ITPML-I suggest we manufacture the evidence.

[@STEPHENDANERD]

I didn't realise it at the time but Garak specifically targeted this romulan senator BECAUSE he was pro-dominion, not only does he remove a strong voice for continued dominion alliance, he makes a strong statement about how little loyalty means to the dominion once you get on their bad side ON top of everything else, truly a master stroke.

[@infinightsky]

Really? He said just that, in very plain words

[@KoflerDavid]

@@infinightsky At that point, offing him was not on the table. Even for Garak, it was just a contingency plan. Even though it makes it easier to conceal why the recording in the data rod didn't seem quite... genuine. If a superficial inspection by the Senator's team found it fishy, thorough examination at a Tal Shiar facility would have shown the full truth.

[@gunternine1130]

@@KoflerDavid Oh no my dear friend. Offing the senator was the end game all along. Garak always knew that it wouldn't stand up to the scrutiny of the Tal Shiar, because it would most certainly not stand up to scrutiny from the Obsidian Order. Thus, the game plan was always to eliminate the senator. If "Stitch in Time" taught me anything about Garak, it was that nothing he ever did was without purpose.

[@theyux1]

Yeah when he said be hoped the rod would pass scrutiny i dont think he meant he would not have to blow up the shuttle. Only that he would been able to leave behind more evidence that the senator blames the dominion.

[@gunternine1130]

@@theyux1 Hope was something his surrogate father gave him, that he never let go of.

[@Blakblooded]

I love how at the start Tolar doesn't give Sisko any respect (even though Sisko basically controls the armada of the alpha quadrant) but as soon as Garak's name is mentioned he goes to pee pee pants city. That's the power and intimidation Garak has.

[@naphackDT]

Well, at first he thought Sisko was some kind of sleazy corrupt bureaucrat who wanted something personally, but when Garak's name was dropped, he realized he had stepped into some very dangerous cloak and dagger.

[@jerryorder9084]

Even with all that might however, Sisko could only do so much to Tolar. However, Garak could, and would later in the episode, do much more just as he feared. So Sisko wasn’t a threat in Tolar’s eyes. Garak is. Garak is always a threat, especially when he tells you the truth! Which is one of the reasons Garak is my favorite character out of all Trek

[@marcelojj2009]

You can, literally, see the joy vanishing from his eyes as soon Garak´s name is used.

[@CatherinePuce]

@@naphackDT My guess is that he knew that he would be dead once it unlived his usefulness if Garak was involved.

[@lamueldagon7618]

Lol

[@Blasted2Oblivion]

There is a little thing here that I love. Garak advises Sisko to make up some story about how they got the information. "Several good men died getting it across the line. Something like that." Think back to when Garak reported his progress to Sisko. Everyone he contacted was dead within a day. Or to put it another way, several good men died because of the operation. Garak is telling Sisko how to play someone using the exact same methods he used on Sisko.

[@thundacat9378]

Brilliant

[@jessihawkins9116]

I doubt any of his contacts died

[@nunyabisnass1141]

I hadent thought of that, very good.

[@MasterofSpiders]

@@jessihawkins9116 Of course not, but he played Sisko by *saying* they were dead. And then he tells Sisko to play Vreenak in the same way by saying 'several good men died'. In effect he's indirectly confessing to Sisko that he lied about his former colleagues, but does so in a way that doesn't register with Sisko. You can bet he got perverse enjoyment from that.

[@whiskeywight7844]

You blew my mind in ways I never thought imagineable

[@Avatarbee]

Sisko totally lucked out so hard that everything just falls so smoothly into place. Almost as if someone had been planing this long before Sisko started this operation.

[@willia3r]

Garak is likely so experienced in Intra-stellar _clandestine/black ops_ activity...that he didn't really have to plan, inasmuch as it is he already knew what actions to take when presented with a certain set of circumstances.

[@YannickMenning]

​@@willia3r But by day's end, Garak remains a humble tailor in lifetime loneliness, right?!... Right?!... 🤔

[@aztn19]

The darkest episode of any Star Trek...and it’s among my personal favorites in the franchise!

[@geoffwilliams4478]

"Think of them both as tragic victims of war!"

[@dhinton1]

it sums up how DS9 was different from TNG or Voyager ..... neither show would be outwardly devious to this extent.

[@thephantomeagle2]

One of the darkest episodes ever, any series. Period.

[@Blakblooded]

Probably why everyone loves it, it broke the mold for Star Trek. The Inner Light and Measure of a Man gave you hope and inspiration. In the Pale Moonlight, war is horrible regardless of what side you're on.

[@andrewblanchard2398]

TUVIX would like to have a word with you oh wait he can't because JANEWAY FUCKING KILLED HIM OOPS I GUESS DS9 ISN'T DARK ENOUGH

[@chardtomp]

Sisko really does seem terribly naïve here. As Fox Mulder once famously said, "Did you really think you were going to summon up the devil and ask him to behave?"

[@CoolMoeDea21]

That's the interesting thing about it. It wasn't so much Garak working for Sisko. It was more like Sisko working for Garak albeit unwittingly.

[@chardtomp]

@J Jackson The naivety isn't in giving Garak the green light the naivety is in doing that and believing that Garak is somehow going to accomplish it without bloodshed. Knowing who and what Garak is and having told him to go do his thing he had no business getting mad about it when he did. What the hell did he think Garak was going to do, say pretty please with sugar on top?

[@chardtomp]

@J Jackson So why is Sisko outraged and beating the crap out of Garak? What the hell is that about?

[@chardtomp]

@J Jackson I think the point of the scene was to demonstrate that Sisko even though he knowingly set the whole thing into motion wasn't actually prepared to accept responsibility for his own actions. He desperately wants it to be Garak's fault that people died even though he knows it's his. Garak tells him as much and he seems to acknowledge it in his final narration.

[@chardtomp]

@J Jackson I didn't have a negative view of him until this episode. I absolutely believe he did the right thing. Really the only thing he could have done to save the Alpha quadrant. But in his final soliloquy he makes an extensive log entry acknowledging his actions and there would have been some redemption in that but then he deletes the entry! Clearly he's unable or unwilling to accept responsibility for his own actions. It's a serious moral failure on his part that he never corrects. Everything turns out OK in the end but he never comes clean to anyone, especially his superiors, about his actions or his collusion with Garak to essentially commit a double homicide. He just takes his win and keeps his dirty little secret to himself. If anything, I think that probably makes him a more believable more human character.

[@cyborgspaceman]

4:14 "Garak... is here?" Ha ha, I'm in danger!

[@jakep1979]

"Ohhh this isn't starfleet off the record job...this is Garak off the record job..." He realized he was safer as a prisoner held by the Klingons 😅

[@parkerdixon-word6295]

I absolutely love the tone and wording of "To save time and, incidentally, his life", its just so *Garak* the way he says it, clearly not caring about Tolar's wellbeing, only how useful the man can be.

[@tek512]

Dude was terrified as soon as he heard Garak's name. Smart man. He knew his life would end.

[@kerryedavis]

Naw, he must have thought he could make good and be safe, at least for now. Otherwise why did he bother to make the program at all?

[@nunyabisnass1141]

I wish there was an eposode dedicated to the subtle power garak wields, called "the spider king." Because his strategy was always to take account of many things he had already gained influence in amd just nudge them in the right direction. By the time you realise you're being played, not only is it too late, ypu also agree its the only way.

[@kevini4295]

The look on Sisko's face towards the end of the episode when he found out what Garek's actual plan was... "Shit Garek played me, manipulated ME, made ME help with a double murder! But... He just helped win the war and save the Federation..."

[@no1reallycaresabout2]

Garak's methods were devious, but unlike Dukat, his loyalty wasn't to himself but to the Cardassian Union and the Alpha Quadrant's security. There is more honor in one of Garak's hair follicles than there is in the entire Klingon High Council and Defense Force.

[@Goodiesfanful]

You have to admit Garak had all the bases covered for Sisko’s plan to succeed.

[@suqmadique9762]

i still dont get how he was able to plant a bomb on the romulan runabout, he had to bypass romulan security on that ship that no doubt would be up to snuff for a senator's yacht and the 2 guards in the hangar, leave no trace and place a bomb that had to stay undetected for 2 days and had just enough yield to blow up the ship killing everyone on board but leave the datarod intact he must have had help from a romulan tailor, no doubt

[@WAREHOUSE553]

@@suqmadique9762 Biomemetic gel, organic explosives, are probably hard to detect. That's why needed the gel.

[@striker8961]

@@suqmadique9762 he’s a professional after all

[@geonerd]

If Tolar only knew what Garak had planned for him, he wouldn't be grovelling and thanking Sisko with such enthusiasm! ;) And Vreenak was a dead man the moment he set foot on the station. A recording that passed his cursory field inspection might well fail scrutiny back on Romulus...

[@aaronwall8375]

I think Tolar knew his fate once he heard Garak’s name. He may have thought he could change the outcome, but much like Senator Vreenak, his fate was sealed “the moment he set foot on that station.”

[@warrioroflight6872]

I don't know about Vreenak. Garak said he had hopes that the rod would somehow pass inspection. He's not the kind of person to do things he doesn't think he has to. And we have no proof that Vreenak's inspection of the rod would be any different from an inspection on Romulus. Garak may have placed the bomb on Vreenak's shuttle as soon as he got the chance, but I personally think he only remotely set the timer when he got the expected news that Vreenak saw through the forgery.

[@danielk5780]

@@warrioroflight6872 I'm not sure that putting a bomb on the shuttle of a high Romulan official and not detonating it would be a wise idea. What if it's found when the shuttle is back on Romulus? The Tal Shiar trusts nobody, they would've probably examined it and found that bomb. No, the plan was to blow up the shuttle and kill the senator, no matter what. The quality of the data rod played no role in the equation: Rod + Dead Senator = War. We also have to consider that Vreenak was someone opposed to war. Getting him out of the picture only furthered the cause.

[@stephcrane]

4:13 subtly reinforces what a badass Garak must have been in his Obsidian Order days: after Tolar picks his jaw up off the floor, he immediately gets drunk and assaults Quark, likely in hopes that Quark (or someone else in the bar) will kill him.

[@U9B]

I never thought of it that way.. wow

[@the_chomper]

In the pale moonlight is hands down the best episode in star trek period

[@ericmcconnaughey2782]

"Garak, is here?!" "Oh, I'll just go wait in my quarters, then." (Thinking: I'm fucked)

[@willt3223]

He was fucked when he made an issue in quark. That made him unreliable

[@mardus_ee]

@@willt3223 It's quite possible, that Tolar already knew, that Garak was planning kill him - let's assume also, that Garak had had something to do with getting Tolar imprisoned and sentenced to death in the first place. Also, should the forgery not pass inspection, Tolar would be sent back to prison in the Klingon Empire anyway. So I thought, that Tolar tried to kill Quark on purpose, in order to get far away from Garak, and into a much safer prison.

[@thomasgray8488]

1:44 "Many Bothans died to bring us this information"

[@Sidragrosm]

I guess we now know what Garak thinks of Bothans, now don't we..?

[@allengilbert7463]

My favorite thing about that line is just a couple of minutes earlier in the same scene, he actually uses it on Sisko. He tells him everyone he contacted on Cardassia was dead within 24 hours. But oh look, I have this alternate plan that will work better.

[@alejandroIsaacCondat]

Tolar's reaction to the name Garak reminded me to "We shall double our efforts" from Tiaan Jerjerrod when he learns that the emperor is coming

[@johnfoltz8183]

Picard: we don’t want to disrupt the Prime Directive by meddling in other people’s affairs. Sisko: Consequences be ******

[@StevenHughes-hr5hp]

Sisko : I agree completely which is why the job is being delegated to Garak so the Federation does not need to do it.

[@Halo1138]

"I'm still working on obtaining the data rod." Still working? Implying you started looking before all of this? Garak, what were you up to in the first place? Tucking it away for just such an occasion? A rainy day?

[@creditsunknown7974]

Garak did say that he has a panel with a data rod that must be eaten if Garak didn't come back but he did say it as a joke _or did he?_

[@bobpage6597]

Garak already had the rod is my personal opinion. He needed leverage against Sisko in order to convince him to release the biomimetic gel to construct a bomb - so he made up a bullshit story about the rod being almost impossible to get, that his "contact" wouldn't surrender the rod without the gel. He's a master manipulator, a tailor of lies and cloth is how I see him haha!

[@warrioroflight6872]

@@bobpage6597 But based on what he said, it doesn't sound like the Cardassians manufacturer those rods regularly and there's not much reason to assume that he would just happen to have one under his bed when he's an exiled pariah among his own people. Besides, the bomb he used doesn't necessarily have to be made from biomimetic gel just because that highly illegal substance can be used for that purpose. Besides, he ordered 200 liters of it and ended up with 85. There's no way he used that much to make an organic explosive that was small enough that he could take it with him while he was sneaking aboard the shuttle. I guess he could have saved the rest for other projects, but again, there's no proof. It's all just speculation. I personally like the idea better that he was telling the truth and needed to obtain the rod because such a thing would be very hard to get when the Cardassians are obsessively careful with their production. I prefer this story because I like the idea of Garak having a highly skilled friend who can aquire such goods and has secretive hobbies that involve him using biomimetic gel for illegal experiments or the production of biogenic weapons to sell to other shady contacts...

[@bobpage6597]

@@warrioroflight6872 We are each entitled to our opinions, you have yours and I have mine aha :)

[@mardus_ee]

@@bobpage6597 For a moment, I thought today, that Garak never had the rod in the first place, but needed biomimetic gel to produce one, and that the "optolythic data rod" was the bomb. The I realised, that the rod had to survive the explosion, so it really could not have been the bomb. But in a later scene, Tolar is told to put the rod into the case, which I think might have been the bomb, based on what 'biomimetic gel' means - that it could be made to take on any shape, and compressing 85 litres of biomimetic gel into a tiny case would be possible for someone like Garak. Then again, Garak somehow had access to Vreenak's shuttle, so he had enough time to plant a bigger device in it.

[@chocol8milk]

One of the best episodes. Sisko compromises his principles. Also, I would jump for joy if Garak shows up in Picard.

[@overlordtycon564]

i hope not would ruin Garak and the actor

[@chocol8milk]

@@overlordtycon564 Agreed. Picard turned out to be such a let down and cluster F.

[@overlordtycon564]

@@chocol8milk glad we are on the same side

[@michaelparker2678]

I think every Star Trek fan on the planet would jump for joy if Garak made an appearance on any Star Trek show.

[@RicardoSantos-oz3uj]

The Jake Puckard show.

[@EGRJ]

"I suspect you wont' like it." Man wasn't kidding.

[@sixofnine9407]

Garak knowing the travel schedule of a Romulan senator's plans, is pure genius.

[@magnusbrzenk447]

On a secret diplomatic mission no less

[@tommybootlegger]

Hands down one of my favorite shows. Great thing about Star Trek is wherever you go in life, you can find it and feel like you're home.

[@SaturnDreamingofMercury]

Love the subtle burn by Garak: "Of course. But I suspect that with the fall of Betazed they're ready _to do whatever it takes_ to bring the Romulans into the war." And what had Sisko told Garak, only a couple scenes prior, he himself was willing to do to bring the Romulans into the war while petitioning the latter's help? 🤔

[@Da_Publick]

I remember laughing so hard at Odo's call to Sisko.

[@Gun909]

It’s the way he throws the pad, hand on face with that look of * oh for F*** Sake!! *

[@hisdudeness8328]

0:56 "If we can convince him that the Dominion is a threat, the rest of the Senate will follow." Oh Garak definitely convinced him of how dangerous the Dominion was, along with the rest of the Romulan Empire. Just not the way Sisko expected.

[@willt3223]

The romulans knew the truth. They were impressed with the federation for having the balls to do that, and a romulans ambassador even absolved sisko of it. Pro war faction needed an excuse. Federation gave them one.

[@hisdudeness8328]

@@willt3223 oh yes, it was revealed later on that the non-aggression pact was just a means to an end for the Romulans to buy time to build up and modernize their fleet for a showdown with the Dominon. The Romulans were under no illusion about how trustworthy the Dominion was. Unbeknownst to the Dominion, the Romulans were tracking every ship that slipped through their space, analyzing how many ships the Dominion had in their region and where their likely base were.

[@tcjusttc5418]

03:00 "to save time and incidentally his life..." The Irony. Garak!!!

[@suqmadique9762]

"at least 10 good men lost their lives" is the same lie he told sisko about his contacts on cardassia

[@hisdudeness8328]

Every lie Garak tells is sprinkled with the truth.

[@kerryedavis]

He may not have been lying about the contacts.

[@maxpower2511]

I love how he tosses the pad onto his desk and face palms at the end

[@persuasivebarrier2419]

I like how this starts with Tolar saying he'll wait in his quarters and ends with Garak telling him to wait in his quarters, that he'll stop by to say, "Hello."

[@CrystalKingdomGeneral4942]

I love Captain Sisko's "But in reality?" It really sums up in 3 short words his reluctance to this whole thing.

[@Ama-hi5kn]

These are the episodes why I love DS9.

[@griergentry8777]

Tolar’s reaction to hearing Garak was involved was like when the Russian mob boss learned why his son had been hit.

[@Darius0101x]

What exactly are you referring to here?

[@griergentry8777]

@@Darius0101x John Wick, when the boss called the mechanic. m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/jKbakp-gm5tgbKM&pp=ygUXam9obiB3aWNrIHBob25lIGNhbGwgb2g%3D

[@agalgonzalez]

​@@Darius0101xJohn Wick, first film.

[@johnw391]

From one of the best episodes

[@JosephMancinicoughcough]

Thank you Melissa Johnson

[@Archedgar]

When Garak is mentioned, Tolar's demeanor changed. There is a high chance that he already knew Garak would kill him before this was over which is why Tolar later objects to being held after his work is complete.

[@HuffdrewPaint]

How nice for Tolar to be able to keep his life. I'm sure he'll live a long one and do much with it.

[@arralartathi]

Hands down, the best episode of the best trek series.

[@ryefry]

One of the best episodes of DS9

[@ianschulz1]

Did that stop the Sisko? No! Garak just said, "If we can't find the evidence, we'll make some instead."

[@Phillip713]

The only flaw in this episode is Sisko saying that starfleet approved of this plan. I never believed that. I don’t think even then they would agree to lying to the romulans to bring them into the war. I definitely believe section 31 would go along with it but no way would starfleet give permission. It’s still a perfect episode. I guess I’ll choose yo believe the person who gave him permission is in section 31

[@jtstacey83]

God, I love Garak! One of the best characters in the show.

[@fameasser123]

This is my favourite Star Trek episode of all time. I wish that more episodes were filmed and released like this. If they were then I am sure that more and more people would like some of the more obscure Star Trek series like Voyager or Prodigy (that childlike cartoon Star Trek series).

[@MackeyDeez]

And Sisko had no idea that Garak had an even more elaborate plan.

[@bjornjoseph]

A plan to help the federation, which will ultimately help cardassia. Man is 20 moves ahead

[@MackeyDeez]

​@@bjornjosephIndeed

[@mmmtcn]

I have to promise to stay away from the Klingon empire, that will be tough lol

[@edmundriddle3847]

This is what happens when a Gryffindor goes to a Neutral Evil Slytherin for help 😂

[@thomasthumim7630]

This episode had a lot of devious alien Romulan Kardashian the blue bulb

[@martincamacho2444]

I love the line when sisko says you’re NOT working for Starfleet to the forger I mean in his mind it’s like it’ll be a cold day in hell before Starfleet is reduced to having likes of him work for it

[@jwrobin21]

This was my favourite Star Trek Episode! A perfectly sculpted gem were the only person who knew what was going on and running the show was a mere Tailor (read high level undercover and alleged ex Obsidian Order Operative!) The Skull duggery, manipulation and constant raising of the stakes makes for political intrigue of the finest order. Vreenak making comments about DS9 not existed for much longer when it was himself and his own shuttle who were soon to be consigned to the history books. Vreenak making comment about Sisko starting the Dominion War when his own death brought the Romulans into the war. The most interested aspect of Garak's character was that you never knew where you stood with him. In real terms, you were just glad that you were still able to stand! The one thing I cannot understand is why anyone gave a fiddlers about Tolar's death. He was already living on borrowed time for whatever he had done on the Klingons. It would have been the four security guards that I would have had some sympathy for but then again, some would say that they knew the risks when they became personal security for a high ranking Romulan Senator such as Vreenak.

[@pendragonshall]

Best episode of DS9 and possibly ALL of Star Trek, not counting any of the modern stuff as, well, a blank screen is better than that crap.

[@JingleJangle256]

Well shit... pornographic holo-programs do exist in the 24th century.

[@DemonofLight80]

I wouldn’t suggest using a black light in the holodecks...

[@mrbubetube]

and remember, since all those technological devices from the Star Trek original series became reality many years later, we now have something to look forward to ONCE AGAIN!

[@cano1255]

How is an ambitious, brilliant, and devious persons talent, like Gareks, wasted as a simple tailor

[@scottythegreat1]

He was the right hand man to the head of the Obsidian Order at one point. Although he was found betraying Enabran Tain and Cardassia, but the circumstances were never discussed.

[@juansantos-lq2kz]

He pissed off some even more devious people.

[@RicardoSantos-oz3uj]

True, he is also a great gardener. What a waste.

[@crippledcrusader1321]

4:11 the look in Tolar’s eyes as soon as Garak is mentioned makes this all the more haunting, he knew he was dead already

[@comical4609]

I got so immersed into this scene and then the video ended. I hate getting blue balled.

[@rogerscottcathey]

"There are some things I'd rather not discuss . . ." I think it was at that point Cisco lost the plot . . . and taken in . .

[@saturn580]

I love Tolar's reaction to discovering Garak is involved in Sisko's plot. He doesn't fear the Starfleet captain before him or the Klingons who want him dead, but the mere mention of Garak's name makes his blood run cold.

[@MarkT1700]

Just a simple tailor.

[@RakeeshJ4]

The attitude change when Sisko drops Garak’s name…😮

[@Dafmeister1978]

At the end there, I swear I can hear Samuel L. Jackson's voice in Sisko's head saying "Motherf-"

[@nalan19]

Tolar has a very Mike Myers Cat in that Hat vibes.

[@JayD-e2w]

Garak... One would have thought this character belongs in a Shakespeare play, and the acting with these two is of the highest level throughout.

[@CampingandTrekking]

sisko was working for garak

[@Charliecomet82]

"Weapons of Mass Destruction," anyone?

[@matthewwatkins4938]

How do you know- Come now you KNOW I won't answer that.

[@bjornjoseph]

Garak is that guy you want as a friend...not enemy

[@rangelo7281]

Having Garak as friend is more dangerous than having him as an enemy. If Garak is your friend you'll turn your back to him. If you have Garak as an enemy you'll never turn your back to him.

[@rng8899]

No idea why hearing the name of a simple tailor would draw such a reaction from a seasoned criminal.

[@michaelcharlesthearchangel]

It's magnificent theatre

[@Degamer422]

This is one of the reasons why I think Sisko would win Game of Thrones.

[@travelreview5962]

Please don't tell me Starfleet is going to approve lying to the Cardassians. That goes against like.... everything lol.

[@2Scribble]

Gotta give Garak props - he kept raising the stakes and the demands on Sisko - but he did it so very gradually, so very delciately, that it was far too late by the time Sisko realized what was happening

[@thadonmel5352]

I know Starfleet upholds certain standards and Gene Roddenberry had a vision for the series but I'm glad to see Sisko playing dirty. It was war, a war that they were going to lose. Drastic measures had to be taken and morally correct is not something he could afford to be.

[@speakingwithoutnet]

Yeah. DS9 focused a lot on how far people would go to protect paradise. They got their hands dirty sometimes, but it was always to ensure that what others wouldn't die or suffer. Ultimately it was optimistic, with people fighting for a good cause and a better future.

[@WAREHOUSE553]

What he did though goes against everything the Federation represents

[@logicplague]

@@WAREHOUSE553 Yep, which wouldn't matter much if there were no Federation around after the war.

[@WAREHOUSE553]

@@logicplague That's no excuse. The point of the Federation is that humans don't behave this way anymore. They don't hypocritically abandon their principles in times of difficulty. Picard would've exposed it just like he did the Pegasus.

[@logicplague]

@@WAREHOUSE553 Yep, and then he could explain to the generations of children growing up under Dominion rule that their suffering was necessary so he could sleep at night.

[@vengeance5537]

4:20 - I guess his Garak isn't as lovely and charming as ours xD

[@thomasherzog2172]

1:44 "many bothans died..."

[@Greiffenhorst]

I love how Garak’s been sizing up and manipulating Sisko since he asked for his help 😂

[@carolineptackova3156]

Why did Garak just have a PADD with a Romulan official under his desk?? 🤔

[@logicplague]

Garak had been planning something like this since "Broken Link".

[@sniperdude12a]

I forgot how that alien's demeanor completely changed when Sisko mentioned Garak. He got very uncomfortable very fast.

[@mds_main]

To be fair to Garak, Tolar was death sentenced by the klingons 😂

[@willia3r]

At the very least Garak bought Tolar a few more days of life & freedom.

[@hisdudeness8328]

I always thought about that. Garak said that Tolar was the best suited holographic programmer for the task. It got me thinking, there had to be plenty of other programmers that could make the forgery, but Garak suggested Tolar. Now I suspect why. It was because Tolar was a convicted criminal. No one was going to miss him if he disappeared. He was perfect for ‘this’ operation, which Garak clearly planned to have as few witnesses as possible.

[@itzakpoelzig330]

That's actually kind of nice of Garak, then. He could have gotten any old videographer killed, but instead he chose one who was going to die anyway, thereby (sort of) sparing an innocent life.

[@bigshadow847]

4:11 it’s really satisfying to see Tolar afraid

[@poil8351]

nice star wars reference then with the ten good men.

[@EVILKIRK-i5o]

Garak is so Dam Efficient that it's scary!

[@spg1794]

"Hello Greython. We need you for a super secret intelligence project. If youre caught, you will make the Romulans side with the Dominion against us. (Considering the extreme sensitivity of what ill be doing, i suppose my presence on this station will be kept a secret?) "Pfft nah go have fun. Theres a bar with alcohol and hot babes on the Promenade, check it out."

[@hansgugel8034]

Curious in episode where doctor bashir visited Romulus it was said koval the chairman of the talshiar was part of section 31, so was senator vreenak aware of this and was assassinated by the Romulans

[@mardus_ee]

A very interesting theory. There would have been many reasons to concoct Vreenaks death: As Garak said, Vreenak negotiated the Romulan-Dominion non-aggression pact, and was the most pro-Dominion politician. It was also implied by Garak, that since the Romulan Senate would follow Vreenak's every proposition, Vreenak very probably had every Romulan Senator somehow compromised in his favour, and that of the Dominion. A fringe theory would be, that Vreenak was a changeling. His quasi-secret trips to Soukara for 'negotiations' would seem suspicious. Koval maybe knew or suspected Vreenak's possible complicity, but was unable to arrange Vreenak's death in Romulan space, as then, all shadow would be cast internally on the Romulans.

[@danielaramburo7648]

Gerak, just a simple tailor.

[@NestorCaster]

Since that senator was also an egotistical politician, but also harden and prudent, I think Garak knew that even more, when proving that the rod is a fake, that the senator would be so gun-ho to bring this back to Romulus, that he would over look all of the subtle, yet standard operating procedures that are normally observe when in this type of instance-- like an obviously planted bomb. I think that Garak knew his man very well and knew that at a break-neck pace, Senator Vreenak would love to expose this lie of the Federation, solidify their position with the Dominion, and consolidate his own political power in the new political environment this revelation would create-- and right before all of that, would be the best time to get him; because that would be the time his arrogant, egotistical-self, least expected to be attacked-- especially by the “weak” human led Starfleet, and the weakening moral-driven Federation. Perfect. And essentially, Garak and Sisko win the war!

[@Archedgar]

*"egotistical political"* Why did you say the same thing twice?

[@Albukhshi]

And ever since, I've always (affectionately) nicknamed Garak "Scumbag Garak"

[@Mountainmonths]

garak is probably the most interesting character in all of star trek

[@hey.hombre]

I just had a revelation. Does Sisko work for Section 31? Sisko has made many decisions a Star Fleet officer wouldn't have made. He's only been put on record or reprimanded. Unless you have high connects his career should have been over. Many of his decisions has been what an operative from Section 31 would make. How many undercover missions have the crew of DSN been sent on? How about O'Brian? Making a false video is what Section 31 would do. Ignoring the warnings from the Dominion regarding trespassing on their territory was intentionally ignored by Sisko. How did Section 31 get all the information on the Changelings to make a bio weapon so quickly? I believe Sisko and O'Brien worked for Section 31. O'Brien was Bashir's buddy. He kept a close eye on Bashir. How did Section 31 know so much about Bashir? Sisko kept tight control on DSN.

[@AidanMillward]

Article 14, Section 31 of the Federation Charter allowed for extraordinary measures to be taken in times of extreme threat. Maybe they don’t need the organisation Section 31 for it, maybe that goes for Starfleet as well.

[@Goodiesfanful]

I dunno if Sisko works for Section 31, but Section 31 would be proud of what Sisko’s doing to trick the Romulans into the war if they knew - and I bet they do. They may even be thinking it saves them the trouble of doing it.

[@magnusbrzenk447]

And JarJar Binx is a Sith Lord?

[@avae5343]

DS9 is the cold hard reality of Star Trek. The Cardassians are probably most like us and the best written in the series.

[@rkmugen]

When he's not hemming someone's trousers, just leave it up to a tailor to fabricate some damningly incriminating evidence.

[@TheSci-fiAnarchist42]

Tolar probably went to Quark's to get piss drunk because he knew Garek was going to kill him after he was no longer needed. He wanted to drown his sorrows. 🍺 😭

[@jakep1979]

Yeah judging by Tolar behavior he was one untrustworthy character who would sell out Sisko & his plan to the highest bidder. I am sure in the back of Sisko mind that he knew there is no way Tolar can be trusted with this information to be kept secret. This us why he placed his trust in Garak as Garak was good at eliminating loose ends.

[@jakjakjakjakjak]

Best non battle episode; and potentially best episode of DS9. Star Trek is allegory on Philosophy. Garak has his own philosophy, some might not like it but it is real and effective.

[@michaelparker2678]

I find it almost insulting when I hear people talk about how they are just now seeing DS9 for the first time because they thought it was a carbon copy of Babylon 5. How wrong were they...

[@alejandromolina7270]

Was the Dominion planning to attack the Romulans.

[@HarPlayer]

Is the the 1 whete Garek ..... Well I'll leave it there

[@regalecusglesne3022]

there's a little problem: why would the dominion, notoriously diffident and sceptic towards the cardassians, entrust cardassia to manufacture an optolythic data rod, when they have already their own encrypted systems of data storage? vrenak might've thought "if it's a dominion invasion, then why it is not transcripted on a dominion data log?" maybe that's why he ultimately called the bluff.

[@linkachu1000]

Cardassians were part of the dominion and their stronghold in the Quadrant.

[@scottythegreat1]

The Cardassians are quite meticulous record keepers. They taught MANY worlds, including Bajor how to keep records. Surely they still used Cardassian technology on Cardassia, it would take awhile before they used Dominion record keeping, and even then, I wouldnt be surprised if the Cardassians were ahead of the Dominion when it came to record keeping.

[@Kamodomon]

Star Trek at it's best when the overacting is dialed in JUST RIGHT. So good.

[@lonewolfandcub668]

We've always got the old stuff rather than the absolute trash it turned into

[@AlexSeverinski]

4:13 *sniff* Anyone else picking up a faint trace of ammonia?

[@xaviersavedra711]

Would the Romulan Senator have still gotten blown up if he believed Sisko in the first place? I hope not.

[@attiepollard7847]

Yes because why risk him going back to the romulan homeworld and that data rod is carefully examined by its people to be a fake. The romulans would declare they are joining the Dominion or contact the Dominion and tell him that they are on a separate attack of the federation

[@bobpage6597]

1:20.....'How do YOU know he'll be visiting Soukara?' "....there are some things I would rather not discuss! May I continue?" In other words - plot armour. Garak just magically knows 🤣🤣

[@attiepollard7847]

Is very easy he was tracking romulan communication

[@bobpage6597]

@@attiepollard7847 This is the 24th Century. Even today its EXTREMELY difficult to simply 'track' or 'listen in' on any comms that are encrypted. Garak having that ability as one man is just completely implausible. I know he's good - but he's not superman. Even with the resources of the Obsidian Order behind him, penetrating Romulan communications would be nigh on impossible. And I would absolutely assume any comms relating to the whereabouts and movements of high ranking officials would be secure as all hell and well out of reach aha.

[@attiepollard7847]

@@bobpage6597 hey you never know with garak. Besides romulans are not immune from corruption from merchant people when it comes to information.. everyone has a price.

[@Archedgar]

Is it really 'plot armor' when Garak is literally a trained assassin & spy ? it's his job to procure & handle valuable information.

[@bobpage6597]

@@Archedgar But there are plenty of things that even the best can't do. I can't see any reason Garak would have been able to magically procure the classified travel plans of one of the most senior Romulan officials in the Empire in so short a time. They needed him to have this tidbit to advance the plot, naturally. Given the time line in between things going wrong with all of Garak's contacts on Cardassia being liquidated, and him magically having the information - and Vreenak just HAPPENS to be travelling at this particular point in time. Its all just TOO convenient.