In honor of the Ides of March:
I have seen a lot of discussion over the years about Garak’s true plans in the episode “In the Pale Moonlight.” There is a general consensus in this group that Garak always intended to assassinate the ambassador, and possibly even the story of his dead contacts was fabricated in order to direct Sisko toward a his plan. What I haven’t seen, however, is a similar discussion of Garak’s hidden intentions in “The Die is Cast.” I suspect many think that he sincerely wanted to rejoin Tain, and that he only really started to regret his decision while he was interrogating Odo. That was, in fact, my own interpretation during my first few watches of this episode. I propose, however, that this is not true, but that Garak specifically chose to rejoin Tain in order to protect Odo, and that it was, in fact, his intention to betray Tain from the moment he learned that Tain would take him back.
One thing to remember is that “The Die is Cast” is a very loose retelling of Julius Caesar. This is alluded to both by the episode’s name, and in the conversation between Garak and Bashir at the beginning of “Improbable Cause.” In this case, Tain plays the role of Ceasar, and Garak the role of Brutus. In case anyone is unfamiliar with the plot of Julius Caesar, the relevant plotline is that Brutus, Caesars dear friend and colleague of long-standing (to borrow a phrase from Tain) becomes convinced that Caesar’s actions are tyrannical and that he has the potential to be a poor leader for the people of Rome. As a result, he agrees to join a conspiracy to murder Caesar in order to protect Rome.
Like Brutus, Garak is both inspired and aided in his subterfuge by Tain’s own diminishment. It is established at the end of this episode that Tain himself realizes that he isn’t as sharp as he used to be; he had no idea the Romulan commander was a Changeling, and he continues to have no idea that Garak was betraying him. In his conversation with Bashir about Julius Caesar, Garak was disgusted that Caesar, a supposedly great man, “couldn’t see what was happening right under his nose.” In his prime, Tain would have suspected Garak immediately, but he no longer has the mental acuity to recognize betrayal when it is right before him. Garak, meanwhile, has no desire to betray Tain, but, like Brutus before him, he recognizes that Tain’s actions in teaming up with the Tal Shiar are evidence of his deterioration.
We all know that Garak’s true character exists in subtext
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#-= DS9, Season 3, Episode 20, Improbable Cause =-
- Star Trek: The Next Generation - Full Series
- DS9 Season 1: 1&2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, Wrap-Up
- DS9 Season 2: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, Wrap-Up
- DS9 Season 3: 1&2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19
Garak's tailor
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> GARAK: You're going to give yourself indigestion.
BASHIR: Well I only have you to thank for that. If you hadn't been so late, I could have enjoyed my lunch.
GARAK: This isn't the first time I've seen you rush through a meal. You never take the time to savour your food. It seems to be a human characteristic. Look over there. That Talarian is barely halfway through his meal, but his human companion's plate is empty.
BASHIR: Well maybe he and I can have dessert while you and the Talarian to wile away the afternoon.
GARAK: But it is a very interesting sociological phenomenon, don't you think? For generations now, humankind has had more than enough food and yet you go about your eating as if you were afraid someone was going to come along and snatch away your plate.
BASHIR: Garak, why don't you eat for a while and let me talk?
GARAK: Fear of starvation amid plenty. It points to some dark secret hidden in the human soul. A gnawing hunger. perhaps someone should do a study.
BASHIR: Why don't you do it? You appear to have plenty of time on your hands.
GARAK: Doctor, if you want to have your dessert, please go ahead. I won't be offended.
BASHIR: I have to go. And I'm sorry to leave while you're still eating.
GARAK: No, no, I'm done as well.
BASHIR: But you've hardly touched your plate.
GARAK: If you really must know, I've been nibbling on Delavian chocolates all morning.
I was looking through the comment section of this video and i found this comment: "Reginald Moneybags1 month ago Well I'm gonna knowing that the machine that clashes universes together works...
Spams the button on it to start smashing every universe into this one"
Who do you think was the shadowy figure Odo got his intel from in the cave? I don't believe it was ever answered.
