Product Details

• Actors: Avery Brooks, Rene Auberjonois, Alexander Siddig, Terry Farrell, Cirroc Lofton
• Directors: Cliff Bole
• Writers: Gene Roddenberry, Gene Wolande, James Crocker, John Wright, Michael Piller
• Producers: David Livingston
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, HiFi Sound, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Paramount
• VHS Release Date: September 16, 1997
• Run Time: 106 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6304564155
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #612,016 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Original airdate: 10/24/93. Stardate: 47177.2. In this second-season highlight, Andrew Robinson (perhaps best known to movie buffs as the killer "Scorpio" in Dirty Harry) reprises his role (from the first season's "Past Prologue") as DS9's resident Cardassian and alleged spy Garak, who provides Bashir with a blunt lesson in Bajoran-Cardassian politics when a young Cardassian orphan arrives at the station. The boy, Rugal, had been abandoned on Bajor after the Cardassian siege, and raised by Bajoran parents who taught him to despise all members of his own race--a hatred he expresses by biting Garak's hand, prompting Sisko to resolve the sticky issue of Rugal's rightful parentage. Through intelligent dialogue and nonverbal, character-based interactions, this well-executed episode operates on several levels, exposing Chief O'Brien's own lingering prejudice against Cardassians, deepening the intrigue of Garak's enigmatic character (to be further explored in subsequent episodes), and exploring Star Trek's time-honored theme of racial and/or species intolerance in the wake of tragic warfare. There's no action to speak of, making this a more cerebral study of DS9's volatile political context. --Jeff Shannon

From the Back Cover

An orphaned Cardassian boy causes turmoil on the station when he launches an unprovoked attack on Garak (Andrew Robinson), the station's resident tailor. The Cardassian leader, Gul Dukat (Marc Alaimo), immediately asks Sisko (Avery Brooks) to look into the incident.

An initial investigation reveals that the Cardassians abandoned thousands of orphans when they left Bajor. Further inquiries reveal that the boy's natural father is a high-ranking Cardassian official who also happens to be a political enemy of Dukat.

Now Sisko must decide the boy's fate-should he stay with his adoptive Bajoran parents or go with his natural Cardassian father?

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Cardassians" is a wonderful, quiet show, January 9, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Star Trek - Deep Space Nine, Episode 25: Cardassians [VHS] (VHS Tape)

DS9's "Cardassians" is interesting from its very first scene until its conclusion. Dialouge crackles, plotting is complex, and the characters come alive. "Cardassians" centers around an abandoned Cardassian war-orphan named Rugal, who was left behind when Cardassia withdrew from Bajor, his parents presumanbly killed during the occupation. Rugal is acted suprisingly well, considering Trek's reputation of hiring bad teenage actors. The story makes Bashier out to be a very determined man, which is consistent with "The Wire." Sisko comes off as a quiet, but forceful commander. Gul Dukat (DS9's main villain) is schemeing in top-form here, making a villain we love to hate. Oh yes, and there's "plain and simple" Garak, who gets lots of screen time this week and is marvelous. All in all, "Cardassians" is an excellent show, worth a place in your collection.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Next time, Garak, try the Klingon restaurant..., September 29, 2000

By 

L C "lc70" (Binghamton, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Star Trek - Deep Space Nine, Episode 25: Cardassians [VHS] (VHS Tape)

It started off innocently enough, as Garak -- the mysteriousCardassian tailor -- and the ever naive Dr. Julian Bashir ate theirlunch at the replomat on the promenade of Deep Space 9. Then it gotwierd...

A Bajoran man comes aboard with his Cardassian son,Rugal. No, Rugal is no half breed, and is certainly not the recipientof plastic surgery. Rugal is a Cardassian war orphan, left on Bajorafter the withdrawal, but now adopted by a devout and kind Bajoranfamily. When Garak introduces himself to the boy, he is viciously bitby the boy. After all, as Rugal tell us, Cardassians are evil. And, welearn also learn that Rugal is no longer Cardassian. He isBajoran.

After all, identity IS a cultural construct, not abiological fact? Isn't it....? Rugal has been raised Bajoran, actsBajoran, and therefore IS Bajoran, despite the very attractive neckridges. This message is one of the most profound messages everpresented in the Trek Universe... (I mean about identity, not theattractiveness of neck ridges...)

In this episode we learn that toabandon a child, or otherwise do harm to one's family, is the greatestdishonor and disgrace on Cardassia. "On Cardassia, family iseverything." We also learn about some of the social policy andtraditions on Cardassia, such as how orphans have no status in thatsociety.

Back to the plot... The custody of Rugal becomes an issuewhen it is discovered that he is not an orphan, but the son of a quiteimportant Civilian leader, P'Dar... who coincidentally was involved inthe decision to withdraw from Bajor... and who is coincidentallyenemies with Gul Dukat... who coincidentally oppossed the withdrawalfrom Bajor.. and who coincidentally is also Garak's enemy... whocoincidentally gets sucked into the whole mess simply by eating lunchwith Bashir on the promenade that day...

Which coincidentallybrings me to the brilliant comment made by Garak... "I believe incoincidences. Coincidences happen every day. But I don't trustcoincidences..."

You're a clever guy, Garak. Trying to frameP'Dar for abandonning his son on Bajor, Dukat has played Rugal, P'Dar,and even Sisko and Bashir like pawns on a Kotra board... But don'tworry, kind reader. The mystery is solved... Garak saw through all thelies...