Customer Reviews

Star Trek - Deep Space Nine, Episode 25: Cardassians [VHS]

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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.

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...