TheGodBen Revisits Deep Space Nine

[Shatnertage]

Deranged Nasat wrote:

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The moment when Marritza breaks down and starts crying is possibly my favourite moment of the series, to be honest. Very powerful.

That made me cry. I just really felt for the guy. And it was so unexpected.

I had absolutely no expectations going into this one when I watched it, and like TheGodBen says I initially thought it was going to be a typically preachy Trek episode about The Importance of Tolerance. The twist made it special for me, and as surprising as when Picard didn't order Worf to help that Romulan in "The Enemy" (I think that's the episode...is it?) and the Romulan died.

[Admiral Shran]

TheGodBen wrote:

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Pretty much all the scenes are worthwhile, except perhaps for the Quark scene, which felt like they were trying to shoehorn him into the episode, but even that's not too bad.

IMO, even the Quark scene works because, IIRC, it's the only lighthearted moment in an otherwise intensely powerful episode. All in all, Duet definitely deserves 5 stars.

[Seven of Five]

I don't know what to say about Duet that hasn't been said already. It deserves its plaudits, as it's an episode that almost reduced me to tears when I first saw it. It gets me every time I rewatch. It's brilliant!

You have your Trekkian tolerance-type special episode, but it is merely the cover of the mystery that is enthralling. The twist is one I just wasn't expecting, and then of course the ending leaves me crippled.

This is the most definite hint yet of the type of story DS9 would later revel in.

[Admiral Shran]

Just to nitpick a little bit (because I like too ) but why didn't Kira call for medical help after Marritza was stabbed?

[Nerys Ghemor]

I suspect Marritza was already dead. That guy probably knew exactly where to stab a Cardassian for instant death, and Kira probably knew too.

[Admiral Shran]

Of course, the behind-the-scenes answer is that it's much more dramatic for Kira to kneel over his dead body in silence. But, I do find it odd that nobody on the Promenade was either getting or offering help.

[Nerys Ghemor]

I suspect most of the Bajorans didn't want to offer help--for the same reason that he was murdered: because he was a Cardassian.

[Deranged Nasat]

^ Indeed. Even if they weren't malicious, a dying Cardassian might well simply be something they respond to with apathy rather than concern. They're not vicious or even aggressive but they haven't learned how to care what happens to Cardassians. People like the real Darhe'el took that from them, which is perhaps an even greater loss than the lives taken.

Also, if anything, I find it realistic that the anti-Cardassian sentiment might take the more subtle form of "huh, there goes a gray-skin, he's bleeding out fast" rather than "die, spoonhead, die!" (with the obvious exception of the man who stabbed Marritza, who was "die spoonhead, die!")...

[Admiral Shran]

Good points. I can easily see that for all the Bajorans standing around. However, also present were Odo, Morn, at least one non-Bajoran alien and at least two Starfleet people.

With Odo, I guess you could argue that he's busy restraining the killer. But it's odd that everyone else just stands back and watches Kira mourn.

[Deranged Nasat]

Admiral Shran wrote:

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Good points. I can easily see that for all the Bajorans standing around. However, also present were Odo, Morn, at least one non-Bajoran alien and at least two Starfleet people.

With Odo, I guess you could argue that he's busy restraining the killer. But it's odd that everyone else just stands back and watches Kira mourn.

Hmm, good point. Perhaps they were uncomfortable? Kira is clearly strongly affected, not just by the death but by her own newly found certainty that Cardassians in general are not The Enemy. Maybe they were keeping their distance from her, respectfully or in discomfort, rather than from Marritza? And I guess people do have a tendency to stand and gawk.

Of course, we probably have to accept that in reality it's the dramatic visual that explains it, but oh well.

[Admiral Shran]

Deranged Nasat wrote:

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Of course, we probably have to accept that in reality it's the dramatic visual that explains it, but oh well.

That's pretty much it right there.

[TheGodBen]

I especially like the Bajoran woman that walks up to Bajoran guy (top left) without noticing that there's a guy dying on the floor, and the guy's all like "Oh, hey".

[DonIago]

Clearly she was so traumatized by Cardassians previously that her brain no longer registers the sight of them.

[Shatnertage]

It's because that shot was an homage to DaVinci's The Last Supper. Twelve disciples--twelve people in the shot plus Marritza. Very clever.

But I don't know what the lady who walks up and starts a conversation is supposed to represent.

[DGCatAniSiri]

Shatnertage wrote:

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It's because that shot was an homage to DaVinci's The Last Supper. Twelve disciples--twelve people in the shot plus Marritza. Very clever.

But I don't know what the lady who walks up and starts a conversation is supposed to represent.

Presumably the group of people who say "There's a crowd of people here. Ooh! Dead body! Can I poke it with a stick or would that break the mood?"