the war ended ... til Dukat happened.

[@ThatOneRandomSteve]

Technically he didn't convince Worf to do anything; Worf already knew what needed to be done, Sisko just gave him the go ahead.

[@dhinton1]

@@ThatOneRandomSteve you're right. but I'm not certain if Worf would have done it when he did with his Captain's orders.

[@xaviervega468]

Not going back for Jake wasn't a chess move at all, Sisko just couldn't justify the casualties going back for Jake would have led. Jake informing him about the minefield was purely coincidental.

[@Andy-qn5xi]

@@dhinton1 the last time Worf killed a high ranking member of the High Council was when he killed Duras, and he got off with a simple reprimand in his personnel file. If he’d killed the Klingon Chancellor w/o Sisko telling him that Gowron had to stopped or the entire Alpha Quadrant was at risk, he might have started a war between the Klingons and the Federation in the middle of the Dominion War. Even so, Worf exhausted every option he could to convince Gowron to stop, and only challenged him when it was the only remaining option.

[@ZzCanonBull]

You forgot going to the prophets and having them erase an entire Dominion fleet in the wormhole

[@Ephisus]

Star Trek doesn't get better than this.

[@acoulthardclark]

Well put!

[@shindrithargriethrat8408]

TV doesn't get better than this.

[@willt3223]

Apsis Motion Pictures you have not watch discovery or picard have you?

[@iBloodxHunter]

@@willt3223 we don't speak about those. Neither good Trek nor good writing in general.... But it's pretty to look at?🤷

[@Dennis_Reynolds_Golden_God]

God the acting in this scene is by far the best acting in Star Trek history and this episode is one of the greatest I've ever seen. Stage actors in Star Trek truly was the best era.

[@SuperAKJR]

This episode was directed by Avery Brooks, the actor that played sisko. the other show actors have said that any time one them directs they always get everyone best effort. Also Brooks being director meant he had complete creative control over how he played Sisko. It was a great job as it managed to be both subtle and raw.

[@Dennis_Reynolds_Golden_God]

@SuperAKJR that's incredible. I had no idea that Mr. Brooks directed this episode but it makes so much sense. I always say that it felt like watching a stage play, the way that it progressed. Especially during Siskos soliloquies. Thanks so much for dropping that gem for me

[@daniel90550]

Incredible, this may be one of the best episodes in all of Star Trek. Amazingly written, and even more amazingly performed by Brooks/Robinson ect. Star Trek will probably never get back to the greatest era it really had with TNG and DS9 back in the 90s.

[@jonathandonley3299]

There is no way you can watch that scene just once. The performances with Brooks and Robinson are superb.

[@anubis44r]

Section 31 after they heard about this and discovered the truth: "Cheers!"

[@Avatarbee]

Immediatly followed by:"Ok, this Garak person needs to die."

[@StryderK]

And Watch helplessly as Garak ends up murdering one agent after another!!!!!! Then Section 31 goes, hrmmm....Maybe its better to RECRUIT this guy for our own uses!

[@michaelevans5852]

@@Avatarbee Seriously, I am so down for a Star Trek meets Jason Borne mashup predicated around Sloan trying to hunt and kill Garak.

[@dhinton1]

@@michaelevans5852 sadly, that likely will never happen. not even in the novel series.

[@iBloodxHunter]

@@Avatarbee "Or a new job, whichever is easier."

[@HoJSimpson]

Coming back to this after Picard makes me cry in Pain. Seeing how well written conflict was in Trek. Not that Bullshit we have Today..

[@Taiko206]

Reason why i don't bother with anything coming out after Enterprise. Those 5 series (6 if you count in the Animatedd series) and 10 movies are good enough for me. I'll even take Star Trek Continues over Discovery or Picard.

[@SteavenGilmore]

Garak has to be the best dark horse character of all of Star Trek. The way he was written in this show and the way the actor portrayed him is just gold through out the entire show.

[@OldBlue560]

One of the best actors in all of Star Trek. It’s a shame Dirty Harry shot him

[@manco828]

Tehehehehu!@ Famous last words.

[@augusthawks6576]

Garak was one of the best characters to ever grace the Star Trek universe.

[@Hal09i]

Andrew Robinson and Jeffrey Combs are the great, unsung (for the most part) character actors of their generation Throw in Michael Hogan while you're it.

[@matthewchrist9082]

"you killed him!" "That's right." Idk why but that little exchange is so amazing to me

[@connorgonzalez4023]

It's great because there's no small talk or context or guesswork. No feigned innocence, no denial, no "I have no idea what you're talking about." Garak knows that Sisko knows exactly what happened and that he would come to confront him about it.

[@thrasher930]

Delivery baby

[@jatigre1]

I remember watching this episode in the late 90s and my jaw was dropped with the quality of the show. I remember thinking "I wish more people were seeing this". I can imagine Sisko bragging at the "Welcome to the war" party in the Ward Room. I've also loved the way Garak was thanked for his part, by getting his ass kicked.

[@ryanperez5457]

I have never seen a show with such consistent quality. Its beautiful.

[@damianjblack]

DS9 was always my favourite Trek series. I wish more people these days knew about it. The 90s really were peak civilisation.

[@fuski23]

OMG, this show aged so well 😊

[@AliPez]

Andrew Robinson is simply riveting! This 4 minute scene is IMO not even an Emmy winning performance, but an Oscar worthy one. The fact that he can convey so much emotion under that makeup is amazing!

[@PharaohAlly]

I don't know why it's taken me 20+ years to notice this, but Garak moves deftly from standing behind Sisko's right shoulder (when he's spelling out the sordidness of their plan) to standing over his left shoulder (when trying to put Sisko's conscience at rest and tell him he did the right thing). Classic "Temptation vs Consciousness" framing, and proof that DS9 and the wonderful acting of Andrew Robinson and Avery Brooks still have gifts to give even after all these years!

[@sonofcy]

Ron Moore really started coming into his own, writing for DS9; that came to a peak with "33" in BSG

[@ianmc87]

Nice observation! Didn't notice that before myself.

[@Daedalus-BC308]

This is an example where "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few." logic was used. Albeit twisted in a way.

[@angryman1206]

It sounds good until you become one of the few.

[@damianjblack]

Garak would make a hell of a Vulcan.

[@dhinton1]

The bad part is ...... Garak broke down Romulan paranoia better than most true green-blooded Romulans 🤣🤣🤣

[@mikejohnson3387]

At the end of the 4th season we learn that Garak was stationed on Romulus. So he knows exactly the Romulan Psyche.

[@dhinton1]

@@mikejohnson3387 I would have known that solely based off him being a member of the Obsidian Order

[@keeblergraham211]

@@mikejohnson3387 Yeah, that assignment is covered in one of the DS9 books too -a book written by Andrew "Garak" Robinson himself.

[@aredub1847]

@@mikejohnson3387 oh a simple gardener wouldnt know such things. rich people and gvot officials dont care for flowers.

[@damianjblack]

@@aredub1847 but quiet gardens are an ideal place for secret meetings between diplomats and military officers, and who notices the quiet, unassuming Cardassian gardener happily pruning shrubs?

[@242sighting]

Always come back to this. My god, what a masterpiece.

[@fgutz1970]

This one scene shows just how dangerous Garak really is.

[@hullbreach33]

Garak was my favorite character on this show. This is undoubtedly the best episode and best single scene in all of Star Trek.

[@GattToDaChoppa]

debatable, but its definitely up there for sure.

[@Tigerman1138]

Little something I have always noticed: Garak is talking about going behind Sisko’s back as he literally does it. I know that walking behind a character is something done in shows, but it works well here. 03:19

[@vahi37]

I never notice that. Nice!

[@dhinton1]

this probably is the best episode of DS9 lore in the way it was acted out ...... this literally is a play production on camera. Garak talking behind Sisko works flawlessly cuz Sisko essentially asked Garak to do what he (Sisko) knew HAD to be done .... but he (Sisko) himself COULD NOT do. same thing with Sisko/Worf/Gowron in S7 after the Breen retook Chintoka and destroyed the AQ fleet defending it. Including the original Defiant.

[@nordic_gamer_1438]

He's also symbolically the devil on Sisko's shoulder in this scene, if you look at how the shot is composed. Garak circles behind Sisko and only his shoulder is visible as Garak monologues, and it pans away from the shoulder just as Garak starts talking about soothing one's conscience. Garak goes from on Sisko's shoulder whispering in his ear all the way to in his head completely. What a scene!

[@TheWPhilosopher]

@@nordic_gamer_1438 literally one of the best scenes ever made. The stakes, the game playing, the questions it poses of morality. How much do the ends justify the means? Can you keep your hands clean if you outsource to a guy like Garak who you know will get the job done. When you know he'll have an ultimate badass back up plan if necessary. What's the definition of good? Never doing anything wrong which leads to terrible consequences or doing some bad things in good faith it's for the greater good? It really does push ones thinking. Ultimately, for me, like Sisko, I'd have to say I could live with it. Even though as Garak says it'd still eat away at me too occasionally.

[@AJadedLizard]

It's also a nice camera trick to let us see both their faces in the same shot.

[@jaco5187]

I love how much Garak's character evolved through the series. He was so complex by the end

[@PoppaCYS]

Sisko and Garak are my two favorite DS9 characters, and this scene is masterful. It's a shame that DS9 didn't have a movie and Garak was never recognized as a main character despite being featured on many episodes in the last several seasons.

[@K4n01]

Garak is one of the best characters of DS9, perhaps of all Star Trek. It elevates the franchise.

[@abcun17]

Amazing and powerful episode! RIP Rene Auberjonois...Odo has joined the Great Link!

[@argonwheatbelly637]

I met Andrew at a convention decades ago. Nice guy. reserved, but quick to smile. He was the perfect Elim Garak.

[@Tessou]

Garak is a true intelligence operative, thinking many moves ahead in the shadows to reach the best possible outcome. Sisko was just along for the ride and "won". Great episode for our man Elim.

[@MrNintoku]

Brilliant. Simply brilliant.

[@johnwalton9461]

My favorite Starfleet captain

[@Tigerman1138]

Political intervention to free a criminal: 200 credits Bomb for shuttle: 800 credits Diplomatic efforts to tie together plan: one Romulan senator Saving the alpha quadrant by a crude, but brilliant, plan? Priceless!

[@maxpyane9918]

And the self-respect of one Starfleet officer!!!!!!!!!!

[@lxperron610]

0:48 look at the horror on siskos face. I loved all the actors in this series. It's so believable! He knew instantly what happened!

[@codelong1592]

To me, this is the best written and acted episode of any Star Trek series

[@guccifer764]

“You killed him!” “That’s right! …. Who are we talking about?”

[@greyd.99xsome]

Good for Sisko and Garak no other customer was in any other fitting room😁 Nevertheless easily one of the best episodes anyway!

[@dhinton1]

I LOVED this episode. No utopia here ......

[@handsolo1209]

Maybe Harry Callahan's great great great great great great grandson was listening in.

[@Marinealver]

He didn't even wait for the door to close completely.

[@LordMaul619]

Anyone outside the shop seeing Garak get backhanded : Maybe I’ll go in later Anyone in the fitting rooms, hearing a pissed off Sisko : Nope, wasn’t there..... didn’t hear nothing. That guy can backhand the jaw off a tyrannosaur.

[@Bobaklives]

Branko Drobnjak now I want to see a variation where Morn sheepishly walks out of a fitting room, quietly walks to the door, and points that he’s going to Quarks. Garak: “Captain, we’ll have to kill him to-“ Sisko: “I know, no one talks more than Morn...”

[@jgrj52]

My favorite character in all of star trek is Garak. Well written and incredibly well acted by Andrew Robinson

[@nachumlamm9353]

The second Worf says "Romulan senator's shuttle destroyed," Sisko knows, and you can see him put it all together in an instant. All that's left is to blow off steam.

[@edcrypt]

1:14 I trembled when he took such a long breath in and said "..,EXCUSE me." *chefs kiss* freaking great actor

[@damianjblack]

Hell yeah. It took him a while to grow into the character at first but seasons 5 and 6 are peak Sisko.

[@Jgriffin0808081]

DS9 is a masterpiece. The series as a whole is just excellent

[@elpollodelamuerte2550]

I love watching Sisko's righteousness drain away until he looks 100% defeated as he is forced to admit what he did consciously. Garak is not the one to help you stay in denial (at least not after punching him twice)

[@chardtomp]

Probably Garak's finest hour and Sisko seems to be in complete denial over his own complicity in it!

[@jonathandonley3299]

I don't think he's in "denial." I think he's suddenly realizing just how far gone he has become.

[@alexgataric]

Sisko had willful blindness. He knew deep down that Garak was going to kill Vreenak and Tolar.

[@adamsanter9385]

@@alexgataric The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the two

[@kodiekulp]

This entire episode is incredible and speaks to what some will do for war and what sacrifices they will make with their own sense of right and wrong War is hell

[@noahpartic7586]

War is Hell is so correct.

[@FromAgonyToLight]

Easily one of the most incredible moments in Star Trek.

[@MrValz0]

Garak grew from a curiosity to one of my favourite characters in all of science fiction. Always lurking in the shadows, his past never clearly defined. Nor where he was headed. Fantastically written and portrayed on camera.

[@markmadden84]

I love me some Next Gen but scenes like this makes DS9 the ultimate Star Trek show.

[@nelsonchereta816]

The single best scene in all of Star Trek TV. A heroic captain decides that the ends really do justify the means.

[@BlargeMan]

All depends on what exactly the means and the ends are, and just how critical the ends are to achieve. If the stakes are high enough, you can reasonably justify some truly horrific stuff. But you better be *absolutely* sure that the situation truly is that dire.

[@nelsonchereta816]

@@BlargeMan The ends were to win the war and save literally trillions of Federation citizens from death or enslavement. Frankly, to achieve those ends you'd be justified in doing almost anything, that's what he finally realizes.

[@kevinphoenix2007]

When you think about it; when you think about the stakes involved in the future and safety of the AQ, and considering how much more this most prominent influential action could have cost to convincingly pull off, two lives (regardless of societal importance) and the self-respect of one Starfleet officer (even a Captain) really IS quite a bargain for the shift in tide in this war that Garak’s actions have resulted in. My point is: This could’ve cost a whole lot more in the hands of a less skilled individual or it could’ve backfired horribly and cost the Federation and its current allies at the time the war not long after; to say nothing of the deaths that would’ve resulted. Frankly, I can’t think of anyone other than Garak that could’ve successfully pulled this off. So Garak is right. Sisko has a lot of afterthought to soothe his aching conscience with.

[@dhinton1]

Sisko knew PERFECTLY well that Garak was probably the lone person in the AQ that could successfully pull off what he did and have (for all intents and purposes) a minimal casualty count.

[@ohtaylor5]

Picard would have said something like, "When we compromise our values to justify the end result we have lost something far more valuable than just a war we have lost the humanity that defines us." LOL! That's why I like Sisko.

[@vXArchonXv]

@@ohtaylor5 That's why Sisko and Kirk always win with me. They know how and when to walk the line between moral enlightenment and pragmatic action. Picard is too much of an ideologue for my liking.

[@ohtaylor5]

@@vXArchonXv I agree with you wholeheartedly but Picard does have his practical moments. One of my favorite episodes with Picard is the Survivors. When he saw how powerful the Dowd was all that idealistic mumbo jumbo went out the window. There were no speeches, no moral judgments only Picard essentially saying, "My name is Bennett and I ain't in it. You do you. I'm out."

[@Turtle1631991]

I love acting at 2:55. That's precisely how person acts when they are answering question honestly knowing that it will support your side of the argument while hating it.

[@iamme453]

I don't know what words to use, but this exchange was priceless and awesome.